 And, Rebecca, since you're just joining us, Paul will not be at the meeting today, nor will Catherine Porter. Okay, I think the folks who are here are here. I don't know. Elizabeth is anybody from the outside tuning in. Can you tell. Okay, there's nobody besides the five of us. Okay. Fabulous five. Let's rock and roll here. So opening remarks and announcements. I don't really have any other than one of the items of the business down under new business, which is to say Yahoo. We have. We have a new HR director ready to be approved. I don't have was she officially approved or she have to be officially approved by the town council. Is that all happened. She was approved on Monday night by the town council. And we'll be starting I think it's December 19. Yes. Right. So, but we'll still add. Maybe we can say a little bit more about, about her when we get to that point. Does anybody have any announcements that you would like to make. Otherwise, and there doesn't seem to be any public ready to comment. So, let's move down to the new business which is update on recruitment of human resources director. And Rebecca, since you were on that committee. Maybe you could say a few words about. Yeah. Um, I apologize for being late this morning I, I have COVID. And I'm like, we just tested this morning and it's positive and it's in my house and I'm just like trying to like I was trying to reschedule classes for tomorrow and like, so. Yeah, but we're safe through zoom. So that's good. The search committee was a work was great. And we had strong candidates and had diverse candidates and I am personally that was like the person we got is the person I definitely wanted so I'm really happy that it turned out that way but I would have to agree with the other ones as well. They were strong candidates so Melissa comes from Berkshire Community College and she went to UMass so I just really liked that. She, she vibes in the university town atmosphere and then has all the law and, you know, you need experience and very well qualified and great personality. So, I think we're very fortunate. So, okay, are you very sorry that we have found a new HR director. Nobody's better than Kay. I am absolutely delighted. And I echo Rebecca's feeling about Melissa I thought she was fantastic. I'm really looking forward to working with her. She was asking Paul when he and I met with her that if there was going to be a mentor and he volunteered me so. Good. Well, we certainly know from hard unfortunate experience we do need to do whatever we can to help this new hire work out. And the productive and happy inner job and effective. Yes, that seems to be the challenge for the town to to keep all this wonderful talent that we have. She's definitely going to want outlets to be public facing ish. Yeah, we did we did we we say we need to do we can to support and I just don't not exactly sure what that is exactly. But she's, I hope she like every other manager person working in the town is going to need a team, like her team, energetic team. So whatever who ever those people are not her supervisor, not her supervisees, but her intellectual team, because she's had that at Berkshire Community College and really loved it, and needs it. So, that's what I think about when I think about support for her who's her team, who's her generative team feedback. And that's a, do you think the personnel board, or any of us might lend an extra hand in that regard, you know, should we. Yeah, I think the personnel board be a great place because it's not just a place for, I don't know, reporting and getting feedback on specific ideas but if we saw it like that or treated it like that, we're your team, we're your team, or one of your teams. Yeah. And what about some of these. I mean, usually when somebody is brought on board and then they need a mentor and somebody to watch out for them. It's usually sort of a long standing person who really knows the ropes but I'm thinking about a couple of our very recent new hires. Like, Earl, for example, or Pam, because they just came out well he, they came on board relatively recently. And so they have recently experienced what she's about to experience when she comes on board. Yeah, that's great. Great. You know, and especially thinking about reporting relationships. Who Earl reports directly to Paul, is that right, or does this. Right, and Melissa will report directly to Paul. Yes. But I foresee her and Pamela working very closely together, which is a new situation because we haven't had a DEI director in the past. Right. And Pamela is a very collaborative way of working. So I see that as a good match. Well, I'll repeat what I said, Yipi and congratulations to the search committee job well done when I saw Paul's initial memo, describing the candidate's backgrounds and qualifications I said, Wow, nailed it again. Good job. And so we just want to make sure this good hire stays around for a while. And I'm going to work as hard as I can to make sure that happens and I hope I'm sure the rest of us will do that also. So, working down on our agenda for the next item under new business is discussion of the part time wage scale. This has been an agenda item for a while and I want to thank Kay very much for sending us the proposal to make an adjustment for the part time wage scale. And which hasn't been, I guess, adjusted for quite a while. And so you want to say a little bit more about that Kay. When we steady substance he did the class, the job description of the classification study and recommended a table that we essentially expected to last three years and we did the last implementation in July by moving to the $15 minimum wage. But when that table was developed, the other levels were all essentially the same throughout the past three years. And we don't have that many people that are at the top of the level. I think there's like six or seven. But just like the non union scale or any of our scales that once you reach the top, there's nowhere to go. And with the non union scales, they have a cola that gets applied. I think we learned our lesson when we applied a cola to the part time scale, a number of years ago that that wasn't necessarily the best way to deal with the part time. And even though that's been suggested. I thought if we just added a step a drop to step that that might be a more acceptable way of dealing with those people that ever have been at the top of the scale. I did that in each of the next two fiscal years. I think it's, you don't need to necessarily approve the one effective in 2024 because that one is not in the budget process but they're starting the budget process for July of 23. So if we could at least have that one settled fairly soon they'll be able to do the budgeting for it. So, it's just an idea if someone else has another idea, you know, it's, we're certainly open to it. Yep. Well, it looks sensible to me. And the rest of you, it's, it's basically a 3% adjustment. Right. Yeah, no, it looks reasonable to me and me too. I like getting ahead of the game and being early on it and right, right thing to do. I just wanted to ask Kay mentioned there aren't too many at the top of the scale already, but are most of those in the library. Yes, yes, right. So, I think five or six of them are in the library. So the majority of those that are at the top. So what happens is other than new hires when you adjust the scale in this manner, people stay on the same step that they're on, but they, they get a 3% increase. Right. So people like election workers, we would probably move back a step or something of that nature because they tend not to keep up with doing increases for for the election workers. So that, you know, that might be one of the areas that's adjusted somewhat, but for the most part, like the library employees would just stay on the step that they're on and get the 3% bump. Yep. Well, let's, I agree with what you said about election workers, although and thank heavens Amherst is not yet a town where election workers might be eligible for hazardous pay duty. Yeah, really. Otherwise, some adjustments might need to be made. Yeah, for them. And I'm glad we're able to do something for the folks at the top of the scale, especially those long-serving folks in the library or part-timers who are very important to keeping it running as well as it's running. So, other thoughts, observations about this, because I'm ready if someone would like to make a motion to approve the 20. It's that's what is it 2023 fiscal year. Part-time wage scale as presented by case low gar. I hear a motion to that effect. I second. All right, any further discussion. All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. All right. That was all three of us. So the motion passes. Hey, now do we do anything about 2024 now. Let me just say we could but something about how we need to get that would be too far ahead. I was going to say no. Yeah, I don't want to think about 2024 now. Yeah, right. I just hope the economy and inflation has, you know, roaring ahead at a scary pace. But I don't I think no harm is done by holding off now on the FY 2024. Yeah. I don't think we're ready to go. All right. When, when it seems more sensible to. Right. It can be brought back next year. Yeah. If we still want to do it. Yep. So again, thank you very much for getting that in front of us. This morning. Okay. Appreciate it. And now on the agenda. We're down to old business staffing report. And that has been sent around. Anybody want to point out anything of interest on that? I can just. Yeah. I was just going to point out that we had four people resign. A police officer, a firefighter, a DPW electrician and a planner. And then we hired. Five for police patrol officers. And a facility maintenance worker. Yeah. So that's a lot of hiring for the police department. Yes. I assume. Those folks. I want to, I did notice that of the four people who resigned to were not exactly around for a long time. They're like two years of service and they're gone. And then is there any. Do we know why they left? Is there any problem? Is the town happy that they resigned? Or did. I mean, the usual explanation is they got a much better paying job somewhere else. Well, the person that was the electrician moved to Tennessee. The. Firefighter was a basic firefighter that was hired for COVID. And I don't believe that he was. Currently pursuing a paramedic degree. So. He probably would have. Been gone at some point. Because we typically hire paramedics to begin with, but. When the people were hired temporarily for COVID. It was, we hired anybody we could get essentially. So, and he was previously on the student force. So he was no quantity, but. And then. The. Ben burger went to mass DOT. As a planner. And. Matthew Selmink went to the town of Irving as a police officer. Okay. All right. Well, let's hope this new crew. Works out. And. This is. Who women hired in the police department. That's great. Hispanic woman is one of the two. And the others are our good old trustee white males. Who are wonderful people to have in the town along with all the. Yes. That's right. Nothing against those folks at all. Any other comments about the staffing report. Tony, I just want to say, I appreciate. I appreciate your. Attention to detail and questions that you ask. I just want to say, I'm always. I just, I'm always, I'm just always happy. You're chairing this committee and. You asked the questions that you asked. No, really. Like that's a good pickup, like to look at how many years, how long were they there? And just to ask about it. I just appreciate it. Well, thank you. Since I'm the, the chair of the board, I figure somebody better. Works with some care. When I appreciate. Thank you. Thank you. Now, speaking of a careful reading. Next item is approving the minutes. Oh boy. Meeting. But you're not going to hear anything from me because I already saw a prior version of these. And a little teeny tiny. They've all been taken care of, but. How about the rest of you? I moved to approve them. I did read them. Thank you very much. I second. There is second. Any discussion. All in favor say aye. Sounds unanimous to me. Next personnel board meeting is a schedule, I think with the question mark for Wednesday, December the 14th. I'm assuming there will be stuff for us to. To talk about, although we did something fairly important today with the, with the pace with the wage scale for part timers. And I think that would mean our new HR director will not yet be officially on board. Right. She'll. Yeah. She won't start until the 19th. So. I don't know if you want to delay. Well, that's what I'm thinking out loud. Yeah. That's what I was thinking. Could we delay and have the meeting be with her. 21st. That would be her third day on the job. I won't be here. Okay. That's okay. If there's everyone else's. Okay. Okay. Is she going to be in shape to, to just make an appearance at least at the, at the personnel board meeting. On her third day, you know, she just. Yeah. Yeah, I'm not entirely sure. I mean, it might be better to. Skip December and go to January. Well. I disagree. I. Only because I met her twice. And I think if even if it was just a friendly. We're here. We're the airs personnel board. We are so psyched. Right. And here we want to get on the radar with you. I don't want to come in after the fact. I want to be on the front end with her. Well, then let's. Yeah. I don't want to be on the front end. It's a busy week. It's a holiday week, but that's invited to spend a few minutes and have a cup of coffee with the personnel board. Yeah. I'm the 21st. And. So not everybody's here on the 21st. Is that right? But. Yes, I will not be here. Can't make it. And let's. Even if just a couple of us could even. We're limping along now or let's assume. To make it and Paul and. And so I like that idea of shoving it back and let's hope it doesn't, you know, put too much pressure on. Melissa. And we will be sorry to miss you. Tammy. Hopefully get to meet her later. And Kate, thank you for helping out. Yeah. Oh, no problem. It's been wonderful. Something tells me you, you may be stepping down as the interim, but you're going away. I don't think you're. No, I don't have any plans to go away. Hey, I want you to know if I had reaction buttons in zoom, I would be. Putting up a heart or a celebration thing. I don't have reaction buttons. You can, you can clap. Thank you. Thank you for everything you've done. Yes. You're here. So are there anything, is there anything else we should be talking about? Big decisions, small decisions, no decisions. How about a decision to adjourn? I make a motion to adjourn. A second. All right. We're out of here. Thank you very much. All right. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Bye-bye. Bye-bye.