I think that you're doing okay. I'm looking at what I've got and I think Gay and I are going to be able to come up with three good goals out of what I've already got written >> down. That's really important to not have too many. I >> agree. >> So, if you're cool, I mean, let's leave it at that. Gail and I will get together in the next, you know, little while and we'll come back with something maybe in like uh I don't know. >> Well, and what will that look like with the goals? Will these be um like when the evaluation comes around next year, will the goals be there to kind of um check in with or are we just going to periodically bring these goals up and check in with ourselves or I'm just kind of trying to figure out what how we'll utilize the goals.
Um it they also have um an embedded clinician u as part of their department operations as well. And Kirstston, I'm sorry if you're here, I'm going to call you out by name. Uh has just done a remarkable job in terms of our mental health um our mental health response uh from our public safety officials. Also included is a $300,000 appropriation or excuse me increase for our fire department to hire an additional firefighter for each shift. So that's a total of four firefighters. What we are seeing here um in Ashland is now we're starting to get concurrent calls which is more than one call happening at a time, more than two calls happening at a time. And when you don't have enough people to run a firet truck or run an ambulance, um if you're that third call, that's not a good feeling. Um and so as we're starting to see that concurrent call number rise, we really feel like this is a necessary increase in the department.
I think that's why we So, I'll read it. So, if you're not looking at it, a walk out from or sit in within a classroom or school building or school grounds that substantially disrupts school operations. >> Yeah. Because >> right because not or that would >> we we had clarity here and as you fulfilled >> uh we had clarity during the uh subcommittee meeting that our intention was not to silence students but if if there was a bonafide disruption, we wanted um school leaders to be able to say this is materially disrupting um the learning environment. And um so that's that's the intent and I think that Joyy's suggestion there if we take out >> as we heard in public comment that that's that's broader than we intended. Okay. >> Um and um >> I'll make note of that >> results in more yeah problematic gray area.
And I'm like, how do you stay legally compliant with all these changes that come to us like every single month? I'm like it's worth I think its weight and gold that we are part of that. >> Yeah. For sure. >> I just have a question because some of these seem redundant. So like the policy with maintaining appropriate adult student interactions. There's three different policies but they all say the same thing. >> I know. So why do we have three policies that say the same thing? I noticed that also for the there was one about um like the compensation for board members. I noticed that that popped up a couple times. I I don't know the answer to that question. We're going to have to go back and look cuz I noticed that when I was reviewing them. I think it was today, Wednesday, like late Monday night.
Will we put them in the self? >> Are you asking me my thoughts? >> Yeah. Or anyone's thoughts? >> I would think that we would bring them like in let's say August. Okay. >> I mean, I'm thinking that'll be we can refine and bring them in August. You say, "Yeah, we like that." >> Yes. And then some of this will be you working on it yourself and some of will be you directing me to get data or whatever and then bring it to you future needs, you know, those kinds of things. So, that'll and then that's how you'll know if it's we're moving in the right direction. Well, and then I would also add I would also add that >> in December we should revisit those because we have an election this year and so it's important to make sure that >> board members know that these were goals that were set by us but now they're a part of it and you know we want to make sure that they understood what we meant by you know what what was our intention that >> honestly once we've got goals for the year we set them in August both for ourselves and for the superintendent.
Um it's still well below national standards. I want to be clear about that. But um it is an increase to the budget that we think is necessary due to um due to rising service levels or r rising service needs I should say. That said, this budget still includes a decrease or excuse me a a revolving fund offset of $700,000. This budget also includes a $258,000 increase to the public buildings budget. Um, and it adds two additional staff to our two current staff. One would be a director of facilities, another would be another maintenance tech. Um, some people might ask, why would you hire a a highlevel position? It's because we don't have somebody right now who can direct things in terms of preventive maintenance, in terms of where the work goes. We used to share a facilities director with the school department. We tried to make that work and it wasn't servicing either of our of our departments and so we decided to go away from that model and the school department has a facilities director Mr.
>> And I I just want to explain like my or at least I think shared >> agreement on this. Um I did actually look up the Tinker vers De Moines's um case, Supreme Court case, and it does say um yeah, students do not lose their first first amendment rights to free speech when they enter school. The 72 decision established that schools cannot prohibit speech unless it is caused a substantial disruption to the educational process. So that's where I pulled the language from. Um, so not because I before I interpret it as you're going to get in tr there's going to be disciplinary action if you have a walk out or >> so I feel like this makes it better. At least that's my opinion of it. [clears throat] Um, it's in no way to stifle freedom of speech >> and that's what I pulled from that Supreme Court case to kind of support that number nine.
>> And I and I thought the same thing. I thought, "Oh, maybe it got attached more than once." But then there's different numbers. >> Yeah, I know. I thought I'm missing something. So, I had to literally open all three and I'm toggling back. I'm like, it's exactly the same. The three different numbers. >> That's a different decimal number than No, it's one of our different numbers. >> They're literally different policy numbers and it's the same exact verbage. So, I do have that written down as something that we need to >> we need to ask Tammy about that because that standard >> kind of messes with you. I mean, it even says in the in the, you know, the second paragraph, it says it lists all three of those policy numbers. >> Mhm. >> It doesn't make any sense why. Yeah. >> So, we'll we'll have the answer for that before >> you guys vote to adopt them because that I noticed that, too.
I wouldn't mind seeing them on every agenda like up the top somewhere. So, we like, "Hey, this is these are the questions and the tasks that are guiding us as we do this work." >> I like that. >> I just don't want to write them and then forget about them. >> Yeah, I guess that's where I would like this. What are we going to do with them? >> Yeah, >> I I like the idea of not forgetting about them. I'm not so hot to trod on putting them on every agenda, but that's just But we could talk about that in the future, too. >> I I have a when I was going back through the handle um plus experiencing what has gone on in the last say four or five weeks with this court. One of the things that has been a frustration is um the restrictions of the Brown Act on collaboration between more than two board members because you know, provides a form and and then we violate all kinds of stuff whether it's inadvertently through email or you know my my concern and what I wanted to state is there are there are things that we are considering that we are wrestling with that are if I can't talk to my fellow board members And I have it because none of us we don't violate that Brown Act, but I feel like I need to, you know, there needs to be a process where other than just at a board meeting, we have uh some way to deliberate about some of the stuff.
Murray who does an incredible job um and we would like to have the opportunity to do the same. Um in addition to the personnel there also increase in utilities um and contracted services. We are really aiming for this to start doing the preventive maintenance necessary to keep us from having to make more expensive, uh, repairs in the future.
>> And I made a note to take out the ore that it must have just been an interpretation >> that when we >> and then the the also the word actions. >> Yeah. And in that court case, is there a definition? >> Like that's No, they're never going to do that. It's just like a search and seizure, right? All you need is a little bit of material disruption of the of the learning environment. >> When do you want feedback? Before like the 19th. >> Yeah. So, our next meeting is the 20th and we'll talk about it then. So, anytime before then if you want to email me your thoughts or if you have, you know, anything you want to send for us to consider. Yeah, I just want to be able to read it again and >> Yeah, of course. That's why and that's why we do it this way, right?
Okay. Good. And I always have to sometimes I think I I'm just missing something and I don't want to say it out loud because I don't want to don't know what I'm talking about. So, okay.
And I thought I', you know, been around long enough, I got to thinking, well, how did we used to do this? Because this isn't the first time we had bumps and needed to, you know, really talk and Erica might be the only one that's going to know the answer to this question. Did Kelly bring us in two at a time very often to where two board members and and discuss stuff with her that that was burning. >> It tended to be with the committees, the standing committees or the board liaons for whatever work group or topic. >> So, >> and that's something that's also mentioned in our handbook using those committees. So, so what I I'm totally 100% with you. Uh I don't think I mean I didn't understand how uh restrictive the Brown Act was. I my vision of the Brown Act was that you know no more than two board members would get together and talk about things.
And so, um, I will be able to answer any questions you might have as well as our team. And thank you, except not right now. >> Except All right, the moderator has spoken. As is our custom, we'll now hear from the finance committee. Thank you, Mr. Moderator. Good evening. For those who don't know me, my name is Jonathan Moore and I serve as the chair of the Ashlin Finance Committee. The finance committee's role is straightforward but important. We're we review the town's finances, evaluate the budget, and make recommendations based on what we believe is fiscally responsible and sustainable, not just for this year, but for the long term. Over the past several months, we've taken a hard and honest look at Ashlin's financial position. And I want to be clear with you tonight. The challenge we are facing is not the result of a single decision or a single year.
We've had it before, but we are looking at it with different eyes now. And so, you know, we definitely want to make sure we're reviewing it. This is also, as I've said before, this is a very robust policy because it is we are treating it as a brand new policy because it's not replacing a current policy in the same way that like we don't have a lot of the language in this policy anywhere in our policy manual or in our policies. Um and that's why it is also one of the recommended legally required policies that we've tried to make a priority both sorry both last year and this year >> and also I mean we all know like this PP policy has to be adopted at some point did we get anywhere with invasive physical exam >> like did you guys get anywhere >> so yeah so that was going to be the next thing that I highlighted is >> or we move on to that >> are we five o'clock on the 20th or because we we've been moving our times a little bit because of wonky springtime schedules.
Um, does anybody want to ask any questions at this time or do we want to take some time to review these? >> I would like more time. Yeah, but there was one about uh Oh, well, I guess like the um 4156.3 employee property reimbursement. This is the uh it has option one no reimbursement and then option two reimbursement of personal property stolen or intentionally destroyed or damaged while being used at work related purposes and I wasn't sure like you said like was there something in the past have we been doing something about like cuz it gives us two options right and I'm like have if people's work property or something was destroyed at work are we reimbursing them now or is this a new policy I think it's I think it's just an update probably for the language. So we do not re So if somebody uses their personal property at work and it gets damaged then that's not district, >> right?
But I didn't realize that also included any text communication, email communication that literally You know, we are told by uh CSBA, the California School Boards Association, and also uh attorneys that do not reply all, you know, make sure you you are not doing that because then we would we could be uh violating a serial, you know, the Brown Act with a serial meeting. And I was like, how then do how do we get to talk to one another? And >> the way that I mean the way that we get to talk to one another is on the agenda and one of the things I find also restrictive and you know perhaps inefficient is the manner in which we agendaize things and I understood I understand that or I think I understand the intention of the way that that it's like you say a board member requests to agendaize an item is to not have an agenda that goes on and on and on and have not have board members talk about every last, you know, fancy detail.
It is the result of our structural imbalance that has been building over time. At the center of that imbalance is a simple reality. Under Proposition 2 and a half, Ashlin's primary source of revenue, property taxes, can only grow by two and a half percent per year unless voters approve an override. That 2 and a.5% cap works well in stable environments, but we're no longer in a stable cost environment. When we talk about Ashlin in 2026, we should be honest about who we are. We're a welcoming town with a real community feel, but we're also situated in Metro West between Boston and Worcester in one of the most economically powerful regions on Earth. Ash, excuse me, Massachusetts is consistently among the highest income states in the country. And that context matters because it shapes the costs we face. The same regional pressures families feel such as wages, benefits, contracts, and the prices of services, hit our town and school budgets, too.
So, I'm just putting it in my phone um >> for the 20th. >> I have it at 6 as normal time, but we can look at >> doing earlier if we need to. >> I just before we moved on, I wanted to get clarity on that. Thank you. >> Yeah. >> Uh yeah, go ahead. >> Can I just ask ask a quick uh process question? So, it says the consent agenda for first read. >> Correct. >> So, that that doesn't mean we voting on accepting. >> No. So yeah, this is my own unfamiliarity with the process. >> No, that's valid. So the process and for any of the members of the public who are wondering when you put it when we review it as a committee, we put it on the agenda for a first read, which means it's the first time the board is seeing it.
So I was thinking that maybe this came up for districts that maybe want like don't have resources or something and maybe I don't know. Anyway, um so that would be option one that we would probably choose to adopt then which means there's no reimbursement. I've >> chosen Yeah. Yeah. >> But I I'm not going to lie. I did not get through the 400 pages. I only had about So I have to do more homework. >> Me too. >> So well we can talk about that on when we do future agenda items. Okay. But um >> us meeting all the three of us to streamline it will help because we might have redundancy and that way it'll be a little cleaner for the >> Okay. Yeah. >> Yeah. And there was a there was a bylaw on here. I can't think of the number right now.