>> Um I I guess that's the best easiest way. So is about 2 millionish um uh was the the end result hit. That should have been worse, but we had not as big of a decrease in the budget as we had an increase in the staffing. So, we were able to buffer the staffing for a year with our fund balance reserves. So, we were able to make sure that we continued our staffing through the year as opposed to doing any kind of cuts mid year or do anything weird or we just had that planning time which is what the fund balance reserve is intended for. so that then we could, you know, ensure that our staffing uh for this next year will accommodate the loss of enrollment that we had this year. >> Any other questions for Vanessa about budget stuff? Budget info, >> budget, budget numbers.
find out what what's conversations happened with the attorneys, >> right? >> Yes, that would be great. >> I'm hoping that the attorneys can advise Christopher McHuite from a legal point of view because everyone that's looked at this from a legal perspective thinks it's black and white >> and and even I understood from Becca Solomon. >> Touch it. >> Oh, sorry. >> No, that's okay. Go ahead. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt you. >> No, no, no. I I was just going to remind you all that Becca Solomon had said to Tony and I that um Hopkin can and should enforce their special permit. So, that's from a legal perspective. So if she can work with their attorney and they in turn with Christopher McB. It seems like that's the critical connection that needs to happen at this point cuz otherwise I just candidly I'm feeling like Hopkin Planning Board is just kind of kicking the can down the road by taking it off the agenda for March 9.
>> It's just not a good situation and it's not good in any of the times that you're in a declining enrollment situation. it just none of it's fun and and um you know but I think we have a a support from our board to keep investing in ourselves and that's why we keep ma bringing the dollars to the table and and kind of protecting that in the process of budget so that we can continue to bring dollars it's not as many dollars as we want to bring um but I made a very big um component we also did a an activity where board members had to kind of talk about how you invest in yourself um and invest in your future and that the biggest portion of our expenditures is our salaries and benefits. So if you're going to invest in yourselves, it's salaries and benefits.
I mean I went around this past weekend and distributed flyers to like a hundred of my neighbors and and I was planning to do more and everybody that was out on Saturday, it was a beautiful day that I talked with. They absolutely 100% agreed with this and that was both Ashland and Hopkin's side. So that there's definitely public support and I was trying to enlist people to show up for the March 9 meeting but now that's off the table. >> Is there did they give a reason why they took it off the March 9th agenda? >> Um uh let me just reread this. So it's because the question you raised related to enforcement of existing >> Yeah. >> Okay. Sorry. Yeah, you did mention that, >> right? So, it's their building commissioner that has to enforce it. So, it's not going to come back to their planning board.
And that's uh why I think I continue to have support even though the board members do get concerned that we're bringing any dollars to the table. Um and it's kind of like a duck and cover. But if we do that, I don't think we'll be able to stay relevant and we want to stay ahead of it. And we have some dollars. we continue to have some dollars uh because of the prior year's planning before I even got here and the things that I've continued since I got here. So, um I I don't know how else to take three hours and put it in 10 minutes, but those were the things that we talked about and it came out very clear that it is important for our district future health to invest in ourselves as much as we feel we can and not put the district in fiscal danger.
>> So, then the question is, how do we make sure that their building commissioner enforces this? Andor is there some legal thing that has to happen that goes, okay, because this is in Ashland, can we transfer this legal um this order from Hopkin to Ashland property? Maybe it's something we have to approve or our town council or something. >> But >> maybe Agilityas will donate it. >> Well, that that's what they're meant to do because it was it's earmarked. It is in the registry as open space land. That's they're meant to do that. Yeah. Well, one thing we'll do, Susan, is we'll have uh we'll have Michael uh contact uh Lisa's office and find out what, you know, where it stands with her and then maybe have uh Lisa if if the board agrees, send have uh Lisa send a letter to the building inspector of Hoffington asking what his intentions are with that property and where it has a uh a restriction on it.
And that's what I think I was able to prove to the board to support bringing the 750,000 to the table um despite concerns about future cuts and future decline. Don't know we can do it every year, but it is my intent to try. Okay, if that is it, then uh it's 11:40. We'll see everybody back here at 12:40 sharp, please. So we can try to make up for some lost time. started since it is 12:42 I think. Um, I just want to touch on the agenda because I'm shifting it around, but I want to um just say something about the workload issue that we were working on last week or not last week, last month and uh options that were generated. And um I just we're going to reset that process, but we're not going to do it today um because of having to shift some things around.
uh that it should be uh would they would they consider turning it over to the town? >> Who did our letter go to? Our letter went to >> went to the planning board. >> Their planning? >> Yes. >> And the developer, I thought. >> Yeah. >> And the developer to ass wouldn't one expect that planning board would respond to us directly or >> never got a response back. >> Or the town manager would respond to us directly. I mean, what's >> Yeah. McWay never sent a response back to my letter directly to me because it came from me. Never got it. I would have I would have more than happily under correspondence would have been part of that package. Never got it. So, all right. So would that would that suit you Susan and Tony for us to uh contact uh uh council to contact Hmonton's uh building inspector this year?
Um you know, we generated options to uh try to address workload situation, but I'm not using this an excuse. I was sick that day when I left there. I got I went home and went to bed and didn't get up for a couple of days. And so I don't know if that's what happened to me that day, but you know, Vanessa had done a presentation about the financial situation, the budget, the declining enrollment, and then when options were starting to be generated, a lot of them were not costneutral. And so as a result, and they also required some more information. So um in order to sort of be efficient, uh we sent out the survey to get some more information from you all. And so we're going to revisit it, but we're going to look through the lens of costneutral options when we come back to it um in a couple of weeks.
>> Absolutely. >> Okay. >> Absolutely, Joe. And and yeah, Michael, if if you mentioned you were playing phone tag with the t uh town manager in Hopkin. I don't know if you made that connection on this topic. >> Yeah, we were talking about that. Yeah. >> Okay. Okay. And and what did she have to say? >> Oh, I'm sorry. I misunderstood you. No, we haven't been able to con like contact each other. We've been playing phone tag. >> Oh, okay. Okay. Okay. Yeah. If I mean, if you can continue to pursue that as well, um I think that would be important just to reinforce the importance of this to the town of Ashland and Hopington candidly. Again, everyone's for it, but they they need to take action. >> Yeah. It does seem kind of like they're punting it. Yeah. Yeah. And again, I can't apologize enough about the the date and the misfire on the date.
But I just wanted to say, you know, look, that that was on me. We need to reset around that particular area because a lot of those would have been uh adding to your budget situation and I didn't put that parameter there. So we'll address that moving forward, but I just want to say that um today. So on the 26th, I think is the next time we get together, we'll revisit those options and and try to bring that full circle. Uh but now we're going to jump into insurance. So, if Joel and Vanessa are ready, we're going to we've already you had the presentation from Valley Schools uh management group and they presented the state of the state, if you will, and then I think we got to take a look at a couple things because some decisions need to be made today, if I understand correctly, so that we can address compensation.
So, thank you for your continued support um in this matter. >> Yeah, you're welcome. It is it is important to us and um yeah, any any free land that we can get and keeping open space is always uh a positive for the community as a whole. Susan, I was thinking out loud and uh I I just may take a road trip tomorrow >> to to Hawkington and stop in and see what's going on. >> That would be fantastic. Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> I'll try to stay in touch with you. Is is the only way to stay in touch through the these meetings or is there any >> No, you can you can you can contact me directly. >> Okay. Okay. All right. Super. Thank you so much. You're >> you're welcome. Thank you. All right. Um, let's see. So, next >> scope letter.
>> Sorry, Alexis, real quick. I know we're missing a couple of people. I don't know if we didn't go over time constraints. Did anyone know if they have um if anyone wasn't coming back for any reason? Is there meetings or >> I had not heard that. >> Okay. >> I just want to check. >> Oh, he's coming this afternoon. >> Okay. And nobody knows about Ivon and >> neighbor. >> Oh, okay. And neighbors. >> Neighbor might be driving. I know he sometimes has to. Okay. Okay. Just checking. Thank you. Okay. you blankets a part of presentation. >> Did your daughter have the baby? >> Um, yes. And now I have a a third one coming too. >> So, >> is that a real blanket or is that >> Yeah, it's a blanket. They put that on a blanket. Anyone want to guess who was in charge of making the blanket?
>> Yeah. So, next. So, and I don't know if you've heard um heard much, but uh so many residents have received a letter uh on behalf of the town, but uh from a company called Cyber Scout um which was notifying residents that they could have been subject to a data breach that happened last year after um insurance uh our insurance council had looked at the um you know looked into the incident, looked into things, uh felt like it was appropriate just to give everybody an opportunity to, you know, let them know that this this uh their data could have been accessed and that they had um the opportunity we were offering to do a credit monitoring service through them. So, um unfortunately, the letter was um it wasn't the best quality um at all and I think that that gave people some pause. black and white didn't uh >> yeah it was a little a little flimsy I guess you could say and then there was supposed to be another piece of correspondence that was in there that um you know each resident I've talked to um you know said they only got that one um so that's um I need to look into that >> and how was it determined who would get the that letter I mean were they the only people who were in danger of >> I got one Yeah, I mean it wasn't it wasn't a small list.
Which of the three adult children was in got oldest? >> Who is the top with the biggest face? put her dogs and then everybody else got upset. We didn't know putting our dogs was an option and they all wanted to put their pets, too. And uh yeah, I got in trouble for that. They got in trouble. Not me. I just enjoyed it. >> Yeah, the blanket. I now have two of those. It's really cool. >> So, the second one had the pictures of the adults on it. >> The the oldest up top. She's my oldest and that's her wife and her wife is pregnant now. And then those are their two that's Willow and um >> two dogs. >> Yeah, those the two dogs up top. And then um and then the the middle section is my middle daughter. And that's her with my four-year-old grandbaby.
It was just if there was the potential for their data to be accessed, we wanted to make sure that we notified them and gave them an opportunity to, you know, lock up their credit. >> Yeah. But if you didn't receive one, what does that mean? >> Then your data wasn't wasn't privy to being accessed. Yeah. >> Okay. Well, just seems kind of >> Well, it's funny you should say that because I've been having issues with my computer since day one. Since that >> since the letter you got the letter since you got the letter. >> Okay. But that's what that that's what that is. So, I just wanted to let everybody know um who happens to be watching. >> Just out of curiosity, were they supposed to let you guys know before they sent out anything to residents? >> Yeah. I mean, we we gone through and approved like the proofs.
Uh the baby that was in the belly is now four months old. She's in the red. And then the bottom is my son. He's my youngest. And that's him and his girlfriend. They were the ones who were the most put out because they didn't get to put Bentley. Another grand puffers. So I have some grandfathers and grandkids that did not get the opportunity to showcase them the blanket. >> So you have two of the same blanket or is the second blanket has the picture of all the dogs on it? >> No, the second blanket is an older blanket that has all my kids on it from a like about five years ago. And then this is my newest blanket they made me and I don't have the other pets on there. They were all upset on the bottom that they didn't know that putting pets was an option >> because the oldest just said the pictures you want to put on mom.
Um, >> yeah, it was was a little surprised that >> Yeah, that was a big topic on Facebook. I don't know if you folks saw that or not, but it was the big topic on Facebook and people were asking, "Who do we contact to make sure this isn't a scam?" >> Yeah, we we had we've had a lot of people call and come by. >> That's why I asked Michael, what's what's going on here? Because, you know, >> Motion to go past 10:00. Is there a second? >> Oh, >> okay. >> Motion to adjurnn then. >> Second. >> Yeah, that's all I had on that. >> That's all you have? >> Okay. All right. >> We have to vote on the motion to go past 10 o'clock. That's now been seconded. >> Okay. Are we at 10 already? >> We only macro because that says 9 9:05.
>> And it is a very cool blanket. I'm just not sure what to do with it. It's weird, you know, when you cuddle up. >> Cuddle to the baby belly. I don't know. >> They know you love it. That's the only gift you're gonna get every year. >> I honestly I don't mind. I mean, I don't mind >> really. Yeah. I just gave me a good idea for something to do with them. So, >> uh, all right. Go do the insurance stuff real quick. >> Um, I think, uh, I just want to go back real quick on the insurance and talk about what our choices were real quick. And where was that? Let's see. Plan your new. There it is. >> Real quick, Roxanna put the sign in in the chat. So, don't forget to sign in. Thanks, Rox. All right. So, oh, that's tiny.
That's why I That's why I said really >> sorry about that. Okay. All those in favor? >> I Those opposed. I didn't hear it. >> No, it's fine. I'm I'm here. I'm here. >> Okay. Thank you. >> I'm still awake. I had coffee last night. >> Oh my word. >> Yeah. >> Wow. The same. >> Okay. With that, thank you for that uh description and uh correspondence on the cyber >> that we open the BAA community grant round and if Claudia and Brandy are willing to do it, that they are our subcommittee. Wow. >> I'm getting right to the point. >> You rehear you rehearsed that very nicely. By the way, >> that was not rehearsed. Believe me, >> I don't know if Claudia and Brandy want to do it again this time, but >> I'm happy to do it, but I I just want to offer anybody else the opportunity that might want to do it.