001Good evening and welcome to the April 16th uh Ashlin Select Board meeting. We appreciate you all being here. We have a nice full house here in our meeting room uh for many different reasons. Um we will start uh just to let you know we are being broadcast live through WACA TV. There have been some issues with Zoom for various reasons. One, because of some Zoom bombing, different things like that, as well as they themselves have had some platform issues. So, if you lose us on Zoom, uh, and you want to participate, we're going to ask you to come down in person, you'll still be able to watch it through YouTube and WACA TV. Um, but if the Zoom link goes down, it'll be difficult for us to interact with you. So, just be aware of
002that, those of you who are on Zoom. Um from there we are going to uh do citizens participation and if anyone who wants to do citizens participation if you could please come line up and because we do have an appointment at 710 and 7:15 with our legislators. Uh we may have to limit because I'm seeing quite a few people coming up and I'm going to ask that you uh if possible limit yourself to two minutes tonight. I don't usually like to try and do that, but as I said, we have our legislators as well as some appointments. So, um, we're going to try to be respectful of everyone's time. So, reminder, introduce yourself. Um, and then go ahead. All set. All set. All right. Great. Thank you. Steve Mitchell, 5 Newcastle Road. Um, we realize
003that you have a a big agenda tonight. So, uh, just a couple minutes. I just wanted to certainly acknowledge Jen. You know, I consider it my good fortune to have gotten to know you to work with you on the board um as the also on the soontobe dissolved public safety building committee. Um you know, I know you don't suffer fools easy. Uh, and I hope I wasn't a a burden during during our time together, but uh, you know, I think as you know, I've gotten to know you as a I I think as a friend, as a mom, and you know, it's just, uh, was special for me, and, uh, I just think our community is is so much better the fact that you you you spent time here. So, thank you and and good
004luck, Steve. Hi, Mark Sony 119 Main Street. I'm here for a whole different I'd like to ask through the chairman to the town manager. Has there been any progress on the stronger committee idea? Not that I'm aware of, Mark. Not not that's been communicated to me. No, that tells me that the compent plan is still in progress but not exactly strong without those committees inputs. I'm understanding through everything else that this town needs business e economics and all that does not need 40bs. The state and the 40b law is screwing us truly to the idea of saying we don't want business in here. The Route 495 Merc committee is the only committee doing any anything to attract businesses, but not here in Ashland. I think at the state house and the representatives are putting it
005down and don't want don't really care about it. I challenge them to put Ashan up front for business and not because it's a thing to do, but it's a plus. Thank you. Thank you Mark. Okay, Joan Friday, One Shore Road, Ashland on the historical commission, speaking on my own behalf. Um, hello Senator Spieler, Representative Lewis, and the Ashlin Select Board. I'm here because I need you. We need your help. Ashlin is about to be changed forever and not in a good way. There are currently 240B projects in the works with another on the way. Ashland has a great housing plan put in place to allow for reasonable growth. We have a great planning board which has approved many projects and thousands of housing units over the past 10 years or so for Ashland to be
006in safe harbor. Two of those projects, 501 Pond and Memorial Drive, are on hold for reasons outside of the town's responsibility. Make no mistake, they will be built eventually. Two developers are using 40B to bypass most of the zoning Ashlin has put in place to allow housing at a manageable level. The proposed mill building project destroys arguably the most important historical buildings in Ashland. Henry Warren who standardized time for the entire world worked and invented here. It will replace them with a 69 foot six-story above grade apartment building with 250 apartments. This despite a very detailed letter from the select board as well as many other boards and individuals detailing why this project as design should not be allowed. The Waverly Street developer petitioned the mass housing and livable communities and was approved. Then a
007second developer took over who completely changed the project, excuse me, from four buildings to one huge building, change the entrance and exits just because they kept the same number of apartments. The MHLC approved it without requesting any new feedback from the town. My understanding is the MHLC approves 95% of the projects before it. That tells me they're rubber stamped. These projects will potentially cost Ashland millions, if not billions, in infrastructure to to support water, sewer, public safety, and schools. Where will the money come from? Throwing hundreds of units up without the infrastructure to support them is not responsible. Taking down granite buildings that will survive forever to put up buildings that may last 30 years is not sustainable. Putting residential units on top of NASA on a lot deed and not res residential is unconscionable.
008We need your help. Just because they can doesn't mean they should. The state 40B law supports developers not being responsible to community planning by potentially ignoring local zoning. It burdens the zoning board of appeals in their desire to support local zoning. I implore you to pause any 40bs that have not broken ground and do a review of the processes and procedures. See which projects actually make sense for their location. Review the 40B law and give back reasonable oversight to the cities and towns. People need to have some say in where they live at this point. You are probably the only ones who can save our town. We live here because we love Ashland. You one more one more. One more second. We have a lot of people. Yep. You have dedicated your lives to helping
009the state. Please help Ashlin now. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Hi, my name is Kate Jerzik 11 Roden Road. I'm a planning board member, but I'm here as a resident, not um the planning board. Um I uh everybody knows we are nearly complete with sidewalks on 126 and I want I wanted to have um kind of talking with some people in my neighborhood. We are scheming up to have a um pond street prominade on um June 20th. what the basically celebrating our sidewalks, the solstice, why not? And community connection, like literally the community connection of the sidewalks and bringing out the community. I've been in touch with a couple of community groups who like the idea and they're definitely interested in participating. Um I I guess just part of the part of the
010reason of sounds like a little crazy idea is that early in the community planning process and there's people um here that were part of that well Pond Street working group um I had neighbors who said I'll be dead before we get sidewalks there and I'm happy to report none of those people that said that are dead. Good. Um so we we deserve to celebrate and I think just bring out the community. My specific ask of um the board is help um publicize um like the Facebook page, town manager newsletter, any other suggestions? Um it asks you to attend and have fun. Um I did email the chiefs of of both departments assuming they're sort of publicly minded want to participate. And um I'm I'm sure you'd want to know about it, but it's a public
011sidewalk, so I don't think there's really any particular issues otherwise except you'd obviously want to know about it and hopefully participate. Great. Yeah. Uh just real quick, so Kate and I did chat about this. I think it's a wonderful idea. Um again, keep informing people. Uh I would say touch base with Beth Reynolds, our economic development director, so she can get it out into the public via the different communications with the town. Cool. Thank you. Thank you, Kate. Connie Manel, resident of Ashlin for 47 years, Newcastle Road. Ashlin understands the need for more affordable housing. It supports the housing laws. My fear is that Ashland is being forced to do too much too fast. To meet the demands of the MBTA law, in good faith, Ashland has recently built two very large complexes, 574 units.
012A Memorial Drive here near the MBTA station, Ashland allowed an enormous complex of 398 units on Chestnut Street in front of the FAF Fafford condominiums. Another 174 fourstory units And yet this year, five more complexes are in the pipeline with 829 more units for a total of 1,43 new multi-ousing 40b units. We could we could have in excess of 3,000 new residents, a population increase of 17%. 1,43 new housing units will impact the town, schools, police, fire, traffic, even water. And according to the Massachusetts state uh auditor Diane Digglio, the MBTA law is an unfunded mandate, meaning that Ashlin could very well not receive or have received little state funding. The sanctuary, a proposed 250 unit complex, is an example of inappropriateness for our town. When developers thought that Ashlin asked for too much, the
013developer used 40B in order to build what they wanted instead of what was good for everyone. Our small downtown is complain is comprised of one and twostory colonial style, mostly white clapboard and red brick or clapboard buildings. In contrast, this 258 unit complex is huge. Picture the 180 unit complex on Chestnut Street with 80 more units in the middle of downtown Ashland. It will be industrial looking, orange, five maybe six stories high and towering over any other building in town. Moreover, it's in the flood plane. It's on the NASA contaminated river and when the river overflows, cars will need to be moved. Also, there is no clear and practical traffic pattern and the current congested traffic will become even worse. Bonnie, I'm going to give you a 10-second because you're already about a minute over.
014This is the last paragraph. Ashlin has worked hard to meet the demands of the housing shortage and to protect the new people coming into town. We all need to work together for the benefit of everyone. Right now, it feels like too much too fast and inconsiderate of the needs of Ashland. Hi. Sorry to follow that one. I should have gone with Steve. Um, so, uh, Jen, on behalf of the community development team on the second floor of Ashlin Town Hall, uh, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all that you have done, for the time, sweat, tears, everything that you have given us. You've been a fearless leader. We've learned so much from you. We will take all of it and keep it with us and we will hopefully make you proud. So,
015good luck in your next adventure. We'll miss you. Jen, on behalf of all of the members of the Ashland Police Department, particularly in our new home, which you were the driving force to get us there from beginning, I only came in in the middle, but to the end, um, we can't thank you enough. Personally, I'm going to feel the loss a lot. I really enjoyed every minute of working with you. Um you're a team player from minute one. Um it's going to be a huge loss, but we're so happy all of us um for you and your future and for your family and um best of luck. Thank you. [Applause] Okay. Uh ahead Roger Shri. Hi. Thank you. Actually, you know what, Roger? Hold on for two minutes. We have a public hearing that we
016need to unop I mean reopen and then close again. Yep. Hold on. Get to the right place. Oh, no. Not that one. If I can get a motion to reopen the hearing for um the continuation for modification of a class 2 license for New Beginning Auto Services, Inc. 73. 73. Yeah. So moved and a second. Uh all those in favor of reopening the hearing. I we have not heard anything back from this uh business. So if I can get a motion to close the hearing. So moved. Second. All those in favor? I. Uh, so that piece of business is done. Uh, Susan has reached out to them to let them know that they're now going to have to reapply because we've asked for them and so then it'll get rescheduled. Thank you. Sorry about that.
017Go ahead, Roger Shri. Not not a problem at all. Um, I wanted to acknowledge Jen as well. Um I got to know her um as one of the earliest members of Ashland is United when it was formed in 2017. I joined much later and I leaned on her for her astute sense of direction. I was amazed how seamlessly she traveled between her role as a senior leadership in town as well as a veritable member of this community. Every meeting ends or begins with we need to check with Jen or what does Jen have to say? Through heavy uh and sometimes conflict-like situations, Jen emerges unfased and truly focused on the goal. Because of her, we became a group that works in tandem with the town, spreading our message of inclusivity. Even re as recently as
018last week, we sent her a barrage of questions and promptly Jen got back to us with her response. She opened a lot of doors for us. Uh she has been our rock of Gibralar, our friend and an incredible leader. Jen, we send you our good wishes and know that you have a home and a family right here in Ashland. Congratulations on your new job and we know we are sending off the best of the best to them. Not that I really care about them just thank you. Thank you registry. Uh anyone else for public participation? Seeing any hands? Okay, great. We're going to move to the next item in our agenda. I'm going to welcome uh Jack Patrick Lewis, our state rep, and Senate President Karen Spila. I don't know if you're going to both
019come up together um or if you want to do one and then the other. Um I am going to let you know this, their time is limited and we are not going to be opening this to the public for questions. We are going to allow if the select board and I know we're going to have some school committee members um attending as well. And uh maybe Jim, I'm not sure is Jim on there. Okay. Um only because of respecting of their time. if afterwards, you know, you have a specific question, you can certainly reach out to their offices to get those questions answered. Um, I also expect that with their reports that they're giving us tonight that a lot of the potential questions we may have may already be addressed. So, go ahead. And I
020want to say welcome Karen, welcome Jack. We appreciate you taking the time to be here tonight. Thank you. It's always a pleasure. And surprise surprise, we want to start out by thanking Jen. Uh thank you so much for everything you've done for all of our residents and the community as a whole. You have really helped to make Ashland a richer place, a warmer place to live, uh and have contributed in so many areas. You've heard from only some of the people the highlights. So uh I want to thank you. I have a U Senate citation uh that I will give her and I think Jack has a house one. Uh the Senate says, "Surprise surprise. Yes. Be it known that the Massachusetts Senate extends congratulations to Jen Ball in recognition of your outstanding service to
021the town of Ashland for nine years as the assistant town manager." And it goes on to say that the Senate, all the Senate extends its very best wishes uh signed by me um as both your senator from here from Ashland and as Senate President uh and wish you all the best of everything. Uh you you leave us in better hands. So thank [Applause] you Jen. I want to join the chorus of folks. I, as the Senate President said, also have a citation. Uh, very similar wording, but I'll read a little bit. Uh, be it hereby known to all the Massachusetts House of Representatives offers its sincerest congratulations to Jen Ball in recognition of nine years of dedicated service to the town of Ashland, uh, signed by the speaker of the house, uh, and myself on
022this 16th day of April, 2020. Congratulations, [Applause] Thank you. Um, so I'm going to start. I will try to condense some things and then turn it over to Jack. uh because the House came out with its version of the Ways and Means budget today. Uh and talk a little bit about legislation and what's going on on the federal level briefly as well. Um so thank you. It's great to be here and be before you chair. I'm going to call you by your first names because you know Yolanda, Brandy, Joe, Claudia, and Makita. It's wonderful to see all of you. Um I feel like this is home actually and in being here. So, thank you and Michael and Jen and all the other folks that are here. Um, I want to thank my partner at the
023state house, Jack Lewis, Representative Jack Lewis, who's been a terrific advocate, friend, and partner fighting for Ashland as well. And, uh, we work really closely together and are in constant communication for district issues, for Ashland issues. And it's uh, I really value that. Not all senators have that with their reps. So, it means a lot to me. So, I publicly thank you again for that, too. I do want to introduce I have two uh terrific members of my district team here. Sue Nichols, uh my district leader here, and Jessica De Benedictus, who's on my district team and is from Ashland. Um yes, she started out on my youth advisory council several years back and continued to work with us and is now a a wonderful part of my team. and it's great having her uh
024with us. So, so thank you. Um I want to thank everybody here, not only on this side of the room, but I look at folks on this side of the room and you all put so much time and energy into Ashland and making Ashland a better place. So, thank you very much for that as well. So getting to to the budget, I'll talk a little bit about the budget with her re the governor came out with her recommendations in January. The House uh released its today uh and they will do their version of the budget the week after school vacation week and the Senate comes out with its version the first or second week in September. In September in um May. I know we're jumping ahead here trying to block out some of this move
025forward. Yeah, I know. Um in May and will be done before Memorial Day and then June is when the two branches hash out the differences. So the good news um on on the state revenue side is that revenue collections have increased yearover-year things are tight. They're not terrific, but they're they're not as bad as was originally forecasted two years ago, a year and a half ago, when all the economists were saying there was a good chance of a recession going on and that 2026 was going to be a tough year. Uh our revenue is is at least increasing. It's above uh the original fiscal year 26 p projections. That's the good news. The bad news is something I think all of you are hearing as well. Uh the chaos and t tremendous uncertainty coming from
026the Trump administration in Washington. Federal funding cuts to services and grants will have a very significant impact on Massachusetts. Um a lot of these bud budget cuts I believe are cruel and uh not at all necessary. Um, just to give you an idea, we have a $62 billion budget. We have approximately 12 to$16 billion dollar of that reimbured by the federal government for Medicaid services. We have taken advantage of getting a lot of our residents on health insurance and getting good health care. um and all the other things that Medicaid kicks in for our seniors, our veterans, our disabled. Uh if some of that is cut from 12 to 16 billion dollars, even if 12 billion is cut or 13 billion just from Medicaid alone, that is a significant percentage of our state annual budget.
027On top of that, uh I think all of you have heard there is the um attempt to get rid of the federal department of education. Uh that we get between two and four billion dollars in aid from the federal department of education. Some going directly to school districts, some to the the state. A lot of that is for our special needs students and transportation and school meals and a lot of other I mean PEL grants and higher education grants. Uh if we lose a good portion of that that will tremendously and negatively impact our budget. I'm hearing uh from our veterans and who would have thought that our veterans would uh be targeted in in with these cuts as well. Um, I heard from a veteran four tours of dur duty in Afghanistan, came back,
028got a job at the with the VA. He was fired by the VA recently for poor performance because that was the only way they could fire him and he's also having difficulty accessing his benefits because there's not as many people at the VA right now either. Um it's it's touching unfortunately uh so many people across Massachusetts and across our country. And we have a good rainy day fund. I've been working really hard and working with the House to build it up. It's it's $9 billion. But if we um get all of these cuts in our budget, there's no way that we can fill all of the gaps. And I'm just saying that as a word of caution because we don't know at this point what's happening. The governor did her bud budget in January before
029any of this was triggered. Uh the house is did did its budget based on the same numbers as the governor because don't know what exactly is happening and most likely the senate we will do the same thing. We don't know. I mean everything is reversed. So, you know, the next day, the day after things change, it's like a moving target as to how to budget. Um, and I know that doesn't make it easy for for the town of Ashland or any of the municipalities. It creates anxiety and uncertainty. We understand that because we're feeling it, too. And we don't know um what what will happen. Um but uh I can tell you that that um we will try to work with you. I think close communication's really important. Try to protect as best as we
030can. Um and and uh the Senate two weeks ago I announced a Senate response to the the uh Trump project 2025. Uh I called it Senate response 2025. And the whole uh umbrella of our actions will be to uh learn more of what's going on, educate and communicate that with our constituents and our our cities and towns because you don't know what's going on. Um but ultimately to protect our residents, defend our values, and help to lead Massachusetts. And that started the day that I announced it. We had a hearing uh Senator Cindy Cream uh Senate Chair of the Senate Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change had a hearing trying to uh get more to the bottom, get find out more about what some of the cuts mean to climate and global warming and
031what can we do as a state. Uh we filed a bill uh this past Monday uh Senator Cindy Freriedman, the healthc care finance chair and head of steering and policy on uh protecting uh women's reproductive rights and rights to health care and gender affirming care. And we will continue to do what we can. Uh we will be looking at all of the different areas. I've tasked the steering and policy committee to meet with all of the Senate chairs to find out what they are hearing. We will meet with the attorney general. There's so many lawsuits going on, find out what suits are going on, what has been successful so far, what are still waiting, and just to keep the the lines of communication o open. I think that there has to be um working to
032a working together of ultimately the House, the Senate, the governor, and her administration and the attorney general. That's the only way that we're going to get through this. And that's the only way then that we can better communicate this in unison to our municipalities, to our constituents to better understand. But ultimately uh only Congress can really fix some of this in terms of the budget or or stop some of some of the cuts. Um we'll have to see what ends up happening. Um you know I could talk a little bit about you know the governor's budget increased chapter 70 full funding of the circuit breaker and um you know gave some increase with local aid. Uh again, I I feel like it would be good to let Jack go through what the House went, you
033know, did and then again, it'll come to the Senate. Um but I I think that uh all of you know that education has been a really important part of my career in the legislature. So, we will continue to uh prioritize uh from cradle to career. Early education and care has been important. We reformed it last session. We put a billion and a half dollars to it. We still need to do more with it. K to2 fully fund the student opportunity act. I was hoping to take a look at it uh this coming se starting this coming session because it's a multi-year process. we will at least take a look at some aspects of it knowing that many of our consunities, Ashland included, um is still hurting over the chapter 70. And uh I will continue
034to help fund the public higher education to continue free community college and lower the cost of tuition and fees for our public state universities and our UMass system. Um, you know, uh, I think, um, I just would like to spend a couple of moments to talk about our legislative, uh, accomplishments last session. Um, we had probably the most productive legislative session, two-year legislation in decades. Uh, and it's something that, uh, I I think that we all can be proud of. Right out of the gate, we started with a major tax relief proposal, the largest tax cuts in the history of Massachusetts, helping all of our residents from uh increasing our child care credit and dependent care credit, doubling the senior circuit breaker, uh doubling the estate tax credit, and there are so many other areas
035that so many of our residents will benefit from. And I hope particularly as they fill out their taxes or hopefully filled out their taxes that uh they can see some some benefit of that. We made community college free. We invested in early education and care passed major climate and global warming education. Um we made fair-free RTAs. Our RTA has expanded and grown from that providing better transportation, public transportation. You know, that has been an important issue for me as well. It's an equity issue and it it's great to see that continuing to grow and provide weekend service, evening service and expand the service. We did comprehensive economic development and so much more. uh maternal health care uh an opioid prevention bill um and major gun reform to ban ghost guns and uh 3D printer guns
036um and and again so much more. I know last month that we extended the public hybrid meetings uh until 2027 and I just want to let you know that I'm committed to working with all of you to make that permanent. Uh, we were hoping to do that, but at least 2027, but it seems crazy to me to have to worry about that expiring, you know, and just just do it. It seems to be working. Just do it, right? It's I agree. I agree. We all thought the same thing, but I'm glad you're I know. I know. And uh participation has just increased so much. Public participation, civic particip participation in allowing people to know, have a better sense of what's going on and feel included. you know, for so many reasons they can't always come
037to, you know, town hall or where the meetings are. So, um, you know, we'll continue to look at that. Um, I know, uh, that, um, that you probably will have some questions or thoughts about 40B, the Municipal Empowerment Act. So, I'll leave that for the question and answer because there's a lot of different components and I look forward to hearing from all of you. what are the pieces that are important for for Ashland? What will help um continue to make Ashland a better, stronger uh inclusive community? So, I look forward to that discussion and I will turn it over to Representative Jack Lewis. Great. Thank you. Thank you so much, Karen. Uh it is a great honor to represent Ashlin together and I can't imagine the last nine years without you as a partner. She
038said it, but it is true. Not every House member gets along and has as productive a relationship with their senator and vice versa. And uh I'm very very fortunate that we have that open line of communication. We're friends and uh we're in constant communication. Uh so grateful for this opportunity to come. We were at Framingham City Hall last night for um their annual invitation. I think we were there for a little over an hour and a half. So hopefully your questions will be robust. Saying it was longer, but yeah. No, but uh you're being polite that you always are. Uh but being able to connect with all of you over the last eight or nine years, you were everywhere in the community. You're never shy. Uh and I always look forward to if it's catching
039up at coffee or seeing each other at the farmers market or around town at something. Uh just having that relationship with you all as the local electeds makes our jobs not just easier but productive uh more productive in a way that's probably hard to put into words. Uh the the Senate President went over a lot of things and I started crossing crossing some highlights off my my list. So uh we'll see. I'm joking. I I have plenty still more to say. Uh I figured uh there was a reason we were there for an hour and a half last night. Uh so as the Senate President said, great uncertainty from DC, irresponsibility especially around how government is funded. Uh I think the state is trying to prepare itself for what may be coming down the pike.
040Uh financially, especially given the uncertainty, but a lot of the laws we put into place, a lot of our deeply held values are coming under attack. Uh and we don't know what next Supreme Court case will be coming and what that means for Massachusetts. uh two years ago we tweaked our gun safety laws because of a Supreme Court case. I think the next one on gun safety may make that one look minor in in comparison. Uh so preparing for that, trying to to protect residents as much as we can. Uh what that means is as a state we're going to have to continue to be the adults, be responsible in our budgeting. Uh the governor's budget came out a couple months ago, 62 billion. Uh the House Ways and Means budget just came out seven
041hours ago. Uh so I've literally spent the last seven hours trying to wrap my mind around it. Uh the Ways and Means budgets come came out just under the governor's proposal. Uh the main reason is the House isn't including any tax increases or additional tax increases uh in in their version of the budget. Uh we're going to take up debate in about a week. Uh so we have until Friday to file amendments. So there there may be attempts to cut taxes more or increase taxes more. Most of the debate will be around uh line items and and local earmarks. Uh but you were against the tax on pharmaceutical products or candy. Uh Easter's around the corner. Uh the house eliminated those at least from uh their ways and means version of the budget uh budget.
042Uh when it comes to Ashland, the house um increased uh the chapter 70 public education funding. Last year, I think the final number was around 11.5 million. Uh the House uh budget has that about 12 million. Uh so a slight increase over last year. Uh but as the Senate President said with 16 mil billion or about 25% of the budget coming from the feds one way or another, we have to be prepared for what might be coming. So, we're going to pass a budget and as always, we're going to stay nimble uh and stay responsible, especially as uh tax revenues come in over the next year and threats of uh closing of financial pathways uh hopefully, well, hopefully not materialize. Uh when it comes to uh the fair share amendment, I know some of us
043have discussed that a lot over the last eight, nine years. Uh we actually in our very conservative budgeting uh under anticipated how much money was going to come in in that excess revenue. Uh and so the House took up a supplemental bill just last week. Now uh to take the additional funding and put it towards public transportation and education. Uh but the main chunk and the thing I think I'm most excited about in that was 58 million to fully fund the current fiscal year's deficiency uh in the circuit breaker, the special education circuit breaker. uh and then 190 million towards next year's. Uh so the new budget has funding there as well. Uh but been able to carry 190 uh million forward uh to make sure we keep up our obligation. Uh uh I think
044the Senate President mentioned it was a productive legislative year. Uh sometimes the press didn't share that uh uh fact very often or or very correctly. Uh, a lot of the bills we pass are huge. Uh, and so if you take it out and you realize how many bills are contained within a bill, it was the most productive session we had. Uh, I remember a reporter complaining about we only passed x number of bills. And it's like you passed we passed nine of my bills last session. Like how can you say we only passed a handful when nine of mine were in there? Uh, and I have 199 other colleagues. So I I'm looking forward to to seeing how we can continue that progress. Uh on a personal front, I was made the chair of the
045joint committee on municipalities and regional government. Uh it's kind of ironic. I was chatting with one of you, I think a couple days before that appointment about the governor's municipal empowerment bill. Uh and I remember when we were talking thinking, hey, this is important information. Whatever committee gets that bill, I'm going to have to share this with the chair. Uh I'll have to schedule a meeting so I can make sure I I relay that information. And then when I got the appointment, I realized that bill is going to be coming to my committee first. Uh and so while we're already meeting with stakeholders in the house about, you know, line by line what the governor is putting forward as her recommendation, I'm the state rep for Ashland. I'm the state rep for Framingham. And so
046I need to hear first and constantly from you all about what the governor's recommendations might mean for you on the ground. Uh I'm going to hear from folks in in larger communities. I'm going to hear from the MMA. uh all important perspectives, but you sit there. Uh and if I can't help Ashland and Framingham in this position, then I don't know what I'm doing. Uh so I look forward if it's the town manager, if it's town manager and one or two of you, we'll have to figure out the open meeting stuff if it's all of you. Uh but hearing from you, I I've never unlike the Senate President, I have not served in local government. Uh the the governor was the attorney general before she became the governor. Her team is great. Uh, but I
047want to make sure the recommendations they're putting forth actually will play out in a positive way on the ground. And if you don't tell me, uh, then I'm I'm not going to know. Uh other bills before the committee, I uh think we're going to have about 350 bills before the committee ranging in everything from municipal finance, local governance, zoning, transportation, uh personnel, the environment, and about a dozen animal welfare bills that if you can figure out why they've been assigned to municipalities. Uh I I will be your new best friend. Uh but I I think that's that's it on the the grand overview. Uh, as as with previous years, I I filed uh about 30 bills myself. Uh, it's a great problem to have. Many of the bills I've worked on since I was elected
048have become law. And so, we're starting some some new conversations. Uh, one in particular that I just wanted to point out, uh, that we'll be talking more about eight years ago, uh, I met with a group of doctors who were trained abroad. uh some of whom were medics for the US military in Iraq and Afghanistan who their medical expertise was good enough for the US military in the early 2000s uh but because they worked with the US government they're now refugees living here uh and some of those doctors are driving taxis or bagging groceries all fine careers uh but if you were a leading surgeon in your home country and devoted your whole life and took on that debt and now you're living here uh and happy to be living here and not able to
049to put your your love into practice. Many of them weren't very happy and their skills weren't being utilized. So, eight years ago, working with uh Senate and House leadership, we created a commission which sometimes in government leads people to roll their eyes. The commission met, put forward some serious recommendations, and last year working with Senate and House leadership, we passed a law that creates a concrete pathway for foreign trained professionals, physicians uh to get licensed in Massachusetts, maintaining the highest standards, not making it easier, but just spelling out a concrete pathway, uh requiring that they give back to the community, serve in a high needs field and a high needs community. Uh and that was signed into law last November. didn't get a lot of press. Uh, but I can tell you that there are
050many folks, well, anyone in this room who struggled to find a a primary care physician, uh, and folks who are our neighbors and our medical experts and not able to meet that need. So, I think I'm going to strive to do a better job of calling attention to some of the bills that we passed in the House and the Senate that, you know, local media being what it is, these things aren't catching headlines. uh and sometimes well I know and I think you know that there's great power in what government can do uh I think in this political climate it's probably more important than ever so uh with that I think we are happy to take any questions within reason within reason to open it up to the board any questions comments you want to
051jump in ahead Well, thank you uh both for your time here tonight. Um, you know, first I I just want to talk a little bit, you know, Karen, and say I don't think, sorry, Senate President, I don't think there's anybody I don't think there's uh anybody in the state that has had a greater influence on education funding than you. And I just want to say that um I continue to appreciate that you know sometimes over years people don't realize what went on in the early days and uh we do we do and I just want to thank you for that Henry too but we were we were pairing absolutely but but no really thank you um really for taking it to the state level and and and doing as much as you've done for education
052and for the children in the commonwealth. 12. Um, so I do hope we can continue to do more and as I know you do. I think that we probably had hoped that the millionaire's tax would um give a little a little bit more um to K to2 education and I hope as you indicated that down the road that would would still be the case. Um, you know, just in terms of some of the 40B concerns that you've heard tonight, I I know that you understand these concerns very well. Um it's, you know, there are issues because of Nyanza. There are issues because of just keeping this community livable. You know, we're relatively small. We're 13 and a half square miles, something like that. Neighboring communities are much larger and and much more able to land
053mass in terms of being able to add housing. This law has been in place since 1969. I think it doesn't seem to have really worked very well. I really um I I am really angry, I have to say, with the governor um for forcing this on us. I know how hard you both have advocated to try to give us some power in all of this. Um, and I think part of the reason that this na nationally we're in the the situation we're in is because people are frustrated with having things that don't work for them on their in their day-today lives and that um so somebody says some outrageous thing and that might be no truth involved whatsoever um but they grasp for it and I know that I personally uh feel that that level
054of frustration with what is going on when um you know we have very good reasons. I think Mrs. been Friday articulated many of those uh quite well. And so if there is something that you can suggest um that we could do in terms of trying to work with the governor on this, I would think be in part because if some of the some of this happened um with those other two developments that kind of came off our roles during um COVID, it would seem to me that a reasonable approach would be to say that if if some to be held harmless for because of COVID, right? That that though that period of time caused the funding mechanism to become or or for the um one development to become less uh financially feasible for another one
055to end up in courts. Those those are things that weren't, you know, we have no control over. And I think that co the impact of COVID on um housing and the the costs associated with building um that to me that's an opportunity to hold communities harmless who were making those steps to to reach uh 10%. So um I'd appreciate it if there's anything that you all could suggest that we could do in terms of trying to reach out to the to the governor. Um, and then lastly, just on a national front, I again I I feel as though with what's going on in our state, sometimes I I can understand the level of frustration that that people around the country have felt and how they have felt left behind. Um, and it's left us in
056a position where now we're fighting for our constitution and our democracy. Um, so I I just feel very strongly about um We need to get all of our leaders listening to us, you know, not just the ones who um know us and and personally. So, uh if there's something that you can advise us to do, I I would be uh very grateful. No, I mean I think it it's on the ground starting here. Let's come a little close to the microphone. So people, you know, boots on the ground starting with meetings like this and and I know we have continued communication um and great lines of communication. I I think to that for that to continue and when there are issues we can arrange for meetings with uh the parts of the administration that are
057pertinent to to that particular issue. Sometimes there are differences. Sometimes um they still don't always agree to what we are presenting or asking for. Um but we can take a uh continue to take a look at it and see uh continue to see where there are maybe some paths to wiggle or make some changes or or adjustments. Jack, anything on that or it's okay if you don't. No, I have I always have so much. Uh I think on the 40b issue, as you said, it's been the state law for doing math. 60 some Yeah. years. Uh 69. So that's 30 30 56 years. Okay. Am I doing math right? Uh and I've been having conversations about what What laws could have been in place to have prevented Ashlin from falling behind because of with of
058COVID? Not anything that would be retroactive. I I I don't know how I've become so um not pessimistic. I'd like to think I'm pragmatic after nine years of being your state rep. Um but I'm trying to have conversations about looking forward what could have prevented. I I I don't want to give you false hope that state law is going to change tomorrow. It hasn't. there are other communities uh that are having similar questions and have continued to have those questions. Uh I know Michael Herbert, you uh presented something a couple years ago in town meeting that you know I listen to every word you say at town meeting, but there was but there's only one thing I've ever remembered. Um, you had a you had a slide of all the plots that this town had
059purchased over the years uh that in order to prevent growth and you used the phrase going back 1020 years the town had a slow to no growth policy. Uh, and I without a time machine to go back and make different choices, Ashlin's now at 6% affordability. It was at 8%. And so when I've when I've been pushing in these conversations, it's not that I can say Ashlin was at 10% and they slipped. It was they were at 8% had a plan to get to 10% and slipped to six. And so I I maybe that's too direct of a response. Uh but I I think with the push back we're as you've alluded to nationwide part of it I think is we need to hear our elected leaders say the truth and I think hopefully you've
060heard it from both of us always but in this case 40B exists so that communities get and stay at 10%. Uh and I just talked to Framingham about this yesterday. They're just over 10%. I said you need to do everything in your power to stay above 10% because if you slip 40B exists exactly for this reason and so is it imperfect or is it perfect? No, it's certainly not a perfect mechanism. Uh and there are lots of suggestions on how we can tweak it. Uh but there has not been agreements in the House or the Senate, Republican, Democrat, across the state, but what those changes would look like. Uh there are proposals to increase the 10%. I I don't think that's getting off the ground. Uh but I I hope that the town is in
061a place to continue to have those conversations with the developers. Uh I know it's not what most people uh want or imagined. Uh but that is state law. Uh and as much as I wish I could tell you that I'm going to go back and fight and maybe it'll change, I'm having those conversations and they're not gaining traction. And even if they were gaining traction, as we talked about safe harbor, it's not like we're preserving safe harbor. Um, which is a proposal that we could explore for communities that are at 10% affordability and slip. Uh, it's so yeah, may that's all I have to say on that, at least for now. Um, but I'll listen more at town meeting this year. I'm sure you'll have something equally. Uh it was just that map of plots
062of land that were going to be developed 10 to 20 to 30 years ago uh with different folks on the select board, different town manager that weren't uh and Ashlin's now at a place where exactly just to that point about 30 years ago 30 years ago Ashlin was the 11th fastest growing in the in the state and and we were uh absolutely trying to keep our chins above water while we were our school population was going through the the roof and that in fact is part of the reason that the Senate president became so um involved in trying to get the chapter 70 formula fixed. So then the ne the effort to maybe not be as friendly to adding housing um was in that at that point in time was trying to get us to
063to keep our heads above water at a time when other communities were adding um teachers and and electives at high school level. We were we were cutting them all and we barely kept our chins above. It's it's just uh you know if you want to talk history Yeah. That's the history. That's it. I appreciate I do appreciate honesty. I always I'm I'm still somebody that you can get in a room with and we can argue and disagree and we walk away. We are respectful of one another and that's being becoming a lost art. But you have that for me. I appreciate that. Uh Joe or Brandy or I have just a quick quick thing and and I appreciate everything that you both have done for us throughout the years and continue to do for us.
064Um, you know, the 40B issue is is it's been thrown in my side for a number of years, especially being on the affordability affordable housing trust committee and um it it's just like shoveling against the tide. And there's no way that towns that are that are, you know, behind the 10% like we are can can catch up unless they totally destroy the landscape of their their own community. And that's not what And that's not what our zoning bylaws were meant or what were put into place. They were put into place to keep a certain attraction of the community as it is. And and I just don't understand why in our local government or even the state state aspect of it, you look at what you have for zoning bylaws and try to make the 4DB
065fit into each individual town and municipality zone zoning bylaws instead of the other way around. and and and I think that would be an easier solution than trying to change everything from day one and start all over again. But so if you have if you have a builder that comes into town and presents a 40B plan and you already have design uh limits through your zoning board bylaws, well, they should be able to work within those zoning bylaws, but still have the 40B capability of doing the things they need to do to protect themselves that way. but not just totally blow it out of the water and say we're going to do what we damn want to do because that's not right. That's not fair. That's not what a democracy is. It's called compromise. And
066if these developers can't get that, then they they better start looking someplace else. That just it it's really it's really a thorn in my side when we do that. And I know you folks are up against the wall with this because you know it it's already written down in law. The laws can change. You can tweak the law. You can amend the laws. you have that ability to do that and I just ask that you try to try to do the best you can to to change that somewhat. Do that. Thanks. I I appreci appreciate that. And you know, like Claudia said, Doc uh Dr. Rufel was wonderful, was a great guy, great superintendent, and we would have tets now and then. By the end of the night, we still shook hands and we were
067still friends, but we we had differences of opinion. and that was okay to have, you know, but the word compromise is always the word that I always throw out in it is important. So hopefully maybe that's something the 40B group can can look into and maybe start tweaking local bylaws that fit into the the 40B laws that fit into the local towns and municipalities. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. Okay, Randy, I may have to interrupt you to do our hearing, but go ahead. No problem. So, first of all, thank you both for being here and for all that that you do for us. We are very fortunate to have both of you as partners at the state house. Um, the work that we do wouldn't be possible without without your support. Um, so you
068know, I'm I'm one of the things Karen that you talked about was with all this craziness that's happening on the federal level, one of your um goals is to to protect residents and that is one of our goals as well. Um, you know, we see what's happening on the federal level and we see it coming into our community as well. Um, and I was curious like what what is the state doing to help protect like our immigrant population um to make sure that people feel safe and if there is anything that um we can do as a as a board and as a community to help with that effort as well. Um actually before you answer I'm going to give you a few minutes to think about it. Okay. Well, we have to open a
069hearing and then we'll suspend it so we can finish our conversation. Uh, notice is hereby given that a public hearing will take place on Wednesday, April 16th, 2025 at 8:00 p.m. to review an application for a class 2 license. A class 2 license allows for the sale of used cars at 92A Nickerson Road, Ashlin, Mass. Go a group LLC. Jose De Jesus Garcia 92A Nickerson Road, Ashlin, Mass. Persons wishing to be heard on this matter are invited to attend the public hearing in person or by logging into the 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, Ashlin Mass, or by emailing Susan Roby srobymass.com. So that is the uh opening for the public hearing. If I could get
070a motion to suspend until we finish our conversation. So move and a second. Do we need to to do a a motion to open it first? No, it says announce opening a public hearing. So okay, I think if we just Yeah, we're good. Okay, I have a motion to suspend and second. All those in favor of suspending until we're done. I um so we are going to get to you. We're just going to finish our conversation with Jack and Karen. So patience if if you don't mind. Thank you. Appreciate that. Okay. So now you know. Thank you. This is a really tricky issue. Um state doesn't have a whole lot of control over ICE comes in and arrests somebody unfortunately. However, uh we do have uh in Massachusetts and the court has expressly upheld this
071that local and state law enforcement do not assist ICE if it's a civil issue. If it's a criminal issue, if and that's one thing that that people understand. If somebody has a criminal warrant taken out against them for decades, our law enforcement, local and state, has helped ICE arrest a criminal to get what you hear, get criminals off the streets. That has been going on for decades. And we will continue to help ICE for criminals. But if if somebody is alleged to be an illegal immigrant without any evidence or documentation to that effect or uh some of the other allegations that have been made against Massachusetts residents, local and state law enforcement, including the state police, do not assist ICE and they are not happy about that. But they keep on saying, "We want to
072go after the criminals. go after the criminals. We want to go after criminals. We don't want, you know, criminals, violent criminals on the streets either. So, we will continue to do that. Um there's not a lot unfortunately uh that we particularly in the state again Congress needs to act here to pass an immigration reform bill to be more explicit as to who's here legally maybe here undocumented and who um just how how all of immigration all the different layers play out. The state not have a role with that. But what you could do and what we are thinking of doing and and I'm hope I hope the house would do this too is to advertise and let residents know their rights. That is something that that is an action that we can do when we
073talk about protecting residents. There are specific rights that res the residence has and the AG has worked on producing documentation. If you want, we can help work with you to get that to you uh to disseminate to to residents and plan so that if something happens, at least residents know their rights as well. And you know, we could produce it in several different languages necessary and I think that is something that is tangible and concrete that could help. I would say yes to that. I think okay um I certainly have heard that if we know if if people know what their rights are as they're being you know either you know talked to by police or ICE that that would be helpful and also just as a peace of mind people know what you know
074they that would be that would be great because people are afraid to to go to doctors to go to a court they hear about somebody they were going for final citizenship and they were arrested. Um, you know, part of that is unfortunately, uh, the downloading of confidential private information that plugged into all [Music] of a couple other questions like I know you were talking about the millionaire's tax and sort of like the split that it's looking likely for between education and and transportation. Um, as things maybe become a little bit clearer in not necessarily a positive way um on the federal level and affects the the budget um for education. Would would that is there any wiggle room in that millionaire's tax? could could basically like first of all like would would there be I
075guess how how how much of that deficit could that make up and also if if needed like could that be switched over to to help bridge that gap under the the law that was passed it has to go to either okay or transportation and it has to be newer But it has to go to only those two areas. Um the governor did a split. It could be 5050. It could be 4060 one way or the other. Could be 2080 depending upon the circumstances. Okay. And the governor did their split. The house did your split. Yes. 6040ish, right? Education, transportation, education for 60%. Oh, in the budget that came out today, education and more in the Yeah, the supplemental budget, it was transportation at about 60%. So, uh, but as as you asked the question, I
076know I've had honest conversations with some of you as we debated this the millionaire's tax and the House and Senate have stayed committed to the letter of the law, which is why we didn't just roll over the excess revenue into the budget. We had a separate supplemental budget. it can't go into the general fund. It goes into a separate funding that has to be divided up. And and I would just add that when it was being discussed, not just by Jack and I, but by other people, there are people who if it gets changed, if the legislature does not keep it in education, transportation will make a lot of noise. Well, and I understand because that's promised. Sure. That's the law and and I'm not about to break the law. Plus there are so many
077transportation right the house in in the uh sir tax did 60% you said transportation in the supplemental budget yes tax yes and 40 education um I'm not certain okay round numbers but I know I know you had mentioned we may okay because I know you had said that there could be a2 to4 billion um gap between when you know if if federal funding does not come through. I was wondering if if it could be $16 billion, right? Yeah. The problem is is occurred. The House is doing its budget now based on our state revenue, right? We'll be doing our budget made based on our state revenues. Yeah. We may not know until July, August, September, October depending upon what is actually cut. And if large amounts are cut at that point, it will be up
078to the governor. By law, we have to have budget. So, she would have to make cuts cuts that allows her to make the cuts to ensure that we have a balanced budget. So, we may not know for several months. Exactly. Okay. Well, you know, and and as you know, we're in the middle of finalizing our budget. Um, in fact, tonight we're going to discuss the budget before we close the warrant for for Maytown meeting. And um, you know, as you can probably guess, the budget is already very tight. Um it's been a challenging year in a lot of ways and we're not even funding we're not even funding any of the things that we really need as a community. We're really like the levy the increase the 2 and a half% is really going to
079things like health insurance increases and things that we have very little discretion on. So it it you know um when I think about what could potentially we we're we're making some some hard choices as a community now and I know that if the funding changes six months from now we're going to have to make some harder choices. Um, so, you know, I'm I'm I'm I'm hopeful that um somehow Congress will stop the crazy because it really does affect people and I think um you know, we see that on a national level, but you know, we we know it's going to affect our residents as well. And when you hear that, those are areas that focus, but right now we're hoping to stay that way. still may not wanted to add a couple things on the
080I think the Ashland area group has done a know your rights training or is about to do one uh and online there are a lot of videos that have already been recorded so you all can do one uh eight years ago when we did know your rights presentations we'd rooms full of people together. Now, a lot of them have gone online. They're pre-recorded uh because there is great concern about people showing up and being in a room where they can't guarantee their own safety and we can't guarantee their safety. So, I encourage you regardless if you're immigrant yourself or not or or been a US citizen your whole life, every training I learn something. Uh I know the attorney general has put out guidance to schools. Uh the Trump administration a couple months said that
081ICE can now enter uh churches and schools, something that they hadn't been able to do uh because of previous regulations. So the attorney general put out guidance about if ICE comes to a school. Uh what they need to show in order to be able to come in. Uh we've had cases in other parts of the country where those policies weren't in place and ICE entered the school and without a signed warrant and without other things. Uh so I'm I'm grateful of the attorney general for that. Uh she's also joined lawsuits across the country uh and trying to sue if it's keeping federal funding at research institutions, if it's bringing back students that have been abducted by the government, uh if it's fighting to continue to have funding come for healthcare. Uh the courts are between
082us and uh the fear that I think many of us have. And while I don't have great faith that they're going to protect everything, they are uh slowing things down at the very least. Uh and I know the attorney general is really putting yourself out there. Uh I didn't mention it and you had just said it, so it made me remember. Uh in the House Ways and Means budget, we included a new line item. Uh it's probably insufficient in the funds, but it's at least beginning the conversation. Uh $1 million for gender affirming care. Uh, one of the things we're finding is folks that have relied on this care for their kids now aren't being able to access it. A lot of folks have actually moved to Massachusetts because they couldn't provide healthcare to their
083kids in their old states. They're now here contributing to the economy, um, paying paying high taxes and and reaping all the benefits of it. Uh, but now their kids are threatened to not have access to those same services as well. So, I know the House is beginning that conversation about how to bridge that gap. Uh, I wish I knew what the future was going to look like. Uh, there are businesses in places like downtown Firmingham that their business is down 40 to 50%. Uh, since this election, people are afraid to come out into the community. Uh, my kids regularly talk about the fear that their classmates have. Uh, some of them are not documented or they have loved ones that are undocumented. Uh, I work with somebody who, uh, has filled out the paperwork for
08420 members of her faith community where if their kids come home from school and parents aren't home, uh, they don't go into DCF care that she's the, you would come to her care. Uh, and that's just, you know, one person in one faith community in one community. Uh, that's happening across the country. Uh, and I'm hearing from young people, you know, as young as 12, uh, who have lived in the country their whole lives, only speak English, but are Latino, who are trying to figure out if they're stopped, how they can prove that they're a US citizen because they don't have a driver's license. Uh, they don't have a they don't walk around, not that your driver's license, but they don't walk around with a passport. Uh, and that fear, I don't want to fan
085it. I don't want people to to to think that, you know, around every corner they need to be afraid. But the reality is students are having their visas revoked. Students are being removed from campuses. Uh and I think if none of that tugs at the heartstrings, I think financially if students choose to go elsewhere for university, we're going to we're going to feel that in our economy. uh as professors start moving to places like Canada uh because there's guaranteed funding there. Uh but tourism actually plays a huge role in our economy uh and Europeans in particular, Canadians are making choices to go elsewhere. Uh and what that means is the millions and million actually billions that they would spend uh in the United States to stimulate our economy just isn't being spent. Uh, and so
086if if the stories don't tug at your heartstrings worrying about the the bottom line, hopefully will. Uh, but we're going to do what we can to to hold the line. Uh, and have to be nimble financially as we see what comes next. A lot of our research are just so many So it's shutting down. So we are shutting down possibly shutting down ALS heart disease diseases that affects in addition researchers both the researchers So we're losing this generation. So look at it. No, no, we're living under a veil of doom and gloom right now. Michael, you had a question then. I don't know if there's anyone um select board member, sorry, school committee who um wanted to chat or say anything. If you do, put a raise hand up already so I can be aware
087of that. But Michael, want you go you want to Paul? Okay. Um Michael, why won't you go ahead? Thank you, Madam Chair. Um, Madame President, Representative Lewis, thank you uh for everything that you do for the town. Um, Karen, I've I think I said the last time you were here, I've been I've lived in a district was on a fincom in a district where was the home to both the Senate President and the chair of the Ways and Means Committee and what they were able to contribute to the community was just fraction of what you've been able to do. So, thank you so much for uh for everything that you've done both on the financial level and the and the policy level. And Representative Lewis, thank you as well. It's it's been interesting seeing you
088grow in your influence and and the way that you have used those those powers to help your district. Um Ashlin being your favorite. Um and um but uh thank you as well for everything that you've done. Um, and I just want to, you know, bring it back to the housing conversation, but I want to maybe approach it from a bit of a different angle because, uh, sometimes I think we get caught up in the same type of arguments, but what is what is driving I don't think what's been sufficiently explained is what is driving the need for more housing in Massachusetts. We hear that we need more housing. We need more housing. We need more housing. what is driving that need? Um, and correspondingly, what is is there any evidence that has been shown that,
089you know, the way that we're going about trying to solve that would actually work? Like a two-part question. I I'll just say I think what's driving supply and demand. They can't live in their home and even then the homes are way overensive. They can't find a place that rent is can't find even single bedrooms. It's outrageous. So there is a shortage of housing. So part of what is driving housing we as a state um have not been building as much states that have lowered the cost. So some of it is housing production both for affordable and market rate when we did that tax relief bill. Um we put in tax credits to build our affordable housing communities and market rate. We want our police firefighters other work in the um and that's why you know
090we have tried I think build more didorous putting tens of millions towards housing production and rehabbing housing. There are across the state those There are lots of other things to turn office that's really expensive office builds kitchen. But it's a possibility. So we doing that as well and we're looking and I actually this new housing care on the Senate side has issue too and I've given him the mission I said nothing is we need to be bold and we need to be creative meet with people from all different backgrounds all different what can we do and do The housing bond bill is great, but you know it takes that is my Jack. Oh, I think on So, 13 years ago, my husband and I bought our house in Framingham. It was $235,000. Uh I think
091our mortgage is $1,300 a month. Uh but it was the only house 13 years ago that two people at that time no kids me my church salary his nonprofit salary could be approved for a mortgage for uh my neighborhood in Framingham is mostly teachers uh social workers nurses folks that bought a house around that same time that it was the only place in the metro west area they could afford a house. Bram used to have that reputation. my now house is now worth two to three actually three times what I paid for it based on what my neighbors identical house went for. Uh and what I'm finding is the teachers that used to work in places like Welssley and Newton and Nem even Ashland but couldn't afford to buy a house here had Framingham and
092to to some extent Marbor as well. Uh but unless you bought a house 13 or more years ago you can't not just buy a house uh but these apartments that are being built are luxury apartments. I I will not go down the road of what it means when somebody's paying 3500 for uh rent. And I promise you, it's not hurting your property values that they're driving a Lexus and uh moving into their luxury apartment. But that's not what teachers can afford. Uh it's not what nurses can afford. Uh we thought ours would be a starter house. You know, three kids later, it's now our forever home and probably our retirement home. And as much as my colleagues mistakenly often tell me I'm the the gentleman from Ashland, uh I correct them and often tell them
093the truth. Uh I love Framingham and I love Ashland. Couldn't get approved for a mortgage in Ashlin 13 years ago and I don't think I would be approved today either. We crunched the numbers. We couldn't do it. Uh Ashland 30 years ago was a place kind of like Framingham was 10 years ago. A lot of folks from Framingham moved here. Property values uh you get a lot for a bang for your buck. Uh, I I still hear from some old-timers at the state house when Ashland was derogatorily called Trashland, and I have to correct them. No, Ashland has come a long way. I've never heard that. No, but Ashley's come a long way now where it's not the place where folks from Framingham move where they can by buy a larger plot and a larger
094house. Uh what I'm most worried about is it's not if the teachers don't have a place to stay. Uh the person who worked at the grocery store, the the hairdresser, I'm talking to them and they're moving to places like Upton. Uh I looked it up on a map. It's a beautiful community, Oxford. Uh but folks that grew up in this community, Ashlin, Framingham, Metro West, uh their families have lived here for generations. Unless they want to live with their parents forever, there's nowhere to go. Uh, and what I worry about is that as we resist change as it relates to potential uh, more affordable housing, we're going to find that the community that we love today isn't going to be there in the near future because the the nurses and the teachers and the working-class
095folks that made Ashland and Framingham the places that I love, uh, that that welcomed me, aren't going to be able to afford to live here in 5 to 10 years. Uh we passed a law that increased access to ADUs. Uh talking to a lot of seniors who they no longer need uh four bedrooms and two baths. Uh but they also can't afford any of these new developments uh where they're going to move into a house for the their their golden years. And so they're looking for opportunities to stay. Uh some are moving back in with with loved ones. Uh, but I hope we continue talking about what it means that those folks who have paid taxes, put in their years of service as teachers in places like Ashland who then can't afford to stay. Uh,
096and so I I wish there were an easy answer other than we need more housing and the governor has not been shy about this. We need more housing everywhere. Uh, what that looks like I think is an important conversation and an important debate to have. Uh my hope is that we continue to seek to make sure it's truly affordable housing. Uh not just meeting the bare minimum, but what it would mean to actually build housing that I could be approved for a mortgage for or teachers or social workers. Um but as much as this is difficult conversation, we're going to be talking about housing uh forever uh as long as we're doing this work. So I'm looking forward to those ongoing frank conversations. I I I would just like to suggest though that that the
09740B housing that we're building isn't where the teachers and the um police officers and the firefighters want want to live. They're they're apartments that you know people might move on and the same way the condos were in Ashland where you'd lived in the condo and then you decided this was a great community and you were able to buy a single family home. I I mean that we're not that's we're not building affordable housing for families. That's not what's happening here. What's happening is developers are building something that will be financially productive for them. Um and so that's the problem I have. I'd be happy to build build um a bunch of homes or you know the Musterfield from Framingham when when you know men came back from the war and their families lived there. I
098I I could understand building that for our our you know town employees. Um so I just wanted to clarify that it's not that um not in favor of housing. I just this is a statistic and I don't have the exact specifics but through some different conversations and policy and different committees that I've been on my understanding is between 1980 and 2000 Massachusetts built X amount of housing. and I forget what the amount is from 2020 from 2000 to 2020 we almost built half of that amount. So that's one of the issues with the state needing extra housing. We're seeing it here and you know not that that's you know we have to solve the problem for everybody but that's one thing and the other thing in regards to apartments is we are supposedly and you
099know developers are hearing that people want apartments. they don't want some of the the condos and and also financially for them it's a little bit easier but it's not a debate amongst us so um Paul had mentioned that he wanted to ask a question and I know Makita didn't have a chance um did you want to did you want to ask them or I was just going to jump into the housing thing and just say you know so I'm not going to all I'm going to say is that you know nowadays it's kind of hard for people to afford you know houses for purchasing condos and people are forced to rent now. I mean, with 13 I mean, for $1,500 a month rents, you know, mortgages are even more astronomical than that. So, you know,
100I just want to throw that out there. Okay. The issue is the salary in equities, right? Yeah. If you could go up. Yes. Then we're And then I have a lot of uh opinions on the housing, but I'll stick I'll stay in my lane. Uh so Paul Kendall uh six ribbon I I appreciate uh everything both you do and and your time. So uh I have a question and then just uh something to advocate for. Jack, I think you mentioned in uh what just came out of committee that you were looking to take some of the excess uh and and fund the circuit breaker. So I'm assuming you're talking about the uh the deficiency in the transportation section of the circuit breaker. The state. Yes, the state. Yeah. U and so just on that, we've
101had a couple of tribard meetings and I brought it up there. Uh we do have the new new revenue from the millionaires tax and things like that. And while I fully support and and really love the initiatives with uh free community college and all that, that's really important. uh you want to talk about something that impacts us is ensuring that we fully fund one of the most dynamic components of our municipal budget. Uh we feel very strongly in what we need to do to service all of our children here in Ashland and keep them there. Uh but it's also one of the most volatile parts of our budget. Um and so uh to my concern I've shared with the during the tri board is not that not taking a backseat to the other commitments that
102we've made with so ensuring that we fully fund now both parts because we have the transportation part that's you know now fully on boarded. Um is that really you want to talk about something that can dynamically change our budget from from almost day to day. um and then has has dramat dramatic impacts. So that's something that from our perspective you you want to make sure that we're as stable as we can be. Uh ensuring that we can uh fully fund both components of the circuit breaker going forward is is something I would definitely advocate for. after to hear. Um, appreciate that. Thank you. And and for those who are watching and listening and a lot of people here are very involved. So circuit breaker is the funds that we get from the state to help
103us pay for our special needs and their programs. And the one thing to remember is we as a town have to pay the first 40,000 and then there's the a percentage that we get for the rest of their funding from the state and the commitment to fully fund might still not cover all of our expenses. Um, but that's what the discussion is. And one thing I've always said is that the whole circuit breaker funding and program needs to be reviewed because for a community like ours, we just had two or three students move in and that's going to hit our budget by minimum the 120 because we have to cover those first 40,000. So, and again, that's a discussion you and I have had, Jack. So, anyway, thank you, Makita. Anything else that you wanted
104to Okay. Um, I appreciate you both being here as well. Um, I think a lot has been covered, so I'm not going to try to add any more to it. I want to be respectful. Thank you both for being here. Um, I would like to ask one last thing before we go. So, you both brought citations for Jen. Um, and we've celebrating Jen. One of the things we like to do is take pictures with people. So, if you would agree to a group picture of the whole board with Michael and Jen and the two of you to sort of celebrate the fact that you're here and uh I was actually looking at some my memories on Facebook and there was one from probably about seven or eight years ago when the two of you were
105here and it was Carl and it was the two of us as the you know Karen you and I as the only women standing here with the rest of the board. Um so to celebrate. Well, you know what, Joe, turn turn around is fair play. Anyway, so if you guys would, and I'm sure Beth, we could ask you or someone else to take a picture of all of us. I'd greatly appreciate that. We're going to take just a second to do this picture and then we'll move on to our agenda. on 92 Nickerson Road, the body auto body shop and um we're going to be partners on the on the dealer that we want to open. You know, I'm going to be the one taking care of the cars to repair them, have them ready,
106and also do the sales because of the language. you know, I'm going to be the one taking care of that. He's going to be the one taking care of finding the cars, you know, for us to do. Um there's uh we're going to have two offices. One is going to be one for the just the dealer. We're going to have another one just for the clients, you know, um insurance and what else? And um that's pretty much we, you know, okay, want the opportunity to be able to, you know, grow and um yeah, supporting business. We like to do that. Uh questions, comments from board members regarding the information. Joe, for me, thank you. Appreciate that. Uh Mr. Garcia, I was uh I took the liberty of going down uh Nichson Road to take a
107look at the uh the site. I've always I always do that because uh class two licenses are kind of important uh because we we want to make sure that one they're reputable and the location doesn't look like Sanford and Sun and um looking at the location as it is and I don't know what you plan on doing for work there. Um I I don't know where one business starts and where another one ends. I see cars and some in disarray. Some had their hoods up. Some some are in different locations and stuff. Um, and I don't know exactly where your specific map and where your business is actually going to be located at 92. So, you might you just said something about the fact that you plan on repairing the vehicles on site. Is that
108is that correct? Yeah. Inside. Yeah. Inside. We're going to fix it there. Cuz I'm sorry to interrupt you. No, no, no. It's okay. There is there's another business next to us, but we have nothing to do with that one. It's a little one on their right side. Well, that see that becomes somewhat of a problem because there's really no definitive line uh showing where their their property boundary is and where your property boundary is. So, if they have vehicles there and you have vehicles there, it's hard to distinguish which one is yours and which one is theirs. And if someone was to go around like myself and start counting cars, if we give you a class two license uh for 12 cars and I go down there and start counting cars and I count 28
109and you're you're over the limit of cars that you have been given the opportunity to sell, you're going to get a letter of, you know, reprimand. So, I I think what you you need to do is to make sure that there's a more of a definitive line as to where your boundaries are for your business. That that that for me would make things a little bit clearer for me. I mean, um I just we're the licensing authority. I want I want to make sure that everything's on the up and up, not only just for you, but for your clients, you know, and and for your neighbors around there and and other businesses because a lot of the other businesses are there keep their places up. you know, uh, if you go down there, it looks
110like, you know, the golden mile for, you know, class two, class two cars. So, um, I just want to make sure that everything's going to be, you know, neat and clean to the to that to that aspect of it because I just don't want it to start looking like, you know, uh, a chop shop. No, no, for no for no other phrase or or or, uh, description. Okay. Okay. So, I I still have some concerns. I'm a little I'm a little worried about where it starts. where it ends. And uh but I appreciate you telling me that you're going to be doing the work and it'll be inside because I noticed there were several hoods opened up uh opened uh you know on the outside area. So I I was a little concerned about that.
111No, no. Everything's going to be inside. And um so we have the lease for the the whole building that building. Yeah. We have the the back all the back is a big parking lot and then one on the side too extra. So that all of that it's us you know. Um, so both 92A and 92B. No, no, no, no, no. Oh, just 92A is you. Okay. Okay. Yeah. No, no, that one we have nothing to do with that one. I don't know barely see the owner on to be honest with you guys. So, no, I didn't see a fence on the back side of the building. I didn't I didn't get out of my car. I just drove around and, you know, I just I didn't want to trespass on your property without you knowing
112who I was or whatever. So, I just did a you know, a visual. So, is is there a offense that uh that will if you're going to store cars there uh to repair, are they going to be behind a fence or are they going to stay open to you know to the line of sight of of people that are coming in to look at you know your cars that are ready for sale? So the cars are going to be ready for sale. They're going to be all in the front. Yeah. All in the front. Okay. That's why we uh have the other we just um um lease that one the other space so we can put no clients. Not not the one for sale. So, the cell door going to be in the front. Okay.
113Will you be doing any other repairs for any of the other last two licenses that are on uh Nickersonson Road? No, just for the ones that we just just So, nobody No, nobody else. Yeah, nobody else. Okay. All right. I appreciate that. Okay. Any other questions or comments? I had a question. So, um, our our police chief, Chief Rossy, had sent an email that was with our, um, information today, and she had said that that it looked like there were current vehicles parked in the spaces already, or is that the other business? Is there is there is there currently vehicles that are parked there in the in the 12 spots that that you have on your map? Yeah. Um, right now we have a couple, but I mean we still got to move them around.
114Like I said, we have all the space in the back. We have all the space on the other side. So, all of that, we're going to move all of that. We're going to um uh make lines uh for the parking spots for each car, you know, to make everything look better. Okay. And then, you know, there's going to be the end of it where it's going to separate from the other shop. So, there will be some separation from the other shop. Yeah. No, there Yeah. We're going to put lines, you know, trying to make clear that we have nothing to do with them when we doing our business. Yeah. Okay. All right. Thank you. Any other questions, comments, or concerns? I would like to see that work done before we issue the license unless we
115make that contingent upon issuing a license that that work get done within within a specific time frame. So, the painting of the lines. You'd like to see I would like to see that. I'd like to see the painting of the lines done based on the map that they gave us correct before the license is issued. Okay. So that way we have a better understanding of where your vehicle you know what what vehicles are who um and and if you if you don't have any intentions of you know blocking the back area uh from from the road from the road line of sight u then that that's your decision to make but most cases they usually block up those vehicles if they're going to be if they're going to be there for a while. Yeah. The
116only thing I see for that is where they're showing they're going to have the one through 10 lots are right on Nickerson right right in the front. So I don't think they they'd want to be able to, you know, for sale signs there. Yeah. Okay. Uh Makita or Claudia, questions or concerns or any other things you'd like to add? No, I think my questions were answered I think for for my colleagues here. Okay. I was gonna just say too that I'd like to kind of see it before or make a contingent. I thought that was a good Yeah, I would just say that obviously you're hearing concern about what it's going to look like and how neat it is and how you're going to monitor the cars. Um so, okay. Is there any other deliberation
117that we want to add to this? No. The only thing that I was thinking about is I'm not sure how much it's going to cost them to get it, you know, ready and then for to be risking us saying, "No, we're not going to give it to them." Would it would it be possible instead of and you know, it's up to them, but if they wanted to take that leap and then risk, right, or would it be acceptable if they were able to show us a design um that we agreed upon? What? I'm not sure what anybody thinks about that. I'm just trying to So, on the on the plans that they gave us, there shows where they're going to put it. And if you look at if you go to Google Maps and do
11898A I mean that's the nice thing about having the computer in front of me is if you look at Nickerson Road you can sort of see that along the property line on Nickerson Road is where my understanding is the one through 10 will be and then 11 and 12 will be on that side road so that they'll be pointing towards Nickerson Road here. Yeah. So 11 and 12 would be on the 1 through 10 would be there and then 11 and 12 would be Yeah, I saw the um Yeah. So I think I mean actually Yeah, it's in it's in there as well. So I mean I I understand that we want the work done but to Claudia's point to to I would say that we my recommendation would be that we approve the license
119with the work being that the work needs to be completed. Do we give it a And when we when we go to because they'll have to renew in the fall, if we can do a double check in the fall that if the work hasn't been completed that if the lines aren't there and it's not clear the walkway and where the cars are that we may not renew it. Okay. Does that make sense to people or do we want to give a timeline of 3 to six months now? Well, the fall is the Yeah, that's that's what the timeline is. So renewal happens at the in November. So yeah, that's that I think that's acceptable. Okay. Okay. And no other deliberation or Okay. If I can get a motion to close the public hearing. Oh, actually,
120hold on before I do that. Is there anyone online or here that would either like to speak in favor of or against this? Is Sue still online? Any uh emails or anything? Uh I'm not seeing Sue. Oh, there she is. Sue, did we get anything on this? What you got was the stuff from the fire chief. Okay. Talking about all the cars that are in the back of the building and then along the side um he was concerned with having access. Okay. Okay. That that that's a good question. So, Mr. Garcia, the the fire chief had a concern about the vehicles that you were parking out back back of your building. Mhm. Um, you're going to have to make some access way for the for the fire vehicles to be able to get to that
121to that location should there be, god forbid, ever an incident where fire apparatus has to get to the back of your, you know, to the back of your building. And as of right now, the fire chief says there isn't proper access for that. Yeah. Actually took pictures. The concern is is that are those his cars or are those to the other business? Mr. Garcia just said that behind that building those are your vehicles. Correct. Right. Okay. Okay. So, there should there be a limit limited number of vehicles back there? I mean, how do you handle that? How I didn't again I didn't go on your property. So, how many vehicles can you guesstimate are out back there right now? I would say around um 10 around 10. Yeah. Okay. Do you plan on uh storing
122any more vehicles there other than just 10? Uh not for right now. But either way, like you know, I told you um that we got the other space right next to it. I don't know if you saw it. This a lot. We got we leased that one, too. So, we're going to put in cars there. Again, because of what you provided us, I can't make that determination as to where that is and and the other property owner. Okay. So, so it sounds like based on what we got what we received from our fire chief, there is concern about the part on the um on the other side. So, as if you're looking at the property map, you have 92A and then 92B, right? And if Nickerson Road is here, we have a plan for this
123part, but there's no plan for that back parcel around the 92B building. And you're saying that that lot belongs, you're using that as well. So, and that part because the building divides right with it where it starts the other one, you know, it starts my building. So, right that part that goes behind it when you when you can get out of there, that one it's not ours. It's the other business. Okay. You know, so the one from the half to this side, it's ours. Where the cars are, that's ours. Okay. Susan 92B is also some kind of car class two license, correct? Yes. No. Um I would I would have to look that up. Okay. I can look in the file and let you know. Okay, that's fine. Um, so again, any other conversation and
124then we can not Okay, if I can get a motion to close the public hearing. So move. A second. Great. All those in favor of closing the public hearing I I. And then is there anyone who would like to make a motion um regarding the striping and the other part of the lot? I would just suggest uh to Mr. Garcia that uh upon the issuance of this of this class 2 license that we uh that you have the ability to stripe the uh the parking area where those vehicles are going to be shown um for sale and um and on the the other piece of property that you have if you can at least make a boundary line or show where that property is because again like I said I I couldn't make that determination.
125Okay. All right. So, it will help us in the in the long run because again um it's a stickler for me. So, I usually go check and I'm pretty good that way. And um until maybe May, but uh at I would suggest that um if you get that lined out so that we know where that property line is, we can you won't be charged another, you know, seven seven or eight cars that are parked there that aren't yours. Yeah. You know, so we're doing that for your behalf. No. I appreciate that. So, I didn't see this before. Are you guys going to have us any kind of spray booth for painting? Um, no. So, we rent um there's a a Medina Coalition. It's right in front of us. We rent because uh there's Okay. Do
126they have one? Okay. If you were there, you probably saw it. It's right in front of us. Yeah, it's right in front. So, 92B is a detailing business. Susan, let me know. So, okay. So, if uh I can get a motion to approve the license with the understanding that the striping showed on the plan will be completed before the next license and that they work with the other business owner to um sort of show separation of the two businesses and that the vehicles that are parked out back allow access to the fire department. Fire for safety vehicles. might be worth having a conversation chief. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So, that's the motion that they have to stripe. They have to work with the other business to have um so that we can see and that they
127work with the fire chief and if those and when we review their um license um in the fall, those criteria have to have been met. Met. Okay. Okay. That's the motion. Did you move that? I I'll I'll move that. I'll second it. Great. Okay. Any discussion on that motion? All those in favor? I I Okay, that passes 5-0. Any questions on the motion and if you do, you can reach out to either myself or Susan to have clarification. Okay. And you'll have until the your So, you'll have to renew again in the fall. Um, so the work would need to be done before then. Yeah, we'll get it done as soon as possible. Perfect. Thank you. And Okay. Good luck. Good luck. Welcome to Ashlin for business and yeah, hope we hope it goes well
128for you. We appreciate you willing to do business here in town. No, thank you. Thank you for and thank you for your patience tonight. Great. Thank you very much. Thank you for your patience. Okay. Thank you all. We have Moving on. The other the clock tower pickle ball has been um pulled. Pulled. Okay. Y so that's been withdrawn by the applicant. Okay. Moving on. Another nice big discussion. Moving on to the discussion of the fiscal year 26 budget update vote and accept that budget uh and have it go into the town meeting warrant Michael andor Jen who's taken us through this. Well, I'll start off. I'm sure I'll hand some piece over to to JB over here to to help out with, but um so yeah, it's um yeah, this uh has not necessarily been
129the the easiest budget year u in a number of different factors and a number of different aspects. Uh but certainly uh one of those has been logistics. So there's been a number of versions of uh this budget that's been floating around. So, um, just for everybody's information, I'm going by, uh, tonight and right now what's in the folder. So, the electronic access. So, um, hopefully everybody is able to see that piece. Um, if not, just I'll be able to explain. So, first I' I just want to turn everybody's attention to the general fund budget overview. So just go through that and I think everybody recalls uh what our tri board discussion was where we um determined that we would uh move forward with an increased appropriation over and above what we were currently looking at
130at the time which resulted in obviously a larger deficit. Then the plan was to use American Recovery Act funds to um as well as a few other funds to help uh help with that def uh deficit, offset that deficit. And so um there's been really kind of a substantial change since that meeting and the finance director and I Britney so we've discussed and gone back and forth repeatedly on the best way to handle this and the the legal way to handle this. And so she is is recommending that instead going through ARPA or trying to appropriate free cash in the future to help offset the budget, we go ahead and go directly to the general stabilization fund, do a transfer from there in um at the town meeting in May and then when the free
131cash number with the ARPA appropriation hits in the fall, transfer um that money back into the the general stabilization fund. So that piece so it's um the mechanics is basically you end up with the same result but the mechanics are basically switched that everybody can follow along with that. So um what we did do then is so we added a line here under the revenue category excuse me for um general stabilization fund. So you'll see the appropriation or excuse me the revenue estimate there to be 1,481,367. Um, again, I just want to point out that this will be backfilled with ARPA funds when free cash certified in the fall. Um, you'll see right up above that, we will have the sped stabilization fund of 300,000 being transferred in. Um, the ARPA of uh funding request
132for a direct revenue replacement um is listed at 575353. Um and then the other change from the tri board meeting is uh under overlay surplus. And if you recall, we were um anticipating uh getting 300,000 being released from the board of assessors. Uh when they met today, they decided to on a on an amount of 150,000. So that was something that we had to account for. Michael, can I ask why they cut that in half? What was the rationale? Um, I didn't get a chance to really ask them and talk to them or talk to Don about it. I just told him he had to find it now in New Growth. So, okay. Um, but uh but in any case um that is the revenue picture including I think the one time only onetime revenue
133sources. Um, so that totals 83,882,573. And uh just a quick question and I'm sorry, Madam Chair, just the um the transfer from the U enterprise funds. Um that's that's allow that's allowed to do. We're allowed to do that as long as it's replaced, right? No. So what that that accounts for is like the indirect costs associated with like our enterprise fund employees. So the portions of other costs that are paid by the um more the benefits. Oh benefits. Okay. But salaries we try to do it direct. Okay. All right. Thank you. You're welcome. Um couple of questions. So one um the the circuit breaker reimbursement is that considered is that um under the charter tuition reimbursement or is it somewhere else? Uh that would come under under some that's a different separate yes separate date
134that doesn't this is basically with the cherry sheet. Gotcha. Okay. All right. Um and our policy on the stabilization fund was it was there was something about what a 10% reduction in revenue reduction in revenue. Are we do we meet that criteria to be able to do this? No, this would be going outside of the policy. Okay. Do we need to make adjustments to the policy? I think my suggestion um would be and might have talked about this is over the summer, I believe, meet and just do a more comprehensive review of all of our policies, uh, our financial policies, because they do need to to be tweaked. We've got gosh, 12 years, 11 12 years of experience, and they've served us well. So, I think, you know, the the bones of it structure is
135pretty good, but you might want to look at tweaking when some things are accessed or maybe percentages change or something to that effect. So, my just to I think when we vote before we vote this budget. Yep. We may want to vote to say we are going to allow that allow that based because the policies are just policies. They're not bylaws. They're not anything. You know, it's it was an agreement between select board finance committee and school committee. Yep. So, I think we just may want to say we're going to allow the use of these funds because of these uh circumstances and then to Michael's point, have a discussion in the summer about reviewing those financial policies that we have. Okay. And with the understanding that as Michael said, when those ARPA funds come out
136as free cash, rather than using our regular policy for free cash, we put this back to these extra these funds back to the stabilization fund and then use the rest of our policy for free cash. Okay. Because remember, it's not free and it's not cash, right? And is there a time I'm sorry. Oh, no. I just Is there is there a time uh table as to when that money has to be put back into the uh enterprise? Well, no, not to no mean the stabilization stabilization again because it's our policies. It's not again not Yeah, I mean I think we'd want to put it back as soon as we can, right? But it would be in the fall with when we review town meeting. Yeah. At fall town meeting. Okay. So in the ARPA funds,
137the way that it's structured, we have up until what? End of 2026 to use those funds or no they had to be allocated by the end of 2024. So that's that is why we we did the treatment that we did with the capital last year appropriation. Okay. So that way we met the met the requirements for both the reporting and the expenditure. So that falls to free cash that is basically that is I don't want to say free money but it's it means it's unencumbered is what I and if it you know after the conversation with Karen and Jack I would expect there to be some changes in our budget at some point in time where we have to adapt and possibly make some other um decisions. That's a good way to put it. So,
138you know, I know we we we consider the the stabilization fund like our rainy day fund. If there is a situation where things change, are we able to like I'm I'm just trying to think through sort of logically what what that would look like? What um if we would need to make cuts, if we could use more of the stabilization fund, if we could utilize other one-time funds to be able to cover those gaps. Um, so I just that's more of a theoretical question, but because we don't know what that's going to look like, but you know, I I get a little worried about using the stabilization fund now because I worry that we're going to need it. We're really going to need it. So, um, so I just I'm a I'm a little concerned
139about that. That's all. Yeah. I I I am as well. I think because we have these American Rescue Plan Act funds that we know we're going to be able to put back into it because we were going to try and use them for this onetime funding. I I think we'll be okay. But to your point, we are going to have to look at it in the fall as we see the, you know, see what happens at the end of 2025 as we go into 2026. One of the things that I've been hearing from different legislators and and is that they think 2026 might not be too bad, but we're not sure where we may really get it is in 2027, you know, fiscal year 27 as we start planning for that in the fall. Yeah.
140What does that what is that going to mean as potentially either more cuts or the budget from the federal government? And because we've and because we've allocated the ARPA funds the way we have, those are safe from being clawed back. Um, under the regulations when that was done. Yes. Um, okay. But we all know things can change. Okay. Audia. So, you know, I guess a couple of things. I I guess I'm not I guess I maybe need to sit with you, Michael, because I'm not really clear. Um Well, first of all, let me just say this. Why does Britney Why did Britney want to take this approach? I'm not sure I It's uh strictly from a legal perspective. Okay. Well, that's a good reason. Yep. Um and then um yeah, so anyway, so I do
141think I need to sit with you and and go over a few things. So, in terms of one-time funds that we're using here, could you just uh quickly highlight which ones those are for me? The the one time. Sure. So, um overlay surplus of 150,000. Yep. Um American Rescue Oh, sorry. Um American Rescue Plan Act funding. Um so, the revenue replacement piece. Yep. Um, and that's 575,000. Yep. You don't need to tell me the numbers cuz I Oh, okay. And well, actually, why don't you? Because unfortunately, the public probably does not have this document like we do. Yep. And then, uh, the special education stabilization fund of $300,000 and then the general the general stabilization fund of the 1.4 million, right? I just want to kind of be able to total those up and see
142uh what that number is. significant seven very significant 2.3 round round numbers any other questions or comments Claudia so thank you no I think we need to vote we have to vote we have to vote the budget tonight because or or if we don't feel like we have enough information, if people feel like they need a little more time, we could do a special select board meeting on a Friday or another. We've done that in the past. If people are not comfortable voting the budget if they have more questions. No, I I think I would still like to sit with Michael and just hash out a few things. Um I think that uh you know I I know Bless you where we are. bless you and um what we have to do to to get
143the budget and and I know that I'm not looking to uh make any cuts or that. So, okay. Uh Makita, any questions, comments, or concerns? No. Joe, good or have Yeah. No, no. And I I mean, of course, I thought my approach was legal, too. And then when we went to Lisa, she I can see both sides on this one. So, I was like, okay, well, then let's just And and the school committee was already accounting for it being 100% funded, the circuit breaker, right? In their numbers, believe so. That was discussed at the tribal group. Yeah, I I think I think so, too. Yeah. So, there's no found money there. It's just reassurance that we got tonight from Karen. Yeah. Yeah. Right. And and I think the the one thing as Karen was saying
144is that if something has to happen in the fall and they can't do full funding, then we may have to take a different approach in regards to circuit breaker andor if other special needs expenses come in. Okay. Um, so I would like to recommend a motion to allow us to use the funds from the g from the general stabilization fund as presented on a one-time um I would I move that we allow the use of general stabilization fund transfers even though it does not completely match our policy in how we are to use them for this year. Let's start with that. Oh, okay. I need a motion. I'll I'll make that motion. Okay. And a second. All those in favor? I I'm going to add a motion that says when we receive when we receive
145our free cash in the fall with these potential ARPA funds that we re we review our use of free cash. the policy that the policy that dictates how we do free cash. We take these ARPA funds first and then do the rest of our policy. That's another motion. No, I need some I'll make that move. Great. Any discussion on that one? No. Okay. All those in favor? I. Okay. Again, these are not easy discussions. Um so if people are watching and have questions about it, reach out and we can have a discussion. Okay. The next thing would then be to vote the budget before us that we will be then going to the warrant. This is just for the general fund budget overview. Um a budget of $83,822,57389 as presented. If I can get a
146motion to approve that budget. for fiscal year 26. Second. Any other discussion or questions? All those in favor? I. I. Okay. These documents once we're done with our meeting will become available if you have questions. Okay. So, that's the general fund budget. Michael, take us through the next budget. Yeah. The next one I have with that's listed on the agenda is the cable enterprise fund. Enterprise fund bud budget. Okay. um which um is actually going to be going down now u excuse me uh the revenues um are going to go down uh fortunately rather substantially and I think that's a trend that uh everybody's worried about you know potentially excuse me you know potentially accelerating even which you know could present even bigger problems so um the FY26 budget is uh 395 5,000 and uh
147that's a reduction 105,000 the preach. Questions or comments on the cable access enterprise fund budget? It's going to be 395,000 versus the 500,000 from last year. I believe some of that is based on they had um there's they had a position that they didn't fill plus other things. Yep. They didn't fill it in. Yeah, they're not going to using it next year. That difference. Well, it was mainly because they the reason the 26 budget lower is is actually because we're not using as much in the retained earnings any of the retained earnings. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. Other questions? Motion to approve the cable access enterprise fund budget as presented. Some move. Questions or discussion? All those in favor? I. Okay. Next one. Michael, next one would be the um economic development fund. Revolving fund. The
148economic development SRF budget. SRF budget. Yes. Despite it is a revolving fund. Correct. Special revenue fund. Yep. Okay. Um so anyway, that's um you'll see that that budget is going up uh 31,884. Um now to help even though we are uh bumping up the revenue um just our ongoing revenue number from 286,000 to 320 um we're also going to look at using our current fund balance essentially what you would call like free cash for a special revenue fund or an enterprise fund uh of about $20,000. So, we'll be looking at building up the business incentive program a little bit more. So, we're adding um more money to that. Um also, we're getting such a good response about the holiday um holiday decorations and everything, especially downtown. Um so, it's just making sure that we can
149keep up with expenses there. the main drivers and um and so I've also factored in salary adjustments directly into this as opposed to like through a contingency which is different than how you've done it in the past where you've put a contingency in the line. Okay. Correct. But so the the positions that are are hitting this are are the economic development positions. Correct. Okay. questions or comments on the economic development special project or special fund? Questions or comments? No. Okay. I just want to say that I think this program um I fully support the additional funds toward holiday lighting. I think the responses that we received for that holiday lighting, people were like it was just so nice to see. So, I think this is a good program. Um, if I can get a motion
150to support the economic development fund as presented. Actually, I have one question. Sure. Um, so the the 80,000 that we had budgeted for for business incentive program last year, did we utilize all of it? Um, I don't know, Brandy. We're half Well, almost over threequarters of the year through. So, yeah, twothirds. Um, I don't Are we on Are we on track to to use it all? I was going to say I think when Beth was here she talked about whenever that was that they were pretty close. So I would say that it would be good to get a um budget versus actual at some point to review this. Okay. So I think it's a great really great program and it it it's helped so many businesses that have come into Ashland and I definitely want
151to I think that putting some extra funds towards that is a very good use of of budget. Um, you know, I I just want to make sure that that it's being utilized. Yeah. So, once again, if I can get a motion to approve this economic uh development fund budget as we reviewed. So, moved. All those in favor? I. Michael. Next one. Um, we'll move next to the FY26 fields budget. So, uh, let's see. So, I'll just start again with the revenue category. Um, we're looking at a reduction in revenue. Um, just in total, we're actually going to look at a little bit more of an increase in the field rentals uh by about $5,000. Uh, but we're, you know, the good news is is that we're not looking to use as much in retained earnings.
152So, we've gone from 55,000 down to 30,000. Um but again that lowers our total revenue amount. Do we know uh from field rentals that I see a budget of 85 for fiscal year 25 um what it is in regards like what's actuals right now. If not I think it would be good to yeah I don't have it right off the top of my head but uh I mean I would I would say that it would be good in general to get an update on all these budgets where we are actuals versus these budgets. Mhm. Um I, you know, I see an increase of 5,000, which isn't a lot, but again, for field rentals. Um Okay. Um and then, um so you'll see just on the expensive side, see, excuse me. Um a bit more in
153salaries and then uh basically offset by a reduction in the capital expenses. So that would be taken directly out of that budget as opposed to what positions are are covered by this. Um so we have five uh oh excuse me I'm thinking about cemetery parks. No sal yeah there's no way that's covering five people. No no I apologize. Maybe partials but um let's see that includes that includes one and now one and a quarter. Okay 1.25. Okay. Any other questions regarding the fields re athletic fields enterprise fund? Um the only thing I wanted to mention because we we talked about it at our tri board meeting and part of the reason that we were able to allocate ARPA funds to the general fund was because money that we had initially set aside for the two
154turf fields um for maintenance. I know Mr. Adams talked about sort of like long-term maintenance of a lot of things through Ashlin Public Schools. The fields are definitely one of them that they are both coming to the end of their useful life. Um so I just wanted to just kind of state, you know, the um the entire budget for the all the revenue coming from the the field is $120,000 a year. Um, we are going to have to figure out long term how we're going to be able to to pay for the capital improvements that we're going to for for maintenance of those two turf fields plus probably other fields as well. Um, I just wanted to just mention it because we were talking about the enterprise fund and I think it's worth the discussion.
155It's, you know, a lot of capital things that that we're going to need to to spend money on. We're going to have to figure out a plan. You know, to that point, one of the things I'd like to do in an upcoming meeting is really talk about um these one-time funds and what they were originally um planned for um so that we really have a an understanding of of what we've had to um you know, not do so that we could balance our budget. You know, I think that's we do it as if it's just extra money laying around and didn't have any other purpose. And and I think that is a disservice to all of us to to to not really spend some time um looking at what is getting left behind because of
156Yeah. I actually watched um some of the school committee meeting last week and there they had their budget hearing and there was conversation about the fields. There was conversation about the middle school gymnasium where apparently at least one student got injured there this year because of the condition of the of the floor up there. So um so I just want to make sure that that we have a you know um a good conversation about well I mean I mean that you know part of the part of the discussion and not you know we can't always go back but it's sometimes good to go back right when we did our turf field at the middle school we were one of the first turf fields and then when we did the one at the high school and
157there was hope that we would be getting revenue from those fields different things happened that we didn't get the revenue venue and then you have Hopkin that put in a full complex. So if soccer I mean the idea was that soccer tournaments would come in and they'd use both of our turf fields and then that didn't happen and then co hit I mean a lot of things and originally to your point Claudia we had said these ARPA funds we would put a million aside to do the two turf fields and then we started having to use it for other things even you know day-to-day budget stuff. So, I I agree. I think we should definitely have a review of what we originally said we were going to do and where we wound up having to
158use them for other things, right? And I think I mean I don't have a long-term history about um the um you know the revenue that that's come from the fields, but you know that didn't happen overnight either. if it's if it's if indeed and I know I think it might have been brought up at the school committee meeting that a lot of towns at about the time we did our second turf field a lot of other towns did so as well and so um it became less attractive to to rent but we must have known that pretty quickly right so or if we didn't know it pretty quickly okay that's great um but whatever it's one or the other so I I just like I said I just really want to understand Um because because
159when we built the turf fields, we weren't getting opera fun money. Oh no, no, no, no. And and when we built them, the idea was we were going to be able to bring in revenue because there were not as many communities and then that didn't happen. And at the time, you were getting rentals, but because of an individual who had the position, yeah, let's not we don't need you. You want to know why there's no money in there? That the reason is they never called back the individuals that wanted to rent out the locations. So, you lost revenue there. Let's call it like it is. It wasn't because of poor financing or we didn't have the ability. Not saying that, Joe. But I just want to make sure the people that that are out there
160understand that, you know, people were supposed to do a job and they didn't do it and we lost money as a result of it. So, why don't we plan to put it on an agenda for the summer like at post town meeting at least and then I think we we need to that has to be brought up at town meeting too, right? When Michael does his presentation, I think that there has to be some conversation about these funds and um how they what they were intended for really. I mean, there's three pieces. There's what the government intended that we do with them, which I'm not sure what that was, and then what we intended to do with them, and ultimately what we've had to do with them. So, I I think it's a good little
161bit of history. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Motion to approve the athletic fields enterprise fund as presented. All those in favor? I I Okay, where are we going next? Michael. Okay. Well, I think my mic is off. Yep. His mic is on. Just turned it on though. Oh, okay. Um, so that's uh that's what's driving, you know, mainly the uh increase in revenue. Um, looking expenses. Uh actually one question on the revenue, the new user revenue, we have money for that in fiscal year 25. We don't have any in fiscal year 26. Correct. Why is that? Um just because we weren't so I believe that is related to the the chestnut chestnut street and everything. So that's related to some of the bigger developments. So, are we not expecting to see any of that any kind of
162new user revenue in We're just not budgeting year 26. Okay. Um I I can't anticipate anything, you know, either permitted or in the permitting stage being at a place where they're acting. Okay. Keep going. Okay. Okay. If you go down to expenses, um you see a a $45,000 increase in salaries line. Um $5,000 increase in overtime. It's just reflective of basically the wages and the way um the way some of our recent promotions played out and where they fall within the enterprise funds. Um, some of that is in there too, Joe, as well. Joe, can you explain what a CBA increase is? That's okay. Um and so you'll see that that is offset significantly by the expenses and specifically the Framingham sewer assessment which has been coming in lower um than what we had what
163we had been budgeting and you know we're still doing a bit of an analysis on that but I mean we're thinking that our INI program is is actually starting to work so some benefits so that's really good good news. Um and also just you see some you know basically negligible increases on the capital line. So yeah and and all told the the budget actually goes down the total budget actually goes down by about $80,000. Any questions on the sewer enterprise budget? None. If I can get a motion to approve the sewer enterprise budget as presented. So I was going to say so moved in a second. All those in favor? I. That passes that uh storm water getting through it. water. Where do you want to go next? We'll go storm water. Okay. Just got
164three more to go, folks. Yep. Oh, you know, it's good to do. It's a few. It's a few. Okay. Um, so the storm water enterprise fund, um, you'll see that that increase of revenues of 42,000, um, is driven exclusively by storm water fees. uh we're actually going to be using less in retained earnings. Um so pretty and are those fees higher because of what? Well, not because of a change in fees, just our collection strategy or you were anticipating more collections. Okay. Um the salary line, you'll see that uh increases slightly. I think that um that is due primarily to salary adjustments again similar to what we had with the sewer and what we'll see with the water enterprise fund the way some of those recent um changes laid out laid out excuse me and
165um yeah so I think the that's basically basically the large items the large changes so you're actually seeing an increase of 12,000 500. So I'm seeing at the bottom of that that we have a surplus or is that a deficit? Can't um So basically it's just accounting for if there is a surplus. If it was a deficit it would be important. Okay. So why surplus? I mean it's good but okay. Okay. So, you're saying we're not going to have as many expenses as the revenue that we're that we're project that we're budgeting for. Correct. Okay. Is do I remember correctly that there was some some state regulations that changed for storm water like M is it MS4? MS4. Yeah. So, those are upcoming. Oh, those are upcoming. So, yeah, that's going to have a pretty
166significant impact. And so you know the question is is well budgetary impact you know things would would get fixed. Um things would be prepared for but um you know who knows how federal regulations are going to be especially through the EPA are going to play out over the next year. Um I know you know D at the Massachusetts you know at the state level would love to carry them out at the federal government can't. to see how the federal government and just to clarify so the storm water enterprise fund is a new thing or couple what four five six years that's yeah okay because I know people ask well you know why are we putting salaries against it and if you could explain just a little bit about what hits that and why that'd be
167great um okay uh you don't mind yeah so so the salaries line pays for basically the employees who do the work related to storm water storm water maintenance. So maybe there's a question you know what does that entail? So you know things like culvert maintenance is a very large very large thing a stream maintenance manhole cover manholes basically that entire infrastructure um the outfalls so where all the storm water that is collected in the overflow you know that gets dumped out into the river that stuff you know where are those mapped out because those have to be tested for certain and a lot of that was put into place because of M I mean MS4 we're going to see even more but it's been in place for a while correct permits. Yeah. Yeah. This was
168done in response to the new MS4 requirements. So it was essentially an unfunded mandate heard that. Great. Any other questions? I was just going to say so are we expecting expenses to be higher than than this because of the MS4 changes or potentially in the future? Okay. Yeah. Not with this budget. Not with this budget. Okay. Um you know I think I I think more definition and fidelity will get you know played out I think over this year and then I think we'll see more what that budgetary impact be for the like what the requirements actually are and what's any other questions or comments on storm water enterprise not I would take a motion to approve the enterprise the storm water enterprise fund as presented. So moved. All those in favor? I uh trash. Uh
169no. Next to last one. Oh, we still have to do water. Let's start with trash. Yeah, trash. That was a fun one. Yes. There we go. There we go. Um so Oh boy. Go ahead. All right. So, um, so looking at our solid waste, uh, yeah, our solid waste budget. We're doing We're solid, Claudia. We're solid. So, we're looking at um at uh revenue essentially flat revenue budget of 2,68,000. So Britney wanted me to remind everyone uh primarily me um you know when we had this discussion last year about we had an extensive discussion about rate increases across all the enterprise funds you know I think the board's decision at the time was to put a little bit more on the back fees. Britney was like well you know you could see a corresponding decrease
170in the usage. Well that's somewhat of what we found was happening. So um So we've, you know, we we've went ahead and made adjustments for that. Um, we have we do have it increasing, but we have it trying to be a little bit modest compared to what we what we were originally anticipating. Um, ju just to be clear, that doesn't mean there's a change in the fees. So there's not a change in the fees unless that for this um this hauler this so there's you know the manufacturer of the bags and then there's also the hauler you're talking about the hauler the hauler okay yes so that is I believe for three years so we'll be we're in year two believe so it was three years with two I think one year options if you
171don't mind. The only reason why I asked that is um I was coming through Milford and um this morning and I noticed that they had large containers, large uh haulers on a on a town prop piece of property and it said recycling center. It reminded me of the DPW years ago when we had the recycling uh bins up at the DPW, they went back to their old way of doing things. Oh, like a transfer station. Like a transfer station. Yeah. So, they still have trash pickup, but they have trash pickup, but your recycling is at the uh transfer station. Yeah. So, I would I would bet our sustainability committee would say that by going back to that, our trash would increase because except that if you can decrease your bill by because you're not buying
172as many bags because you take your recyclables up, right? But what I'm what I'm what I'm thinking is that there are people who would just rather than take the time to bring their recyclables and have to sort their recyclables, right? because right now you have the the recycle bin and you just put it out on the curb and that actually has increased the number of the amount of recycling that we're seeing. So I mean we can certainly look at something like that but I think for most people and again for our sustainability committee they would say doing that would reduce the amount of recycling that people do potentially. I think for sheer convenience alone, we might lose a lot of people recycling. People are so busy like it, you know, they'd probably just like, well,
173throw it away. That would be the fear, I think. Yeah, I understand. But I just I just think it is a way to reduce people's, you know, obviously they have to be motivated to reduce Yeah, that's the issue. Spending to you want to save money. This is this is what you got to do. Yeah. Too bad we couldn't have both options. Any other questions or comments on the solid waste disposal enterprise fund? So, when are we going to look at the fees for this year? Um, probably late summer. Okay. Okay. So, we're okay for for this upcoming. Great. Well, we we'll need to look at water. Um I'll have to review Britney's uh correspondence again, but believe even if we don't need a rate increase right now, we will just because of the the borrowings
174for the infrastructure. Okay. Improvements. Okay. But for for trash, we're we're good for now. Trash, we're good for now. Okay. Correct. You're talking about the the split. you're talking about. Yes. So, just out of just out of curiosity, so we did see like the number of bags decrease this last year, according to Britney. Um, so, um, yeah. Okay. It wasn't just the Claudia buying bags effect. Oh, Claudia, you weren't the only one. You weren't the only one. So, I mean it looks like the the additional flat fee did generate some funds and the additional bag fee did generate funds, right? I mean, we still Yeah. Okay. Gotcha. All right. I'm good. Okay. If I can get a motion to approve the solid waste disposal enterprise fund as presented. So moved and a second. All those
175in favor? I. Okay. No water. Um All right. So looking at not going to end on the best note but um prep everybody for that. Um so again just looking at the revenue sources um going to see an increase in just a slight increase in the water user charges. Um we are budgeting for pretty pretty decent increase uh for irrigation charges. Um and then we're also planning on using um a decent amount of retained earnings this year. U this is in line with the plan that Britney had presented. So that's a total of 3.9 million which is almost a $600,000 increase. And the irrigation charge increase, is that because we're increasing our fees or we're getting tougher or more people are looking to do irrigation? Uh, more people. Okay. So, um, moving to the expenses.
176I mean, really the primary driver of the expenses line is the capital costs. specifically. You'll see that Britney's broken out that new debt authorization a 692,000 which is a $47,000 increase. Again, that's related to some of the stuff that we had talked about and that we have in the warrant. So, like the ozone um and the the water main replacements, that's right there. 5 million question. We had a major typing it gets paid out of the budget. Oh, no. Yeah. You know, part of it it depends on, you know, if you're referring to High Street, right? Um I think I think there was you know some some overtime costs involved. So but they also went well into the day. So like the regular salaries um OT equipment you know obviously equipment costs. It was a
177long job. And then I think they had another one happen, you know, during the same period. They can stay busy. I'm curious about the um MWR entrance fee. So that is new. Yeah. So that's in line with the um with what we have to pay, you know, when we join the MWR for the supplemental connection. Okay. Um so it is it's no interest. So it's essentially amvertised over a per years and it's um It's for, I believe, 300,000 gallons a day. Average 300,000 gall. And why are we only seeing it now? Didn't we do that in 25 the supplemental? Yeah, but it didn't come in Well, actually, it was in there before, but we didn't get the invoice until Okay. And is that now an annual fee or That'll be an annual fee, I believe,
178for 20 years. Oh, okay. Whether we use it Correct. It was the connection charge. I wonder sometimes and I know this is a policy and I know know we you know made decisions is that if we're paying that entrance fee and we're having if we do find we're having water issues, do we want to review the determination as to what turns on our MWR connection? Again, not a discussion for tonight, but something I think we need to think about. If we're paying for a connection fee and we find we're having water issues, should we review what our policy is to turn that connection on? Yeah. No. No. So, there's like a water use charge as well. So, the 300,000 is the permit. So, what you're allowed correct to allow that to happen. But don't we
179have don't we have something like budgeted for if we need to use those fund those resources or not? Um I thought I saw something with there was like $3 million [Music] somewhere. I mean, is that under contracted services or I mean, I would think we would budget something for the fact that we may have to use it and then if we don't use it, it would come out as free cash or it would go down to um you know a a surplus at the end of the year or do we not do that? Um I don't think we do that. Oh, okay. So if for some reason we do need to turn on that if we need to turn on that connection we would have to pull it from some we we don't have that
180in our budget. Correct. So like we would have to access earnings, you know, look at raising rates or you know make cuts. You know there's a number of different ways to the cities. Okay. because I don't know if we did that into in effect for this this coming fiscal year and their number has gone down. Their fiscal 24 actual is higher than what we budgeted. Is that because things that they've changed that they're not using as much water or could very well be. Okay, that's you know that's kind of the push and pull with some of the with the water rates. If you make it too high, people start conserving more and so you don't necessarily bring in right as much revenue. So it you know it becomes almost an art. It is a science
181just to try to previous correct. So when just because it was my brain so we were talking about um I knew I saw somewhere where there was a $3 million expense for MWR. So it's that's that's in the sewer enterprise fund. Is that separate? So the sewer. So yeah, you'll see an NWR MWR fee for basically the process. Okay. That's what we Okay. Gets transported. So this MW fee and the water funds are the connection connection. Okay. Okay. I just wanted to kind of understand the difference. Correct. why over the years we've talked about what could we do about either creating our own wastewater treatment plant here in town. Um remember I remember my first year it was a conversation that we had and we had a great but I know that that also has
182its implications. does, but at the same token. Okay. Any other questions regarding the water enterprise fund as presented? If not, I'd like if I can get a motion to approve the water enterprise fund as presented. So moved. All those in favor? I I Okay. Anything else? Review, Michael. Okay. Do we need to take a vote? No, we've already voted the full budget and all the and the separate funds. Okay. Any other votes that we need to take on the budget? Okay. Okay. Moving on from the budget. Now that we've approved that, we are going to vote. We're going to review the town meeting warrant and vote to close and post that. Uh, yep. So, moving on, Jen. Well, hey, last time you get to last time getting to present us the warrant. Um so this
183is our annual um a few of the top budget the articles are really related to the budget so rather quickly but so we always start um article one with reports and that's justations that might we want to talk to um the moderator to see if the comp comprehensive plan committee could do a like a five minute update as to where they are. It's one of those things where we voted those funds at town meeting and I mean I know we're looking to possibly present a a comprehensive plan by fall town meeting but would it make sense to see if we could present something thoughts check with check with the moderator and see what we can Okay, there's a meeting tomorrow night. There's a meeting tomorrow night so we can be pretty responsive so I can
184Okay, that'd be great. And then that way we can discuss it and then see Okay, thank you. Article two is the transfer the general stabilization fund which discussed transfer from bed stabilization. Then we'll go over the article four will be the fiscal year 26 budget. Article Article five is transferred to the oped trust and double. Article six is our normal general consent over um contract contracts, grants um if we had least max for all of which is the annual consent for CPC and that's really all their appropriations and then the payments for um the previously authorized bonds. projects. So, um Oak Street Fields Woods and that's what's current that will be within the undesated and they're actually for three new funding. So um articles so article eight is appropriation of $500,000 to create arborita um
185at the former uh site of Cadillac paint we previously discussed here. Article nine is $110,000 to digitize and preserve historic records and that will be done through office. is $60,000 additional funds for the um Ashlin dog park. So, we we went out to bid um we went out to bid and um the bids came in a little bit higher than anticipated. So to make sure that we have enough for contingency and to make sure that we have some of the requirements for the stand,000 to support that. Article 11 um is an acceptance of a state law that will allow us um to capture new growth through the end of a fiscal year and an older act of that accepting. Article 12 is to authorize additional funds. So this is a previous authorization for borrowing for
186the water treatment plant um discuss ozone system. Um they're in the process of engineering and have uh realized that it will addition and previously estimated previously project. So I think part of it was um estimates that were sort of on concept because we hadn't part of the four billion higher than a 10% to now a 90% and then sort of looking at there is um some funds that as I understand it. So while they're doing this project, they'll have some temporary systems that will allow the water to maintain uh its quality and so that wasn't necessarily about how you're um I think that was something that wasn't necessarily included but and then I think there's also just costs have have risen and out of that six million 25% of it is going to be paid
187for by Hopkin. So then I that where would when they pay us for that where would that go? No no enterprise put your microphone on talking it yeah you know I think you know the cost escalation through the design phases I I've I mean I think that's happened with every project. um you know the the small ones um big ones public safety Mendes had the same thing um you know it's uh it's just as you start refining the design and we'll start adding all their all their their their needs their their na um you know that's what um cost starts to grow grow and grow and of course you know by the time you get the design done it's a year later cost as Jen mentioned cost go up, etc. So, will we be borrowing
188that entire amount or just a portion of it? Yeah, the ozone my understanding is be all at once. Um, the water so the water main replacement would be done as needed. So the when we borrow that entire four million and then I mean six million and then Popkin pays us back does it go towards the debt or and and I would you know following up on that if we've already spent some of it to do engineering um did we bond that or did we was that a short bond and then how does and then how are we gonna did she Yeah. Um, I'm pretty sure, yeah, I'm pretty sure that's what happens. We did have a conversation whether this is a new borrowing authorization, but when we talked with bonding, right? So, so we would
189maybe do short-term borrowing right now and could we wait to bond the full amount until we get our portion from Hopkin so that we can bond less? I mean, so that our long-term debt is not as high. Yeah. Yeah. Uh it would be it would be dependent upon cash flow. That could be a possibility or you put some of it in or excuse me you put part of part of it in. Um you could do it to offset rates, you know, moving forward. Okay. You've had to, you know, support those. There's a couple different ways you Okay. Go ahead. Oh, thank you, Joe. A second for that and get a second. Second. I understand that. But second. Okay. All those in favor? I. Okay. Thank you, Joe. Claudia, any other questions on this article? Anyone
190else? Okay. Uh, keep going, please, Jen. Thank you. Um, article 13, Michael just mentioned this one. This is also um this is amending a previous authorization. So, um, at our last town meeting and when, um, Britney did her overview. So, getting an authorization for the entire amount gives us some flexibility that we um, and so we're not able to do that project a little bit over. Um, and then the next one was Um and so we're not able to do that. We'll have to rely marrying two projects together. Maybe we'll get some, you know, savings economy of scale. So that will be borrowed as as needed, but giving J the Fountain Street project, the water main project there came in a little bit higher. So that sort of about whether they'll couple it with Fountain
191Street and then getting they've been waiting for for a variety of reasons. Potentially we can maybe do that together. So article 14 is our um this iniation article every other year. Um So it'll be actually for phase 14 and 16. Um we're skipping 15 grant and a million getting down to the bylaw. So uh article 15 district heard about here they're holding number of Um, article 16 um a land a land taking um on Pawn Street as part of the upper Charles Trail. Article 17 is the accessory dwelling unit bylawed with regulations. Article 18 is an updated flood plane. So updated their flood plane maps and changes are over slightly that correctly. Article 19 is just some cleanup language for site plan review that the planning board has been wanting to um make sure that
192it's article 20's law I did look into your question last time and so I guess what people previously they would have a they would get less expens it's counterintuitive, but it's getting the proper inspection. Will the new person do that for me? Um, and so that is I had a question on uh Okay. permission to but we don't necessarily have to. Right. Taking it authorizes the act. Correct. It doesn't. Right. It doesn't require the taking. Right. Right. Okay. Right. Right. So, in other words, if it was, you know, it was going to cost us a lot of money, we could say, you know, we're not doing that right now or something. The the cons concern there is um we're looking to take this because we received a grant almost a year ago. I don't know
193when that grant expires, but if we don't do this soon, we could potentially lose the plus,000 that we were given for the grant to purchase specifically to purchase this property, right? Or take by eminent domain, right? But but if the property ultimately was going to cost us $3 million plus the $300,000 grant, we might not we might grant both. Right. Right. I mean, that would be a decision we could make at that time. Right. But the the the thinking right now is that we have the grant money and that's what we're using and that's it. Well, interestingly enough, um he did reach out. Oh, amazing. Um and uh so we were supposed to meet last Thursday, blew us off, but I guess all back again. And so um we're scheduled to meet tomorrow. Okay. No,
194you'd still want to have you still want to have the author authorization to take it by Yeah. Yeah. Because it's it's to purchase, acquire, or take by eminent domain. So, it's it's allowing us to move forward with this property and ideally just with the grant funds. Is there a ceiling? I think at this point in time, the grant That's Yeah. Yeah. Let's not go into too much detail here, but knowing that Yeah. We make sure we have a map that parcel for a town meeting. It would be good. Yeah. Good idea. Okay. So, um, in reviewing this, there's only two articles currently sponsored by the select board, and typically we then someone from the board speaks to those articles. Um, unless there's other articles that we feel we want to talk about. I mean, thoughts.
195Um, I see number six, which is the consent agenda items, and then number 16, which is the parcel. Yeah, I know. I've There's a couple I've done it. You've done it. Different people have done it. So, I don't think Adam Adam he didn't he didn't do it. Last few years. He doesn't have Yeah, he didn't do it. Okay. Okay. Okay. So then the other article would be the eminent domain one um which I am willing to do because I've been working with this but but if someone else wants to Okay, then I will just speak to that. Okay, great. Thank you all. Um now we need to vote to close and post. If I can get a motion to vote to approve and close the town meeting warrant as presented. Any uh any other discussion?
196All those in favor? I. Thank you. Thank you, Jen. And also to post it. Yes. Thank you, Jen. So, I do have something for us to sign regarding posting that. Okay. Uh moving on. We need to vote and sign to vote to sign and post the May 20th election warrant. Sorry, I got to scroll past. Uh, any questions? Do we want to review the warrant? Okay, we're going to do the So, we have the town meeting, the town election, following officers. Moderator one, select board two, assessor one, school committee two, library trustee one, board of health one, um uh one, board of health one for three years, board of health one for two years, planning board one for five years, planning board one for two years. No questions on the ballot. If I can get
197a motion to approve to sign and vote and post the town meeting election as presented. Second. Second. All those in favor? I I. So that is approved and it will get posted by our constables. Okay. Moving on to the discussion and vote of the surplus disposal procurement policy. We looked at this quite a while ago uh but we did not vote it. So this is our second review um of this policy. Hopeful people had an opportunity to review it. Were there any questions? Uh I think didn't we um we talked about before just the p like it was p it was privacy I believe we did and I didn't see any updates on that. So I'm just having a problem pulling pulling this up. So we were talking about disposing of electronic goods. I had
198a question about what the town policy or procedures were around that in so far as protecting PII and such. So I I think I was waiting to hear about an answer about like how that's going to be how that's how that's managed now. Yeah. So I did talk a little bit uh to it about that and so what I I think um sometimes we wouldn't dispose of that in terms of like procurement in terms of like some of those. So we we decided that maybe that's addressed separately and anything that we even get get rid of um as opposed to just sort of things that would be covered by 30 just sort of goods and services. Um and so we started to keep this sort of just just along the lines of like meeting the
199requirements of have to those cars but that would be as part of their So I'm not not familiar with the details of of 30B. Yes. So 30B is really the requirements to buy mostly buy um goods and services. Anything that's over $10,000 process. Um they also have a a policy for when we want rid ourselves of things that we purchase that are you know $10,000 mostly is when you have to process. Um, right. So, oftentimes like if we want to get rid of these chairs, we sort of say to every department, does anyone have any chairs? They come to see if they want to. And if they don't, then we sometimes have to sometimes we don't. Sure. Um, you know, when we're talking about sort of like any of our phones or that's handled through
200that contract and similar that are being anything that has like that system having so that's basically you're saying that that's covered by established procedures with 30B well with within sort of it I don't know if there's a written policy but they usually 30B is really just about how we're getting about specifically how yeah about security process to get Yeah. I mean, I guess I I don't really care like how it's addressed, but I do think it it does need to be explicitly addressed because what you don't want to get what I don't think we want to get into a situation is is, you know, if we're getting rid of equipment and we do for some reason release some kind of PII or some sort of data uh that you know, god forbid like citizen data
201that might be on one of our electron then like who's liable for that you know and and worse like who gets who gets hurt by that you know so I guess that's my primary concern I don't know if that's if that's sufficiently covered with what I got a chance to take a look at earlier I can't pull it up on my computer right now but um you know in so far as you know getting rid of that that that material so I mean yeah so any of that stuff so the way I sort of think about I understand what you're saying and we certainly can add something but I think what I was thinking is that the department heads that are sort of assessing might have some data it's actually going to work through it
202and they would before they actually data and then we're really just talking about in our office it's really um myself and Diane talking about like make sure we meet all the requirements. So this is sort of the tail end of the disposal the town is getting back better to use but it's at the tail end as opposed but we can certainly add something that we have a check we have a checkin about that it did I think that would make sense Jen so I think that's what we need to do yeah we can do that especially in this day and age I just throw that out So, so are you saying you want to add that before we vote this? Yeah. Okay. It's fine. Okay. On then. Uh let's see. So, we're not doing that
203update on 40B projects. Yeah. So, um we we do have a zoning board meeting scheduled for uh next Tuesday, the 22nd. Um and uh both uh large projects, including the the one on Main Street as well as the one on Waverly Street, um they're supposed to be on um I believe, and Jen, correct, correct me if I'm wrong, the traffic portion at the Main Street um project. See, our engineer has or our peer reviewer has completed his review and has put together his report finalizing that. So that should be ready for that meeting. Correct. Okay. Um and so that will be that'll be interesting to to read and see what those recommendations are. Hybrid. Yeah. Oh yeah. The report. Yeah. So it will be sent to the applicant the same conversation. Um so Al is
204working. That was the 22nd show. Okay. And and I would yeah should be posted on okay is I don't know but that's I I can't remember where they ended up I I think thought they ended up last week that they were going to meet on the 2. No, they're not meeting on the 22nd. You're talking about Waverly, right? No, I'm talking Oh, yeah. Because No. Um because Mr. Angler said that he had he would send somebody because he's not going to be here on the So, this is going to be done on the 22nd, right? So, that's before your meeting. It was my point. But it will be Okay. Anything else on the 40BS? [Music] Um, no, not at this time. Okay. Okay. There's nothing else. We will move on. Uh, the next item is
205I should have reviewed this better when we had it on the agenda. Um, it says discuss and vote on process and bylaw as it pertains to the appointment of the finance committee. Um, we're not reviewing any bylaws. We're not The only thing that happened is Adam Schustster, the moderator, had reached out to me to let me know that he was not going to be appointing any new members right now to the finance committee. And it means that it's going to go past his timeline of when he's supposed to appoint them. Um, and he just wanted to give me a heads up and I put it in there correct incorrectly. Um, so what happens is he's supposed to appoint within a certain amount of time and then if he doesn't do that then it becomes a
206select board appointment and he really just wanted to let me know that by the time he because we're going into town meeting and finance committee has basically finished their work right now for the current budget season. He didn't want to appoint somebody new and then after town, you know, because he's like I'm going to wait until after town meeting. So that's really all this was. It was supposed to be right. He's asking us to extend that time until after town meeting. So that was the discussion. Did he say approximately how much longer than the allotted time? He's going to do it after town meeting. So, and I tried looking and Robera was nice enough to share some information with us because she saw this on the agenda and there was some misunderstanding as to I
207mean it does say that we're going to vote to change bylaws which is not the case. Um so he did not tell me exactly when um you know he said he could do a temporary but I I'm like why put a temporary take some time find some people that are the right people and then do it after town meeting. So I think he's going to try and do it as soon as possible after town meeting. That was that. Okay, moving on. Do we have to vote? I I'm sorry, Madam Chair. I do have a question about that. So So like he's going to try to do it long as possible, as soon as possible, but like is there any established time limit? I couldn't find in the information that Robera shared with me the amount
208number, the exact number of days that he is supposed to appoint somebody in. and I looked through the information and I could not find the exact number of days that he has to appoint somebody. I know if you read the information it says if the select board does not um for other multi-member boards if the select board does not present somebody then the the multimember board could present somebody to be appointed. But that didn't seem to be the um case here because it's the moderator, right, making the pres the appointment. I would I would say just as long as they have full board by the time they go into they they have they right. So before Right. So he has a board now. I think he's missing one or two members. Um but they've done
209their deliberation for the town meeting budget. They finished stuff today. So then you know so they they've done their work leading up to town. So the work is done. So there's no rush to get in. But at the same token there is a responsibility and he and he will be doing that but they they don't do much I guess in June July and August after town meeting is done. So he will work to do that though. Does that make sense Robera? Perfect. Um, I guess we could vote to say to allow the moderator extended time to make appointments to the financial to the finance committee. So, do you say by September 1st? Yeah. Can we set a time? Like, is can we set a time? I guess I'm just asking. I'm sure we could if
210we feel that's necessary. I mean, I do have to define the time, I guess, if we're saying we're going to extend it. Do we have to do have to define that time? I guess do in September. I don't know that in September. We have a November fall meeting doesn't give a lot of time. I mean, I think that the expectation is that he's going to fill it. He's just not doing it right this minute. But and I believe he he's already reviewing people and things like that. Okay. He just doesn't want to point somebody to the town to, you know, to the fincom and then they're not having they don't have anything to do. if someone comes up between now and town meeting, but my understanding is he's gonna he's going to wait to appoint
211some replacements until after town meeting. You know, he's getting he's busy getting ready to prepare for town meeting like that. So, that's it. If you want to take a vote to allow him to wait, we can do that. I don't know that that's necessary. Okay. And I don't think we need to give him a dead a deadline. I'm sure he's working to get people and Okay. had conversation. Yeah. Oh, yeah. And I'm, like I said, I'm sure he's trying. He's working. Just right now, he's not gonna It doesn't make sense. Okay, great. Thank you. Uh, that's done. Okay. Vote on the dissolusion of the public safety building committee with thanks to everyone. And I'm realizing we probably should have done this when everyone was here. I know. After we were done. Oh my gosh. I
212Yeah, it's been that kind of week and month. Um, okay. A little bit difficult. Yeah. Yeah. Um, so I know there's no one here anymore. Um, Joe is still here. Joe. Jen. and Jen is here that but um well if we don't discuss it I just want to go ahead I didn't have the opportunity to express my concerns and my feelings about a young lady who concerns concerns yeah very very much concerns u when I first met you nine years ago you were uh you were a wonderful a wonderful a wonderful individual and uh and to this day you you hold a special place in my heart because you remind me of my daughter when she was growing up and I think I've mentioned that three or four times to you and at least at
213least maybe every day. But anyway, it's been a pleasure and it's been an honor and and I'm humbled with with respect that you that I have for you because being the procurement officer for the town, you put on you took on a task to build a public safety building uh from scratch with the with the committee that you know did what we had to do, but you you were the you were the key factor there. Um, not only were you the procurement office for that project, but you were doing other projects as well. Uh, Valentine Property, uh, for Warren Bond, a lot of these other, you know, things that took time away from you amongst a lot of other matters that were pressing at the time. So, you were st you you were spread out
214big time and and and thin. And I was very worried about the fact that you were going to make get through this and and you did. and you went through flying colors and I couldn't be any more happier and honored to have the opportunity to work with you and beside you and I will miss you. Take that. I just want to see your face get rid. Anyone else comments regarding Jen and the public safety bill? Well, it's a beautiful test. We have to do that. Um, Jen, I just want to say thank you for I mean, thank you for your work on the public safety building. I know it took a lot of effort and I also want to publicly thank everyone on the public safety building committee. Um, that that building was long overdue
215and I think we are now a community that has a great place for our first responders. And if you haven't been in the building, you know, let's go go check it out. Get arrested. Go check out the new jail cells. Um, and I know that they often have open houses at the public safety building. So, if you haven't been there yet, uh, be on the lookout for one of those. And it's just a a great building. So, thank you for your work on that. was uh if I can get a motion to uh vote to dismant uh dissolve dismantle dissolve the public safety building committee which will be after their next um meeting and thank them for their service. Oh. Okay, I'll second that. Any other discussion? All those in favor? I I And again,
216thank you to everyone who was on the committee and we should have done this when you were all here. That's We had a lot of We had a lot of things ahead of us. Okay. And thanks to the residents that voted it in. Yep. Cuz it wasn't for them, we wouldn't be there. Okay. Couple of reminders coming up. Uh, April 26, the historical commission, historical society, and open space and wreck are doing a um, open space and w committee are having a guided walk for through town. So, be on the find the information on that. The Boston Marathon is happening on Monday, April 21st. Signs are already up as to when 135 will be closing. Next yard waste pickup will be on Monday, April 28th. So, it's not happening on the 21st because there's no
217way to get around town. Um, so Monday, April 28th, uh, select board scholarship opportunity is now open. Go ahead and check it out on our website as well as at the school's website. That is for any high school graduating senior. You do not have to graduate from Ashland High School. Just live in Ashland. Uh, let's see. oil, mercury, and oilbased paint drop off is taking place on Saturday, May 3rd, which is also the day of Greenup Ashland. Uh, a great event that's happening on that same Saturday. They they are at the Stone Park Pavilion. Yep. You can either sign up beforehand or just show up on that morning. Again, that's Saturday, May 3rd. Uh, next electronics recycling day will be on Saturday, June 7th. There is also a shreddit event from the Lions I think
218also on the 7th. Yes. Um we have a number of volunteer opportunities. I'm not going to go through all of them. They are on our website and the recycling. We've given that number simple recycling and you can find that at simpler recycling.com. Uh next we have our consent agenda and we're good with all the minutes. Brandy. Okay. Good. If I can have a motion to accept the consent agenda as presented. So moved. Second. All those in favor? I I. Wonderful. Okay. Moving on to town manager report project updates because we've already discussed 40bs. Always go back. Just kidding. Um I thought that was funny. Um jeez. Wow. It's 10:30. We're getting a little punchy. You need to be at this hour. You need to be a little more slapstick. There we go. Slap upside the
219head. A solid waste. Yeah. You had a solid waste. Oh jeez. Sorry folks. It's bewitching owl. Devolved into We're there. Okay. Go ahead, Michael. So, Pond Street. Um, so the only update I have is that they have committed to finish that in 2025. I have had a couple residents. Haven't really seen anything going on lately. Um, you know, upper Charles Trail, I know Jen was working on the RFP, but um, are you still trying to fit that in with everything? Talk to Joel. You're a superstar. And that's the RFP for the 25% design or for the full for the full trail. Okay, that's the hope. And then Jen, why don't you close out with the Warren um Okay, so Warren Barn, we've been working really hard with um Firmingham State University. Um and so we've
220received the 90% sign. They had some questions that are sort of related to some of our department heads and uh rules and regulations. So we're pulled together finalized. what their hope is um is that they'll be able to go out to bid um in the next couple months that call. Nice. Um we're working on some final language. Um and then um as well as the basically the same. So hold on. So Mackie, did we get kicked off because of how late it is? Okay. Yeah, if you could try to get it back on the station. I don't know how many people are watching there, but I'm glad we're still live on YouTube, but YouTube. Okay. Thank you. Sorry, Jen. Go ahead. Anything else? Yeah. No, that's really it. So, okay. That's in a place to
221be doing the best part about this project in my opinion that they're doing the big pyramid. Also, they have the um they have the overight we'll have to see any big funding. Um we'll be able um and Claudia, you're still able to attend those meetings. Great. Wonderful. Good. Yeah. Anything else? You know, I think um you know, obviously it comes to the point where probably dreaded this point for for years now, but uh you know, here we are. This is one of those situations where it's like one word's going to be too many and like you know, 10,000 is not going to be enough. But, uh, you know, I I'll try to keep it short and sweet or at least short and sweet for me. But, uh, number one, I don't think, uh, you know,
222anybody I don't think anybody's going to understand, uh, just how much, uh, you've done for this town. Um, I hope people do one day. Um, but yeah, you've done a ton. Um, uh, number two, um, thank you just for being you. So, you're the one who's making her cry. Yeah. Thank you, Michael. I promised myself I wouldn't. I just wanted to see that face. Yeah. But, uh but yeah, thank you and uh I'm really proud of you. Moving on to board reports. Anything? I know it's late, but um yeah. Well, I'll I'll I'll start my my board report by saying thank you to Jen. And um you know, before I ended up here serving on select board when I was a resident and general troublemaker around town, you always received my phone calls and emails
223with patients. You uh listened. you're very responsive to concerns and you know I I'm not gonna I mean anything I say is going to re repeat every single sentiment that everyone else said but I just want to say that um I really really enjoyed working with you and I just want to wish you all the best and I'm just so terribly grateful that we've gotten a chance to to collaborate on a lot of different things over the years. Ashland is a much better place because you have been here. So, thank you. Um, my boring stuff. So, uh, just two really quick things. First off, uh, I did get a chance to attend the school committee meeting when they presented their budget, uh, the last one. And I have to say thank you to the school
224committee. You know, just an incredible job communicating, uh, what they were trying to do, why they were doing it. uh incredible questions by Ashlin residents who turned up in full force. Just really great great meeting um just great meeting. So um and yeah, it was very shocking to hear about the uh middle the condition of the middle school gymnasium floor and kids have actually been getting hurt. So you know um a lot of tough lot of tough conversations, a lot of tough decisions coming up in so far as what we're going to be able to do here in town. The only other thing I'd like to say is I'd like to once again remind folks that yes, the marathon is happening on Monday, but it is not too late to support your Ashland Marathon runners.
225We have uh we we met them at our last select board meeting, but um please make sure to if you can uh donate to the runners in town, that goes to uh some incredible uh to to our grant making uh ability here in town. that uh Brandy and and then Claudia, you're both work going to be working on that. But um just a lot of great uh opportunities for nonprofits here in town to to uh serve the community. And I believe that donations will be open past the marathon date as well. Um I think until midMay, maybe May 15th, I'm not really sure. So uh if you can if you can donate, please do. Uh and you will also help to make Ashland a better place for everyone. So, that's all I've got. And who
226should make who should they make the check out to? Me. The trash bag queen. We have a slate of incredible runners that you can choose from, but I would actually say why not donate to them all. Great. There you go. You have the means. Do it. Good. Thank you, Makita. Claudia. Yeah. So, um you know, Jen, it is your night here. Um and uh again, it would it's hard to duplicate what everybody else has said but I can say that in my two years on the select board um that it's been a pleasure to have worked with you um it has been apparent to me almost immediately um you know how thoughtful you are um how hard you work um you you really have tremendous uh interpersonal relationship skills which sometimes are not appreciated in
227the workplace but they're so critical, especially in a setting like this for getting things done. So, um you know, I you know, I'm very happy for you because I know this is going to make your um life better, but it is certainly a huge loss to our community and uh and and I like what Peter said about how, you know, you've um changed Ashland for the better and indeed you have. So um you certainly have uh my personal thanks so somebody can you know we can find someone who can uh even be just a a small portion of what you been to us. So thank you for that. Um I did attend the ZBA meeting last week. Um and I I have been writing to them regularly after those meetings in terms of the 40B.
228Um and and last week the focus was civil engineering. Um you know I definitely had concerns you know not just me but I had concerns regarding um the fact that it is all the vehicles would be in the flood plane um for 100year flood. But I think we all know that 100redyear floods are not um 100 years anymore. And so, you know, they did mandate, they did say that there would be a management plan for how to get the vehicles out of there. Um and I, you know, I did articulate some of my concerns in terms of first of all, you know, how much time do you need to get the cars out? Um and then really and truly even if there's a few cars left behind then there's some contamination that's going to take
229place from those vehicles. And then of course the huge you know elephant in the room is that when you have that sort of flooding um what sort of contaminants might you be bringing up even if the site was what we thought was pure and we c we know that that is far from pure um and and so those are my concerns in terms of the long-term you know if it doesn't if the flood doesn't happen for 10 years great but if it happens in 10 years and the property then becomes not livable for a hundred years as well as other properties downstream or around it. It just has a lot of um you know problems that far exceed the issues around housing in my mind. Um okay and I too uh attended the school committee
230meeting online and yes thank you to all of them for the work that they do for our schools and our children. Um and it's it's um It's a lot, right? And especially in difficult times. And then last night I was happy to go to the board of health meeting. Um and the this year the the um Penny Mortonson award went to the Ashlin emergency fund and so there were four members of the fund here. Uh and you know what a tremendous work they do. Um I think you know they they It's again it's some of the work that goes unnoticed because um they just go out and do it and people aren't advertising themselves when they need help like that and uh you know so I think a lot of people you know in our
231lives have needed some help and and and received it and so um you know thank you to living in a town that that offers that kind of support to its residents. So, thank you to them because obviously it requires um requires them. And then and finally, just I want to wish uh our very own marathon runner, thanks for representing the board. Appreciate that. And uh you're going to do a great job. And and uh and also to my daughter who's running and uh and and to all of the runners really. It's u certainly uh it's quite a special achievement. So, uh, congratulations to to all of you. Great, Joe. Thank Thank you, Madam Chair. Uh, last Sunday, I had the privilege of going to and participating in eating at the pancake breakfast that was sponsored
232by the Ashlin Boy uh, troop 232. Uh, breakfast was wonderful, service was great. And you know, this this uh this troop uh is a is a gem to this town with all the work that they do and all the Eagle Scout projects that have uh come, you know, come to fruition as a result of the work that they do. And um uh we should we should be uh very grateful and happy that uh we have such great leaders and Boy Scout leaders uh to continue that process along the way. Um on the 15th I attended that training for uh restaurant establishments. Oh yeah. And it was uh I have to tell you it was eyeopening and uh a lot of the bar owners and restaurant uh restaurants uh owners were there. It was sponsored by
233the Ashcolan uh police department and kudos to Chief Rossi and Robert Rouio and the uh the guest lecturer his name was Mike uh Mac Antonio. Unbelievable. He knew his stuff in and out and and and I have to tell you, he questioned every bar server that was there, every owner, every liquor store owner uh that was attended. And I think we had like about 10 10 to 10 to 12 uh restaurants and and uh people show up, which was a nice which was a nice thing to have. And refreshments. Yeah, they were nips. That's an inside joke, folks. Um, long story short, it was it was it was well attended and the information was u was uh very interesting and uh I thanked uh I thank those that that attended uh on behalf of of
234of the board because uh being the licensing authority, it was nice to see them take the interest and and the effort to do what they needed to do to make sure they knew what they were doing when it came time to serving and selling. Thank you for doing that. So, no, no, it was my pleasure. I enjoyed enjoyed being there. um being up Ashland day already said at the pavilion and the bathrooms will be open and ready and clean. That's our opening day as well. Um and again, good luck to you. I you know I went to CVS and all all the Ben Gay and on and all it was was gone. So I figured I figured it was I figured it was your shoulder. It was my shoulder, right? So I walked out of
235there in the same pain that I had when I when I as I left. But but uh I wish you the very best and I'll be rooting you along the way. Um and for those who celebrate Easter, happy Easter. And lastly uh again uh Jen, it's been a distinct distinct pleasure and honor working with you for these past nine years and I will miss you uh greatly. But more importantly, someone's going to be celebrating a birthday and we're not going to be around. We won't be meeting. And um I believe um Michael Herbert is going to have a birthday on on Monday and he's going to be two years shy of a century. Half a century. Half a century. Half a century. Half a century. Look older. Well, let me tell you something. You look
236you look a hell of a lot older than you did when you first started. But we can remember celebrating you when you were, you know, 40 under 40, right? So Yeah. Yeah. So, you know, that that's a little jab. That's a little jab, you know, just wanted everyone that along. But that Yeah. So, thank you again, kiddo. And that's all I have, Madam Chair. Okay, Randy. So, I know who's gonna out me for my next big birthday. Um, century. I'm gonna be in July. I'll be I'll be a century. Yeah. Um, sorry, it has been a really long day. So, um I'll just add my thanks to Jen publicly. Um I first met Jen um probably it was like about eight years ago when we started with the Corner Spot. Um, and there was six
237of us and it was the first time I had met you and from the moment I met you I'm like this this woman's a powerhouse and she was the person that you always go to to get stuff done and that's been literally like my mantra for the last six years is well Jen will help me get like he'll she'll tell me what to do and how to get things done. So just I know there's so much stuff that you do behind the scenes that nobody ever sees whether it's the RFPs whether it's like you know the work that you do with decisions at every turn or um you know Roger Street was talking about Ashlin is United you were like the one to kind of get that up off the ground and just the the
238work that you do to make just everyone's lives just better in this town. So, um, I'm going to I'm going to miss you and I'm thrilled for you because the quality of life, you know, we'll miss you at 11:00 on a, you know, on a Wednesday night. We'll be thinking of you. No, but um, but I just wish you all the best. Yeah. Yeah. You can you could be you could be like Steve, you know, in your jammies eating your popcorn and going, but not me. got to keep forward. So, but thank you for all the work that you've done and just thank you for your friendship and your advice over the years because it's been just really personally um very valued. So, um I appreciate you. Don't be Yeah. Um just uh the other
239things I did get some farmers market states for us for office hours. Um the farmers market this next year is um going to be the place to be because they've gone to this um online system for scheduling stuff and in conversations I had with Steve like there are far we had problems getting slots because there are farmers markets where there was like 40 vendors that wanted to come like it's like it's gonna be it's gonna be very popular. They have a vendor committee that I guess has been doing a lot of um outreach and trying to get more people like more more vendors this next year. So, um I was able to get three dates and that was with some cajoling because initially they were like, "Well, you can only have one." And I'm like,
240"Oh, but you know, hey, we're the board who started the idea of volunteer committees being there." So, good that you got three. So, we got three dates. Seriously. So, um, the dates are July 26th, September 6th, and October 4th. There was nothing in June. So, you could shoot that out via email. June. I think you did. I know. I didn't sign up for June. So, okay. Yeah, if you could shoot that out via email and then we can confirm. Okay, that sounds that sounds good. And then, um, I'm looking forward to Saturday. Um, uh, we host the runner's breakfast over at TJ's and I'm looking forward to that. that we kind of get to meet all the runners families and um you know carb them up and then send them on their way and and
241then root for them as they they come through Ashlin. So um I'm looking forward to that and tomorrow is comprehensive plan. So we will be going through strategies tomorrow um with comp plan. There's a lot of stinking strategies. There's a lot of stinking strategies. So, um that could be a lot. Yeah. So, um but uh but anyway, so just um so there's a lot there's been a lot going on. Um and I just wanted to to say thank you. I know we kind of went through the budget, but we this has been an ongoing process for um quite a while. and the two meetings that we've had with school committee and and Fincom have been great. And so, thank you to them for giving up Saturdays. Thank you to Jim Adams and Michael and Jen
242and um and like our and Cindy and Stephanie. Yeah. Who have been giving up their their their Saturdays to come sit with us and talk through a lot of really tough stuff. So, um just thank you to all of them. And then, um I think that's it. I really think that's it. my brain has gone to mush and so it is going to be it. So, okay, good night. I'm gonna I'm gonna flip it. I'm gonna talk about other things and then I'm gonna um so thank you Makita for running as a marathon runner. Uh looking forward to cheering you on. As Brandy said, we have our marathon breakfast coming up this Saturday. A couple other things coming up. Metro West Regional Collaborative meeting happening on Thursday, 4:24. There is an ABA event happening here
243at town hall on Tuesday 4:29. It starts at about 8 8:30 and it's their debate discussion about what's going on in town. Um, also to those who celebrate, happy Passover. I believe that has started or is about to Happy Easter. It has started. Yep. Uh, happy Easter. Um, I know our schools are off next week for school vacation week. Only those who have kids in the schools can really appreciate that. Um, Jen, a lot has been said about what you've done for this community and Michael and I have talked a lot as how how much he has grown and what he has given and I would say I've seen the same in you. You know, similar to Joe, I remember when you joined us as an assistant town manager and um, you've always been very
244sharp and on the ball. the projects that you've handled and are still handling. I personally want to thank you for your work on the dog park. It's one of those projects that has just been ongoing. Uh even when I said to the committee, let's hold off. Let's hold off. We pushed forward and your help, you know, we're still going to be able to get the funding from the Stanton grant that is going to help us pay for that park. And um it's going to hopefully do, you know, the people who complain about dogs running loose at the state park and other places in town. And hopefully by having that dog park created and hopefully you'll come back when it's done um to help us celebrate that and all your work. I just want to say
245it has been an honor working with you and seeing you grow and on your next step. they are fortunate to be getting you and all you've done for this community. I know your quality of life will be better and it won't be, you know, 11 o'clock at night when you're trying to drive home and hopefully she can come in later tomorrow. Um, but I just want to say thank you for all you've done for this community and your name should go up on some things even though it might not have. So, thank you again for your work and So, uh, the next time you'll see us as the select board will be at town meeting on Wednesday, May 7th. So, please join us there. The articles will become available. The town meeting warrant will now
246be posted. Uh, so please come out either in support or at least to discuss and help us make decisions. The zoning articles are very important as well as the budget, the budget and the funding articles. Uh, so hopefully we'll see you at town meeting. And uh with that, happy Passover, happy Easter. Thank you for those who have watched. Some people watch afterwards or via YouTube. Uh and with that, if I can get a motion to adjurnn and a second. All those in favor? I. Thank you so much. and we'll see you at town meeting.