2026-10-05 - Select Board

00:03Um, old business, new business,

00:05correspondence, approval of minutes,

00:08citizens forum, and then we will

00:10adjourn. So with that, please stand for

00:12the pledge of allegiance.

00:16Pledge allegiance to the flag of the

00:19United States of America and to the

00:21republic for which it stands. One nation

00:25under God, indivisible, with liberty and

00:28justice for all.

00:31>> Thank you. Um,

00:35you know, I lately I've been um thinking

00:38about uh folks that are abroad in our um

00:43moment of silence, but unfortunately uh

00:47tonight I'm going to have to mention two

00:49folks um from our own community to keep

00:51in our thoughts and our prayers. uh

00:54specifically uh Beth Clark who uh worked

00:57at Burgess and George Barry who I think

01:00was on the board of health for about 30

01:02years um both uh passed uh since our

01:06last meeting. So, I just want to um

01:11everybody to take a minute, think about

01:13them, think about our community and

01:15their families um and to think about

01:18your own families and just hold

01:19everybody tight cuz this is all very

01:21short life and all we have is each

01:23other. So, please take a moment of

01:25silence.

01:37Thank you so much. Uh public service

01:39announcements, Mary Lou. Um I just want

01:42to give a shout out to DPW. They did a

01:45really fantastic job cleaning up after

01:47that horrendous rainstorm we had. They

01:50did a good job.

01:51>> Yeah. No, thank you, Heather. Please

01:53convey our appreciation. That was a lot

01:56of wind, even more than the rain. I

01:58think that uh so

02:00>> All right. Thank you. Uh, Chase,

02:02>> nothing for me. Thank you.

02:03>> Uh, married,

02:04>> I also have a shout out along those

02:06lines. The um special events committee

02:08had planned a pickupball tournament. It

02:10was our first one. I don't know if you

02:12saw the signs around town. We were going

02:14to need to cancel it because it was that

02:16horrendous rainstorm. Well, more than

02:18that, the wind. Um and um Pickle Ball U,

02:21which is a local business owner, reached

02:23out to the um organizer on the special

02:26events committee and offered his

02:28facility um Gary and Becky Galanic. And

02:31I think there's another owner, but I

02:33don't know if they're local. So,

02:34everybody that signed up was able to

02:36participate. Uh we hope to do it again

02:38next year and get more participants. I

02:40think we had like 44 people

02:42participating. It was it was a good It

02:44was a very good turnout. And uh we had

02:46um pickle ball jars for the winners and

02:49also some gift cards. And um and the

02:51other thing I want to announce is that

02:53we're doing the home of the brave road

02:55race. Our chair might be announcing it.

02:57Um the signs are around town. We've been

02:59doing it for several years now and it

03:01benefits local veterans um goes to our

03:04veterans fund. So that will be held the

03:06Saturday um

03:10after I believe the Saturday after

03:12Veterans Day this year, but the signs

03:14are out. I don't have the exact date.

03:15I'm sorry. But um you can go on and um

03:18look at the QR code and sign up.

03:21>> Great. Ken,

03:23>> uh I want to also acknowledge the new

03:26launch of the website. I think it's

03:27great. Um you know um finally update

03:29that um and hopefully we'll be able to

03:32get more information out to the public

03:34um sooner. So excited to see that out.

03:36And I'm sure Robin will also talk a

03:37little bit about the falling into place

03:39the the Dowy road master plan that's

03:41happening on Wednesday um at 5:00. So

03:44I'm sure you'll give more details about

03:46that. Thank you.

03:47>> Okay. Um so we will go to also uh we

03:53have early v voting in the November

03:54election. Uh, the election is on

03:57November 3rd, 2026 at the Host Hotel

04:00from 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. And, um,

04:03what's going on with early voting, Lyn?

04:08>> Thank you very much. So, um, early

04:10voting will be starting on October 17th.

04:12That's a Saturday, from 8:00 a.m. till

04:152:00 p.m. at the town clerk's office,

04:17and that'll run through October 30th.

04:20Um, we will have it during normal

04:22business hours during the week. And then

04:24again on October 24th, we will be open

04:27from 8:00 am to 2 pm. And that's the

04:30last day to register to vote if you want

04:32to vote in the November 3rd election.

04:36The November 3rd election, like Jamie

04:37said, is um at the host hotel. We open

04:41up at 6:30 a.m. till 8:00 PM. We also

04:45have early voting processing and that's

04:48going to begin here on October 27th and

04:51that's processing all the vote by mail

04:53ballots um ahead of time. We don't run

04:56tapes. We just process the ballots

04:58through the machines. The machines are

05:00then taken over to the host hotel. Tapes

05:02are run at the end of the day and that's

05:04when we get the actual counts. But it is

05:07open up to the public for viewing so

05:09they can watch the process and it's done

05:11by teams of three. And also I just want

05:15to announce that we really are

05:17encouraging people to please read the

05:19questions beforehand and make sure you

05:21come to the polls prepared. We will have

05:24a table with the questions and the red

05:26books there behind the greeters. Um, but

05:29we're asking that people come prepared

05:30with their little cheat sheets um

05:33because we're expecting a a good turnout

05:36and we just don't want um people lagging

05:39behind um at the voting booths.

05:41>> Great.

05:41>> Because they're long, the questions are

05:43long.

05:43>> There's 10 questions.

05:45>> Yeah.

05:46>> Well, the good news is I thought that in

05:48the primary I had forgotten to vote on

05:49the questions and then I realized it was

05:51a primary. [laughter] So,

05:53so we'll talk about that.

05:55So, I wasn't too impressed with myself

05:58for both of those things, but um

06:00anyways, thank you so much.

06:02>> Thank you.

06:02>> Um all right, so and then we have the uh

06:06water main flushing from October 1st

06:08through November 20th, 2026. Heather,

06:11anything else we need to know about

06:12that?

06:13>> No, just people will be doing it.

06:17>> Okay. And then as Gadian stated, uh this

06:20Wednesday, October 7th, um the Dowy Road

06:23master plan meeting is what is that

06:255:00?

06:25>> Uh yep. So we have asked people to sign

06:28up ahead so that we have a sense of

06:30numbers. Um we will be meeting at the

06:33trail head. Yep. Here's the flyer. At

06:35the trail head um on Stallion Hill Road.

06:39We will have a bus transporting people.

06:40I think 505 the bus. Yeah. Check in at

06:444:50. 4. Please check in by 4:50 so we

06:46can start getting on the people so we

06:48can um we can't be too delayed because

06:50of daylight. So that's important. And um

06:53we if you get there and you have signed

06:55up and you're tight on parking,

06:57Olsterbridge Village has indicated that

06:58it's okay to park across the street in

07:00their lot and walk across. So we've

07:01worked with OSV on that. I want to be

07:04clear what this is. Um I have got some

07:06questions from people through social

07:07media. This is not a pitcher promotion.

07:10This isformational.

07:12Um, and when we have articles, just like

07:14I would say on the next item, which is

07:16the November 16th town meeting, anybody

07:18who has a question on an article is

07:20welcome to come to me for more

07:21information on it. Obviously, if we've

07:24put an article on there or if I

07:25recommended to the board to put an

07:26article on there, I think it's good for

07:29the town if I put it on there, but it

07:31doesn't it's not necessarily a pitch for

07:33any one thing or not. It isformational,

07:35and this is no different. This is

07:37anformational session. We want people to

07:39be able to visualize this property. It's

07:41very hard to vote on something like this

07:43when you're talking about 220 acres

07:45without getting a visual sense of where

07:47things might go, what could happen.

07:49That's what this is about. So, for the

07:51public who has any questions on that, we

07:54just want the people who are involved,

07:55we we particularly invited uh members of

07:58committees that going to have to take

07:59votes on this like FINCOM um and CPC

08:02because we are going to be obviously

08:03they're going to have to take votes on

08:04it for the article. So, we ask that you

08:07do sign up if you are interested. I

08:08think it's a good chance for people to

08:09see the property and understand what

08:11they're voting on. And um again, anybody

08:13who is not there, we are going to be

08:15filming it. Um and it will be on the

08:17cable access as well. So people who

08:20cannot make it or who don't make the

08:21sign up can v visualize on cable access.

08:24>> Great. Um thank you so much for that. Um

08:27and then as last again u as will be

08:30discussed tonight uh with the special

08:32town meeting warrant uh the special town

08:34meeting is on November 16th at Tantasa

08:37High School at 700 p.m. Uh please be

08:39there. Um more about that later. Um so

08:43with that um town administrator update

08:45Robin

08:46>> I just want to thank um Becky Plimpmpton

08:48and Andrew St. George for uh their

08:50leadership and pulling together the

08:52healthy living event uh on the common

08:54Saturday. Um, we were there from 1 to 4.

08:57Uh, we had a great little band and and

08:59snacks and whatnot. I would say turnout

09:02was small, but it was a first time

09:03event. We we I think maybe had 80 or 90

09:05people mill through over the three

09:07hours. Um, it ranged from everything

09:09from healthy eating and healthy foods to

09:12recovery resources and um, education,

09:15preventative education for uh, opioid

09:18use and abuse.

09:19>> Great. Um, so we had that and to go back

09:21to town meeting again. I may if I start

09:23getting a lot of questions about the

09:25articles, just be aware to anybody

09:26watching, uh, I will post on on Facebook

09:29if I'm going to do a Zoom, I have done

09:30in the past a Zoom meeting setup where I

09:33just open it up and people can join the

09:35meeting, the public can join the meeting

09:36and ask questions. Again,formational

09:38only. You know, what does this mean? Why

09:41are we doing this? That type of a thing.

09:44Uh, again, it's justformational so

09:45people can be better educated when they

09:47come to town meeting.

09:48>> Great. Anything else?

09:50>> Yep.

09:50>> All right. So, with that, we're going to

09:52move to action item one, which is

09:55consideration of possible action to sign

09:57the warrant uh for the special town

09:59meeting on November 16th uh 2026.

10:03Um these these were previously opened at

10:06uh I think our last meeting um and we're

10:09still waiting to finalize them. Um I'll

10:12start with just sort of a broad walk

10:14through. So the solar bylaw seems to be

10:18the well for me is the only one I have

10:19any uh comment on but the Walker pond

10:23coververt easements

10:26the moving on

10:29um

10:32the community preservation uh and the

10:35Dowy road meepa uh permitting the

10:38wastewater treatment heating system

10:40controller uh the sewer department

10:42generator

10:44uh the 320 pump station, uh the Cedar

10:47Street waterline replacement,

10:50the uh the moratorum on data centers, uh

10:53and the funding of the DPW collective

10:55bargaining agreement along with the

10:57Joshua Hyde public library. Um those are

11:00the whole world here uh that we have one

11:03for the warrant. I don't know if you

11:04guys want to go item by item on them.

11:05>> We have a later item for that.

11:07>> So this is just for Lynn to do the

11:09official signing of the warrant, but we

11:10have later to open it and

11:12>> Okay. So we're going to actually have

11:13Okay. Okay. So, we're not doing local

11:14one.

11:14>> Yeah. So, this is just for Lynn to sign

11:16off officially on it.

11:18>> Okay. Way around it. We just have to

11:20agenda.

11:21>> We probably should discuss them for I'm

11:23sorry to keep you, Lind, but we have to

11:25talk about the move.

11:25>> So, we can move item. If you want to

11:27move item, yeah, why don't we move item?

11:31>> Oh, so we didn't leave it open. I get

11:32it. So um so consideration possible

11:36action on voting uh to place in support

11:40the remaining articles for special town

11:41meeting

11:42>> and then a motion to close and then you

11:43can have sign.

11:44>> So the the warrant's open presently so I

11:46think we have I don't know whether we

11:47could even sign an open

11:48>> No we haven't closed it yet.

11:49>> Yeah. Yeah. So okay so getting back to

11:52the warrant um

11:53>> you want a brief synopsis of

11:55>> Yeah. I mean it's it's up to the board

11:57of how they want to handle it. Would you

11:58like to go through each one and just get

12:00an overview? and briefly I think

12:02>> I I need a so I need what I need for the

12:04warrant to move forward is a place of

12:06support.

12:07>> We're not going to do it a vote as

12:08written because there are some sub non-s

12:11substantive changes that are still being

12:12worked on on like the bylaw and whatnot

12:14on some definitions on stormwater

12:15definitions and things like that some

12:17formatting issues but generally all the

12:20content would be accurate tonight. So

12:22what I'm looking for is the board to

12:24place the article and vote whether or

12:26not to you individually want to support

12:28that article. I could go through them

12:29very quickly. I think you're all

12:30familiar with mult.

12:31>> Yeah, let's just start with the 33. Uh,

12:34and if you guys have a hold or you want

12:36to discuss anything, just let me know.

12:37We'll just keep going. Um, all right.

12:39Just high level article 33,

12:40>> Walker Pond Falls Culver. So, these this

12:43culvert is deteriorated and is failing.

12:45We had a public meeting on this a couple

12:48weeks back with the um the property the

12:51the the nearby property owners. Some of

12:52that portion is private, some is public.

12:55Uh, this we need some easements to do

12:58this. This basically is um some funding

13:00to just do the easement work to do the

13:02uh recording.

13:03>> Okay.

13:04>> And again, public public interaction

13:06with this.

13:07>> Okay. Any thoughts, concerns, questions?

13:09No.

13:09>> All right. Moving on. Article 34.

13:11>> Vote individually on

13:12>> No, we'll just wait.

13:13>> You have to do them individual. Well,

13:14>> you want to do them individually. All

13:16right. I make a motion to please and

13:17support article 33.

13:18>> I'll second.

13:19>> All those in favor?

13:21>> Great. All right. Moving to article 34,

13:24Cedar uh street sidewalk phase 2

13:26easements. So this is phase two. We will

13:28be applying for another grant as we had

13:30gotten for the phase one which was route

13:3220 up to uh

13:35Burgess and uh that one we had sort of

13:38done backwards. We had applied for the

13:39grant before we had gotten the easements

13:42approval from the public but we were

13:43lucky everybody sort of went along.

13:45Phase two is going to be a little more

13:46complicated. We um just want to bait

13:50because we should really have this in

13:51place before we apply for the grant. Um

13:53it's a chicken and an egg and we really

13:55should have this in place. Again, if

13:56we're not going to be able to get the

13:57easements, if if there's going to be a

13:59problem with the public on this, the the

14:01grant becomes a different story. So, we

14:03just again want to have the funding

14:05available that if we do have the

14:06neighborhood meetings and there is and

14:08there's been some change in the original

14:09design to make this much more feasible

14:11than it had originally been without

14:12taking out people's stone walls and

14:14whatnot, which was a big concern. So

14:16this is just to allow us the the ability

14:19to fund the recording of said easements

14:21if the process moves forward and it will

14:23help us in our grant application to say

14:25that the neighbors are on board and we

14:27have the easements moving.

14:28>> So this will take us from Burgess to the

14:29rest

14:30>> seed pond. Yep. Yep.

14:31>> So there aren't many houses in between.

14:33How many houses are involved?

14:36>> Well, there's there's more than you

14:37think I think.

14:38>> I was going to say three.

14:40>> Yeah, but we have Yeah, but there's a

14:42stone wall. It's a little different.

14:44some trees, but they have worked to

14:46redesign and make it a much more

14:48feasible project than the initial

14:50>> Yeah.

14:50>> round of phase two was.

14:52>> It's more work than you think, I think.

14:53>> But this is really preparatory to be

14:55able to say when we apply, yes, we've

14:57already got the easements and the public

14:58is on board.

14:59>> No, I mean, makes sense to me. Any

15:01questions, thoughts, concerns from the

15:02board?

15:03>> I'm going.

15:04>> So, so when that does happen, if so, if

15:06someone does have a stonewall, um, what

15:08will the town do?

15:10>> I think we're avoiding the stone wall,

15:12right?

15:15I mean, I can just answer the question,

15:17Heather. Oh, good. It's negotiating.

15:18>> It's [laughter] negotiating. Okay.

15:20>> It's not I mean, it's an easy.

15:23>> Yeah. You It's a process.

15:25>> And we did in the last one with one of

15:27the neighbors had something on the

15:28corner that they wanted and we worked

15:29with them and trade off for the

15:31discussion of the

15:32>> cuz I I I do drive that road almost

15:33every day. I know the stone walls are

15:35right there along. So,

15:36>> yeah. No, it's um and well, no. Okay. Is

15:39there anything else?

15:39>> I need you to vote that one.

15:40>> All right. I'm going to make a motion to

15:42place in support article 34. Do we have

15:45a second?

15:45>> Second.

15:46>> All those in favor? Great. Okay. So,

15:49then we get to article 35 uh the battery

15:53energy storage and solar.

15:54>> So, this is the best this is what we've

15:56been talking about. Uh planning board

15:58has voted and supports this. Uh this the

16:01state on October 1st started a process

16:06over 100 megawatts for the best

16:07automatically goes under the state.

16:09where we all are required to have a

16:10consolidated permitting process. If we

16:12do not set up our own bylaw with a

16:15consolidated permitting process, by

16:17default, it will be the state's process.

16:19>> Yeah.

16:19>> So, this is not that we love these. This

16:21is not that we want these. This is to

16:24control how they happen as best as we

16:26possibly can. We also have to make

16:28allowances for battery energy storage

16:30systems and where they could go. Um, and

16:33again, if we don't make allowances for

16:36that, we are subject to the state making

16:38the determination for us where they will

16:40go. So, I don't want the perception of

16:42this to be that we're saying, hey, we

16:44want these things here. This is simply

16:46if they're going to come here or they

16:48going to want to be here, we want to

16:50have some as much control as the law

16:52will allow us to have right now.

16:54>> I have a question. Go ahead.

16:56>> Okay. So, how is this one different than

16:59what the state permitting process? What

17:01are the highlights of why this is this

17:04one's more advantageous to our res?

17:06>> Well, the the state would basically take

17:08away

17:09>> our if we don't have a process in place.

17:12>> I get that

17:12>> the state would take away our normal

17:14process and it consolidates what is a

17:16little different than what we do now is

17:17it goes into one portal

17:19>> and it has to we do have to comply with

17:21state laws on what is allowed, what is

17:23not allowed. We can't vary from that but

17:25it still is at the local level the

17:27process that it goes through the town

17:28planner. It's reviewed by our building

17:30official. So, it it goes through the

17:33process. I'll be honest, the

17:34consolidated permitting process did not

17:36necessarily have to be in the bylaw. We

17:38could have just established the process,

17:40but uh our attorneys advised that we

17:42just put that into the bylaw. We're

17:44working with Central Mass Regional as

17:45well on this. more importantly and this

17:48is the locations because if it's almost

17:51like a do amendment if we don't allow

17:53for enough locations for this they can

17:56then put them pretty much anywhere and

17:58we want to prevent that. Same with

18:00expanding our solar a little bit and

18:02making sure that we have plenty of areas

18:03where solar is allowed by percentage of

18:05land. So it varies from the state in the

18:09sense that we still at least have the

18:10control. The the problem with all of it

18:13is that even with putting this in, if

18:16after 18 months, we have not permitted

18:19that project, they then can appeal to

18:23the state and the state will take it

18:24over for for review. But at least if we

18:27have the consolidated permit process, we

18:29can ensure that the plans come to us. We

18:31can ensure that we review them through

18:32our process, our building official

18:34looks, that they comply with our zoning

18:36and locations. um it at least has lets

18:39us have voice in those first 18 months

18:41to go back and forth. If we don't have

18:43it, the voice goes to the state.

18:48Mary, anything else?

18:49>> Yeah, I guess so.

18:50>> So, the the question and I I appreciate

18:53the planning board's work on this. I

18:55don't have an issue with the

18:58the substance, but I did want to just

19:01kind of note for the record and anybody

19:03who's might be thinking about purchasing

19:07or or trying to get uh

19:11engage in these processes at a local

19:13level and I you know don't not

19:15inherently against solar or just depends

19:17on where the project is. But the

19:19experience that we had or at least I'll

19:21speak for myself, not the board. The

19:22experience that I had uh with National

19:25Grid dealing with Podunk Road um with to

19:30address the solar power from the um the

19:33project in Charlton I thought was

19:34unacceptable. And I'm not and we have

19:39the

19:40I don't see anything in this and maybe

19:42I'll find out I'm wrong, but I don't see

19:44anything in this that tells me that um

19:46we have to give expanded plant higher

19:49density lines uh in and of itself. So

19:54this is, you know, I'm I'm concerned

19:56that the state is going to

19:59um is being in indeliberate in this uh

20:03you can and you can the largest

20:05indicator of that being in Oakum where

20:08they're building an enormous solar field

20:11over the entire uh Quabin Reservoir

20:14which is the the water for all of Boston

20:18and and the disconnect between trees and

20:21clean water does not seem seem to seems

20:23to be lost to Beacon Hill. So, I just

20:26want to kind of put it out there on the

20:28record and I appreciate the planning

20:29board's work and I and I and I think

20:31that one part of you know this is really

20:34Aiden probably more than anybody else

20:35that if he could just think about

20:38whether or not the lines are in place to

20:40support the projects because

20:43you know what kind of happened along 49

20:46I thought was not well done. It was

20:49peace meal. it was confusing and

20:51sometimes I feel like national grid

20:53maybe doesn't do it purposely but

20:55effectively it occurs that way for a

20:57particular outcome. So um that's my kind

21:00of comment more than broadly about this.

21:02So

21:03>> I don't know any other that was a bit of

21:06a monologue. [laughter]

21:08>> Yeah. No, I mean it was kind of

21:10complicated to be honest for me to read.

21:12So that's why I wanted you to highlight

21:14how it's different than what the state

21:15permitting process would be. So if it if

21:18we left it to the state, it wouldn't go

21:19through our town planner and our local

21:21zoning or any of that.

21:22>> No.

21:22>> Oh, no. This at least allows us to have

21:25boys. If we don't have a consolidated

21:26permit process, they just apply right

21:28through the sighting board.

21:29>> Yeah. There's jamming through.

21:30>> So it's not that it's different than

21:32what the state might do. Maybe the

21:33state's going to look at the same things

21:34we would, but it's them looking at it

21:35and not us,

21:36>> right?

21:36>> And the state's going to have to Has the

21:38state approved this bylaw?

21:39>> No, we have to vote it. So they might

21:42not. And that's why we had to be sure

21:44that we did have enough areas that could

21:46have solar that we could not arbitrarily

21:48say no best. You know, the Oak situation

21:51is really challenging because it's over

21:53the megawatt number. We wouldn't even

21:54have say on that at all.

21:56>> And that's 53 communities, as Jamie

21:58points out, 53 communities rely on that

22:02aquafer for water.

22:03>> Yeah.

22:04>> So, and so that's how strong the state

22:06is right now on what they want and what

22:08they're doing. You can't pass. Is this

22:09modeled after another town's

22:11>> that? We worked with CMRPC, Central Mass

22:14Regional, who assisted us in designing

22:17the the the bylaw base because they've

22:19been following this. Gene and I were on

22:21multiple meetings about the development

22:23of this. The unfortunate part is they

22:25didn't finalize the state didn't

22:28finalize the regulations until the end

22:30of August or else we would have even had

22:33we were trying to get something we would

22:34have had a town meeting even sooner to

22:36get a bylaw in place but we couldn't

22:37draft a bylaw because we didn't even

22:38know what the regulations were going to

22:40be until the last week of August or

22:41August 16th I believe and that's when we

22:43started the process with planning we

22:45kicked it back and forth as we have to

22:46from you to them and so forth. So the

22:50state really has this has been coming

22:52since 24 and the state had did not since

22:5524 this has been enacted as law and it

22:58wasn't until August of 26 that they

23:00finalized the regulations. We literally

23:02sat on a meeting last March Gene and I

23:04we were text it was a Zoom meeting. We

23:06were texting each other because they

23:07couldn't answer basic questions of like

23:09well is it considered something that a

23:10building inspector looks at if it's on a

23:12concrete pad or not? We don't know. We

23:15don't know. Those were the answers we

23:16were getting. And so central mass had

23:18helped us with it. Um Heather worked

23:20closely with them on the storm water

23:22question because we have at least have a

23:23little bit of latitude there uh because

23:25there is some protection with storm

23:26water that that's one law that might now

23:28at least help us a little bit. Um but if

23:32we don't take some action and I think

23:33that's what's so important at this town

23:35meeting. I I'm just concerned people are

23:37going to look and simply see it as oh

23:39the town wants solar and best. That is

23:41not what this bylaw is for. This bylaw

23:44is to protect the process because the

23:47the state in the act in the climate act

23:50in 24 basically gave solar projects the

23:53same protection as churches and schools.

23:56The like the do amendment.

23:58>> Yeah.

23:58>> So they are tremendously protected and

24:01if we do not hold some ground we will

24:04have no say

24:05>> cuz we'll have well never mind say we

24:06won't we won't even have knowledge.

24:08Yeah.

24:08>> And we process right out of it. I get

24:10it. So it says solar facilities for one

24:12and two family dwellings are exempt from

24:14this bylaw. That means individual

24:16houses.

24:17>> If you have a yard and you want to put a

24:18panel up to power your house, you can.

24:20This is more commercial.

24:21>> This is Yes. Yes. This is not to hurt

24:24the person who wants a rooftop solar.

24:25And we also did add in our bylaw things

24:28like rooftop solar uh park covered

24:31parking. So we're not against the

24:34concept of solar. We are pri trying to

24:36protect deforesting and farmland being

24:38eaten up and the risks to the water

24:40supply.

24:41>> Yeah. And forest fires. Never.

24:43>> Yeah. Not to mention the fires.

24:44>> But um All right. So, unless there's

24:46anything else, I think we kind of have

24:48chattered about this before. So, I'm

24:49going to make a a motion to please and

24:52support article 35.

24:54>> I'll second that.

24:54>> All those in favor? Great. Thank you.

24:58Okay. Moving on.

25:01If I can get there. All right. A lot.

25:03>> No. our article 36 um community

25:07preservation dowy road mapa permitting.

25:09>> So unfortunately CPC was not able to

25:11meet tonight. Usually I bring it to you

25:13guys after CPC has voted. Um this is as

25:17you know we have the dowy land the 225

25:19acres. We had the public hearings the

25:21two public meetings I should say. one

25:23where we had the public's input, park

25:25construction, park engineering came up

25:28with a preliminary design. But again,

25:30that's a design that's truly a

25:32preliminary conceptual plan. We then

25:35presented that design publicly and in a

25:36second meeting. Now, we need to get to

25:38the point where if we are going to do

25:40anything because of the size of the

25:41property, it trips MEEPA mass

25:43environmental protection act. So that

25:46means that trails cl can't clear trails.

25:48We can't excavate. We can't do anything

25:51until at least we get all the MEEPA

25:52permitting done. So this first phase is

25:56for MEEPA permitting. It's for um a

26:00potent some potential design for fields

26:03uh for the for the two fields and

26:06preliminary work on parking and storm

26:09water. So without parking, storm water

26:11and MEEPA, none of the rest can get done

26:14anyway. So, we did get a price um and we

26:18believe that $350,000 would at least

26:20start us on the process. This will also

26:22get us a much better sense of the

26:24overall cost of of some of the phases

26:27because right now it was all over the

26:28map on a conceptual. So, in order to do

26:31anything and what I wanted to put first

26:33for the public because I know there's

26:34still back and forth on who wants what

26:36and all of those things, this really

26:38this initial step, we can't do anything

26:41without that.

26:42>> Yeah. It's threshold. So the only thing

26:44it it goes that might be somewhat

26:45targeted a little bit is the very

26:47earliest phases of field design um and

26:51parking which is the user side of

26:54things. The other stuff is really storm

26:55water and meepa which we can't do

26:57anything again without either of those

26:59two.

26:59>> Okay. Any questions, thoughts, concerns?

27:02>> Okay. I'm going to make a motion to

27:04place in support article 36.

27:06>> I'll second that.

27:08>> Thank you. All right. Um, article 37 of

27:13wastewater treatment plant heating

27:15system controller.

27:16>> So, um, we had no heat. Our HVAC is

27:19broken. Basically, it's a bad a really

27:22ugly thermostat, uh, for lack of a

27:24better word, I guess. So, Heather, you

27:27want to talk about Yeah.

27:28>> I I don't think you need that.

27:30>> So, we have to have it fixed. We're

27:32eating We have to use reserve fund

27:33[clears throat] money, but that depletes

27:34the reserve fund to get to the rest of

27:36the year. It's early on to deplete that

27:37much of the reserve fund.

27:38>> Any questions, thoughts, concerns?

27:40This is an easy one.

27:42>> I'll make I'll make a motion to support.

27:45[laughter]

27:46>> Do we have a second? I'll second that.

27:47>> All those in favor? Thank you. Um,

27:51article 38 again kind of speaks for it.

27:54It's a sewer generator. I'm going to

27:56make a motion to please and support

27:57article 38 unless there's discussion.

27:59>> I'll second that.

28:00>> All those in favor?

28:01>> I know what these things are. No, I mean

28:02I know what a heat [laughter]

28:05>> uh

28:05>> generator. I mean, I know what a

28:07generator is, too. They all seem they

28:10all seem like pretty necessary kind

28:12[laughter] of expenses.

28:14>> So, I'm going to move on to the uh

28:16article 39. This is the route 20 pump

28:19station replacement design. I assume

28:20this is the presentation uh that we had

28:23some months ago about the flood plan.

28:26>> And there's actually more on your agenda

28:27tonight that will give you the next sort

28:29of the phase. I know you had all talked

28:31about trying to get it done where it was

28:33as opposed to taking more land for that.

28:35And the design that you'll be presented

28:37tonight under a separate artic under a

28:39separate item here does keep it where it

28:42was in that same lo we it will involve

28:44no taking of land.

28:45>> Okay.

28:45>> Um but what we did do is we got to the

28:4825% now we kind of need to keep moving

28:50and so this is the next phase of it. Um

28:52and you'll see what that would be coming

28:55up in a later in a later item tonight.

28:57>> Great. Um

28:58>> I thought that that might not have been

28:59possible to leave it where it was.

29:01>> It it turned out

29:02>> Oh, we'll talk about Okay. Yeah. Okay.

29:05You'll get more wrinkles.

29:08>> This is This is about the

29:09>> No, I think it's a good thing to be able

29:11to leave it where it is.

29:12>> Great. Um All right. Any thoughts,

29:13Scott? All right. I'm going to make an a

29:15motion to place in support article 39.

29:17>> Second.

29:18>> All those in favor?

29:19>> Great. Article 40, uh Cedar Street water

29:23line replacement.

29:24>> Be straightforward.

29:25>> Yeah. Um any questions, thoughts,

29:26concerns?

29:27>> No, we need water. [laughter]

29:28>> All right. I'm gonna make

29:29>> Can't have promptly water lines.

29:30>> I'm going to make a motion of police and

29:32support article 40. Do we have a second?

29:34>> Second.

29:35>> Great. Uh, article 41, datent of

29:38>> Wait, we got to vote it.

29:39>> Oh, do we need to vote? I'm sorry. All

29:41those in favor?

29:42>> Great. Um,

29:45and then to uh the moratorum on data

29:49centers. I It's pretty straightforward.

29:52It's temporary

29:53>> temporary moratorium just like before.

29:55Um, our our ordinance is our zone our

29:58bylaw is silent on it, which means

29:59they're not allowed. But it could also

30:01be argued that because they didn't exist

30:03prior that they need to be addressed.

30:06And so this is a moratorium until we can

30:08get a handle on it because we are seeing

30:09these crop up all around the country.

30:10>> Yeah, I don't think we're going to get a

30:11lot of push back on this one. Uh do any

30:14questions, thoughts, concerns?

30:16>> Nope.

30:16>> I'm going to uh make a motion to place

30:19and support article 41.

30:21>> Do we have a second?

30:21>> Second.

30:22>> All those in favor? Great.

30:25>> Um article 42 uh the funding of the DPW

30:28contract that we discussed. Was it last

30:30meeting and meeting before?

30:31>> Yep.

30:32>> Okay. Um, any thoughts?

30:34>> So, you know, we put placeholders in. I

30:36was about 1% off 1.3% off on my

30:39placeholder.

30:39>> Okay. So, uh, I'm going to make a motion

30:43to place in support article 42 subject

30:46to the amendments in the future.

30:47Discussed.

30:48>> And we have a second. Second. All those

30:50in favor? Great. Uh,

30:54some So, Joshua Hyde Public Library,

30:58>> what's the

30:59>> Yeah. So, we opened bids. Uh, we only

31:00had one bid. The other another company

31:03was actually 5 minutes late showing up,

31:04so we couldn't take their bid. That one

31:06bid that we opened ended up being over

31:08what we had budgeted over the 500,000

31:10amount. Okay.

31:11>> We have gone back out to bid. We had a

31:13walkthrough. We had actually, I think,

31:14four companies come, three or four. So,

31:16it looks like we may have more

31:17competitive bid process.

31:19>> We may fall in the range before we'll

31:20know on October 22nd.

31:22>> Okay.

31:22>> But, I need to at least place this

31:24article. I'm going to ask you not to

31:26support it yet until I get a number

31:28because we may not even need it and I

31:30I'm just simply placing it this article.

31:32Okay.

31:32>> So, for now, I would ask that the motion

31:34is just to please.

31:35>> I make a motion to please article 43.

31:38>> Second that. All

31:38>> those in favor. Great.

31:41>> Thank you.

31:42>> Excellent. All right.

31:43>> So, now a motion to close.

31:45>> So, make a motion to close the warrant

31:48for the special town meeting.

31:49>> I think we can go back to

31:51>> second. All those in favor?

31:53>> Great. Now you can go back to

31:54>> Yeah. And I'm going to

31:57make a motion to sign the warrant for

32:00the special town meeting on November

32:0216th, 2026. Do

32:04>> a second.

32:05>> Second.

32:05>> All those in favor?

32:06>> October. October.

32:08>> Oh, for November. I'm sorry. Sorry about

32:10that.

32:11>> Um,

32:13and then we have to go to article B,

32:15which is consideration and possible

32:16action to sign the Commonwealth of

32:18Massachusetts warrant for the 2026

32:22election.

32:24Okay. Um, pretty straightforward. Any

32:28thoughts, questions, concerns?

32:30Okay. Let's get Lynn out of here. I make

32:32a motion to sign the Commonwealth of

32:35Massachusetts warrant for the 2026 state

32:37uh election. Do we have a second?

32:39>> Second.

32:39>> All those in favor?

32:41>> Thanks, Lyn.

32:43>> All right. Oh, we have to sign it,

32:44actually. Um,

32:48do we need better?

32:51One sign. Um,

32:53okay. Great.

32:56All right. Consider moving to article C.

32:58Consideration of possible action on

33:00approval of a permit for a 5K road race

33:02for the Old Serbridge Academy on Sunday,

33:05November 15th, 2026 from 8:00 a.m. to

33:0810:00 a.m. All right. I think this is

33:11Come on up, guys.

33:13>> So, we have no obviously we have no we

33:15have no concerns with this. Just if you

33:17all have any questions.

33:19>> Yeah. If you just tell us what Yeah, I

33:21think I think we know [laughter]

33:23>> it's our it's Old Sergey Academyy's kind

33:25of annual 5K astraat. Um the last one

33:30was actually 2024. So we're looking to

33:32do it again. It's one of our biggest

33:33fundraisers for the school. Um and we're

33:36looking to have it on Yeah. Sunday,

33:38November 15th starting at 8. So we'll

33:40just need approval because they have to

33:42close that, you know, group and I think

33:44we need police and stuff.

33:46>> There it is.

33:46>> Okay.

33:47>> All right. Do we have any uh questions,

33:49thoughts, concerns? You always have a

33:50good turnout,

33:51>> right?

33:52>> Yeah.

33:52>> Yeah.

33:53>> People enjoy it.

33:54>> Yeah. [laughter]

33:56>> Great. All right. Do we have a motion?

33:59>> I'll make a motion to approve the permit

34:01for the 5K road race for Old Sturbage

34:03Academy, Sunday, November 15, 2026 from

34:078 to 10:00 a.m.

34:08>> Second.

34:10>> All right. All those in favor.

34:12>> Great.

34:13>> Thank you so much. Appreciate you

34:14coming.

34:15>> Good luck.

34:17>> All All right. Um consider we're going

34:19to article D consideration of possible

34:21action on approval of change of officers

34:24manager and ownership interest at extra

34:26Mart at 215 uh Charlton Road. How's it

34:28going?

34:29>> Good. Uh good evening Mr. Chair, members

34:31of the board. [clears throat] Kevin

34:32Butler from McDermott Quilty Miller and

34:34Hanley.

34:35>> Uh on behalf of Extramart, I'm joined by

34:38the [clears throat] proposed manager of

34:39record, Heather Sandrren. Uh so we're

34:41here tonight for uh two corporate

34:44housekeeping items and for the change of

34:45manager. Uh first the change of

34:48officers. Uh this has no impact on the

34:50operation of the license. Uh it's simply

34:52just to update your records and the

34:54ABCC's records uh to reflect what's

34:56listed for the corporate officers on the

34:58secretary of the commonwealth.

35:00>> Um second is for a change of ownership.

35:03Uh this is just to reflect uh the merger

35:05of the Lency entity which was uh Drake

35:08Petroleum uh into um the parent entity

35:12which is Warren Equities.

35:15um which [clears throat] results in more

35:17inequities no longer being an entity uh

35:19and the former grandparent entity global

35:22Montello Group Corp. uh becoming the

35:24entity now. Um so again, this has no

35:27changes or this has no uh impact to the

35:29operation of the license. Um and it

35:32doesn't even have any impact to the

35:33overall um ultimate ownership interest.

35:36Uh simply put, it's just a um corporate

35:39housekeeping item to uh remove an

35:41unnecessary level of the corporate

35:43organizational chart.

35:45Um and then finally for the change of

35:47manager to Heather Sandrren. Uh Heather

35:50is a US citizen, a resident of

35:52Massachusetts, has about 8 months um of

35:56experience at this location and is also

35:58tip certified, which I provided to the

36:00town earlier today. Um, and she is

36:03familiar with the laws of the

36:04Commonwealth, the rules of the ABCC, and

36:06this board pertaining to the sale and

36:08service of alcohol. Um, so with that,

36:10thank you for hearing this tonight, and

36:12we'd be happy to answer any questions.

36:14>> I don't have any. Does anybody have any

36:15questions? Do we have a motion?

36:19>> I'll make a motion to approve the change

36:21of officers, manager, and ownership

36:23interest at extraar 215 Charlton Road.

36:26>> Okay. And it's from to uh who's who was

36:30it previously? Uh, it was Margaret Smith

36:33and to Heather. What was last?

36:35>> Sandrren.

36:36>> To Heather Sandrin. Um, motion amended.

36:39>> Motion [laughter] amended.

36:40>> All right. Great. And I'll second and

36:42all those in favor.

36:44>> Excellent. Thank you very much.

36:45>> Thank you.

36:48>> Okay. Um.

36:54All right. Uh consideration of possible

36:57action on approving a 1-day liquor

36:58license for pickleball U at 178C Main

37:02Street for comedy night October 23rd,

37:0524th, and 20 and November 21st uh this

37:09year for from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Uh any

37:12questions, thoughts, concerns? No.

37:14>> Uh do we have a motion? I'll make a

37:16motion to approve the 1day liquor

37:18license for Pickle Ball U at 178C Main

37:21Street for comedy night October 23rd,

37:2324th, and November 21st, 2026 from 6:00

37:27to 9:00 p.m. Second. [clears throat]

37:30>> I'll second. [laughter] Okay. All those

37:31in favor?

37:32>> Excellent.

37:33>> I just have a question about

37:34>> Sure. Um, so do you sign up in advance

37:37if you want to attend? How does that

37:39work?

37:40>> It's it Yeah, you can or there won't be

37:43>> you can walk in.

37:45Well, it'll depend.

37:46>> You're selling tickets for it.

37:55>> But we'll be putting it out to the

37:56general.

37:56>> Everybody should urgently buy tickets as

37:59soon as possible. [laughter]

38:00>> Just in case. Is this

38:02>> tomorrow? Follow up.

38:03>> Is this the first time you've done a

38:05comedy night?

38:06>> Yeah,

38:06>> actually. Sounds fun.

38:07>> Yeah, that it looked different. I think

38:09>> that sounds good. and and we thanked

38:10your business um at the beginning for

38:13opening it up for the special events

38:14pickle ball tournament. Um that was very

38:17kind and community

38:19>> very well.

38:21>> Hopefully some people I know some people

38:23came from other towns so that might

38:27>> introduce them to your indoor facility

38:29too. So

38:30>> for the town for us appreciate it right.

38:32>> No we did too. Thank you.

38:34>> Yeah. No we appreciate you guys. Thank

38:35you very much. Um, okay. Moving on to F,

38:40which is consideration in uh possible

38:42action on appointing Gil Cooper as

38:45alternate member of the Conservation

38:46Commission for a term to expire uh

38:49October 5th, 2029.

38:51>> And uh Mr. Cooper met with Lauren Vivier

38:54and Lauren recommended this appointment.

38:56>> Okay. Uh questions, thoughts, concerns?

38:59All right. We're going to make a motion

39:01to approve Gil Cooper as an alternate

39:03member of the conservation comm uh uh

39:05commission for a term to expire October

39:08I'm Why am I reading it? Do we have a

39:10motion? [laughter]

39:11>> So move second.

39:13>> Second.

39:13>> All those in favor?

39:14>> Great.

39:17>> Um [clears throat] consideration or move

39:19an action item G. consideration and

39:21possible action on approval of a

39:23contract with Thai and bond for the

39:25permit year 9 storm water assistance for

39:28the 2016 small municipal separate storm

39:31water sewer system MS4 general permit

39:33for $80,000 funding from article 22

39:36storm water MS4 compliance for the FY27

39:40town meeting. All right, so what's going

39:42on here?

39:43>> Heather, come on down, please.

39:44>> That's a Heather one.

39:47>> I can just tell you it's fun.

39:49So this is our standard support

39:52agreement that we do with Tai bond for

39:54our MS4 permitting every year. Um we

39:57fund it in the town meeting. Um it

39:59basically keeps us going forward with

40:01the provisions that we need to do with

40:03our manhole inspe uh our inspections of

40:06our system. We have to do so many

40:08inspections before the end of the permit

40:10year. They help write our end of the

40:14year permit memo which just went in for

40:16this year. Um there's multiple different

40:19tasks in this. I know you have a memo on

40:21it, but it's basically our ongoing

40:23services agreement that we had with them

40:24to keep us in compliance, provide us

40:27technical support when we're doing

40:29things, training, which is a requirement

40:31of the permit, and um make sure that we

40:34do the proper paperwork to say that

40:37we've done all of these things each

40:39year, too.

40:40>> Okay. So, it's about 80,000 and it's

40:42main is it all services? It looks like

40:44it's all services, right?

40:45>> Okay. Um, so any questions about that?

40:49>> And and this is a perennial.

40:52>> Yes.

40:52>> Yeah. Okay. Um, all right. Do we have a

40:55motion?

40:55>> So move.

40:57>> Uh, do we have a second?

40:58>> Second.

40:58>> All those in favor? Great. Thanks,

41:00Heather.

41:01>> All Heather, we got one.

41:04>> Yeah. Yeah.

41:04>> Go.

41:05>> All right. So straightforward. Yeah.

41:08Something to look at.

41:08>> All right. I'm going to go to H for

41:10Robin. So consideration and possible

41:12action on the sign of contract marking

41:14incorporated not to exceed 30,000. So

41:17>> this is line striping. We open bids on

41:19this. This was the price and pretty

41:21straightforward.

41:22>> Okay. Questions.

41:25All right. Um do we have a motion?

41:28>> I'll make a motion um to authorize the

41:30town administrator to sign a contract

41:33with Markings Inc. for the amount not to

41:35exceed 35,000.

41:37Second.

41:38>> All right. Great. Thank you. All those

41:39in favor? Excellent. All right. Now,

41:42we're going to I uh Heather. So, this is

41:45consideration and possible action to

41:47authorize the town administrator to sign

41:49a contract with Thai and Bond

41:51Incorporated for the Stallion Hill Water

41:53Storage Tank Replacement Project for

41:56$438,800.

41:59So, what's going on here?

42:00>> So, um previously, a couple years ago,

42:03we approved an article on town meeting

42:05to replace the water tank at Stallion

42:07Hill. We went out for professional

42:09services um

42:12uh proposals from

42:15five. We requested proposals from five

42:18different engineers. We received four

42:20back. We did a ranking system where

42:23myself, Robin, Jacqueline, and Shane all

42:27reviewed all the proposals independently

42:30based on a scoring matrix, scored them,

42:33and then we also had a cost component

42:35that was separately opened after the

42:37fact. So after all that review and

42:39reviewing the cost proposals um we

42:43unanimously agreed that time bond was

42:45the best um technically and most

42:48valuable for our investment. Also um an

42:52evaluation of the cost per hour was done

42:56and they were actually the cheapest cost

42:58per hour. So if you took the number of

43:00hours they said it was going to take

43:02versus the cost they had the lowest rate

43:04to.

43:05>> Okay. So it we felt with this size

43:07project, it was a good idea to go ahead

43:09and solicit other um proposals just to

43:13>> keep him honest.

43:14>> Yes. Too big of [laughter] a project to

43:16just Who put the original tank? Was that

43:19like how long ago was the original tank

43:21put in?

43:22>> You guys did the original tank, too.

43:24>> I think Tyen Bond in I want to say 1969

43:27or something.

43:28>> But it was also Tyian Bond.

43:29>> Quite old. Yes. Yes. So, for the record,

43:31in case people at home couldn't hear,

43:33the answer from Tyian Bond was 1969.

43:36Um, okay. Uh, questions, thoughts,

43:39concerns.

43:39>> Do we have it covered with the town

43:41meeting from a few years ago?

43:42>> Yes.

43:44>> Okay. And what was the

43:46>> the article with town meeting was 3.3

43:49million. Um once we get through design

43:51we'll have to evaluate whether we have

43:53enough money in the article still for

43:55the full construction but at the time

43:57that was basically the engineering

44:00number that we opinion of cost. So after

44:02the design's through we'll be able to

44:05even probably mides look at that number

44:07and say whether we think we're going to

44:08need more. But there's some evaluation

44:10pieces to what type of tank is going to

44:12be whether it's going to be on the same

44:14footprint whether it's going to be next

44:16door. So, a lot of there's some upfront

44:19stuff to do, but we have enough money to

44:22proceed

44:22>> and OSV is aware. Um, we have talked to

44:25OSV about the fact that if we have to

44:27put it next to it, so we don't have to

44:28take totally offline or whatever if that

44:30ends up being what we do.

44:30>> Part of the research is

44:33>> the

44:33>> we haven't been able to find any

44:35agreement between the town and OSV

44:37regarding the existing tank

44:38>> actually. Yeah. The land. though, but

44:41handshake. It was another handshake just

44:43like uh just like got by the um St. Ans.

44:47>> So, we're we're working with OSV to

44:48codify all that now.

44:50>> Okay, good.

44:50>> So, that in another 50 years, someone

44:52won't be sitting here saying, "How the

44:53heck did that happen?"

44:54>> No, we appreciate that. Great. Um any

44:57other questions, thoughts, concerns? Uh

44:59or do we have a motion?

45:00>> I'll make a motion to authorize the town

45:02administrator to sign a contract with Ty

45:04Bond, Inc. for the Stallion Hill Water

45:06Storage tank replacement project for

45:08$438,800.

45:12>> Second.

45:12>> Second.

45:13>> All those in favor.

45:14>> Great. Thanks, Heather. Um, okay. J

45:18consideration and possible action for

45:20the select board members to sign a

45:22proclamation uh for the Serge Rotary

45:25Club of Massachusetts and our friends at

45:27the Starbridge England uh Rotary Club uh

45:31proclaiming October uh 14th 20 uh 26 as

45:37Sturbridge and Starbridge Rotary

45:39Friendship Day. Um we do this every

45:41year. It's a lovely ceremony. Uh I think

45:44what's the 14th next week? Um it really

45:47is great. So if anybody's around, it's

45:498:30 in the morning because of the time.

45:51>> 8 or 8:30.

45:52>> 8:30.

45:52>> 8:30.

45:53>> It's kind of neat. We they they zoom in

45:54from England.

45:56>> Yeah. And then they see me [laughter]

45:59>> and it's underwhelming.

46:02>> It's pretty neat though. It is pretty

46:03neat.

46:03>> No, it is a lovely

46:04>> one of the fun things we I am just being

46:06uh facicious. Um so I'm going to make a

46:10motion uh for the board to sign a

46:13proclam. proclamation has discussed uh

46:16and proclaiming the 14th uh Sturbridge

46:19Stbridge Rotary Friendship Day.

46:21>> Second.

46:21>> All those in favor?

46:23>> Great. Um K consideration and possible

46:27action on the resignation of Becky

46:30Gendro from the Open Space Committee

46:32effective September 2026. Uh unless

46:34there's discussion, I'll so moved with

46:38our thanks to Becky for her work.

46:40>> Second.

46:41>> All those in favor? Great. All right.

46:45Old business.

46:47>> I don't have any old business.

46:48>> Okay. Cavian.

46:50>> No.

46:51>> Mary.

46:52>> No.

46:52>> Chase. Mary Lou.

46:54>> No.

46:55>> Okay. Uh.

46:56>> Oh. Old business for Mary Lou. The door.

46:58>> The door.

46:59>> I was going to

47:00>> The door is We're waiting to spring. We

47:01cannot do that project internally,

47:03believe it or not. That door cannot be

47:04just painted by DPW. So, we are we're

47:08getting together some funding, but it

47:10has to be taken off, removed, and the

47:12library will be without a door. So, we

47:14really don't want to do it in January,

47:16but

47:17>> it's it's not off. We have heat.

47:19>> Can we put like plastic sheets?

47:21>> Well, we will do something. But yes, so

47:23it is it is on the radar. Just don't

47:25want you to think we forgot.

47:27>> Great. All right. So, then we get to new

47:30business, which Robin, you've listed a

47:32few.

47:32>> Yeah. Very, very briefly on new business

47:34for the HCA. So, local roots is being

47:36sold and they are requesting um a

47:40transfer of the license. I spoke with

47:43our town council because the HCA process

47:46that we have for this the u the

47:49agreement does not address transfers. Um

47:54people can apply for a license but it

47:56doesn't address transfers. That does not

47:58preclude us from authorizing a transfer.

48:01And um basically KP law said it is sort

48:04of a policy decision if we want the new

48:06entity to have to apply totally fresh or

48:11if we are willing to treat it like a

48:12liquor license transfer which um would

48:16go through a process and they'd have to

48:18comply with the HCA but you know they'd

48:20have to are they going to keep the same

48:22hours? Are they going to keep all of the

48:24same parameters of it? If they're going

48:25to keep all the same things it may make

48:27sense to simply do it as a transfer.

48:29It's a little different than applying

48:30for a new one where the location has to

48:32be vetted and all of those things. I

48:34mean, we've, you know, um I don't

48:36believe that the current ownership is

48:37going to hold any interest. I think they

48:39are divesting it completely, but a

48:42transfer we could still require them to

48:44come in, meet the board and all of those

48:47things. It just would let the HCA

48:50transfer over without having to create a

48:52completely new one.

48:53>> So, I mean, this is they're the last

48:56cannabis company.

48:57>> Yes. The other one is Yeah. The other

48:58license is technically uh available if

49:01you will. Someone could apply for the

49:03second location wherever that might be.

49:06They you know we had two that the town

49:08had accepted. Right now we only have one

49:11in use and this is the one and this

49:13particular location and business is the

49:16one that is being sold.

49:18>> Okay. And do they own does the present

49:21owner of local roots have any interest

49:23in the building?

49:24>> I do not know. I don't believe so. I

49:26think they are renters, but I can

49:28confirm that.

49:29>> Yeah, let's confirm that. I mean, what

49:31does the board think?

49:32>> I thought they were only renters.

49:34>> I'm not sure. There's another building

49:36in there, the golf the thing is a rental

49:39as well. So, I don't know.

49:40>> I thought they Oh, they may I thought

49:42they owned it cuz they were looking me.

49:45So, I don't when they came to us, they

49:46were going to lease that second

49:48building.

49:48>> It's possible that they It's possible

49:50they owned it. I that I I I thought they

49:52were renters, but I could be wrong about

49:54I mean, and do and so just so I

49:56understand it. Um, so they have a viable

50:00offer on the license now or they

50:02>> they have a viable offer on the

50:04business. Yes. Okay.

50:05>> And so the person looking to buy has

50:06reached out to me to say what's the

50:07process to transfer the license. So when

50:10we review the HCA, there's nothing in

50:12there that references transfer. It just

50:14says this is how you get a license.

50:16>> Yeah. I mean if if I mean I don't know

50:19what the rest of the board thinks but

50:20subject

50:21>> the scrutiny that is involved with

50:24cannabis sale is such that I'm

50:28I'm

50:29>> we need to know who these people are we

50:31don't want consumption on site and

50:33there's a lot of you know there's a lot

50:34of ins and outs with it right

50:36>> well no I think that the state really is

50:38in their face I think it's hard to

50:40they're monitored every I don't know so

50:44I don't know that I want to make it

50:45difficult for someone get a license

50:47assuming they're a reasonable

50:51broker, but it's hard to kind of make

50:53that decision without doing

50:54>> I still think they should come in.

50:56>> Well, they should they would on a

50:57transfer. No different. I think I would

50:58treat it my my gut is that if we treat

51:00it like a transfer like we do a liquor

51:02license, we make them come in. You all

51:04ask them questions

51:06>> and if you have a problem with the

51:08transfer,

51:09>> then you and they would keep the same

51:10hours and type the same hours. Are you

51:13going to have the same, you know, how

51:14are your personnel trained? are they tra

51:16you know who's complying who's in touch

51:18with the state all of those things you

51:19could ask all those questions on a

51:21transfer I think in some ways it's just

51:23verbiage whether it's new or a transfer

51:26it's just that the are you transferring

51:28the HCA over or do we just have to

51:30completely rewrite a new one

51:31>> do we have to make this decision right

51:33now

51:33>> um well they've been kind of asking me

51:35since July or August and I've been you

51:38know trying to navigate through the HCA

51:40on it

51:40>> does the does the HCA do a background

51:43check on these people the HCA is

51:45literally our

51:46>> that's our agreement.

51:47>> That's our agreement and we had to

51:48design these. It was prior to my coming

51:50here. Um where the zoning would be, how

51:54it would be written up, what the town

51:56gets in return. But everything has

51:58changed since you all had approved

52:00having cannabis because we don't get the

52:02impact fees. We don't get there's very

52:04little benefit now to the town.

52:06>> Everything changed really.

52:07>> Everything changed. The cannabis was

52:09totally revamped and it completely

52:11changed.

52:12>> On the flip side,

52:15I will say I I have not heard of any

52:18complaints or concerns since I've been

52:20here that have come to my desk. I guess

52:22for me though like there's another

52:25available license. So they would have to

52:27come in and go through the host

52:29community agreement all over for the

52:32>> location and everything else. So I I

52:34don't I mean

52:35>> I think this company should have to do

52:37it too. I I don't feel strongly about as

52:39long as we can ask all the questions and

52:41it's exactly the same. But I don't

52:43understand why put we put local roots

52:46through kind of a rigorous process.

52:47>> Well, because they were applying

52:48initially for the location as well. I

52:51think the difference there was the

52:53location. I don't frankly care except

52:55it's just logistics really and how much

52:57more I have to get the attorneys

52:59involved drafting a new HCA versus

53:01>> Yeah. I mean, I I'm not as I tend to

53:03sort of agree with Mary. I what I what I

53:05don't want to do is interfere with a

53:07viable sale,

53:09>> right?

53:10So

53:12>> I'm

53:14and it seems largely like six to half

53:17dozen to be I don't really see the

53:20difference between

53:22you know

53:25it really doesn't seem any difference in

53:27a

53:27>> we went through the leg work with the

53:29original HCA but I just don't want to be

53:31giving up our right to to perhaps not

53:34approve the transfer if it deviates in a

53:37way that we have a concern about Well,

53:39there's no this is just a discussion

53:41point about what the whether to either

53:42way it has to

53:43>> local roots will not retain any uh

53:45ownership interest. I just did check

53:47that. But did they have

53:48>> ownership though?

53:49>> Local roots did own it.

53:50>> Yeah, that's what I thought. No, not the

53:51business. I'm talking about the business

53:53itself. Let's this is let's not get into

53:56the details too much because it doesn't

53:57so the idea is you're asking whether or

54:00not we are going to

54:04uh engage in a whole new host community

54:07agreement or are we going to let the

54:09successor interest adopt the present

54:13host community agreement if they are

54:16acceptable to uh the standard of vendor

54:19for somebody who is selling a controlled

54:22substance in Yeah.

54:23>> Yeah.

54:24>> Yes.

54:24>> So, I can read you very quickly what the

54:26the the legal what what was sent back to

54:29us from Nicole on section 16 of the host

54:32agreement which says the company shall

54:33not assign, sublet, or otherwise

54:35transfer its rights nor delegate its

54:37obligations under this agreement in

54:38whole or in part and shall not assign

54:40any of the money payable to this

54:42agreement to the municipality without

54:44the prior written consent from the

54:46municipality. So, they can't do anything

54:48without your consent. Whether we call it

54:50a transfer or new, nothing can happen

54:52without the

54:53>> it's it's just a contract. It's a

54:55successor corporate interest. It doesn't

54:58>> as long as we have the right either way,

55:00I don't think it matters. It's just

55:03whether or not the they're going to be

55:04subject to that agreement or we're going

55:06to we're going to insist on an amendment

55:09to the agreement because of some sort of

55:11fact or issue within the

55:14person applying or entity applying. So I

55:16don't really it doesn't it doesn't

55:19really matter.

55:21>> So your what's your preference Robin?

55:23>> I I think if we do a transfer I I would

55:26be more concerned if if it was the new

55:28one coming in and we had to look at

55:30where it was located and and traffic and

55:32proximity to schools and children and

55:34all those things. My bigger concern on

55:36these is location frankly and provided

55:38that when we do the transfer just like

55:40we would do a liquor license and we say

55:42well who's going to be working there?

55:43What are their backgrounds? Have what

55:45are their record? you know, all of those

55:46things. What I think we need to do is

55:48design a transfer form

55:50>> that like a like a liquor license

55:52transfer that and I don't think we have

55:54one. So, what I would say is

55:55>> Well, no, I think I don't think that's

55:57correct. I think that this is a amended

56:00contract between us and the town where a

56:03liquor license is a regulatory standard.

56:06This is a contract that was negotiated

56:08with this entity and now a new

56:10corporation's coming in and saying we

56:12want this treatment. So it can be a

56:14transfer of that because we have the

56:15right and then but we need to get the I

56:19mean I think you're probably right in

56:20terms of the information we want to

56:21gather.

56:22>> But I think a pro right that's what I

56:23mean a process of an application to do

56:25this to maybe call it an application to

56:27amend the contract. That might be the

56:29way to phrase it.

56:29>> Yeah.

56:30>> Yeah. Um that's the lawyer and you and

56:32not I feel this reminds me of the

56:35discussion with Village Pizza we had

56:36recently. Right. You're trying to buy a

56:38business. If if I know I'm not going to

56:39be able to operate here then I'm not

56:41buying what am I going to buy? and we

56:43don't want to slow it down anymore and

56:45you know it's not always easy to get

56:46capital for this type of thing.

56:48>> It's interesting that Local Roots is

56:50moving on because when they came in you

56:52know they said we're here for the long

56:54term I think and there's already been

56:55some

56:57everything changed with that.

56:59>> I mean the competition was

57:01>> well once Connecticut opened up and

57:03that's why the other one really

57:04struggled. It changed

57:08fine by me think a lot of people drive

57:10and smoke. Well, I think this is a kind

57:12of more of a conversation for a

57:14different day at this point, right? You

57:15don't need us to do anything.

57:15>> I just need to know that I to let them

57:17go forward and and we'll work on a

57:20transfer, a change of contract with the

57:23understanding that they have to come in

57:25front of the board and that we'll design

57:26a process if you will. Maybe not an

57:28application.

57:28>> Is everybody fine with that?

57:30>> Yeah.

57:30>> Okay. Mary Lou, you good with Okay. Um

57:35Okay. Uh great. So then moving on to the

57:38next new business point you had which is

57:40discussion and review for recommendation

57:43of the engineering memo from Tai and

57:45Bond regarding the options for the route

57:4720 sewer pump station located site

57:50selection memorand

57:52>> I'm going to bring Ian I'll do a short

57:55introduction and then let you guys hear

57:57from the engineers himself. So um

58:03as

58:06this year in town meeting we voted to

58:08bring to start some study on the route

58:1020 um pump station. As you all know it's

58:13from 1969.

58:15It is in desperate need of replacement.

58:19Um part of this initial evaluation was

58:22to look at options for sighting and

58:24location. That is what the memo in front

58:26of you um that was provided to you did.

58:29Um it's very detailed. They did

58:31basically go through multiple options to

58:33look at multiple different possibilities

58:35and what the best option was going to

58:37be. Um I know initially we thought maybe

58:39moving it was actually going to be

58:40cheaper. Um what you'll see in the memo

58:43is actually leaving it in a place and uh

58:47modifying the building to be floodproof

58:50turns out to be the cheaper option. So,

58:53I don't know if you have any highlights

58:54you want.

58:55>> No, I found out a fourth.

58:56>> There you go. That's the solution

58:59>> at at the highest level. Why? You know

59:01what I mean? Like, I don't mean to be

59:03cheaper.

59:03>> Yeah. No, but I mean, why is it why is

59:04it cheaper though? Like,

59:05>> oh, okay. So, [laughter]

59:08ultimately, there's a ton of sunk cost

59:10in building a new pump station because

59:12there's so much concrete underground

59:14that you don't see. I guess what what a

59:16lot of folks don't realize when you

59:17drive by that station uh just off Route

59:2020 uh it probably goes underground about

59:2320 to

59:24>> almost yeah

59:25>> 22 ft there about a lot of concrete

59:28>> a lot of concrete that takes a lot of

59:29time there's dewatering there's all

59:31sorts of foundation design and and

59:33construction considerations. So, when

59:35you take all that and you move it across

59:37the street and you have to buy some

59:39additional land, uh you know, you got to

59:42deal with an easement from uh the

59:44Buckeye pipeline over there, which which

59:47we don't think is a huge deal, but um

59:49all that stuff adds up. Uh and

59:53ultimately, it seemed about $3 million

59:56cheaper to be where they're at now. um

1:00:00that is in spite of we've taken a pretty

1:00:02conservative look at the existing pump

1:00:04station and how we floodproof it. So um

1:00:08you can kind of this is going to sound

1:00:09maybe counterintuitive to folks but you

1:00:11can kind of think of the pump station

1:00:13kind of like a boat and when the flood

1:00:15comes it wants to pop that structure out

1:00:18of the ground. Uh so we spent a fair

1:00:21amount of time going back and forth with

1:00:23FEMA to really nail down what they've

1:00:25projected the 100red-year flood

1:00:26elevation to be at that location. Uh and

1:00:30then we did some estimating to figure

1:00:33out uh what a a conceptual design would

1:00:36be on a a pilebased system to

1:00:40effectively anchor the pump station into

1:00:42the ground in case a flood came up about

1:00:463 ft above the existing finish floor or

1:00:48I'm sorry 2 ft above the finished floor.

1:00:50>> Okay. So basically the concern FEMA had

1:00:54was when the the flood went beyond a

1:00:56certain point it would uh maybe not pop

1:00:59it out of the ground but move it so that

1:01:01the whole facility wouldn't work let

1:01:03alone the what a flood would have in

1:01:06terms of damages to equipment etc.

1:01:09>> Correct. Yeah. The damage to equipment

1:01:10is the primary concern. Okay. You know

1:01:12because the water is going to come up

1:01:14over the door threshold. Uh but we have

1:01:17experience with other similar pump

1:01:19stations where we can provide a

1:01:21floodproof door uh that you know

1:01:24protects the interior equipment.

1:01:26>> Okay. Um questions, thoughts, concerns

1:01:28from the board?

1:01:32>> I think we were really pleased that

1:01:33putting it in play where it was is

1:01:34actually ends up being the cheaper

1:01:36option which I think was the preferable

1:01:37option that I heard from the board when

1:01:39we addressed

1:01:40>> and we were skeptical about being able

1:01:41to do it the last time we spoke.

1:01:43Correct. In

1:01:45>> full clarity though, like there is a

1:01:47small addition that needs to go onto the

1:01:49existing building which is detailed out

1:01:51in you know in the sketches and whatnot

1:01:53and that's to accommodate a a different

1:01:55generator. Uh generator size has grown a

1:01:59little bit. Um

1:02:00>> requirements

1:02:01>> code requirements have changed.

1:02:02>> The concern about taking land or having

1:02:04to to take anything other than current

1:02:07town land is not

1:02:08>> it's all land you own.

1:02:10>> Straightforward.

1:02:11>> Yeah. I mean it's kind of what it is.

1:02:13has got to go somewhere. So,

1:02:15I that's fine with me. So, do you need

1:02:17anything else from us? I want to just

1:02:19>> I think we just wanted to provide you

1:02:20with the updates which way we were going

1:02:23and we have the articles.

1:02:24>> What kind of [clears throat] time period

1:02:26is this whole project going to take?

1:02:29>> Um well, so we're doing the design to

1:02:32see if we can get funding. We have

1:02:34applied for um CWSRF funding

1:02:38application. So, we won't know about

1:02:40that until June, July.

1:02:43>> We'll a little sooner, but but we'll

1:02:45find out probably February to April time

1:02:48frame whether we've made it onto the

1:02:50state's revolving fund. Uh,

1:02:53>> and then we still basically have to go

1:02:55finish the design, which is what we were

1:02:57asking for the money at special town

1:02:59meeting for, and finish the design, get

1:03:02it, bid it, design. We're still two two

1:03:05to three years out before construction.

1:03:07>> Okay. Is this money all coming from the

1:03:09state or is it federal funds distributed

1:03:11by the state or some combination

1:03:12thereof?

1:03:13>> So SRF funds are federal funds

1:03:15distributed by the state. And we are

1:03:17hearing that there will be less funds

1:03:19available.

1:03:20>> Okay.

1:03:20>> That doesn't mean we can't do the

1:03:22project. That just means we'd probably

1:03:23have to bond the project internally like

1:03:25we've done with many of our other

1:03:26projects. It just

1:03:28>> But the more we can get

1:03:30>> Yeah.

1:03:30>> Yeah.

1:03:31>> We just got to keep it moving at this

1:03:32point,

1:03:32>> right? We just know we have to keep it

1:03:34moving. So we we're looking for whatever

1:03:36funds we can including state funds

1:03:37because there are some benefits to that.

1:03:39There's some drawbacks too. So it may be

1:03:41that we just end up bonding it um you

1:03:45taking an additional loan.

1:03:46>> Okay.

1:03:48>> Any other two to three years?

1:03:50>> This is a question. I'm sorry it's just

1:03:51the tiniest bit off subject. Is our

1:03:53sewer still it's still going to

1:03:55Southbridge with

1:03:56>> one portion is

1:03:58>> is and that hasn't changed and that's

1:04:00not going to change.

1:04:00>> You just you guys gave that money back.

1:04:02>> That's why Okay. Right. So, none of this

1:04:05changes any of that. Okay.

1:04:09>> All right. Um, thanks guys. Appreciate

1:04:10it.

1:04:12>> Thank you.

1:04:12>> Thank you.

1:04:13>> All right. Correspondents, Mary, I think

1:04:15we have some.

1:04:16>> Oh, we go.

1:04:17>> Um, we got um correspondence from

1:04:20National Grid. It's a project

1:04:22information update. Um, it's a notice to

1:04:26of electrical line maintenance for area

1:04:28towns

1:04:30coming up October 12, 2026.

1:04:33I will tell you uh as far as the double

1:04:35polls, Charter has transferred all its

1:04:38lines over. Nice. So, we're working with

1:04:40Charter first and uh Grid is now

1:04:42following up with any others. We had 13

1:04:44lines 13 polls as well that we had lines

1:04:46on. So, we're working on it.

1:04:48>> Great. And thanks Mary for pointing that

1:04:50out.

1:04:51>> Um okay,

1:04:53>> the minutes September 21st, 2026.

1:04:58Any edits to those meeting minutes?

1:05:01Hearing

1:05:03none, I'm going to make them a motion to

1:05:06approve them as written.

1:05:08>> A second.

1:05:08>> All those in favor? Great. Two with two

1:05:11abstensions. Uh citizens forum. Come on

1:05:14now. Just just note who you are and sit

1:05:18speaking to the mic.

1:05:21>> Thank you for coming in.

1:05:24>> Michael Hen 84 Fiskill Road. So,

1:05:28National Grid has done some updates all

1:05:31summer long on 148 and of course on our

1:05:34street, Fiskill Road. Um, they removed

1:05:39they installed new utility poles.

1:05:41>> Uhhuh.

1:05:43>> And transferred and updated the

1:05:46electrical lines to those new utility

1:05:48poles.

1:05:50But the old utility poles, they've

1:05:53shortened them, but they sistered them

1:05:56to the to the new poles. And my

1:05:58understanding is,

1:06:00those old poles still have comm

1:06:04communication cabling. Um, any idea when

1:06:08those are going to get removed?

1:06:09>> So, that's what I was just discussing.

1:06:12That's what I brought up a while ago.

1:06:14>> Very timely discussion. So, I'm in touch

1:06:17with charter communications because

1:06:20grid, you know, reaches out and has this

1:06:23a a template that everybody's supposed

1:06:25to follow, but you know, the left hand

1:06:27doesn't talk to the right. So, we're in

1:06:29touch with Charter. We have put

1:06:30Charter's lead person in touch with uh

1:06:33Dearis Dominguez, who's our government

1:06:35rep, and they are monitoring. Charter

1:06:38has transferred all of theirs, though I

1:06:40don't know on the newest ones if they've

1:06:41transferred yet. There also could be

1:06:43Verizon [snorts]

1:06:45>> and so it's going through the process

1:06:47now. So ultimately we are following it

1:06:50and it takes a little time but it is on

1:06:52the radar and every poll is on a

1:06:55spreadsheet.

1:06:56>> Yes.

1:06:56>> And is targeted for removal. We had 50

1:07:01some odd double polls in town.

1:07:03>> So we are working on it. So we're on it.

1:07:05>> Okay.

1:07:06>> And just stay in touch. Gosh knows how

1:07:08to reach me, but stay in touch with me.

1:07:10Um, if you question, if you want an

1:07:12update, I can get specifically on that

1:07:13poll what might still be on there and

1:07:15need to know.

1:07:16>> Do you think it'll be less than a year?

1:07:19>> I hope so.

1:07:20>> Oh, abs. I would absolutely hope so.

1:07:22>> And they have dramatically inside of a

1:07:24month, Charter has moved off 115 polls.

1:07:28So now we're just barking up Verizon's

1:07:30tree to get whatever Verizon has. The

1:07:32town had 13 poles that had old cable on

1:07:36them as well, the fire department. So,

1:07:39um, it, you know, we're we're in the

1:07:41past month, we've seen dramatic

1:07:43progress.

1:07:43>> Okay, good.

1:07:45>> You're not the first person that has

1:07:46expressed concern on Fisk Hill, so I

1:07:48brought it to their attent. Yeah. So,

1:07:51we're we're on it because it's

1:07:53>> it's a lot of visual blight all the way

1:07:55up Fiskill.

1:07:56>> Yeah. So, hopefully soon.

1:07:57>> Thank you.

1:07:58>> And if not, we'll keep bothering them.

1:08:00[laughter]

1:08:00>> Yes.

1:08:02All right. Um, with that, I don't think

1:08:04there's anything else. So, do we have a

1:08:06motion to adjurnn?

1:08:08>> Motion to adjurnn. Second.

1:08:10>> All those in favor?

1:08:11>> Thank you, everyone.