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The Westport Beach Committee met to discuss summer operations, finances, and end-of-season planning. The head lifeguard, Michael, reported a successful season with a few incidents, including a shark sighting, a capsized boat, and a sunstroke victim, highlighting good coordination with other town departments. The committee discussed its beach closure policy, affirming that it follows the lead of Horseneck Beach for safety and liability reasons. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to a financial review. The committee learned that 3,785 beach passes were sold, generating $165,535 in revenue since January 1st. However, expenditures for the same period were $173,627, creating an $8,000 deficit year-to-date. The enterprise fund has a remaining balance of $281,639. This prompted a discussion about future budgeting and the potential need to raise pass fees again next year, a process that would require a public hearing in December. The committee also addressed several operational issues. They discussed the vandalism of two porta-johns, which were blown up with fireworks in July, and the potential for a bill from the vendor. They considered adding a porta-john to the main parking lot for next season. The committee recommended that the Select Board appoint resident Blair Berlin game as a new member. End-of-season procedures were planned, including moving lifeguard chairs to the highway department and repairing a section of the beach path. Finally, the committee agreed on the need to clarify roles and responsibilities for town staff and lifeguards, planning to draft formal policies over the fall and winter. The next meeting was scheduled for September 24th.
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3:52I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.
4:07Hey, good to see everyone here.
4:10Yes.
4:12Uh, lifeguard report. You're up, Mike.
4:22Excuse me. After his report, um, Blair is here to introduce himself and he was wondering if he could be moved up in the agenda. So, he might have to leave.
4:31Oh, yeah. After his report is I forgot to mention, that's fine. Go ahead.
4:36I'll keep it short and sweet. The beach has been going great, you know. Um, guards have been performing pretty well.
4:41Uh, we've had a couple assists this year. We had uh to deal with actually a shark sighting, too. So, that was really interesting. Um, we had to help out with a cap-sized boat. We had to help with a vict um a victim who almost uh passed out because of fatigue, basically sunstroke, fatigue from the heat. And uh yeah, that's pretty much pretty much that. I mean, we holding down the fort really, you know, great.
5:09Yeah.
5:11Down there a couple of days and I saw you in action and uh it was really nice to see.
5:16Yeah, I think it's cool how there's the collaboration between you guys and the harbor master and um really everyone when there's an e and a horse neck too. We've really have been trying to uh basically coordinate um you know drills and so forth this year and we've been in constant communication with everyone harbor master the fire department neck uh police department.
5:38I did have a question in regards to that and I think Sean had uh mentioned it at some point. Does Horsene neck now when they close down does the town beach do we close down as well? So we follow their lead in terms of that cuz I think there was one day when they were closed but we were open.
5:56Um yeah so when when we say closed that means everybody gone when you're gone.
6:01Mhm.
6:01You know you got to understand closing the water is one thing. Yeah. You can't go in the water sharks jellyfish whatever riptide but also at 5:00 when the lifeguards drive away.
6:11Mhm.
6:11I went by horse neck and they had state police and you couldn't even go on the beach.
6:16Yeah. And one of the problems that we're always concerned whenever they close down horsen everybody just migrates down to the beach and it becomes a problem because the last incident we had at the beach was just that after hours. So we decided horse neckers closed they moved down to the beach and someone drowned and I don't want to be in put in responsibility of leaving the parking
6:37lot open for people you know once you drive away they don't know not to go in the water and then things happen. Mhm.
6:44So if it's closed, it means shut the gates, you know, take it at 4:30, corral everybody up. They got to get off the beach, whatever the case may be. They're not going to be happy. They can complain to us, each committee.
6:56They complain to me. But don't don't if they give you a hard time. Just call the police. Don't become a policeman. You don't have to do that. Just, you know, if it's time to go, it's time to go, you know, because I just don't want another incident like that. That was unfortunate years ago. And we're trying to avoid that. And as this is like the first time I've seen where they had state police all over horse
7:16neck.
7:17Mhm. Yeah. I think that day from Yeah.
7:19They had they had like eight saves that day if I'm not mistaken. I was working.
7:23They told me 10 cuz I pulled in and asked the question as you know why what's going on here. I didn't know if it was Mhm.
7:30you know something else was going on.
7:31They said oh no we had 10 rescues and there was way too many and we don't want anybody here after 5:00 after life got drive away.
7:39So we follow what the policy is and it's written in one somewhere that whatever happens a horse neck basically happens.
7:44So if they close down like I said being out of the water is one thing being off the beach is another because you know what happens as soon as you guys drive away.
7:52Yeah.
7:53So uh yeah that would be the only thing.
7:56So the policy would be if they close the beach or the lifeguards to uh sort of usher everybody off of the beach property. Um, so the question is I don't know what happened that particular day, whether they coraled everybody on horse neck and got them all out that moment in time or whether they said, "Hey, everybody has to be went up and down and said everybody has to be off the beach by 5
8:18or 4:30 or whatever the case may be."
8:20But I don't know if they radio you or let you know that they're closing down.
8:25I don't know how horic I'd have to talk to my guards because like I said, I do remember hearing about this day, but I I was not there that day. Um, but uh I I'll but if I'm not mistaken, what the lifeguards do outing, they do usher everyone off the beach.
8:38So, we would do the same.
8:39It seems like it's kind of a tricky situation in my mind because Okay, so you have the beach, which is sort of like public access land. So, if you're not parked in the parking lot, it's difficult to kick somebody off of something, even if their best interest is to get off of the beach. And it's a Well, the whole thing is if you just let them go on the beach now, now we're kind
8:58of taking the liability on. Yeah, sure.
9:00The parking lot's wide open. have a good time. If you're locking up debate the gates and you crow people off the beach and somebody wants to jump off there and Yeah. It's not a uh you know there's no vaccine for stupid.
9:12So you know if they want to be stupid because that happened last night.
9:16Yeah.
9:16So Michael, my question for you is um I know you have a key to the gates. I do.
9:21So does Danny as the assistant headquart? Yes.
9:24Okay. So if you're not there, Danny's there and he could still close the gates.
9:28Yes. Okay. and and just struck. I mean, there will be people who will give you a hard time. No doubt in my mind.
9:33Oh, we've Yeah, we've shut down the beach and we've gone a hard time, you know, and it's not your job to, you know, it's I would just get on the phone to the police and let them know, you know.
9:41Absolutely.
9:42I I guarantee they'll get up and move and start moving off the beach, you know. I just think it's we don't want to incur any liability by, you know, and it may not be dangerous at Cherry and Web and dangerous a horse name, but it's just a policy years ago. We just said you don't know why they clos, you know, sharks, jellyfish, whatever the case may be. You don't want to find out too late.
10:01And the other thing is if they find out the town beach is open, everybody from Horseneck's just going to walk down.
10:06Mhm.
10:07Absolutely.
10:08Yeah. Do you do you put up flags depending red flag, green flag?
10:13Yeah. Red flag.
10:14Red, green, yellow, purple, and double red. Those are kind of your custom flag.
10:18is if you if you just got a a bunch of cheap really cheap red flags and if you when you leave the beach and and if if the beach has been closed or you think it's dangerous when you leave just stick one in the sand at the end of the path.
10:33Yeah.
10:34Disappear.
10:34It might it would disappear. But that's why you know just get a bunch of them.
10:38Mhm.
10:39Yeah.
10:39Because you won't it only happens a few times a year when there's red flags.
10:43Yeah. Or a double red. Yeah. But if you put a red flag on the path, if you leave before the lot's closed, then I think it makes sense to just leave a red flag stuck in the sand at the end of the path.
10:56There's that. We've talked about a bunch of times having a sign with a chain to put across the path that says beach is closed, you know, and you know, that's one another way. And we're going to get a real rather than using the sticks that you're using for the flags, we're going to get that piling down behind that first.
11:14Yeah. at the end of the and put that in the sand and use that as you know significant you know thought process I've been eyeing that thing all summer and I've said you know bury it right behind the lifeguard chair would be a good place to to put notices or whatever yes yeah I've only seen one red flag at Elephant Rock this this summer but so it wouldn't happen a lot
11:38and then I guess and I I believe this is the way it is but if so if you're not on duty and Dan is on duty. Yep.
11:45Is that correct? So, we either have uh the head lifeguard or the assistant head lifeguard and then if there are any issues, do those issues come to do they go to you, Dana, or do they go to the who how does it all So, I check the beach emails. Yeah.
12:01On behalf of the board.
12:02Yeah.
12:03Um but not everyone will call my office and my hours vary. So, no, but I'm just wondering, let's say, so either the uh head guard or the assistant headguard are running the beach for the day. There is an incident that occurs. Who do they who do they call? Who do they talk to?
12:22They can call me. They can also call the town administrator depending on the type. Yeah. The policy is to call fire, police, Dana now.
12:32Yeah. because she she wasn't on the list but basically fire police and the town administrator the what's the policy the written policy okay now we have Dana so we include her as part of the written policy but you know before we didn't have anybody you know who so the lifeguards would have I would imagine the town administrator's cell phone yes we have a list of everyone we have an issue this happened and it just gets
12:58but but in in in any case if there is a a crisis the all the lifeguards should know that they have to refer any questions to the t one person and if it's the town administrator that's fine but yeah never never volunteer any information.
13:14Absolutely.
13:14So it's always refer referred to a you will one person on a busy summer day you will get grilled and complaints and everything else that goes on.
13:23Yeah, we all know that. So uh I think Yeah, I think that's it. I mean, I know that it's uh it's a beach and there's a lot going on, but every time I've been down there, I've been impressed with the work that you guys are doing.
13:36Thank you, Perry. Appreciate it.
13:37It seems like the patrons are um you know, everybody was safe, which was was good. And they Yeah, everyone's been safe and we'll try to keep it that Well, we're going to keep it that way. How's that? So, yeah.
13:54Anything else?
13:56Okay, we're good then.
13:57Awesome. Thank you. Hey, have a good day evening.
14:00See you in the Thanks, guys.
14:02See you when we close down.
14:04Okay. Okay, Mr. Burley Gaming, we'll kick you next.
14:08All right.
14:09So, I've introduced myself at least one Blair Berlin game. So, I've been in Westport now for a while. Quite a while.
14:16Seven, eight years, something like that.
14:18Uh, I had read a few years ago, I think it was in the shoreline about the beach committee being stretched. And so I submitted my name. Um and then Dana mentioned I should do it again. Uh just a personal interest. So to the extent they have any experience in this area is a long time ago. I was uh I think I started age 14 as a bath house boy in Cape Cod, worked my way up to
14:47superintendent of a couple of beaches, you know, while I was in college and stuff. So that was my experience way back then. Uh other than that and going to the beach every day.
14:57All right.
14:58That's my interest.
15:01I mean you my whole thing has always been you know anybody who volunteers for anything you just paint target on yourself. But you know as active as you want to be we appreciate that. That's my my thought process. Uh uh had pretty good committees and lifeguards over the years. So, so far uh so things have gone well, but I think you're the only person that's put a name in. So, uh I don't know helped.
15:27I just found out this week they were waiting for my recommendation. I don't know when I became the so keeper of the uh gate or so I think because you're the chair of the committee. They officially need your blessing to bring it to the select board level.
15:40Yeah, I have a very stringent uh criteria. You must have a beach pass.
15:45I've always had a beach because one of the things as you'll find out if you raise the raise the uh dollar figure on the beach patch, you'll hear it from everybody in town. So, as we have this year, you know, we raised it $10 on the seniors and five on the and and it was like the world's coming to an end or something, you know, like what are we getting for our money? And I I'm
16:05going to get into that in a little bit actually. So, uh yeah. So, anybody have any questions, Mr. Bing? I think it's great to have some Thank you.
16:15interest and Yeah. You here all all the time winter time too. Good.
16:19It's great year round.
16:21You're over on Drift Road, right? Or off of Drift Road.
16:23Yes.
16:24On Drift Road.
16:25Yeah.
16:25Came all the way from uh Rhode Island.
16:28It's a long way to come.
16:29Yeah.
16:32Um, and Blair uh might be too humble to mention this, but he has been a volunteer at the Westport Food Pantry for many years now.
16:41And he's a very dedicated volunteer, and we appreciate that. So, I I'm have full confidence he will be dedicated to this as well if he puts his volunteer time into that.
16:50Nice.
16:51You go to the beach, you said, uh, almost daily, which is nice. Which beach do you go to? To Yeah, Cherry and Web.
16:58All right. It would be nice to have somebody to put eyes on things.
17:03I can remember.
17:04Yeah.
17:04God. Well, it's okay. It's been decades, but coming to uh Horseneck for lifeguard competitions when they used to do those.
17:13Yeah, I was a long time ago.
17:15Yeah.
17:16Mhm.
17:18That's great.
17:18Okay. All right.
17:19Answer.
17:20No other questions. Okay. I'll throw her in the recommendation then and I don't think we have to vote on it or anything, but Super. If you email Carla um tomorrow morning I'll email yeah it might be able to make the agenda which is Monday but if not the next meeting is I think September 14th it won't make the meeting on Monday because it's not 48 hours I don't know I well she knew we were waiting
17:44I would have to email her now literally uh because it would have to be before 6 o'clock on Monday so I either way I'll see what I can do it'd be nice to have you on there, Blair.
17:58Yeah.
17:58Thank you.
17:59Thank you. Look forward to working with all of you.
18:01Awesome.
18:01Nice to meet you, Blair.
18:03Yeah, thank you for coming.
18:08Okay, where are we? Uh, town clerk report. So, I got the number of beach passes 3785.
18:18Mhm.
18:19Comparable to last year's, give or take 50 or 60. Uh, which is good news. 50 or 60 plus or minus less. I think we're less less.
18:29We were 3844 or something last year.
18:34Uh breakdown is 1581 uh senior passes, 2204 regular passes.
18:44So the revenue of that for the 1581 is $55,335.
18:48The 2204 is $110,200 for a grand total of $165,535 in revenue from beach passes. That's counting from January 1st.
19:02Mhm.
19:03Not from July 1st. We didn't sell that many passes since July 1st.
19:07Okay.
19:08So, the concern being and I printed it out and I'm sorry it's a 10-page report and you're all welcome to look at it.
19:15Uh, I got a report from the the town accountant today and we have spent to date and this is concerning.
19:43Oh, no. They're all the same.
19:45there. It's 10page report.
19:46I'll give you I'm sorry I had to generate a 10-page report. I was just printing in a hurry cuz I got it last minute. This is yours.
19:53Okay.
19:59So key item is uh page page number three.
20:15Uh and I know this is this is yearly from January 1, not fiscal year, just so we're aware of what's going on. But it gives us an idea revenue versus expenditures because basically you know so we spent and again we taken $165,000 so far this year we spent 173,627 since January.
20:43Since January.
20:43Okay.
20:45So comparing apples to apples were $8,000 in the red basically. Uh, and we're definitely going to spend more money cuz we have three more weeks of lifeguard uh pay to do. Uh, again, this is yearly, not fiscal. We have enough in our fiscal budget to cover that and open for next year, I believe, because we had 192.
21:14Uh the question being we're running at a deficit here. If you look at the last page, second last page.
21:26The last page. Yeah. Uh no page uh maybe this. Yeah, I guess the last page it's where it says the report difference. That's what we have left in our enterprise fund.
21:41$281,639.
21:44What page are you on?
21:45I think it's page 11.
21:4811. Okay.
21:48It's just a one line. If you go before it, you'll see, you know, all the transactions, but essentially what we have left in our enterprise fund is 281, $63,94, give or take.
22:03But we're starting to spend a lot more than what we're bringing in. So, something to think about in the fall when we have a couple other things we're going to discuss is how we're going to make either make up the deficit or cut costs. I'm not sure which comes first.
22:20Are the the major cost being the lifeguards?
22:24Well, we did we did one of the things that came out of our enterprise fund was the truck, which is a No, it wasn't the truck cuz we got it basically it was a town truck. We had $40,000 appropriated and a town warrant article.
22:38We didn't use it.
22:39No, it was only like I'm guessing here, but I think it was like maybe 4,000 or something actually to repair to actually repair the truck and get it up and running. So, we made Yeah, we made it. But if we had used the $40,000, that number would be a lot less even besides that.
22:55Uh what was the other thing?
22:56And it's not as though you can use that $40,000 for anything else, right? if it's in a uh if it's appropriated for it's appropriated for the truck.
23:06Yeah.
23:07So if we're running a deficit say with the lifeguards their hours you can't apply some of that money towards I think we have to do a a town meeting article to put it back in basically.
23:19So uh it is out all out of our enterprise fund. So I don't think it's a difficult thing to do. It's not yeah transferring. So, uh, we could transfer it back. I don't think it would be a big issue.
23:32Mhm.
23:32From anybody's standpoint, but it doesn't the 40,000 the 4,000 reflects in the 281. The 40,000 doesn't reflect in the 281. What I'm saying?
23:42Yeah.
23:42So, should we need a truck for $40,000 or something?
23:46Yeah.
23:46Uh, cuz this doesn't include the Gator.
23:48The Gator was 2 years ago we bought that.
23:50Uh, did the money come out of for the video cameras in the parking lot yet?
23:56We have not ordered it. I have not coordinated with uh Okay. Cuz I haven't seen an invoice for that.
24:01Yeah. So, that will be coming also. And that was 10 17,000 you said, I think.
24:06Yeah. But I think we appropriated 10 cuz we had 7,000 left over from last year.
24:10Okay.
24:11So, that will be coming out and whatever.
24:17We got the picnic table, we got the mats.
24:20I But I haven't put those yet and I'll chat about that.
24:22Yeah. Okay. That's fine. But I mean, it's all things that Yeah. All right.
24:27You know, we hopefully won't have these expenditures next year like the any major expenditures, but we don't know. I'm assuming the truck will uh make it through this year and we'll have it for next year.
24:39Hopefully. Yeah.
24:41Uh so that will be, you know, might need some repairs. I'm assuming it'll need some work, whatever it needs. But, you know maybe it's got to be I mean, the truck is just going from here to the beach and then down the path, right? and then goes down the path. It goes back and it goes up and down the beach. Maybe it's not getting a lot of he washes it at the fire station on a
25:01regular basis because I think that would be the main concern is the uh the salt and he had to fix a window recently.
25:08Um and it's been like little stuff, nothing major.
25:12Well, it's a fairly, you know, I don't want to say it's a new truck, but it's a fairly low mile truck.
25:17Sure.
25:17So, we should be pretty good for a little bit.
25:20Yeah.
25:20Hopefully. But I mean the salt and the sand take a number on the brake lines and everything underneath.
25:25Yeah.
25:25Because every time we get a truck, they seem to last about three years before they start.
25:28Yeah.
25:29But I don't know if it's just for the beach committee. Is um like the maintenance, you know, man or the highway department using it throughout the rest of the year.
25:37I think they had the maintenance had got their own truck, their pickup truck. We took this because this was turned in from the cemetery department.
25:45Okay. So, so it doesn't and we paid for it to put the bed on it and what have you. So, I don't I'll ask Chris, but I you know I think maybe maybe not exclusively ours, but yeah, just I don't I don't expect it to be used daily like all winter long for by someone, which is another problem because it should be started up every once in a while and driven because it just
26:07But it should last quite a long time if we maintain it. I mean, if it's only going 10 miles a day for two months, three months, and then it sits, as long as they start it up and it's clean.
26:20Yeah.
26:21I would think it'll last a good amount of time. But I don't But again, I'm I'm just making you aware this particular that something to think about coming up because we'll probably run deficit wise, we're going to run $27,000 less than what we're budgeting what we're taking in.
26:41which I know if we have $280,000 that's 10 years worth of you know year nine I bail and we're all gone.
26:50No, but I mean you get a big expense, something comes up that you don't expect and that's the whole point why we have a little nest egg there. Uh you know because we did oh we did buy the the land last year that but that may come up again and we certainly would want to do that again obviously. So, uh, I think from my standpoint, I mean, um, was difficult because we only have so
27:13much money, right, in the pot, but, uh, I think especially these last two years, you know, the improvements that you've made or or that we've made, um, they go a long way, I think, to the patrons and the taxpayers and everyone that they're seeing the results of the beach passes.
27:30You know, years past, maybe it was just the beach and the lifeguards, but now we have the equipment, we have staff that are there to help them. We have the toilets. We have the everything. Um, and we just need to make it work.
27:42Yeah. Well, we pay for the, you know, the rental. I mean, and the trash and the, you know, we pay for the rental on the container, which is really nothing. I mean, that's about the best bargain we have.
27:52Yeah.
27:53The trash. I mean, we've cut down significantly the cost because we'll shut that down in October.
27:58Uh, it would be interesting to see from years past, and I know we've talked about this a little bit. You had mentioned that we were selling more, you know, it was basically the demographic of the town. It was shifting. We were more of a senior.
28:13Last year we were more seniors than regulars.
28:16Yeah.
28:16There were 2,200 and something seniors last year.
28:19Yeah.
28:19I remember and that surprised me. And I don't know if the raising the the fee Mhm.
28:26changed some of that dynamic or maybe they were getting two seniors but they're only getting one or something like that in the household or whatever.
28:33But the the total number Yeah.
28:35is kind of Yeah.
28:36It's, you know, a little bit lower.
28:38Yeah.
28:39But not I was more concerned because we started off slow this year. Um Yeah.
28:45You know, but the thing is, you know, I don't want to get into a point where we we're racing the past $10 per year because we got to get inflation covered and Yeah.
28:53and we're still not catching up to each other.
28:56I don't think we Yeah. Yeah, I think that would be difficult to do from uh uh the public standpoint. They would u be over feather us, but uh you know, I mean, if your expenses are more than what you you got to you got to have a budget and figure out Yeah. because what the fees need to be.
29:16Yeah.
29:17You know, that's they are the rates of the guards go up every year.
29:23Yeah. So, it should go up proportionately.
29:26Yeah. That's 3% or whatever it is, that's minor. But you look at the contract for the bird monitoring, there's things that jump up. It jumps up significantly. And those are the things that kill you.
29:37Yeah. Okay.
29:38You know, buying a new truck, you know, two years from now, buying a new truck will be Yeah.
29:44Astronomical. Yeah.
29:45You know, unless somebody donates it to us. But anyway, so that's all I have on the town clerk report. I'm going to turn it over to Dana now because I know you have to get going. So Sure. Um the number six.
29:58Okay. Um I just put a list of things here.
30:02Yeah. Sorry, I'm looking through the lift list. So So I from our last meeting in July, I was looking at the notes. Um I had the committee's permission to order a picnic table and movie mats. Is that still the case? I just wanted because Yes. Well, we have the money now. We have the money now. So Okay. Um Um So I have all the information here. Um and and I so I can
30:28do that. Um I just need to make sure that they're a vendor within the town already cuz you know they'll have to like send us the invoice and everything.
30:36But before I pull the trigger, do you want me to talk with you Sean about it or Yeah. I mean there's no rush right now because we're obviously at the end of the season.
30:44Well, that was my other question. If you want be installed for next season, right?
30:48Right. like we could pre-order them and hold them at the start of that's probably an a good idea. The picnic table can get put down there if it's the same type because they can withstand just about anything. So if we need to do that, that's fine. If we get a better price and I'm wondering if we get a better price, we offer if we get it off season as opposed to the middle of the summer.
31:08Okay. And so I can ask that question while I talk to the vendors.
31:12Yeah.
31:12Mhm.
31:14It does seem like everything goes up every year.
31:17Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, we buy it now. We buy it at the end. They're good.
31:20Well, those those concrete tables have held up pretty well down there. They've been down there 10 plus years and and every used as much as anything else at the beach.
31:29Parents love it. Parents with small kids love those things. The waterershed use them for the program. But I mean, a lot of people go down there, in fact, especially this time every night and just sit there and watch the sunset.
31:40Yeah.
31:41And then they drive away, you know, sit on the table and they're eating something. So, it is a nice feature.
31:47This one just has to be a handicapped one that the comm disabilities commission has been writing me for about five years about getting this. So, uh Okay.
31:58Okay.
31:58Um and then, uh I just had, you know, was wondering about the security camera too of what's So, I have to I have to contact Lieutenant Pretends about that and and coordinate that. And I figured now that we have the money, I didn't want trucks down there with boom trucks in the middle of the summer. So if we can get them in September and get them up and spinning, we'll be I think it'll be good.
32:22Okay.
32:23Uh the other thing was Porter John's.
32:27There's some questions about the Porter Johns. I I don't know if everybody's aware that they were blown up.
32:34And I I don't mean that on a figurative sense. I mean literally blown up with fireworks. When was this?
32:41Back in July.
32:42Back in July.
32:43Yeah.
32:44Uh, you know, they blew up the tanks.
32:46They cracked the tanks. There was blue liquid and other things all over the ground. Uh, it was a Saturday night because when I went down there, it was like, uhoh. And then I was calling Michael. It's like, have you called vendor? We got to get one out here. It's the middle of fourth of July weekend and we have no portag johns on the beach. And that was a panic. And we I apologize for
33:07everybody who had to it took us a couple of days to get replacements uh only because it was a weekend type thing, but uh I don't know if we're going to get a bill for that.
33:18I haven't received one.
33:19I'm a little concerned that we're responsible for that.
33:23I don't know what the contract says.
33:25Insurance?
33:26Yeah, we responsible.
33:27I don't know. I don't not sure. I'm not sure what I really don't know. Town have insurance.
33:32It was It was a mess.
33:34I should have talked to Michael. One of the things they should have been, the lifeguard should have been a little bit proactive about raking up the waste and getting rid of that stuff like right away when they went down there cuz I got a phone call about it and I went down there and it was bad.
33:49It was bad. And I was kind of like, you know, I had a garden rake uh a bamboo rake and it wasn't really effective, so to speak. But I just didn't want people walking through that because it was all across the path in a bad spot. So, uh, unfortunately, the gates were locked.
34:08Yeah.
34:08There was nobody there when like it happened. So, it tells me it's somebody local cuz they weren't parked there unless they pulled in the middle of the night, parked on the street or whatever. But, one of the neighbors has expressed concern because they've been parking on his lawn and going up his path to get to the beach.
34:27which anyway it's got I don't know if it's anything to do with that but that was one of the problem. So the other mention of all pora johns is we have one in the kitty beach parking lot the north parking lot that's the watershed takes care of yes I want to confirm that because we had years of trouble and Leon will tell you that we were getting build they were getting build we were getting build for
34:49the portag john they were getting build for the maintenance and I want to make sure that it is I talked to the watershed and they said they're getting build for the maintenance and the portagon whenever I get an invoice I make sure to look and make sure it says cherry and web.
35:05So, because I was we had problems before where it was like this something's going wrong here. Somebody's getting double bill and I told the waterershed just make sure cuz I didn't want to be paying and they too because I wasn't sure if when we switched vendors a couple years ago whether everything got screwed up.
35:23But I was thinking that it would be nice if we did have a porter john in the parking lot.
35:29Which one?
35:31only because what do we pay for?
35:35I hate to increased cost, right?
35:37I don't have it memorized. I'm sorry. I don't know.
35:39Because when they locked the portage, John, I got plenty of emails and texts about it.
35:46And the same idiots that lit off fireworks would probably just tip it over and do some damage that way.
35:52Well, that's what I told Michael cuz he like he locked up the the Porter Johns when they came, put new ones there, and I said, "Don't lock them up because they're just going to knock them over.
35:59That's just as bad. you might as well leave them open.
36:01So, the watershed has been locking theirs at Baby Beach and they only let their campers use that.
36:09And people have said, you know, it'd be really nice if we had one.
36:12Yeah. Well, the nice thing about the Baby Beach is they have a light right there on it. So, if somebody's in that parking lot, you know, well, it's like the East like the one that used to be at East Beach, like every bicycle rider who happens to be going by and sees it or a guy's coming off the fishing boats or whatever, you know, they go there, too. But not that
36:29they should be, but I think it would be nice to have one in the parking lot because as soon as they locked it that day, it was like ding ding ding ding ding. You know what's going on? Why is it locked?
36:38All so apparently there is a need for it, especially because there are a lot of young families down on the Kitty Beach.
36:45And that port John is you know all the way up towards Cherry and Web.
36:51So I don't know how much that would cost and it's just just something to think about.
36:57Yeah.
36:58Uh, and you're talking next summer season.
37:01Yeah.
37:04Which would be next year's budget. So, we It's just I think we we always used to do it and share it and it seemed to work out. I don't know. It kind of fell apart a couple years ago when there was all kinds of billing issues, who was paying for what, where. Yeah.
37:18So, uh, the other thing was spring. So you'd have two at the watersheds beach.
37:26I don't know if we should put at the watershed beach or we should put it in the main parking lot.
37:29I would put in the main parking lot in the corner cuz there's a light. There's the lit.
37:34Yeah, it's well lit and everything. So I I would do that, too.
37:37Put it where you have a camera.
37:39Yeah.
37:39Yeah.
37:40So I think that would be a plan. I think it it'd be nice because I think you know I don't know I just think I thought about it you know when I see some young families down on the water it's like they have to go to the bathroom where are they going because they're not walking all the way up the path to the those porta johns and there's nowhere else. So probably running to trips.
38:03Yeah. So I mean the spraying So we had we get two sprays a year.
38:08Mhm.
38:09It hasn't been very effective this year.
38:12Really?
38:13It I've been down there where walking through that path you give a pint of blood and then walking back you give another pint. And in the parking lot it's one of the things that helpful people out the parking lot is the mosquitoes.
38:25People are like jumping in their cars to get out of there. Don't know why. And I haven't seen a mosquito.
38:29The other thing they did which was a concern the last spring they did which was two weeks ago they put up little yellow signs pesticide application and they don't want it. They put in these little yellow flags that say uh caution pesticide application and everybody was kind of upset. So I explained that it's not really a pesticide. No, cuz it's a Yeah, natural.
38:55That was I saw them and was like, "Oh my god." And we're going to hear about this. But it wasn't too bad. Only a couple people asked, "Are you really spring?"
39:02But I think the mosquitoes were so bad that they didn't care cuz at in the evening there like at tonight, I know when I go downsually very successful on that.
39:11Yeah. I don't know whether it's just a fluke or whatever the case may be, but it it I don't think they've changed their formula because I smell it. I I smell it. I said I I opened the gates for them in the morning.
39:22Yeah.
39:23And they're doing it. So it's it's not the case of that. It's just seems like maybe the mosquitoes have gotten maybe it's Italian mosquitoes and they were more the garlic. I don't know. I mean I I'm not sure but it seems like they maybe they're getting used to it. I don't know. Uh I haven't heard any incidents about ticks. So that must be working.
39:43Well, uh in the security camera we already discussed we need to So I think that's it. Anybody else? Um, or anything else, Dana?
39:51No, I don't have anything else except I would like to and I I do have some time.
39:55I could stay for the closure discussion.
39:57Okay.
39:57Okay.
39:59That's going to be next.
40:00Yeah.
40:00So, closure discussion. So, we want to make sure we coordinate the lifeguard chairs off the beach this year. If we want to leave them in the parking lot down there, that's fine. Do we want to do that or do we want to have them brought up to the town hall? I because the one chair, as you know, the one chair is very difficult to move.
40:22Yeah.
40:22I spoke with Michael about already and I asked if he had a preference. He said he prefers them at the highway department if they could do it because he feels like they're more susceptible to the weather down at the beach and um vandalism.
40:38Yeah, they're lit up pretty well and they're tucked even though they're tucked in the corner. But I don't disagree with that in any way. The problem is that one life guard chair is so big.
40:48I could donate our services to pick them up if I I don't expect you to over Tom. Well, I appreciate that.
40:55Yeah, I got some big a Kabota will lift 600 lb.
41:00Yeah, but it's it's awkward.
41:02You know, it's not the weight problem.
41:04It's It's very It's as wide as this table, I would say.
41:08And then it it doesn't fit like in the back of even a dump truck really well. I don't know what you used to use.
41:14Yeah, we put it in the back of a box truck, but they made it work. So, we can Yeah, I can coordinate with Dana at the end because the highway department uh just for everybody's information, the highway department last year when they plowed for and then they did it again when they cleared the path plowed for the snow to the rescue last year.
41:31Mhm.
41:31They dug down into the hard pan that was and there's a 50-ft section from the Porter John going out towards the beach that is as soft as anything. They dug underneath. They're gonna have to redo that section.
41:43So, at some point in the fall, they're going to go back and redo to make because I know the truck got stuck a couple of times there.
41:50Yeah, it's very soft and it's very hard to walk and I'm surprised we haven't had complaints. It's just coincidental that it's right where the portage to the beach is a 50ft section of just like really soft sand. They've dug through the hard stuff. So, we're going to I've already talked to Chris Gonzalez at the highway department. We'll go down when the season's over and fix that, make it hard again. Uh,
42:12the last day the guards are there is the 7th.
42:16All right.
42:16So, anytime after that, really?
42:18Yeah, we can do it.
42:19Well, we usually wait till like at, you know, October because September still is beach weather for a lot of people and still very nice.
42:25For the stands, do you want the stands?
42:27The stands I was talking about the stands. As soon as the lifeguards are gone, they should be gone because then they just become places for people to climb off of.
42:35Climb them.
42:36We can come in the next day.
42:37Okay.
42:38Just coordinated.
42:39Yeah.
42:39Yeah.
42:40As soon as we can get them off, the best the better we are.
42:42As long as they can carry them down to the to the road.
42:45Yeah. To the road or to the parking lot, then we can I'm sure they can get it down there.
42:50It's just, you know, getting into town hall is the problem.
42:53Yeah.
42:54Without the right trucks to do it.
42:56Sure.
42:58Okay. Uh, life got chairs. Vehicle equipment storage. I'm assuming we're going to put the truck in the garage somewhere. Same thing. The buggy goes in this garage.
43:09Yeah.
43:09Uh, want to make sure probably we winterize it if it's not going to be used. Both vehicles. So, Michael told me he thinks the maintenance man uses the buggy for I don't know, like going to and from the different buildings or something. I'm not sure around about here.
43:32I don't know. I can talk to Andy. He's shouldn't be using the buggy.
43:35Well, it's not registered and it's not, you know, the the only people that have keys besides us are the fire and highway in case they need it. I excuse me, fire, highway, and police. I think Michael hands off the keys.
43:47Yeah, in case they need it to do a rescue at the beach or they need that vehicle for any particular reason.
43:52Yeah, I don't know. But I can Yeah, it shouldn't be used just to go back and forth between buildings.
43:58I was thinking the truck would be used for that, but yeah.
44:02Uh needs for next year. Probably should have kept Michael here.
44:07Um so I asked that already from Michael and he he said the list is going to be very short for this next summer. Um because it's it's a budgeting thing again.
44:17Yeah. But but I mean that's a good thing. I think they have a lot of good equipment now and it replacements are going to be minimal probably typical replacement stuff, right? Okay.
44:26I think one thing we should keep an eye on, I know this past year we had an issue where I think Mike was doing some great work. He was coming in and preparing for the next year, right? Um but we sort of weren't budgeting for those hours. No, we at least know what we're walking into.
44:45Um so we didn't have as many hours this summer because there wasn't as much prep as the summer.
44:53Like a lot of the HR stuff like all the lifeguard coordination. So like do that and then it's a matter of just watching and then you know if the equipment is good then we don't have Yeah. You don't have to deal with Yeah. And I'll talk to him. Um, I want to say we did discuss like an estimate of how many hours he should have before the season starts. I don't
45:16know. I can look back at our meeting notes on that.
45:19Yeah.
45:19Yeah. Cuz we It was that and then there was the orientation.
45:22Yeah.
45:23Which I'm not sure if we have all the same lifeguards, but that's something to discuss when we get the lifeguards, you know.
45:29Yeah.
45:30To see how many hours they need for that. But we'll know at the end in three weeks how much money we have left in personnel. We should have enough.
45:38to get a couple of weeks.
45:39It would be nice to be able to compare it to like the last two years if we could if there's a possibility of doing that, but it's a dependent one of the things is dependent on when Labor Day is.
45:51Yeah.
45:51So Labor Day is the latest it can be to September 7th this year. So next year it'll be September 2nd.
45:56Yeah.
45:57So there's a 5day Yeah.
45:58non-pay period basically. And that's what it was September 3rd I think last year or something. It was very early and now it's really late. So, we have an extra week essentially that we have to pay for this year that we didn't pay for last year, but we did open on time this year, but we had to ask No, do we have to ask for that money or do we have the money?
46:19I think we had the money.
46:20Yeah. Yeah. I think last year, not this year, last year we had the short hours or something, right?
46:26And so, I I just again just want to make sure when we get to the end that we have all the something to plan for. We have we have time between now and next May, June to figure out that uh to the next meeting. I could bring a report on just the costs of uh the guards for this season. This is if you look at the uh weekly there's a breakdown on this 10page of like uh
46:59additions and subtractions. But you look at uh page four.
47:08Oh, there's a Russell Frey 316001.
47:11Yeah.
47:12Reporter John. So yeah. So you look at you know starting on page four wireless fly ball frees uh Nunan brothers Nunan brothers I don't I don't see a total for the all the personnel or guards but I could be missing it you know it might not be here but I I keep copy of all their time sheets through the season. So I can just add that up and bring the number,
47:49you know, because the the Lloyd for Environmental Center, the Verizon Wireless, they're all all the bills are in here. All the expenditures since through well says through 1231, but obviously it's through actually last week or 7:30, I think.
48:07And the portage on that 300 uh some odd dollars is that for the month or is that for the month? probably.
48:13Yeah, because there's a bunch from them here free on page uh six.
48:21So there's $1,200 $1,200. One on 87, one on 821.
48:28So that's more than $300 a month.
48:41Well, I can bring those exact figures, too.
48:44That's just if we're budgeting, obviously, we should have it all budgeted. So, those are all things to think about. Uh I believe in certain months, too, they do extra cleanings.
48:53Yeah, it looks like this.
48:54They do. Yeah, that's a lot of it is the extra cleaning, not just
49:04two.
49:04I think we're okay, but I just get I get nervous when you start spending faster than you're making it.
49:09Yeah. Yeah, I don't expect a lot of beach passes to be handed out between now and the end of the year, but you you know you I know some do come in.
49:16Yeah, you might have an extra hund another hundred maybe.
49:20You have people move into town. You have people who are coming in in the fall or whatever the case may be.
49:29And some of this money uh doesn't include the replacement stickers, which is only two bucks, which we should raise that fee. something to think about if they lose it or if they change a vehicle.
49:41I had to get I had to change a vehicle, so I had to get a new sticker for pay two bucks for a new sticker. But it's not a big deal. But Mhm.
49:50But other than that, uh I think that covers everything I could think of.
49:56Anything else, Dana, you can think of?
49:58The only correspondence really was that trash can, the woman who reached out at the trash, and you responded, I believe.
50:05Oh. Oh, yeah. Yeah.
50:06Yeah.
50:06Yeah. Yeah. Um, and I I think that's all I do feel bad about that whole thing, but there is just no way of right monitoring or cuz I know what happens if you leave a trash can out there. It's a disaster.
50:20The most foul thing I ever had to do was clean up a trash barrel at Beach Avenue.
50:25Yeah. I mean, somebody put it there and nobody emptied it.
50:29Yeah. And it was and and it was like that's why that's why I like the dumpster because I know after never do that again.
50:37Yeah. After 5:00 in the beach guards take it off if you left that trash barrel there. And I remember going down there on some nights and it would just be overflowing and bend beach chairs laying against it. And I know the lifeguards next morning weren't happy because they had to make a couple of trips to empty it. But you know, seagulls get in it, crows get in, next thing you know, it's all or gets in or
50:58even worse, instead of blowing up the border, they decide to light it on fire.
51:01We had that happen one year.
51:02Have a nice, you know, so with the dumpster that's down there, um, they will just leave it there and lock it and then they won't seem unless we request it.
51:13Locking it at night seems to work very well. Good. I haven't seen I've seen a couple of random boxes and stuff, but not like the beginning of the year where somebody decided to put their whole Amazon right delivery in. So, it's been working I think fairly well just locking it at night and everything.
51:30Yeah. But like when the guards are off then on this like their last day, the 7th, do you want to lock it permanently on the 8th or No, no. I I want to leave at least till the end of September.
51:40Okay.
51:41Because there are people there the beach will be pretty busy in September. If there's nice days, they will be busy.
51:46And so you you mentioned you're still opening closing the gates. So you're going to lock it at night still through September. I I'll keep doing that.
51:54Okay. So um do you want me to hold the pickups of the trash until until we might need it at the end of September then? Cuz right now they we get charged by the month or do we get charged by the week?
52:08So they send the bill every month, but I think they come every week now to empty it.
52:13No. And they should because this the life president tell you there's quite a bit of trash but but in September I'm asking like what would you like to do? Like I can just we can still lock it at night and then just do like a final pickup at the end of they do a because of a monthly Yeah. They can pick it up.
52:32The end of the summer season used to be Labor Day. Now it's more like Columbus Day. Mhm.
52:38Uh, and I hate to lock it or not have it picked up too early and have trash sitting there even if I if I unless I lock it obviously but but I don't think you need it every week through September.
52:50No, no, that's what I'm saying. If they did it at the end of the month and I'm thinking, yeah, it might be better.
52:55Yeah, I Well, can we play it by year? Did I Yeah. So, so if it's I would say to pick it up after Labor Day and then into the month would be the thought process.
53:05Yeah.
53:07Because I know Columbus Day, it'll stay pretty active on the beach as long as the weather's good. But Columbus Day is when everybody really kind of disappears.
53:16I've noticed that over the years. It's not Labor Day anymore. It's Columbus Day.
53:19Well, September's been beautiful. It seems like it is really nice days in September.
53:24Summer kind of trickles in and then uh you know, really kicks off in July and then August and September's been beautiful.
53:31Yeah.
53:31So, you have the key, Michael has a key, I have a key. So, if you determine like we need another pickup in October, you just let me know and I'll I'll ask.
53:40And then in November, we should be all set.
53:42Yeah.
53:43I don't know if they're going to do a beach cleanup. I'll check with the waterershed. They're going to do beach cleanup in the fall.
53:48Okay.
53:48Cuz then that would be probably the last time it needs to be picked up.
53:53But I still think they can deliver that to the transfer station for free if it's a Town Beach cleanup.
54:00I'll check on that. I'm not sure that's the case, but Okay. I thought I asked the board of health before and they said, "Yeah, that should that that's fine as long as they have someplace to put it." Yeah. Well, the problem is they need a dumpster down there to put it in is what they really need.
54:13It needs a container, you know. Uh and that's prior years, we just let them use the dumpster and then take it away because they're doing us a favor cleaning the beach.
54:24So, uh either way, as long as it works, we'll figure it out.
54:28Okay. I think that's about it for this.
54:34Uh, we have member input. Anybody have anything?
54:37No. And pretty pretty clean down there.
54:40I haven't seen it as busy on the Noble as it usually is. I miss imagine. Well, I see cars now and then, but I I mean I I go down there in the evening, so I only see Well, there are people on the beach and people use the beach. I see Yeah.
54:55People set up and go swimming.
54:56I had a call from the animal control office today. There was a dog incident down there.
55:01Yeah, I I heard of that.
55:02Oh, you heard that?
55:04Yeah, I share office with them. So, so the question was, was it on the town beach? Because there's only a small section of not a dog dog by dog thing.
55:14Two golden retrievers, which I found hard to believe.
55:17Uh, but yeah, there was a dog and then they complained that there's no signage.
55:23What?
55:24There's no sign saying no dogs down there?
55:26Probably not anymore.
55:29But that's what the gentleman said. He was the dog that did the biting.
55:33There's no such thing as a bad dog.
55:36No, that's true. Bad owner, it's not bad dog. From what the animal control officer was saying to me, yeah, he was a little belligerent, but uh there was an incident down there. Uh I'm not sure if it was on the town beach and whether we should be concerned, but I trying to explain to the animal control officer, you know, the town beach is 100 ft wide, one less than 1%.
56:00Yeah.
56:02Private beach on going up to the town beach and then you have more private beach and then you have federal properties.
56:08And does Cory still own the ruins? Yeah.
56:11I don't think he owns it, but it's is the Black Family Trust. A Black Rock family trust, I think, is what it's called, or something like that. Uh they still own that. Yeah.
56:19Say it was there.
56:20Yeah.
56:21Maybe you'll get tired of owning it.
56:24Be nice. Be nice to add.
56:26Yeah.
56:27Uh Mhm.
56:28to the town beach. But anyway, uh anybody uh Perry? Um, it'd be nice if we had the QR code there because then the dog guy would could have said, "Well, you go to that and it has the uh the facts or the FAQs." Um, it's on the beach policy, so it's it's definitely there. You can't have it April 15th or September 15th. It's definitely there.
56:50Yeah, I think that would be uh great.
56:53It used to be a sign.
56:54Yeah. And I know whatever you do down there, it seems like um you know, at night things happen. I think uh in terms of the lifeguards, I think they're doing a great job. It would be nice if we could have some sort of um I think as a committee like policies and procedures as it relates to them. Uh nothing specific but like um just so we know what the sort of um what happens when something is
57:22when something goes wrong whether it's an emergency or it's an HR or it's a you know a public safety who who goes to where and um so so I think there's a couple of things one thing I had a discussion with Dana about this one thing is Dana is uh right now a hockey puck she gets pushed in a bunch of different directions without knowing exactly what she should be or shouldn't be doing or what she's
57:48supposed to be doing or what we think she's doing or whatever the case may be.
57:51Well, I think that's what I'm if we could sort of um set the you know what what are the roles and responsibilities of the what are the roles and something to draft in the fall and the roles and responsibilities of the lifeguard. I think we all know what their roles and responsibilities are, but you know they're kids. So although they're great kids and they're hard workers and they're good at their job, there's going
58:12to be instances where you say, "Well, it's a kid being a kid."
58:16Well, well, certain policies, you know, for personnel we need to come up with for sure.
58:21But is that something the beach committee does or is that a town administrator type function? Um I'm not So I've had conversations with Chris Vitali, the town administrator, and this is something I think a lot of the town committees is his goal to refine and clarify. And so I believe he is having like a um workshop type meeting with the selectman to and I don't know if this is only topic but like to kind of
58:47brainstorm and talk about various topics. I believe this is one of them.
58:50It makes sense, right? Because we're all sort of we're working towards the same goal, but if we all don't know what we all know what our role is and our responsibility is to to make the beach usable for the patrons, make sure it's safe and and uh and to have a great season.
59:06Well, in our brief discussion, Dana and I neither one of us knew what she was supposed to be doing. I think we had different ideas of what what she was intended or So, it was never put in writing.
59:17Yeah. I think you do you do a lot and you you have so much that you know you keep the plates but there's only so much you should be doing. Yeah. You know is basically what it comes down to.
59:26Well, I also think the other side is that um if the beach committee is an advisory committee and helps with policy the other side is maybe you guys shouldn't be handling personnel type issues, right? It should be a town employee that's doing that who's paid by the town.
59:41Yeah. Yeah.
59:41Um, so things like that I think do need to be clarified and Sean have been talking about.
59:45Well, technically we do nothing. We make recommendations to the select.
59:49Correct. Correct.
59:50Well, we would recommend a I think we would draft a policy and recommend that this be implemented.
59:55That's what we've been doing.
59:56I think, you know, when it comes to HR things, there's things that are mandated by contracts and agreements and that kind of thing. But the beach has some specifics that need to be tightened up, I think.
1:00:09Yeah. Because I think from the public standpoint, they it's easy to go to the beach if something occurs to sort of point your finger at the beach committee, but our our role and our responsibilities only go so far as volunteers and then takes over.
1:00:24We're responsible for seaweed in the water. We're responsible, you know, there seaweed in the water.
1:00:29We're responsible for can't we rake this away? Can't we do uh Yeah, I just think it's something and it seems like it's being worked on. Um, and I think the lifeguards are doing a great job. The days that I was down there, they were actively um, helping the patrons and, you know, seem to have their eyes on the water. Are there, you know, um, so I was impressed.
1:00:49I know when I've gone to the beach, I always check in with them. I talk with them. I ask how things are going and I have like if I, you know, notice something, I'll bring it up. Um, and I know Michael, the head guard, has been very responsive to that as Danny has. I usually talk to one of them, but I say hi to all the guards when I see them as well.
1:01:09Um, but yeah, I think I think the process and the policies can always be refined and looked at and over the season to season. So, I think it's well, it should be there there should be certain things that the lifeguards are allowed to discuss.
1:01:27Yeah.
1:01:28And then and then that stops at a certain point. And it's referred to the head lifeguard that stops at another level. Then it's referred to you which stops at a level and then to town administrator which is the top of course.
1:01:42So I think maybe the only problem is when it's an emergency that and you have the police and fire involved it goes directly to that policy in place of that. I don't know.
1:01:51There is no discussion except town administration.
1:01:53Yeah. Yeah.
1:01:54In the event of an emergency or emergency is very straight to the town.
1:01:59Right. Yeah, we have we had a written policy years ago because that was a problem. It's like when there's emergency is police, fire, town administrator bank.
1:02:07Yeah.
1:02:07You know, get on the phone right away for everything below that. We could develop a sort of a a secret ladder.
1:02:14Sure. And I think they they know all this. It's just a matter of if we have it in writing as policy, I think it's good.
1:02:21I think it would be nice to have it on paper, especially if something happened.
1:02:25So, we have an on paper. We have an emergency action plan in place and um it some of this could be in there. I just don't have it in front of me. But um we can work on this for next season.
1:02:38Yeah, that'd be great.
1:02:38Yeah, that's all.
1:02:39We'll put that on.
1:02:41Uh when do we want to meet next? I think I will ask the members.
1:02:44I'm next.
1:02:45I'm around.
1:02:46Yeah.
1:02:47Yeah, it doesn't matter.
1:02:49September something be the 17th is the third one.
1:02:5317th.
1:02:53Yep.
1:02:55You want to do Yeah. 4:30.
1:02:584:13 seems to work best for everyone.
1:03:00Oh, yeah.
1:03:00So, that same day I have a conflicting meeting. Um, I could choose not to attend that meeting.
1:03:07We can make it another day. I mean, I don't know if Blair, he prefers Blair or uh we available usually on Thursday afternoons, I believe. Um, let me see.
1:03:24If you want to just wait till the end of the month and do it on the 24th, I'm I'm free then.
1:03:29I can do that as well.
1:03:31Thursday.
1:03:31Maybe that's the plan. Maybe let's do the 24th if that's a better for you.
1:03:35Yeah. Oh, okay. Thank you.
1:03:37That's a Thursday.
1:03:38Mhm.
1:03:38Your Thursday. Yeah.
1:03:40You'll get a agenda emailed Sunday night before. That's usually when I do them.
1:03:46And I know what to put on the agenda.
1:03:48But maybe one of the main items we'll we'll tackle one thing at a time is policies and procedures for or maybe now let's do this. Let's come up with maybe you want to draft something, Dana, of your duties, what you're doing, and maybe we should decide what you um I think I'd have to involve Chris with all that.
1:04:11But I mean, we just want to know what you're actually, you know, I do this, this this this.
1:04:18Yeah, I could tell you right now. So, um don't tell me right now cuz I'll have to write it down. So, next make a list. Yeah. and but you know so that we know okay this is what you're doing what you should be doing what you're getting paid to do and what you maybe but right but that's where I have to chat with Chris because none of it was put in writing
1:04:36right exactly but that's what I mean so I don't know what I'm supposed to really like well that's why we need to know what you're doing and then we can sit down with Chris and say okay should she she be doing this or should she be doing that because that's the easiest way to do it.
1:04:50Yeah.
1:04:50Uh at least from my perspective.
1:04:54Yes. Yes.
1:04:55Uh maybe that's the first thing we tackle and then maybe in October. Gez, I hate to say that. October.
1:05:02Uh maybe in October we go policies now with lifeguard policies regarding procedure at the beach. I mean we've always been worried about emergencies and but now we have to tackle some personnel type policies. I think uh well I think that brings up the question is that a town is that a town administrative function? Well, again, he's not going to know what I'm sure he knows what some of the problems are, but
1:05:28I'm not sure he knows what we are going to recommend. So, we recommend that this is what we should put in place for the town beach for certain things that we don't have things in place for.
1:05:38Sure.
1:05:38So, he has something in writing in front of him to bring to selectment, I guess, who ultimately vote on it. I don't know how that works, but I don't know with personnel, I'm not sure.
1:05:49Well, however it does, at least we have a recommendation that says we need to do ABCDE EFG.
1:05:54Yeah.
1:05:54And then this is what happens if Yeah. And if they don't vote on them, then we give it our best shot. But I mean, they're going to take every recommendation. We kind of know what's going on and what isn't or what isn't going on and then we're just going to deal with that.
1:06:10Well, and I think also from the lifeguard standpoint, if you don't tell them what the dos and don'ts are, I mean, there are certain things that we all know. um are dos and don'ts, but there are other gray areas that um maybe you're patrolling the beach, maybe you're doing something whereas a a passer by could say, "Well, why are they doing that?" But if it's written down and it says, "Well, they're to, you know,
1:06:33yeah, patrol the area."
1:06:35Yeah. Every hour on the hour or something, they go up and down the beach.
1:06:38Makes sense. Rather than them just saying, "Well, let's go for a ride and see."
1:06:42Yeah. I'm bored, you know. No.
1:06:43And I don't think that's the case. I think they're they've been great and uh professional about their duties, but it would be nice to provide them with something so then they're not left sort of Dana's on the front line. She'll get he'll get the Yeah, a lot of that is in the pre-ervice training document like I can share that again with you guys if you want via email.
1:07:04Well, we do incorporate that as a policy that you should be familiar with. Policy number one, familiar with all orientation materials and whatnot.
1:07:13Yes. apology and procedure. You know, those are one of the things you put in, you know, item one.
1:07:17And then there are other things, especially when it comes to the vehicles and other things like that. We need to be more specific.
1:07:23As a I mean, a business owner, I have a bunch of vehicles and I actually I put it right on the dashboard of the truck.
1:07:29If it's really important, you know, it seems Yeah, that uh just so everybody's aware, it says it right there.
1:07:36That's a great idea, actually.
1:07:37Yeah.
1:07:37You know, and then there's no question, you know, you say, "Well, the vehicle actually says it right there." Yeah.
1:07:43Yeah.
1:07:43I mean that's the kind of thing we need to implement I think for next year.
1:07:48So that's something during the winter and then November we'll probably tackle budget to be I don't know when sometime in December it probably needs to be submitted whenever it is. Y uh but we'll know probably in November where we are stand with costs and and whatnot. And getting a little nervous about the cost because it's going to go up significantly and and I I don't want to turn it into oh
1:08:11let's raise the beach passes again this year. Let's raise because we're going to get diminishing returns at some point.
1:08:16Yeah. And I think you'll get push back as well probably from Oh, I got push back for raising the senior.
1:08:21I purposely did not raise the senior pass until I became a senior.
1:08:25Yeah. Yeah. because I didn't want to be accused of like, well, you didn't have to get $10 fee.
1:08:30Okay.
1:08:32So, but we got to figure out when that's going to happen. I mean, at what point do we talk about Well, everybody was concerned because there was no public they claimed there was no public hearing.
1:08:43We got to start the process.
1:08:45Yeah. I mean, we have to have the public hearing for the selectman on the RA if we're going to raise beach passes in December.
1:08:52We got to plan because we have to have it in implemented by January. we start selling them again.
1:08:56And it's the selectman that make the decision.
1:08:59Yeah.
1:08:59Vote on it. So, right.
1:09:00And ultimately they could say no, we're noting which which year after year it's kind of my fault because the Monday I was supposed to go to Slightman's meeting. I had the flu.
1:09:10Yeah.
1:09:11I called up Jim and I just sent them all the stuff and it's like don't I don't you don't want me coming in there. So, uh but again we have to schedule that in November for a December hearing. Mhm. So it's something we can discuss in October, you know, maybe Yeah, it would be nice to to begin it ear sooner rather than later only because if we get it in November at the third week and
1:09:36so let's do that in October instead of November and that way at least to begin the process because we just want to make sure we've expended all everything we're going to expend. So we'll have these three weeks of lifeguard stuff and whatever other expenses come with it like frees and we'll have an idea of where we stand.
1:09:54uh with everything because the Porter John's can be taken out of there October 1st. You can put those right out of there.
1:10:03Why not September?
1:10:06Because the people still down there.
1:10:08Yeah, but the guards aren't down there to monitor them.
1:10:11Well, they're not there to monitor them most of the time anyway. But I mean, what do we leave them normally? Do we leave them I think we usually leave October because we usually put them in in May before the guards are there. We usually put them in Memorial Day weekend before the guards are there.
1:10:23I mean, if we want, we can pull them out after Labor Day, we might get some push back on that, but Well, it's only that would be a savings of $300 uh for the month, right?
1:10:37Two of them. $300.
1:10:38It depends. I I don't know if they do a final cleaning or removal, stuff like that.
1:10:44Yeah.
1:10:45You might want to inquire on whether or not we're going to get charged because I want to know that. I don't want to find out. You mean for the damaged port of they blow blowing up of the of the border Johns?
1:10:57They were very I called them and they were very responsive. Very good. I got the answering service about 15 minutes later I got a call back and explained to him what was going on. She was kind of like I really feel bad but we don't have any drivers.
1:11:08Yeah.
1:11:09It's a Saturday after 4th of July. It's like you know I don't expect but the Monday morning they they were there.
1:11:14Yeah. I mean, they were on it.
1:11:17So, they did the best. These things never happen at convenient times.
1:11:21No. Yeah. Well, we were fortunate to have you with the right to go down there and do your Well, I was cuz I I didn't when I first found out about it. It was, okay, now what do I do? And I thought the lifeguards and the lifeguards didn't do anything. And it was very disappointing. Uh, Michael called me and I told him just to call the Russell Freid number and procedures
1:11:43would be able to address it. You know, where like, okay, we call Russell Freid, but we got a puddle of waste down here.
1:11:50We were lucky that it happened on a Friday night. It happened on a Friday night cuz we found on Saturday and it got cleaned on Friday. So, there wasn't Yeah.
1:11:58a tremendous amount of waste in there.
1:12:00Yeah. So, but there was still some Yeah. If it was a Sunday night, it would have been a disaster for sure. But I want to make sure that, you know, I mean, to ask the guards to clean up human waste, like I I don't know if that would be allowed. Yeah.
1:12:16Through town policy. I don't know. I don't know.
1:12:18Or Well, it has to be some kind of response basically. Can't just leave it there when you have a thousand people coming to the beach.
1:12:24Or you could close the path.
1:12:26Yeah.
1:12:26But then what do you Yeah. Explain that to people coming to the parking lot. You on the weekend after 4th of July. Yeah, cuz I'm going to shut off my phone when that happens cuz I know it, you know, it it's it was an unfortunate situation. It was just But now we have to come up with some kind of response.
1:12:47I should probably ask the board of health what the response is for like that.
1:12:51Yeah, that would Yeah, cuz I shouldn't be doing it either. So, probably have to put on full hazmat suits and all kinds of other things to do it. But, you know, it's something. Yeah. Maybe we just direct people around or whatever the case may be. I'm not sure how we handle it.
1:13:05Right.
1:13:06Okay. Anybody Anything else? Neon.
1:13:09Nope.
1:13:10All right. I'll entertain a motion.
1:13:11You got one.
1:13:13I'll entertain a second. Okay.
1:13:17All in favor? I I So, thank you for coming.
1:13:21Thank you for