001All right, welcome everyone to the North Middle Sex Regional School District School Committee meeting. It is our organizational meeting for the 26 27 school year no 20 oh 20 25. Oh, I'm going early. Okay, so it's May 5th, 2025 and we have uh Randy here. Uh Kenan here, Patrick here. Jill here. Alexander here. Harry here. Kim here and Lisa Bloom here and myself here. All right. We will take the appointment for promp this recording. It is being recorded. Um, I'll move that uh the school committee vote to appoint Lisa as chairperson pro temp. Second. For everybody who doesn't know, this just for this meeting only. Um, typically it is the previous chair if they're still around. All right. And then we No roll call. Do we have to roll? Nope. Roll call. Everyone in favor
002say I. I. Everyone opposed? No, no abstensions. All right. Okay. All right. Now, we will take nominations for chair. Oh, first I'm going to welcome this new school committee members. Let's do that and we'll go around the room. Alexander, is that what I'm supposed to do? Right. Yep. All right, Alexander, you go ahead and go first. Tell us who you are and All right. Um, I'm Alex Vancoui. I'm a um science teacher um at Longstone Middle School in Pittsburgh um and I've got a daughter in the district. I went through the district and now I'm a school committee member. Awesome. Welcome. Go ahead, Lisa. I'm Lisa Bloom. I'm from in West Towns and I have 20 year old twin girls who went through the district from first grade. Awesome. And Carrie Batterdsby is a new
003member from Ashby. Carrie Battersby. I'm from Ashby. I have two kids currently in the district. One at Hawthorne Brook, one at Asheville Elementary. And now I'm here. Awesome. Welcome. All right, Jill. I'm Jill Twig. I have three children uh in the district. Uh one that's going to middle school and two in high school. Hey, I'm Patrick McFillips. I represent Petrol and I have two daughters, both at um Barn Brook Elementary School. I am Kenan Francois. I'm currently a senior at North Middle Sex. I've been in the district since Karen in Craven. I am from West Townsen. I graduated North Middle Sex in 1983. I do have Don't laugh everybody. I heard that. Um and I do have two grandchildren here in the district here in Randy Rush. I'm from Townsend. Um, my three kids have
004gone through the district from kindergarten through high school and they are currently all in college at the moment. And I am Lisa Martin. I have three kids in the district as well. I have a senior, a freshman, and a first grader. So, and they are all in the district as well. Almost I graduated the year ahead of [Laughter] Kim. Laugh. Thank you everyone and welcome to the new members. All right. Now we will do we go through the election of new officers. So we have first is the chairperson. Any nominations from the floor? I'd like to nominate Brand. All right. Anyone second? Second. Right. We do a second and a nomination. Yep. Just All right. Any more nominations? nominate Lisa. Okay. Hold on. I don't like that fast. We'll slow down. And so any more
005nominations and nominations are closed. Correct. They accept nomination. Oh, do you accept the nomination? Yes. Yes. And I accept the nomination. No, everyone has a ballot. Fill out the names, then you vote and you hand them to Yeah, you can fold them and then pass them to me. No, I don't know if we wanted to say anything. I don't know if everybody knows. I would like to hear from both if that's okay. Just because we're we got three new Will we read the map? Right. Oh, no. But say a little about about ourselves before we Okay, you go ahead, Randy. Why don't you go right ahead since you have the floor? Oh, me? Yeah. Hello. Oh, okay. Um, I'm Lisa and I think last year I was the chair and it was a rough time
006as we all went through several meetings, but I think I did lead with calmness and allowed people to speak when they wanted to speak. And um and I'd like to continue as being chair as I think that we may need more calmness going forward and more bringing our communities back together as well. All right. Um I'm Randy. Um I have been on the committee for I think it's 16 years now. I was appointed in 2009 and I've been elected five times since. Um I have probably held every position including chair before uh on the committee. Um thinking about uh the chair position, I went back to our policy DBD which is school committee officers which lays out the duties of the chairperson a little bit just to kind of uh refresh myself and I figured
007I'd go through that for a lot of the new members if you don't know what on our committee our policies say is the duties of the chair. Um so our policy goes through and says that um the chair will have the same powers as any other member to vote, offer resolution and discuss questions. The chairperson uh signs instruments, acts and orders necessary to carry out the will of the committee. Uh they will consult with the superintendent on the committee agendas. Uh confer with the superintendent on crucial matters that occur between school committee meetings. They appoint subcommittees uh subject to committee approval. They call special meetings of the committee as necessary. They are the public spokesperson for the committee at all times except for specifically designated to others and they are responsible for the orderly conduct
008at meetings. Um so those are the basic uh rules of uh what we have laid out for what the chair is. The chair has no more power than any other member on the committee. Um they are just the organizing u person uh to get everything going. Um, as chair, um, I there's a couple of things I thought about as far as working towards, um, improving the school committee. Um, I see a need in the last number of years, uh, for policy enforcement. Um, I'm, you know, at fault as well, not necessarily going back and remembering all of our policies. There are a lot of them. Um, so I'll be looking for policy vigilance and working with the committee to figure out how we can better um just police ourselves and make sure that we are
009following our uh policies. Um um I want to bring back um you know in-person meetings with hybrid participation. I think this in-person meetings face toface talking to each other some of the conversations you know pleasantries before and after really helped to solidify a team um which we are um and there's a couple of things that I wanted to uh that I know we need to do to come back into compliance. Uh there's a policy JIB for student involvement and decision-making uh that the law had changed and we have not changed with that. So those are some of the things we need to really work on a student um advisory council. Um I've been working with MASSE to bring in training uh for the uh whole committee. Um older members uh like myself always can use
010a refresher and we have a lot of uh newer members. So I think it'd be very important that we all understand what our jobs are, what the roles are, how to work together and go forward. Um and um and then there's a number of things I'm probably going to ask for um the school committee to approve uh some positions that I think would be good. Um and some new um committees uh subcommittees like the ad an advocacy uh subcommittee or advocacy legislative I forget the exact wording of that kind of committee. we now have members who uh actually want to and are going to, you know, advocate for the schools at at the state level and elsewhere. Um, and just look forward to trying to help uh outline and define the the school committee and
011making sure that we can move forward and document things so when new members come on that we have a way to transfer our knowledge easily to new members. Thank you. That breaks me. I know. [Music] We have five for Lisa, four for Randy. And usually we read them. Oh, you want me to read them? That's been tradition on who voted for who. Yep. Okay. Why don't we just do it? Because it's valid. We do balance. Yeah. And then we do it by balance and it's for keeping I think that because it's just what we've always done. Uh Randy Rush voted Randy Rush. Alexander voted Randy Rush. Perry Battersby voted Randy Rush. Lisa Bloom voted Randy Rush. Penan voted Lisa Martin. Patrick voted Lisa Martin. Chill Twig Lisa Martin. Kim Craraven. Lisa Martin. Lisa Martin. Lisa
012Martin. All right. Thank you everyone. All right. Congratulations. Thank you. Um, now we're moving on to vice chair. We'll take nomin nominations. I'm having troubles with that word. Nominations for vice chair. Patrick. Patrick McFillips. All right. I'll nominate Randy and Randy Raj. All right. Any other nominations from the floor? Sorry, it's not there. That's okay. I I have an A in my first name. Did mine was a silent you did anyone want to Patrick did you want to speak or Randy did you want to speak for vice chair or Sure this is my second year on the committee last year was a very hard year um I think this meeting for your first timers was me last year and we didn't have a budget resolved it was still welcome to the meeting let's cuts. Um,
013glad we're leaving you not in a better place, but at least with a safer first meeting. I have the ability to make the tough decisions. I'd rather be, you know, voting on where to spend the money, but we don't have it yet. Um, I think that this would be a nice progression for me and a good and a good step for the school committee. I'd like to move forward and and work as a team and and just try to rebuild the community ties that have been cut due to funding. Thanks. All right, Randy, did you have anything to add? Um, following up on uh looking at uh our policy, it's still um says as far as the vice vice chair, the vice chair really is to take over uh the position um and run the
014meetings when the chair is not available. Um and um but as vice chair this past year um I think I was helpful in um being a sounding board um for Lisa um going forward. Um you know again all the things that I wanted to you know I said that I wanted to do for as chair I certainly still want to do as vice chair or any other member on this team. I have a lot of ideas to try and keep this moving. I have the um experience um and the knowledge and the knowledge base from 15 years of things that we've done in this district, things that have worked um and uh trying to move forward. I'm an atlarge member. I I feel that I am respected in all three uh communities um and uh
015I think I can help uh bring everything together. Right. [Music] Everyone is signing on correct. Yeah. Okay. Okay. That's interesting. You guys accept the nomination, correct? I forgot to ask that. Robin made me a little guide and I'm not following the guide. So, So, we have five in favor of Randy, four in favor of Patrick. Perry for Randy Rush, Lisa Bloom, Randy Rush, Kim, Randy Rush, Randy Randy Rush, Alexander Randy Rush, um, Lisa Martin, Patrick Phillips, Patrick McFillips, Patrick, Patrick McFillips, um, Jill Tweade, Patrick, and Kenan Patrick. All right. All right. Moving on to the appointment of treasurer secretary. Um, I will move that we appoint Michael Hartnett as the district treasurer for the 2526 school year. Is there a second? Second. That was Randy. Michael Hirt has been the treasurer for the district for
016as long as I've been on the committee. Well, I'm happy he can. He wants to continue. He knows the district well. Randy and um that car. All right. All of those in favor. We don't need a roll call, right? For all right. All of those in favor say I. I. I. Any opposed? Any abstensions? All right. Then we have the superintendent recommends the committee reappoint Robin Ivy as a secretary of the school committee for the 202526 school year. So moved. Right. Good. Do you accept the nomination? Right. Um all of those in favor. Was there a second? Second. Second. Alexander and you. Okay, she made the motion and then Alex. All of those in favor? I uh any abstensions? Any opposed? All right. Okay. And just for everybody um the new people, uh the executive
017assistant very often in most districts is the school committee um secretary as well and Robin has been uh good enough to serve and been done very well uh serving us uh for her time in the district. Yes. All right. Appointment of district council for the 2025 2026 school year. Um, can this Yep. You go ahead and you're just make a change to the motion and not to name Thomas Nuttle but but the firm. Okay. Thank you. I think I have that in the Sullivan Nuttle Mackoy Lions. You do. Okay. It's just a suggestion motion down below. All right. Oh, okay. On the agenda. Yeah. On on her notes, I have it. Yeah. So, it's going to um to approve Sullivan and Nettle Mackoy and Lions P C as District Council for special education related issues
018and um Valio and Hillman. Helman LLC as district council for labor public education related matters for the 202526 school year. So moved. Do I have a second? Patrick. I have a question on the motion. All right. Um can you um don't have it off the top of my head but the total amount paid for these contracts um is it retainer plus fee just retainer just fee and when are they renegotiated? They negotiated and well they will let us know if there's an increase annually they will let Nancy know that. Um, but there is a set rate and then it's determined whether it go beyond that rate for extra things. Okay. So, it's flat retainer, monthly retainer. I don't know if it's monthly or I check. So, Jill and I looked into this last year when
019we were trying to find cuts and it was a shockingly small amount. We we thought we'd find some cuts there and it was it was low enough that we just dropped it, but I'm sure we'll get you the full number. Yeah. And it's not so much just about cuts. Um, and and I have only had one occasion to work with one of the folks and they were very responsive. I think it's always good to be looking at anything that we have on a retainer basis to make sure that there's really good responsiveness and that any type of legal council doesn't get comfortable with the municipality or school district in which they're serving so that there's always that opportunity um to to seek out other legal counsel. not um saying that in this one at this
020time, but wanted that for clarification. Right. Any other questions? Right. We have the motion on the floor and I did have a second. Correct. Yes. All right. Um all those in favor? Anyone opposed? Any abstensions? It passes. All right. Now we have um the liaison or the subcommittees and the liaison appointments. So I just left who was on last year so you could see who was on the committee. Obviously, I don't know, you know, who the chair will be, but this is who was on. Okay. For so I think we're going to not do Ashby's right now and wait and have a meeting with their town to see how they want to proceed. I am meeting with Dave on Wednesday. All right. 17 and then we'll we'll circle back to the committee and figure um
021I'd like to um ask the committee if they would add an additional subcommittee uh to this list which would be the legislative advocacy group um subcommittee. All right. Um we already have a number of people that are have had interest and have started to advocate for the district and in the past we haven't had anybody um interested in that. So we never had a subcommittee for that. So Ashby, the elementary school will bring that one back to committee. Yep. Accelerated repairs still going. Yep. I was going to say this this is like near the end. Yeah, it's near the end. I would probably just recommend that you and I stay on that for everybody. This is the accelerated repair at Varnbrook and at Hawthrook Hawthorne and Cook and Spana Cookook. Um those projects all have
022pretty much been done. It's all the tying up of the loose ends at the end here. And we're thinking that October is going to be our closure to when we will be able [Music] to be done with this one. to kind of crossing the tees and dotting the eyes uh at this point. Yeah. So, um and usually building committees do take some time, but with CO being in the center of this one, this one did take an extra amount of time. All right. So, I don't know. Has the high school finally been closed out? No, not yet. Not yet. So, so last year you you know you all had just discussed the um the committees and then agreed to with to continue with the uh membership. All right. Um with exceptions. So did you want
023to continue with the membership the way it is with the exception of Craig Hansen and Brad Brooks or maybe Craig wasn't on it last year? Just going by memory here. Um I think we just accept it as is. Yeah. Okay. So we'll just keep those just read for everybody. So the committee agreed to maintain the existing accelerated repairs and building committee membership for 202526. So, it will be Lisa Martin, chair, Randy Roush, uh Nancy Haynes, business administrator, Jeremy Hammond, uh director of operations, Brad Morgan. And I think that's all the ones we had. Okay. Thank you. Are we going to do everyone just all at once? One big motion or Yeah, I think is everyone all right? Could we have all of the appointments for all of the of the subcommittees? We can do it
024individually after we say or we can just do one large one at the end. One large one at the end. I think one large at the end. Okay. So then we have the finance committee. So, currently on the finance committee, it's myself, Randy, Patrick, Brad, and Nancy. Would anybody like to be on the subcommittee? I'd like to stay. I'd also like to say if that's okay. All right. Are you missing a seat on that, Lisa? We can have up to four members. So, um, Alex and can. All right. Now, with the New Year's Cathy still on there as well, or is that um that will be have to be decided by the committee. We have to decide because that makes it five. Yeah, I know. We can't have five. Yeah. So, we do have to
025We usually don't ever get this many on. Um because I would like to stay on as well. So, do we have an election or um no, as far as I know, it just that the chair needs to appoint and then you know what? I can I can I can step back if you need someone to step back. Okay. Thank you, Alex. Cuz usually we do have them at 8:00 in the morning. Yeah. And you're probably in school. Oh, yeah. I'm probably at work. Yeah. Okay. Yes, I'll be back. Okay. So that that that will work. So all right. So we have Lisa, Randy, Patrick, and Kim. All right. Do we have a nomination for the chair? Um I'd be happy to take chair. Oh, I'm sorry. You're looking for nomination. Yeah. Yes. Do we do
026it here or at the meeting? Um and and again generally the chair um appoints the the on the spot. We we used to do uh elections and then Craig read the um the fine print the fine our policy uh in detail and it says in there that the chair Okay. All right. Well, since you have policy, you're probably head policy, which is a big one. So, I'm going to appoint Kim as um chair of finance. Does that work for you, Kim? Sure. All right. And people can attend, they just can't participate in the discussion. All right. As a school committee member. Okay. So, Kim has the chairperson of finance. So, I have Kim as chair. I have Lisa Martin, Randy Rush, Patrick McFillips, Brad Morgan, Nancy Haynes. Yes. Okay. Did we want to put um
027Jeremy in this as well? Brad, are you okay with putting Jeremy? Yes. Did I think Jeremy is there? Are you okay, Jeremy? Are you're good with Jeremy? Okay. And the committee is good with Jeremy. Yeah. Okay. Sorry, Jeremy. Since I get to appoint people. All right. Now we are moving on to policy. Um, currently Randy is the chair. Then we have Lisa Bloom. Policy is a great one for new members to understand. Carrie, I was on last year. I'd like to stay. Okay. Carrie and Jill. I'd like to stay. Okay. I was going to say uh just for everyone uh usually I've been I've been having two meetings uh a month. Um last year seemed to work really well. one for the 5-year review and one for new uh policies that changed because of um
028laws or MSE MAS changed or other reasons within the district that we needed to look at policies immediately. I'd also like to request um I don't know if it would be like a vice chair or a co-chair. Um, last year I had Lisa Bloom starting to take over some of the responsibilities of the five-year review because it's a lot of work going back and forth. I'd like to keep that um that going if possible if the committee would agree. All right. So, Lisa, do you want to do the five-year review? Yeah. All right. All right. On to the warrant committee. This is where you sign the warrants. Um Patrick has been doing that and done electronically. It's it's a great one for for new members because you see all the money we spend. You're basically
029the first line of review for what's being spent, where it's being spent. So if you have if you're not on finance, but you're interested in the financial side, it's it's a pretty low time but great way to look at and review all the money and the numbers. Yeah. All right. Yeah. I'm I'm Okay. So I have a question because you have family that works in the community. I do. Yeah. My sister is a custodian here. So would that be a conflict of interest because he does sign the payroll warrants. So I think I'm conflict of interest. It would be one first signing a disclosure and second he's not making a decision about the payment. He's just authorizing it. All right. um he won't be able to vote on uh the custodian contract. He'd have to
030abstain from that. Yep. And probably and he is a teacher as well. Does he's in a different different district if there's conflict so you may have to um you have to file an ethics commission with the ethics board and then we'll have to bring it back. And I I'll work with you and I know Jill um there needs to be a public statement just so it's on record for the school committee about what the conflict is. Yeah. Yeah. And it has to be we can't do it in executive session. It has to be brought forward to everyone. It's already filed. So I just need to do a statement. Yep. Yep. And if anyone else does as well needs to has any kind of conflict. All right. So we have who Patrick or Alexander is doing
031it. All right. And secondary. Do you want to be secondary or I can be? I don't know how that would work as a secondary, but Well, sometimes if like he would go away if he can't. You did have a second. You did. I was a secondary. You just I've actually just never used me. Yeah. All right. So, then we have Alexander and Patrick. All right. Negotiations and personnel teachers. um union. When are we going in? When do those get opened again, Brad? About a year before. So, we're into our first year, second year, winter, second. So, this is the calm. Yes. Calm year, right? Yeah. Before the calm year. I couldn't remember what year we were in that process. Seemed like the summer going into Right. I I just couldn't remember what of the contract
032we were in at this point. Second year. So just so everybody understands uh it's split out teachers um and then non-eing units which are the other uh bargaining units um with no negotiations going on this year active and um it's a year a good year to be on negotiations to be on either one. Uh they're usually split out mainly for the when we're actually doing the negotiations because the teachers are the largest one. They usually take up the most time. Um and it's um and then the secondary uh units there's you know they follow a lot of what the teachers do. So they they tend to go a little bit faster because the hard work that the teachers do um going forward. Um and it's a great way for newer members to kind of cut
033their teeth on what negotiations are. Uh again this year we're not doing any negotiations. So, it's kind of neither one of these are going to take much time or give unfortunately give a lot of experience in one way or the other, but it's something to keep in mind for future years when we do get to the negotiations. I think this last year we maybe had two meetings. Yeah. Or one meeting. Yeah. So, so I am the chairperson of that and Jill is a member. Would there be two more members that would like Harry and Keenan? All right. Um, negotiation of non-eing units. So, Randy is the chairperson for that. Um, myself and Jill Twig are on it. Would there be anyone else that would be interested in that? Patrick and one. All right. Um, community
034outreach. Ashby will be Carrie. Sorry, I get to a point. All right. Anyone from PPO? I think um you and I did you and I did it last year. You primarily talked to everybody. Yeah. Well, this is the outreach. So, this is a little different than the um Well, it's the same thing as we did. Okay. So that will be Patrick and myself. We'll do that one. Is this what Will was doing? Yes. Patrick and um Lisa will be for I can be a backup and be the one if you aren't there. Okay. We will put Patrick, Lisa, and Jill. Just not all three together. And then Tonesen Keenan I'd be happy to Kenan and Randy. All right. It's not We have those. Just kind of keep an open communications. All right. Oh, and then
035the legislative one. You want to do a legislative subcommittee? Is everyone in favor? Yes. A legislative subcommittee? Yes, exactly. Nominee, we should we should probably have a vote just to Should we clear these out and then have a clear vote? Okay, let's do that. So, let's talk about the ones we just nominated everyone with all these committees. So, is everyone in favor of the committees that we have discussed? Yes. So, can I get a motion? Uh I'll move uh to approve the um accelerate repair and building committee uh finance policy warrant uh negotiation and personnel teachers negotiation personnel non-eing units uh and then the select board for Ashby Pil and Townsend as we discussed. All right. And Patrick is a second. So that's Randy and Patrick. All those in favor. Any abstent? Anyone opposed? Any
036abstensions? All right. Okay. Then I will move uh that the school committee um create a new subcommittee uh called legislative advocacy. Seconded. And who would like to be on this committee? Kenan. Sorry. But you just I've seen the video and Kim and Alex and since I know some about this, I will as well. Um, Keenan, would you like to be the chair of this? We're not g you don't have to meet that often but okay and when I bring MASC in we will talk to them about how this committee best works because they they do have some stuff on that. Yeah. All right. So Keenan will be the chairperson and then we have Kim, Alex, and do I have a motion to accept the legislative advocacy group served subcommittee? All right. So move that was
037Randy and seconded by Patrick. All of those in favor. Anyone opposed? Any abstensions? All right. Now moving on to the school committee calendar. Is that correct? Yeah. Oops. We don't have Oh, meeting calendar. So, we need to decide well, we need to figure out um what day most people can meet because Thursdays seem to work for some but did not. Um Mondays, what days work best? I can do anything about Thursday. Thursday's tough. I can't do Friday. Oh, we're not gonna I can tell you right now we probably are not transportation. No, no, no. That's okay. I mean, all of our wonderful um administration that comes to our meetings uh would like to have their weekends as well. Yeah. What about Monday? Going back to Monday. I do Monday. Monday. Could we do a seven
038o'clock on Monday so that everybody can You can can't do until seven. Yeah. Okay. We can do 7 o'clock on Mondays. And various Mondays I do have meetings. Okay. So I have meetings on various days of every week. So I become very problematic. I apologize. Is it something that it has to be set now or I know you Well, we're not going to set them tonight because I will work with um to find because we have to look at our school calendar for next year because there's some dates that won't and then we'll bring it back to our next meeting. We just have to schedule our next meeting. Okay. And then and then I'll send it out and get approval from everyone or if there's conflicts. Are any of your Monday meetings on a a
039schedule like every Well, one's right now. One's happening right now in the computer while she's here. Um, so um yeah, if we set the next one, I think that would be fine. And then I'd be happy to do the doodle poll. Okay. So that does it like by day. You can do an entire month of selections and by time of the day and it does an automatic voting for you. So it tells you how many people there may. All right, we'll work with that and then we'll send that out. The other thing also is I'd like to bring up um I think it was two or three years ago, maybe it was only just two, I forget how many. We moved from every three weeks we used to have the meetings to every once a
040month. Um, I think looking at last year with as difficult of a budget year we had that we go back to at least every three weeks versus once a month. I think we're going to need more meetings. I would speak out against that. Okay. Sorry. I think having regularly scheduled meetings then we know when it is. I think it's harder if people are involved in multiple things if it switches, right? Because every third week it could land and then something else. So then we come into this string of someone might not have it one month but then the next month they would. Okay. And then um I would like to suggest a couple of those months have two meetings. Could we do my thought is that we could because sometimes it's just a workshop that
041we need instead of having like a business meeting where we could have that second one be like that workshop, you know, like where we have MC come in or um cuz I've talked to the school committee um chair over at um Grant and Dunstable. they'd like to do some training with us. Um, and Lunenburgg perhaps would like to do some training, get us together and like do a training in that session. So, would that work for people if we did like a second meeting if it was like a workshop and so that we didn't take up our business meeting because this is more like let's get the business done and then you know even if we want Brad or um Jeremy or Gary to come speak, they come speak about their topic that doesn't need
042a vote. you know, things like that. Okay. So, I think that would be a way to use everybody's time, but because it would be great if everyone can show up to the business meeting aspect of it because that's where the votes are important. All right. So, I will work with um Robin and Brad on getting the Mondays set 700 p.m. and then I'll send it out to everyone and work with Kim and we'll do the at the high school at doodle. So, yeah. Are they going to Last year you did half in half in person? Half virtual and then we did the um but we we we never ended up having them in person. Can I just So, the only thing we have to be careful of um and again I know that It's it's
043just not easy for us. Is it that if we do have an in-person meeting and we pro and we tell people that there's going to be the virtual option, virtual participation, we do not have a foolproof way to make that happen. Yeah. And that could create an open meeting law violation if we don't have a foolproof way. But the high school was not outfitted with the technology to do that. That was value managed out of the project. Yeah, I was going to say the the the meetings don't have to be at the high school. Is there another building? I mean, there's so many districts and border selectmen and everybody who managed to do this. If it's another building and another room, yes. I mean I mean the only one that I've seen I've seen Pepper
044does it. They they very very the room is smaller than this area that we're sitting in. But if we're actually going to have room for the public to come in and sit if there is something that's significant that's happening, again, in person to me is always better than remote, but we haven't had any issues to my knowledge with accessibility of people being able to talk. Um, you know, the public comment and the participation has been much much higher. Um, I just worry about if we say we're going to do a hybrid and then something fails and we don't have um I believe Pepper was hooked up. They do use the owl as well. I believe Townsen has the same thing. But they do hold their meetings in a small confined space with small numbers of
045people that go to the meetings. It just we don't always have a small number. Sometimes we have a large number of people and if we can't guarantee access um I just look at the number of um public records requests, open law violations and the amount of work that comes with those. Then let's Yeah, let's reach out to other districts because you know I I agree we the Zoom has been wonderful for participation from the communities. I wouldn't want to give that up. But I will say um that the Zoom has been less than ideal for this group of people working together. I I I don't disagree. And it's going to end. It is going to end. But we have to we have to figure out a solution that is about as foolproof as possible um
046so that we don't have problems. Right. And and madam chair and from my perspective too um a lot of times I'll I'll have a member say to me, well I was emailing you during the meeting. It's like I'm not looking at email during the meeting and it's hard for me to even look at the Zoom because I'm I'm actively working taking the minutes. So there is a lot of um um multitasking that goes on with that, you know. So and we did have Pepper Media came in and and you know, you were there a few times and and their solution and they're phenomenal. Their solution was the owl and we tested it over and over again and unless we're in room. Yeah. And I came in early and moved the room specifically this way. So
047yeah, the LGA is not the only room in the district that we can have these in. Right. Yeah. But we just want to make sure that you know we're able public can access because if we offer hybrid and somebody can't get in then it's an open meeting. So I can't. Yes. So I I believe it's been extended now to 2027. So I'm going to make my statements knowing that my term will be ending when this becomes someone else's problem. Um there is positivity with in-person meetings and if there's some number of meetings that we have to have in person, I think that's okay. But I think given the world that we live in today, remote meetings are pretty critical. um it provides opportunities for people to participate that normally can't and nothing against TCAM or
048peral equivalent of TCAM the hybrid did go down during the budget summit um which technically created an open meeting violation avoid the budget summit so I think that the online is the shest way to go we have the technology for that um I don't know where we would have a hybrid um that works well. I do sit in a lot of meetings in towns and that are hybrid um it becomes a little bit more challenged I would say um because then there's discrepancy for who is in the room and who is not. So I think if everybody is on camera and we're very cognizant of it, I do say it with a bit of bias because I've been a remote um consultant for years and years and you know deal with a lot of complex
049things remote. So I do think it can work and if there's a need for an inerson meeting, we have to plan ahead for that and plan um to accommodate the public. Well, and I'm going to speak in favor of um online meetings as well because it's easier to control your audience and control the members as well um when speaking because everyone gets their turn at the table to speak. Um in person sometimes it can't be that way and people will speak over each other and and all of us want to be heard at the table. Um, I also think it is convenient for our families and people within the district to have the online version because there are so many schedules out there that they're at ball games or band concerts or have gone on
050a trip somewhere and people can join in. So that's where and then people can participate in the meeting and they get it live instead of like watching a recording. I think that that's critical too. And don't we have higher viewership? Yes. People participating with online. Yes. Which is kind of nice. It is because then people know what is going on instead of getting word of mouth than getting So I mean I'm a bit I'm a bit of a lite so I prefer in person but you know Yeah. And I think we could handle like our workshops in person. Yeah. You know do the workshops where we have to build on. Yeah. I mean, I I prefer to go in person as much as possible, but if it's just going to be a logistical nightmare, I
051understand. I like in person better. Even with other people, like seeing people physically ask questions to me is so much more heartfelt and understanding than seeing them like and sometimes they don't even pop on the camera. It's just like a number. Like I don't actually have a face for that. No, it's just their voice, right? not even like their name or anything like um so I prefer to hear especially people in the community like in person if they have questions rather than you know a voice you know that some you know that Robin had to let in and I don't know so when we were at the high school having meetings okay in person that was acceptable for hybrid like that was there like an open meeting law at the high school no it was
052it it was not hybrid no I mean in the in the back like when we had the the So it wasn't live. It wasn't live. It was live like when Well, yeah, but it was that was live with Peppa and um in order to do that, we have to pay our AV person from the high school, which they're not always available, so they do it as a courtesy. And so we don't have the budget for that. I just was wondering if if that worked. I mean, could it work in another location? We can't guarantee that Peple media will be at every single meeting. Reason why it was acceptable is what you mean. They were the only ones that made it work. It's not something that we can do. No, it's not. When they built the
053high school, from what I understand, um they removed that component from to save money. So, we don't have the infrastructure. So, what they do literally is they run a cable across the school right down the hall. down the hall to the pack so it can happen. Um, when we worked with them to to figure out a solution for this, their solution was the owl. Um, the owl just does not work in a in a in a big room. So, I don't mean to interrupt, but I'm looking at the time and we do need to go in a few minutes. So, just a few minutes to start. All right. I um speaking as a student from the high school like I I I prefer the in-person contact and I understand the the remote meeting is the
054participation is it's unequivocally much higher. I also think that we might be over complicating the hybrid aspect of it. Maybe it's just because I'm young, but I feel like I like it's shouldn't be that complicated. Like we don't necessarily need Pepper Community Media to come in for everything. I know how to run the sound system in the high school. I know how to run it, too. That's why I asked I could help. I don't think we necessarily I think you have to be Don't you have to be trained in Yes, I'm trained as well. Yes. Can I just suggest we take this offline and try and figure it out for right now? Yeah, we'll take a straw poll. That's what we'll do. We'll take the poll and we will figure it out. All right. So,
055we will set an agendas for um not agenda but a calendar for Mondays and we will I will send out information on in person. All right. And if I can just talk um I'm not going to do I'll put out something for this, but if I'd like to just talk real quick about a couple of dates for MASC training. Okay. So, I have some dates uh from the MASC. Lisa, sorry, Alicia Malin is our field director and um so there's three different workshops that I'd like to try and hold. One being uh an inerson uh kind of retreat style. This on the agenda? It's not. I'm just I'm just going to give information about the training. Do you need to go over these other things at least in the next few minutes that we have
056uh in the consent agenda? Yeah. Yeah. You need to do the or unless you want to continue just continue with and then um so I will uh send out um an email with everyone with dates. There's uh for Saturdays May 31st and June 28th and then more Saturdays there and then looking at two uh evening um trainings on uh you know roles and responsibilities, goal setting and operating protocols I think for a retreat style on a on a Saturday and then uh evenings for a bud something something on budget and then something on communication and the legislative advocacy. All right. So Randy, you will send those up. Yeah. Can I get a motion on the consent agenda that is presented in the agenda? Do I get a motion? A second. Second. All right. That is
057Patrick and Alex. All right. Everyone in favor? Any uh anybody opposed? Any abstensions? Okay. Kenan is abstaining. You messed up our You messed up the paperwork, Kenan. It's okay. You You can approve this. It's It's okay. Um All right. And then we need a a motion to adjurnn. Correct. Motion to adjurnn. So move. Second. So move. Second. Second. So I was giving it to you, Kenan. All of those in favor? Any abstent? Oh, any oppose? Any abstensions? All right. Thank you everyone.