Ashland Select Board - August 6th, 2025

001Good evening and welcome to the August 6th, 2025. Yep. Thank you. Sorry for that folks. We had a little uh technical difficulty. Uh I'd like to call this meeting of the August 6, 2025 select board meeting to order. Is now 7:02. Uh this meeting is being recorded and broadcast live by WACA TV and liveream on Facebook. Remote participation is available using the Zoom video conferencing platform. Any disruption with the video conferencing platform will result in the platform being shut down. In the event of a disruption, broadcasting will continue on WACA TV and live streamed on Facebook. So good morning, good uh evening everyone and welcome. Um, at this time, uh, we had a 7:00 appointment, uh, Martin Pillsbury from MAPC as a presentation on hazardous mitigation plan for the town. So, Martin, why don't you

002come on up with your with your presentation and your associates that are with you in the audience. Good evening. Thank you for being here and for all the work that you folks have done to get this started. >> Thank you for having us tonight. So, I'm here tonight to present a draft of the town's new FEMA natural hazards mitigation plan. We were here about five or six months ago uh while we're in the middle of the process to let folks know that this was ongoing and that we were uh you know the the plan would be done and folks could have an opportunity to review it. Uh so now we're to the point with great with the great work of your local team uh and Chief Roy's here tonight who was you know the sort

003of the leader of that team. uh we have pulled together a plan that addresses the hazards in your community and what kinds of things the town can do to ameliorate the impacts of natural hazardous to mitigate those impacts and so I have a PowerPoint presentation if I can yeah so uh brief presentation we'll give covers a little bit of on background of hazard mitigation planning it's part of a FEMA process we'll talk about that uh and then the process of putting the plan together, how that was done in the town, uh who was involved, and then we'll have a little bit of an overview of a few of the high points of what's in the plan, uh and then have an opportunity for questions to know. So, just a brief background on hazard mitigation planning.

004This uh is part of a national program under under a federal law originally called the disaster mitigation act of 2000 which set in place a new pro what was then a new program for FEMA to implement plans across the country at the state, county, and local level to address before disasters happen. What can communities do to reduce the harm that they that that these natural events might cause? you can't stop the storms from coming, but you might be able to get a little more out of harm's way uh in by the kinds of policies and programs that a community can adopt. And so that's kind of like the basic idea behind that federal act. Uh FEMA set out guidelines for what should be in these plans. And because it's FEMA, it's it's a little bit

005technical and has a lot of very specific requirements. So we're structuring the plan to to hopefully meet all of those requirements. Uh there's a five-year uh a goal at least of a five-year recycle cycle of renewing these plans because conditions change, technology changes over time. And so this is actually a plan renewal from the town's previous plan. Uh and actually MAPC uh and I should have started with the introduction I suppose Martin Pillsbury from MAPC metropolitan area planning council. Uh we we helped the town put together your previous plan. in fact the one before that. This is the third goaround because this isn't every roughly every five years. It's been not quite five years but uh so this plan will um put a new face on this kind of planning for the town update it

006to current conditions uh and give you um a kind of a road map of activities and recommended actions that you can take over the next five plus years on. So what do we mean by hazard mitigation? Well, that red that green box at the top, reducing impacts from natural hazards through strategies that include policies, programs, and projects. So hazard mitigation isn't one thing. It's a kind of a cluster of different kinds of activities that attacks the problem from different facets. Uh and we'll see from looking at your plan what some of those act actions are. And I'm seeing that the bottom of the screen is being cut off here. I don't know if I can Is that helping? Yes. Okay. U so the kind of things that we ask to set a framework to do

007with planet is to first understand what actions the community is already taking because floods and winter storms and all of these hazards are something you've lived with for decades and it's not as if you haven't been doing anything. You've been doing a lot. uh but in order to get a sense for what's the baseline of what you're doing now first then we can identify from there where are the gaps and where are the areas that could be updated and made more robust and that's kind of what this plan will focus on. So, one of the things we've looked at in more recent plans, this probably wasn't the case 10 or 15 years ago, is is the relationship between natural hazard planning and climate change because we now have a lot more information through different kinds

008of climate models, temperatures and rainfall for the coastal communities. We have sea level rise models. We can now start to think about the same natural hazards that we talk about, intense precipitation and high winds. They are also the subject matter that we look at often in climate change. And climate change isn't really an impact in and of itself. It's just a process that's making some of these already existing hazards more exacerbates them makes them more makes them happen more frequently or more intensely. So we want to be aware of that because in the past these plans might have been conducted in a way that you assumed your past history was an indication of what your future would be if it had we had these kind of floods and raintorms in the past 40 years. We

009have a good record of actual empirical information. We can sort of project ahead. Oh, okay. Okay, we're going to have to continue to live with that. What we're seeing from the climate data and the trends and the actual experience is that those trends from the past are are ramping up even more. And so it just means that some of these trends are actually even more important to think about because they're liable liable to be more intense uh in the future. So what are some of the techniques? It looks like I put this up. What are some of the techniques that we talk about under uh I said hazard mitigation is not one thing. So here's an example of several categories of activities and processes that can be put to use for helping a community mitigate

010natural hazards. There's a whole se section of activities that fall under the category of prevention planning and zoning. This is kind of what I call keeping out of harm's way like where the development goes and what conditions it is in relation to where the known hazard areas are, flood areas and other things of that sort. Uh property protection recognizing that, you know, communities have have been building for many decades in certain places that we now know to be hazardous and maybe wasn't even known 50 or 100 years ago. and we have to figure out the best way to continue to coexist with our already existing development in areas that we now know oppose hazards. Um public education and so it's not all just about physical projects and physical infrastructure. It's also the public understanding these

011hazards for their own good for the properties they own and manage or where they live uh for local businesses as well as residents etc. So public education is important part of this. Natural resources protection is looking at the functions that things like wetlands and wersheds can do to help us buffer the impacts as long as we keep those intact and keep them, you know, the the uh functions of those natural wetlands as well as we can. Uh this is the category I call, you know, letting mother nature do some of the work for us if we stay out of her way. Uh and so that's where something like, you know, in a town level, uh the activities at something like planning and conservation can help uh making sure you're regulating and protecting those areas and

012they can serve those functions for you which actually can be a cost reduction for you when these events do happen. U then there are structural projects and there's a lot of focus on these because you do have infrastructure a lot of it in these plans is around storm water infrastructure but it could be other kinds of infrastructure too. uh and the infrastructure that almost every community has is in need of certain kinds of upgrades. Uh it's it's a lot of it's older. A lot of it was designed for the storms of the past and not the storms we're getting now and in the future just the sizing and how much flow they're designed to handle or they are decades old and they need to be upgraded. So that's these are the kind of projects the

013plan looks at and makes some recommendations for what some of the higher priority on uh where those improvements could happen. These are some of the bigger ticket cost items, these projects compared to some of the other things we've talked about here. Uh there are some grants available to help communities um handle some of those costs, although it's it's not perfect. There's definitely going to be some costs I think the town will be looking at over time itself as well for part of this. The last item here, emergency service protection. Uh this is the idea that um we want to make sure that the facilities and the functions that the town has in place that enables it to respond to the public and protect the public that those facilities themselves aren't the first ones to go

014out. Uh we've had cases in other towns where the police station flooded and the communications equipment was in the basement and then they were like blindsided and they weren't able to help the while there's a flood going on. The rest of the community needs more help. they were hampered. And so, uh, it's the idea of keeping making sure you really prioritize that those functions are resilient, that they will be able to weather the storm literally and be able to continue to provide services for the rest of the So, those are some of the major kinds of things you would see in in a hazard mitigation plan. We'll talk about some examples in in in a minute right here in Ashland. Uh, the process for putting the plan together. Um, so this is just a brief

015timeline of all the major steps we took. I don't want to spend a lot of time on it, but it's just to give you an idea. We're all on the right side here. Second to the last step in the process, then having the second public meeting. I mentioned we were here in the first public meeting about six six months ago while we were in the middle of producing the plan. And what you see through here are four different meetings of the local team that have occurred over since last summer. Uh, and that has really been how the plan has been built. all the local knowledge that comes from the different department heads and different staff. They've been very helpful. They've been come forward and really provided lots of good information to make the the plan

016very town specific to make it very rich with local information and data. So that's the process we're in. There's only one remaining step after this. The plan will go once it's uh completed this public review process, it will be submitted to and we'll talk about that. So a few examples of what's in the plan, some of the content. Uh there's a lot of maps in this plan. So I'm going to show one example here. It's hard to read it at this scale, but a lot of the things that pertain to natural hazards are mapped in this plan. All the areas that are known flooding and drainage problems from the sources we got from most largely from public works for instance are mapped here site by sight. Uh the areas of town that might be subject

017to brush fire and forest fire because of open lands. you might see some of those red circles in certain and again the fire department helped you know point us to where those areas of concern would be. So those are a couple of examples of known hazard areas locally. The FEMA flood maps are also on this map. Those are the official flood maps but we know that towns have flooding issues and drainage issues even beyond those official FEMA flood issues. And so that's why we have the locally designed maps as well. uh a number of sites as you can see listed on the left were identified for for flooding and also um we have mapped on here all the critical infrastructure and critical facilities in in town you so you can see things like public safety

018fire police nursing homes this building right here everything that's critical to the town and then other kinds of uh critical facilities are on this list which are I would call facilities that don't provide assistance but that might require assistance so that's why you see nursing homes or maybe there would be daycare centers, schools where the populations might be vulnerable or maybe in in the event of a disaster, the town will be a wants to be aware of where there might be needs to be served as well as where the facilities. So, there's a wide range of things on that inventory. Everything that's inventoried that's listed out in the plan is also mapped in a map like this, which I sorry you can't see it in detail at this scale, but it's a very detailed map.

019when you look at the plan itself and I hope you get a chance to do that you'll you'll be able to look at these maps in detail uh and so you know what we look at in assessing what the risks are to the town and it's not fitting the page exactly right but risk assessment we start by looking at the state hazards and and even federal agencies like US geologic service and no and then we bring it down to through the team's participation locally how these hazards affect the town specifically so This is a plan to deal with natural hazards, not other kinds of hazards, not human caused, not not like say chemical spills or radiological hazards, but every type of natural hazard that could occur in the town, even those that have a very

020low probability of occurring like earthquakes. Uh but we they're all included in the plan and and given some treatment. Those hazards that are more common like flooding receive a lot more f focus and a lot more treatment. But we cover a wide range of different kinds of hazards in >> Mr. Can a quick question. You say >> when you when you refer to natural incidences >> would be considered natural? >> Yeah, >> because they have >> You'll see in a minute beavers are actually on this list. Absolutely they are. They are a natural >> Yeah. Because they they they exacerbate flooding. It's among other things. That's the main reason why we would and you will see they are part of this. Um so the risk assessment we look at here's an example of a map

021on the left that's a statewide wildfire risk map showing the degree of risk for wildfires. Uh in this part of eastern Massachusetts it's a moderate level and you're going to have a lot more risk when you go out in western Mass and there's a lot more open forest land and that sort of thing and other parts of the country obvious obviously like California and Colorado have an even much higher risk. So in the scheme of things, but this gives an idea of the relative risk. And I just want to mention that like some of these hazards, it's not a high risk, but it is still a risk. And so we we we don't ignore it. We it's in the plan. The same is true with earthquakes. Um drought has been on people's minds since 2016.

022We've had four droughts and 2016 itself, the first of that series was a really big one. Biggest one we had since the early 80s. And so um these are maps that show how the state's drought management uh task force has classified and different parts of the state at different degrees of drought. And you'll see that even as small a state as Massachusetts, there can be a difference between the the state of drought in eastern Mass, the coastal area, central mass, western mass, like there's it it varies widely. So the data that's available is pretty fine grain to be able to say, okay, around the Charles River and the Saskco etc. in eastern Mass, we're in a drought. Uh down on the Cape, they're not or vice versa or whatever. So, the data is pretty interesting.

023>> Excuse me. I just have a question about this. Um is is the risk of wildfire related more to drought than it is to some other factors. It seemed to me a little counterintuitive that um wildfires were a greater risk here than they are in the western part of the state where it's heavily forested. >> It's a really good question. So, the risk of wildfire, and the chief can probably talk about more of this. He he thinks about this more than I do. It's partly what what's the what's the uh vegetation you have? How vulnerable is that to to being burn? Is it pine? Is it shrub? Different things, how old is it, how well is it that woodlocked and managed or not, thinned, undergrowth or not? All of those kind of factors. And on

024top of that, very important is drought because whatever the hazard is in general in that site, if there's drought, you make the hazard go up no matter what the starting point is because if it's kind of intuitive, if it dries out, that vegetation is going to be much more likely to burn and it's going to be much harder to control that fire if it gets started. So drought is critical. It's it's not as if we never have a fire, you know, if we're not in a drought, but we're much more likely to have that threat. And we did see that the droughts of the last few years. There were incrementally a lot more wildfires a year and a half ago during the drought. I heard that over 6,000 acres in Massachusetts burned that last drought

025we had uh which is was I think a historical high. So it's clearly interrelated very much so. And that's a good example of how one hazard affects another. Absolutely true. Um, so the other thing we did, we we actually had a communitywide online uh survey uh and asked folks to let us know what their personal experience with different kinds of natural hazards were, what their concerns are. These are these are this will be summarized more in detailed than the plan, but this this is like a a quick overview of the some of the kind of responses that we actually got from the survey. people talking about how they they they've experienced flooding and and other kinds of hazards, specific events were sometimes mentioned. So that puts a little bit more local and individual flavor on

026all of this. It's one thing to have all this data and to say, "Oh yeah, the data tells us that, but like local folks are telling us by experience, yes, what we're experienc." So how did the plan get put together? What was the plan development process? Well, as I mentioned, we had the the team was at the core of it. Uh the team met four times over the last year, roughly quarterly meetings, and we went through this process you see here of looking through uh updating the data from the last plan, reassessing the mitigation measures that had been in your previous plan to see which of those had been actually implemented and which had not yet. And of those that were not yet implemented, we all ask, okay, do we want to continue to carry

027that into this new plan? Is it still an important measure? Just because it didn't get implemented before, that that doesn't mean it's not important. And it means that there's just a long list of a lot of things to do. Many of them are by nature long-term. So you're always going to be carrying over some mitigation measures from one plan to the next when you have a 5-year update. So we did carry some over. But we also as a team looked at the current hazards and the threats in the community and added a lot of new measures to this plan that were not in the last plan. And I'm going to show you some examples of those in a minute. So this is like the process of all the data that went into feeding the plan

028locally. And so transitioning from the last plan uh to this one um sort of some highlevel summaries 15 of the mitigation measures from the 2017 plan um that were carried were carried over into this new plan uh most of which actually were partially completed were like long-term projects that were in in mid progress. Uh one only one mitigation measure from the previous plan was not carried through. I can't remember exactly which one it was, but once in a while people will say on second thought, seven years later, whatever it is, it's it's not that important or what maybe sometimes it's just maybe something that's been done. It's completed. Uh and then 15 new mitigation measures were added to this plan that did not exist in your last plan. And we're going to have a quick

029list of what this looked like. Now, I'm not going to read these off. There's there's there's a lot here. I put them on to two different slides, but people can look at this. in the plan obviously in more detail and they're described in the plan but just to get I'll just read a few off just for examples you know looking about um how to uh retrofit town properties with storm water control measures item two that's one of the key issues for managing storm water uh supporting the design and construction and removal of the Sbury River dams was one of the issues that that came up uh and looking at um number seven evaluating contributing factors to cyanobacteria growth uh that has been affecting some of the ponds lately as reservoirs lately. And by the way,

030you probably heard on the news, this is all the way down the Charles River, the same thing. So, this is kind of unfortunately a regionwide problem. A few other examples on here on the second page here. >> Excuse me. I'm sorry. Um, I just wanted to shout out uh to number six caught my eye and I think we we had downplayed a little bit earlier like the whole earthquake thing, but I think a lot of folks at home and I mean know that um over the past really even like two years earthquake activity in the northeast has really started picking up. There was just another earthquake last week centered in New Jersey and I've felt tremors um more recently. So I I think that you know number six is actually very important going forward because

031I think as we see this activity go uh continue uh there sounds like there may be a good chance of more earthquake activity in this region. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> That that's a great observation and and it's true that earthquakes often get short shrift in these plants because they have haven't happened historically to at least severely around this region but they they do happen at a you know a level one and a half or two or two and a half magnitude. It's not impossible. We get a we get a big one here. Geologists tell us we're overdue to maybe actually get a big one in the northeast. There was a pretty big one in 17 something colonial era off of Cape Anne that they said was strong enough that it shook that it broke China.

032It broke the China and the shelves in Beacon Hill in the colonial era. So um that just gives you I mean this anecdotal they didn't have seismic measures there. Uh you have to always remember earthquakes are on a geologic time scale 1700 something was yesterday in terms of geologic like you know we could have one the probability that it's a really big one like a California is is very low it's not zero all right and if it does happen we're much less prepared for it here in this part of the country because we have not really planned for this so it's it's a it's a good point it's a good example of why we include these in the plan even if seems like it's Absolutely. Um, and there I I kind of wanted to mention

033on here somewhere there was something on beavers because it was mentioned before. I'm trying to remember where it is. Do we pass was on the previous one? Yeah. Number uh three uh measures for beaver control including flow control devices, decoy dams, and developing a beaver management plan overall. So yeah, absolutely right. one of the priorities in the plan and this is a new measure that wasn't in your last plan. There's been this kind of activity going on that's been accelerating. So that's one reason why the team wants to make sure that is covered in this plan. So all of these are new measures. Again, I'm not going to spend time going over each one, but you can see the flavor of the different kinds and the different categories of hazards they address. Um final steps

034for completing this plan. We're now officially in a public review period. The draft plan is posted online. uh there's a link there to where people can download and see the actual whole plan which is over 150 pages. So there's a lot more detail than I could possibly give you in a short presentation through the plan. So we really invite folks to take a look at you don't have to read the whole 150 pages but we agree uh sort of uh invite folks to take a look in a little more detail what's in the plan and how how all these hazards are documented and more importantly what steps is recommended in this plan for the town to take. It is kind of a roadmap for actions that you can take over the next five or so

035years and that's kind of what it's intended to do. Uh we have a set up a special email inbox ashland resilience atmapc.org for anyone who wants to send a comment or question on the plan. Uh and we'll we'll document all those in in the final version. We'll also going to be documenting any comments we get and putting them right in the plan and what kinds of responses the team might have to those. We also had the survey that I mentioned and it's still live and through the next few weeks while we're reviewing the plan. Folks are still welcome to come in and add to that survey. There's the link to it right up there. And there's also a QR code to go into. It's a pretty simple survey that doesn't take too long and we

036try to make it user friendly. Shouldn't be more than five or 10 minutes at most. Um, and so what will happen after we do a what we'll do is actually have this plan available and invite comments for the next month. uh we'll be asking for folks to send any comments to us by September 5th right after the Labor Day weekend and uh and then we'll round up all the comments and we'll do a final version of the draft and that's what will be submitted to me and so at that point the plan will get reviewed by MIMA first and then by FEMA. They have these long complicated plan guidelines that checklists that say the plan should have ABC D up to Z and they'll be go sort of putting it through the mill and letting

037us know oh you know you got everything right except these three points and they'll probably come back with a few revisions kind of like their job. Uh and so whatever revisions or edits they might either one of them MIMA or FEMA might ask for of course we'll make a revised version if need be resubmit those once they're happy with the content of the plan and think it meets all of the requirements. That's when the plan will come back to this board for you to then just take a vote to adopt the final plan. They want to see that this plan isn't just a good idea that's in someone's shelf, but that the leadership of the town is aware of it and endorses it and says, "Yes, this is the plan we want to follow." Not

038unlike how you would get a master plan or an open space at the end of a planning process and say, "Okay, now we speak for the town officially. This body will." So, you'll see a very a few months from now when it goes through all this review, you'll see a very simple onepage certificate of adoption. It's one of these hereby, you know, we hereby adopt the plan sort of thing. So that's what would come back to you. So we wanted to make sure you were aware of what this plan is. You're going to come back and you'll come back to ask you to vote on it eventually. Uh and so we welcome obviously your comments as well as anyone in the town in the public while we have this open for comment. Uh and then

039we'll be into that last phase of just googa review and and coming back to you for final. >> Martin, how long will the uh process take for MIMA and FEMA? >> MIMA and FEMA is a little unpredictable. Okay. >> Okay. MIMA happens first. They're sequential. They're not, you know, and MIMA happens first. They usually happen a little faster. Our experience, we've done a number of these plans and uh it it can vary because where how staffing levels are and these agencies and what else they're doing. I would say in general, MIMA's reviews are in the four to six weeks range and then we may have to make a revision and turn something around and turn it back to them. That then would go to FEMA. FEMA's review can take a bit longer. Uh although not

040always. It's that it's the more unpredictable of the two. I've seen FEMA turn things around in 30 days. I've seen FEMA take 60 to 90 days. You just you kind of never know with FEMA. Uh and things are a little bit up and end in FEMA in general these days because they've had some cuts and etc. So we we just don't know for sure. So I think you just to be on the safe side you can assume this will go into the fall and be towards getting near the end of the calendar year be before it goes through all of those process could always happen faster but I wouldn't >> this doesn't this doesn't take a town meeting vote on this right this is just visual vote okay >> that's right >> right so that's

041the thing I should have mentioned at the beginning I mean one of the big incentives here to do this plan and get it actually approved by FEMA is that that makes the town eligible for some FEMA grants to do implementation projects, drainage projects, and other things of that sort. The bad news is one of those big grant programs that FEMA runs is recently been cut, uh, the brick program, it's called, building resilient infrastructure in communities. The maybe good news is I just heard yesterday the federal court has put the kaibosh on cutting it temporarily. So like a lot of these other programs and other people are rising up. In fact, Massachusetts and 19 other states, 20 states entered this lawsuit against it. We had in Massachusetts on that national grant over $50 million worth of

042projects that got clawed back when they cut that program. And so there's a lot at stake. U these 20 states are trying to go to bat to keep that program whole. So we'll see. It's at least they're fighting for it. So we'll we'll see. >> I'll open up uh the for any questions or comments you may have. Martin, at this point, >> yeah, >> Martin, thank you. Um, MAPC is a great partner for communities like ours and other communities in the state for all the work that you do and help us with these kind of projects. So, thank you for that. Uh, I did in, you know, reading through the new things, there were, as you said, some things that hadn't been there before. So, that was good to see. >> Um, I don't have

043any questions. I think it's a very thorough plan and as always I think important part is that we do it and certainly that our our public safety team has worked with this and as we know that things are changing so even though this is a five-year plan we may encounter something in two or three years that we can't even plan for. So >> that's right. >> Um but thank you for doing this. I really >> thank you so much. >> Thank >> uh so thank you. That was this is a great I I I think this is really good for for our town. I think this is um going to be helpful for us in the future especially we're in the middle of a um master planning process right now and um I you know

044this question is much probably more to to Michael but we should there's some real capital um things that are in included in these recommendations and we should make sure that we do have that sort of on the the radar of of our master plan because I think it should all tie Um I'm curious on um you know the this is going to go to MIMA. How is like is this in line with sort of what the state is expecting? Like are we is everything kind of I want to make sure like on a local level we're we're aligned with the state. >> Absolutely. >> Um can you talk a little bit about >> Yeah, that's a good question. So and again here's a little more context. The state commonwealth of Massachusetts has a hazard mitigation

045plan for the whole state. The FEMA program set it up so all 50 states have a state level plan >> and then they want counties and towns and cities within those states to do local plans that should mirror their state's plan. >> Okay, >> that list of the hazards that we cover comes out of the state plan. FEMA actually says when they review the plan like >> this local plan needs to have every hazard that your state plan has in it addressed even if it's some are more than important than others. If you forgot to put one in there that was on the state plan, they would tell you in their review and say, "Please add this." Okay, >> once in a while that might happen. So there it is, it's kind of think of

046it as telescoping from the f from the from the federal policies down to having each state and it has been a good program in the sense that it it does set up some broad guidelines, but it lets each state develop their own plan for what's the condition. Think of how vastly different states are, us to California, whatever the hazards are different, all of that. So it allows for a lot of flexibility for each state plan to meet some broad brush guidelines, but to really hone in. And then likewise for each town and city, you know, you're not dealing with the same issues that province town is with coastal erosion, right? But but they're not dealing with the same issues you might be with like forest fires and what brush fires, etc. So just for example,

047>> beavers, >> right? Or beavers. Exactly. The beavers are not going to the Cape. So maybe they are. I don't know. >> I wish. So anyway, it actually does align with and in fact it's even among one of the requirements in effect that that your local plan >> aligns with the state plan. >> Okay. >> And the state plan by the way also has to be redone every 5 years. Okay. >> But the most recent addition was done in 2023 and between the 2018 plan, the last one before that and this and this state plan, the state added a lot into their plan that's on the climate change, think about how that affects these hazards. And we actually can draw some of that data because it's largely large scale data. There's not like a separate

048climate data for each town. It's more like statewide, regionwide even. >> So, we're able to actually draw some of that information out and apply it to the local. >> Okay, that sounds >> I'm going to interrupt for a quick moment. We have a 7:30 hearing that I have to read the hearing notice and then I will ask for a suspension of that hearing until we're completed here. Uh, notice is hereby given that the select board will conduct a public hearing to review the Sunday entertainment license application. The applicant is Ashland Brewing LLC, EBA Clover Road Brewing Company. Uh, that's uh 151 Main Street, Ashland, Massachusetts. A public hearing will be held on this matter at the Ashland Town Hall, 101 Main Street, Ashlin, Mass, on Wednesday, August 6th, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. Persons wishing to

049be heard on this matter are invited to attend the public hearing in person or by logging into Zoom meeting. Interested parties who are unable to attend the hearing may submit written comments to the select board's office, town hall, 101 Main Street, Ashland, Mass, or by emailing Sue Roby at srobyashlandmass.com. when you any chair of the select board. >> So I'll ask for a motion to suspend the hearing. >> Well, let's open it first. >> I move that we open the hearing. >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I >> move that we suspend the hearing until we're done with other matters. >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I >> Thank you. I'm sorry for the interruption. >> Far be it for me to stand in the way of a brewing company. That's

050part of the natural hazard mitigation we did. I and I just had one one other kind of comment slash >> more of a comment but um we should make sure that we like because this is going to be housed on MAPC's site that we do a good job like on our website and on in our communications to direct yeah because I think it's >> it's important to have >> actually we provided some materials a flyer and also social media content that can go on your and and that was to announce this meeting, >> right? >> And so we could actually do a just a version that takes away the meeting information says the plan is here. Here's the link. Please send comments by September, whatever. We'd like just do a slight. >> Yeah. And then

051you could post on your on your website and and more importantly perhaps on your social media because that's what gets to >> your newsletter, Michael, a couple times. >> Yeah. Yeah. So yeah, we we'll just do a revision of those materials to make them all just about reviewing the plan, sending comments on the plan. >> Okay. Thank you. And thank you everyone that was part of this. >> Yes. Yes, thank you all. I just um you answered most of my questions, but I just had a couple. Um so are any of these are there any kind of priority order for them or is there >> each of when you see these they're listed here in in the slide just a list right but in the plan each are given in a priority high medium or

052low >> which the team determine >> okay >> based on thinking about like the degree of hazard that that particular measure is mitigating and how practical it will be to actually implement it or how costly this it's a little bit of a qualitative cost benefit it. We didn't actually have a hard dollar cross for a lot of these things. But you're thinking about if this is a measure that would be lowhanging fruit and easy to do and it would solve a lot of problems. That's a high priority. If this is a measure that's a good idea but really expensive. Okay, maybe it's a medium or low. It's but even the low they're on the list for a reason. So like I don't want to dismiss even the low priorities. They're all priorities for the town.

053It's just a degree a range. >> Yeah. Is is there a way to predict or to you know how much funding we would get for some of these projects based on >> well where where the costs of some of the the actual infrastructure type projects here where the cost is known and there may have been in some cases some engineering initial assessments. We put those costs into the plan. So you know this drainage project might be a $300,000 project. It's only only because you're a public works or someone in the town knows that because they've done some preliminary study or work or they or they can see this strange project is very similar to another one we've done recently that the cost. So ballparky you'd have a cost estimate. There's a there's a number of

054them that we don't really have a good way to quantifying the cost for those. We put them into a high medium low of cost which I believe was like under 100,000 100,000 to 500 and above 500 or something like that at least to give you a way to sort them that way. And uh I guess my last question really is in terms of the data is how recent is the data that's in the report? >> It's the most recent available for what each of the which is why these plans are supposed to be updated every five or so years because the last plan you did I didn't realize it was actually 2017. So obviously that was relying on data that's getting a little older now. And in refreshing this plan, we were using if it

055was the same category of data, just the more recent version of it, or in some cases, new data that didn't even exist. So, whatever is in here is the most recent. >> Okay. I guess I have one more question then. How much of a role does um population or housing play in in figuring out what the potential impacts are? Well, you you do want to think about like a given hazard, how many people might it affect? I mean, there are some hazards that are very localized. There could be a street drainage problem that floods one little neighborhood. That I don't want to diminish that. It's important to that neighborhood. There could be other measures that are of a townwide scale. So, we the team takes that into account. I think that's part of where the

056priority setting goes. You know, is this very localized? Is it more widescale in terms of its benefit, its implication? >> Okay. Thank you. >> Martin, I have one question for you, maybe a clarification. So earlier you said um that the plan is about 150 pages and it is very important that we do get citizen feedback on the plan. I was wondering if you could just provide maybe a little guidance on how folks who are watching tonight can review it. >> There is an executive summary in Great. So they can really look at that. gives a high level on some of the measures. And then there's a lot of these when you see the plan, you'll see a lot of the uh chapters that describe the hazards. >> We put a lot more graphics and and

057like charts and things in there so you don't have to wade through a lot of text to get the idea. >> So yeah, >> just wanted to call that out. Thank you for letting folks know because it is important that we get folks to review this so and get some feedback. So thank you and thank you for your hard work. >> We good. Thank you very much. Thank you to the to the committee out there. You guys and gals have done a fantastic job as always. >> I can't thank the team enough and the chief has been wonderful. So the whole team absolutely >> appreciate. >> Absolutely. Yes. No, this plan wouldn't be anything without the team. It would have just general state level data and it wouldn't be all that helpful. >> Awesome. This

058is awesome. >> Thank you so much. Thank you for your presentation. >> Appreciate it. >> Okay. Very informative. Now that there's an executive summary or I used to call it clipotes. No. Come on. Tell me you never used them. Okay. I know I did. Anyway, um next on the agenda, uh we have a recognition of a young lady's retirement. So, I I don't know if Candy and and and Jan would like to come up to the uh the podium if you would. >> Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Thank you, Mr. Chair. as they make their way up to the podium. Um, yes, in bittersweet news, um, Janelli, an employee since the early 2000s, has, um, decided to, uh, engage in in her next chapter and has retired from the town of Ashland. And, uh, Jan has been

059just a remarkable presence at the community center and a stable presence and has um, been a smiling face. and a a support for all the staff there, but also support for all the residents and the volunteers that come in. So, uh without further ado, I would turn it over to Candy and Jan. >> Yeah. Before Before we do that, we had a wonderful pres uh retirement party that was put on at the community center and the select board honored you with a a proclamation for your day. I mean, how many how many residents actually stopped and came up to you and said, "Hey, today's your day." >> Said what? I'm sorry. >> How many how many of your friends and and co-workers came up and say, "Today is your day, Jan. >> Today is your

060day." >> You know, and I think it was 2019. >> So great. That was wonderful. >> Yeah. >> We appreciate all your efforts and your work. Uh what I'm going to miss is your your friendliness because that's what Ashland's all about. And you were the epitome of what Ashland is. And I really mean that. You were, every time I walked in that building, you always had a smile on your face. You treated everybody like a dear friend. And I hope whoever takes your place, that rubs off on them as well. >> I'll open it up to the board. >> So I I apologize. I was not able to be there at the retirement comm the retirement party. Um but I heard it was wonderful. >> It was. And uh I too want to just say

061thank you for all that you've done. It's always been nice to see you when I do go to the community center or the senior center, whatever we want to call it. Um so congratulations. Enjoy your retirement. And if you're like a number of other people I know who are retired, you're going to be busier than when you were working. >> So be prepared. >> Okay. Okay. Yeah, it'll be good. >> And congratulations and thank you for all that you've done for Ashley. >> Thank you. I'll just echo congratulations and uh really thank you. You know, Ashlin is a a great place to live >> because of people like you and uh you know, we have >> a great number of employees and volunteers and it really takes everyone to make it uh such a special

062place. And so, thank you for uh your years of service to our community. I'll just echo my congratulations and and thanks for everything that you've done for for our community and I know Candy and the the rest of the crew over at the community center will miss you dearly and >> miss all of them. >> I think you can you can still come back and visit. I think she'll let you back in the building. So >> yeah, hope so. I was signed up with Fox. >> Okay. >> Back and help. Really? Yeah. So, so I just I just hope you have an amazing retirement and and enjoy >> that. Take care. >> Well, we're good. >> Thank you so much again. >> Thank you for coming in and we appreciate everything that you've done. >>

063I just want to Jan, instead of asking you what you're going to miss the most, I want to ask you what are you looking forward to the most? Um, >> that's hard to say. I can't I'm I'm still like, where am I? What am I doing? >> Yeah. >> Just having the time and energy to just do, you know, some things I've been putting off and finally have the time for and just take my time and, you know, just enjoy and come back and enjoy everything at that center work for so long and I want to be there and fun there. >> That's right. >> Yeah. Have enjoy it this time. Yeah. >> Yeah. With your mother there, too. >> Oh, yeah. You two will get into trouble on it. No doubt. I have no

064doubt. You and my mom. >> So, >> just have bill money ready. >> All right. Well, my mom will say it's time to return the favor. So, you know. >> Okay. >> Coming back. >> Yes, for sure. >> Thank you guys. Jan, we'll miss you much. We'll miss you. It was a nice party and it was well attended. >> Oh, it was as well. Very. >> Yeah. Very, very nice. Very nice. >> Um, I will entertain a motion to reopen the hearing. Uh, that was supposed to be at 7:30. >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I. >> Thank you. >> Uh, let's see. Oh, Jamie is here. Okay, great. And so this hearing and just to remind everybody uh this is for an extension of their entertainment license uh for Sunday entertainment and

065uh the folks at the Ashland Brewing LCC or Clover Road Brewing Company uh which is at the former Ashland fire uh station central station one um is asking for Sundays as needed and Uh they have a small uh musical acts inside the tap room and on the patio and operating hours will be from 12 to 8:00 p.m. >> So Jamie, if you would like to uh add to that, uh welcome. And >> it looks like it's John. >> Oh, is it John? >> I'm fine. It's okay. >> Jamie on the on the Zoom. >> I I saw Jamie's name, but I didn't see the Hey, John. >> No, it's I'm doing okay. How are you guys? This is the I've done backtoback um town meetings. not here. I was in Stow for one uh a

066couple weeks ago and somebody retired just before I went on for that one, too. And in both times they said such nice things and I feel like when I retire they're going to say he tried hard. >> Well, that's that's that's a very nice thing to say. He tried hard. >> Yeah, it could be a lot worse. Fair enough. >> You can't say no to that. That's good. >> Uh I think you nailed it. It's uh I don't know why we didn't do this when we were doing our application before, but um events have been well attended and we'd like to extend that out to Sundays kind of here and there. Um certainly not every weekend, but you know, sometimes it's nice to have music on a on a Sunday or a comedy show or

067whatever. Um we've been pumping out events and Jess, our events coordinator, u uh insisted, so I said, "Should thought it made sense. Here we are. Sounds good. I'll open it up to the board for questions uh that you may have for John. >> Hi, John. Um uh quick question for you. Uh first off, um I I think I've been hearing some incredible things about the events and goings on down the brewery. People are very excited, so I'm glad to hear that. Um Oh, thank you. But >> um when you say small acts, I just want to get an idea of scale um and and sound, right? So, I noticed you're stopping things at 8, but like when you say small, what do you could you define that a little bit >> more specifically for me?

068Like out loud, like if you can. Thanks. >> Sure. Yeah. No, I I don't know if you've been in there. Uh, it's pretty echoey. Like the whole entire thing is concrete. So, it tends to be a person or a second person and a guitar. Um, who really functionally can't handle much more than that without blowing out somebody's eardrums, which isn't to say that, you know, we might We we're going to do an October fest and going to do some larger events. U but those are really rare and would probably be on a Sunday and certainly wouldn't be in the evening time. >> Bless you. >> Just because people aren't around then. >> Great. Thank you. I'll also add that the volume I'm having a little trouble hearing. The volume's a little low. Um I did

069make up make out your answer so thank you. But >> Oh, sorry. I'll try to talk a little bit louder. I got the >> you but I just bought new um >> the expensive Apple earbuds like for the first time. I kept losing my my ear my earbuds and I broke the bank on these ones because they have a tracking on them. So that's a bummer. I'll talk louder. >> Thank you. >> Sure. >> Yeah. Anybody else have any or any >> um the only thing I wanted to ask and this is a great opportunity for us to be able to to have you here because um as Makita said that you know I think this is the first time we've we've had you here since since you officially opened your doors and we did

070the ribbon cutting. So um first of all congratulations. It's been um an incredible addition to our downtown. I think it's changed the entire vibe of downtown Ashlin. So, um it's awesome to see people sitting outside at the fire pits and it's just it's a it's it's uh it is a very it's a so just congratulations and and I'm so glad that you're you guys are here. Um the one thing I the one question I did have for you was um have you gotten any feedback from anyone about um you know like about the entertainment? like has there been anyone any anything negative that you've received on your end? Um >> only one that came in last week that I'm a little skeptical of. Um but we're going to meet with them and it wasn't entertainment.

071They said that like people are leaving beer bottles near their yard and that doesn't actually line up with how we operate. Um which isn't to say so I don't know what to make of that but we're going to investigate and figure out what's going on. Um, we don't sell beer, you know, we sell cans, fourpacks to go. And usually it's not people grabbing a fourpack and walking down the street and drinking a beer and tossing it into somebody's house. Um, it doesn't mean it didn't happen, but that's I would be surprised. >> Okay, sounds good. >> Uh, aside from that, with the entertainment stuff, we haven't had any negative feedback. Not from a volume standpoint or anything like that. >> Okay, sounds sounds good. Thank you. Right. And and you know, it's it's great to

072see all the events that you guys are hosting. It's it you know, when you first came in front of us, um God, it feels like, you know, six years ago, but um I know it pro probably feels like six years to you guys, too. Um, but you know, you were talking about really having it be a community place and to have the events that you guys do and it's not, you know, obviously not just about the the music and the entertainment, but it's about, you know, um, you know, a comedy night or something going on, you know, that that brings people in and brings people together. So, um, just it's it's cool. It's a cool it's it's a cool addition to downtown. So, >> I I appreciate that. We got more work to do and

073uh if you ever have an idea for an event, we're always all ears. We're spaghetti against the wall and see what sticks. >> So, just I may come and see you sometime soon. So, we'll >> Oh, please do. Yeah. Uh yeah, I would love that. >> So, okay. Thanks, John. >> Great. Thank you. >> No. Then I'll entertain a motion which I can read if >> I move that we close the public hearing. >> Okay. >> I'll second that. >> Um a motion to approve. All those in favor? >> I >> Then I move that we approve the Sunday entertainment license for Clover Road Brewing allowing Sunday entertainment between the hours of noon and 8:00 p.m. I'll second that. >> Okay. All those in favor? >> I That's 5. Congratulations, sir. >> Just I have

074one question. So, I've been seeing ads for a comedy night >> at tomorrow. >> Yep. >> But there's been no date on any of the >> stuff that I've seen. Oh, come on. >> Seriously? >> Yeah. >> I was like, "Oh, well, this looks like fun." But I had there was no date. >> It's one of those thing that's wonderful to hear because I have the exact person to blame for that. >> Okay. But you're saying it's >> usually just like a manager. I love it. >> So, you're saying it's tomorrow night at 7:30? >> It is tomorrow night at 7:30. I'm >> I'm I'm gonna look on Instagram right now and see if I could call you a live. >> I saw it on Instagram today and I didn't I couldn't find the date.

075I saw it on I think I saw the original posting on Facebook and I'm like, "Oh, this sounds this looks like really fun, but there was nowhere that told me when it was happening." >> Oh my word. >> So, you thought it might have been like a joke you were you were teasing everybody. >> Oh, no. I see it. I see I see an Instagram one from three days ago, which doesn't mean that they've been consistently on there. So, uh I'll double check that. >> August 7th at 7:30 p.m. >> Yeah, those are a good time, too. Uh and they already sold 50 tickets for it, I think, I got today. So, we're expecting like 75 people. It's a good They're a good time. Usually comedians are >> congratulations and as Brandy said, thank you

076for being here in Ashland and just adding to the great vibe in our downtown. >> Oh, please. Thank you guys. Keep holding me accountable. Make sure we're doing our part. >> Okay, >> we'll make sure. >> Thank you. >> Take care. >> Thank you, John. >> Right. >> Okay. Um our 740 uh hearing has been withdrawn at the request of the uh petitioner. Uh there's needed information that they failed to provide us. So they'll get back to us and we'll they'll meet at at uh at our next meeting September or maybe August. Second week in August 16th, I think. No, not the 16th. whenever our second meeting is in August 20th. >> 20th. Okay. All right. So, we can move right along. And with that, we'll open it up for citizens participation because I know

077Mark's biting at the bit. Good evening. >> Good evening, Mark. Beat you to it. >> Say what? >> I said I beat you to it. Said good evening. >> Okay. Wait, let me start over. >> No. Okay, Dr. Sony 119 Main Street. I coming up with three three things. One was that litigation um presentation. I'm just hoping if it does work for the state and this town, then we can just hope that the federal government doers don't get a hold of it first. So we can be here for this town in one piece. Two would be what you just had on with the clover road. I since I live right behind it and um it's been quiet. No loud music, no nothing like that. Everybody's walking by back and forth and everything. All all is

078there. Plus I do the u on the Sunday afternoons noon to 1:30 is the u peaceful protest and I and we're there entertainment on the sidewalks once they have their beverages and stuff like that. They said that we we stand out there and they sit out and they sit down and watch us. Three is old story probably hoping for a new beginning and everything else stronger boards committees. I am now very very disappointed that um ZVA and Concom are not on the same page. I'm very disappointed about that because the state. We talked about this before town Mr. Town Manager and now there's a letter out there from the state that Consation was talking about that called mass ready from the state about housing housing and observation points and bylaws and all that stuff. The

079state I think now is definitely putting small towns under. Just because we are in a housing crisis does not mean that a town can't grow with housing with economics and business without one or two things that's not there anyways. So we have I we we h I we we have the right to our state senator president and all that to say our piece but I I know that we if we do what I do and everything else it's going to get buried and this town's not strong enough to fight back. That's why I'm majorly disappointed that it's not happening. 40 B's and the MBTA one too is not going to make this town economically easier to live for. It's just got to make this town more crowded traffic and disappointing to have other people know

080what Ash is really about. And once the state keeps on bearing in Ashland, Ashland is not going to come out alive. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mark. Yeah, Ashland has a lot of hurdles to go over, that's for sure. As do other cities and towns. We're not the only ones affected by the trickle down effect from the federal government. We're all feeling something at some point in time. All right. Um, next on our agenda is to discuss the town manager's evaluation. And I will turn this over to Yolanda. >> Thank you. Uh thank you Joe. So the process was a little elongated this year due to a couple of different things. Um I don't know if you all remember but last year we had talked about possibly trying to create a new um tool that

081we were going to use and due to varying things that did not happen. So we used the same tool again this year. Uh everyone filled their their separate evaluations out then they were brought together. Um, I have to admit that Michael helped me use or Michael used chat GPT to >> amazing >> put them all together, but I feel like it it actually created a fuller evaluation based on a lot more information. Uh, based on that, I do have a statement for the public and for all of us uh, regarding his evaluation process. So the select board statement regarding the 202425 board evaluation worked with Michael Herbert and myself as the past chair. Michael's overall score for the past year is 4.4 which relates to meeting and exceeding expectation. This is based on the average

082scores of each area in the current evaluation document. There are 10 areas of performance that the board evaluates the town manager in. uh a narrative summary of the strengths that were again this is from everyone's put together the select board collectively recognizes that Michael Herbert brings a powerful set of strengths to his role his passion for the community strategic vision and steadfast integrity set the tone for effective leadership he communicates that vision clearly and builds trust through openness and empathy making him not just an administrator but a true community leader additionally has strong financial management and ability to multitask enables him to turn ambitious plans into reality without losing sight of fiscal responsibility. These strengths have been instrumental in Ashlin's progress and are the foundation of Michael's effectiveness of performance. Narrative uh summary of improvement

083areas. The select board's constructive feedback for Michael centers on fine-tuning an already strong performance. The overarching themes are communication, delegation, and maintaining objectivity. By keeping all the board members uniformly informed and providing robust analysis for decisions, he will strengthen trust and efficiency at the governance level. By delegating more and guarding against personal overload, he will sustain his effectiveness and be able to engage even more with the community and big picture issues. And by approaching sensitive personnel or public situations with a touch more detachment and a steady fact-based demeanor, he will navigate controversies without compromising his integrity or focus. The board is confident that addressing these areas will not only improve Michael's performance, but also make his job more manageable and rewarding in the future. In summary, upon the uh the final the annual evaluation, the

084select board's message is one of confidence and appreciation. Michael Herbert is performing at a high level, demonstrating effective leadership, strategic vision, and dedication that have positively impacted the town. The board's overall rating reflects the view that he is meeting or exceeding expectations in most areas. We acknowledge a few areas for continued growth, largely around communication and personal workload management, but these are seen as refinements to an otherwise strong performance. Collectively, the board is grateful for Michael's hard work and passion. We look forward to continuing to partner with him as Ashlin navigates its upcoming challenges and builds on the successes of the past year. >> Thank you, Lana. Thank you for all the work and effort to get that done. And um and I'm sorry you had to go through those those those matters to get

085this to get this done because it wasn't it wasn't easy and um we appreciate all all your effort and sacrifice to get this completed. >> Not a sacrifice. Thank you. Well, you had some issues that you had to deal with and and you did it you did it >> very professionally, very very grateful. >> Any comments or anything you want to add to let you land on what we basically collectively have said? I'll open it up to the board. >> No, I think that was a good summary. um you know and and I too appreciate your efforts, Michael. And uh and I think that the areas that we suggested you refine um are indeed the I think it was outlined as it would improve your life as well. And so I look forward to that.

086Um you know, I think we you've had a couple of new board members now for a year or two. And so I think that um puts different eyes on on things and people who aren't as familiar with things. And so sometimes that's a good opportunity really to see how we need to um adjust a little bit. So I appreciate that. And um and that's that's all I have. Thank you very much. >> Randy Nikita. So the only thing I would add is just that you know all of us had an opportunity to also sit with Michael and go through like our personal evaluations and discussions and I think that's also really important part of the process because we um it's it's it's also it's also talking to you on how we can do a better

087job of you know working collectively together. So I think that that was you know it's a good part of the process. Um, and you know, I appreciate the work that you do that, um, you know, I mean, none of us are wall flowers. We're pretty we're pretty strong personalities here. So, you know, to balance all of us. Um, you know, that that takes some finessing, too, I'm sure. Um, but just thank you and glad that uh that chat GPT, you know, could come through. I still need to use I still I have never used it. I've been scared to death of the thing. So I need to now I need to >> well now we can sit down with Michael now he knows that he's proficient in it will say >> oh my god >>

088be careful folks you know I I will say that you know somebody who goes across the country and trades people on how to do prompt uh engineering and such I think it's good that we're able to utilize these tools but I think we also do uh need to be careful about how they're utilized um they are not perfect >> uh it is not perfect and is uh unfortunately you know those of us in it We say garbage in and garbage out, but sometimes you put good stuff into chat GPT and you do get garbage out. >> So, um, so just just a just a caveat before we start doing free advertising for >> that. This was definitely not free advertising, but I think this was a tool that helped. >> Sure. because I know in

089the past for myself when I've done the accumulation of the the different evaluations I did not have as detailed a final report and evaluation. >> Um what I would say is similar to your caution of >> none of this is proprietary information that was put in here. >> Right. We we don't want to go put anything proprietary into chat GPT because once you put it in there it becomes the public domain. >> Um So if you want and you know there are ways to do it with that with AI but you then are buying something so that it can stay proprietary. >> Correct. >> Way to do it is is ask Makita before you >> exactly >> or people even more skilled than I >> or ask chat GPC to develop a very neutral >>

090neutral. I I just had one more thing to add that I'm sorry I forgot to say. I just wanted to mention that I think you you're restructuring um you know with the loss of of Jen Ball and your restructuring. Hopefully that will help um with everything you have on your plate going forward. And I also just wanted to make mention that that was actually we we saved a little bit of money, not a huge amount of money, but it was actually um cheaper than than continuing the way we were going. So, um, just wanted to add that. Thank you. >> And it made and it made it made some of the, uh, the workload a little easier, you know, not a whole heck of a lot, but a little bit easier. You know, that's one

091of the things that you and I had discussed during our time together was, uh, you know, allowing other people to take more work off your shoulders. Well, it allows um I think you know one of the things the restructuring has allowed me to do is actually focus on some other things that needed to be done, you know, and like we talked at the retreat, some of that more proactive stuff and some of the more day-to-day um stuff that are more on the strategic level, I guess you could say, as opposed to more the tactical level. But um yeah, it definitely um you know it it's it's um refreshing to get uh feedback where both you know the strengths and the areas of improvement are consistent across the board members. Um as you can imagine it

092would be very very difficult if I have five different sets of you know things to work on or five different things and trying to um trying to put that uh you know put a plan together into doing that. And um yeah, I mean it's a it's it's been a year so far. 2025 has been a year full of challenges, but also opportunity. And you know, I really really you know, first of all, I want to thank the board for all their support and guidance, direction, partnership that we have. um really you know how much I really feel strongly about a team and team uh working together to accomplish common goals and I think that's what we have been able to do over the last decade um and I'm really you know despite the loss of

093some real key personnel um I'm really excited about who we have um and our team in place right now as that starts filling out and starting to put in some of the final pieces. Um, you know, we've got a nice mix of familiar faces um that are continuing in the same roles, but familiar faces that are in new roles and also new faces. And um you know so far it's been really energizing and I can't um I just really can't thank enough um you know the four um four ladies in in the office um you know Katherine, Beth, Diane, Susan and uh just the work that they do, the dedication that they show to the town um but also the support that they show me personally um has just and um you know the difference

094sometimes between some very good days and some very bad days. So I consider myself very very fortunate to be surrounded by talented people. Um and uh I was talking with a former manager um the other day and we talk about the fact that you know when when you have you know predominantly positive reviews that talk about accomplishments you just feel like oh my gosh I really didn't do any of these things. It's all been really the staff that have done this and And so it's been um um very very grateful uh for like I said the talent and the dedication that so thank you. Well I I'll let I'll just like to segue into something you just it's it's the leadership provided from your office that allows that to set the table. You set the

095table. So, we thank you for doing what you do. Um, it's a team, it's a team effort, not one individual. It's a group of collective people that have a a vision and a goal and they're all on the same page with respect to. And it's okay to have differences of opinion uh that go along with a day-to-day workload. And because if you don't, then there's definitely something that's that's a dictatorship. That's not that's not collective minds working together. So with respect to that, so um I appreciate all the work that you guys have done and appreciate everything that all the new hirees and their new positions are doing. So it's working out well. I believe it's working out well. Likewise. So all right. Um next one on our agenda is to open the special town

096meeting warrant special town meeting scheduled for November 19th, 2025. And um I have a motion to read unless you somebody else would like to read it. Okay, you're all set. There a second. Thank you. All those in favor? I one absence. You just walked out the hall. Um okay. So that's passed and we don't have to do anything else with that. We now do we need to uh sign something? We don't need to sign something right now. I don't know if you, you know, want Catherine just to kind of go through the outline of the absolutely process. >> Yeah, I think it would be helpful just to either outline the process or just to direct folks to where they can they can see an outline of the process so they know what's what what this

097what we just did and what this means. >> What what did we just did we just do? Um so what we just did is we opened the warrant um for a special town meeting which will take place on November 19th, 2025. And um listed in the backup is exactly the timetable. Um so September 27th, excuse me, will be the deadline for notice of intent to submit proposed foreign articles. Um those proposed articles are filed with the select board's office and I believe my contact info is actually listed. Yes, it's down below. Um and then uh September 27th through October 15th. That's when there will be um discussions, presentations, public hearings. Um October 16th is when the select board will vote to close and post the warrant. November 5th we will um well that's the the

098state um to go ahead and post the warrant and then November 19th is the actual special time meeting. So >> 7 o'clock at the Ash High School. >> Unless we change the news, but >> No, no, it's at >> Okay. >> Thank you for that. I appreciate that. Matter of fact, >> any any sense on what I mean? I believe we're going to look at doing the comprehensive plan. Any sense on what other articles might be brought forward? I mean, obviously funding and things like that, but anything else big? Looks like as of right now, we have um just about 10 articles, obviously free cash. Um, and then we have the, let's see, we have the in-law bylaw. So, when we voted in the ADU bylaw, we just need to, um, I think redo the

099the in. And then CPC funding for the Y. We have capital, the senior tax exemption, uh the KEFET budget adjustment article, the regional agreement, >> and these are just this is actually just a future tracker so you can keep track of like everything that's come in. This is tenative obviously. Um update the dog licensing bylaw, which we um attempted to do last time. We just needed more information around. And then um they only listed the mass general law. So this one is just an acceptance of another section um of chapter 138 and we're just inserting. >> So those are the tenative ones that we have right now. I think that was just about 10. >> Okay, great. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. Appreciate that. >> Yeah, we could potentially have a couple more

100based on um involve um not necessarily in Ashland but you know things with Keith and everything which I'll talk about a little bit later. >> Okay. >> I did u historical commission met last night and they were talking about potential something that they want to put on the warrant. They there were still some questions and issues that they wanted to discuss. They didn't get it. >> I just told them that we were ab >> tomorrow. So, which is today. So, >> so they're aware of it. >> Good. Thank you for covering that for me. >> No problem. >> My pleasure. It was my pleasure. It was It was It was eye opening. It was good. Very, very good. Okay. So, we move that along. >> Did we vote? Did I miss >> Well, we did.

101>> Okay. That's fine. That's totally fine. I just wanted to make sure we actually the town meeting the special town meeting is now warranted is now open. >> It's now over. >> Just wanted to make sure. Sorry. >> No, that's okay. >> 4 01. Unless you want to add your vote. >> We can do that. >> I think we're good. >> We're good. Okay. I guess well give everybody the opportunity. Okay. Moving on. Uh the next item on uh old and new business is to authorize the chair to execute the regulatory agreement and restrictive covenants for 487 Main Street uh with Habitat for Humanity Metro West Greater uh Western Inc. and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This is their lip and uh for the purpose of securing and qualifying the unit for the local initiative program.

102So >> I move that the board approve the regulatory agreement and restrictive covenant for 487 Main Street, one unit with Habitat for Humanity Metro West Greater Worcester in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for the purpose of securing and qualifying the unit for the local initiative program and authorize the chair to execute same. >> I'll second that. >> All those in favor? >> I >> that's 5 Z. Do we know are they going to be like looking for people to help with the build and how that's being processed? >> You know what? I will ask that tomorrow because I am going to hand deliver this paperwork to them. Um so I'll I'll let you know that. >> Okay. >> There will be Yolanda that that's I think Habitat is starting to organize that right now. >> Okay.

103I know that Brandy and I had the opportunity many years ago to participate in the build that happened in Alustin and it was a fabulous opportunity and to have it here in Ashland to be able to help with that. I know we had potentially talked about like doing a select board build or and you go for a you know you sign up you go for a few hours and you do what you can and sometimes it's easier stuff sometimes it's every you know harder but they they show you how to do it. So >> they'll show you how. >> Oh yeah yeah yeah. and and and we didn't get hurt. No, none of us got hurt. >> Um and and somehow even though we were all there, the house did get built eventually. So, >>

104it looks good, too. >> It's straight. It's leveling. >> Still standing. >> It was It was Yeah, it was fun. And I just want to say you can show me how to paint, but believe me, you don't want me painting. A lot of things get painted that aren't >> We'll give you a small paintbrush and you can paint >> and some tape. You can do the prep work, Claudia. I think we were we were stapling on some of the wrap that they put on the outside of the house. We were moving stuff. >> There was some hammering going on. I remember >> compress. Yes, there was eye protection. >> Anyway, safety first. >> Is there any video of this? >> There are pictures. >> Yes. >> Anyway, okay. >> That's No, that Well, that's that's

105cool. That's >> That'd be great. It's a great program and it's it's for those who want to get involved. >> Yeah. >> Get a hold of get a hold of Habitat and I'm sure they'd be happy to hook you up with dates and times and >> do. So So you're going to you're going to get some more information about I actually have all the paperwork and then we can decide >> once uh Sue uh notorizes it. We'll head it up myself. Great. >> Because we're a little behind the schedule getting that done. So I want to make sure we get it done. >> Okay. Sounds good. uh update on the dog park and they were at uh Bama's Market last week. >> Yeah. >> Nice conversation with them. Yeah. Yeah. Very very nice. Uh so

106Yolanda, would you like that? >> Yeah. My my understanding I don't have the details, but I know that we are looking to break ground sometime this month. Uh we have a contractor, we have the financing lined up and um yeah, so we're just looking forward to the day. I'm sure Beth is going to get it out. There's going to be no official groundbreaking ceremony because we just want to get it going. >> But the plan is that once it's complete, there will be a ribbon cutting uh to >> nice >> to commemorate it. Um yeah, >> three to four months is the expected completion date. It's not it's not a very large park. I mean, it'll be a nice size for Ashland. Uh, I think it's something that the cont the contractor that we're using,

107they're finishing another project and then they're just going to be focusing on the dog park. That's my understanding. >> So, probably late October, early November, maybe. >> Yeah. Winter in that range. >> Yeah. Early winter. And then one thing, one thing that was talked about is that the park may need to be closed in the winter depending on weather because of how it sits on the hill. >> Okay. Um, so hope you know if it's if it's rainy and muddy, we don't want people going in there. >> But we'll see. >> Well, that makes sense. >> People are excited >> to be closed just be this year until there's grass or something or would it be >> I think it's a continuing thing because of where it sits in the forest and how it could

108impact because there are it's sitting up on a hill and then there's wetlands around it so they don't want So it's going to be an ongoing review and Okay, >> we'll see what happens. Is is the dog park committee going to be the ones that make that call or like what is >> I think it'll be joint between the dog park committee and conservation because they'll be monitoring it uh because of the wetlands around it. >> Okay. Uh but the dog park committee has recruited a number of volunteers and we're looking for more volunteers if you want to come and help because um the agreement right now is that the dog park committee and its volunteers will be picking up the poop and things like that to alleviate the potential burden on our DPW. So,

109>> there will be waste receptacles inside the park, but it'll be responsibility of the dog park committee and volunteers to make sure it gets out into the waist receptacles outside of the park so it's easier for DPW. Uh, also, you know, filling in divots and holes and stuff like that, >> but I we're getting more volunteers. So, if you have a dog and you'd like to volunteer, you can reach out to the dog park committee. I should know the email, but I don't. But we're on Facebook. Uh but it should people are very excited and I keep hearing the the one thing I need to remind people is people like oh we've been working on this for so long and people don't remember which is crazy we had COVID in the middle of it. Yeah.

110>> For two years or almost three years where as a community we were focusing on keeping people safe and doing things. So the dog park had to get put on hold. Um, so >> like a lot of things, but we, like I said, we we have the funding from the Stanton Foundation. We are going to be one of the last parks that get funding because they're going to be going away. So, we are fortunate to have that and have the check in hand. So, it's not like, oh, we might get it. We have the check in hand from the Stanton Foundation to build this park and then the rest is coming from CPC thanks to the members of the community who voted to support it. >> Very nice. Very good forward you've been doing. I

111know. I know Jen Ball did a lot of work on this. I know Beth is working on this really hard. >> Yes. >> Um and the the the dog park committee has been kind of hanging in there for for all of this. >> It's been I think we first started meeting in either seven I think 2017 was people and and what's what's interesting is it's one of those things where people came to me and said shouldn't the select board create a group a subcommittee to do the dog park? I said, "No, let's get some volunteers together." And I think that allowed certain things to just keep going, which was, I think, a positive thing. >> Awesome. >> Very nice. Thank you for that update and thank you for your continued uh work with with that

112group. >> Looking forward to it. the uh the energy that I saw uh Saturday at their booth. It was it was there were like three or four people, you know, throughout coming in out. Yeah. Throughout the morning going in talking, whatever. So, there's a lot of anticipation and excitement with it. So, it's a good thing. That's a good thing. All right. Next on the board, discuss board communication processes. So, I put this on the agenda, so I should probably talk a little bit about We had this on our agenda for our retreat and didn't get to it. Um, and so I thought first of all, like I had when I saw it on our agenda for our retreat, I had something very specific in mind that I wanted to talk about and then I figured

113we'd all probably have some things as well. But, um, I know that I think it was a few months ago, maybe it was it could be as long as six months ago because my brain just it smushes it all together. Um but we had talked about you know when when emails come in to the select board email address um and you know we all receive the emails but we all can't respond because of open meeting law and typically like the chair would respond or sometimes if it's much more technical in nature sometimes I'm I'm sure you know Michael or or or Katherine or Beth or Jen at you know at the time would would respond. Um but all of us never know kind of what the resolution on a lot of this stuff is. So

114I know we had talked about potentially um when responses were sent out to forward those to to Susan and Susan would include them in our packet so like we could see the responses and I just kind of wanted to revisit that because you know that hasn't been something that we've done >> regularly. you know, if we want to try to resuscitate that and do that or if there's something else that we want to try to um make sure we're all kind of all looped into something. >> Yeah, I think one of the other discussions was that the chair either it could be either included in our packet or it could be brought up at the meeting, right, as a as part of board reports or something. >> Um, you know, and the other thing that

115we can discuss is it's been the chair, but does it need to be the chair? I don't know. Other boards it's the clerk. Other boards it's whoever feels that they're the right person to answer that question. So >> I don't know if we want to discuss just even that who is going to respond to an email that comes to the full board. >> Well, if there's someone that has the expertise specific topic because they've been involved in um I would suggest offer that individual that that would make sense. >> If not, then I would think that you know have have a point person >> y >> point person hearing if there is any issues or concerns that you all may have about that email that comes in your sponsors or your thoughts and this so

116he can or he he can make that response uh to the individual who's being reported that that that information. I think that's that's how I feel about it. That's >> I mean that works. Um, >> do we think that it's >> best to see things like um copies of emails or to Yolanda's point like we could put an item on our agenda, a standing point like discuss incoming emails or something? >> Correspondence. Well, you know that in the past there were there was a a section of correspondence >> that I'm talking years ago when I first got on there was there was a item about correspondences. >> I don't ever remember sitting here and having a discussion. >> Well, it went away just like the pledge of allegiance. >> I mean, so it's been 13

117It's been 13 years since correspondence was a regular thing on our agenda, but I mean, that doesn't mean it can't be. >> Yeah. >> Yep. >> But if you want to resurrect that, that >> not a bad idea. They talk about open and you know, transparency. You can't have anything more transparent than >> I tend to agree, Joe. I mean, and and if we don't need it for a particular cycle, we don't have to do it. But like if there's we should definitely like hold space for that because uh to your point, like I think um to Yolanda and Ry's point, like I think that >> you know um that that's going to help us get back to folks uh you know, and give us an opportunity to get back to folks as well. Uh

118so yeah, I think everything that you've mentioned Brandy and and Yolanda about process makes sense to me too. Um but yeah, I think if we just uh can agree on on that's what the process, you know, if that's what the process looks like, then we should try to run it for a little while, see if it works, and then maybe in a few months come back, revisit it, and see if it's really working. And if it's not, then we can make adjustments. >> Right. We can. The only concern that I have by doing this is that if someone's looking for a response sooner than later. It's going to take a while for us to have our meetings, have that discussion. >> Oh, no, no, no, not I don't think we're looking to have the discussion

119before you respond. I think to your point, right, if an email based on I think an email comes in >> and if we have thought on that, we send it to you >> and you respond, >> I'll respond back and I'll give the response >> and then when we have our next meeting, you then let us know what the response has been. >> That's fine. Yeah. Okay, good. >> That makes sense. >> Y would you like me to just look at what some other communities might do as like a best practice type move? >> Yeah, that's fine. I I just would like to see us do something because I think I brought this up when Yolanda was state chair >> and and we never >> pulled it together emails that I was respond and then

120there was no followup to you guys, >> you know, because you feel like >> Yeah, exactly. You feel like you're you can't like you feel like you're not doing what you're supposed to be doing and responding to constituents. I I actually I'm in favor of taking a look at what other communities do, but I am I am also in favor of uh running with the process that we've identified to see if it works and then we can incorporate any kind of tweaks that you know if we find another community that's doing something else or you know we can incorporate that into our process or tweak our process but like being a being a researcher you know I'm always in favor of research but I also want to make sure that we take some action on

121this too. >> Yeah. So, um I know you kind of have a tracker as to, you know, for our agendas. Can we have this as sort of like a standing an item on that? That'd be great. >> I'm actually sitting on two right now to be very honest with you because I'm, you know, I want to make sure we respond properly. >> Absolutely. >> Appropriate. >> So, um never mind. No, no, no. You good? Yeah. >> Okay. Do we want to move on? We're good. Brandy brought up another uh discuss Ashland Day pumpkinfest. So, you're on. >> Okay. Um, so I'm not sure if people I know I know Joe has put out some some information on social media, but you know, we haven't had a broader discussion about Ashland Day this year, but um

122I know the Ashland Day committee has been working hard to try to fund raise and has done um a great job of doing our summer concerts this year and um other events like the Halloween the Halloween parade and and things that the the Ashland Day um committee has funded. Um but I think as we know um Ashlin Day last year did not pan out quite quite like we had hoped and did not raise the funds that typically would fund the next year's >> worth of Ashlin Day and um it's not a cheap endeavor to to put on. So, uh, when we were sitting in our retreat last month and we were talking about events in town and we were just hyp literally it was like a hypothetical kind of discussion about Ashland Day and Joe

123was like, "Oh, we're not having Ashlin Day this year." So, we um, you know, I know Ashlin Day is something that that you guys work hard on and that the community loves. Um, and it's it's been hard because there was COVID and and everything else, too. So, you know, it's it's been it's probably been what since 2019 that we've had like a like a >> 2019 was our last solid >> Ashland Day. >> Yeah. So, um, so when we kind of heard that Ashlin Day wasn't going to happen this year, um, Claudia and I talked and talked about, you know, maybe there was a way that we could do something. And so we, um, reached out to Josh Wixer at um, Ashlin High School student council, who's um, the groups over at the high school

124use Ashland Day as a huge fundraising opportunity. and um you know asked him if he was you know potentially willing to be a partner in creating something something else. Um a couple years ago they did Pumpkinfest at the high school um which was a a you know got a lot of positive feedback. Um it was it was there were a lot of games and activities and things. Um, and it was it was a very it was kind of a successful thing that the the student council put together. Um, and Josh was on board and um, we also met with um, Chrissy Reynolds um, through the Ashlin Business Association in ways that we can partner with um, local businesses in a way to to um, really have a um, a good event. So fast forward. So

125we are um working towards Pumpkin Fest 2025 and um the date that we are working with is October 4th. So we have a very compressed time schedule. Um we had looked at some other dates. We had looked at you know maybe tacking on to Dragonfly and it just it literally wasn't going to to work. The farmers market is still um you know we didn't want to have something at Stone Park with the Dragonfly Festival because it would draw people away from downtown which is really like what Dragonfly is about you know um supporting the businesses downtown. So we didn't want to that was not our intention at all. So, we were looking at different options. Um, given the weekends, the holiday weekends and things in October, October 4th was really like the only the only

126date we really could do it. So, we booked Stone Park and um we are um starting the process of planning this this um event utilizing the framework that um Josh Wixer had put together for Pumpkinfest, which is actually um really well structured. Like he did a he did a really great job. He literally like handed us a packet of stuff that he's done and it's like I think we have a really great framework to work with. Um, and so we've we've talked and I wanted to kind of get the board's thoughts on some things. Um because one of the things that we talked about Pumpkinfest was, you know, last time it was at the high school and it was really about the school groups and there were other, you know, community tables there and businesses

127that were there and supporting it. But I think that the um the general feel of Pumpkin Fest was it was sort of a school event. And Ashlin Day, as we know, is is really a celebratory communitywide event, which which um we love. >> Bless you. >> Yeah. Um, so you know, in in conversations with Claudia and Josh and Chrissy, we thought like maybe we can sort of expand Pumpkinfest to really incorporate the spirit of Ashland Day. Um, and one of the things that we were talking about was um, if we position it as a real townwide event and it's a partnership or a collaboration um, between possibly the schools, us as a select board possibly and our Ashlin businesses, we could really have something really special. Like I've had conversations with Joe, I've had conversations

128with Yolanda and Makita about wanting to help with something like this. Um, and you know, I think if the select board was, for lack of a better word, putting on this um putting on this uh event or sponsoring it and working on it. It would um it would be very good for the community. I think it would be really good for um we could expand Pumpkinfest and make it more more more on the town side. So we could maybe do some more cultural events. Maybe we can expand it to include all agents. Um we had talked about things like um like a cornhole and things that we might be able to incorporate that were more broad-based than just >> county fair. >> Yeah. So, um, but kind of follow the same framework as Pumpkin Fest

129in that, you know, have the tables and the booths have more activities and games and things that people um had given feedback that they really loved and um, you know, really try to to um be able to use it as a fundraiser for for not only um groups and things, but in talking to Josh, Josh was like, you know, any proceeds that we would get from this, we would be totally willing to put towards next year's Ashland >> for 2026. >> So, um, but, you know, I wanted to kind of get a feel because we're going to be hitting the ground running on this. Um, I wanted to see if and I'll kind of explain a little bit more about that, but wanted to see if if if how you all felt about doing this

130as sort of a a boardsponsored event because I do think I do think doing something really positive for the community and having the board be a part of that would be a really good thing. That's I take but wanted to see sort of what where people are with >> yeah so um I you know first of all I just want to say that it was um a very sad moment when I know Joe I know how sad it must have been for you and I'm sure um well I can't entirely imagine it but um I would I would like to see us publicize this as you know at Ashland Day 2025 as as we try to figure out how we can continue forward from here. I would like your team um anybody who's willing to

131come on board with the vast amount of expertise you all have um to work with uh you know the nice thing about working with the schools are you you have a lot of students who do a lot of work you know you you don't have to go out in the community and try to find volunteers there's plenty of volunteers that are coming out of the schools um and so I I would really like to see us be able to sponsor it. And um you know I I wish that we had realized how much trouble you know the concept the Ashland day was in so that maybe we could have stepped up and been figured this out sooner. So um but I would certainly like to see us go forward. I do think it's important for

132our community. It is something that's been I don't know what how many years is it? 30 >> 37. >> Yeah. Um and and so it's certainly something that I would like to see go forward. I would like to still continue in the Ashland day name that um you know I because I think it's it is about our community and I think to get everybody in the community on board it's nice to have um you know a larger name than just say Pumpkin Fest. That's just um but I I would like to see the community have a celebratory event like we've had for 37 years. I think it might be 38 because I was pregnant on day one and my daughter was born the next day. So I think it might be 38. >> It could

133be. It could be. Well, >> yeah, it's fine. But that's how I remember the first Ashland day. >> I I can't comment on that. I have I have a couple of questions and then so uh Pumpkinfest when they did it, it was truly a fundraiser for all those organizations because for the kids they hadn't had Ashland Day for two years and they brought this. So whereas I applaud them wanting to then give those proceeds to Ashlin Day for the future, I would want to say, do they need to keep some of it for themselves? >> So they would. So like so if you remember um at uh Pumpkin Fest, everyone got tickets. They sold tickets. Yes. And each um each table booth would charge they were like 50 cent tickets and they would say okay

134this >> you you you dunk a basket in this and it's two tickets. >> So the organizations would take those two tickets and then they would collect them in a bag and then give them to student council and student council would give them cash for them, right? Or credit whatever that was. Um, that's still going to be the the the MO. >> Okay. >> Um, what we would say is like we're going to fund raise and try to raise enough money for the types of things that we're going to have at >> Pumpkin Fest. Um, and anything so like anything anything in addition to that's generated. So, like if we have four bouncy houses and the bouncy houses are generate a thousand dollars extra and above profit >> in profit above and beyond after everything's

135tallied, >> you know, we would basically >> Okay. So, so the kids would still do what they did for Pumpkin Fest and then the idea is that we would do an Ashlandes Ashland kind of thing. >> And the reason pushing it to October 4th is to give us more time rather than doing it on the same day that Ashlin Day would usually be. Is that >> Yeah, we can't we can't get that. >> Okay, so that's fine. So that's >> it gives us two weeks, but two weeks is like >> Oh, yeah. No, no, I I get I'm just trying to I'm just trying to clarify. Um so would it be the kind of thing where we would reach out to vendors and they would pay for, you know, similar to Ashlin Day so >>

136or not? So, um, so we kind of have a framework for, um, like what things cost based on what Pumpkinfest did. >> Um, and if the board is supportive of it, what I what I would do is, um, we would put together like a formal proposal for you guys to look at and see >> how everything is structured. >> Um, and then, you know, um, you know, there My my thought is that we would ask the select board for a financial contribution to it. >> Um but we have we have a whole process in place for okay >> um not only fundraising for >> like um asking like businesses for support. Okay. But we also have a component of this where it is going to be a crowdsourcing individual ask from our residents to try

137to pull this together very quickly because we're going to need we're going to need um everyone to kind of want this to continue. >> Okay. >> Um Okay. So, another question is at Pumpkin Fest they didn't have tents. They just set the stuff up in the field and there was a there was a real open sense of that. I know in Ashlin day every group has always had to have a tent. Are we going to look are you going to look at like if you are a vendor you can put up a tent but the kids groups were just going to let them not have tent. I mean and and may if I'm getting into too much detail let me know. But >> I think the thought is that um we're not going to provide

138tents. >> Okay. >> So um if people if if groups want a tent like at Ashland Day, they can put up their own tents. >> Okay. >> And we don't we know, >> right? No. And I know that Ashland Day didn't provide it, but I know part of the thing was you you sort of, you know, you got your space and you my understanding is you expected them to have a tent. >> Yeah. >> So that sort of >> we gave them a 10 x 10 space. They needed a >> So I mean from my perspective, first of all, thank you for stepping up and doing this. I know organizing something like this takes a lot of time and I know Claudia, you and Brandy were, you know, having conversations and thank you to Mr.

139Wixer for being willing to um I like the idea of moving forward and um I will offer as much support as possible, but I am also producing the haunt at Hopington Center for the Arts >> which is also a good organization. But you know, so um but no, I think my feeling is let's go for this. Let's see what we can do. And I would say Joe, if you know, Ashlin Day committee, as much as you want to help and support would be great. And as we've said at our select board retreat, right, what we're seeing and and I chatted with Steve Mitchell about this at, you know, farmers market, we have to start bringing in younger residents for some of these things so that they can keep going because at some point people volunteers

140get tired. >> So to that point, that's a really great segue. We are meeting this Sunday. >> Okay. >> Um August 10th, 10:00 am at Dolce De Leche. We're asking the the um the ask is going to go out to the public. We need volunteers to come help. We've got a task list. We've got an aggressive timeline. Um and it's very doable, but we need people's help. So, um, I would love, like Claudia said, I would love for the Ashlin Day committee to kind of be a part of this because you guys have built like so much greatness over the years and to have you guys be a part of this would be we, you know, it would >> some of my and I I spoke to Claudia, >> you there's like four or five

141of them that are on vacation and unfortunately they're not going to be around >> u, but those that are that are available. I I'll send them a note along again that that's this Sunday at 10 o'clock. >> 10 o'clock. So, >> and I I think one of the key things too in my mind anyways is that you know we could be creating a little bit of a road map about how to move forward in the future >> um by really partnering with the with the um schools and and >> in that way we don't have to ask have a big ask of the town side of um employee stuff. It again we have some volunteers. We can get some adult volunteers. Certainly all the students have an adult with them anyways at each of those

142organizations. >> But it just is an opportunity I think to maybe figure out how do we keep this going. >> Well, one one of the if you don't mind interrupting, one of the things, you know, the town employees um they set they help us set up on on that Friday. they drop off the uh horses and detour signs and things of that nature. But the uh the volunteers that morning, that Saturday morning are the ones that I wreck the signs up so that way we don't have an issue with traffic. And now that we have um you know the new coffee shop right there across the street, we have to keep that road open to a point. Uh so we have to detour traffic in a certain way. So that's uh that that comes into

143>> the street has not been closed. I don't remember summer street ever being closed for Ashland Day. >> Always been closed for Ashland Day. Always been closed. We used >> I've always parked there anyway. Okay. >> Well, they Yeah, it's for parking. >> Oh, okay. >> It's not enough for two traffic. >> Oh, okay. Um, what I was going to say is I know that some of the principles are still sending stuff out to the students and their families. >> Yeah. I would see if you can quickly pull something together and ask them to send something out for the for this meeting on August 10th. And >> and the the only concern that I would have and I'm not push push back lightly, not not a whole lot, is that >> right now we're trying

144to generate mons funds for for next year. Yep. >> So, we've sent out, >> you know, requests and letters of, you know, contributions for Ashland Day 2026. And I don't want them to get confused with what you with with your push for Ashon day October Fest 2025 because I can hear I can see it happening now. Well, I already gave and that that could that could be a potential, you know, problem with funding, you know, being split thinking that, oh, well, I gave you 2020. Well, this and I don't want that I don't want that to become a a problem. >> Yeah. Yeah. I think maybe even if you shared um people who have provided funding for this year or for 2026 that would help might give us some insight as to who maybe we

145don't approach or we're very careful about how we how we approach them. >> Y >> um but you know >> okay >> and it just mean I don't know it's appropriate or not but it was at the historical meeting last night there was there was suggestion for funding. >> I said, "We've never done that." >> I said, "I don't think it's >> I don't think there's anything under CPC that would cover the expenses." >> No, that's not for not pretty sure not for a festival. >> I mean, I appreciate >> and we've never done that, right? I appreciate your creativity and I think that and and I'm actually very glad to hear that people were engaged about that issue last night. Um I haven't really said anything about this yet. Uh so I just wanted

146to chime in for a few minutes. Um you know I think I mean I I agree with everyone here. I think this Ashen day is is is a big event for our town and it's um you know it's I think it's a big point of local pride and if there's any way that we can make it happen during this cycle I think that we should look at it. Um but I think coming out of this year we should either immediately after um put together some kind of plan about how we can have this event going forward um you know how rain >> well that too but I mean I think there needs to be I think we need to we can take some of the the um the things that we've implemented on this round,

147see what's worked, what hasn't, and build a plan and really plan out for the next like few years. Um, you know, about like how we can keep this event going. But I think I can't remember if it was Yolanda or or Brandy, but the key here is is that we think it's of value. We've we we feel that it would be important to the town, but events like this and other things that are volunteer-driven have to be set as a priority by our residents. If there is no support or little support for these sort of events, then it is impossible for us to do it. Um I think we we've got like a little bit of a hail Mary here this year. we're going to put something together. But I think going forward some um

148definitely I' I've heard folks say what it means to them, what Ashland day means to them. We need to operationalize that feeling into volunteer hours into whatever it takes to make that happen. So >> and funding too well and funding as well. And that's part of the plan, Brandy. I think we have to put together, you know, what what are the fiscals around this and educate people that, you know, this isn't something that just kind of happens, right? >> You know, um this happens because we as a town can make it happen and it won't happen if we as a town do not support it. And I think that's probably the number one lesson out of this year that that that I think we're learning uh and that we're we're educating folks on. But I

149I would I would implore folks that who who are listening tonight or watching us on replay, you know, if this is something that you care about, please be at that meeting on Sunday morning at 10 a.m. And if not, get in touch with us um to find out how you can support um you know, uh like I said, Ashlin Day is a point of pride and Joe, you and your committee have have worked some real magic over the years. Um, >> yeah. You know, it's unfortunate when you when you do these things and and hopefully this doesn't happen this year. If you're having clement weather and you've already contracted out >> Yeah. >> you still have to pay those vendors. >> That's right. >> They're expecting that money. No, >> no matter what. >> Could

150we Could we have a rain date? >> We're looking >> because that's something I think if you because if you if you don't have a rain date and then you try to move it to the next day, a lot of vendors are tied up. We're looking at a rain location. So >> a rain location so that if it's raining >> your house. >> Wow. >> Not everyone would fit, but >> No, I think a rain location like the gym at the high school or something like that. I think that's a great backup plan. This is the kind of planning that we kind of have. >> We're working. So, we're working. That's a great It's And that was something that was a like a a big thing because again, you know, >> if if there's rain,

151it it it literally takes the air out of the bouncy houses, you know. >> So, >> yeah. I mean, last year was was >> it was, >> you know, I mean, last two years, right? One year you actually canled because it was an expected hurricane and it was not quite as bad, but it was still a rainy day. And then last year you went forward and it was rainy. So we were there only half the day. >> We were there for three, not even three. I think it was two and a half. >> And then the heavy rains came and then what stopped us was the wind. >> Yeah. >> Bouncy houses and all those other things. And you have to watch out for the safety of the people that you know. I don't want

152I don't want tentacles flying around and somebody >> then that ruins the whole >> So So just um so anyone that wants to come on Sunday, please please please come. Bring a friend, bring a neighbor, bring tent. Um, we've got lots of work to do and >> be ready to sign up and step up and do something. So, we've got some we've um but but I just have to give a a huge shout out to to Josh Wixer who >> um >> quite literally like has a has an excellent framework and he said he they learned so much and he's got um like five student council kids that are like wearing and ready to go and so and and we're going to be able to um utilize It was approved as a fundraiser on the

153high school side which means we can accept credit card payments into >> like um the student council account and then that we will like be able to to distribute that. >> One other question um if it's Wednesday, people may have plans for Sunday already. >> If they can't attend the meeting on Sunday, how can they get in touch? How can they support? What can they do? So, um, people can be feel free to to email me. So, be kinsman.com. Um, there's going to be, um, something in Michael's newsletter this week about the meeting on Sunday. Um, we're going to have something in town pages. There's going to be a QR code where people can, um, donate or help us in the the the process. Um, and just um, you know, I ask people for their

154support because it it it's going this is going to be one of those things where it really takes a village because we have less than two months to plan an event that usually takes a year. So, um, or at least, you know, >> it definitely takes a year. I mean, we we start up three days after the event is over. >> Yeah. >> You know, we sit down, we critique what we did and what could we make better and then we move on. >> Yeah. But it's but it's definitely doable. So um and I I think and you know I think if if um especially if our if our whole board is behind this I think it would be I think it's going to be a really great powerful town like really a townwide um

155community effort. So >> So you'll bring something forward to our next board meeting a proposal. Yes. for us to support and with um a recommendation of funding. Yes. Perfect. Thank you guys. You >> Thank you for the presentation. Appreciate it. Okay. Updates on the 40B projects, Mr. Herbert. Thank you very much. Um see, I'll start off with 10 to 50 Main Street. So, um, so ZVA has a hearing coming up on Tuesday, August the 12th. Um, so with regards to the Main Street project, they're going to be discussing the water and sewer flow. Um, they're also going to be uh discussing further the architecture and landscaping. Um, and I know that at the last hearing, I think ZBA had just had an opportunity to take a look at the architectural drawing, so they didn't really

156discuss it at that point. And then they're actually talking about potentially moving forward on a discussion on the waivers. So just uh technically when it's a 40B project and the application comes in, the applicant looks for waiverss from certain zoning requirements that are in the zoning code. So they'll start having a discussion about that. Um I did receive from the um applicant environmental consultant uh the latest remedial action plan. Um and I haven't had a chance to go through all of it yet, but um one thing I did not necessarily see in that was the inclusion of a vapor they have a vapor barrier but not like a vapor mitigation system like a radon system. Um and we are going to check in with EP and EPA because I believe that is something that they

157would like to see. Um if that is the case, I think it is definitely something that we should um insist on including in the conditions >> uh for sure. Um and then they also um the applicant had also indicated that they anticipate filing with the conservation commission at some point in September. So that is the update on that. Um >> Michael, before you move on from them, can I just um >> you know um one of the questions that somebody gave me recently was about um you know, Mr. Angler had mentioned that he put he had forwarded to the town answers to the questions that Mr. winner brought up at a previous meeting >> um which which I have reviewed but many of those questions >> reference documents that were submitted >> as >> okay

158>> so to me it doesn't what I'm not sure what that means if a question was raised based on the submission and it's so it's not responded to then where does that stand is that you know is that something that will become come a condition now or potentially a condition or but I mean I just didn't feel like answering questions by referencing some of their filings was necessarily helpful in getting the answer to those questions. >> It didn't necessarily answer the question. >> Yeah. So, I think if the ZBA feels like they have requested information and that they're not getting it, that's something that they could certainly um have a conversation about when they're deliberating determining what the conditions are for sure because that's um that's like a different ballgame if if if the ZBA

159or the conservation commission uh in fact, you know, if they're asking for information and the applicant is not providing that information, then how can you make a decision a rational decision you know it sounds like there you know could be a game of chess going on um with regards to that which is just kind of like let's keep it as as as finite into the documents that are prepared as possible uh so there's not more extraneous information there that's just conjecture on my part but um to answer your question yes I think that's something that they consider they could consider if they don't get the um answer to the questions that they have asked, >> right? And will Mr. Winter be providing that sort of feedback to the zoning board? >> He should be. Um

160we for a while we were meeting um the planning team. It was actually before Jasmine had fully gone on board and um Attorney Winter and I were meeting just to kind of coordinate things. um that has not happened in a couple weeks and I'm pl and insisting now that we're going to start um incor incorporating those again because I think those were just really really helpful for everybody to just get on the same page. >> Yeah. >> Um including Brian. And so you know this is something that after this meeting I could bring back to Brian and I I'd like to do that in a meeting setting so everybody's hearing the same thing. >> Right. based on what Claudia is saying, it's very circular, right? They give us documentation, we have questions about them, and

161they reference the documents that they've already given us, >> right? >> There's because they're saying that >> the question that we have, right, isn't >> is answered in that docu original documentation, which >> obviously we wouldn't be asking the question if the answer was in the documentation. >> Yeah. And I think, you know, probably the applicant is is, you know, the counter to that will probably be like, well, just because you're asking the question in a same question in a different way does not constitute a different question. >> Um, >> but if you're not getting the >> But are we are we asking the question in a different way? So, that's the thing, right? >> Exactly. >> So, we just Yeah. >> I mean, I'm sure some of those references would be maybe answers, but

162not all. >> Yeah. Yeah, there's I mean there's a lengthy list of questions. Um >> it would be hard to imagine all >> and I would say if they're saying it's in the document, >> tell us what page, what paragraph, and how you're how it's being answered in the document >> like a citation. >> Yeah. >> Seriously. True. >> If you're going to site if you're going to site the document, cite the document. >> Yeah. Just put >> so everybody's clear. That would be very helpful. >> Sure. >> Um back. >> And I don't think these are like huge lifts on their part. Um I don't think these are unreasonable requests by any means. Any more questions about um Main Street? Okay. Um so moving on to Waverly. So they will start talking about um

163well they are going to respond the applicant is going to respond to the water sewer peer review by Haley Ward at that meeting. Um so that's going to be 61 Waverly Street and then 55 West Union. They do plan on opening the hearing um for that project. And just to remind everybody, since u this is the newest of three uh 40bs, um this one is a four-story building um that offers uh 116 rental units and 87 units of the 87 of those units would be priced at market and 29 would be income restricted um >> what what percentage >> I believe I believe it's 80%. >> So is is Mr. Dudley doing a um like a presentation at the next meeting when they open the hearing or is it not? >> That is usually what

164happens but I I don't know for sure like I have not >> you know as that because that would be like a good opportunity for the public to hear more about this project. >> Yeah. And um although it's not a 40B project um see the YMCA will be at ZBA as well just uh because they're looking for variance on parking space size. So that is uh the ZBA meeting and uh mainly the 40B projects. >> Thank you. >> Just I guess to follow up a little bit on that um you know it it I found it kind of interesting tonight that we would be hearing a disaster plan, right, that would talk about the the increasing I think for u flooding what used to be one in a thousand years is now four and 20

165years. Mhm. >> Um and so it just strikes me that you know the 10 to 60 main in a flood plane, how do we just kind of ignore that or I mean I know there's a somewhat of a plan but moving vehicles out of there 300 plus vehicles out of there doesn't seem like much of a plan. Um and in in any case, so it just strikes me uh you know that it's just not well thought out. Um you know, I I just want to say I recently listened to um on WGBH um from Janu July 25th. It was a conversation with uh Congressman Auckenlass and um a gentleman from um Harvard. I think he's head of economics and they were talking about the need that we have for housing right in Massachusetts. And they

166were talking about how we can't think of housing as housing for people that are here today. We have to think about housing for people for the in the future, which I thought was a really good way to look at things. Um, and you know, they were they had a couple of pretty I mean, they were saying basically we've got to really go at this hard. we can't just go at it a, you know, a little bit here and there. They talked about the Fort Devin's property. Um, they talked about brownfields that could maybe be um ready and used for building single family housing. They talked about after the war, after World War II when people came home and many ranches were built, right? Um single family housing. And there's a a town in um Texas,

167which I don't usually, you know, model in ad nonetheless um that that has um has done some of these things. They've actually purchased resources from surrounding communities. So if they're not big enough to have their own fire department, they've purchased resources and things like that. So it was a very interesting discussion. Um I think anybody who's interested in thinking about housing and and that um they would they would benefit from it. I think there was there was an article either today or yesterday in the Washington Post about housing. There's so much out there right now and I and I think the problem in Ashland is that you know I mean just even on the very surface as you say Michael nobody's moving to North Carolina to live in an apartment right and I think to

168talk about what potentially some of these units some of these the the apartment buildings um the impact on the community and on our infrastructure and you you know, what does it do to our our water? I mean, you talk about droughts. Well, if we can't get enough water now to to really to um you know, without being on all kinds of different levels of drought alert, right? Then what are we doing? What are we doing? And um and I understand the governor's push. I understand probably better than ever why it's so important to build additional housing. It's just that we need to do it right. It's we're not going to solve the problem just by by throwing something at it that's been we've been doing since 1969. It hasn't hasn't the you know the minimal

169that it's really just such a minimal um effort that we've made and and that's one of the problems is is if we had been doing better, right, >> then we wouldn't be in this predicament now. But let's do it right. Let's not, you know, destroy a a a downtown to um you know for or some other things but I mean the infrastructure piece is huge right where parking cars it maybe doesn't seem important to people but where are these people that live there where are they going to put their cars it's crazy this some of this stuff so um in any case I I just that's my uh >> editorial for this >> I I well I I do want to say Claudia that you I hear you. And for for me who's relatively new

170to the board, um, you know, I think I think we're talking about basically, you know, our housing production plan, like what does that look like? I think, you know, how do we as a town with our different committees and what we're charged with, how can we be creative about planning for the future like like uh like Claudia said, like the like u the folks from Harvard and Jake Alen Claus, I'm going to mess up his name. uh had that conversation. You know, it's about it's about really taking into consideration as best we can at this point in time, you know, what what those needs are going to be. And to your point, Claudia, like and it's this isn't just on Ashland. I think this is nationally as well. you know, there hasn't, you know, you

171know, I I don't think any community, many communities across the nation until now have realized that housing is is was an issue and mostly because production, particularly in the Northeast, I bet you, is probably not where it could be or should be. And that's why we're we're seeing like in a lot of communities, this this influx of of building. So, the question is going forward, how do we better plan for that? How can we be creative around that? And I think that's something as a town that we need to take a look at um proactively all of us you know um and something we should keep in mind as we're going forward with these processes. >> So a couple things you you mentioned the housing production plan. We had a housing production plan. We created

172our first housing production plan 10 years ago and then you know I led that process and we have and we were fine. We had no 40bs. We were having production we were having housing being produced. Brandy then helped lead the second one. Again, we had a housing production plan. Unfortunately, parts of our housing production plan didn't happen, not because of the work of the town, but because of the developers that we were relying on to build the housing, right? UGC is a perfect parcel, right? That was supposed to be built. That would have helped us out. The parcel 501 Pond Street was supposed to be built and that was going to help us out. So again we we did the work and unfortunately that's part of the process right is right sometimes you do the

173work but even you can do the work and it doesn't happen and the other and this is um a um a statistic that I've cited based on some of the work that I've done is there was a time I think it was like from 1990 to 2010 or 1980 to 2000 I forget where it was where a large amount of housing was produced in the state of Massachusetts. the following 20 years, half of the amount of housing, right, was built, right, as a state, they it wasn't done. >> And the and then you add to that the economy, right, for a lot of developers, they're not building condos because >> It's not profitable. There's no long-term profit there. So, it's, you know, and unfortunately, we are not stuck, but we have to, you know, we

174have to do better. And again, I think we need to come back to our production, our housing production plan. Um, so that we can say we've done what we need to do. And I would think if these three parcel, if these three projects get built and we don't have much other single family homes get built, then our numbers will stay where they are and we'll stay at 10%. Right? Because that's the other thing. I there was someone who was on the planning board 20 years ago and she said Ashland was at their 10%. Apparently at one point Ashen was at 10%. And then all the condos got built and all of a sudden they were no we were no that the town was no longer at 10%. >> There was no washdog at that time

175to >> to keep it right. It wasn't it wasn't as it wasn't in the forefront of people's thoughts. And I would just add I would just add about the housing production plan like some of the things that we had put into the housing production plan was like >> to do an ADU bylaw >> by right which as we know the state has >> the state is took care of it for us >> took care of it for us. >> That's great. Um it like we had talked about doing an inclusionary zoning bylaw >> which would um mandate that everywhere in town had >> um a certain percentage of uh affordable housing, you know, and and we do have affordable housing overlays in places where we require 10% and things like that, but there's no there's

176no blanket anything in town about affordable housing. So the problem is is when um you know large things like Cirrus were built um it created a lot of units but it wasn't a lot of affordable units so it didn't help us on on that front um and you know we had talked about in the housing production plan trying to encourage more smaller developments and things like that but the other part the other problem is um you know we need somebody to to to build that to be able to afford to build that and so Um, we had wanted to encourage mixed more mixed use housing. Um, I think one of the issues that like we're seeing with a lot of these apartment complexes is it's more profitable to just build housing, right? >> Because and

177and we had done an economic development study, you know, years ago that, you know, people ask all the time, oh, why don't you just put a blah there? >> Yeah. >> Um, >> you know, we should we should build this and it should be more commercial. we should have these businesses in town >> and not these businesses and it's like okay well that's >> so you know mixed use incorporates the commercial >> but you know basically the housing on top subsidizes the commercial. So, so if you're if you're looking at a 40B project where you can circumvent things like, you know, a mixeduse overlay, um, or, >> you know, >> but I guess the other thing that has always been an interesting conversation to me is the people who say, well, affordable housing at 25%

178isn't real affordable housing because you get to count all of it, but only 25. So, I mean, and I've had that discussion with people here in town, right, who like, >> well, if we put in a 100 units, 25% of them are affordable >> and we get to count 100. Well, that still only gives us 25 units. And my response to that is these are the guidelines we're getting from the state. So, let's push for that 25%. If we're building a building of 20 units or 100 units, push for that 25%. because that's going to help us get to our number because now we have a couple of newer projects, right? That it's only 10% affordable. So you add the Chestnut Street apartments, that's 180 units, but only 10% of affordable. So our housing stock

179has gone up by this, but our affordable number has only gone up by 18 units. >> So that's that's as a community what we have to have that conversation, right? Right. I mean, and and and it takes a while to understand that and learn that. Right. >> Right. When I was first on the select board, I didn't understand that we should have pushed Cirrus to do 25% affordable. And then we could count all of it. I'm like, "Oh, well, they're willing to do 10." I, you know, that's great. We're going to get excit. >> So, it's it's a full educational process that is hard and for a lot of the community members, they catch little pieces of it. Right. >> Right. >> I would say all do is keep talking about it. So, I would

180say also, you know, once we get through this 40b >> thing that we're in and we're >> I'm sorry, >> Tsunami, >> that's the magic word. Um, >> once we get once we get through the 40 BS and we're in safe harbor, we need to have a real discussion about what's next. Right. Exactly. And that's because we had talked about >> I mean we have talked about this for years like >> you know and people people didn't understand what we meant by it but it's like you know you know we're subject to 40b we're vulnerable to 40b people don't understand what that means and that this is what that means >> this is what this is exactly what they're doing. So now, like from my perspective, it's like we we can't we can't control what's

181happening right now, but we can absolutely come up with a plan for how we're going to how we're going to go forward after. >> I think it's going to be we're going to have to redo our housing production plan because it'll have been almost five years. you know, once these units are done where, you know, wherever we land, we have to look again at our housing production plan and put things in place that will allow us to control our future as best as we can and find those partners to work with, right? And that was the point I was trying to make, you know, and first off, I want to thank thank you Yolanda and Brandy for kind of filling in some of the collective history because people are, you know, probably like what happened,

182you know, and so, you know, I think that's that's important, but like that was my point exactly like, you know, once this is is over, >> you know, we have a real opportunity to, >> you know, >> craft the kind of future that's going to benefit fit the town's people here in Ashlin and and and and make sure that, you know, we do have affordable housing and make sure that, you know, we remain a a safe and welcoming community for folks. Um, but also making sure that we're growing in a smart and sustainable way. Um, that's not going to, you know, tax us. not shouldn't use that word, but not going to throw a lot of um burden, unexpected burdens on infrastructure and all these other things that we're going to have to figure out

183because >> No, you're absolutely correct. >> Which which is why it was very interesting. So, as part of the comprehensive plan, >> right, our consultants really tried to get us to do a goal about smart growth and changing the zoning in certain parts of downtown and there was a lot of push back from members of the push back like no one wanted that as a goal. Not that we don't want smart growth housing, >> but we as a I mean, my feeling, my understanding from our community is >> we don't want any goal that talks about more housing right now until we get through the current process. >> I mean, I I can understand that, but on the other hand, we have to plan for the future because we we can't like not discuss this.

184You know what I'm saying? >> Correct. Correct. But the way they the way they were pushing it to the plan, it was like, "No, you know, we we need to get through what we're getting through." >> They I think they also thought that like anything that had smart growth or anything in it >> would get nixed by the public. Like we wouldn't we wouldn't have town support for anything that talked about >> Smart growth. Well, we could have dumb growth instead, but the I'm being I'm being physicious, but no, you know, no, but zero zero growth is not realistic. And I can't remember um I can't remember where I heard this quote, but it's true. And a lot of a lot of planners will tell you this, like, you know, if your community isn't growing,

185then it's dying. >> Correct. >> You know, so, you know, I don't So, I think that and that's true, and you know, statistics and data bear that out. So we need to make sure that again Ashland retains its character, retains and builds community but in a way that we can hopefully I mean we can't control everything and to your point like you know we can't you know we don't have a crystal ball we can't we can't account for every eventuality but we can put a fairly you know we can from what we've learned you know we're a little smarter um and we we we're already creative you know utilizing folks um utilizing folks in town opinions, you know, folks who serve on boards and committees, I'm confident that we're going to be able to put

186together a really great housing production plan and and plan for, you know, a great future for the town. >> The problem is you put together a smart growth plan, which I think we'd probably say that you Yolanda had done and you Brandy had done with your um committees. Um and then it's all for not, right? Well, without our >> I wouldn't say it was all for not. I think >> the discussions that we had, the planning that because the for the first housing production plan, it worked well. We were able to create housing. We were able to keep ourselves in safe in safe harbor. We then brought it over to the second housing production plan and and things went sideways. Yeah, there was a I was just going to say a lot of things that

187came upon the pandemic and other things that we had no control over. I mean UGC is a perfect example. >> Yeah, I agree. But I'm saying so if you create another plan and it has a UGC thing happen then you know you're out of luck again >> and that happens. But I think, you know, I think some of the things that and I think, you know, some of the things that we've learned throughout this process is, you know, first off, we we can't predict the future, but we can plan. We should plan as best we can, and we did. >> I think communication around this process is critical. I think we've learned a lot about communication throughout this process. uh not just you know between boards and committees but between the town and towns folk

188to make sure that they understand what's happening and why and what you know what steps are being taken and how and why >> before a developer comes into town they're doing their homework way before you know they've got a year a year and a half of you know research that's going on in what Ashland is all about. They check the bylaws. They check they they'll check all of that, >> right? >> And unfortunately, >> some certain bylaws need to be tweaked >> 10% baseline. >> Well, we don't even have a 10%. >> I I No, we don't. I mean, >> oh, you mean you mean the affordable housing 10%. Yeah, but that's a state level, Joe. >> Like an inclusionary zoning. >> An inclusionary zoning. >> Inclusionary again. inclusionary zoning was talked about, but there

189was there was push back, >> which is somewhat unfortunate because it wouldn't have hurt if we've had those on on on the >> I mean, there's there's a lot of discussion. There are people who feel that inclusionary zoning don't work if you But anyway, we're we're going we're going a little >> No, but I think No, I I I we are, but I think this is a good discussion. I think there are some opportunities to have some good conversations with with the community about this on a path forward. And so I'm I'm looking forward to having those conversations as >> and they can find us at the market and uh >> Oh yeah, that's right. Um to figure out Exactly. But 16th exactly. So um but yeah, I think March 16th, right? No August. >>

190It's August 16th. >> I didn't think we had an August date. I think we have a September date. >> Yeah, we have a September and October date. >> Um but many of us go to the farmers market. If you see one of us, grab us and have a conversation. >> Yep. And we'll we'll have plenty of structured conversations about this in the future as well. So, I'm looking forward to that. >> Same here. >> All right. Consent agenda. >> I move that we approve the consent agenda as presented. >> There second. >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I. >> Thank you. Moving right along. We have I don't want to run over the 10 o'clock thing, but we may have to. >> Yeah, I think we're gonna >> Okay. update. I'll manage the

191report. Update on Keith Tech budget and capital assessment. Sure. Um so I provided some information into your packet. You see that the uh KEFtech um the regional school was invited to start the MSBA process. Um they included in your packet was also some documentation that uh had listed in there a vote for town meeting or potential vote for town meeting. Um I wanted to let you know that's not applicable um for this scenario because uh Keith Tech and actually I'll have to give Superintendent Evans and the school committee a lot of credit. Uh they did some very good uh planning um and they're actually going to be able to conduct the feasibility study without going out to bond. They actually have the cash in hand. So, um that is good news for the member towns.

192Um and what is also good news is Superintendent Evans did let me know that um based on a budget reduction that they had made that the uh FY2 F FY26 assessment for Ashland is now going to be uh reduced by almost $26,000. So, not a huge amount, but um certainly going in the right direction. Is that because few fewer students are going to be attending? >> No, it was just um the way they decided to do the um >> the the financing for the MSBA feasibility study. >> Um they don't necessarily they had some money put aside in some savings and so they didn't necessarily need the money from FY26. Um but also I think I'd mentioned at a previous meeting that one of the things that they had talked about doing uh meeting KEFET

193was uh to pursue something called aortionment. Um and the department of education has determined that Keefe will now start well not now but in the future start moving towards a lotterybased system. And so the fear that the school committee and superintendent Evans had was that given the size of Framingham um that there was the potential that Framingham could end up with all of the seats for Keith Tech. And so, not only is that, you know, an equality and equity and fairness issue for towns and, you know, the communities and their kids, but also from a budgetary standpoint, it just becomes a nightmare because you never predict from one year to the to the next kind of, you know, what your baseline is going. So with respect to that, if that happens, if the scenario happens

194that Firmingham students fill all those lottery positions and shuts out Ashland, we're still playing paying an assessment for a school that uh students not utilizing. >> Um you know, potentially I'll I'll have to look a little bit into that, but the aortionment piece that I had mentioned earlier, >> that is going to reserve some seats for each member town. And so, um, again, uh, Superintendent Evans and Keith Tech has pursued that. Um and so what is going to need to happen is there will um be a call town meeting vote for each of the towns in city of Framingham to vote to participate in aortionment process as well which is something I would assume that we would want to to move forward with to ensure that you know we have at least some seats each

195year so that some seats. So, are you saying that, and I'll just use round figures just for an example, say the assessment is $500,000 and we had in the past we've had maybe 10 students. Now, with this new process, we only have two. Are we still spending two $500,000 on those two students to to attend ke? >> I don't believe we would, Joe, but I don't know exactly what that figure would be. Right. So it would be a smaller assessment then based on the number of students I would think. Right. >> Correct. Okay. >> And this would only be incoming freshmen that they would do this lottery for. Correct. >> Incoming. Correct. Correct. So once you're in, you're you're in. >> Okay. >> So So when they set aside seats for for different towns, is

196it based on >> is it based on >> like how many seats we would normally have? >> I don't know. I I don't know. I don't have the details. And I'm sure that's going to Yeah. >> Yeah. >> When when would we get those details, Michael? >> Um I I will reach out to Superintendent Evans and ask him um exactly when, but he just said, you know, they're working with their council to finalize what that language would look like and they'd be reaching out very soon. >> Okay. >> So, and um >> and would that go into effect like fall 2026 that they're looking for? Yeah. Okay. Um, so anyway, that is the Keefe ke um >> the reason for doing that just the the reason they're going to a lottery system is some communities

197right weren't they weren't being equally represented. So now here's an instance where it sounds like it's going to have the opposite impact. But I think that the reason they did that was to try to um be fairer for all students. >> Yeah. when you try to take a statewide approach and apply it to individual ones, it's really really difficult. Um, Katherine, would you want to give an update on the capital plan just kind of where we are with that process? So, back in I believe it was um spring, maybe early spring, um department heads submitted their requests for um fiscal year 26, their capital requests. Uh we have for 2026, fiscal year 26, we have about 49 requests. Last month, Michael and I met with um all of the department heads and went over all

198of the requests. Um and then we also asked them to prioritize their requests. Um and so they have done that and we have that list and at the moment we are waiting for um that number, the the free cash number. So that's that's the status of where we're at right now. >> Does that include requests from the school department as well? >> Yes. So school and town And when you guys have that sort of prioritized and finalized with the amount that's coming through free cash, um, we'll have we'll have that discussion here. >> We'll have we'll have this. That's so we'll have a private >> Okay. Would it be possible um to have to kind of think long longer term than just one year to say okay, you know, like to see the whole priority

199list because I because I know if if if there's 46 items on this list um and obviously the priorities are going to change from year to year, but I think you know it would be good to kind of start more of like a longer term like a like a three-year approach like my personal, you know, it would be good to kind of have that. >> So, yeah, five year. >> Yes, it is a five-year plan. So, when they put in their requests, we do have five years listed. So, I'm just talking about fiscal year 26. >> Okay. But it would be good to see the five years. >> Absolutely. Because I think that would at least for me. Do we as part of the capital plan, do we sometimes say, "Okay, we're not going to

200use all of the funds this year because we have a larger thing like the fields that need to be replaced that we want to sort of accumulate funds. Have we done that before as a way to pay for some of these larger projects rather than say, "Okay, we have X amount in capital funds. we're going to use it all this year and then we're not we're not then saving for some of these bigger projects to do as capital projects. >> We've done that before like we do have a capital stabilization fund um that I think after we purchased um the land surrounding the public safety building. It doesn't have that much in there now but um occasionally yes we have put more money in there. >> Okay. not necessarily for spec like targeting specific projects,

201but knowing that we'll have bigger wins coming down the road. >> Um, and then if they're really really big projects, you know, the way our policies are written is we look at at debt and specifically excluded debt depending right how how big that project, >> right? I just know that right now we have a we have a lot of excluded debt between the public safety building and the Mendes as well as some other projects that still haven't completely come off. So, Again, it's one of those fiveyear plans, 10-year plans, looking at what we're going to be spending and when so that we and the community have a better understanding of what we're doing and how we're doing it. >> Okay. Um so, moving on to the Nyanza extraction system. Um so, many of you are

202familiar with um the the way that EPA and D P has gone about starting to or trying to remove uh the contamination at the source point which leads into the groundwater plume is actually through extraction wells. And so one of the things that they have done in the last few years and this was under the Biden administration in the infrastructure act is uh more money went into that project to develop a much more robust extraction system. Um and so what they've done is they have actually one of the wells the one near Worcester air conditioning they've completely redone that that extraction system um the one that is near the Niaol system um it's not producing uh much at all of what they call dapple which is the chemical that does or the chemicals I should

203say that does lead to um the groundwater plume. So anyway, they are moving forward. They're going to convert that to a monitoring well. Um and then the other treatment option that they utilize is what they call Isco or in situ chemical treatment. Um where they actually extract the dineapple and they take it to a lab and they figure out which chemical reagent would actually serve to basically neutralize the chemicals in the ground. and then they go back in and inject that um that neutralizing agent into the ground. And so they've been doing that process as well. So that's moving along. >> Cool. >> Could we put um some communications together about this because I know the last we had heard >> was we were waiting for for EPA to kind of start and we didn't

204know sort of what the what the timeline was going to look like. >> Um and so I think I think the public would would really like to know that the is underway and it's still continuing especially with >> um federal cuts and knowing that it's still >> on track and if we have like a any sort of timeline from >> from um you know >> and what is the expected outcome? So they're going to insert this neutralizing agent and is that then expected to completely neutralize it or is it I mean, because the barrels are still sitting there under the ground, right? They're in a pit, but um >> Well, that's what is the neutralizing the cap. >> I understand that. But and this is near Worcester near Worcester Air on Pleasant Street. So, >>

205by doing that, by doing the neutralizing, what is that doing for the environment? What is that doing for the, you know, the people who whose homes are over those plumes? So, so what happens is there's the dineapple which is dense nonacquous phase liquid >> chemical junk if you will that's in the bedrock right so the ground water flows through >> basically collects that and creates the ground plume stream >> right >> so if you inject that chemical at the point it neutralizes basically the toxicity of those chemicals okay >> so what happens is time that flow that plume be cleaner. >> Okay, >> that's the at the same time you're extracting DNA of the ground, right? Well, so that's less that needs to be >> it's a two-step process that they're doing. >> But um

206just recall remember I don't know if you remember when we were at Ashlin High School when they were pres EPA was presenting their plan. >> Yeah. They did say that this plan I mean it's not going >> we are not going to totally remove the chemicals from that site for a couple hundred years which is >> not uncommon for or you know sites of this nature. I mean basically Kindle Square >> basically for fun >> basically has the same same thing. So, you know, it's how do you contain? How do you monitor? How do you make sure that does stay contained? You make sure you know the pathway that's going to cause people to get sick. Make sure you have the appropriate mitigation in place while at the same time you're making cleaning up. Yeah,

207maybe it might be good to um I'm just thinking like you know, you know, this is under your town manager report, but I think maybe we should have sort of like a bigger whether it's a few slides or something on a future agenda where we really talk about, you know, maybe maybe EPA has something for us >> that we put out in or we bring them in. >> I think we should bring the EPA in. >> Yeah. because it's it's it's complicated and it's something that's on everybody's minds. >> Um, and I think it probably deserves like, you know, some some >> more detailed discussion and update especially heading towards towards a certain development. >> Yeah. And I think it's and I think honestly like I think this is all really good news because I

208think it's I think it's >> very good news actually that this is moving forward. >> So um Yeah, it is. It's good. >> Yeah, I think that'd be great if they could come in and give us an update themselves. >> Yeah. >> Um and then I had also provided to you just kind of um uh that project evaluation matrix after I'd received the feedback and everything um at the retreat um put together a memo that tried to explain some things. Yolanda, you look I know you've got some questions. Um, but >> am I the only one who did not quite get what we were looking to I mean looking to do? I I I read it. I read I looked at the spreadsheet. I read the document. I even asked I'm like so I I

209get I I I will say I did not do it because I didn't understand it and >> I I didn't need you to do anything. I just needed you to look at it and and provide some feedback. Does this reflect what we talked about and everything? If you're good with that, then I can give you projects to start actually scoring it. >> Okay. Because my based on what I read and I saw, my understanding was you were trying to get us to put our priorities next to the list of Right. Isn't that >> Oh, I'm sorry. I I'm sorry it wasn't clear. Um, yes. So, what I provided with you was just the template, right? Um, that we talked that has the different categories. Um, >> and didn't you want us to put one through

21010 next to those categories >> for each project that we have? So, like if we look if we're looking at the upper Charles Trail. >> So, what you would do is take the upper Charles Trail and for each of those categories, you would score it based I think it's page two, you know, at the, you know, the one through 10 >> evaluation. Um, does that does that make it >> make sense a little more? I I for some reason it's just not making sense to me. >> Okay. >> so the you gave us a spreadsheet and you had all of our names >> and the list that was there are were we supposed to say how what the percentage of each of those lists we we thought? No. Okay. Yeah. So, um let's just take

211the first let's just take the top of the sheet, right? >> Yeah. >> Um and it has strategic alignment, which is 25%. So, that's 25% of the total score. >> Okay. >> Um and so the first part is select board and town manager goals. And so each one of those goals um I put like a definition right next to it. And so when we do have a project like let's just say again the upper Charles Trail um like Claudia here I went by alphabetical order. Claudia you would say okay um how does you know the upper Charles Trail relate to or fit into community organizations and cultural resources. You know between a one and a 10, right? And you would just go down the list that way and score it. And >> is that now

212is it Is it clicking there? >> So then, so if it's the upper Charles Trail and I'd go to downtown and I would say, what percentage I between 1 and 10, where do I feel the Upper Charles Trail relates to downtown? >> Well, yeah. How how does it impact downtown from your perspective? Um, >> and you know, you could and it's going to have a level of subjectivity to it, obviously. I mean, that's where, you know, That's where your judgment comes in. >> So, we're going to be t doing each of these against every project. >> No, I'm if you're okay with the way this looks, I will provide you a list of projects. It will not be that whole list. It will probably some of the major ones. Um the others because I think

213the others a lot of the others in that list were already kind of in progress of doing or they have to be done. You know, we're talking about the major projects. So, I think the ones that you know are going to require a lot of resources. Um, we take those and go ahead and score those. >> Can I ask a question about the color? >> Be my next question. >> I was going to say, why are some things green and some things white? >> Yeah, in the memo I explained. So, remember the board's not going to score all of the categories, just the ones that we had talked about. And so, those are highlighted in green. >> Oh, okay. All right. I see. >> Okay. So, you're not we're not gonna we're not gonna we're

214not going to a measure for the financial factors or the feasibility >> staffing availability. >> So anything under financial factors we're not going to give a a determination to that. Okay. >> Okay. So we're just Okay. >> Staffing availability local department. You're we're not giving a fee. We're not putting our >> and one is low and 10 is high. Correct. >> Yes. >> Okay. So you want a higher score if you feel it is more impactful on a certain >> correct >> give us the individual. >> You're going to give us the individual projects >> and where are those going to be on another tab or >> Yeah, I I can that's probably the easiest thing to do is just put them on another tab >> and just say which which um >> and how

215about I I go ahead and do like an example for you. I'll I'll go ahead and score. I think I provided one in the retreat packet which again was the preliminary one before our discussion. >> I think a newer example would be helpful. So let me just make sure I understand what you're saying here. You you're basically giving us a list of >> basically the the as defined you're saying like the new projects. So new projects being that they are not in progress and they are not deemed as essential. So is that I'm just trying to get a definition of the project list that you're providing us right now. >> Yeah. And I probably I misspoke when I said new projects. I think there's some some of the larger resource intensive projects that are currently

216underway. And then I hope we can use this also when new projects come across our plate. >> Okay. So these are just so these are for large projects that have or have not been started. Some will have been started and some will not have been. >> Okay. >> Like the upper char is a massive project, right? Valentine massive project, >> right? >> Um >> and even though we have done work on each of those, um we need to make a decision. You know, it is we will not be able to do both of those at at this point with given our availability of resources. need to make a choice or the other. I'm just taking those two. Um, obviously I'm talking about schooling more than that. Um, >> when we say and when we say

217talk about like not doing it, we're talking about pushing out the timeline on these things. >> Correct. >> Exactly. I think that that's that's that's a very important point because I think but we're saying like what we're going to be look what we're going to be >> putting resources towards over the next cycle, next 12 months. So that's an important definition as well. It's not that we're cancelling anything. It's just that any projected work may not happen in this particular cycle, but will be re-evaluated on the next cycle. >> Exactly. >> For feasibility. >> So things like the the um let's see, financial factors aren't to play a role in our >> like the board wouldn't wouldn't score the board would score the ones that are in green, which I think is still predominantly. Yes.

218But um but yes, you're correct. >> Because couldn't that ultimately end up bumping something out? >> It could potentially. It could. So, I think to Claudia's point, like if that's the case, I think that's something that we'd definitely have to kind of examine and take into account when we're making our decision and >> get some we'll probably have to have some some Q&A around that if that happens or actually any of these factors that we're not scoring, we'll have to have some, you know, extended discussion so we understand what the issues are, right? >> Um, so we'll >> because it almost feels like we're making choices that are you are making choices >> in a vac but it's in a vacuum like I feel like I don't have all the information or I'm not scoring

219based upon what would seem to be critical information. >> So I guess that's that to to Claudia's point. So we're going to score this and then you guys are going to provide input on the things in white. >> Well we'll score all of it just because we'll have a sense of everything on the staff level. >> Okay. So, you're going to score you're going to score everything in parallel to how we're scoring. >> Okay? >> And then we will have all of the data to take a look at and see where where the staff kind of comes in on things where we've averaged out as a board and then have that and hash that out. Is that sort of the plan? >> That that is the plan. And again, this um this wasn't meant to

220be like completely definitive, but it's it's >> directional to help us, you know, guide. >> So, does that mean we're going to have a tab for every project that you want us to score? >> Pretty. Yeah. Like each of these would be >> but so the guidel say Valentine property on the top and then we have to score what we think of each of those each of those items in green. Okay. I'd like to make a recommendation that and only because I think it's better if we don't look at each other's work beforehand. that we each get it and then the combined data gets combined. But then I'd like to see all of the information. I don't want to see just the combined score. I'd like to see what everyone thought so that if we

221need to have a discussion because it's a half a point or a point difference, >> we can sort of discuss it. >> Does that make sense? Yeah. >> Does that make sense to you guys? >> It does make sense and I think we're I mean to safeguard. >> Well, yeah. I mean I think this is This is getting us on that on the way to that discussion. I don't think this is a definitive decision like any >> scores aren't going to decide what we do. It's going to give us a good position about what we need to discuss and how we can prioritize how we move >> how we move forward. So, this is kind of like the first step along that. >> Yeah. >> But I agree with you. I don't I I want

222to have like I don't want my perspective to be skewed by anyone else's and open meeting law probably. >> Well, definitely definitely we could probably turn it into >> You don't want You don't want any biases coming into your own, >> right? Yeah. >> It's only after the fact. >> Yeah. It'll be good to see everybody. So, about how many projects are you thinking about? Um, I I was going to say no more than 10, right? Yeah, I was going to say no more than >> Okay. And what is the timeline that you think will get this? >> I was hoping to get you the projects uh before September so that you can go ahead and score and we can look at maybe the second meeting in September. >> Okay. >> I would like to

223have just a full project list if >> you can distribute that as well. had one in our retreat package, >> but yeah, we did, but I just want to make sure that we have any updates or any kind of changes. So, an updated full project list when you when you distribute that, that would be great. >> And what I would say is if the project is 95% done, I would take it off the project list >> um >> because we're not I mean I >> for us to for us to review, right? unless you want to see them all. But my feeling is if if it's, you know, like I think about the sidewalk on 135. I believe we saw that on the project list >> and it's highlighted as like >> completed. >> Yeah.

224>> So I I can pro I will provide you with the with the provide you a smaller list that you can apply. >> Okay, >> that makes sense. >> Okay, >> that makes a lot of sense. and we'll try it. And um it's sounding a little bit more resource intensive than it did at the retreat, but um >> it certainly does, >> but we will um but we'll try it. And if you know, if we need to tweak it, if we need to >> then it's an iterative process. I certainly don't think this is totally >> We'll figure it out. >> Okay, that makes more sense now that we >> Yeah, in hindsight, I should include the only one who was like, >> "What do I do?" Yeah, that was helpful. >> Michael, just one

225more thing on that. Would it make more sense, and I I don't know because I'm not sure I fully grasp exactly what we're doing here, but would it make more sense to create a Google form then everybody's information is ends up in a spreadsheet so you don't have to try to combine that information? >> We're going to try to do that. >> Yeah. And then that will keep it separate, I think, for everybody as they're >> Yeah. I mean, we all see the combined when it's done. >> I know. I'm not sure if um >> because Yeah, >> because it it seems like it's a subcategory, >> right? I'd have to see what you want the spreadsheet to look like and then >> it might be >> Claudia is the Google >> Well, it's just

226sometimes it >> No, I think it Yeah, absolutely. >> Yeah, it depends. >> Well, it's a lot better than than us like trying to take your individual spreadsheets and copying and pasting. >> I know. There's going to be like that's going to be difficult. >> I'll make uh I'll entertain a motion to >> go past 10:00. >> There a second. >> I just if not we don't do board reports. >> Well, I got a few I just got a couple. I'm sorry. Couple more. >> 10 o'clock. It's literally 10 o'clock. >> It is 10 o'clock. >> Um there a second. >> Second. >> All right. All those in favor? >> Thank you. Go ahead, Mike. >> Okay. Uh, one thing is I think Susan had sent out just a reminder for the tri board meeting.

227If you just haven't had a chance to put in for the D doodle poll, that would be great. >> Um, uh, a number of downtown businesses are organizing, um, a um, a downtown after dark event on August 22nd and from 5 to 9. So, please be on the lookout for information about that. I think Lisa Churchill has taken the lead from Blush in terms of advertising. >> Um, so that's really great. Um, >> Yeah, it's already it's they're already um advertising it. I I just want to give an incredible amount of kudos to the Ashlin Police Department and uh their partners Ashlin Fire, DPW, and all the vendors and businesses and organizations um other agencies that came in and participated in public safety last night. It was absolutely incredible. It was um just a community

228event that um you know it was it was full from like 5:30 to 7:30 when I left and everybody was on the same page. That was one of the things that just really fills my bucket as we as we like fills my cup. Um, uh, Manny Tusano, one of our newer officers, took the lead in organizing this all by all. He organized it with a lot of help. Sergeant Rocky and and everybody in the police. I mean, we had basically all of our officers there, some off duty, a lot of our firefighters off duty, DPW personnel >> with their families, which was so cool to see. >> Such a family event. So, um I know it conflicted with the with the summer concerts and you know maybe next year because there will be a next

229year. >> Sorry. >> You know, we can um do that. But just kudos to them and um I'm just I'm incredibly proud of just not just the event but um the department that they've become to kind of turn that around. And then um unfortunately I have to end on a sad note. One of our longtime volunteers, Diane Hansen, she passed away. Diane was a volunteer at the community center, was a volunteer at the clerk's office, was a member of the Ashlin Lions or the Greater Ashlin Alliance, I should say. Um, Diane fought cancer for 30 years. And that woman as frail as she could be look sometimes had the spirit of Allah and it was just amazing. She was always positive just a real role model. So she is going to be missed by a

230lot of people and uh wonderful wonderful person and always had a smile on her face when you went up. She was a bank teller down here. Always had a smile on her face. I never knew anything. So this I guess God opened up a new bank. Thank you, Michael. We're a family. God bless. >> All right. Board reports, Miss Yolanda. >> Okay. Uh so I was also at the public safety building, public safety night last night. It was a great event. Um I was there uh interviewing people and we're putting a story together for around the clock. It was just the energy was was so nice to see. Um I had a policy meeting getting some updates on things that are going on in Beacon Hill. It's crazy understanding what they're trying to do up

231there, but a couple things coming up that I'd like to share. On Tuesday the 12th of August, the Metro West Chamber, Ashlin Business Association, and another and uh other business associations have their annual barbecue event uh at the outdoor YMCA Center. Um it's free for ABA members, and if people are interested, we can see about getting people to go. It's always a great event. And then just some performances coming up. Hopington Center for the Arts. They're doing the musical Foot Loose and that's perfor being performed on Friday and Saturday uh August 8th and 9th as well as the 15th and 16th. It's a fun musical if you know the movie and some great Ashlin kids are involved and performing. So, it's a lot of fun. And then on the 23rd and 24th of August, they

232have their play pint in a Pie and those are all newly written plays and then a lot of local actors participate. And I think last year, I don't know what the lineup is this year, there was actually a local writer who had their play performed as part of that. And that's all I got for tonight. >> Thank you, Mikita. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, it was delightful to be able to be at the farmers market a few weeks ago, sitting with yourself and Yolanda uh at the select board uh table. heard a lot of great things, a lot of great questions from our illustrious residents. Always fantastic to interact with them. Did a little checking on those dates. Uh we're going to be back out there on September 6th and again on October 4th.

233So, please come by and say hi. We do want to speak with you. Uh find out what's going on uh and what you're concerned about here in town. Um Mr. Mr. Chairman, thank you so much for uh covering my committee meeting with the historical commission. I'm sure we'll hear more about that in a minute, but I do know that a couple of things that they've that they have approached me with uh and perhaps you have updates. Uh but um they do want to look at the possibility of getting an uh historical deed restriction so they can they can apply for CPC funds for the village burial ground um and uh the wall repair issue. Uh so I I am scheduled to to uh meet with the chair of that subcommittee uh later this month, a

234couple weeks, but I didn't get caught up on that. Uh only other thing is uh Yolanda and I had worked on some of the uh committee uh process improvements. Uh we still have uh a few other things that we need to do. I know we recommended some preliminary changes which are in effect now. But um I will add that uh we were approached by a member of the community uh who serves on a board committee thanking us for our work and making sure that we are taking those recommendations from those committees and those committee chairs to improve the process. This is just the first step and uh we've got more work to do. So um we're going to get back to it and uh we'll be uh providing updates uh as we go along. That

235is all I have right now. >> Thank you, M. >> Thank you, >> Claudia. >> Thank you. I I was very sad that I couldn't make it to the public safety event last night. I wasn't feeling well, but I know, Yolanda, that you interviewed my uh daughter and her husband, and I'm not sure. My grandson um said too much, but um they they said it was they said it was really fabulous. So, uh, and and you know, I've never had a tour of the fire station or police station, the public safety building, so I I was anxious to try to go, but in any case, I didn't make it. Um, >> it was not applicable. >> Oh, well, I would have been in the wrong place. >> Very disappointed. >> We We could probably make

236that happen. >> No, I know. I know. I uh Oh, where was it? >> That's a middle school park. >> Middle school. >> Oh, God. I would have been in the wrong place, too. >> Like, this is not relative. Hopefully I would have looked before I went, right? So in any case, but u I did hear it was really a great event. So thank you to them. Uh I echo and then um I did uh have occasion to visit the Hollison Historical Society and their barn on Monday with um with Carl Hackinson and uh get a look at it. It really isn't too different than where our current barn is except that maybe electricity and I think they added some bathrooms on the back and a kitchen >> and a kitchen they added in the

237things that if we did move forward with the house um we might not need to um you know because of the proximity to the barn we might not need to do those things in our barn. But in any case, um it was just a good thing. He had made plans to go there and so I just I went with him and uh you know was it was good to see because I didn't realize how um rustic that barn is over there. Very very rustic. So >> which was heartening to me because ours is very rustic. So >> and that's all I have. Thank you. >> Some point I'd like to see that. I haven't seen that yet myself. So at some point it definitely needs to go. I should have taken some pictures. >> Yeah.

238>> If you see there's cars out front, you just stop and you ask. That's what I did one time. >> That lives in the house. >> Yeah. >> So, and actually, well, I don't know if I should say it publicly, but I think I think there's a door that's always >> and that is owned and that is owned by the historical societ. >> It's not owned by the town. It's owned by a private private entity. Miss Brandy. >> So, I don't have too much. Um, thank you guys for holding down the Ford at office hours at the farmers market. Um, I have been enjoying some family time before my kid leaves for college. So, um, I haven't been around as much the last couple weeks. But um as we talked about earlier, we're um you

239know embarking on this pumpkinfest journey and um I'm sure at some point in the next two months I will literally pull out all my hair, but um I think it'll be good. >> Think positive. >> I'm thinking positive. Six years for this to happen. >> There you go. There you go. No, but I'm I'm looking forward to to um to working on this and um I think it's just I think it it's one of those feel-good things. So, I'm excited about it. So, um so that's that's that's all I got. >> Thank you. It is a fun thing to do and it is a feel good thing especially when the day if you have great weather and it goes off without a hitch. You just it's a sense of accomplishment and it just you feel

240proud about because you put all the time and effort into it. Believe me, you'll enjoy it immensely. >> Oh. >> Um Oh, yeah. Joe, before you go, so if we're supposed to have select board date, so select board hours on Saturday, October 4th, we may want to adjust that if we're going to be hosting the >> Oh, yeah. I don't know. >> Yeah, I could I can I can check in with and see if we can swap days. >> Yeah, >> that's actually a really good point. >> That's a really That's actually >> That's a really good point. >> Yep. >> Um >> we're not amiebas. We can't split. >> We can't do we can't be >> Yep. All right. So I am going to find out who else has off uh who else has

241community tent hours um either the on some end of the you know maybe the following weekend or whatever >> and um see if we could swap them. >> Okay, >> that's a good catch. >> Oh yeah. >> Yeah. Okay. Thank you for that. >> Uh just quickly, um Farmers Market was a great time. A lot of wonderful people there. Food was awesome. Uh we're still we're still selling uh Ashland Day fundraiser for the uh corn up at uh Lucky Farms. And be honest with you, we can't keep we can't keep the corn in the cooler. You better get there early. I mean, we're doing four bags four bags a day, which is absolutely crazy. >> What's the price for the corn, Joe? Um, it varies for for for a number. Uh, but I think it's

242like I think it's $11 $10 for for a desert. I'm not >> Oh, wow. Okay. >> But it's uh >> You hungry? Go buy some. No, it's probably closed. Um, anyway, uh I had the opportunity to be uh with Yolanda on uh Sunday. We went to the uh went to the Indian temple and they did their uh blessing of their new chariot. Uh, the chariot is massive. Uh, it's not a Benur chariot, which Michael was I was getting the impression that it was going to be one of those two horses I know. This thing's at least a 15 Clydesdale unit. >> Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. There are pictures. Yeah. >> But it's beautiful. >> So, sorry I couldn't be there. >> All I can tell it's over over five tons close to it.

243>> Oh, it's massive. That's me. >> Yeah, that's how high it is. >> It came over from India in pieces >> and it's inlaid in in gold. It's just absolutely stunning. >> No, >> there are two in the United States. One's in Pennsylvania and the other one's a national >> is a very >> It was a very special occasion. And um I had the opportunity then to go in the temp in the temple afterwards and >> it's an amazing space and just the community inside was fabulous to see. >> The the architecture was honor to be there. >> Yep. The architecture and and design work in that is just it's all handone. It's absolutely incredible. >> Absolutely incredible. Um >> I did fortunately did not go to the uh public safety night. I went to

244the concert. Um, which lo and behold, someone said, "Oh, yeah, this is the first one they've ever had in there." No, hold on a second. Time out. It was done about 20 years ago. Then it's resurrected itself. And I'm glad that the young young bucks had taken over and have taken that uh on on task because it's a great night. We used to have it down at the park and the place was always packed. >> Place was always packed. >> It was tied into uh the summer concerts. >> Yeah. It wasn't quite as big as what this was last night. I mean, for for the public safety night, but there was always >> there was always I mean, I remember taking my girls when they were little to >> get stuff to see. Maybe that's

245something they they want to entertain. If they want to keep it separate, they can do that as well. But it was just it was a great night and it's it's localized. It was right down there, you know, and you know, I don't know what the parking was like. Did they have enough parking up there or because they utilized the whole parking lot for the equipment? Right. Okay. Just an idea for next time around, but I'm glad it went well. I'm glad they had great weather. Uh our next concert is next Tuesday and uh we had a scheduling change. It's the Tyler Mason Trio. Uh they uh they're absolutely phenomenal. uh they run similar to an old group of uh that we grew up with. Well, I grew up I don't know if you guys are

246Crosby stills on similar. So if you're into that type of music and you know you want to put on your your vests and tassels and you know headbands my guest, you know it is a visual. It is a visual. It is a visual. I never wore those. But anyway, >> with that done, with that in mind, with that in mind, yeah, I know you guys will have nightmares. Uh, >> I'll entertain a motion to adjourn. >> So moved. >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I. >> And we'll see you uh 20th >> uh the 20th at 7 o'clock. Thank you. Have a safe night.