001All right, welcome to the sixtown regional planning board uh meeting being held this uh Tuesday, July 15th. And we have a quorum. We anticipate a few others uh joining in a few minutes. Uh we have um we'll do a roll call vote. I see Karen has come on. So, let me just start with um you could just say here uh Greg >> here. >> Allan is here. Uh, Darinda >> here. >> David >> here. >> Steve >> here. >> Raina on mute. >> Thank you. Okay. She uh she acknowledged she's here. >> There we go. Sorry, I couldn't find the unmute. >> Yeah. Thanks, Cliff >> Here with Deb >> here >> and Karen >> here. And uh if someone would acknowledge when Bill comes on, you know that he has join us. We also
002have Chris Larabby with us. And we have um Keith, everything keeps jumping around. Hi Chris. And we have Ally uh from the Monagu. Chris is from the recorder. And I think that's we got everybody. Um >> and Bill just came on. >> Thank you. And Bill, we're doing a roll call vote. So, Bill two is >> Yes. >> Thank you. He is here. All right. Um, >> so the meeting is being recorded. Uh, we have a couple of action items. We will uh if we have any problems, we'll we'll have to resolve the technical problems and then uh if we can't resolve them, we'll repost and continue on. So, I'm going to be moving right along. It's a remote meeting uh and there is not a uh minutes to approve. We're going to skip over
003that. the uh communication from Desi. I'll come back to that. >> Did I miss something? >> That's Pat just came on. Hey Pat, if you want to go back to your uh party, feel free. We we have more than a quorum. So you Okay, great. >> Enjoy your We have a lot of fun kids. So, you know, the boys would be happy to have my company. Thanks. >> There you go. >> Thank you. >> Let me know what goes on. >> Okay. Thanks. >> Bye. Thanks, G. Um, so I'll come back if we have time just to review quickly with Desessie. Uh, so let's go right to the action item. So the first one is the Abrams group. We reached out to them and we were originally talking about, you know, doing the three assessments
004that were um that had done before that seemed the most promising. And it was suggested in a meeting that Greg and I had with Matt and Mark Abrams that uh it would make sense to just do do all 10. you know, they have the information, they have the tool to do it. They will still need to access a bunch of information including the enrollment and so forth to do the assessments, but um they provided a very, as Mark said, short and sweet, uh scope with a time frame in a price. And so, um I don't know if you have any questions on that. It's pretty pretty straightforward. Um your does Yeah. Where are you? >> If the if the you know the draft regional agreement is only using one assessment methodology sort of what's the
005point of running nine more >> because we have to decide which one we're going to run >> but we already did in the regional draft regional agreement. >> We did but we could I mean that that could possibly change. I mean >> oh like when you talk to the towns >> Yeah. Yeah. I mean, if if if there's a a better um you know, methodology that seems to play out in this uh it can be a point of conversation. I mean, you know, the agreement could be amended for. >> Yeah. and and we weren't clear um that uh when we had the conversation because some of the things have changed. Some of these assessments uh may have changed and it's possible that what used to be a favorable one is not quite as favorable or
006a close second or something. So, um since they were running it, I think uh Greg had suggested how about doing all 10 and they everyone thought it would be a good idea to uh to do that particularly Matt and Mark. It it was just for consistency. If we run it, you know, it's our third time running these assessments instead of do, you know, if we did it all 10 the first two times, it makes sense to do 10 again. We'll probably end up with in the same place u in terms of the assessments, but as far as which ones are, you know, the best, but uh I just figured, you know, can't hurt and it really is not much of a a lift for them. >> Yeah. It makes sense to have that historical comparison
007anyway, like because, you know, maybe it was good one time. Yeah. So that makes sense. I see Reena has her hand up too. >> Um Raina. >> Um yeah. So it um didn't the um Mars Group in the past develop a tool for us to do financial calculations and how does that play into all of this? >> It plays in wonderfully. That's a great question. So, they are going to use the tool they develop, uh, which is very helpful, which is why it's a $6,000, uh, lift instead of significantly more. Um, they are going to use that tool. They need, uh, you know, they still need to repopulate it now with a lot of information and they're hoping that, you know, the, um, Pioneer District and the Gil Monagu district, you know, can move that
008over. It'd be nice if it was an electronic file, but, you know, get that information. I guess one of the critical pieces will be the enrollment piece because that determine assessments. So, um they'll put that new together and then they'll run it through the formula. Uh probably the biggest lift for them right now will be updating and getting accurate information and then they can run it through. It's a great question. >> Yeah. No, it's actually a really good question because it's uh the when we had the work done the first time to develop the tool uh and to come up with those numbers, we were talking 35 to $40,000 a shot. So, you know, this this is actually completing kind of the same thing. Uh it's just entering new data. So, uh it has reduced
009our cost significantly and it's something that other districts can use. Okay. Um are we all set? Can I entertain a motion to um engage the services of the Abrahams group to uh do these assessments on our behalf? >> So moved. And Steve, is that a second? You're on mute. >> Unmute yourself >> there. I'm trying trying. I'll second that. >> Okay. So then we have a second. Any other discussion? Roll call vote. Greg, >> yes. >> Allan, yes. Derinda, >> yes. >> David, >> yes. >> Steve, >> yes. >> Karen, >> yes. >> Bill, >> yes. >> Raina, >> yes. Cliff. >> Yes. >> And Deb. >> Yes. >> Thanks, Deb. How we doing, Deb? I'm still I'm trying to move for you. >> I got I got 10 minutes. >> Okay. Um the the
010next item is the um looking at the OPE uh responsibilities, obligations. And so we were fortunate to be able to talk to a firm that had been uh well been doing this for quite a while. I believe they were involved in the um in the uh eight town effort. And so after several conversations uh with them, we were able to uh have them interested enough to do our project for us. Uh their cost would be $8,700 um is what we're estimating uh it to be. um they had a pretty extensive packet that they put out uh in terms of their experience and and expectations uh of of us. You know, they are totally data driven and I had a conversation with uh Joanne today, the business administrator at Gil Monagu, and you know, she was
011it was around the uh the fact that districts have this done as a requirement and where they were in the cycle. So, my words are this was a soft year cycle where they didn't have to produce as much information as they had in the past. And so, um, she was wondering how how come we just couldn't use those documents. And so, we had a conversation about what the need would be to uh have more accurate projections uh on the information. Again, that would be a file that would be really helpful if it could be uploaded particularly electronically from the uh the districts so that they can run with that. So, we're assuming that with them get being able to get that information uh that um they'll be able to produce this in a really timely
012manner. So, by the time um early September comes, we we may have this information. I also talked to Joanne about where are we now before we did these other two things is um about $50,000 in our grant. So there's these two items and then there's the u the 5,000 and the was it 5600 that we had done uh in our previous meeting. So Bill, you're on my left in the middle and now you're on my left my my right. You're on >> Yeah. When you're talking about Joanne citing some soft information, aren't you talking specifically about the audit that was done on Gil Monagu? >> I'm talking about the um the Gazsby uh 7545 that that the district does. And I guess it's a three-year cycle and one of those years they really require a
013lot of >> Yeah, that's that's um other than pen. What do the initials mean again? Post postmployment benefits. >> Yeah. other post employment >> and 74 relates to the employees and their plans and 75 relates to the employers uh responsibility in backing that up. Okay, thanks. >> No, thank you. Um so uh they have um agreed to uh perform that OPED obligation for us and so we had their scope and we have their price and I can't think of a I looked around you know a law firm you want someone with expertise in this area and they not only have it in this area but they actually have it in a a new regional ization effort that did not pass, but they they did the work and so that's helpful. So, I don't know if
014there's any other questions. If there's not, I will entertain a motion that we engage their services of Odyssey. And the lead person there is Parker um Elmore, who is the president and CEO, and he had quite an extensive background in accounting. And by the way, this isn't an audit. This is a an actuarial report that they're developing. >> I just I just want to add to that the on the actuarial side, this is about for everyone if you didn't know, this is about liabilities that are carried forward from the dissolution of two districts into this new district. you have to lay that out in order to know uh where you stand financially in the new position, >> right? And in our conversation, there's a a new um twist to this, of course, because there's three
015districts. There's Gil Monagu, Pioneer, and the Woick School District. Wick and I'm going to have a more of a conversation with you uh David later about this and and maybe even with the actuarial um experts here but um Wick had uh has already um has a methodology that was agreed with with Pioneer. Pioneer assesses the town for their uh for their uh responsibility uh until the last person um is deceased. But even that number um obviously changes from year to year because insurance goes up, inflation goes up and so forth. So, you know, everything is still moving along. So, it's the methodology that was agreed to. And David, what I'm I'm going to want to talk to you about is is that um did I'm thinking and I pose this as a question that that
016liability for Wick would all roll into the the new district if that uh were um to happen. and because it wouldn't make sense to me that that it would still be sectioned out. So >> that's been my attitude is is if this thing if the war would just return to the fold of Pioneer, we we negotiated at some expense with attorneys for both Pioneer and we used Leila Taylor of uh the firm that represented Warthingington. So, >> oh, >> it was it was uh very interesting that Desi didn't didn't get it at all. Um, first off, this is a liability as as Bill says of of future and it's it's met by a current expense each year paying the bill. And some of these things like the Franklin retirement system um actually has an end
017an end date predicted of like eight years out and it will it will have resolved itself if the stock market doesn't crash or hyper you know whatever happens. So, but and my understanding is that this sort of uh actuarial work in a somewhat lightweight fashion happens with every audit because this this future liability u Sarbain Oxley I believe it was required us to recognize the expense on our balance sheets. It's not a income statement thing but but it is something that is uh a recognized in the balance sheet and um you can get the indepth study done um and but but some of these costs are imputed every time there's a a audit and they're going to change depending on investment portfolios and and all kinds of things. So in in Warwick's agreement, we defined
018ourselves as as uh 8.6% of the district's bill, but then we had to look at going into the future. Uh our basis in an employee, you know, it might be zero. Well, not anytime soon, but while we were in the district, you know, we had an 8.6% 6% um interest in in in that liability, but that we get out and 10 years later you get let's say you get a teacher retiring with 30 years and 20 of it while Warwick was in the district and 10 out. um we didn't get in the end we decided that we could live with a certain amount of aggregation and not just get incredibly granular to uh I actually sused out the company that that does the data work for the retirement system and and you know they could
019have reached into to each employee and and calculated um >> not necessary um but uh I can share the retirey cost and we had a hard time naming the thing and I I eventually came up with retirey cost participation agreement and that name sort of was born from the fact that when Warthington left its district nobody thought of this they skated and that was one of the things that lodged with Desi but they held up Warwick's departure by initially defining uh OPED as a debt. >> Yeah. I went round and round with department of revenue and such because hey if it's a debt where is it on the you know debts have to be shown on the balance sheet and it's not it's a recognition of a cost that is met out of pocket >>
020year to year to year. >> Yeah. >> So let's you and I talk some more because I I'm I'm learning a little bit as as you're talking and that's an interesting thing. Maybe Warwick does just roll back into pioneer uh when they calculate that. That's interesting. The other thing is some districts um will set up a trust and they they have money in their trust and they handle it that way. To my knowledge, neither Gil Monagu or Pioneer have a trust set up for this. Um >> nobody's funded their OPAB. May maybe >> maybe a couple very wealthy communities and school districts in the state. No, nobody has. >> No, you pay you pay as you go, right? uh bill I'm assuming >> I think was it Cole Rain or is it Cole Rain has
021funded it and and Burkog and Welsley. >> All right. Any other comments before I entertain a motion to engage the services of Odyssey Advisors to handle our OPED responsibilities and liabilities? >> Karen made the motion. Deb, was it Deb? >> Deb seconded it. >> Did I get that right? Any other discussion? I don't know. It's hard to tell who's talking. >> Um, or maybe that was Darinda. I I don't know. >> A tie. >> Karen. Karen. Motion. Dire seconded. >> Thank you. Okay. Roll call vote. Uh, Greg. >> Yes. >> Allan. Yes. Darinda. >> Yes. Uh, David, >> yes. >> Steve, >> yes. >> Karen, >> yes. >> Bill, >> yes. >> Raina, >> yes. >> Cliff, >> yes. >> And Deb Bloomer, >> yes. Have a good night. >> Good night. >> All right.
022Thanks, Deb. >> All right. So, that's those are the two major um items that we needed to have the meeting for. Just an update. Uh Greg and I will be meeting with Steve Mack and um Jay on Thursday to get some input on where Desi is on their review of the regional agreement. Uh I think that uh from a conversation with uh Jay that they're getting close to finish reviewing the document. We are clearly going to have to have a meeting once uh we get their input to then let what they have to say in their sess suggestions marinate and decide uh how we would amend that to um satisfy us and satisfy them. So that will be at an upcoming meeting. So that's on here just as an update. And uh Jake is uh
023beginning to in the process he's sketching out what this PowerPoint might look like and we had an exchange of emails and he is feeling that it would be incredibly helpful to him to have a meeting with this is not a subcommittee or everything just have a a brainstorming meeting with him three or four different people to talk about what we think is important, what he needs to stress and highlight. So that'll help him to organize it and it will help him to u figure out how to present it. So I'm hoping that there might be some interest expressed here to sit on that and and be part of that conversation and make sure that you know there's a voice from different perspectives to what needs to be on here. Dinda, I always look to you
024when we're talking about things like that. I hope are that you'd be willing to do that. Um, I don't know, Karen, if you have an interest. I probably shouldn't put people on the spot, so let me do it this way. Please, please give that some thought and send Greg an email saying you you'd like to be involved in providing some feedback to Jake as he uh engages in a conversation with us about how uh he might uh organize this and what we would like him to uh focus on. Fair enough. >> Any comments on that? We good? Um, I think. And then has anyone had a chance? We'll finish with this. Uh, has anyone had a chance to um have any meetings yet? I know Deb was planning on having one. I have one that
025I'm in the process of setting up to um, you know, talk to different groups and listen to what they have to say, answer questions, and at least get things started. And then um you know as we get the PowerPoint and we talk more about uh the message and what needs to get out there, we can we can uh continue. So >> I'm going to go to Deb's meeting tomorrow night in Northfield with some moms. >> Yes. Yeah. And Deb had a meeting uh this past week with um I think uh Renee was with her >> and they met Oh, good. >> met with some parents. So Renee, >> and I'll be meeting with uh some Gil Gil parents early next week. >> Renee, were there several parents that attended because we never know. It could
026be really small. It could be a medium-sized group. >> Renee there. >> I mean, uh Raina, I'm sorry. Oh, it was Raina that went >> Oh, it was Renee, not Raina. >> Oh, okay. >> Um All right. Well, that'll be good feedback. I'll put that on the next agenda. And so our next meeting is the uh is it the 12th after all that? I left my >> I think that was in your letter. >> Yeah. Okay. So at our next meeting, let's pick some dates for September and uh we're probably going to have to have two or three and and just focus on the regional agreement and and get that squared away and then uh we'll do the outreach a little bit more on the side. All right. Anyone have any comments? Because I'm going
027to be keeping to my promise about let's just have this focus meeting, get done what we need to, and let you enjoy the rest of this warm evening. Greg, anything? >> Uh, no. No, I think that's it. I mean, we we got the the the main the main votes over. That's the that's what needed to happen. So, >> okay. If any of the reporters have any followup, you can contact Greg or I. I just want to note that uh Cliff is here also. >> Yeah. >> Oh, yeah. Did Did we say that in the beginning? >> Yeah, we did. >> Yeah, we called for for We did. All right. >> All right. Thank Thank you, Bill. >> But I'll I'll make a motion to adjourn. >> I I just have a comment. >> Sure. >>
028Um I hope you're getting enough sleep there. I'm not >> Alan because it looks like you were falling asleep during the last paragraph of your agenda letter >> probably. >> Don't forget the spell check. That paragraph was something else. >> Yeah. And I I told Greg I sent it off and I said, "You need to get it out." And I asked him to put spell check on it because I said, it's funny because I said mine wasn't working and I couldn't get my auto correct check. And so I said, "Please uh put this on a spell check because I know that's full of a lot of mistakes." And he usually will >> highlighted them all. >> Pardon? >> He did and it highlighted them all. >> Is that what he did? And then it came
029out. >> Greg, that didn't help me. >> I honestly I honestly don't remember even looking at the agenda letter. I just remember you asking me to send it out, so I sent it out. >> Oh my god. I've been too busy. So >> then I would have looked really carefully before I sent it out because I assume since my spell check wasn't working, you were going to do that for me. Um I put that in my email to you. Please put spellch checkck it. Mine isn't working. >> I only I only have so many hours in the day though. That's >> Yeah, you both need more sleep. Yep. >> All right. Well, thank you. Um >> Okay. Good night. >> Motion to adjurnn. >> Yeah, I already I already motioned. Do we have a second?
030>> Second. Okay. >> Good evening everyone. Yeah. Bye. Hey.