001[Music] Good afternoon. Welcome to the select board meeting of July 8th, 2025, which was to commence at 2:00, but I don't move as fast as I used to, so it's uh hit 209. So, nine extra minutes to come in from the parking lot. Um the first matter on the agenda is uh Milford Cultural Council Jennifer Lion's completion of a three-year term. >> Yeah. In the Cultural Council's bylaws, they can only do two consecutive three-year terms. She has done that. So, she has to step back. She can come back uh >> in the future should vacancy arise. >> One, right? >> Correct. Yep. Do I have a motion to accept uh Miss Lion's >> Yeah, Mr. Chairman, I make a motion to accept Miss Lion's um res resignation after the um serving her two three-year term.
002She served six two six years in total, which helped Milford expand its events and its cultural uh grants and partnerships as well. And uh we thank her for her dedication and service and contributions that she made as well. >> And I will second that, Mr. chairman and Rick will make sure we get out on >> We always do. Yes. >> Thank you very much. Thank you. No problem. >> That's unanimous. >> Yeah. >> Uh the second item on the agenda is also Milford Cultural Council. Uh it's concerned with Denise Tracy has completed a three-year term and wishes not to be reappointed to a second three-year term, >> right? >> Um so that she can address personal matters, >> right? and uh she really enjoyed her work on the cultural council and um thank the town
003for allowing her to do it. Do I have a motion? >> A motion, Mr. Chair, to also to to accept her um motion not to be re reappointed for her second 30-year term. Um so I um make a motion that we accept it with the regret as well. >> I would second that, Mr. Chairman. >> That is unanimous. Third item is uh town administrator concerning appointments to various uh committees and boards. >> Yes. Uh basically you have uh just a few of them. There aren't too many as to um vacancies. Uh so you have your fair housing finance committee personnel board ZBA talent bank applications that are for each are in your packet and if the board would like probably take them one by one. Um and we can do that. Very good. Um the
004fair housing committee. >> Is there a motion? >> I make a motion uh Mr. Chair that we um uh approve the application for Charles Mlofflin for Fair Housing Committee. I would second that, Mr. Chairman. >> And that is unanimous. The second committee that we're dealing with is the finance committee. There are two vacancies for that committee. I have a motion. U motion, Mr. Chair, to u uh accept the application for appointment to Nick Holmes. And Mr. Holmes was recommended by the chair and other members of the finance committee as well. and they asked that we would we would uh accept his um nomination and and approve it as well for Nick Holmes. >> I have a second >> that is unanimous >> and the second one would also be um a Sean McGawan. Uh just
005by this is just just my uh opinion for a uh uh a motion. Uh for the simple reason Sean uh does show um uh experience as a career firefighter for the city of Wildham and prior career uh uh firefighter in the town of Weston um being uh first responders have a very um extensive budget almost as comparable to the school uh committee as as well. It's a very labor intense uh budget uh as well as they operate around the clock and he could help guide the finance committee into what direction to go when their budget comes as well. So I recommend that we appoint him as well. >> Okay, I would second that notion >> and that is unanimous. The third committee is the personnel board. What do they need to uh one >> one?
006It's an alternate position. >> Yeah, it's an alternate position, right? And I see too that Mr. Lor who was also a a former uh a personnel board member as well as a former school committee member uh has reapplied again for that and there's nothing like experienced as well. So I'd recommend that we would appoint Mr. Lavar as well. >> I would agree with you. I mean Jim we personnel board because he was an employee of the town. >> All right. Put him in a position under our bylaws. So, um, do I have a second? >> I would gladly second that. >> And that is unanimous. >> Fourth is the ZBA zone and Board of Appeals. All right. Uh, thank you, Mr. Chair. I I recommend after reviewing the applications uh that we would consider appointing
007Ruth McDade. Uh, she is a uh an attorney in Ireland as well as has uh experience in planning and environmental law, which is what the zoning board would more or less um be part of as well. when they make their their decision >> and I would second that Mr. Chairman >> and that is unanimous. >> The next item on the agenda is uh human resources director concerning home and auto insurance proposal for employees of the town. >> Is this like you're in good hands with all state like >> Good afternoon gentlemen. >> Good afternoon. So, I uh I brought the broker with me because now we're getting into uh property and casualty and it's not my strength. So, um he can help explain. It's an affiliate program to benefit the not only the employees but
008also the retirees of the community if they so choose. So, I'm going to turn it over to him and have him explain briefly, you know, um what it's about and you know, what the the hurdles are. It it's very little involvement. We do get our logo on things, but we don't have to do payroll deduction or anything like that for it. So there's it's not a lot of uh labor intensive on our side. So >> thank you. My name is Jack Nicholas and uh I work on all your benefit programs here. So thank you very much for your business. >> So was this what you what you did after you re retired from golfing? >> Yes. >> I I wish. But I I'll I'll tell you, you know, the the auto and home insurance market's
009an interesting market in so far as the um uh the way it gets to the consumers. So, for example, on the life health insurance side of the coin, I can access any company in the country. I send a $20 check to the division of insurance in California or Ohio or wherever and and that company will any insurance company will do business with me. On the property couchy side, you'll have, you know, O Sullivan Insurance or whatever located on the corner in town here. And your service should be excellent with Sullivan Insurance. There's no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Um, they they know the market, they know the people, they know the town. That should be your go-to place. What happens is Sullivan Insurance might have 4,000 homes >> and that might be enough to
010feed two or three insurance companies. Like they might be able to feed Liberty, they might be able to feed Century Insurance or All State or whoever it might be. But if they want to pick up another carrier, they have to promise them a thousand homes. They just can't send a check for $25 and put you with um AAA insurance company. They have to have a book of business with them. And so that limits sometimes their opportunity to offer all the insurance companies. Their job though is to maintain and understand the market so that they will make a shift if they have a carrier that's not competitive. And insurance companies go in and out of markets. They go in and out of states. They might like Alabama this month. They might hate Alabama in September. Um
011they might want to grow market share in a certain spot. And and that's an interesting part of the farmers program. They're spending marketing dollars to grow market share. They've said we want to do business in Massachusetts. We don't want to do business in Florida. You know, that's they're not alone that way. But you know, they want to do business in Massachusetts, but they might not want to do business. You might have a house on the Cape that's a little close to water. They might not want to write that >> even though they're saying they're doing business in Massachusetts. >> Um 60% of people shop their auto and homes every year. >> It's a it's a really large number. >> Um what you're doing here is you're offering just another just another uh arrow in the
012quiver, you know, another opportunity for your employees >> and in return the insurance company is going to give a discount. Whether that is going to result in a lower price, really don't know. Every situation is going to be unique. Every home's going to be unique. Every individual, they look at things like your driving record, your credit reports, you know, past claims experience. Are you packaging it? I mean, these are suggestions for everybody. Package your auto with your home. >> If you can get with the same carrier, you'll get multi-olicy discounts. Okay? And if your agent isn't doing that, you might ask them why. They might have a good reason or they might just not have done it. I don't know. Um, but that typically is one of the ways to reduce your costs. And retirees
013especially have all the time in the world. We all know, right? I hope to be retired someday. And uh and and spend more time shopping my own auto and homeowners insurance. But I think that, you know, your discount here is um I would call it a very generic discount. It's there. It's real. It's off their book pricing, but there are so many other factors that go into play. >> So, if we end up with 50, 60 people here, employees that end up on farmers, I think it will have been a hit. You know, the town doesn't have to do the payroll deductions, but the insurance company gets access to the employees, whether that's access to send a postcard or an email or what have you. That's some access. And for that, that's what they're given
014the discount for. >> Sure. >> That's pretty much the program in a nutshell. Thank you. >> I I don't have any questions. Um I'm in the 40% by the way. >> You don't drop it off. >> There you go. >> Yeah. We don't we don't know how many people We have no idea. >> I'm in the 60. >> Well, you're in business. But we figured we'd, you know, if it was one thing that that not it would, I don't know if it will retain people, but I mean, if it's something that someone uses and they say, not only, you know, do we get an EAP, but we also can shop our insurance and we get the pet insurance and all this other stuff. Who knows? For some people, it may be a real plus. >>
015Yeah. Right. Sure. I I think it's a valuable addition to uh package, their benefit package. Um, like I said, it's when you do group rates, you also have a discount rate, >> right? you know, which I think is very important in that regards and it shows that we Milford as select board or whoever we value our our employees and we want to make the best we can for their personal lives and their financial lives as well. >> So, I think it's a great idea. It's a great benefit. It's a a good way to go. Plus, it's also paid by premiums. It's not going to cost a tax dollar, you know, anymore for for their own budget and whatnot. >> What you've done is you paying themselves at a hopefully a discounted rate. you're granted marketing
016access and rather than spend dollars on more advertisements with Pton Manning or whoever, you know, they spend money on the discount for the group programs. It's a progress, it's a progressive idea, not to use progressive insurance, but the hard the hard part of it is trying to get the employees to buy into it. >> Yeah. >> Years and years of being with a company and watching programs like this come out. I'll start with a very important one. I don't know, 30 some odd years ago when the 401k came out. >> Oh yeah. >> And you know, every year I, you know, I would get money back because I was considered a highly compensated employee, >> right? >> And I get everybody together and I'd say more people in, you know, the more and I'd have
017younger employees say to me, I can't afford to do it. I'd say you can't afford not to do it. >> You know, and so and then programs like this would come out and you're like, this is a nobrainer. and you'd have to run around, hey, what are you gonna, you know, you, you know, you got a couple of young kids, your wife just got a new car, blah, blah, and they look at you like, and I'm like, >> and it might relate more to the 30-year-old employee that you hire >> who just bought his or her first home, >> um, or they got their car and their car insurance renewal comes in and they're like, "Oh, here's here's another option for me." >> And conversely, like I said, the retiree, the other end of the
018spectrum. >> Yeah. But the man or woman who's been with Sullivan Insurance for 32 years, they're probably not they're not going to move for a $100 bill or $200 bill. Again, >> it's it's another example where and I again, Kristen, thank you and your department, but it's another example where we as a town, you know, are constantly trying to improve the atmosphere of our employees cuz we do truly care, right? you know, and now, you know, when something like Kristen puts this package together with yourself and now it's up to them, you know, we keep bringing programs forward because we want to help you. We understand that, you know, maybe you can save here because your health insurance went up over here. Well, the savings is a savings, >> right? >> So again, thank you
019very much. >> Oh, well, I hope I hope people take advantage of it or at least try. They can always turn down the quote, but you know, if they if they go for it, that might be nice. >> Sure. Even even when you know the loyalty to the local, you know, broker, >> the bottom line comes down is it gives them another point to raise with them. >> That's true. >> I can get it cheaper. >> Oh, yeah. >> You know, can you call them back and see what they'll do for them? Right. >> I thought about that. >> And who knows, maybe they'll end up getting farmers or another insurance company or something. You're right. It's it's >> it's knowledge. It's ammunition. It's it's something. >> Yeah. >> Right. And and if you've been
020with that particular insurance company for, you know, I mean, I've been with Abella for >> 30 plus years. So the the bottom line comes down is it gives you the opportunity to go back to them and say, "Look, I want to negotiate my rate. You don't want to do it." >> Yeah. >> And sometimes you'll get >> I have another alternative, >> right? Sometimes you'll get an agent that um you know and I don't know obviously who the agent's going to be you know that the person ends up talking to but they might get uh some young professional that says hey really have you looked at alternative transportation your car is 8 years old maybe you should get towing you know or you know you've got a brand new car you should get full collision
021or maybe you shouldn't get this your car's you know 11 years old if you get into an accident so why don't we adjust your deductible and save you some money there. And by the way, do you have an umbrella policy? You know, so they'll ask those questions the right agent and the right agent might be at the local firm or the right agent might be >> the farmer's agent. I don't know. >> I think to make the offer to the employees is a good thing. It's an >> it's an alternative >> whether they go with it or not. The other thing you know that when I first read it that struck me is very much as we did with the electric rates in this community. >> This puts us in a position that if we
022do bring in a number of people and we start to talk to neighboring towns >> and asking them will you present this to your employees. So that's where from farmers perspective they're they're getting us to do their lobbying or us doing their advertising. you know, word of mouth, as you said, you know, the access is important. Um, so you start to bring in other cities and towns, um, and try to do it as a a larger group. >> Yeah. >> Be opposed, you know, more customers. >> Yeah. You know, you're preaching the choir there because these things can grow and they can morph and they can change. >> Sure. And you can all of a sudden have six or seven neighboring communities and have, you know, a few thousand people on the program and say,
023"How about if we do a payroll deduction? Will you give us another 5%? Will you give us this? We, you know, so now you're negotiating on behalf of a larger group." And Right. >> Yeah. One step at a time. We wanted to make sure that you um were aware of it. we didn't want to go forward unless you understood it because you get to listen to everyone and if anything is good or or bad either way you'll hear from you know for the retirees or or the employees a lot of folks are employed in this town >> at the town so um you know we wanted to make sure that that was um you know thought about >> okay >> considered I don't see anything there's no downside to it >> no there isn't at
024all >> so you know I mean I'm I'm fully in favor when I first read it >> there's no downside you there's only an up and the decision rests with each employee, each retiree. >> Yeah, that puts a little bit more in their hands if they want to do that. So, >> right. >> Good. That's great. >> I'm willing to see what Thank you very much. Thanks for your time. >> Thank you for your time. >> Enjoy the heat. >> So, is that a yes? >> Say yes. >> Should we vote? I make a >> just to make Okay. Yes. Authorize Kristen to move forward to to move forward with the home and auto insurance program for town employees. >> Yeah. through farmers. >> I would second that, Mr. Chairman. >> And uh that's unanimous.
025>> Thank you. Thank you. >> Thank you as always. >> Uh the town engineer performance bond waiver request concern on the Birch Street Fire Station PAS project which is contamination. Are you going to handle it? >> Yeah. Uh basically it's pretty straightforward in the letter. Usually performance bonds are, you know, mostly for construction type projects. They stop in the middle, we need it to finish. They don't do it properly, we need it to finish. Correct. Um, not so much with this type of consultant work. They do have sufficient professional liability insurance. So, should there be some issues, it's a company we've used in the past, will likely use again. So, uh, it just makes sense, I think, to to wave that requirement for this particular contract. The board has the authority to do that. >>
026They do. I got the bylaw. I did check with town council. >> Yes. >> Any questions? No. Mr. Chair and explain to everybody motion that we do wave the um um bond uh for the Haley um and Aldridge uh who are going to be doing our um environmental uh in investigation on the PAS uh condition that's uh here in town. Again, they like Rick mentioned too, Mr. chairman, they do have professional liability insurance which still gives us that that protection of security as well. So I recommend that we uh wave the bond. I second that, Mr. Chairman. >> That is unanimous. That is the last item that we have on the open session. We will be going into executive session uh for the purposes of discussing with special counsel Verizon cable TV contract labor council
027with collective bargaining uh relative to the Milford Police Association and the town administrator concerning the town accountant uh personal contract. >> Do I have a motion? >> A motion to adjurnn, Mr. Chairman. >> Second that, Mr. Chairman. That is unanimous. >> Roll call. >> Yes. >> And I'm in favor as well. We will be going to executive session. We not we will not be coming back into regular session.