001Okay, I will call to order the Masconomet Masconomet Regional School District School Committee meeting on May 12th at 5:00 >> Hold on, it's not it's not up yet. >> Just record Yeah, record it too, please. >> Yep. >> Just got a message from Jeff saying he's joining in a minute. >> Okay. Perfect. >> All right, should be all set now. >> All right, thank you, Rachel. Okay, we'll try this again. I will call to order the Masconomet Regional School District School Committee meeting on May 12th at 5:03 5:04 5:04 p.m. Um we have a quick agenda for this afternoon. A couple quick comments and then we'll we'll go into some MSBA discussion. Um just real fast, I'd like to first welcome Alice Rose McDonald to the School Committee. We will do a more formal introduction
002and more formal welcoming at our at our reorganization meeting in a couple weeks, but but welcome aboard, Alice. >> Thank you very much. Thank you. >> Okay, so tonight we are we have Boxford and Topsfield town meetings. Um we had the Uh yes, and then last week we had Topsfield town meeting and vote. And one of the challenges that we face right now is that the MSBA project failed in Topsfield. Um Mike has since reached out to the MSBA to see if there you know, what the process is for when that happens because we don't just want to give up. Um and there is a process. Part of that process involves getting an extension that Mike has applied for. >> Not yet. but it is in the midst of applying for. >> Yeah, so um
003I can give you sort of an update on where where things are. >> Okay, great. >> So So a couple things I did uh So on Friday I reached out to uh bond counsel. Jeff's here. Uh his his name is Rick Manley and so one of questions I had was given that the the statute talks about the school committee voting to authorize debt uh and then the towns have 60 days to disapprove the debt considering that Topsfield has disapproved our vote the school committee's vote to incur debt, I think we you know I asked him, do we have to revote? And so he said it would be to be on the safe side, yes, we should. So that's why we're here tonight. Um also on Monday, yesterday I spoke uh with the MSBA. Um they
004did go through the process uh with me. They have a failed vote policy, who knew? Um and so they sent me that. It's it's a little scary cuz it does say a couple of times that we'd be very likely to have to go to the back, you know, have to reapply and lose our place and have to wait uh all that time. Um but they said in this case we're lucky because Topsfield has to have another town meeting and a ballot vote before June 30th to make their own town budget work. Um we can piggyback on that and take another shot at at getting a a vote passed. Um and so you know, they said that I would have to write to them uh within 10 days of the failed vote um which would be
005a week from Thursday um to ask for an extension and they want to know what the timeline is. So you know, I know Topsfield's voting tonight uh to decide their town meeting uh date and the uh ballot date. So I want to include that in the letter. I also want to make sure that Middleton and and Boxford pass before I ask them for an extension because honestly, if those two one of those two don't go, this is done. Um there's really you know, those two those two towns won't have a special town meeting in June. They don't need one. Um so, you know, that's kind of where things stand. They didn't promise me that they would we would accept um we would get accepted as far as they uh they request for an extension, but
006what they said was and I wrote it down, they have typically been able to accommodate districts in this position. So, we'll we'll we'll send it in next week. >> Yep. >> Does the 10 days and I presume it's 10 calendar days? >> Business. >> Not business. >> No, it literally it literally says 10 business days in their policy. So, that's that's where I counted to the 21st of of May. >> Okay, so it's 10 business days from last Thursday when the vote failed. >> Right. >> Okay. Okay, thank you. >> Yep. >> Um I just wanted to jump in for a second and make like one tiny knit clarifying point. Topsfield passed it at town meeting. >> meeting. You're correct. >> It failed on the ballot. >> Mhm. >> So, it wasn't a complete total
007no failure. And in the select board meeting right now, a lot of the conversation from the public is that the ballot question was incredibly confusing for them. And people didn't maybe understand what they were voting for. So, just a heads up to all of you heading into the same scenario. Um let's make sure that we're trying to clarify this as much as possible. >> Yeah. Unfortunately, that's the let that's the language MSBA requires and it's not You're right, it's not clear. >> Yeah, I explained and they were kind of like, "Wow, oh okay." And you guys need to explain it more. So, that was the feedback I got tonight so far. >> Thank you, Adrian. Okay, so that's where we stand with MSBA. Uh Mike, thanks for running with this quickly. >> Yeah. >> Um
008>> So, sorry. Can I ask a quick question, Adrian? I should I should have raised my hand, I guess. Sorry. So, is the ballot question wording different than the uh town meeting question? >> Slightly. Yeah, it is. It's It's in the same spirit, but the benefit of town meeting is that the warrants have explanations with them, and there is dialogue on the floor. So, people can ask questions. They can be answered, and that does not happen at the ballot. >> And the the language in the ballot question is literally to exclude the debt from Proposition 2 1/2. That's specifically what is going on at the ballot. Um unfortunately, yes, the it did pass at uh at town meeting, but the town meeting vote was contingent on the ballot question passing, too. So, yeah, that's the
009way it's it's all kind of arranged. >> And there is poten- there was a potential consideration for not making it contingent on Prop 2 1/2. >> Yeah, they can do that. That's up to the towns. Um you know, they could exclude that debt anytime they want. Um so, they could go you know, they could not do the ballot vote in Topsfield right now, and they could exclude the debt a year from now when they have their next town election. Um that's really up to them. >> But that wouldn't satisfy the MSBA. >> No, it would. It would. If they didn't hold the ballot vote at all, town if the town meeting warrant issue article is to approve uh the school committee taking out the debt, that's it. >> Okay. Okay. >> Lisa. >> Thank you.
010>> So, I I haven't seen the ballot question yet. So, when we go to town meeting tonight, we need to tell them to get this to pass. They need to vote yes to the ballot question. >> Yep. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Yeah, you can Yeah, that would be helpful to just say on the floor tonight, you know, and after after town meeting tonight, next Tuesday, please vote yes at the ballot. Um >> But, of course, don't assume that those words weren't said at our town meeting as well. >> Right. >> Of course, they were. >> say that. I'm sure they were. I'm sure they were. It was just a >> Yeah, I I don't even know how we can diagnose what actually happened there, especially when half Half of the people who cast the vote
011didn't vote on any of the ballot questions. >> I'm sorry, what? >> There were There were about a thousand votes total cast, but only 500 votes cast for each of the three ballot questions. So, the with people who are running for office, the totals were around nine and change. The totals for the ballot questions were about 500. >> Okay. >> lot of a lot of people just left it blank. >> They just don't know. >> Yeah. >> Well, that's good. I mean, that's that's good for us in the sense that you know, there's a population that we can educate and and get supporting this this question. So. Okay. If there's no other questions, I'd like to just move on to the to the the reading of the um uh the language you got. >> Yeah,
012so somebody's got to read the motion again and >> Does somebody have it in front of them? >> Give it a second. >> Let me see you do. >> I do. I printed it. So, you want me to make the motion? >> If you so choose. >> Right. Uh I make a motion that the Masconomet Regional School District I the district hereby appropriates the amount of 1,600 638,652 dollars consisting of 698,938 dollars for Masconomet Regional Masconomet High School and 1 million 9,714 dollars for Masconomet Middle School for the purpose of paying feasibility study and schematic design costs related to a potential ex- accelerated repair project involving replacement of the roof and conversion of the HVAC system to heat pumps at Masconomet Middle School located at 20 Endicott Road in Boxford, Mass. and replacement of the
013roof and conversion of the HVAC system to heat pumps at Masconomet High School located at 20 Endicott Road in Boxford, Mass. including the payment of all costs incidental or related thereto, i.e. the project which proposed repair project would materially extend the useful life of the school and preserve an asset that otherwise is capable of supporting the required educational program and for which the district has applied for a grant from the Massachusetts School Building Authority the MSBA. Said amount to be expended at the direction of the Masconomet Regional District School Committee. To meet this appropriation, the district is authorized to borrow said amount under Chapter 71, Section 16D of the General Laws and the District Agreement as amended or pursuant to any other enabling authority. The district acknowledges that the MSBA's grant program is a non-entitlement
014discretionary program based on need as determined by the MSBA and any project costs the district incurs in excess of any grant approved any grant approved by and received from the MSBA shall be the sole responsibility of the district and that if invited to collaborate with the MSBA on the proposed repair project the amount of the borrowing authorized pursuant to this vote shall be reduced by any grant money grant amount set forth in the project funding agreement that may be executed between the Masconomet Regional School District and the MSBA. Do I do the further moved? >> Yeah, just keep going. >> Further moved that within 3 days from the date on which this vote is adopted the superintendent be and hereby is instructed to notify the Board of Selectmen of each of the member towns of
015this district as to the amount and general purpose purposes of the debt herein authorized as required by the district agreement and by chapter 71 section 16D of the general laws. >> Second. >> Thank you, Joe. >> Question. >> Go for it, Joe. >> What was the amount that you read at the beginning? 1 million >> 1 >> Okay. I thought I heard 1 million 638,000. I just want to make sure that the numbers right. Okay. Yep. >> Okay. Thank you, Joe. Any other discussion? >> This resets the clock for 65 60 days? >> 60 days. >> Okay, 60 days. >> 60. >> And the town meetings tonight will be to disapprove of the debt. So, I'm going to send I'll send that notice in the next 15 minutes so they have it. >> Thank you.
016>> Okay, uh we'll do a roll call. Um let's start in the lower right hand corner, uh Kendra. Everybody can come off mute now. Kendra. >> Okay, yes. >> Jeff. >> Yes. >> Trevor. >> Yes. >> Bill. >> Yes. >> Lisa. >> Yes. >> Joe. >> Yes. >> Alice. >> Yes. >> Adrian. >> Yes. >> And I'm a yes. Awesome. All right. Uh I wish Boxford good luck tonight. And I wish ourselves in Middleton good luck tonight. We will keep everybody posted. >> I have one more question. >> We have a Joe, one more question. Just getting busy yelling. >> Sorry. >> Go there. >> Um the 50% threshold for the ballot is that 50% of all people voting? Like those blanks, did they count as as a vote against? >> Just they're just not
017they're non-votes. >> Okay. >> There was only four, you know, like I said, there was only about 500 votes tallied in all. >> Right. So it's a it's a majority of the votes tallied, not majority of all people voting. Okay. >> Right, so majority of votes cast. >> All right, great. Thank you. >> Okay, I need one more motion. >> Motion to approve. >> Is that you, Adrian? I have a second. >> Second. >> Okay, everybody come off mute. Kendra. >> Yes. >> Jeff. >> Yes. >> Trevor. >> Yes. >> Bill. >> Yes. >> Lisa. >> Yes. >> Alice. >> Yes. >> Joe. >> Yes. >> Adrian. >> Yes. >> And I'm a yes. All right. Hey, thanks everybody for jumping on on this impromptu meeting. >> Good luck tonight. >> Good luck everybody and
018we'll keep everyone posted. >> Thank you. >> Bye.