Select Board - June 22, 2026

Okay. Okay. Will you join me in the pledge of allegiance? I aliance 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.

Good evening. Welcome to the Monday, June 22nd meeting of the Westport Select Board. Um, under Mass General Law Chapter 38, section 20F, this meeting is being recorded.

Um, just by the way of welcome comments, I want to remind people that we have some um, Independence Day activities coming up. On July 2nd, the recreation department is having a concert with patriotic music. Um, so check the recreation center u Facebook page or on the website. And then of course on July 4th we have the parade. Um so I believe the lineup starts at Hicksbridge at July

4th at 9:15. Um so we hope to see a lot of people there. Hopefully again they also have a Facebook page. Um and uh if there's any weather or anything, so stay tuned. So we're really looking forward to that. Um the first item on our agenda today is a public hearing. We have an application request for a class 2 motor vehicle and repair license from Westport Automotive Group located at 1052 State

Road. The vehicle limit of 38. Managers Paulo Daniel and uh Joan Poris. Are anybody here? You want to come forward please?

Good evening. Can you just please introduce yourselves?

I'm Joan Porz, one of the managers.

Uh Paulo Daniel.

Okay. So, you want to tell us what you've got going on over here?

Uh we're just for auto sales and uh service.

That's what we're looking for.

So, is the paperwork in order?

Uh yes, the paperwork is in order. We also do have a police recommendation in the packet. All right. And are there any change is there business there now?

They used to be. At the moment, it's closed down.

Okay. And are you do you have any significant change in hours or anything from what was previously there?

No.

No. Okay. Any questions? Anybody?

Everything is in order, it appears.

Yep.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Is there any discussion? This is a public hearing. Is there anybody that have any comments from the public?

Hearing none. All in favor? I I uh that's four in favor and uh one absent. Good luck.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Appreciate it. Thanks for coming in.

Appreciate it.

Next we have an application request for a class 2 motor vehicle license from AVR Plus doing business as Fast Road Auto Sales located at 327 State Road, vehicle limit 85. Manager Vasili Ara. Do we have someone there for that one?

Good evening. Could you even yourself?

Can you introduce yourself?

My name is Vilia Ram.

Okay. And what have you got going on over there?

Could you say again?

What do you What do you have going on?

Tell me tell us what you're doing.

Car dealer. So I do selling cars.

Okay. And was there there were previously a car sales there on that lot?

Yes, I did before.

Right. Okay. We do have um a police department recommend a a favorable police department recommendation. Is all the other paperwork in order?

Yes.

So, this is a public hearing. So, this is the 327 State Road. Um does anybody have any questions or anything?

Yeah. Go ahead.

Uh Sean, just in our packet, it was from Ralph basically saying that obviously it's going to be only retail sale, no repairs, or body work is allowed there.

And then obviously there's an existing parking plan of record that I that he had on file. That was just an email.

Okay.

At the end.

Oh, I might have missed it.

Just said to remind the board that is car sales only and the garage will be need will need to be upgraded if you are going to do repairs there.

I see you understand that sales only.

Yeah, I got it. Okay.

Okay.

All right. This is the public hearing.

Is there any comments from the public?

You just need to go to the microphone over there.

I have two vacant lots behind that property and there's a big um spotlight.

There's a paper street to get to my property and there's a big um spotlight in the middle of the paper street. So, I just want some kind of assurance that if we ever do develop back there that he'll take that out because the previous owner, we had like a verbal agreement. I told him you can use that for now. You know, they park cars along the highway and he has a great two big spotlights,

but like I said, one of them is right in the middle of the paper street that reaches my property in the back. So, all I I don't really want to stop them from putting that there. I just want to I want some kind of assurance that you'll take that light down if we develop it or we decide to and I don't want cars parked in front of it.

Okay.

Okay.

So, it's right across the street from the cartway. You know where that is.

Okay.

The go-karts.

Yep.

Right across the street. You have two lights, two big giant lights. The previous owner put them in. Well, he put them right in the middle of what they call a paper street. It's a a right of way to my property in the back because there was years ago they used to put them just on the paper streets and they never develop them. Sometimes they do develop them and I talked to the

building inspector and he said there's not supposed to be anything in front of that paper street. Nothing. So, I think it's either the law or not.

All right. Do you don't intend to make any changes right now?

Well, I like that I'd like that down.

I'd like that light come to come down because I don't want to be five years from now, you know, we decide to do something. He says, "Hey, I don't know what you're talking about with it staying up. It's it's a huge light. It's almost as big as a street light."

So, the building inspector, this is 327 Road. Yeah. So, the building inspector um made a note that it was um cells only, no repairs or body work. You can use the existing parking plan of record.

Um if you're going to do repairs, it would need some upgrade, but the building inspector didn't make any note of the lights.

Well, I he didn't know about it. I told him about it today and he said, "Oh, they're probably going to send you down there to take a look at it."

Okay. So, that's what he said.

Did you have a recommendation?

Yeah. So what I would say is um if I understand correctly there is an existing light structure on a paper road. Correct.

Okay.

In other words a tiny strip in front of my land.

Yeah. So he put stuff in front of that.

Yes.

Supposed to be.

So, for the purposes of this hearing, um my recommendation, again, just based off of what our building commissioner is, this is based off of the property and the layout of record. Um the layout of record wouldn't include anything with regards to the paper street configuration. Um that removal would be a private civil matter outside of the scope of this hearing. Um but what I would recommend is just um open up that

line of communications um so that any future improvements obviously aren't impeded that several years ago we came before this little select man and um the owner was here and everything and he wanted he I said I'd like that light to come down I mean and he said um I'll take it down it'll be okay I'll take it down whenever you ask me so I have that on a VCR tape, an oldfashioned tape as my proof that

the owner would take it down, but now the owner is still I guess he's the guy that owns He really technically owns it.

He's playing vain.

Yeah, she she's she's trying to get the microphone. Sorry. So, you're you're not the you're not the property owner, though, are you?

Do you own the property or you're the manager of the business?

I'm the manager on this.

Okay. So here's the but they sold the property about two months ago because I went there to check on it today at the other car lot or yesterday rather and they said we don't own that anymore. We don't own that. And then I found out they kind of do own it because the guy still owns it but he's leasing it. I guess this person Yeah. So I think I think from what the

town administrator is saying is it it's good for the neighbors to be talking to each other. Yeah. Um but right now it doesn't appear to be impacting the license request.

And I I will also note too that if there is um an enforcement matter um you know she has a had a conversation with our building department and that is the correct avenue um if they're not operating within what the improved plan is.

Okay. So the building it's unlawful to have that there. In other words, according to the um building inspector, well, he said there's nothing supposed to be in that spot where it's the right of way.

All right. So, let's ask let's ask Ralph to go check it out.

You don't mind? Yeah. Yeah. But like I say, I don't want to stop this procedure in any way, shape, or form.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Are there any other comments?

So, what's the pleasure of the board?

Vote to approve the uh application request for a class 2 motor vehicle license for AVR plus DB doing business as Fast Road Auto Sales located at 327 State Road.

Second.

Any discussion? All in favor?

I I has four in favor and one absent. Good luck.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

Um, the next one is a continuation of a hearing from June 1, a request from John Rogers for a six-month seasonal trailer permit for recreational purposes to locate a trailer at 95 Mosher Lane. The property is shown on assessor's map 76A, lot 95.

Um, uh, yes. I did also just want to make a note within your packet, uh, you do have some correspondence from, uh, the assistant to the town administrator, Paula Brown, um, just with some additional context about, um, this application, uh, and it being part of the East Beach seasonal trail renewal process.

All right. So what what the re the what Paula has said is that um it's a standard East Beach seasonal trailer renewal. Mosher Lane is one of the few lane streets roads that are covered under the East Beach preliminary approvals at the beginning of the permit season. There's been a trailer at 95 Moer Lane back dating back to the 1980s with the last permit issu being issued in 2021. I think that was information we

did not have at the last time.

That is correct.

Right. And you're you're the applicant, right? Correct.

So, um the uh my recollection of the hearing was that um we continued it because um there were some questions from the neighborhood there. Was that the only question that we had left?

Uh I believe one comment came up about street access um and just I guess the um the orination of this request or where um its purpose. So Paul was able to answer the first part of it, but uh I don't know if that neighbor is here this evening with the followup.

Does the um so I know there was a concern brought forward. Is that person?

Okay. Do you want to can can you just remind us can you come to the microphone and just remind us what your concern was or did you have questions?

We did. I we could go back and read them but you're here.

My concern Douglas Davis lot 77 John Reed Road. My concern was the parking.

Right. Okay. an access that John's put a barrier in the middle of the easement or the lane way.

All right.

What's going to happen with this trailer and how people are going to park? Are they going to block the lane like he does or are they going to allow access down the lane? That's my question from last week, two weeks.

All right. So, can you just um describe on this? Um, so we have the the lot up there, the one with the blue. Can you just tell us where you're planning to put the trailer?

The lot in the blue.

No. Yeah.

Okay. So, there's a um we put an RV pad right here. 35 ft by 14 in width.

So, they they will park obviously into the pads there. the IV go there and there's enough room to park a vehicle here also.

Um, so that's it. And there's also parking.

I I have it over here too. So there's parking. This is a private lane. Okay.

So I I actually um I own this right here.

Right. Okay. So, and so up. So, from here, here to here is the access is only me. There's no one else there. There's no one there's no one here. So, I in my D, but right here says right in my D, I have two parking spots right on the lane. But over here, I did put the RV pad and there is parking. But there will be parking right there too if there needed to be additional parking.

Okay. And then what was the concern that you were worried about them blocking the where where was the block? You were concerned about the We have a you have a post in the middle of the lane that we that I tried to remove.

All right. So we're not going to talk to each other.

So you need to wait. Let him talk.

But there's a post. This is my Dot right here.

the middle of the back of my lot lot there's a post in the middle of a rope to tie off.

Okay.

I do. Yeah.

So the I did this there this No, go ahead. You can So the the request before us tonight is the seasonal trailer permit and locating the trailer permit. So the um the use of the roadway layout is a separate matter I believe. So but I I think the concern is that you're blocking the the roadway layout area.

That's a private lane. I'm not blocking anyone.

Well, private lane a private it's in the roadway layout. So it might be a private lane but there's both all the abutters have access to it.

Yeah. I again do the as far as well his property doesn't go up to that lane.

He has he didn't I put money into that lane that that that diagram right there shows his property abuing the roadway layout.

It abuts but it doesn't it does now the road doesn't appear to be built in the roadway layout according to that diagram but it does abut it the roadway layout. See that gap between the blue line and the line right below it?

The road was not built in the layout.

The who whoever whoever built that road did not build it in the layout. So he isn't a butter to the layout. But what you're pointing out is that particular slot is on your property. Right. So I think I think we're getting into too much.

getting into the weeds here, but I did put that road and put over $5,000 into that road to to into that lane. And it's a private lane.

And again, just to bring it back here, you could look.

It's right in the D that I park in the lane. It's built in. Indeed, it says I have two parking spots in the lane.

So now this is here. So to put the post up. So what? So what?

All right. So I just want to be clear.

So you can sit back down. I just want to be clear. Whether there's a post in the roadway or not is not what we are talking about tonight. Although I appreciate that neighbors need to resolve this issue. What we're talking about tonight is whether we're going to allow the trailer permit. So this is an East Beach trailer law. We one of the things we didn't understand on the last

time we were is it didn't look like an East Beach law because mostly they're on that one road, right? So we didn't really realize this was over. So the and according to Paula, there has been a trailer there before. So I hear your concern about the blocking the roadway.

Did you have other concerns you wanted to bring to the board?

You don't want to hear that concern, but he may have something on his knee and the previous owner popped the cars off to the side, not in the middle, and he's blocked. So blocking the whole that's goes to excuse me that goes to my house that's tied into my house where I park that is tied you see the green.

All right so we're okay we're done with this conversation.

This can't but that matter isn't before us right now. What's matter before us right now is whether approve this parking trailer permit the trailer permit. It does appear that there's parking potential parking. Now, whether he's parking in other places he shouldn't be parking might be another matter.

Um, but and other than that, is the paperwork in order?

Yes, the paperwork's in order.

So, do is it is this something we should be asking the the building inspector to go look at or zoning enforcement officer? So, as a private roadway, you know, I you know, and I don't know if there's a homeowners association and I don't and I'd have to look at specific needs, but that wouldn't be something under the town's discretion to set a condition on.

Right. Okay. All right. Anything else from is there anyone any other topics from the public?

Right. So, what's the pleasure of the board?

Well, Madam Chair, I would like to know who's got the answer to this. You obviously have two gentlemen here, a good argument on both sides. I don't know who's right and who's wrong. So, is it the building inspector who's here or is it the highway department to tell us it is or it isn't. I don't know if there's a problem. If there's a problem, I don't think we should approve it. If

it's not a problem, we should.

So, we we don't have the answer.

Yeah. So the what the part that's before us is parking for the trailer which there's a there's a pad. So that that's not what he's disputing. He's disputing the blocking of the private way the private lane way.

And well yeah I'm I need the answer to that.

So I'm not I'm not hearing a clear answer as to whether or not the the laneways Let me say this if I can.

So let me let me stop you.

I'm gonna Michael, I'm going to put you on the spot because you're the town planner. Can you tell us how a dispute about the laneways like this is um typically resolved? This is um the town planner, Michael Burus.

So, typically what we would have to do is we would have to look at the deeds that were recorded um as a component of some sort of subdivision plan, which I imagine is in place on Gidley Lane. And then we would see in the deeds whether or not certain prop uh certain land owners in that subdivision have rights to pass and repass through that area. Um I'm not familiar with the history of

this area, so I couldn't say offhand, but it is something that we can look into. It sometimes with older lots the the the information is just not there. the history's just not there. And then it becomes a, you know, kind of a um, as the the town administrator, Vitali, was saying, it becomes somewhat of a civil issue where, you know, you're going to have to settle it in in court. That

there's someone will have to demonstrate that they have the rights to access through there and the other person will dispute that and you submit your evidence in court. But um yeah, I mean it's it's it's generally going to be a private issue as was noted.

So for to research that though, is it is it appropriate next step the having the zoning enforcement officer go out or should somebody be contacting the planning department? Like what's the next step that you might recommend?

We often pull the old plans for properties that are filed at the registry of deeds for people. That's something that's a service we provide to the community. Um the website's kind of challenging to navigate, so we don't mind helping out with that. Um obviously, we're not going to provide any sort of legal advice in the planning office or give any uh do any sort of enforcement. That's the perview of the

building commissioner.

Thank you. Go ahead, Jake. So I I think this is obviously a property line dispute because looking at the which is not always accurate, but the town of Westport property map it, you know, this gentleman's property does not go into the lane way as you pointed out as we pointed out on that. But just as an aside, if I look at the aerial photo on the GPS on the Google map, every year

there's either a boat or something parked in that Gidley lane except for 2023. So I don't know if this is a new occurrence of parking or boats in that lane. So just I'm just saying it's there. It's happen.

Right. So yeah.

Rick.

So I guess my So I share a private lane to get to my house and I have 35 ft there that I can't block but I can still park there and everything else it's in the deeds. But my question is is um the trailer going to change the um dispute in any way, shape or form? Like, will the trailer be blocking Gilly Lane any more than your current situation is blocking Gilly Lane?

Not at all.

There's a pad there.

How long has that pad been there, sir?

Pad's only been there maybe a month.

Oh, you just put it in.

You just put it in. Does the pad blocking the way?

The pad that he's laid down, is that blocking the way?

No, I'm asking you because you know you're Yes.

Not that you know of. Okay.

No, yes, sir.

Hi, Dave. um being a private way. Once you put that building on there, doesn't it become a public way?

No, the public roads have to be accepted by town meeting.

What's the trailer being used for?

So, the trailer that they're asking for is a recreational use, seasonal trailer, just like the other trailers you see at at at East.

It's a public public recreational.

It's I'm not sure where you're getting at. A laneway. The laneway is not a public road until it's been accepted by the town.

Right? So that makes it a private way.

That if you put that in there, it's a recreational. Now it does not become it's not private anymore. It's public.

I'm just trying to I'm going to gather this up in my head what you people are trying to figure out. And at this point of the game, I'm not much of a lawyer, but being a private way and you put something in there that's public, it's not a private way anymore.

It's not public. It's a it's a trailer.

recreational just like the other ones you see out on East Beach.

I know everybody's manipulating words, but that's what I got to say.

I'm not trying to manipulate words.

There's a trailer has to be looked at for someone's recreational use. It's not a public They're not It's not a public use. It's a recreational use.

It's still a public. It's recreational.

Everybody goes down to that trailer.

I don't know. It's not It's not a trailer. It's not like a food truck or something. It's just a personal It's a camper trailer.

Okay. We're still recreational.

Okay.

Can you go to the mic?

Yeah. Go to the mic. Go to the mic.

You have You said you had a 35 foot private right away.

Correct.

So that's all I'm asking is out of courtesy to park off. You said you park off the road. Well, I'm required to on my deed. So, like we I can park there, but if my neighbor and I ever got into a dispute, which I I hope you guys can come to some sort of agreement where it works without going after each other for He wants to shut the lane down.

Okay. Okay.

But it's neither here nor there. It's whatever whatever it's the whatever the rules are for is going to be outlining your guy's deeds.

It's going to it's going to say somewhere, hey, this is a public way that share or a private way that's shared by these properties. These properties have rights of A, B, C, and D on that.

Thank you. FGO has a 20 foot layout on that easement, whatever you want to call it. Summer road they claim it's and the highway surveyor said that should be open. He told me we're not disputing that it you could be completely where does this go? Who who could do where do we go with this? Where do we go?

So because that's why I'm here. So what we're So we have a decision to make about whether we're going to improve the trailer permit, but it sounds like if there is a dispute about what's going on in the roadway, your good next step is to talk to the planning board to help you get the required information to whether you want to enforce it or not.

Right? So I would strongly urge you to be a good neighbor and keep the lane way open. And I would strongly urge you to take if you want if you're feeling strongly about it then then take the next step is to get the deed information which planning department can help you with. We can ask the building enforcement officer to go out there but I don't really think there's much he can do.

Well, this was a step that I No, it is. You're right. We one of the options available to us tonight is to decline the permit. Right. So that's what we're trying to figure out is if we if we decline the permit then we're depriving him of the use of property that has happened on that at going forward. If we allow it, we want to make sure we're not making a condition even

worse by allowing it. Right? I think this is where Mr. Mundy was going like is it is is there any appreciable change in this dispute whether we approve or don't approve this? And I think the appreciable change might be that maybe there's increased use of the lane way or something. Um, everybody else parks off the lane except John. John likes to park in the middle of the lane. John, I think we're

So, you got to go back to the deeds. I mean, all right. So, we're gonna We hear you.

Thank you, just beating the dead horse.

Thank you.

All right. So, Dick, you I'm not sure that Michael's answer answered your question. Yeah, but that would preclude us from voting on this tonight because we don't have the information that that process would uh would uh show.

So, what information would you be looking for?

I want to know from either the highway surveyor or the zoning people. Is is this uh not permitted in some way because it's an impediment to traffic getting through there? And I don't know if it is or it isn't. It seems that the trailer itself is on private property and wouldn't in and of itself cause a problem, but I guess it's attendant guests, people visiting there.

Uh, but I don't know if it is truly going to block traffic at all because I don't have any real opinion on that from experts. Yeah, I guess I'm just looking for if we defer the hearing, if we continue the hearing to get more information, if we know specifically what information we would need to make a decision.

Well, I would like what comes to my mind is that the the uh the highway as one source who who would opine on that and say it's not a problem and that would that would satisfy me and then I would vote for it. If you came back and said, "We got a problem here," then then I wouldn't vote for it because but I I want to make a decision based on

some facts from people who have the skill set to tell me the answer.

But the fact the fact that you're trying I'm just trying to make sure I clearly understand. So the fact that you're trying to understand is whether they are whether they're parking whether they are part uh parking in unpermitted areas and areas they're not supposed to be parking.

Something like that would be of helpful.

Yes.

So, um Okay. So, if they're allowed to park it there or not. And because we could we could condition the the permit on the not I think we could condition the permit on not allowing parking for the trailer in the lane way. But I don't know if we can do anything about existing parking in the lane way.

But I hear you.

You want somebody to tell Well, they could also consult with the police.

So, uh, the police not, it's not your turn.

So, I think some of this information, um, as Michael said, really would be within their deed records. And I I don't necessarily know if the town would want to be in a position, as Michael said, to make a legal determination of that fact.

Um, you know, if the board was supportive, what we could do this evening is, um, you know, I could work with Michael if the board, in addition to taking an action on the permit, refer to my office and I can work with them to get the answers to their questions so that they can make the decision that they think is prudent um, you know, for them and that, you know, I think, um,

you know, some of those questions just again with regards to the layout um, you know, if it's not something that is a public roadway, um, you know, what we may set on conditions of it being a public roadway that I would look at, like the standards of the road and the width, um, it it might not align with what their approval was at the time of the subdivision. So,

um, I I think there's a lot of things that would just require a little more due diligence on that, you know, that side of things.

Did you have something you wanted to add?

No, I was just going to say I've been there for u 18 years going on 18 years and initially when I did arrive there I there were God rest their soul. There was a few people nearby that questioned me parking and um even the police had come down several times and I said respectively to the police I said please go back. So check at town hall you will see that this is a private lane you will

and you know what it satisfied the police. The police had no problem. The police said they never come back. If they there was a problem and they didn't agree with what I was where I was parked, they would have said, "Hey, no, I'm sorry, sir. You got to move this."

Well, the police don't get engaged in civil matters. The police would would be engaged in a criminal matter, right? So, as we heard from the town planner, we heard from the town planner that if Are you going to talk over me? I'm going to talk.

What I'm just going to say, you're saying it's a I'm saying that it's a civil matter.

No. at my house twice probably until they realized it was a civil matter. Yes.

I think this is all sidebar conversation because the I know there's the dispute about the laneway, but the trailer is not going to be in the lane way.

Correct. There's going to be no interference of the laneway from the trailer. So, they're two separate issues entirely.

Absolutely.

I agree. Yes, they are.

Excuse me. Didn't we pass laws ago that we didn't allow trailers a trailer in Westport anymore? Didn't we restrict that and stop people from having trailers in West? We we allow six month use of trailers. The select board has the authority to extend more than six months, which we do in like a fire and someone's construction trailer after a fire. But this particular lot is in the East Beach area where we have the East

Beach trailer permits and process and everything.

Oh. So, what that is, that's a private trailer.

It's a private trailer that somebody's wants to put on that lot seasonally.

Yes, exactly.

Okay.

for recreational purposes.

Just Yes. Yes. Yes.

No. I thought this was a public thing that was going to be a public.

No.

Okay.

All right. So, we've heard Dick would like some more information. I don't know. What about you, gentlemen?

I feel for the whole dispute there, but I think that they're two different items going on. So, uh motion to approve the six-month seasonal trailer permit.

Second.

Is there any further discussion?

All in favor? I I I any oppose? So that's four in favor and um one absent. Please work with your neighbor and uh you can get more information from the planning department and the building inspector. Thank you.

Thank you.

The next item we have is an application request for a class 2 motor vehicle license from Scott's Auto Center located at 620 Sanford Road. Vehicle limit 15.

Manager Scott Maderos. Are you the applicant?

I'm attorney M Long on behalf of the applicant. Do you have the plan? I believe it was submitted that I did bring it just in case.

We have a bunch of stuff in our packet here. Do you have I guess the last page of the application is we have we have it, but I mean Okay, perfect.

Yeah.

So, um do you want to just tell us what you got going on here? If you're familiar, this is Sanford Road, uh, former Foursquare, still operating as Foursquare Village garage. And, uh, there was, um, an auto sales lot. When you're looking at the property on the right hand side, which would be the south side, uh, this property has been used as an auto repair and sales location for quite a long time. I

believe the auto repair started in the late 40s and has continued since then.

Um the property was transferred earlier this year um to a trust and subsequent work has included cleaning up the property uh removing any old uh scrap metal cars and and redoing the lot with uh fresh um asphalt millings and and essentially cleaning up the entire property. Um and the ask here is to um issue the class 2 motor vehicle license strictly for sales at this time. The auto repair license is a separate entity

and a separate issue that will be coming before the board uh hopefully next month. Um at this point we're strictly dealing with the auto sales and they're looking for a 15 vehicle limit with manager being Scott Maderas.

Okay. And the paperwork in order?

The paperwork is in order. Uh police recommendation is in your packet. Um and just confirming that there it's by appointment only. Is that it is? Yes. by appointment only.

Okay. Anything from the board?

Motion to approve.

Second.

So, this is a public hearing. Is there any comments? This is for 620 Sanford Road. Any comments from the public? You should just go to the microphone over here.

Good evening. My name is Hank Keating. I live at one Stonefruit Lane, which is directly opposite 620 Sanford Road. That's where our our lane comes out. We've lived in that location for 10 years, and we've lived with the occupancy of the garage and the car lot, and they've been good neighbors, and we support this application. We we met with both the operator and the owner of the property

over the last two weeks and our only comment is that we don't want this to become a car sales lot that looks like Route Six. We're not looking for We're actually looking for asurances that we're not going to see triangular reds and yellow sun flags and lighting and that type of thing and we were given those asurances. So, I just wanted to put that in the public record.

Thank you.

If I may, my my client did address those concerns and mention to me, you know, that that was the primary concern from the abutters. Um, as he mentioned, most of the abutters have been there for quite some time and are familiar with the property. And my client assured me that there will be no, you know, flags.

It's we recognize this is Sanford Road and not Route 6 and there's not going to be blinking signs and neon lights. So, all right. Thank you. Anything else?

So, we have a motion and a second to approve. All in favor? I I uh that's four in favor and one absent. Thank you.

Thank you to the board. Have a great night. You too.

So, next item we have 5A request from Bish Strong Foundation to hold their annual 5K walk run roll race on September 13, 2026.

This is um is there anyone here for that?

So this is a pretty straightforward application. Do we did we get the um so please recommend Yeah. So uh they did reach out to us with the recommendation. They didn't submit a memo. However, uh they did provide a favorable recommendation. Uh this is the second year of the event. Uh you have the route that is uh the same as this prior year. Um the police details have been organized. The

environmental police will also be there.

All right. Thank you. It's the pleasure of the board. Motion to approve. And fortunately, it will not be on Hicksburg or neck or drift road with metal plates in the road.

Second, Madame Chair.

Is there any discussion? All in favor?

I I That's four in favor and one absent.

We have a request from Weatherlo Farms for a one-day wine and malt beverage license for the following events. July 17, 2026 picnic dinner from 5 to 9 and Thursday, August 20th, 2026 for picnic dinner from 5 to 9. This is the season where we get our one day licenses. Is there anyone here to talk about that? Is all the paperwork in order?

Uh yes. Uh the police did as part of their recommendation recommend that a police detail be hired for those events and uh that all consumption be on site.

Madam Chair, these people have come before us previously. We've always asked a lot of questions. We've never had a problem. So I would recommend approval of both those dates.

Second.

Is there any discussion?

Um, just a note on that approval. If you could add that condition as part of the approval.

Oh, of course. Yeah.

Condition on police department recommendation.

Include that then.

You okay with that? Okay.

All right. Any discussion?

All in favor?

I I I uh that's four in favor and one absent. Um, the next item that we have is a request from Keith Das for an entertainment license to hold their annual Westport Pride Festival on June 28, 2026. And I believe Mr. Das is here.

Yeah.

Good evening, board.

You can come sit.

Sorry, you're the applicant.

I know. I'm I saw a microphone and I was like ready to like tag it.

All right. Do you want to tell us what you got going on here?

Yeah. Um, so we're here for um applying for the entertainment license. Um, this is the third year for the Westport Pridefest. Um, but the first year that we're transitioning it to town property.

Um, so usually the entertainment license has been handled by the Holy Ghost Club in the past. So, um, we're applying for that directly. Um and then we uh put ourselves on the schedule for today just to answer any questions or concerns that the board might have with the transition to town property. Um we did reach out to the police department, the health department, uh the board of health. Um

and we've pretty much I think taken care of everything other than today.

All right. So, this is um going to be held at the Mackomer Fields on um June 28, Sunday, June 28th at the Mackomer Fields um from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Well, the event itself is 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. is our grounds use. So, that includes setup and tear down time.

All right. And then you've you've already made arranges with the um school department for the whatever they need for the ground use. Y so what's before us today is the entertainment license. Can you describe what kind of entertainment you're planning to have?

Yep. There's going to be a um DJ there um providing musicur uh throughout the festival and um we are in the process of confirming a um it's a nonprofit organization that's coming out. They're a wrestling museum and they'll be putting on a wrestling um show for about an hour. Um they have their own insurance liability, everything. It is excluded from what we have for the grounds. Um, and they'll be coming out

to do a performance. Um, other than that, we're still working on some other entertainment, but it's all pretty low case. The biggest thing would be the uh the DJ throughout the day.

Yeah. So, I know the Holy Ghost has they have they have DJs and music like all the time, but um I don't think they typically have very much at Mcomer and I know some of the neighbors are worried about the noise. So, can you just like maybe address um the like the concerns about the noise?

I don't think it would be anything overly rambunctious. It's not that kind of festival. It's a community event. Um, you have been to it. Um, U select board representative Craig Dutra has been to it in the past. So, it's not like this like giant party type festival. Um, there is music, but I don't think it would be any We did ask for the old high school originally thinking that might be

a more suitable placement. Um, but because of athletics, they couldn't confirm depending on Yeah, the athletic schedule would dictate whether or not we could hold it there. And the problem with that was in order for us to book the event and move forward, we wouldn't know in time. So the school's suggestion was the grounds at Matt Cumber.

And we did um actually when we started with year 1 and two um because of the way the Holy Ghost is set up, there's a lot of residents around the property.

And that was also a pretty general question and a concern that came up for year 1 and two and we have always made sure that we stay upon the the rules and regulations of noise ordinance. Um so we didn't have any issues or complaints for year one and two. though because we have been very um uh Yeah, but the I mean you didn't I I was there. I mean I attended the event the

events I thought they were great but um the uh and I understand why you needed a new location because the parking there was terrible because you had a lot more participants than you had ability to park. Definitely.

But also Holy Ghost has concerts like every other weekend in the summer, right? So they're a little bit more used to it. That is why I was wondering.

Yeah.

All right.

What? Yes.

Any alcohol being served?

Absolutely not. No no alcohol.

No. It's all been very explicitly clear to all of the food vendors, participants crafters vendors.

When it becomes um town property, um alcohol is an exclusion from Yeah, nobody has Yeah, nobody has any expectation of that whatsoever. I know there were rumors, but rumors there's no alcohol.

I had two questions.

So, I saw on the um school use license that you didn't check it was a 501c, and I couldn't find the Westport Pride Foundation as an incorporated.

We are not a nonprofit yet. We are in the process of forming the nonprofit.

So my concern is like looking at the application for entertainment and the school use. It's running through real and the cat and raven which means that's a sole proprietorship for profit.

It's not for profit though. We keep all the invoicing separate. We pay for the event. We file anything on our taxes right now because the money has to be filed. We file any money coming in. We file any expenses going out. Any profits that come from the event are donated to a charity. The first year we broke even.

in the second year it came out of my pocket.

But currently it's a a sole proprietorship being run through.

So the way usually these things somebody has to run the event.

Usually you got to get something going first in order for it to start the like the footsteps of it becoming a nonprofit and that's what we're actually in the process of.

We have just formed our board. We are working on our status to get the 501c and the school was well aware of that when they approved the application.

Okay. Like I said my concern is just the optics of it because it looks like a sole proprietorship. So that'll be something that we'll be announcing. But thank you so much for bringing that up because that's actually something we've been announcing already. We're working towards right now. And um because personally when it comes to these things, you also have to take into accountability that you have to

basically give an explanation of all these different accounts as far as bookkeeping is concerned. So I would love to eventually be able to get this off my hand and which is why we're taking the steps.

Yeah. Our goal is to the paperwork's already in process. We're working on it, but eventually it'll be Westport Pride Foundation. The name is there on the school paperwork cuz I told them that it was in process, but they are well aware that we don't have that yet. It takes time to get that certification. Um, and a lawyer and a lot of other things and a board going, but we have the board formed. We're

working on that. Our goal is for Westport Pride Foundation to be a nonprofit that will help with pride awareness and support on a greater level beyond just a once a year community festival. My my other only concern, and it's not your guys' fault, and I tried my best to get you a better venue earlier, is um the Mac Homer school is the most heavily residential town- owned property. It's substantially more

residential in Holy Ghost, and Holy Ghost is used to having events there on a regular basis, and the residents of that neighborhood do not want the Number School to become a weekend event venue, and it sets a precedent for that by having you guys there.

I don't think that's the school's intentions. The school's intentions was to give us grounds to hold Westport Pride Festival cuz there is no grounds here aside from the old high school.

There's no public property other than the school property.

Originally when we started looking um most of the land here is privately owned and because of the current climate polit politically we were getting a lot of nos.

Yeah. I wish they did it at the middle high school or at the elementary school.

Yeah. So on top of this because of the fact that this stands on the grounds that because it is about support of the community um it does fall under biasism that um it when it comes to um town or city and um um basically there's no discrimination that would happen and um because it goes into public you know um public town property um that is really the like the leg foot as far as a good

representation of the community coming together which is why we're really picky about what we're offering and how we're doing things. We're not turning it into a nightclub if that's what everybody's worried about.

And and I'd like to point out that again, Matt Cumber wasn't our first choice. The old high school was our first choice. The school is the one who suggested Matt Cumber as the grounds and made that recommendation because of the athletics organizations. So, we followed all of the protocol with the school.

We've did everything and I have spoken even with the superintendent of the school and there has been no concerns from her. There's been no concerns from the police department. So yeah, in the future we would definitely like we we've been telling everybody is give everybody a lot more head notice cuz none no one likes running around like a chicken without their head, you know, and which is how we're feeling right now.

Do you have any I just had two two more questions. So the liability insurance on there just because it's town property.

Is it under the cat and raven or is it under Westport Pride?

The liability insurance is listed under us, but the town is listed as the co-insured as required by the Westport school system.

Okay. I didn't have that in the uh in our in our packet. I didn't have the They have a copy of the certificate of liability. I have it too if you want to see it.

Certificate of liability insurance says the insured is the Westport Pride Foundation.

Yes. Because that's how they wanted to word it. They understand that Westport Pride Foundation has not been approved yet. The main point was to have the town listed as the co-insured.

Is it does they have all the certificate?

Yes, they have all of our information.

The insurance agent worked with us to get this done so that we could have it in time.

And then just chair, one more question.

So, my only other concern I think Lieutenant Melo spoke to about it just parking throughout that neighborhood.

So, we have, and I'm big on this, um, you know, with the shallop event that they're having at the the point in August, we want to make sure that it's not going to impact the neighborhood.

This weekend, River Day, they were parking up and down Drift Road.

Actually, someone turned around in my driveway and took out our stone wall, so hopefully their car screwed.

Um, but I don't want that to impact, neighborhood. So, do do you have like maybe parking attendees that Yes, we have volunteers who will help with parking. We don't anticipate any problems like I spoke to the lieutenant about. um our as um she had mentioned, she's been to the festival before at um the Holy Ghost Club. Um there's far more parking at Mount Cumber than there is at the Holy Ghost Club.

Um we'll be using the entire parking lot except for the U-shaped driveway in the front. That's where we're going to be putting the food trucks as I explained to the school because we don't want the school truck sitting on the land to damage the land. So, they'll be in that U-shaped driveway. the entire other parking lot will be used and our estimated attendance as I was explaining to the lieutenant too is over the

duration of a 6-hour festival. So it's not a long-term stay kind of festival aside from the people who are there running it and the vendors and the the entertainment and stuff. The audience itself is a comeand go rotation throughout the 6 hours. It should be a lot easier cuz the last two years I was running around on dirt field trying to basically put cones and lines in between

everything and scotch tape to try to get some form of like traffic control there.

Yeah.

All right. So, the matter before us is whether to approve the entertainment license to hold the Westport Pride Festival on June 28th.

Madam Chair, I make a motion to approve.

I will second that. Is there any discussion?

All in favor?

I I I.

Four in favor and um one absent. Good luck.

Thank you very much.

And on top of it, we would like to extend the invitation to you guys as a select board and everybody here that is listening and watching. Um part of our focus is to make sure that no matter whether it's the LGBTQ community or the town that people come together and celebrate.

So we look forward to seeing all of you there.

Be delighted to have you. if you'd like to join us.

Thank you. Good luck.

Have a good night. Thank you.

Um I think it would be fair to tell the a go. You can go the auditor that we'll take him up at 7.

Um the police chief Dun still out there.

Yes.

Hello chief.

We got you.

Members of the board evening.

Please come sit down. So, we have a request from um police chief Christopher Dunn to reappoint the following officers on the attached list effective July one.

We have reserve officers Antonio Custodio, David Lee, uh Johnny Kudo, Christian Theodore, Javier Rosa, David Simco, John Bell, Michael Sylvia, Clinton Sylio, Michael Fitzgerald, Thomas Plord, Samantha Maguire, Gary Camra, Paul Reece, and Craig Pimemental. And then community service officers Steven Kovar, Michael Kelly, Amy Lynn Smitty, Maggie Noa, Michael Rousell, David Aruda, Brian

Souza, Michael Bordon, Joshua Sherman. I should have asked told you guys to put any on hold if you have any on hold.

Okay. But um Richard Rodri, Eric Vaness, Valerie Bell, Kayn Daz, Eric Madonna, Robert Dashen, Jacob Mock, and Ryan Suave. Phw. You want to tell us what you got going on here? So, the reserve officers are retired officers. Majority of retired officers, they help us out with details and filling of um beach patrols and other shifts when officers cannot work. Community service officers,

they're there just mainly to help us out with um road details, directing traffic.

As you know, I'm sure it's going to be on the agenda later on this evening regarding Hicks Bridge and the amount of details we have there. These officers, both reserve officers and community service are vital for us to help help us out with directing traffic within the town.

Okay. Any questions for the chief?

And we have to Is this a yearly appointment?

These are yearly appointment. Yes.

Is the regular police officers we we approve for a couple years and then then after three years? Yes. They don't get reappointed.

Okay.

Any questions?

Motion to approve.

Second.

Any discussion?

All in favor?

I.

I. There's four in favor and um one absent. Anything going on you want to call to our attention?

We're going to sit down in a few more minutes with Deputy Chief Rebella. I'll just wait for that time if that's okay.

Um, which is which item is that?

Uh, it's the end of year transfer.

So, the end of year transfer. You want to just tell us do is he here?

He is.

So, this is 7 I 7 I. There's a a transfer for police personnel $40,000 um to police expenses. So, you want to tell us about that? So, first off, I just want to thank the board for the past two years and the amount of money we've transferred from our expenses to from personnel to expenses to help upkeep our department and give us some new technology. I realize this is a lot less. However, the the item we're

looking to purchase is is very significant and this would not have happened without Senator Michael Rodri's and earmark that he provided for us.

Approximately 70 70% of the total cost of this item. I believe Deputy Chief Rebella was passing on this item. Um, if it pleases the board, I'm going to defer to Deputy Chief Rebello for a minute.

Um, only because he is the one who researched this and provided the information um to Senator Rogers.

Sure.

Your match your your outfit matches your presentation.

Um, so what this is is just a virtual reality trainer. Everything is going virtual reality now, right? So this allows us to train scenarios. Um if you go to the second page there on the second slide, use of force judgment verbal deescalation which is a big uh buzzword nowadays in policing deescalation. We want to deescalate things. So the use of force options are are not as significant as they could be.

Also mental health responses with the in uptick of those as well. Um this allows us to go over in um series different types of scenarios, real world scenarios. The system that we're looking at is 180° system. So once you're in in this virtual world, the good thing about this is it's unique to other systems where you don't have to wear goggles for this. You're using your firearm. There's

a recoil mechanism in it. Um I'm sure if uh the last page has on the last page there, the top one sure Mcwigan would like to know about this.

I'm I want to know, forget him. I want to know about this.

I can speak about it if you want. But um it gives you an option. So most trainers, you pull the trigger on a on a firearm and it doesn't move. It just stays static, which isn't ideal. A lot of the issues that we have with training and firearms that the recoil, the gun goes off, it goes bang, and that kind of you anticipate that and your shot, your shot moves. So this allows that gun to

recoil with a CO2 system. It's unlike that with any other systems that are available out there. Um, so you're using your real tools. They also have what they call a uh stress inoculation, a threat fire simulation where you're actually wearing on your belt something that can deliver a shock to you. So that way when you're taking fire in a scenario, if that were the case, um you're getting a shock, you're getting a

stimulus from that. So it's kind of ramping you up a little bit just to see how you perform on these situations. So it allows us to go through all these situations multiple times, record the results of those. Um so we can kind of play back and see what's going on. part of the system comes with training for our firearms officers. Um there's three of them that would go through that

training and they run the system. It's all computer computer run and uh and this is this is the $40,000 from personnel to expenses and then there's a supple there's an also a grant. Is that what I heard?

It's the earrator Senator Rodri. So this is no additional funding. It's just a transfer from personal to expenses to help cover the expense. I think deputy did you bring up about the post requirements?

Yeah. So post requirements so they every year we file a questionnaire as to what else we're doing for deescalation and every year it's the same thing. We're not doing anything other than what we're doing at firearms training along with a portion of that is deescalation. But it it's finite. There's nothing else that we can do because it's really there's really nothing else that we can do other

than what we're doing currently. This gets us past that. So now this system will be set up at all times for us to use. Part of the pitch with Senator Rogers was that it's a collaborative effort where other departments from the area can utilize the system as well. So long as it has one of our trainers is running it. You need one of our trainers to be running the system. Um so they'd

be able to utilize this as well regardless of weather conditions. It reduces the amount of cost for ammunition because you have a range component with it. It's ballistically accurate out to 2,000 yards. So the drop of your firearm is represented here in the system. So you have that option as well too to also do some firearms training outside of the range for in essence free without the cost of ammunition.

Excellent.

No, I'm okay. I I think the virtual training is great. I think with the cost of ammunition right now, uh it's probably a cost savings in the long run, especially given the nu numerous scenarios and simulations that you can run through this. I know there are a lot of different providers out there and uh but appreciate you looking at it. So then just the year- end transfers are just uh switching. So the money would

have been approved at town meeting for police personnel. So they're just shifting it from police personnel to police expenses. Yes. In the same year be um that happens in the current fiscal year.

Correct. Right.

It's got a pretty big footprint. Where you guys putting it?

We have it upstairs in the attic. We have plenty of room up there. We actually kind of were able to survey the area. We know we can put it up there where it's away from everybody else so we can hold the training up there.

They've had a representative come out to make sure that it does fit. So before we were in discussions with uh Senator Rogers, we made sure that we had adequate room for it.

Go ahead.

Are there recurring costs?

So the initial cost after the after the initial cost that could potentially be if you wanted them to be, but um I've talked with the manufacturer and they said once this initial purchase is done, if you no longer want to go forward with that, you don't have to go forward with yearly fees with that. If you'd like to, you can, but they will still support it on the back end. They said even though

you don't go with the yearly fee, the yearly fee adds some um other versions of scenarios and things of that nature or any other equipment, but I talked to Mr. Vatitali before about it.

And it seems like the price of that wouldn't be appropriate moving forward after the initial purchase because the equipment really once you get the system in really isn't that expensive to fix those things that um may malfunction. I did talk to Beverly um Beverly PD and they have it they've had it since 2022.

um they've had no issues with it and they love it. Um and so that led me to believe that there'd be no more reason to continue on after initial purchase with any sort of yearly fees.

Yeah. I've used similar systems and they're awesome.

Yeah. Yep.

All right. Um did you have a recommendation on the transfer?

Uh yes, I recommend approval.

Okay. So, do we want to vote on that now together?

Well, so it right now we've only heard about the police one. So, we can since they were here vote on that. We can vote on that and we can take the others up later.

Motion to approve year-end transfer from police personnel 40,000 to police expenses.

Second.

All in favor?

I I that's four in favor and one absent.

All right. Anything else?

Just a few things, Madam Chair. Um under 6E appointments, um Captain Bill Chase is recommending the following for parking enforcement officers. I fully support this. Uh we used to have parking enforcement officers with Hob masteraster. It helps us out as a police department during the week during the summer. We have one officer dedicated to eight different or nine different locations in town to enforce parking. Um

having them assist us does nothing but help us out. Um so I fully support that.

Um respectfully fully request that to the board. Just a couple of minor things. Fourth of July is coming up.

We're gearing up for the big parade. Um we then from there we have the Westport uh fair which is going to be another impact within our community. We're gearing up for that to make sure we're all set with that logistically. And then through town meeting, I know we were approved for two one-day um joint training exercises with the fire department for um active shooter training, which is going to be at the

new high school. Um I'll coordinate with Mr. Vitali to let you know the future dates in August. If you would like to come and be an observer, we more than welcome to have you to see actually what we're doing that day. And it's pretty exciting for us to work with the fire department. We're pretty much if something unfortunately something happens, we're the two two agencies who's going in first. So, we want to be

able to work together and be on the same page.

Right. Thank you.

National Night Out is coming up August.

I'm sorry.

National Night Out.

Oh, yes. I'm sorry. I think Detective Donovan was here previously for National Night Out. So, we invite you to that and we're looking forward to having hopefully as well of a beautiful night that we had that night as we have this year. Um, it was a huge success.

Great. Thank you.

Thank you, John.

Thank you. Appreciate. Have a nice night.

So, um, we have the auditor waiting, but I think we can really quick take up the harbor master item. Are you gonna be long or are you gonna be quick?

Bill.

Okay. So, we're going to go out of order and take 6E. The request from Director of Marine Services Bill Chase to appoint the following as parking enforcement officers. William Chase, Rick Smith, Kevin Carter, Andrew Manchester, Alex Ralph, uh Elizabeth Canain, Aiden Hullard, and Zack Carter. I think the chief might have stole your thunder here, but you want to tell us that. So he he can do that anytime he

wants. Um so you know that summer time is always parking wars for a better way to lack of a better way to describe it.

Uh I think what we've seen initially the first couple of weekends in June is that uh it'll be at least as lively as it was last year. Uh and I just feel we can do one of two things. We can just uh bury our heads in the sand and do nothing or we can step up and try to help with the situation. Uh let me give you two examples of what we've seen so far um in

June. Uh there were half a dozen cars last weekend that were parked in the overflow parking lot over at uh at the state boat ramp. Uh those cars, as I came to find out, were cars that belonged to people who were over at the uh Cherry and Web Beach. They were just getting rides over to the beach uh from their buddies and just leaving their vehicles right there. Um, the other

thing that really uh got my attention, uh, this was this past weekend there was so many cars that were trying to get down to the point that there was a backup of cars, six of them long. I stepped outside of the shack and I looked north on main road. There were six cars that were stopped waiting to get down to the turnaround where there already were cars trying to find places

that did not exist. if you needed police or fire or public safety of any uh degree down there, you weren't going to get it. Uh so that issue has got to be addressed one way or the other. And all we're trying to do here is step up and say, "Let us help in some way." Uh I know that there has been some concern today, discussions about getting the youngsters involved with this. Um and if

it's the pleasure of the board that it's just say the four of us, Rick and myself, Kevin and Andrew, that's fine.

Uh, we're just stepping up and saying let us help out in some way.

All right. Any questions?

Just a comment.

Just a comment.

Yeah, I'm fully supportive of that as a property owner impacted by that overflow parking. I uh agree completely that, you know, and I think the Westport resident should and those that use a boat ramp should be supportive of it as well because there are a lot of abuses of that. So the more tickets you get on there, word gets around and maybe they don't want to continue to park there and

uh mess it up for the rest of us. So appreciate you taking that on because I know the police are stretched with their ability to to do the ticketing. So appreciate that.

Well, I think that uh last year there were several times where we would just pick up the police radio and ask for a officer to come down and they always responded, but like chief mentioned, they've got other things to do as well. So, um, we're just offering our help in any way we can. I I think the image of several cars with orange stickers on the windshields might send the message, but

as far as the point goes, uh, boy, that's going to be a problem at some point.

I mean, they're even parking at the uh where the fisherman park right before the bridge.

I see him walking with chairs now from that just the four or five spots you can get out of that. So, all right. What's the pleasure of the board on the motion to approve?

Second.

Any further discussion?

All in favor?

I I. There's four in favor and one absent.

You had um two uh transfers um on you had uh marine personnel, $7,500 to marine expenses and shelfers personnel, $9,000 to shellfish expenses.

Do you want to tell us what those are about? Well, so we this department essentially has two budgets and I'm yet to get an explanation as to why. So we've got the shellfish budget that comes out of the general fund I think to the tune of about $92,000.

The rest of the budget uh is marine services and that is generated mostly by uh user fees from uh from Boers. Uh what we did here is we didn't use up enough of the um the uh salary side of things and we still have uh more expenses yet to be uh used uh for maintenance for the balance of this fiscal year. Um so we're basically asking for those two transfers from those two individual budgets so

that we can uh expense uh the issues that we you know pay for the issues that need to be addressed.

Okay. Any questions?

Motion to approve marine personnel 7500 to marine exper expenses and then the shellfish personnel 9,000 to shellfish expenses.

Second. Second. Madam chair.

Is there any discussion? All in favor? I I That's see it. Uh four in favor and one absent. Thank you very much.

Can we can we have super quick 30 seconds? All right. Can you want to talk about the uh the ramp opening with the QR code and that whole bit?

Sure.

Um, as you know, we've been trying to streamline the parking situation over at the Route 88 ramp and the overflow lot, which has been a quite frankly a nightmare for all of us for many, many years. Um, in an effort to get away from handling cash and counting it three times and bringing it town hall and having to count it again. Um, we started talking about a year ago about a kiosk

system. found out the kiosk system to our research was really not the way to go because the marine environment, the weather down there, whatnot, um it would be prohibitively expensive. It would cost us more to maintain it than it would to act than the benefit to the town. So, what we've done is we've gone to a wireless system um which will kick off on Monday morning, next Monday

morning um which will involve a QR code as well as using a credit card. Um, we tested it again this morning. Um, it it seems to work fine. We will So, the plan is as of 12:01 Monday morning, um, we'll kick that off and at that point in time, we'll unbag the signs and we'll be up and running. So from that point, what will happen is on a daily basis as we

start to get busier, we'll print off, we'll be able to go either through our phones or manually in a paper print out, find out who has not paid at the ramp, and we'll be able to tag those violators. Um, from that point forward, it will also give us a couple of what I think is wonderful items. One is we'll have an active tracking of who's using the ramp um in the in that um

we'll know the types of vehicles that are there, whether they're trailers, whether they're kayakers or whatever.

And in addition, we're not handling cash anymore. It gives a an accounting that is true to true to form. Um we'll know every penny that comes in and every penny that goes out. Um so I think it's a boom for the town. I think it's uh it's good for the community and it brings us into the 20th century down there.

Thank you.

And I just call us I just want to say thank you to uh uh Chris Vitali for the help that he gave this department this afternoon. Um he's helping us to uh purchase a vessel that we badly need for the department. Um I've said many times I'm very much a novice at this municipal stuff. Thankfully I've got Rick here to guide me through it. Um but Chris set us straight here this afternoon and put us

on the path to get this vessel delivered in a timely manner. So I want to say thank you publicly for that. Okay.

Thank you gentlemen.

Thank you.

Good evening.

So um we've had the auditor waiting for the audit. I'm going to bump up um discussion 8A. I know many of you are here for um 7M. Um and I I will take that out of order but after the auditor because the auditor's been waiting. So we're going to take the auditor and then I'll take up the um the notice of intent.

So do we have him? Yeah, he's he's in the room and then uh just have to switch over to the uh that screen and um do you want anything you want to introduce?

Well, I I'll do that just in the interest of time. Um I'm on the audit committee. I'm not the chair, but I serve on that committee and one of our key roles is working with the town auditor. We review the audit. we go over the management letter which has changed to the government governance letter and to make sure that everything is in order. Uh Mr. Anthony Roselli of Roselian Associates

uh is has been the town auditor for many years does a great job but he he's always he's always tough on us. So uh we appreciate his work and well without further ado Tony welcome. Good to have you this evening. Thank you.

Thank you for waiting. Tony can Okay, we can't hear you very well.

That's probably on our side.

See if we can turn up the volume a little bit.

We're going to check the volume.

Oh, there's plenty of room on that volume meter right there.

I just mine all the way up. Can you hear me?

Um I don't think we can hear you, but barely. Just one second. Let give us a minute.

for that.

Ah, that was Yeah, definitely. Definitely better.

Well, I'll have to be very quiet.

I got mine turned all the way up and I'm shouting, so my my wife probably thinks there's a fight going on in my office.

So, uh, Dick gave us a brief intro, but you want to introduce yourself?

Sure. Um, for those who don't know me, I'm Tony Rosselli. I'm uh managing partner with Rosselli Clark and Associates uh with um and we've been doing the audit of the town of Westport for a long time and we uh recently completed the uh 2025 audit and at the request of the board uh we are here tonight to uh present the um results of the uh audit.

Okay. Well, it's a very very long report so you better get started.

Um what I thought would be best if we went to the uh the thinner report which is uh called the governance report. Uh it's about four pages and I highlight I've got 10 bullets there that pretty much highlight uh the most important things. Um don't know if you got that in your packet or not.

Where is this in my packet here?

Uh so it's a separate file under that agenda item. So, it's not part of the um the full report, but it's it's a separate document.

Is that the files? It's in the files.

It's in the files. Yes.

Under fi, but the one on files is a 54 page document there. Is that the one you're talking about?

No, there should be one right under that says has governance. Uh governance one right below it to government.

Yeah.

Okay, we're with you.

Yeah, it's about four pages. And I'm going to focus on uh page three, I believe it is. Yeah, page three. Uh, and I've got about 10 uh bullet points there that we can go through. Um, and they're actually numbered 1 to 10. So, um, so if you guys want to follow along, that's great. Um, so, uh, like we normally do, we start off with a discussion about the, uh, pension and the OPED. So, uh,

the pension uh, actually uh, had a positive result and as you're aware, you're part of the Bristol County Contributo Retirement System. So, you're in with a bunch of other towns and school districts. Um, you don't have your own pension system. Um, the liability decreased to 34.6 million uh from the prior year and uh that was mostly due to a great financial market.

So, the plan assets of the uh retirement system did remarkably well uh as they did for retirement systems across the state. So, you were the beneficiary of that. your um your plan asset ratio is now at 63.8%.

Which means that you're 30 about 36% away from full funding of your uh of your pension with Bristol County retirement. So um it is a little bit below the mean. Most what I'm I'm seeing most of the systems out there as 70 to 80, but you're not too far behind. Um secondly, and then I'll I'll open it up to questions after I talk about the OPED. The OPED, uh you folks have

accumulated $4.7 million in your OPED fund. Uh this is very very uh good result. Also, uh you're making money on the investments that you have in your OPED and that represents about 21.1% funded. Most places are still under 10%.

So, you're doing really well uh on the OPED uh side of the equation. So, uh I'd like to open it up to any questions, observations, or comments. Um you know, based on that first um uh couple of um discussion items I talked about, I have none. We discussed this at the audit committee and we're well satisfied with that progress.

Yep. Go ahead.

Okay. Super. Oh, and yeah, and we should add that that we have gone through all of this report with the audit committee.

So, um, that was done, I believe, two or three weeks ago. So, um, so, so that the town is aware of all these results. Uh, next, just a couple of reminders.

Network security, just stay on the alert. I'm still seeing a bunch of, uh, unfortunate incidents out there. um municipality municipalities seem to be the very vulnerable seem to be getting hit, seem to be getting held hostage with the ransom wares and whatnot. So, uh I haven't read about you folks at all or seen you on the news or anything. So, hopefully all is good uh in the town of

Westport and uh but just keep um keep training your people. Keep um you know, keep up keep up the good work on on that side of of the um of the equation. And then fraud risk. Just uh a quick reminder just to keep um looking at your department heads uh who collect cash uh the safe safeguarding of assets. Uh how often they turn it over uh reconciling with them and um you know Nicole and uh

the treasur seem to do a pretty good job of uh staying on top of that uh that stuff. So um so those are just two reminders. Uh any questions on those um items?

Okay.

Okay.

Moving right along. Uh just uh you know the the thing um one of the things I wanted to put on here that still when we do the audit at the end of the year we still do have some um some adjustments and cleanup items. So really um Nicole working on a checklist to really uh and it's short it's shortened the list of things that we come up with are shortened and they're usually not major

things um but uh I know that um sometimes there's an error and you have to resubmit your free cash to the do. So just just streamlining that process, creating the checklist, working with the treasurer. I just like to see that whole process strengthen a little bit. Um, and like I said, it's it's it's being done um to an adequate level where we understand what's going on and and we

see the numbers, but there are certain adjustments we do see when we uh pull through the uh the closed process.

Uh any questions on that?

No.

Oh, understood.

Um town treasurer collected. Not sure if she's around.

She is.

We did.

Okay. We did discuss this. Uh the tax lans went up again. So I don't know. Um I I forget what we said at the audit committee meeting, but um those balances went up $72,000 and the foreclosure activity really hasn't changed. So I don't know if there's a plan in place to start to, you know, do some foreclosures or start to be more uh vigilant uh in collecting those tax leans. Uh so that's just

something that that we as financial people are seeing as an observation. Um you know, cash is king. Collecting your taxes in the municipality is very important.

So that allows for payments. I think you did release some funds that was up to 1.2 million. Uh this is the assesses reserve uh for accounts that go back uh that you can write off against. Uh we thought the balance was getting very high and I believe correct me if I'm wrong some of that did get released in the current year budget process. Um Nick's usually pretty good with that. Uh Richard Brewer.

Yes. Agreed.

You're pretty good about putting your fingers on that. So, I know I know a little bit of that got released. I'm not sure exactly how much.

Okay. Next, um was uh a retirement withholding account has $100,000 in it.

And uh that's obviously to me is an error. There's uh too much in there that didn't get released at the time of payment. So hopefully the accountant and the treasurer are working on resolving that so we can um bring some of that back to the general fund. Um you know for 26 uh same thing with the town's fire detail account. There's about $40,000 uh in there. And when I look at the activity of both these accounts,

there's no way there should be that much money in there. So hopefully those are being researched uh during uh fiscal 26 and uh and we'll get a resolution to those items uh at the end of the you know when we do our audit 26 um police details uh some of this was collected after year end in fact the deficit that I'm identifying here I believe was collected I'm just seeing that there's a process

where this is not being reconciled so I don't know how accurate uh the amounts that we're seeing for police details are so I'd like to see um like in the um years ago When I went down and I looked at the police, went to the police station and worked with the secretary down there on police details, we set up a process with the prior town accountant to do a reconciliation at the end of the

fiscal year. I'd love to see that process get back in place. Um because even though the deficit was cured, I'm not 100% sure how accurate the the amounts are in those accounts.

Okay. Uh bullet number nine. Um there are uh benements and loans that you folks have outstanding and those records are maintained in three different areas.

The assessor, treasure collector, and town accountant.

I'd like to see all three of those um departments have a consistent accounting of those uh betterments and loans. So, um, so I put this on here as a as an observation to look at it a little closer at the end of 26. Right now, we're getting some mixed feedback on what the numbers are on the uh on the benefits and the loans uh for those accounts.

And then lastly, um the water user receivables were off by about $53,000.

So again, another item that should be looked and this all points back to that those closing checklist type of things that I talked about at the beginning of the discussion. So um so we're seeing a variance there of about $53,000 that I'd like to see closed up uh by the time we do the 26 audit. And uh just stepping back the town's done a great job of I mean just three or four years ago the

the management letter used to be a very very thick document material weaknesses significant deficiencies. I don't have those. These are more housekeeping things at this point that should be fairly uh easy to resolve. So hopefully at the end of 26 we see these few items get picked off and um and and we get uh we get it done a handful of items uh which is uh which is great. So um congratulations to everybody um who's

had a uh you know some influence in in processing that.

Thank you Tony Dick. Is there anything you want to add? No, just uh to reflect that there's the precious words in accounting speak are no material weaknesses, right Tony?

Yep.

Okay. Just want to make sure the people got that.

No significant.

Chris, did you have anything you wanted to add?

Uh no, just that um we appreciate the feedback and look forward to implementing these recommendations in the upcoming fiscal year.

And Sue, how about you? Anything from you?

No. Thank you, Tony. So Dick, you want to just talk a little bit about what the audit committee is doing with this information?

Yeah, the audit committee is responsible for engaging with the town auditor and meeting with him as we have done Zoom type meetings and stuff. Um, one of our jobs is what we were talking about tonight, this governance letter, formerly called the management letter to go through those items. I said earlier Tonyy's tough guy. He keeps keeps us uh going straight and we have to work on

these now. So there's work to be done.

Uh these items are not many but there are significant and we don't want to leave any money on the table. We want to have everything accounted for correctly.

So it is the audit committees in the answer to your question function to make sure that there's follow through and that these things start to drop off and sometimes a new one will appear and one left. But this is our job now for the next meeting. will be on that letter with these 10 items asking Sue and the town accountant uh what's the deal where where do we stand what's the action plan

when are we going to get results and so on and so forth so that's really what we do and uh that's our job thank you any questions yeah our meeting with our meeting with the audit committee was much longer than this very deep into each detailed item just because it's their um charge to make sure these things are addressed and these things are fixed. Um, tonight's meeting is just

to kind of tell tell you what we found and tell you that the audit committee is working on these items uh with the financial team so that we have better results at the end of um 2026. And again, I'm happy to report there's no material weaknesses or significant deficiencies. So, so that the town is trending in the right direction.

Excellent. Jake, the only thing I I want to point out is that the network security uh note on here, um Sean and I are both pretty supportive of trying to obviously increase the network security, but a lot of people have questioned why we use a third party administrator to do some of our tax collection and and uh and whatnot and why we're paying them to actually do that. And this is a perfect

example as to why we're having a a third party vendor do that because they have the security in place. They have the a lot better network security than we actually have in house. But this is a big issue and and anytime we bring any more payment collection inhouse uh you basically set yourself up for vulnerabilities. So I think that network security is key and for anyone saying we're spending too much money uh using a

third party this is the reason why and it's cheap it's less expensive to use a third party and it's more secure.

So did you have anything? And the other thing, the town is finally using lock boxes and um things that have been around for a long time that was were very difficult to implement um years ago. Um and that's made this process way more efficient, the whole collection process.

All right. So, thank you. Is is there anyone else from the audit committee here in the audience?

Uh not tonight. No. Oh. Oh, Kevin, I'm sorry.

Evan, is there anything you wanted to add being a member of the audit committee? No, he's good. Okay.

Okay. All right. Any any any parting words Tony?

Yeah. Hats off to uh what's what's the gentleman's name? I I think I read about him when um when they just landed um a rocket on the moon and he was part of the uh the Apollo uh 1960s.

John Miller.

John Miller.

John Miller. Yeah.

Joan Miller. Hats off to him. He started this whole process uh back about 15 years ago and uh it's worked really well and hopefully he's healthy and still with us and uh but I did uh I did happen to see an article when uh when they were landing the the the rocket ship on the moon a few months ago uh and he he was he was part of that whole process. So great job.

I was very fortunate to serve on the finance committee with with uh John Miller as did you. Yeah.

Yep.

Well, thank you very much. I'm sorry I kept you waiting there, but I appreciate your time.

No, no worries. Thank you and have a great night.

Good night, Tony.

Thank you.

Thanks, D. Um, so now I, as I said, I would Let's take up 7M.

So 7M is a request to approve the notice of intent application for the barrier beach management plan.

And I know I had trouble opening the file.

It is probably the largest Yeah.

document I've ever filmed. It's like 900 pages. So Oh, with attachments.

I'm a little thorough.

So, this is this is really a long time coming. This is a a project that we started three years ago, I think it was, when there were some significant storms that battered East Beach as well as some of the other barrier beaches in town. Um, and there were some management practices that I think um we needed to have spelled out a little bit better. Um, and that's part of what we're trying to do

here with this beach management plan and the notice of intent. Um, so what we have been doing over the last three years, we've had many different public meetings. We've been tableabling at different events around town, been at the farmers market, um, trying to work with all of the different stakeholder groups in these areas. there's conflicting areas where there's, you know, a need for to to try to um elevate

the town's recreation economy. That's very important, but then there are also, you know, um needs from the natural environment and different permitting agencies that we have to find some compromise with too. Um so that's what we've undertaken over the last couple of years. Um it's culminated into this uh 600page notice of intent. Um, a lot of that is the supporting documentation that has gone into creating this plan,

the public feedback, the um, various presentations, infographics, all kinds of things that have been created over the last two years. Um, and Justine, do you want to talk a little bit about what has been updated in the plan since we were last at the select board? I believe it was last month.

Yes. So, there's been a few changes. One of which was the overwash policy which was changed and modified. We spoke with that the with you the last time we were here. So since the last time we were here, we pulled together the full document so that you were able to fully view it. One thing I want to note is that we're here for the notice of intent application. The barrier beach management plan is actually an appendicy

to that NOI filing. So we're not seeking to finalize or finally approve the beach management plan. We're seeking to take the notice of intent application to the concom which is a separate public process because the beach management plan includes items that have activities within um the wetland area. We need to bring those management practices to the conservation commission. This includes

if there was any seaweed that washes up on the beach, the overwash policy which is manipulating material within the roadway etc. This doesn't include items which are town bylaw items. So the notice of intent application lists out those specific items and the hope is that we can then take it to that public process and then the notice of intent is reviewed by Mass D and Natural Heritage Endangered Species Program to

make sure it's consistent with their rules and regulations. we would incorporate any of their feedback into the plan as as well as any conditions that come from the conservation commission and then we would come back to you again to finalize the beach management plan. So we're not seeking to finalize the beach management plan today. It's really looking at those specific items within the NOI and how

those practices are being taken under the wetlands protection act and under the endangered species act.

Uh will there be an opportunity or more opportunities for public input in that next phase of the process?

100%. So the conservation commission hearings are an open public process. I already had a member of the public tonight ask hey can you send me those dates for when you're on the concom hearings and I told her I would. So we will make that available and well known when we're going to those conservation commission hearings so that the public has an opportunity at that point as well. Okay.

question.

I've talked substantially with the um residents of East Beach and they still feel like they have not had substantial levels of input on the beach.

Um kind of where I left it with them was they were hoping that I make a motion to table the uh request for the notice of intent until the end of August.

I'd like to respond to that. do believe one of the appendices is a public outreach memo in which I outline all of the public engagement events that we held specifically to memory there was at least three or four that we reached out to the East Beach Association specifically looked to speak to them held in-person meetings virtual meetings we had a public draft available in January we let them know about that

public draft we also reached out specifically to let them know we had another draft available provided time to review that as well. So there has been a significant amount of engagement um working to make sure that we incorporate their feedback and their feedback was incorporated into this draft and their public comment was also incorporated into the appendices as well.

So one to lead by example, one area where we did make a significant change was that the initial approach to managing overwash on East Beach was going to follow um the advice of coastal zone or the preferences I guess of coastal zone management, which is to return it to a more natural um state and allow the overwash to uh move migrate to the I may use some of the incorrect terms, so bear with me, but

allow it to to wash over to the other side of the beach um on the on the uh north side. And you know, folks came out to meetings and they were like, "This is this is too far. You know, we need to be able to retain some of this material and um the town really ought to be pushing it to the to the south side of the road.

And so we we're we're trying to find some balance here. So we, you know, we're receiving state funding for some of this. Um, and we're trying to find um an area of agreement where folks in the town can be comfortable with the the town's policy, but the state is also comfortable with their policies. And so the compromise that we came up with was along all of the private property, that

material gets pushed from the road layout to the south side of the road.

And then on the town's property, um, we'll allow it, uh, to be split, um, from the from the center. That's kind of the compromise that we have we're trying to to achieve between these various stakeholder groups. Um but yeah, I mean we we understand the the the financial impact that uh having the um material shipped out to your property and put down and if it gets washed over the the

other side of the street like that that has an impact and um we heard that and and we we changed that in the plan. And I also think that there's value in going through this process and making sure that that has a formalized process that D has approved and therefore that becomes the town's policy.

Can you talk a little bit just clarify that what's the specific action that you're looking for us to take tonight?

We would like to take the notice of intent application to the conservation commission and then what happens? So this is our approval to send it to the commission.

Yes.

The very lengthy appendex here that has all this stuff in it. So this this is a um appendix to that. Yes.

Does it commit the town to future action?

The since we're taking the activities that are under the NOI, those ones that would be filed with mass D would be in the order of conditions permit which enable you to do the work. So, that's a really important piece is that Mass D needs to review that policy to make sure it's in line with their guidance. So, yes, it would filter into the permit. Um the there could still be modifications

within the plan document if there were small details, but not for the activities that are in the NOI filing because those would be in the permit application.

Thank you.

So, I have a question on that. So, the select board already had a process in place with the material and where it would have gone. Um, it was obviously being transferred back to the obviously the ocean side and you say you obviously made concessions to include this into this plan, but if we didn't even move forward with this plan, our pro our procedure would still be in place. Correct.

The interim policy still stands in place. Okay. I will note that the inter this is a small modification to the interim policy in that we're really only suggesting a change to the interim policy along the eastern section of the roadway where the public land is on either side. So the interim policy along the private section of roadway is very similar to how it was. The only thing that we added to that was that if

material washes onto the northern properties, they shouldn't move that off of the northern properties to the south as well. Really, only the material within the roadway layout should be manipulated.

I know that the Commonwealth or the state's, you know, stance on a lot of these coastal properties, they don't want any more further building. They want managed retreat. um this plan is that working in conjunction with anything that they would be looking for?

I mean, I've read articles where they've done, you know, manage, retreat, and purchase parcels in the Cape and it was a three or four year process and it didn't actually pan out to work very well. I mean, we you have property owners on East Beach where let's say you have 30, 40 property owners down there.

um you know is that is this going to impact or go along with what a lot of the state is pushing and and with respect to coastal communities.

I would say that this when we look at the overwatch policy I feel like that's what we're all talking about. We're really just talking about how we're manipulating material within a roadway layout to enable safe access along the road. So when we talk about manipulating the material, it's not retreat. I think a lot of the discussions and originally the splitting of material was really

thinking about the integrity of the barrier itself. So one of the things that we're worried about here on East Beach is not the managed retreat aspect.

I mean the barrier is trying to move.

It's trying to move to the north. That's a natural process of the what the barrier wants to do.

We're trying to say there are really low elevations along certain sections of this roadway. And when you enable material to migrate to the north, you're also building up the elevation of the northern side which faces its own vulnerability from the let. So it's really important. I know that we're talking about maintaining sediment within the system. We're still manipulating it. It's I know it's a lot.

It's very confusing. It's very complex.

And I understand and respect we have a lot of passionate people here. And I will just say that we're just talking about how do we best maintain the material within the existing system. And so some of the practices such as pushing the material further onto the beach etc.

can sometimes accelerate erosion because we're giving basically the material back to the sea. So this policy really when we look at the focus of it was to try to add more transparency on who was doing certain activities, who was being called, who's reviewed the policy in terms of mass DP and natural heritage since this isn't a sensitive habitat as well. Um and really having an order of

operations in terms of part of the planning process was also talking to all the departments explaining to the highway department why certain activities should be done where m material should be moved if you're going to stockpile location material what type of material should you stockpile so this planning effort wasn't to do I mean it's really mostly just to add transparency and the reason the document is so long

is that each one of those appendies is supposed to serve serve as a repository of information. For example, one of the appendencies is sediment characterization. That's really supposed to be a source of information. So, if someone from the public wanted to know, hey, what sediment am I supposed to get for my property, we already have sediment curves that someone could use to understand what type of sediment they

should get based on where their property is because we collected sediment samples along the entirety of the study area. So the reason it's so long is because we wanted it to be a repository of information that not only the town could use but the public could utilize as well.

One of the ideas that u Mr. Mundy just floated was the idea of waiting of waiting and making a decision at a later point. Can you talk about is there a time frame implications here?

There is a time frame application. So right now we are working off of a um a grant funding stream that is going to expire on June 30th. There are no extensions with this program. So if there are deliverables that we're not able to um achieve as a part of this process, um there could be costs that the town would then have to bear because the the grant funds haven't been expended.

So what are the implications of not having a barrier management plan? Right?

What what if we just drop the whole thing alto together? What's the implications of that? the implications for not having the barrier beach management plan.

I'm not suggesting that. I'm just asking.

Right. I mean, I think there'd be there are a couple different levels to it. The town is not going to necessarily have this um more defined process that we're going to adopt as a community to say this is the path forward. Um and then there's also as I said there could be some financial repercussions of things that um we have made the assumption that we would end up with particular

deliverables in our grant application.

Um but if the town doesn't follow through um we would have to work that out with the funer and that's something that we have been discussing with them.

Um kind of what h what you know some of those what if questions. I would add a third leg to that stool in that these grant funds are extremely competitive.

The state only gave out I want to say it was 13 it might have been less last year. So the fact that Westport received one of these grants is a really unique opportunity and it would they invested in this planning effort and I think it would potentially this is just me speaking Justine Rooney not anyone else's opinion it could damage future um grant requests in my perspective.

Go ahead Rick.

So um first off how much of the grant funds and what are they paying for? And I just want to make sure that I'm accurate when I heard that June 30th as in 8 days those grants expire. And what is the trigger for the expiration of those grants?

The what do you mean the trigger for the expiration that So I'm assuming that you've got you know um uh basically like uh hurdles and check marks along the way in the grants.

So you're saying that there's a June 30th trigger. Is the June 30th trigger the um uh uh approving the notice of intent for the beach management plan?

That I wouldn't I don't know if I'm answering trigger correctly, but the deliverable would be a signature from the select board to file the notice of intent. We would be able to use that as our final deliverable for the grant.

Exactly. That's something that some of those conversations that we've had with coastal zone management who is the funer is that um due to delays in some of our planning processes uh with the barrier beach management plan the end deliverable could be a signature as Justine had said on the notice of intent to take that to the conservation commission after the grant period expires.

And how much money are we talking about here?

This grant was $76,000. And what did the grant pay for?

The grant paid for public engagement. Um paid for the production of this entire uh 600page document. We also received funding from coastal zone management a year ago to develop some uh it was nearshore analysis and some um uh sediment replenishment analysis in these areas.

It was some geological analysis. Yeah.

The four the four tasks of this year were the public engagement, project management, the finalization of the beach management plan, and the NOI and order of conditions. Part of that also included filing fees. We need to file uh filing fees with natural heritage to review the permit application. Um so all of those were components. And is it am I did I understand that correctly that the

um that after June 30 if we were to delay after June 30th then we'd no longer have a funding source to pay for any updates that would have to be made.

So if we had like hearing or something to get to a better notice of intent uh or a different notice of intent um we wouldn't have funding to support that.

That's correct. I mean the town could always continue on with the work that we've developed here. Um it just would not h you'd have to fund a diff find a different funding source.

Good. Did you have more?

I just don't like any of it. I don't like the fact that we have eight days left. Like we're kind of Well, they've been before us multiple times.

I understand that. Understand the first hearing.

And I will note that the first public draft was published in January. I would say that the majority of changes that came from the public review period were about that overwash policy that we've also been before you to discuss again.

So, you know, these we have been reviewing the this draft since January.

There's been multiple efforts to come to the select board to talk to present.

We've made ourselves available for email requests and comments um and we have responded to those comments.

Yeah, just one more question. I probably should know this, but we do get paid, but maybe not enough to go through 600 pages. Um, you spoke about I know in the previous ones with the Nubble and Beach A. So, since that is a town property, you're going to split that material on that or how is that going to work along the NLE? Yes.

Split of the material to the north and south. So since that is a town road and the town road layout that means probably the town road will be shifting northerly as you split that material as you lose material from the south and go to the north that's probably going to impact the town layout right now it would be maintaining the status quo so if if the material can't be piled in the edge of the roadway

layout the material then per the NOI can be taken onto the beach and can be put onto the forune okay so it can be repled replenished on the dune because we don't want to be putting the sand over the vegetation.

Okay.

Technically, if the highway department is going out and doing that, they actually are out of compliance with the wetland protection act if you don't have a not an order of conditions to do the work. So really, what this notice of intent seeks to do is permit activities you've already been doing. So you don't have a permit to do the activities as you've been doing them. And this would

have a permit associated with that work.

A lot I I guess I would be curious if we paused and put a pin in it to delay what we would be looking to change about the notice of intent application.

I know it's a little out of order, but I almost kind of I want to open it up to public comment and then loop back around to talking to you guys again because it might be a piece here I'm missing.

We'll see if the board first.

Yeah. The only other question I have on that is you said you're moving sand back to the the the dune on the south or you're splitting it and depending on the sediment where it goes.

Splitting it. We also um did get a letter from the land trust that if there's too much material that we can't place it there, we could also place material on the land trust property knowing that we want to also maintain consistency across the dunes. Um so it' be retaining it within the system and potentially putting some on the north and south. But again, if that's already been an activity that has been being

done, there's no signed agreement to that. Um, so it's been done.

And the policy also provides the conservation agent and the highway surveyor some discretion as to where to place the material and significant overwash situation. So, um, that like you were saying, if there were material that had to be moved to the land trust property, that would that's something that Chris Capone, the conservation agent, would have to have oversight of as the uh, agent for the conservation

commission.

Okay.

Anything else from the board?

So, I'm going to allow public comment, but I just want to recognize it's kind of late. So, um, I'm welcome public comment, but if you can be brief or if you have a representative, uh, hi Richard Malarb. Uh, turn.

Yeah, she's got a camera.

Yeah, Richard Malarb, 122 East Beach and also a house owner since 2000 in Westport. Um, I probably have the lowest property right now on the south side of East Beach. And uh, that's because on January 13th of 2024, the town removed cobble that had come off my property onto the road. And you can now see it piled up down by the the Scurve near the town beach.

And so my question for today is does signing the notice of intent bind the select board to the current policy for cobble removal or is that a separate event? So that's kind of my first question.

I'll note that the plan specifically addresses that concern because that came up quite a bit. Um, and it references that material should try to be kept as close to the source location as possible and not moved to other locations along the roadway. So, the policy within the notice of intent application adds more detail to make sure that it's not being taken from that location and being used

in a different spot. So, I I'm I'm an accountant and I get that accounting most people think is black and white, but there's a lot of gray areas. But when I hear the words should and try in the answer, I hear, "Well, Richard, we're not really going to do what you want. We're going to move the stuff wherever we feel like it." That's how I hear it. That doesn't mean that's what

you said, but I would prefer it to be very clear that the policy is we're going to remove what people call overwash or cobble back onto the property that it most likely came from, which is within 10 ft of where the rocks are. And the other piece I would emphasize for the board of the select board is that one of the things every owner south of East Beach Road is doing

on behalf of the town is protecting that road so that emergency vehicles and other people using that road still have a road there. And so if the beach migrates to the north side, there will be no road owned by the town. And so that's where I feel like there's a mutual effort hopefully to maintain those properties and as they protect the road. So that's what I wanted to say.

Thank you, Mr. Curts.

Good evening.

I have two pages, but I'm going to condense it as quickly as I can. Okay.

Good evening, members of the board of selectmen. Um, we're here to share our concerns regarding the barrier beach management plan as it states today.

There have been concessions and I appreciate those concessions with the wording of moving the material to the south side of the beach to the best of the ability where the private property is. My concern is it kind of we we're trying to satisfy a regulation by the state and in the town owned areas we're going to sacrifice them. The policy itself does not have the entire East Beach area in mind. We're trying to

satisfy a regulation in the EPA Wetlands Act, but yet we're going to sacrifice the beach in order to do it. The town itself has monetary implications, the road, recreation, economic, and in some cases tax revenue.

So, if you lose that road, you're going to have more on your hands to pay for than a $70,000 grant.

You know, there's more into this policy than meets the eye. You know, there are other things that we were concerned about. I feel as though it's a bad policy for the town of Westport as well as East Beach Road. The idea was to preserve this area for future generations as the climate resiliency study recommended. and that seems to have been lost in this. Um, again, I want to work together with everyone

involved, but I think this policy falls short of what we're looking for, and I think we can do better, and I'm going to yield some time to Tony.

Thank you.

Hi, my name is Tony Vvenzio. I live on East Beach Road. Um, I grew up down there. I've uh been down there about 50 years. I met my wife down there. My kids are growing up down there. But I'd like to demonstrate to the board very quickly what our concerns are and what our asks are. I have two asks for the board.

Right. So this is East Beach Road. Mind if I just move this a little bit? Okay. This is very high-tech.

This is the ocean.

You don't usually get visuals.

Yeah. So this was inspired by the core of engineers that built a scale model of the south coast following the hurricanes to understand wave dynamics and how they could protect the coast.

Here's our cobble.

Okay.

Okay.

All right. So, the select board created a policy two years ago. Under that policy, material wash from the beach onto East Beach Road by storm.

Under that policy, that material gets put back on the beach where it came from. Okay? So, we're imagining a storm that pushed the material here and then under the select board policy on this side, that material gets put back onto the beach.

Now, the uh draft document for the beach management plan for publiclyowned sections of the road splits the material on the road.

Uh basically, so what's on the north side of the road gets pushed to the north side? Nope, it does not.

What's the road gets put?

This is for the publicly owned sections of the road. Okay.

Publicly owned.

I think you mean the public the road is a public road, but I think you mean the public frontage. Yes. Publicly owned frontage.

Okay. So that's the first storm. So we have now split the material.

Okay.

Second storm comes, pushes the remaining material onto the road. Okay. According to the policy, we again split the material and half gets put on the landward side and half gets put on the ocean side. So we are mathematically depleting the material every storm.

Third storm comes the material washes onto the road and again we split the material half goes to the landward side and only half goes to the ocean side. So when in a succession of three storms, we've reduced the protective material on the ocean side down to 1/8 of its original based on the material that's washed onto the street. Okay, so this exposes the road to more storm impacts,

more damage. Okay, now I want you to think about this. Which plan do you think the select board plan or this proposed beach management plan better protects the public infrastructure, the road and the and the utility lines?

So, I'm going to let you respond to that is what if if you want to clarify anything what he just said.

I would say that it's a really complicated situation. I feel passionately that we have worked for a good amount of time with the state geologist reviewing barrier beach dynamics and recommendations from state guidance and this policy was developed with that guidance in mind.

Thank you.

So I have a further comment two comments actually.

The two comments I have is I've learned in life to always ask questions and learn as much as you can but I've also learned to use my common sense and not let other people think for me. Right? So when I see something that is obvious like this, I I question it. And my concern is that the public infrastructure is going to be at more risk with this plan. The state's barrier beach management guideline document

allows for beach nourishment and allows for material to be put back on the on the on the dune where it came from. So this is allowable based on my reading of that document which I quoted. We had very extensive feedback that we provided here. Um is part of this plan. I spent hours with the principal author of this plan going through presentations and graphs and so on. And some of those

discussions he agreed with me because this is just common sense. That's my opinion.

Um, the question I would ask is how much did it cost last time East Beach Road was damaged to relocate that road and repave it?

I I don't have that off the top of my head.

The study alone was $200,000, right? Probably well over half a million, maybe 750,000 for that job.

I want to just clarify that we're talking about two different planning efforts. the plan and principal author that he's speaking to is my colleague Connor. That was the feasibility assessment which looked at various alternatives for beach nourishment. This barrier beach planning document is a separate entity and I just want to clarify that point.

Thank you. Did you have something?

So, u to Tony's point and good visual actually um as the accountant stated before the consistency of the policy.

So, obviously we now have two different policies. one for public, one for private private land owners. And you've made those concessions for the private land owners, you know, obviously uh based upon, you know, their engagement.

But by doing this, how are we not weakening the two end points of East Beach? By adopting that policy, thus opening up the door for more destruction of the private land owners from obviously the east and west of of East Beach because only along the eastern section, which is one of the thicker portions of the barrier itself, um it is allowing the material to migrate to the north. That

is the natural movement of the barrier.

I understand that we have private property and a lot of competing interests. I understand all of the points about, you know, the nourishment on the south side of the road, all of those pieces. Um, and I'm this policy again was developed with the state geologist on how these barrier beaches are meant to roll over themselves and migrate because, sorry, Madam Chair, the the three storms we're referencing back in

2024, they're all southeast. They all blew southeast and came straight up straight up the road where you would be weakening kind of that end of end of East Beach. Um the the west end I guess if we're talking about that is technically somewhat protected by Gooseberry. So it does it's almost like a barrier which probably should be impacting the in front of the rest of E speech. But I think I'm just concerned

now just thinking about it from a consistency standpoint. If you weaken make that the weakest point and the three storms that cause the most damage that everyone in town's complaining about with respect to the cost to the town of clearing that infrastructure is all southeast storms. Um you know northeasters do not impact East Beach.

Um it basically has a tendency to blow the you know obviously the waves the other direction. And it's a southeasterly storms that cause the biggest issues. And I'm not a geologist, but I'm I pretty much from a from a real world experience see this on a day-to-day basis of what happens with the cobble and various things both on horse neck and on East Beach. Um, so I'm that that is kind of where my concern is

is with the plan is weakening weakening what would should be a strengthened structure on the end which will then impact the private property owners.

I don't know that I would say that the barrier is being weakened. I I so I what I intuitively what he just showed you makes sense, right? Because intuitively you think that the cobble is protecting you. But when I talked to the geologists and I'm not a geologist, right? But when I talked to the geologists when they were presenting this, um, they made a really, and I couldn't begin to describe

it, but they they made a really good case about how this actually strengthens your ability to preserve the beach because of the the the slope, I guess it is. Yes. So, the the sand or the the buildup that's happening under the waves is is being impacted, right? So you think that hitting a barrier is going to stop it, but hitting a barrier weakens it because it it creates scour.

Creates Yeah. scour. That's the word.

There's scour. Right.

So while it seems intuitive that a blocker there is going to stop it is not necessarily true because but and I I'm going to let you respond, but because I just want to say this, you can't necessarily look at like a visual like this and say, "Oh, well, it's common sense." when we've had months and months and month like years probably of people telling us that that's really not the

way you want to go. So I'm going to let you respond.

Yeah. So first of all, this material, right, the the the town when they clear the road just put it puts it on the setback, but the property owners will take that and basically create it more natural slope, right? So it's, you know, they're not creating a wall.

I'm not at all opposed to that happening right there. goes back to your slope issue, right? That the idea is for this to to be put back to a more natural slope.

So when waves impact the shore, right, along the 100 foot section, if we look at that January, 13t heavily built waves, that's about 27 to 60,000 pounds of force along the 100 foot section of the beach. Okay, that's ex extremely damaging. But the but the beach is in a very elastic system and absorbs that energy. The damage occurs once it gets overwashed and breached and that's when you get the waves across the

road, property damage, damage to the road, right? So then the question is, are there things that we can do to protect the road? Because what we're getting with this study is a study that went through a very heavy ideological filter that says basically we have to let the beach do what it wants to and we're going to just retreat. Right now Westport is the coastal agricultural resource community. Right? So would we

manage our agriculture with the same mindset that's being proposed to manage our coastal resource? Right? Would we say, "Well, gee, you know, that that field is going to grow weeds and bushes and trees, and you know, we must let nature do what it wants. Therefore, we're not going to we're not going to cultivate it and maintain it and have crops." We would never take that course

of action. But yet, that seems to be the heavy ideological thread that runs through the document that we have, right? And I guess what I'm saying is we can use, you know, means of protecting the beach and protecting the public infrastructure as opposed to letting it basically turning our properties into the sacrifice zone, removing the protective material to the other side of the street and letting the

road be damaged because there's less material protecting it from the storm.

Right? You're going to have waves overwashing the the road more and more often as you have less and less protected material and that that burn sorry the dune that is there is going to be over topped.

Great.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Go ahead.

Dave propos uh years ago I'm seven years old already. I don't know how many years but we always maintain that beach with a grater and a bunch of boulders. What you did is you had the boulders up on the seaside where it would slam against them boulders and throw some of the material over them boulders, but the rest would fall back into the ocean and they would use that material and we always had a

road. We never had it tied and it was always a very nice road at that time.

But that's the way we were able to save it and it just depends on where you put them where we can regain the property that we need with them boulders. That's what we did for many years. Thank you, Rick.

Michael, I know I put you in a tough spot asking this question, but assuming you were removed from your current job with all the knowledge you have now, and you owned that piece of private property that was closest to the publicly owned land and you had total control of what the policy would look like, what would you do?

What would I do in that situation?

You owned that property, you had total control of the policy.

Yes.

I probably wouldn't buy property in that location. Not to be flippant or anything but um I mean I I get it. And I think one of the things that I said from the onset of this conversation is that we're trying to find compromise between competing interests. I I I really do understand that every time there's a significant overwash event that hurts. And when the road gets washed out and um you know there's talk about

retreating from from the roadway like that's that is is hurtful because there are folks who have been living here for or spending time there for a very long time. Um, it's tough because we're trying to find a balance between what the state's regulatory expectations are and what the community's expectations are.

This is a compromise that we wanted to move forward with because we thought that from the guidance that we've received from coastal zone management that this could be something this could be a compromise that the regulatory agencies would consider because we're using a two-tiered approach where we're not going to do their recommended best practice in one place but we will in the other place. So that's why

You know, I I I don't think it's as simple as what would I do in this situation. I It's very complicated. Um Well, you answered that question already, but you did a good job with it, too, when you said you're not following best practices, but you're trying to meet somewhere in the middle to allow the regulatory guidance to create a plan that passes Massachusetts laws and regulations.

Yes. And if you were a property owner adjacent to public lands, do you think that does enough to protect your property while being able to not in trouble the state of Massachusetts for violating Well, what are the implications of getting in trouble with the state of Massachusetts? So, if if we don't approve if we don't approve a plan, right, and we don't have one in place, then what happens? I want to lean on our

coastal planner here because it's complicated to answer. I mean, I think there could be enforcement orders. I think an important piece is also your relationship with natural heritage endangered species program and trying to be good stewards of the habitat. They approve all permits that happen down in these areas and that's a really important piece of this process. I'm not I'm I'm here to just help write the

plan, help take CZM's information, help take feedback from all of the various departments. I'm not trying to force something upon you. I feel that this plan was developed in partnership like some of the issues that the public are raising. We went bullet by bullet, word by word, working with the highway department and other departments to try to add details about some of your concerns. really the the movement of

cobble from one end of the beach to another. Thinking about how do you say how do you have language to speak to the intentionality of how this material is placed? Because we know it's confusing.

The rocks aren't painted. We won't be able to tell where they came from from a specific spot. But we also hear you that you know this is confusing. There's a lot here. really the biggest change is just along that eastern section of roadway where the road has also already been retreated. Um I would say that the majority of the rest of the items stand as the public um version that has been

made available and I have not re received feedback about specific words, bullets or language that people have an issue with besides just having an issue with it in general. I I will say that there would be risks to future funding through various um coastal zone management or either through the department of ecological restoration or other types of grant funding. um if you're receiving these you know there's

kind of a touch and go I think where if you're trying to work within those confines and also um you know push for what the local community wants I think that's one thing I think to just drop it all together may not be a great look from a a funers perspective because they've put in two years of resources in into this so you know there there is a potential risk there in terms of future funing

So my like so my my opinion on this is we're not going to get a better different plan if we wait a couple of months. So for me it's you you approve it or you abandon it. Right. I don't think that there's we're they we've spent years working on this. We've got they there have been hearings. There have been so we don't have to approve it. I'm in favor of it because I think

there's another risk to the town if we don't do it. I think if we don't do it, I think like you you weren't able to articulate it, but there's other stakeholders are absolutely an important stakeholders, but there's the only stakeholder involved. And so I worry if we delay it like like you had mentioned earlier, it's it's the same as saying no, we're not going to do it. And that's

fine, but I don't I don't feel like the word I feel like I worry about not being protected from some the these are confusing agencies to deal with. They're it's complicated. You know more about these than I do, but like all of the different agencies that are involved down there. It's a just a rat's nest of trying to understand. So, I really worry about if we don't have something that

says, "Hey, this is our policy. This is what we're going to do." I worry about what else might happen. is my concern.

We are just asking to be sent to the conservation commission. We're we're asking for that stage which is again another public process where more input could be given, one sentence could be modified or changed. So there's still some room for modification within this document.

Did you? So, this will probably be one of the more difficult votes I'll probably take here cuz as the chair knows, I don't like losing local control to the state on anything. I've talked about bridges, I've talked about rotaries, I've talked about everything.

You lose local control and it's it's a mess. But I think there's got to be an understanding that without moving forward, you are putting yourself in a situation as private property owners where the state can make your life miserable. Um, we see that in a lot of instances. So, it I'm I'm wrestling with it. I I don't want to lose that local control, but at the same time, the private property owners, you're still

getting your material back. Um, we're only dealing with the with the public side. So, I I mean, I don't like the state. I I everyone knows that and I don't like them coming into and telling you how to run your private property and try to run your private business. But there's implications if this doesn't go forward and it may be in a worst case scenario for private property owners.

I'm just laying that out there for you guys now.

So, we've been talking for 25 minutes.

I'm going to let you talk for another five minutes and then we're going to stop comment. So, if there's anyone who hasn't made a comment that wants to make a comment, okay, go ahead.

Okay. So, the asks that I have were clear um in that I'm not asking that the document be abandoned. I'm asking that that the road clearing policy that was uh passed by the select board two years ago be substituted as the road clearing uh for the the plan documentation in the road clearing section. So we maintain the road clearing policy that the board has already passed that we've used

successful for two years and that better protects the road. So that's one ask.

Okay. Okay, so that's pretty clear. So we could proceed with the document with that change point change, right? The second ask, maybe it's outside the scope of the document, but the second ask is when we surveyed the East Beach members as part of the MVP study, the overwhelming majority of people wanted to vote for a policy of preservation for future generations, not abandonment and

retreat. Right? So we have a survey of that. Then the climate resiliency committee also passed that motion to preserve these future future generations. And one of the asks because I have very specific feedback on this document including quoting all the states u guidance which allows for beach nourishment allows for material to be put back right and over topping dunes for property protection. And that's what

we're talking about here is property protection. So the long-term ask is to look at you know preserving these beach or future generation and have an actionable fundable plan for beach nourishment particularly along the public sections of the road right so we as private property owners will try to step up and do maintain our sections but the town has spent almost no money on beach nourishment right and those are

the two sections that are at most risk because the ocean is pinching in okay but in any case so I have that one point ask to to basically adjust that piece to better protect the the public infrastructure.

Thank you, Mr. Kurt.

Um, as I'm standing here listening to everything, my memory goes back to August 19th of last year. And if all of you recall, we had a hurricane ski the coast and many of us were in the road moving material asking for help from the highway department again with the support of a select board member in order to try and protect our property and the town's road infrastructure itself. Side by side, we're partners in this.

Many of us have the intention or the thought of trying to nourish as they all have notice of intent. Through conservation commission, everyone has an order of conditions to be able to replenish that beach and help you as a town save your infrastructure as well as their private property. They're afraid to do it when they see something like this where we can split it. I commend them for making the concession

of putting it back on private property, but I think we need some sort of exacting. As Mr. Malabra said, he's one of the properties who was washed over.

Where do we have the accountability?

Where is it?

We have two more minutes. Go ahead. Can I just ask why his idea is not um something that you would at least change for 8 days? I mean, I I don't understand why it's you're you're you're just this is the way it is. And we did bring up a lot of this information, I think it was in February, and most of it to me doesn't seem like it's changed. Um I just would like to know why.

you wouldn't consider.

Well, so I I don't think that's fair.

They did consider it, but can you talk about can you talk about why you did not include that in the document? It why can you tell us how it evolved?

Mhm.

Um so that you didn't you're the reason you're not making the recommendation that they're suggesting.

Yes. I will say also I know I'm one person sitting up here, but there is a broader group that goes into this. This isn't me just one person. whatever it was six months.

Go ahead.

I just got an acknowledgement of an of an email.

No, we're going to answer. She's going to let her answer the question.

Yeah. So, the recommendation is that the material along that section is split.

And along with that, there's also a recommendation that the town stockpile material that the highway department could then bring in to nourish the southern side of the roadway. So the state guidance speaks to allowing some of the material to migrate to the north of the barrier to follow the natural migration that the sediment wants to take and that the best practice when once you split that material is to then

also bring in nourished material to the south. It's impossible post storm to rearrange it to exactly how it was to preserve it to exactly how it was the day before the storm. But these practices speak to allowing the beach to be more resilient and to allow it to continue to build an elevation upwards, which is also an important factor.

And I I just I do want to say too that the the people who want it all to go to the north are not here in the room, right? The people who have told us that you should let all of it go north as fast as quickly as you want. They're not in the room. But they were certainly discussing it and they proposed that, right? That's what they proposed. So, I

actually think that there's been quite a bit of compromise, but I appreciate that it's not all of the compromise that the that the neighbors are looking for.

So, I'm going to cut up. We've we've been we've had public comment for over half an hour, so I'm going to cut off public comment at this point, but certainly we still the board.

Go ahead. Um, you talked about the nourishment materials to the south side of the publicly owned property after the storm event. What amount of material are you looking at there? Is the same amount as been lost to the north end? Is it the same type of material? I don't know that you could technically quantify like how much was la lost to the south, but it would be looking at having some sort of

stockpile of cobble. So if there was vulnerability to the edge of the roadway, having something that you could put to the south of the roadway to help add more material to the south. So really the practice as we've talked about and it the residents are have already had a history of doing that is really that you're trying to work with what you have there post storm but that we're dealing with a sediment starved

beach and the practice has to if you want to preserve the roadway in place it's going to need to continue. It's not going to be the splitting of the material that's not going to make the difference in maintaining this road where it is. It's always going to involve bringing in some outside source of nourishment to keep that roadway in place. So I feel like we talk a lot about the splitting of the material like

it's the most important piece and I am so respectful of that there's a cost and everything else associated with that.

It's really that unfortunately we're dealing with whatever we have left and I I understand why the residents are passionate about maintaining that along the public section. It's really the town working with the state guidance to do the state guidance, which is split the material, bring in material from out offsite to use that to sh up the roadway. I believe personally that the plan works to try to maintain the

roadway in place. It works to try to balance those competing interests. And I understand that it might not feel that way instinctively, but again really it has been like a month overmonth prog process of talking discussing with all the stakeholders and we still this process would still have more review from more stakeholders who haven't really even had a chance to review this policy yet which are mass D and natural

heritage. I have two more questions. Mhm.

So like you go to the Westport Historical Society and they have an excellent photos of East Beach over the years from the 30s to present with GIS map overlays showing the retreat of that shoreline with the uh nourishment materials going in place on the publicly owned land.

Would you still expect managed retreat even with that material being added?

I would say nourishment seeks to maintain the status quo. It seeks to maintain the road in place. Excuse me.

It doesn't seek to do retreat. When you're bringing in nourishment, you're trying to add material. So, that's not managed retreat. I would also encourage you within the notice of intent application beyond just shoreline retreat imagery to look at the imagery of the elevation profile of the road.

The northern side of this roadway is incredibly low as well. And there is an incoming threat in terms of mean high water flooding from the northern side of the let. So I understand where everyone's coming from and I don't think today is going to change that but thinking about also the water coming in from the let is going to be an increasing factor in the future. But this plan seeks to just add more detail

to who's doing what and who's responsible for each activity.

Rick, did you have another question? I just um I guess so to reiterate what you said with material nourishment according to the plan if the plan is exercised correctly you should not have manage retreat you should not have property loss continuation I I don't think that I can promise that the plan does that not saying promise means the notice of intent seeks to permit activities that you have already been

doing it's not promising to preserve the property I I just don't think it can do that. It's it's looking to permit specific activities within the wetlands protection act.

And then my my last question is, is it possible to change the um the beach barrier management plan subject to legal and regulatory permissibility to the current select board policy of road clearing?

Is that possible within the construct of the beach barrier management plan to amend it at a future date? Is that what you mean? I mean, we're eight days away from when you need to have something turned in. So, I don't know you can if you can do big changes like that in eight days, but whether to amend it in the future or to amend this current version before it gets to the um conservation commission.

You could in the future revisit many communities actually do barrier they do beach management planning on somewhat of a five-year annual annual basis. The barrier beach management plan as itself is also supposed to be kind of a stamp in time of everything kind of when you talked about your account accounting and everything you've done and you have an update the next five years. You could speak to maybe there's

significant changes within those five years. I'm not saying that you have to change the policy then you could in the future change the policy again but it it doesn't mean that it has to be this forever. You would just be permitting this particular policy with mass D.

Well, and I think it's possible that conservation might want us to change something, right? The process, the next process that you're going to go through is it has to go through other entities, right? And so, it is possible that there might be changes from other entities that which is why we're not speaking. We're not asking you to sign a final plan today is because those other agencies have to weigh in.

And I mean, you all could ultimately decide to do a sort of line item revision here where you ask us to make a change. And I that's something that we could do that within the next couple of days. It just, you know, it's um it may go against some of the guidance that uh we received from the the state stakeholders, but you know, ultimately this is the town's plan and if that's

the direction that the town feels is right, um we'll go in that direction. So it's, you know, it's it's it's it's ultimately the select board's decision.

I just have one more okay comment not a question and this is more you know for CZM and the state I think there you know you can see why people are skeptical when you have the gooseberry causeway uh that's been there and and you can and a study's conducted that says it has zero impact on horses neck beach when you I've spent 48 years on the beach and have seen it

where it was a beautiful sand beach from basically gooseberry to cherry web and now you can barely walk into the water um down there. So, and that was a man-made structure that the state continues to admit has no impact on the beach and what it's actually turned into. So, just and that's just so you know from a Westport resident standpoint, that's what they see. That's what what people kind of understand and

why they would be skeptical of, you know, moving a plan forward such as this to to lose control.

Comments? No, we've closed public comment.

Comments.

All right. So, what's the pleasure of the board?

Madam Chair, I feel that for tonight, this issue that we're dealing with, which is singularly this notice of intent application, which continues the process, is not the final word. And where I end up at the end, I don't know.

I may I may be suggesting we do this tonight and improve this, but at the end I may not be in favor of the plan at all based on what is next in the process.

I will keep an open mind but I think for tonight this is a reasonable approach for the select board to take at the present time and I do not think it's harmful and I think it still leaves open as we my first question this evening was further public comment will be available. There's still a long process here and I think we should go forward with that to gain more information and understanding from more people.

So is that a motion?

I will make that motion.

So it's a motion to approve the notice of intent application.

Is that the action that you need to authorize I suppose we need a signature to author.

Okay. So authorize the the um notice of intent for the barrier be Spanish plan.

I will second that. Is there any discussion?

I don't know the Robert rules as in regards to potentially making amendment to his motion or go ahead for a change motion one.

So I would agree with that. Um if we can change the uh um barrier beach management plan to um if it's advisable and legal legally permissible to the current select board policy of road clearing.

I would not agree to that. No, I don't find that to be a hostile idea and it's more specific.

It's maybe a little bit more confining for the town, but at this point, I would be willing to amend my motion to accommodate that because I think it's reasonable.

But but the current policy, so you're what you're talking about is binding to the current policy or current policy is moving it all to the southside as long as it's legal and regulatory permissible.

All right. I do not second that then.

I understand. But yeah, you second it.

He's he amended the motion.

I second it.

All right. So, is there any discussion on that?

I would add that I don't know that mass D will I don't know what the next phase of the process would look like. The only comment I would add is that the current interim policy lacks a lot of detail that was added to this current policy.

We really worked hard to incorporate the public feedback. I understand the slight modification to the eastern section of the roadway where it fronts public property on both sides. But in terms of the material being pushed, which is I think the focus of the interim policy that is carried throughout this current version of the document, what is added on on top of that interim policy are

details about not moving it to other locations of the beach, that the conservation agent should be there, who you're supposed to call, what agency is responsible for filing additional permits. If you are to move that material to the south, you're actually still supposed to call Natural Heritage 24 hours in advance and let them know that you're doing that. So, the plan details all of that information,

but but that natural heritage would be between April 1st and September 15th.

Correct.

You have to let them know within uh Priority Habitat that you're modifying material. It's really just like a formal process of, hey, we had an emergency.

We're doing X, Y, and Z. I just use it as an example to say there's more detail. The interim policy is the foundation of the overwash policy with the change along that eastern section.

I'm not trying to act like that's not a change, but I would say that if we're talking about the interimm policy, that is what this policy was born from. If you if you look at the nuts and bolts of the policy and how it evolved.

Any other discussion?

All in favor? I I I uh So that's four in favor and one absent.

I'm confused.

What did you What was the motion? You guys made the motion.

An amended motion.

The amended motion.

The amended. It was the amended motion that included that included Mr. Mundy's in accordance with the All right. Policy.

So we're we are moving forward with the notice of intent with Mr. Mr. Mundy's uh so long as it whatever so long as it's legally and regulatory permissible to change the barrier beach management plan to the current select board policy of road clearing on the publicly owned section of road.

Can I ask for a point of clarification?

Would you like me? So we have multiple sections with how it relates to so the overwash policy stands for three barrier beaches within the plan.

I I can't cut I don't really fully know how to take the interimm policy and and put it into the permit application. I'd just love for you to provide me with more information. Um I don't know if that has to happen right in this moment.

So maybe I could just offer clarification. So the specific portion of the interim policy is the relocating the material to the southside. That's that's the main piece of the current policy. So only to the the necessary changes for that piece of the current interim policy that as I understand it as it relates to all three beaches or just East Beach.

I would refer to the board on that piece.

I think it's we're talking about East Beach.

I think we're talking East Beach.

Okay.

East.

East Beach specifically. Um, I can get you a version of that and submit it to you when I submit the notice of intent application so that you have a copy of it as well.

That's great.

Quick question. Can we see the notice of intent application?

So, we're not taking public comment.

That's a question.

But the um, yes, of course, you can see whatever you have.

I think I understand what you're asking.

We sent you everything. Have we not sent you something, Kurt? Of course we have.

Signature as well, Chris.

I'll sign.

Yes, you can sign. And then um if you can just make sure that whatever the update she made, they made um includes what Rick's intent was there or Dick Dick and Rick's intent.

All right. So um so I just want to ask you don't congregate in the hallway and chat because it's disruptive to the meeting but thank you for the visual I very creative hang on to those stones Tony hang on to those I think you might have removed them from a barrier beach not at least Okay, now I know we have a lot on our agenda and we have two I think people

are here for two things. The high school reuse and the Hicksbridge Road update.

I was just trying to get a sense of who's here for high school reuse and who's here who's here for Hicksbridge. All right, we're going to take up we're going to take up the uh high school next. So, this is discussion 8B.

People are congregating in the hallway after I asked them not to.

They're chatting. Um, so we're going to take up 8B, the planning board request u related to the high school reuse and housing by

Welcome gentlemen.

Well, thank you.

Tell us what brings you here.

Well, the uh the old high school reuse and we would like to uh give you our thoughts and a request.

So, I thought our meetings were long, but I I think that you you beat the record.

Uh and uh unfortunately, I think this issue is probably even harder than the one that you just completed. Um, so w with regard to the old high school, I think that we all agree that you made the right decision to, as far as I understand, what you did is to decide to keep the old high school and then try to figure out what to do with it. Um, we believe that and and I'll let Bob talk

as well, uh, that the the best way to figure out what is possible is to, uh, write a a good RFP, which we can get a grant to do uh, for use of the uh, old high school uh that could contain some affordable housing or veterans housing or some housing in some way. Uh and uses like recreation uh municipal uses like office space and um COA and maybe municipal offices

as well. uh and if you write a decent RFP uh instead of going to consultants again, you'll get some real feedback on what is possible. Will people be willing to cough up some real money to do all this hard work instead of asking town meeting for the money? Uh and with that regard in uh there is an opportunity right now to uh get a grant to help write an RFP for reuse of municipal buildings.

Uh and Michael um is uh on the trail of doing that. uh and I think that we could be writing an application for that uh next week.

The one of the real issues of how do you get good responses to the RFP is to give them a real idea of what you want but also what are the conditions like how much water is available and we have a public water well or supply. We have two wells. One is really fairly deep and one is fairly shallow near the building, but we have no idea how much water they

produce. And we could with a very small amount of money, I think, uh, comparatively figure that out and make that part of the RFP.

Uh, that we have this amount of public water available. Um, and if we don't have enough in those two wells, uh, we have 93 acres surrounding the the school that a lot of is wet. And I am I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure that we could find enough water there.

And so the the the question is uh because you're in charge of the old high school, will you allow the planning board to uh pursue an RFP? And it doesn't mean that we have to take what anybody says, but it it would give us a real clue as to what is possible, what we can do with others money instead of our money. and produce something that we're all able to uh utilize as a town asset. So,

yeah. And and I think it's it's it's the request is really um from my perspective a little different and it's it's to have the planning boards take on the responsibility to um prepare an RFP, but it's really in partnership with obviously the board of selectmen who the contracting agencies for the town and and really test to build upon all the work that's been done. So we have studies upon studies and and and we

ended up with a report that said if we tear down half the building and spend 50 60 whatever wherever it was we ended up with a a recommendation that was not feasible and the question is well what is feasible and I think the answer to that question is you test it in the public market will someone is there someone with money willing to make an investment in partnership with the town

and and and that's at the heart of the question. Is that building worth something not only for the municipal uses but for private uses for housing or you know I think it's pretty clear we don't have much of an office market here but but looking at the housing issue and if we look at the report before the pieces that make the most pieces of the building that architecturally make the

most sense to use for housing are the classrooms. What was the recommendation?

Tear that down and use the the pieces that the public pieces that that others want to use.

So, I think the the recommendation is we should go out and test whether or not if we wrote an RFP, would someone be willing to partner with the town and put up money to manage the property to bring it up to code to to to not manage the activities in the in the public spaces, but to manage the building overall?

and and and and that RFP could be broader if if part of our recommendations is the Council of Aging moves its activities into the high school spaces which which is which they want to do.

Does that building become available? Is there value in in that building? So to look at at at what we want to do and to seek an RFP of really partnership 20-year property management lease what what are the revenues that could flow to the town. I think one of the missing ingredients if you if you look at there was a time I did a lot of site searches for technology companies

and and and you ask yourself some basic questions. You know, does this if I buy a piece of property, can I get to it? Does it have frontage? Can I can I actually for the uses I want, is there access to it? If I if there's access, is there something to drink?

If the answer to that is, yeah, there's enough water, then is there enough waste water? And then lastly, can I can I work out the uses in in the zoning that what is the what is the water capacity of this property is unanswered. It's unanswered in the president's we we know that the two wells produce very little water and would be a constraint to the reuse, but is it possible to find additional wells, additional

groundwater? There's there's there's technical ways of doing that.

And what we're suggesting is that perhaps through the housing trust fund as a pre-development um investment that we use money to assess the water and wastewater capacity of the property.

Put that in addition to everything else.

put that into the RFP and then with your approval to prepare an RFP with you, the not not not the planning board's RFP, the town's RFP to seek um a property manager, redeveloper that would manage this property for 20 years or 30 years or whatever reasonable, you know, we need we need input into what that term but some long-term management of the property and and even if the the lease paid zero,

but we we we got all of the property management and we got the housing redeveloped and we we've got all of that.

So the request is is really twofold.

Can the town invest some money to look at the water and wastewater capacity of the site as a critical constraint?

Once we have that information, do we take the next step and prepare an RFP to see if someone really is interested in establishing what the uh investment value of this is to the town. So that's that's the uh that's the reason why we're here.

Thank you. So um at the last meeting um Chris, we authorized you to enter into an agreement with um I forget the name.

BTG Bruce Thornton.

Bruce Thornton.

Um I knew it was a B& um to start looking at how we do a phased approach of occupying the building. Can you tell us where we are with that effort?

Certainly. Um, so we did just based off of the board's last meeting, uh, we did go back to them and modify that scope of work, um, to be more in line with what the the board was looking for. Uh, as part of their overall master plan effort, they're going to look at the short, the medium, and the long term.

Um, one of the things I think has been discussed uh with the board is um trying to uh get some movement for those near-term activities uh specifically with regards to senior services. You know, I know one of the other actions that the board took was um to prioritize uh municipal use. So, uh I know the discussion and the feedback with the board members was looking at um you know senior services, recreation, the school

administration um and some of the other existing uses that have been there over the last several years. You know, uh so that agreement's been signed and we've been working uh with them to get them the documentation that they need to do their full review and um begin those stakeholder discussions. So, um that is again going to be on schedule and be done uh for September uh as the board

had hoped for. Um and the idea behind that is coming out of that we'll have a better idea of um programmatically what the town would need in terms of space in terms of considerations for um uh the phasing uh potential cost estimates for what that would look like. um you know, whether that be for um code improvements or uh future building projects, it'll help us better inform what that looks

like cuz it's really not to the point you mentioned earlier, it's not really a a $60 million nut to crack. It's really more of like a phase incremental approach. I think uh as part of that, one of the comments that the board had brought up was um you know, potentially looking at housing as part of that long-term plan after we have some better information in the short term as to what

what does that short and medium uh term time frame look like based on the town's needs. So, I think that's really where it's at. We're on schedule with that work. um we've been engaging with the consultants on that and uh you know certainly when it comes to the various stakeholders when we start um you know meeting on the programmatic piece of it um we'd be bring be we would be bringing

people into that conversation um so so I know the so the one part of it about evaluating um the water and septic potential that seems like it's valuable just in general right so that just seems like something we should No. So, I'm not I don't I'm not opposed to that, but I'm really concerned about is this the right time to go? Do we have enough information to go out for an RFP? I

I think you have a lot of information from the all the previous Well, I guess and I'm sorry. When I mean that I mean like do we know the space?

Like, are you assuming it's that middle part of the building? Like if you went off for an RFP, you you'd need to say how much square footage or No, I I think I'm not I think I think we do know we do know the the physical aspects of the those questions. We do know we do know how the the classroom size. We know the size of the buildings. We have plans for the

buildings and all of that. So I think those parts are are the easier parts.

the the the legalities and how we structure the how we could structure a potential partnership arrangement.

That's that's a lot more nuance and I think we need a lot of input there. And also I should I should say I I don't I don't have in my suggestion to the board the idea that we we abandon anything we're doing now reuse of the building for the council of aging or act any of that that can happen now in the building as it stands now that doesn't cost it any money

great keep doing it does doesn't interfere with the RFP or anything I'm assuming that if we want recreation activities to continue to happen at the school we want the afterchool programs to continue at the old high school we want the council of aging uses to to go on to the high school. That's all in the RFP. We tell them that's part of the deal and and that this these are the spaces

that you don't get to use for revenue production. So um I think the technical aspects absent that we don't know the real water and wastewater capacity um absent that I think we do have the other stuff that we need for an RFP and and I think the the unknown I mean I we have we have people in in this room that that do this stuff and also You can look around. I've lived in two

or three communities that redeveloped their junior high schools and put housing in their former high school. I mean, that's it's we know it can be done and other people have done it. Other towns have done it successfully.

And there's no reason that that Westport can't do it successfully if if in fact there's there's a market for it. We we don't want to I I do not suggest the town take on any kind of development activities. Municipalities are not really structured to do development work. You need a partner that can do that kind of work.

And I I don't think it's a m mutually exclusive thing. It's not like if this plan doesn't work then let's go for an RFP. the RFP could be part of the whole plan. Um, and in the RFP you say, you know, we have this gym. We really want to keep using that gym and we have this auditorium. We want to incorporate that into what we want to use it for. Uh, and

maybe the kitchen, maybe there's some kind of thing for feeding veterans or something. But all those things can be part of the RFP and part of what the long-term strategy is for for doing something with the building. And so the key, I think back to what you said, Shauna, was that it it's not a bad thing to find out how much water and septic capacity we could have there. And I think that we could get that

we could get find out how much those wells do produce. I've been to the board of health. Nobody knows. It's not in any of the reports that I've seen. Um and who knows, maybe there's enough water.

And if there's not, there are companies, hydraologists that go and tell you basically, well, you have a lot of wetlands in there. I think there's some places you could propose putting a a well and find out if you can get water.

I couldn't tell if you were raising your hand or just playing with your pen.

Play with my pen.

Okay.

Just go ahead.

No, I um they were gracious enough to have me at their meeting last week and I kind of we had a good discussion. So how I saw things and they explain how they saw things and um I think as long as it doesn't muddy the water, slow down the timeline, obstruct the lowcost vision, then if they can find someone else to pay find answers that might be good answers, I would just like the RFP

to include the annex, the high school, the town hall, and the council. I I I I think it should if we if we if we abandon those buildings from municipal uses, they should be part of the RFP to see if there's other uses that people want to come in and use them for.

Okay. Anything?

H I have a lot, but you I'm making my boy Anthony from Eversource wait a while. He's waiting for me. Um I at this point in time I I just I'm we're finally getting some traction to use this building for something. I've had meetings and discussions with a few people here in the crowd on a housing component. I don't think that housing component is probably going to be anywhere near my three-year term. I'll

probably be gone before anyone even thinks about that housing component. But what I'm want like we're talking about a study there for the infrastructure. I know there's been studies done. You know, Chris has alluded to it in the ones that were in the past. I mean, enough water for what? What are we looking for with respect to that?

Because we have to remember, as you mentioned, there's a lot of acreage there, but a lot of it's very wet around there, and you're not probably going to get anything. And then just a reminder, if we keep the building, the fields have to go with it. So, nothing can be built in those fields.

No, we're not talking about building anything. Okay, talking about reusing the building, which which we discussed at the last meeting about maybe doing, you know, segmenting it and and we've had those discussions where it could be 10 or 15 units, but I mean, at the end of the day, I think there's probably enough water to support that. I'm just I I'm afraid to go down another road and cause

the what we're accomplish and what we you know task Chris with moving forward with with looking at getting other offices in there and and well I don't I don't think it does anything to delay that or do anything uh with that that process. In fact, it may be complimentary.

Uh if we can come back with an RFP that hits a lot of bells and whistles for that Westport wants and people respond, then we have information to make decisions. Otherwise, you know, we came to the select board nine months ago. I went to the affordable housing trust.

They voted 100% to support an RFP that the planning board could help generate to go out and see if there's interest in affordable housing in part of that building. Not all the building, just part of the building. And they said, well, let's wait and see what happens with this other committee that which we didn't like come out. We didn't like the Well, they didn't make a recommendation, right? They didn't make a a good

recommendation, but that was nine months ago. And so, time goes on and you can do these things at the same time and they don't delay each other.

So, and it doesn't cost you anything. We can get a grant to do this RFP.

I just I feel that we've we had a five nothing vote and a consensus on the select board probably for the first time in a long time to to address the old high school and move forward with with doing something with it. And I'm just I'm just afraid of of losing that momentum and and what we've tasked Chris with and how to how to address it. I I agree we we talked about short-term,

intermediate, long-term, but I mean we start putting an RFP out with something that we don't know what what that's going to include right now, right? I mean there's and and Chris has been tasked with that to to get us something in at least in September time frame. So I don't know why we're dealing with it today um as opposed to maybe seeing what what we have come back with in in September and then moving forward with

that.

So I I mean what I think is that we've been delaying and delay I mean you're right if we would have had this RFP out nine months ago we would have an answer.

We would know are people interested in doing this or not. Right. So, I don't want to I don't want to What you're proposing is not You're proposing that the planning board take on this effort in conjunction with us. Yes. Not I don't want to give I want Chris to remain focused on what we tasked him with doing already.

Right. and and and and Jake, the the the RFP, what's in the RFP is not is we're not making a request to determine that tonight, but we're we're we're making two requests. Let's let's see if there's some way to to evaluate the water and wastewater capacity. And I think working with the housing trust, we can get available money, pre-development money to look at that.

So that's number one. And the second is u to seek funds to prepare an RFP.

That's and and and if we find the money to prepare RFP, then you you tell us what you we'll we'll do the we'll do the we have a we we have staff that that's why we're here is is we have if we were just planning board members without a planning department, we we wouldn't be here asking for work, right? We have plenty of work. Um so you know the question is

the the the second part of the request is let's find out money for preparation and R&P and then then the real work starts of what's in it and what do we say and and how do we structure it to to get some interest in someone besides the town checkbook someone with a checkbook to come and and work with So, you're looking for us to um approve or authorize the water and septic

analysis that you're going to pay for somehow and to authorize or to support or whatever the right word is to support your seeking money to prepare an RFP.

Yes.

All right.

Okay.

Yes.

Uh a couple of questions.

What I'm hearing, if done, if successful, if the if we find a partner, a willing partner, right, to develop that property, whether it be housing or anything else, it would be at far less cost to the taxpayer than what we've been talking about. this whether it was 70 million or 50 million or in my discussion using part of the building for the 20 million which may not pass muster anyway but but at least that was

the lowest recommendation of the prior group that but that would take the burden potentially take the burden of a debt exclusion or at least a large debt exclusion off the taxpayers. That's that's that's that would be one of the goals of the RFP is is to to end the cost that we're now bearing.

Yeah. Because I in prior discussions we had people come up at various meetings speaking very very eloquently about doing this, doing that, but they wouldn't tell me how much it was going to cost.

I still couldn't get away from the $70 million. This gets away from that because it's a totally different approach. and you have an answer to the RFP, you'll you'll you'll know how does it benefit the town. First of all, you'll know are there people out there that are interested in actually partnering with us? Number one. And then number two, what does it return to the town? And and that's the first time

we're talking about money coming in versus money always flowing out.

Madam, if I may continue, I appreciate that. Um, timelines on this.

Um, I think we do the water study is, uh, I think we meet with the housing trust again next month. And if that money is available, we we go out and do the water studies August 1st or September 1st as as quickly as we can.

Oh, I was thinking more the long long term. In other words, not just that part, but when you get to a point where I think this is going to fly.

I I think I think light speed would be to have the IRFP out on the street by the end of the year. That would be it's that that we're talking about a a six-month effort here. get a grant, write the RFP, get a consensus of what is in the RFP, write the RFP, have it out on the on the street, and then you you 60 days before you get an answer. So,

it's a it it I I think the a reasonable goal if we work hard would be to have a to have a a new understanding or input prior to town meeting, not to have articles for town meeting, but prior to town meeting next year, you'd know, you'd have a yes or no there's someone interested in doing something.

Yeah. Okay. That that answers the question. So, and and behind us there's three gentlemen here that are experienced in this type of of development. Uh John Perry who is a planner in Boston, Ed Ree who's in this business and um David David.

This has been a long night. Um, and uh, so if they wanted to say something in support of this, so I'm just going to assume they're in support of this and because it's late and we still have quite a bit on our agenda. So, um, I guess from the board, do you have any other questions or things you want to hear? If you want to hear from these guys, you can.

I I don't want to prolong this, but I mean after we basically made a five nothing vote to keep the building in our, you know, or under select board control and move forward, you know, the planning board's going out and meeting with the ma Massachusetts Housing Partnership. So, when we made a decision to move forward and and task Chris Vitali, we have another town entity kind of going off and doing their own thing.

included in this letter that you're asking for, you know, for us to move forward on the RFP. You're asking to do more smart growth overlays for that area, obviously multi-unit housing, zoning, and and various other things, which I just, in my opinion, it's not on the table for right now. I I understand that and and Chris has been tasked with that. And I just I just have a hard time

understanding why this came to fruition probably less than a week after we took a vote to move forward with the building for municipal use. this.

Well, I don't think they're I don't think they're exclusive of each other like what what they said. I think we can still keep going on the path that we wanted to go on. We can let them go on their path that they want and we'll have more information at the end. And you know, when we have our path where we have a recommendation that will inform the RFP or it would

amend the RFP. I mean, they can go out with an RFP. That's just information, right?

Yeah. So after speaking with the planning board and like I said as long as they're not muddy in the water line or obstructing a lowc cost option getting there David selfishly what I think their vision intersects with my vision is that if you have an RFP that includes multiple town owned properties then a developer might come forward and say you know what that um old high school doesn't work for me

but hey that annex or that council on aging that's a great place to put some housing and then that meshes in as far as come up with a plan for all the buildings in town. So, I could see this as working out for um affirming municipal use for the old high school while allowing a way forward for other buildings that we vacate moving into that building.

Anything else from the board before I go to public? Go ahead. My view is that this is not incompatible with the motion that was passed on the last meeting because that was to be done in pieces with options open. At one point I was going to vote against that because it didn't have the wording. I thought the wording was too confining but it left open the possibility in our phased approach we might have different

decisions as to how much of the building we would use. All of it maybe and that's fine with me or maybe not all of it. But I thought I voted for that because I thought that accommodated that and I think therefore along the same lines of reasoning that these two ideas are not in conflict.

Right. We have public brief.

Um we've spent 400,000 just in survey and the survey said we should move everything over there. Now, I can understand that would be not perfect by taking over the first floor, putting all the town halls people in there.

As far as your water and sewage, we don't have 2,000 people in there using it for showers, bathrooms, and everything else anymore. There's plenty of water there, plenty of sewage area just to use it as town purposes.

use it for bringing in child care so that the town's pe it's this should be for the town's people. You try to rent that out or not rent it out but try to bring in move in as a a um uh affordable housing.

The town can't be involved in that.

I don't think they can be involved that at all. That would mean selling the building. You sell that building, it's a loss to the town. We have plenty of things we can use it for. We don't have to spend all sorts of money on it. We just need to do a little at a time, a little bit of tax money. If we need a little bit of electric or we need our

internets hook up, we need anything on that first floor. That office, the main office should be for tax paying your taxes. All the elderly can walk in.

Don't have to walk up a flight of stairs just to go in and pay taxes. There's a lot of good things we can use it for. We already use them fields outdoors for all the children. It's not wetland because we use it for many years for sports and that's what it's good for is sports and anything else that the town's people can use it for. I think that building is is

is a goal mine for the town's people used in the right way.

Thank you.

Gay I don't know Gay or David Gay. Um yeah Gay Gillespie. Um I commend you guys for your prior vote on June 1st to save the school and um we've been working you know um you know on the affordable housing trust and we had worked with the planning board and I think submitted a letter of request to do an amendment to the contract that had left out the housing portion in the

prior study. I do commend the moving the COA and activities into that building and I know that they're very anxious to do that. They're hoping to be there in the fall. Today at our Friends of Council on Aging meeting, we recommended paying the full amount that is needed to do that. If she if um the current director does not get her grant to get that going and move it as soon as

possible to get contractors, and I think that's exciting. It'll get people seeing that the building is being used. I agree that an RFP down the road for housing is going to be essential. But most importantly, I think if we're going to spend any money, we should do something about a water study to see what is there for water quality, water quantity, and what we do with wastewater. I know there

are a lot of alternatives for wastewater, but we really don't know that I can find anywhere a study on what is our water quantity for the use that we want to do and what is the quality of the water. Are we going to have to filter it or whatever. So, I think we're all riding on the same path, but I want to keep the momentum going to get the building used in the best way we can

right now. So, thank you.

Thank you.

Uh, David Lima, uh, uh, Counciling Board. Um, I have two points, I think, maybe three. Um, we're in concert, I think we all agree in my original proposal, I talked about housing. I talked to you, Madam Chair, about phase development. I'm I'm a little shag grinned quite frankly about the planning board. Johnny completely as far as I'm concerned. Where you been? We've been talking about this for a long long long time.

And now after a 5-0 vote, you're here. I don't trust you. Quite frankly, I want you to help us. You have the skill to help us, but I don't trust you.

And and and it's based on experience. No collaboration. No talking to us ever.

Did you talk to Chris before you came board with this proposal? No. No collaboration. So here we want you want us to go forward with you. I want to You're the planning board. You're elected. You don't answer to them. You answer to yourself. And I'm troubled by that because you don't want to collaborate. I wish you would. But now you're here. You're in the room now.

Okay. offering your help, offering your perspective. John Perry and I were there four years ago trying to get an RFP when when this all went south. Okay, we wanted an RFP a long time ago because we thought that was an appropriate approach. We still think it's an appropriate approach to work on something. And it it's tantalizing, isn't it? Because I know many people in this room want it funded by somebody

else. I get that. and you don't trust us that we're not we don't we're never going to say it's not going to cost any money. We know it's going to cost money and I think the issue is how do we get in there? How do we get in there? And if you can help, if the planning board can help, and you're not in this diversionary tactic of going somewhere else while we've finally got five to

zero vote, then a week later, you come here with a a plan that you say is in concert with ours. You didn't talk to us. You don't know what collaboration is. I know. I'm looking at you, Jim. I'm just saying. I'm just saying. I feel very offended. I feel And I feel how I feel because I've been on this issue for a long long time.

I just want to I just want to say David, they did come to us asking for an RFP.

Now I I again still kind of late in the game, but we declined, right? So this is not the first time they've come. It is not after the 50 vote. They did come to us asking for Well, I just want the line be understood that we want to work together. We've always wanted to work together. Always. It was never isolated ever.

So, I'm just saying, welcome aboard.

Welcome aboard, Jim. Welcome aboard.

Can I respond a little bit?

You can respond all you want, but I'm just perplexed. Why now?

That's the question.

Thank you, David.

So, uh, in response to his question about COA, I have been over to the COA.

I've spoken with, I don't know how many times, probably 30 times with Everett Mills who goes to that and has been a big promo proponent of COA going into the high school. Um, I've been over there. I've been over to the men's class, which is the one that wants to come over to the high school. Uh, and we have talked with the uh the group that was trying to figure out what to do with

the high school years ago about using housing. We participated in the open meeting at the high school and um a lot of people at their at that meeting talked about housing but they wouldn't consider housing and so I think that we were a little uh taken aback that the select board would make that decision last week. I didn't see the agenda so I didn't know it was coming. I would have been here.

Uh but it is not uh to take any thunder from you. I'm glad that you're doing uh decided to keep the building and to do it in a phased way, but I don't think the town can use 155,000 square ft of space. And I think that housing is a is a real need in this town. Uh and we're here. I don't know who is next.

One more thing.

Go ahead.

Um, in the end, I think a lot of should be voted by the people, you know, I mean, this should go to to a big meeting and the people should be involved and vote what should be done with that building in the end, not just here and all this stuff going on here.

In the end, the people should be the ones to vote on what happens to that building, sir. Um, so I'm David Dennis and um, so I'm a developer of affordable housing. I work in various communities. Um, and I'd like just like to say that I think the housing is could be part of a a mixed use at that building. It's a huge building and I think the council on aging, you know, should move you can

move forward with the what the town is doing now with the consultants on the on bringing the council on aging in in other uses including town uses. But I think the the middle section which the your consultants recommended ripping down lends itself to housing. And I think if uh you know we did the the water analysis, I think a market study would be useful just to show the need in the town for affordable I think I'm

thinking affordable senior housing. And there there is a state agency that will front the money to pay for the RFP and help us do the RFP. I mean it can be done using other people's money. I'd like to say one thing though. If we if you do affordable housing, you're looking for a private developer to come in and they basically use state funds. I mean, the and the the town can retain

control of the building by leasing it.

They do a long-term lease. So, they don't have to give up control of the site. You can keep the gym. You can keep the auditorium space for council on aging. I think it's worth pursuing in terms of seeing whether there's interest.

Thank you. So, what's the pleasure of the board? We have a request to authorize the water septic study and the um seeking of funds for a grant for a potential RFP.

It is my view that that's a good sensible approach and will answer a lot of questions for us. As I said earlier, it's not incompatible with the action we've taken in the path we're on.

I would make that an amendment a motion.

Motion. So, we have a motion to um we're not addressing the zoning thing, but the a mo motion to support the um the water septic and the RFP finding the RFP donor.

Correct.

Okay.

Do I have a second?

I will second that. Is there any further discussion?

I would like to add that I would um agree with that motion as long as they make sure to include other town properties as well as the high school.

I think so they have they're right now they're seeking funds for the RFP but I absolutely agree they need to include that in the in the RFP.

All right.

All in favor?

I I opposed opposed.

So we have three in favor, one opposed and one absent. Thank you.

Thank you.

And now the rest of you are waiting. Go ahead. I I have one other request.

Okay.

Um uh could you possibly take up something which I think is quick which is the recommendation of the uh infrastructure oversight committee. Uh item K.

Is it going to be quick? Jake Bob if you want I can cover it. If you want to leave I can cover it because I sit on the IOC so it should be fine if you want.

I'll take care of it.

Jake if you like to do that.

I'll take fine. We support it, so we're we're fine.

And thank you.

You're welcome.

All right. Ever source. The Everource. He has my vote.

Tomorrow.

What? I Denver.

What time?

Can you please introduce yourself?

Yep. Hey, Madam Chair. How you doing?

Um, Anthony Blue. community relations for Eversource. I cover uh southeastern Massachusetts uh for the company.

All right. And you know that we're here because we have quite a few unhappy residents about the road closures, the condition of the road, the work that's being done, the businesses that are being impacted after we were assured repeatedly that we would not be impacting. So can you just give us an update on what you're doing to rectify the situation?

Uh yeah. No, great point. uh to start if uh I know selectman Monday is new. So could I go back just a tiny bit to the beginning? Um so we the reason why we're here in Westport doing this work. It's part of what we call a group two distributed energy resource study. So the the town uh Westport is fed by two substations.

One at Crossroad in Dartmouth, one at Fischer Road in Dartmouth that provides all the power for the town of Westport.

Um between the two towns, there are several solar farms that looking to inter interconnect to the grid throughout southeastern Massachusetts.

there's no capacity for large-scale solar to interconnect. So, we have to upgrade those two substations as well as many others and then upgrade the distribution lines that carry the energy from one place to another to allow for that interconnection. Uh we we must do that. That's per the Department of Public Utilities. Uh we don't really have a choice. We can't not do it. We can't pick what we can and cannot do.

So, part of that upgrade is the primary one is Fiser Road. Uh that's as that becomes upgraded. We have two circuits that now come out underground. It goes comes out of Fiser, takes a left onto Gidleytown in Dartmouth, crosses into Westport at Hicksbridge, continues on to uh Drift.

That's all underground. And then from Drift South, Horseneck South is where the underground picks up with the overhead. And as people have seen, we've replaced almost 300 poles with brand new wire, switch gear, fuses, transformers, everything's brand new. That's sort of the big uh picture why that has to happen.

I completely agree with you. Uh so I've met with the police chief several times.

My my overhead crew has met with them.

Uh the construction work, the underground work specifically has been very bad. I'm not here to sell you on something that's good or to give you some sort of corporate line. We It's bad. We know it's bad. Uh, I requested a meeting with administrative Vitali. We met last week on a Wednesday. I'm the facilitator. I brought everybody that I thought needed to be in that room from underground construction, overhead

supervisors, um, project staff, including the contractors themselves. I thought it was an excellent meeting. It was very clear what was to be accomplished. Um, and I speaking to police chief Dunn before I came in here today, it seems uh, some stuff is still gone, not the way the town had wanted to. So, I will do my best to get that rectified and bring the necessary people back to

the table to figure out a plan of action going forward. One of the things we did talk about on Wednesday was to before the 4th of July holiday was to get the manholes that we have left at the boat ramp completed. So there's um I think it's six left. There's one on the east side of the boat boat ramp before the bridge and then there's four after the bridge. Five total.

That was the plan. They should be getting that done before the 4th of July with then I'm happy to reassess what the plan is going to be next for the rest of that uh stretch all the way to Gidleytown Road. We have two contractors. One's working on that. The other one is a little further down the street on Hicksbridge uh going towards Dartmouth. Um and that's sort of the gist.

Thanks, Anthony. Since I serve as vice chair and Shauna has left has left.

Sorry.

Could I ask some questions? Thank you.

Charge now. I'm trying.

I'm trying to see if we can shorten the meeting tonight or if we're going to be here till midnight.

My apologies.

Uh Anthony, I I appreciate you coming.

We we met last Wednesday as well. Um there are some things and I I know there's uh a couple people in the audience that are going to have some concerns. I think there was a discussion all along that wrapping up construction should be by 3 p.m. every day so that the roads can be used. Um I received a call from Chief Dunn on Friday at 4 at 5 and then at quarter 6 because they're still out

there working uh on the roads. And then he received a call from a property owner or a business that we know would be impacted um that has a summer concert series and people are having difficulty getting to that. So, how are we going to address that 3 p.m.?

Like, they shouldn't be starting a project at 1:00 p.m. if they don't think they're going to be able to get it done by 3. And I think that is what's happening. And they should not be out there at 5:45 on a Friday on technically as a holiday. Um, and they're out there at 6:00 um still doing work. So, right, how are we going to address kind of that situation? I and and I think that you

know the communication as we discussed is key but that is probably very important especially on Fridays. Um and I I don't know if you know we can do this but I I don't think they should be doing any work on Saturdays either at this point. I think Saturdays should be off limits as well. Um but can you address at least the Friday thing that we talked about last week?

I I completely agree with you that it should have been done uh as we discussed on that Wednesday. Um and Lieutenant Melo from the police department had given us an entire um schedule of all the events. So in my opinion, the contractor just didn't follow what they were supposed to do. And that I'm not trying to pass the buck there, but that's my construction manager who's has to rein them in and make sure that that

doesn't happen again. So, uh that being said, we we're here because we have to do the work, but the town, you guys gave us the permits. And if you're think you're saying no Saturday work, then we have to abide by that until we can prove that we can do the job, be trusted with what the orders and conditions that you guys give us and then maybe we can revisit that later on. But if we can't

do it up until this point, then yeah, I'm not I'm not here to twist your arm to do Saturday work. Uh I don't think we should do it until we can get a better job or better flow going.

Uh just another question. Uh, and people keep asking, you obviously explained it.

There are some proposed solar projects on Drift and on Horseneck uh, down that that area, but those aren't even close to being finalized. So, what's the essential rush? I know you obviously have priorities and what you need to get done, but I mean in a perfect world, and you know, I voted against the project, but shouldn't have been a spring project where, you know, June one, you can kind

of button it up, come back and after Labor Day and do the rest of it in that time frame. Is there a reason why we're rushing it up for two two projects that really are not any close anywhere close to fruition?

Uh, that's a good question. I'm not I don't I'm not really sure on how these things the big picture and how that gets sort of shifted out settled down. Um I do know that the Department of Public Utilities gave us a deadline of 2028 to have this whole project completed.

That's the substation upgrades as well as all the distribution work between Dartmouth and Westport. Um the sole developers, yes, they're in the queue.

Some of them are still going through their local permittals, but a lot of them have paid upfront uh millions of dollars ahead of time. And the the Department of Public Utilities, I believe, basically said, "Well, you you cannot fund all of this upfront. You have to show some sort of progress to building up these the grid to support them." So, this is sort of the plan we came up with to interconnect these

facilities. And also too, um just as a side note, that that's a great point that you bring up. So this is largely paid for by solar developers and the cost to rateayers is only about 12 cents a kilowatt hour.

Um so rateayers are not funding these upgrades on their dime. It's really solar developers that are paying up front.

That'll help you in your job. It's a positive for some of the residents because you're obviously as we discussed being able to segment power outages less power outages because at least you are upgrading that infrastructure can maybe you know segment five houses as opposed to 50 houses. So there is a slight positive to kind of the disruption in the traffic uh with respect to that. But um back to you.

So to that point also the underground work it's two circuits that are going underground and yes the construction has been terrible. The reliability that that would give us going forward as opposed to being an overhead. Otherwise we'd have poles up and down Hicks bridge.

That would be the alternative plan to go underground makes it much more reliable.

the and I know part of the project plan is to obviously bring everything back up to essentially what it was the road road prior to um and I know you have to wait for some settling but I mean the one that's on drift road a little bit a little bit in on drift road is like it's a mess they have to they have to fix they have to fix them all. Yeah. Yeah. But that

that's not we we do a lot of construction. We we see it I've se almost 25 miles of construction underground between gas and electric. We we just got to do a better job.

Okay.

Madam Chair, uh people who called me really were very understanding and forgiving, but what they would not be happy about is not being communicated with.

A number of residents said that they didn't get any notice as to when it starts, when it's going to end, what are going to be the hours, it was 3:00, whatever.

So, have you addressed that? And can you assure us that uh people at least will be told ahead of time what's going to happen even if it's bad news?

Sure.

Because they will they will show a lot of forgiveness if they understand what's going on and that that it will end at some point.

Right. No, that's a great point. Um we did have a premeating with Westport Highway back in January about some of the stuff and I I think that's on us too to do a better job of getting those. We have a whole website dedicated to this very specific project that highlights all the substation upgrades as well as the underground work. Um, from last Wednesday's meeting, we committed to

having those updates uh out by a Friday for the following week that the town and could put on their social media uh highway could put on theirs, police department could put on theirs. So, that's this way people know what's coming for the for the next week. And I I think we can even go even further than that and just do like a two-eek look ahead uh if that allows for it. This way

people are prepared two weeks in advance. Um, and ahead of time too, we also are supposed to I know we did send out a lot of mailers to a Butters. Um, I have to go back and double check with that team that that's called Project Engagement on who they sent out these letters to. It might not have been everybody off of every side street off of Drift, Horseneck, Hicksbridge. So, I

just got to double check that, but there should have been uh a letter that went out with that. And from from this offset, we should have had better communication on start times and what this was going to entail uh right from the get-go.

Okay. I think that that does it in that respect that point. Thank you.

So, this is my first vote I ever had was for this project and you all came with me.

You all told me it was well said it was smooth. all of our concerns been worked out and then I realized that there's no incentive structure for a public utility to make sure that the project goes painfree to the residents and I got burned on this one. I learned a lesson and moving forward I'm probably never going to trust the public utility at face value if they come forward and ask

for a request for a project and help on a project.

That's it. It's my comment on the matter.

Anything else?

Thank you for waiting your patience.

It's like you stuck in traffic.

Okay. Wait, it looks like David wants to say something here.

Um, I have a suggestion because I think there are two issues here. One may be when when these projects are done and executed in the time of the year. But the more important one, and I wrote several of you about this, I think there's a simple solution and empowering people to make decisions to Dick to Dick's point. Um, I experienced one, my wife experienced another, and I know Shirley experienced

another. If you if you gave people notice, I think the town either should buy electronic thing that is at the front of the street that says road will be closed, maybe it won't be closed, such and such an hour. Informing people so they then have the freedom to decide to go down the road and wait. I had to do that, but there was no sign by the time I got down

there. The road was blocked. I had an appointment, but I was late. But I because I didn't know I would have had a choice to go around down 88 and come in another way. Empower the the citizens.

If if you're going to do these things, if there if you're if it's not your project, but you're giving people permission, then I would write it in the contract that you have to give me in writing how you're going to notify pedestrians and drivers of what you're going to do to inform them of the delay.

How hard is that to do? It's not. And I think that's imperative going forward.

And it sends a message to the community.

The town cares because the message we all got was you don't care. We're driving around thinking the road's fine and we're stopped and we don't know for how long. That's uncertainty. That's anxiety that we then shift to you which you don't warrant. I'm I'm a government person. I believe in government competently working. And here's a way to solve that problem that is in the contract that you give to public

utilities and people. You put a phrase in there, a clause in there says, "Tell me how you're going to inform people when they're delayed. How you going to do it?" Going to have a gonna have some kind of sign. I mean, putting it on Facebook. With all due respect, there's a lot of people don't not necessarily going to read Facebook to know that when I'm going down to the to the apothecary to get something that

when I go on main road that the the road was blocked on both sides for 10 minutes.

PE police were there. No notice. The only notice is when you showed up at the spot and you had to sit there. I don't I don't think that's a I don't think that's taking the consumer in or the you know citizens into perspective and you have a I think an easy solution. Write it into the contract.

Eversource repeatedly assured us that they would keep one lane open at all times. Well, let's be clear that's not have to be detourred around, right? So maybe we didn't have strong enough language in the contract, but our approval was contingent upon their agreeing to those things. Well, I maybe there's a way to button that up a little bit tighter in the future, but I mean, I came on Charlotte Way and I

went on I went on Main Road.

I I believe you and there was no sign and there's we told them there's no good detour around there. You got businesses that are running on there. Yes.

So, anyway, that's just my I think there's a solution. I mean, there's a problem and I think better signage is absolutely solution.

Absolutely.

Dave Simco. So, and I'm I'm here speaking as a citizen and also I I got the chief's blessing I can say of police police officer. So, I've worked standing out on the road listening to people complaining.

I've worked these details and I I can say that the two projects that are pull replacement is going well and and those those projects are fine. We hold people up very limited time, 90 seconds, a minute, whatever else that those are easy. this project that now has two contractors working on it, Phoenix and uh Riley Brothers.

They've brought up message boards.

They've had a message board that has been saying that Phoenix construction is going to start March 31st and it's been s staying there every day since the project. Yeah, we don't care and we don't need to know that it's going to start March 31st.

The other issues with that is they're not being changed. There's signs and I've got some things I'll share with you later, but uh there's signs up. They leave for the entire weekend. Uh one lane road ahead. Well, people are coming down drift road. They're not working today. This is Sunday. There was no that the signs stay up. So, people get uh frustrated that it's just not these signs are electronic. They can be

changed by a phone. They can be changed remotely, by computer, and they can go by hand. Long as a guy can spell correctly.

pretty much done.

The other issue that there are there's there's other things that have uh that transpired today at I I I was working in another detail had nothing to do with the this particular Eversource job. When I came down um Hicksbridge Road, I went by where they were going to put in the manhole. That was at uh 12:30. I got to the police station. I had to do some work. At 1:20, the detail officer calls

and says, "All right, they're going to shut the road down from 1:30 to 2:30."

That is the worst time because the schools get Yep.

It's at 1:30 people are going to pick up their children at the middle high school and when they the bus comes out of there, they drop the, you know, the green flag and 2:00 they're coming out and now they're going to come Hicksbridge Road. Now they have to get we have to contact Michelle Raposa, the fire department, the you know it's there's a lot of moving parts for something that when they say an hour I

don't know add another half hour to the thing because it's they're never they've sourced equipment. They So one of the things they do is they dig the hole waiting for the box. The box is on I've had them say, "Well, the hole's ready.

We're going." Yep. Well, the box is on 24. It's on its way down. Well, what are we doing now? I mean, can we Social media does help. It It does get things out there. The problem is you get too much noise with social media. Sure.

One of the things with social media is everybody's commenting. Somebody's like, "Oh, my grandmother can work for, you know, an excavator better than these guys. Uh time to build the pyramids. I mean, it's just we just need information out there to say the road's going to close. This is the time it's going to close. Expect it." And then it's going to be opening.

Um, some of some of the other issues is that there's so there's erosion waddles that are on Hicks Bridge that no fault of Eversource, but somebody tossed five of them over. They are north of the bridge on the marsh. I talked to Bill Chase today. I will go get them with him. But we need No, but we need manpower because I'm going to bring them to Hicks Bridge. We need manpower to

take them. They now weigh about 500 lb a piece. They water lot. But that's going to impact the river. So, so those are um that the other issue is with safety issues is now you have something on White Oak Run. White Oak Run enters uh where the Riley where it starts with this is the view. Um can you see a stop sign? We have and I'll give you a couple.

Yep.

Second page.

Thank you, sir.

So, the second one is So, you're looking at a port of John, a cube van, and so somebody's going to go through the intersection to a stop sign. It does not exist anymore because it's being blocked. So, those safety things have to be addressed right away. There's a next page that says detour sign. That was on Sunday morning at 5:30 a.m.

I come down Hicksbridge Road and they left the sign just Yep.

I'm sorry. White Oak run and they left a sign in Hicksbridge Road that said that it's just so it's just contractors. They get a gear on. You know, there's a learning curve, but these guys are going around on merry.

It's it's sloppy.

This is this is sloppy. Very sloppy for as far as the asphalt thing. Again, I mean, I'm not construction expert, but when I see them pave a a small section and they're using a compactor plate plate compactor, which is not the first 10 wheeler that comes by is going to destroy that road. Sure. And then we put up with it all weekend, right?

Some of the businesses that are being impacted, they can't. They come out, they say, "I told you it wasn't closing on the road." Well, it is now. You know, I mean, this is there was a a woman here from Eversource that came out. I believe it's Jessica said I I I watched this meeting that you know any Saturday closures?

Nope. I worked the next Saturday.

The next Saturday I worked and for the next three of them I worked saw cutting and you know small stuff. It wasn't a big impact on traffic but it was it was three Saturdays. So you ever saw was not true to their word as far as what and I understand you're admitting that you know you're saying that we could do better and and so forth but it's just that when I heard that no road closures

and when I look and see the piece of machinery that they bring to put this you know crane and they have to put the other one that's in there the crane and talk about a safety there's one other one that's got a crane and a roller the cones are after they put the cones after the project after you see that one. Yep.

You're traveling down Hicksburg Road, they put the cones after. Somebody's going to whack into that thing at night.

There's no street lights. There's no the things are foot onto the road, right?

So, these are things that every day that have to the detail officer when we leave or whatever else we're at the project to download. That's a staging. They decide to pocket off the road and that's that's they do that after hours and stuff and we have to call them and say, "You can't leave us like this."

Right. So those are the the issues that we're having um that that face not alone not none obviously there's a couple of people here that impact their business big time huge with with people and I'm not talking about obviously you got the the winery you've got uh farms you but the the one person that's selling eggs on horse neck rope or whatever else that's all they somebody came up to me I

can't go get my eggs today I hear other places I know I really that's all they they just turned her on and they just went somewhere else.

impacts everybody's life. The little thing, like I said, appointments, things like that. You can't you just can't uh you you have no idea what kind of impact has this community.

Thank you.

Can I can I go back to one item that you had mentioned about the waddles? The I think um you do should not have to pick those up.

I don't know if ever source had a boat.

So, I checked with the harbor master and I'm assigned to the marine unit from the West Police Department. So, I don't mind going to the water. I live north of that bridge.

No, but I don't mind. I'm going to get them to Hicks Bridge, but if you're going to get somebody to No, that has It's 1,000% the responsibility of the contractor to make sure that those are where they're supposed to be, not in the middle of the Westport River.

Yeah. I mean, I somebody put Sure. It wasn't They Yeah. Right. Right. No, I understand that, but still. Um No, I heard loud and clear. I That's why I wanted to have the meeting last Wednesday to try to address some of these issues, and it it just fell flat.

And um I hear you on the businesses.

I've drank enough gold and flounder in my lifetime to I you know I love the place that my last intention was to is not to hurt hurt local businesses.

Go ahead.

So after our Wednesday meeting and we discussed the signage and again this is not you're not out there you're not moving signs but it took them 5 days to move the sign that we asked for to the corner of 88. And I think Chief Dunn this morning basically said move it to 88 or we're not going to send the details there. Right. Again, that's just the third party administrators that just

really aren't doing it or doing their job. So, I mean, it is on 88 now. It's saying that the road would be closed Wednesday and Friday. Hopefully, that helps. Any tractor to trailers taking that left. So, that is actually a good piece of signage. I think if we had a couple more electronic signs, we asked for that last week. I think that that will also help. Um, you know, and I and

we're not making a motion. We're just kind of having you here. But I think, you know, the twoe look ahead is good. I I I think there probably should be no more Saturday work.

Y it should be a 3 PM hard stop like we're told it would be. Um in the signage I think I think the message needs to get to those guys because I've talked to some police officers where they say they're like starting something at 1:30, right?

If if your stop was at 3 p.m. Let's let's not start that at 1:30. And I understand construction will have some overruns and some situations where it's going to impact people um or something unforeseen, but it seems to be happening a lot more often. Um so I think those are probably the three or four things that would really make a big difference.

And we have that twoe look ahead. we, you know, Chris can share it, I can share it, whoever on online just again um so people know where to go because to um Officer Simco's point is there was I've had landscapers call me and we talked about it, right? They're coming bringing material down, they realize that's closed coming from Dartmouth and then they got to make a 25 mile, you know, loop around East Beach to come

back and at $6 a gallon for diesel, it's probably not the greatest use of their resources. So, I think if we have it, we can lay it out and we can tell people for the next two weeks, this is where you should and should not go. If you want to go that way and sit in traffic, that's your own fault after the fact.

But I think that's that's what we should probably be pushing for. Um, but I appreciate you showing up tonight.

Yeah.

All right. Thank you, Chris. anything from you? And uh no, I just um I want to just thank Anthony for coming in and accommodating. Uh obviously we talked about um you know this meeting and having this be agenda item. And so um I'll just say that Anony's been um you know doing his best to try and get this project um in line with what I think our expectation was and I think

what the community is hoping for. So, I just want to take the opportunity to thank him. Can Can I just say one more thing? So, I I've had two meetings with the police.

We had one last week on a Wednesday.

Now, I'm here at the select board tonight. If if we're not following what the town wants, then you shut them down.

That if they're not going to listen, I I can only say so much. If they're not going to listen to me, if they're not going to listen to you, if the contractor is not going to play ball, then they the cops can say, "Pack up. Go home."

You could always pull the details, right? or not not schedule Saturday details anymore.

Go ahead.

So, Rob Russell, uh, Russell Family Farms, I don't know I can add to all this, especially over this, you know, in addition to the safety concerns of officer um Simco, but I guess my concern is that instead of people completely ignoring the signs that are getting moving around that they start to pay attention to the signs, but the signs are misinformation. Right.

I just heard you said roads are closed Wednesday and Friday.

Uh, did I mishar that?

It it I think Hicksbridge I think you're working on this side of it. It's on the electronic sign on 88 as of today.

Yeah, we So my customers are going to see that sign and just turn around and leave.

Right.

So if that's misinformation, if the road isn't closed and the sign says it is closed and it's only closed for 45 minutes, but it just says it's basically closed for the day.

Why am I opening up?

Right?

Why is Shirley opening up?

So who's in charge of the signs? Because I can go unplug it. So, that's a good point. We should think about how we message those signs and maybe some sort of other additional addendums to to that signage. The that we're trying to fit four manholes in by the boat ramp so people can access the boat ramp and try to alleviate some of that problem.

Time of year to be doing this.

Sure. Yeah. Obviously, 100%. Um, the manholes take a little bit long. It's not necessarily a full road closure, but it takes it does take them two lanes to fit the manhole into the street. So, it's not it wouldn't be it shouldn't be all day, but it can't be for an hour or two while they fit that in. Then they should clear out of the way.

Who changes the sign? Who? Like somebody's going to physically go there as soon as it's done.

It's got It's got to be on the contract.

We got to find a better way to get that message out. Absolutely.

So, those signs lose business for eight hours. It's only two, right? It makes it worse. Actually, put it back March what is it? March 1st of Yeah. Yeah.

paying attention.

I hear you. I hear you. I I'm with you.

I totally agree. So, so on the day of, like if there's a day that we've noticed that something is wrong, who do is it clear? Do the police know who the details know who they're supposed to be calling?

Yeah, I I talked to police chief uh Chief Dunn about that today. He has my cell phone number and I didn't know about the Friday incident until he just told me today. So, I told him no matter what problem that there is, no matter what time of day it is, he's got to tell me right away.

So, at least um if the contractor is not going to listen, then I can get it addressed by just going up the chain.

Is it the contract at that?

It should be it's on the contractor's responsibility to get that up to the the boss man on the job and say, "Hey, can you you know, you need to be changing the sign and maybe he'll listen to me and maybe he won't, but that's the guy who's should be going over there and changing it."

Correct. But I'm taking that back to the construction manager who oversees them and having them. He's got to sit down with them and really figure out they got to do a better job communicating that.

And it it should be communicating to the details that day the type of work that the contractors have to do. So if they have to set a manhole, um it should be communicated to the police that hey, this manhole is going to be set. It's going to take us from, I don't know, 7 to 12:30 and we're going to have to shut the road down from 2:30 to 3:30 to fit this manhole in. If

that's not getting done, we we have to address it.

All right. Thank you.

You go.

Thank you.

Okay. Thank you. I think we're good.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So, I we do still have um several agenda items that we have to get to tonight.

So, the um but I wanted to just given the hour, I just want to check with you.

So, some of them have to be done tonight. Some of them need to be done before the 1 of July. And so, do we want to keep going? I mean, the ones I know we need to do tonight, we have to do tonight. But um I just want to throw it out here that we can delay some of these agenda items to a future like an unscheduled meeting um later in the week

or we can just power through. So what is unscheduled?

Well, it has to be minimum of three business days from today. So it would have to be Friday or Monday or Tuesday.

I'll just go through.

I think we I think we can go through most of the rest pretty fast.

Um all right. So 6B is a request from the highway surveyor Chris Gonzolves to appoint Jay Carrera from a seasonal employee to a full-time position of skilled light truck driver. I think this was supposed to be effective the 23rd, right?

Uh that's correct. I recommend the appointment.

Jay's a good guy. I make a motion to approve.

Second.

Any discussion? All in favor?

I I That's uh four in favor and one absent. We have a request from the superintendent of schools, Fran Roy, to appoint the uh following to the respective committees. So, these are the school department representatives on the um various committees. Christopher Thrasher and Jason Pacho to the capital improvement planning committee.

Evan, do this. Yep, that's fine. Evan Jendro and Caitlyn Stampers on the school building committee. Evan Jendro to the long-term building planning committee. Fred Melnik and Caitlyn Stampers to the ADA transition team.

Evan Gendro to the audit committee hold and uh Jason Pacho and Fred Melnik to the educational fund committee. Um if I may just on that list there um there are a couple of these committees that the board has um for consideration uh dissolving just my recommendation is for uh 70 which is the discussion of the possible vote and dissolution that we table that that is not so sensitive that we can't wait till July 6.

Okay.

So I think we would point them but probably on July 6th then dissolve it. Sure.

Good point though. That's one I think we can delete to July 6th. All right. So, we have a hold on the capital improvement and the education or and the audit committee. Did you want to talk about those or Yeah, we can vote the others.

Okay. So, um all in favor of the other ones. All in favor of motion.

Oh, sorry. Yes, we do.

I make a motion to appoint all the following people minus the ones that Dick Brewer was put on. Thank you.

Second.

Second.

All in favor? I I that's four in favor z one.

Okay. Quick quickly on the holes. The first item, Thrasher and Pachico, the capital improvement planning committee, the bylaws, the town bylaws relating to that only allow one school representative. So, you can't have two people. It's got to be one or the other.

And Mr. Thrasher is the incumbent.

So, this this request is not in concert with the town bias.

Okay.

I think Evan has something.

Madam Chair, I have the annual appointment list in front of me. That was approved at our school committee meeting. If only Christopher Thrasher's name uh was in the capital improvement planning committee.

Okay, that resolves that.

The next one is Mr. Gendro who's just spoke to us audit committee.

Mr. Gendro and Mwah last year were voted to two-year terms. If you recall, we had to get the sequencing of expirations to where they should have been. So, we were both approved on uh whatever meeting it was effective 71 uh 25 to a two-year term. In those terms, both of us, me and my my friend Mr. General will expire on 6:3027.

Okay.

So, he's already on the committee.

Doesn't need to be appointed.

No further direction needed.

Yeah. So, we'll update our our records, our database.

All right. So, then I'll entertain a motion to appoint Christopher Thrasher to the capital improvement planning.

Second.

All in favor? Oh, no. I didn't I didn't move it. I said Iain a motion.

Make a motion to appoint Christopher Thrasher.

Second.

All in favor? I I that's uh four in favor and one absent. We have a request from the recreation director, Dana Stewart, to appoint the following as camp counselors, Brooke Crocker, Angelo Gonzalez, and Adrien Gonzalez.

M to approve.

Second.

All in favor?

I.

I. Four in favor and one absent. We have a very lengthy list of appointments. Does somebody want to volunteer to read them? which okay so we put a hold on any that you want to put a hold on ready so we'll entertain a motion to approve all of these go ahead fiscal year 2027 appointments permanent action officer Chris Vitali affordable housing trust fund Craig Dutra affordable housing trust fund Gay

Gillespie affordable housing trust fund Patrick Long affordable housing trust fund James Sabra at cultural commission Mary Cohen Eric disabilities act coordinator Chris Matelli assistant harbor master Kevin Carter Assistant Har Master Andrew Manchester, assistant harvester Joshua Moser, assistant harvester, James Perry, beach committee.

Sean Leech, beachwalking path committee.

Michelle McCarthy, beachwalking path committee.

Bike is bike.

Bike walking. You don't have to give me the committee. You can say the committee and then all the people.

Okay. Um, following for bike walking path committee, we got uh Keith McDonald, Megan O'Brien, Gail Rodri Rodri, Shauna Tease, the Bristol County Advisory Board, we have Shauna Tease.

Cable Advisory Board, we have the following. Joshua Braum, Carrie Kuna, Robert Da, Renee Koman. The Capital Improvement Planning Committee, we have Susan E. Brighten, Richard W. Brewer.

Richard W. Brewer twice.

Twice. I got two votes. There you go.

Love you on that one.

Chris Vitali for the chief procurement officer. We have Chris Vitali. For the climate resiliency committee, we have John Bullyard. Uh Jeff Canton, Robert Daylor, Constance Gee, Jake Mcwigan, Wendy Nicholas, Michael Sullivan, Shauna Tease, Philip Weinberg, James Whitland, Michael Yogman. For the Community Preservation Committee, we have Deborah Crosley, David Enis, Betty Slade. For the Conservation Commission

and Shoil Conservation Board, we have Kevin Carter, Paul Jonas. For the Council on Aging, we have Antonio Custodio, Elen Mcliffe. For the cultural uh council, we have Nancy Whitland. For the custodian of tax title properties, we have Shauna Tease. For the economic development task force, we have Susan E.

Brighten. For the educational fund committee, we have Jacob Mcwigan. The hazard mitigation plan committee we have Daniel Baldwin, Michael Burus, Christopher Dunn, Philip Weinberg, James Whitland, Whiten, Whitland, sorry. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act coordinator. We have Chris Vitali.

Historical Commission. We have Deborah Kofi. For the infrastructure oversight committee, we have Christopher Dunn.

MBTA's growth management task force.

Craig Dutra. Municipal Coordinator for Right to No Law. Richard W. Brewer.

Oh.

Municipal liaison to the state ethics commission commission Chris Vitali open space and recreation we have Richard W Brewer uh John Bullard Chris Capone Lisa Fidelberg Costa Shawn Leachch Ross Morren Raymond Reposa Dana Stewart for the parking clerk we have Paula Brown plumbing and gas inspector we have Jason Chimera Joseph Ferrer Samuel Ferrerero.

For the principal records access officer, we have Richard W. Brewer. Oh.

For the public weer, we have Jen Bizilleon, Maggie Diagar, and Noah DeForge, Abraham Mel Melendez, Izzy Peneda, John Sinto, Andrew Dun, and then for recreation commission we have Andrea Dunar. Safety regulation board, Richard W. Brewer. Hold.

You don't want to be on any secondary records access officer Daniel Baldwin.

Gonna get invited to some stuff today.

Christopher Dunn, Chris Vitali, sick leave bank committee Nicole Pearol.

Uh, SMHG Representative Alternate Shauna Tease, Southeastern Mass Health Group Representative Chris Vitali, Southeastern Regional Transit Authority Advisory Board Rep. Susan E Brightton, waterways oil spill coordinator. Jacob McGuigan, water wellness coordinator, southeastern Massachusetts Health Group. Daniel Baldwin, Westport River wershed council, Christine St. Stinton, wiring inspector

Paul M. Burke, David Gonzalez, William Clamundon, and Dne Winstrip.

All right. So, we have hold on three of them for Dick. I'm assuming you're standing. Do you have some sort of a amendment to this? Then I wanted to add something to him. I'm sorry.

Well, let me just see what he's got for.

So, I I I realized why the previous list from the school department uh had two names under capital improvement. The second name, Jason Pacho, was meant to be cable advisory. It was it's the same as he he currently serves on the committee in the school liaison position. Uh the list was meant to have read Christopher Thrasher for CIPC and Jason Pacho for cable advisory.

Okay.

Can we can we vote on that if it wasn't posted?

Uh, we would have to repost that.

Yeah, I think we have to post that one.

So, we can't do that. Sue, did you have comment on one of your Yes. Um, there were two that I was appointed to and two that I habitually have been that I'm not appointed to. Um, Schmigg Representative Alternate, they have you Shona as in there. And Southeastern Regional Transit Authority Advisory Board, they have me.

Yeah, it's incorrect.

I was going to say I'm usually on I'm usually the Schmeg Alternate.

Yeah.

And I'm usually not on Southeast and Mass Regional.

No. The other is custodian for tax title properties.

Wait, hang on. On the Okay, so the SMHD representative, I don't want to I I don't I'm willing, but we can't we can't appoint you to that because you're not on the posting, but then the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority Advisory Board. You're saying that's not you?

That's normally not me.

Okay, go ahead, Dick.

Well, um I apologize for this one, but this one is has your name on it, Se. But the Bristol County Advisory Board. Okay.

That's it's really the Bristol County that's you commissioners advis. Yes, I'm on that.

If you wish that I will mine. Okay. So that that should say me. Okay.

The other one there's two others in another com. So these other things I'm willing to serve but I don't have no idea what they are. Like municipal coordinator of the right to know law.

So I to know what are we supposed to know?

Yeah. So, I don't know.

I don't know what I don't know.

You don't know what you don't know. Um, that's a sad case.

Well, anyway, it appears there are a couple I'm reviewing this right now and just looking at this, there appears to be a couple that either were either they fell out of order.

Okay.

Um, look where Yeah. So where they um Yeah, they it's like the Yeah, actuallyard my recommend So at this point, my recommendation would be we should probably hold on this because I think you're right.

I would like to hold. Unfortunately, after Rick read all of that stuff.

Yeah, I can request all the names to hold it.

Um well, no, because you're right because it is off because waterways oil spill coordinate a I don't have a boom or a boat and I think it should be Dan Baldwin. So I think it's off by one. So it looks like when the query went in for this reappoint, it looks like at some point in time it went off by one of the rows.

So on that attachment, we're going to table that one. So if any committee is in dire emergency before July 6, please contact us. But affirmative action, I feel like take a little vacation if you're on a committee after July 1 that won't have had people appointed to it.

I didn't know what to do if it was an oil spill.

They called me quite a match.

Okay. Keith Novo, we have a request from the IT director, Keith Novo, to authorize the signing of the community compact municipal fibergraph contract.

So um I know you pre Oh no, I skipped one. Hang stay there. But um we have a we have a request from the Westport River Wershed Alliance to hang a banner promoting their summer concert.

Mush to approve.

Second.

All in favor? I I that's four in favor and um one absent. Okay. Now, we have a request from the IT director to authorize the signing of the community compact. So, we we had had this on a previous agenda and we realized we didn't really know what it was about and I know that you have provided a very detailed presentation that was in our packet, but in the interest of time, if can you just like

explain to us what it is that the grant would cover and um why we would be installing it? What's the benefit to the town?

So, um I submitted several grant requests. Uh one of them was the the fiber here that that we actually um received. The request was for 250,000.

Um we were they granted us 237,500.

Uh there is a 5% matching. So that was 12,500.

So the the funding would have broken out into 155,000 for running fiber optic cable. um 25,000 for police details as they were running the cable and then 57,500 of the grant money would be for town required equipment. So network switches and things. So that's um that's hardware that that you know had I not gotten this money would I'd have to go capital request or something like that.

Um, so, um, I did say there's, uh, 57,500 and then with the matching the 12,500 that would have come out to like 770,000 of funds that I'd be able to put towards, uh, our town network infrastructure there. Um, so the grant would uh, cover what would be the what we call the east loop in town. Um, and there's a a map in your in the memo there that that shows what that is. And

if you look at the map that does across the top, that's that's basically the whole county road. So that gives you kind of like your bearings on where you are there. Um in that um this would be the if we ran this fiber, this would be um the fifth out of seven that were initially proposed. Uh so 57s for the town would have these um fiber loops covered in there. Um so why are the

fiber loops important? So when we implemented the fiber backbone, I mean that provided critical new capability to the to the town, right? Um project added new buildings, additional public safety radio sites, all of that was uh implemented in there. We consolidated a lot of the prior telephone um infrastructure, video infrastructure, radio infrastructure um and all the data infrastructure. So, while all of that

was good, um, and we did provide redundancy in there, um, there wasn't the the long-term plan, the long-term vision was to have some resiliency. And the resiliency was in these um, additional loops. So, some people use redundancy and resiliency, you know, in the same, but they're kind of different, right? So, I can do redundancy and have two, say, two network strands going from point A to point B. um that provides

redundancy. But if they're running the same cable bundle, right, and that cable bundle breaks, you've lost you don't have resiliency. So the resiliency comes in where you have a path going in one direction and another path going in the other direction. These fiber loops provide that resiliency um you know for the town infrastructure. So if a cable broke, you would be able to continue to

operate because the signal would find a different way to get there, right? So that's why it's the loops are always important and and part of the long-term um planning. Um you always, you know, I've always looked to put new capability in as soon as possible because, you know, that provides a benefit right away, but having the long-term um strategy and vision to make it better as we go along as funds become available

and so forth. So um so that's why the loops are I mean the grant funds are important, right? I mean getting using other people's money um you know is is helpful when we have to you know put in this new technology. I mean we have um you know millions of dollars now of infrastructure. Uh that would be challenging to go to a capital request and say I I need that money

right. So grants off will offset you know a lot of that um a lot of that request.

Um so in addition to the these fiber loops right in addition to providing the resiliency um they also do provide in a long-term vision some sort of middle mile connectivity um you know and keeping that in mind if we if we ever looked at that you know providing you know internet to to homes and businesses um you would have that infrastructure potentially in place to to be able to support that and then then

to be able to potentially offset um you know costs of of that infrastructure that the count town is currently using and paying for. Um so you know like to remind you also that you know there were public surveys there was a lot of interest back you know in the day uh about you know running running fiber to residents and so forth. Uh there was two town meetings where we talked about you

know running um starting up municipal light and power. Um those are all approved overwhelmingly at at town meetings. So you know that's how we ended up you know looking at doing putting this infrastructure in place.

One was to you know support the town infrastructure and then potentially to provide additional capability in the future should that um desire or you know show up. Um, so I'd also, you know, I also mentioned in the memo there that, you know, we um required over a million dollars in, you know, state and federal grants attributing to fiber installs. We've also received 300 to 400,000 of IT

grants, uh, putting infrastructure in place. So that's gone from anywhere from, you know, running private to town buildings to um uh public radio sites, um running these fiber loops, installing camera systems, um public radio um infrastructures for the police and fire to use, um network switches, servers, computers, um multiffactor authentication, cyber assessments. All of those non fiber things were um

basically by having these grants were cost avoidance to the town, right? the town didn't have to pay for that and that's came from a lot of these grants.

So being um creative in in the grant writing we were able to get you know additional funds not just for fiber but for all these other things that we would have had to um paid for you know out of out of town budget. So um so I'm always you know looking for you know opportunities to to bring that funding in. um you know and when we first put the fiber backbone in um there was a

significant savings as far as you know maintenance was concerned from the old system to the new one it was approximately 60,000 a year and in cost savings associated with that. So there's definitely a benefit for us putting our infrastructure in place and and running that running that infrastructure. Um you know and just as an example of um when we put the public radios in right

all the repeaters and all that stuff um right after that we received notice that the old infrastructure was not going to be supported anymore. So the the company that maintained the the data lines between them were just going to shut that down. So had we not done this, we would have been, you know, there would have been a lot of concerns because we wouldn't have all those repeater radios

and everything that were critical to providing, you know, our services uh to the community. So um we've gained a lot of value over time, you know, by having this infrastructure in place.

So Keith, I had a question. So the the it's kind of hard for me to tell on this map, but um so we have the current town infrastructure has fiber down Main Road, right? Yeah.

And then this one part of this loop is down drift. So you get that alternate location. Does this ultimately hook up to like the fire station or like where does the where does this loop end? Does it connect into the existing infrastructure at the at the south side there?

It will connect into the existing infrastructure that's in place. So this map just shows what was uh what this project is doing. Um, if you looked at the PowerPoint slide, there's a a fuller map in there that shows what the uh long what the proposed complete end to end is.

So, this doesn't show a loop, but that's because the other sections of the fiber, right? But but my question, so like because where I'm going is like massive tree falls down, it takes down all the lines on main road, right? Does this keep does this help keep our public safety up and running then? because the fibers it we if we had that other path then it has another path to get down there.

Yeah.

Yeah. Okay.

That was something I was missing before.

I I appreciate all the work you've done with the loops. Um but I think the the reason that I was hesitant before was um before I had more information about this because I was worried about installing loops that aren't going anywhere and aren't doing anything and aren't likely to do anything. So um I know we got one grant for the loop up kind of north.

Yeah. um that was an economically um underprivileged area. So, we were able to get some special grants there, but it hasn't actually made it to homes yet, right? Because we have not gotten the like you you talked about these are the main loops. These are not the middle mile or the um the last mile, right?

But this particular loop would serve as redundancy for the public safety um if I'm reading this correctly.

Correct. By having the other loops in place, it would provide for redundancy.

Yes.

Right. Okay.

All right. Thank you. Anybody have So I supported I So the Internet Advisory Committee has not been meeting and that's why I was surprised about um this. I hadn't heard about it in advance, but um now that I've had an opportunity to learn more, I completely support um this. It's it would be most of this is funded from a grant. The um matching could be come from the ARPA funds that we've already uh assigned to

this work. Right.

Um, Chris, do you have a recommendation?

Uh, yes. I do recommend that the board authorize the signing of the grant contract.

Thank you. Anybody have anything?

Madam Chair, I make a motion to authorize the signing of the community compact municipal fiber grant contract.

Second.

Is there any discussion?

All in favor?

I.

I. Uh, there's four in favor and one absent.

Thank you.

Thank you. Um, so the next item we had is to execute the employment agreement with Keith Nobo. Um, so nope. You might be interested in the results of this. So we did have an executive session prior to this uh meeting at 5:30 today. That's why it seems like really long.

5.

So at 5:30 this is 5:30 today. We had a meeting um where we discuss as a board um a couple of employment agreements, a couple of lease agreements that are about to come out. So, it's going to sound like we did not talk about this very much in these meetings, but that was because conversation happened in executive session mostly. Um, so we have the vote to approve and execute the successor deployment agreement with

Keith Novo, the IT director just for Keith's benefit. This is what you've already reviewed with him, right? We didn't make any changes.

Uh, that's correct. So, this contract was provided to uh Keith this past week um who had an opportunity to review it.

The language uh has not changed uh to what the board discussed earlier this evening.

Right. Thank you.

Make a motion to vote to approve and execute the successor plan agreement with Keith Novo, IT director.

Second.

Second.

Is there any discussion?

All in favor?

I I as four in favor and one absent. Thank you.

Thank you.

Glad to have you for another year.

Thank you.

Um we have a vote to approve and execute a successor employment agreement with Theodora Gabriel the principal assessor.

This also was discussed in the meeting.

It is aligned with what we had we made one change.

Uh yes. So we did make one change uh with regards to the carryover. Uh so if the board was in support of that change, it would just be to uh approve the execution um as amended.

Okay. Motion to approve.

Second.

Any discussion? All in favor? I I. That's uh four in favor and one absent.

And just for that uh that was as amended.

As amended. Okay.

Oh yeah, that's right.

Thank you.

Request to approve the FY2027 non non is it are we in FY2027 or is it 2028?

Starting next week.

27.

27. Okay. They confuse me. the years request to approve the FY2027 non-UN pay schedule including a 3% out uh cost of living adjustment effective July 1, 2026. So this is an adjustment of the non-UN pay scale. It kind of aligns with the union motion approve second.

Any discussion?

All in favor?

I I that's four in favor and one absent.

Um the leases are also ones we discussed in executive session. We have a request to approve the lease extension agreement with Patricia Souza, present tenant at the Town Farm North apartment.

So move, Madam Chair.

Second.

And just as a a contingent upon uh receiving the required proof of insurance and disclosure for Okay.

My motion is amended to include that.

Is there any discussion? All in favor? I I That's four in favor and one opposed.

Oh, sorry. Three in favor, one opposed, one absent. We have a request to approve the lease agreement with Jennifer Belmir doing business as Katamunk Nursery School for the Town Hall andments.

So moved, Madam Chair, second.

Is there any discussion?

Uh uh same condition as the last agenda item.

So subject to the insurance insurance and the uh disclosure form submitted.

Okay. All in favor?

I oppose. Uh that's four in favor and one absent. We have a request from the highway surveyor Chris Gonzolves to execute a construction contract for PJ Keating Company in the amount of $470,830 for the Sanford Road pedestrian and roadway safety improvement project.

Uh Chris, you want to tell us about this?

Uh sure. So, I know that this is uh been on the agenda, but this is the uh actual request to execute the construction contract with heating the amount of 470 um $530 of work includes granite curbs, sidewalk, driveways, pedestrian ramps, uh crosswalks, striping, signage, and police detail. It's funded through the complete streets grant. It's scheduled for late July through early September,

and I recommend authorization.

And I'm sure I'd make a motion to that effect.

Second.

Any discussion? All in favor? I I. There's four in favor and one absent.

So we have a number of year-end transfers. We already addressed the police personnel, the marine personnel, and shellfish personnel.

Um so we can do this as a um if you have a hold. So I'll entertain a motion to approve select B personnel 48,000 to legal.

Hold. Town hall expenses $18,16045 to legal.

Town hall expenses $5,000 to town hall personnel.

Fire expenses $50,000 to fire personnel.

Veterans benefits 20,000 to veterans graves uh expenses.

And then library personnel, 10,000 to library expenses.

All right. So, we have a motion to approve the town hall expenses, the fire expenses, and the library personnel. All no, the veterans benefits.

Will you put a hold on it?

Yeah.

Oh, sorry. Never mind. Sorry. Sorry.

Motion to approve.

Second.

All in favor?

I I All right. Select board personnel.

48,000 to I just had a question on that. Is that Is that leftover for money that we didn't spend hiring for someone? What What is that 48,000 from? Uh so we did have extra funding within uh the budget.

I believe the account was under uh the administrative assistant line that was previously allocated. Uh so we did have access. Okay. Um all right.

And that's nothing for next year. That's just to close out this year for the that's just for this fiscal year.

Motion to approve.

Second.

All in favor?

I I that's four in favor, one absent.

Okay. The veterans benefits. Do you have a question? Carol doesn't have a lot of pots of money. So I'm kind of curious what the $20,000 is.

Uh so her request, let me pull that up right now.

What it's going to assured her she did not have to stand.

Yeah. So this request is uh to purchase uh the veteran grave markers for cemetery flags on the graves. I know that previously uh she had received private donation funds that she's been working out of for the last several years. Um those funds have uh been expended at this point. Um looking to make this transfer so she can continue making those purchases.

Yeah, those are all beat to heck and there's not very many of them left and they're expensive.

But I think the other part of that question is how does she have $20,000 in veterans benefits?

That's what I'm trying to figure out.

She doesn't have very many pots of money.

Um just that I do not have in front of me. Um but I can certainly follow up and give an answer to the board at your next meeting.

as to why the overage for this fiscal year.

Yeah, but but the idea is she had that money available.

I'll approve it. Just ask her later.

Yeah, I trust her.

Is that a motion?

Yep. Motion to approve.

Second.

All in favor? I I. Those four in favor and one absent.

We have a request to approve the grant agreement with the Westport Youth Athletic Association with the Community Preservation Commission Committee for Tennis and Pickle Ball Courts. was signed.

Do you want to tell us about that one, Chris?

Uh, certainly. So, um, this is You don't know what you said.

A grant agreement with the WIA for 400,000. Um, this is, um, utilizing CPC funds for, um, the mixeduse courts uh, that were recently authorized. Um this grant agreement as laid out is um essentially to authorize the execution of the CPC grant funds and subject to the town meeting article language. Um and do you recommend approval?

I recommend approval.

Okay. Thank you. Any discussion?

Madam chair. Motion to approve.

Second.

Uh any discussion? All in favor? I I is four in favor and one absent.

Request to accept the recommendation of the infrastructure oversight committee RFQ subcommittee for designer selection for the Briggs Road Fire Station link water main extension project and authorize the town administrator to negotiate and execute a contract for AE professional services with the highest ranked I can get it Chris. Um yes. Uh so as the board recalls um the town uh developed a request for

qualifications for um the bid phase services and the construction administration of this segment of the infrastructure improvements. Um the town did put out that RFQ and uh based on our response um uh we and we as being the OC subcommittee evaluated the submission that we received uh we graded it um with Kleinfelder uh being our highest ranked firm um just based on the town's procurement requirements um because we

don't seek a price proposal as part of that. we just seek their qualifications, you know, now we have to go um as a next step and enter into negotiations so we can agree on a final fee. Um so based on the town's procurement process um you know the recommended motion again this evening would be uh to authorize the select board to authorize me to enter into negotiations with Kleinfelder

for professional engineering services associated with the Briggs Road Oakland Avenue Whoop water man water mane improvements and authorize the town administrator to execute the resulting agreement subject to a not to exceed amount of $100,000. And um and I'll just note that that uh recommendation was made in consultation uh with our uh project consultant. Um so we feel that the scope of work won't exceed 100,000

but um if it does that would come back to the board for your sign off.

So, I make a motion to uh authorize town administrator to negotiate not to exceed $100,000 contract.

Second.

Is there any discussion?

I sat on the subcommittee with uh Chris and and Bob Daylor as well and it it was uh we all had a call a couple weeks ago and we all agreed. So, okay. All in favor? I was for Beaver and I was going to delay this one, but you've been sitting here for so long.

Um, review, discuss, and potential vote to call a special election for Prop 2 and a half debt exclusion ballot question related to excess equity treatments. So this is related to the um we had an annual town meeting vote um to talk about or that voted to approve um the author the debt exclusion but that also require then it requires special election. So you have to have both a town meeting and a special election.

Correct. Um, so you want to ex So I'm sure you're probably aware we had a letter from Christensen that was um really suggesting or encouraging us to wait and not correct this at this time. So do you want to talk about those?

Um, our initial at the time that we put this on the ballot on the town meeting, we were under the understanding that and yes, it is legal to run the two elections simultaneously.

Um but we were not aware of all the complications that it would create. Um and at we assumed it wouldn't have as much added expense as it will because the idea was we would have this a special election um at the September primary. Right.

Correct. Correct. So at this time she's asking that we postpone it and I agree. um it's going to create too much confusion for the taxpayers and so forth that I think we should postpone it. I have confirmed with bond council that we can put it on the annual election in April prior to town meeting and then revote it as long as it passes at town meeting in May we will revote it. Um, it doesn't matter

the order if it's at the ballot first or the town meeting first, but the town meeting authorization has an the town meeting authorization we did for May has an expiration date, right?

Correct. 90 days before April.

Correct. Okay.

So, we'd have to have um the election before September 15th.

And at this point in time, it's really going to be so it would be impractical complicated.

it would be impractical for the um for the town the registars and and then um it's there's no particular need we have to rush it like waiting until April and then May again.

No no I don't foresee that we would utilize or really need any of these funds within this fiscal year. So um it's just putting the process in place for the future.

Okay.

Anybody have any comments? All right. So, I don't think we have to take action then because we're not authorizing the election. So, we don't need a vote.

Thank you for hanging out.

Thank you.

Um the signing of the bill warrant authorization. Is that a quick one?

Quit. You couldn't you can start.

This had come up in a prior meeting just with regards to the warrants that get signed ahead of the board meetings. I know there's been discussion about some alternates just in case of not being able to get here signed or being away on vacation. So I think something that bring for consideration right now are you the only authorized sign of the bill?

Uh no myself and the second is Craig.

There was an instance where we both weren't available. So I said to myself, why wouldn't we have all select backups?

There's no there's zero downside to that. And so that's why I proposed it.

That way I'm not around.

Okay. So what would be the what would be the motion?

To authorize all select board members to act as the board authorization.

Anybody have any questions?

Second.

Is there any discussion?

You I could vote for anything right now.

All in favor? I favor one. We are going to defer the dissolution of the committee. I don't think we need to take that on ourselves tonight. Um the child administrator report uh the report is in your packet. Um I just wanted to share um received two letters from Senator Rogers confirming the FY27 Senate budget year marks for Westport. 75,000 was for a traffic study um or 75,000 was for traffic the

Westport public schools at the new high school and 150,000 as mentioned this evening was for the deescalation training. And just want to Senator Rogers and our state delegation to support.

Okay. Thank you. Um we have the minutes of May 11 and June 1.

I make a motion to approve the minutes of May 11th, 2026 as well as the minutes of June 1st, 2026.

Second.

Any discussion? All in favor?

I. That's four in favor and one absent.

Your report on the bill warrant.

Yes, there was only one and weeks ago and million dollar.

Excellent. Thank you.

Um I'm just gonna if anybody has anything they like really want to share about an appointment share that I want to give you the opportunity, but if you have anything you'd like on an agenda, just let me know. We'll put it let Chris and Carla know and we'll put it on the agenda. Okay. Anything like compelling you haven't had a chance to see tonight.

Okay. Do we have You guys are really Yeah, I'm I'm impressed.

All right. Is there any comments and statements from the public?

We have public here.

I'm very very proud of you guys.

I think this time, so our next meeting is on Monday, July 6. Um, but we do have a parade to march in on July 4th. So, look forward to seeing you all then. I have a motion to adjurnn.

Motion to adjurnn. All in favor?

Four in favor. And