 All right, we'll call the meeting to order 631. And I think that needs to be amended for the agenda. Are we good to approve it? We're good to approve. I don't think we're going to need an executive session. Once I do, it's how managers report, but we'll leave it on there just in case. Okay. The agenda is written. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. All right. All right. We have no appointments this evening. So we'll move right to public comment. So if there's anything under public comment that anybody would like to. Express this would be the time that's not on the agenda. I'll look to in person first, and then we'll go to the. I want to comment on your second item. She has no public comment. Okay. Okay. I'm going to see what's in the chat. Okay. All right. So here in no public comment, then we will move forward. First on the agenda is a request of. Appointment to the DRB board. So as you saw in Dana's letter, he's interested in the PC too, so we didn't vote last time and the PC has to vote first and then make their recommendation to the select board. So tonight it'll be the DRB. And then after the PC meets in February, we'll most likely ask him to appoint him to the PC. There's Rick. Rick aware. Oh yeah. Yes. Well, he's very excited. Okay. He wanted him for the DRB and was. If he didn't, if he had to choose between two Rick wanted him on the. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. But Dana said he'd do both. So. Which is nice. Yeah. Okay. So. Any further discussion on Dana or just needed. Yes. Many, many years ago. I don't know. He's worked for the state. And for years, his letter said, and. He said. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know the procedures. Very smart man. Nice. I don't know about school board, but. Probably so. They raised. Many, many, many years ago. Yeah. He says our two children attended better schools. Yeah. Yeah. Move to a point. Dana. We'll let this go to the DRB. Second. Okay. All in favor. Aye. Aye. And we have a letter of reservation. From the. Recreation committee. D. Yeah. Yeah. So I'd like to make a comment. Sure. In 2015, the whole situation with staff and programs. We had a lot of parents coming to the committee and parents went to the town administration and the committee went to the town administration, because things were not going right at the pool for the summer concerning programs and certain staff members. The administration didn't do just sort of ignored our concerns. So, in September, we were delighted the committee was delighted when Corey Stearns introduced us to Deidre Feeney with her background of waterfront and she been a waterfront director at a camp in New York. We were delighted to meet her and she joined our committee and she started helping us with things that we could present different policies for the center in the pool. Job descriptions because there were either none or a lousy one for the pool director. And so we worked with her and she helped us so much with changes concerning the pool, and then when and programs at the center and in the fall of 2000 and I forget. And I think in 16 I forget what year. Yeah, the fall of 2017 when Greg Maggard and Katie the bookkeeper came to us and said, we think, instead of having college students we should have an adult, and the committee was excited in 2011-12 we had a math teacher that was the pool director, and he did a fabulous job. So, so we thought that Greg's idea and Katie's idea was terrific. And so we turned to Deidre and said, Would you be interested in applying for pool director and she said, Yeah, I think I would be interested to apply. And we were so excited. And since then she has been such an asset, we can't we are. We are so grateful with all her implements of programs and Friday fun nights and helping establish good swimming lesson things and new lifeguards and getting training for lifeguards that weren't done in the past, and, and helping so involved with the ice skate rink now we have an ice skating rink in the winter, and fundraising and saving our swings and moving a wonderful area for playground and and all the fundraising for the park and all her good ideas and all her energy and things that she's she has contributed. So we wish her well and we are so grateful that she's been such an asset to our committee and we wish her well. I didn't know all that that's really interesting. I didn't know some of that stuff I didn't. I didn't know you had a math teacher that did it before this. Yeah, we did and then we went back to just have college students it was always cause and then we had this wonderful math teacher that did for a couple years and then he moved back to the Midwest, and then we went back to college students. And so I, I remember when she had to write the bloodborne pathogens balls. Yeah, Mr. You know you've got a good one if someone's willing to do like go through all the yeah and do all that stuff. Yeah, we did. There was so much that needed to be done that. Yeah, that weren't being done. And it just, and she's went on. Yeah, she's working on to make sure. Yeah, next person was like really trained and has all this stuff together and yeah so she's been working on that too. That's good. Yeah, which is nice. Because we were concerned that it went on deaf ears from a lot of years. Yeah, no. Yeah, she's been such an asset. Oh, that's so nice, Ellie. What is the process for, because I know we're going to probably need a new pool director I know she's going to go through this year but is that a wreck like is the rec committee. Take that honor is that a town, we just know it's a town thing. Yeah. Yeah, but you know, it's Ellie and no Ellie knows everybody so she might know someone who was lying and but they, you know, we'll do a higher committee just like we did before so yeah we've been to start with someone and then kind of phase out over the summer and let this they don't like she said they don't want me breathing down their neck all summer they, you know, so she's hoping that. Yeah, because for a long time we interviewed for lifeguards and stuff but we, we said in in 2016 that that we we changed a lot of things that we were doing we just didn't feel that it was our, our thing. There's a lot of things to do. So, yeah, it's, it's, it's rightfully a town. When is when's your next meeting. February 1. And where is that located at the town office. February 1 and March 1 two meetings to get ready for town meeting. Yeah. Now we have it at the town office. Is that what you're reading at seven because Shane works late and and he can't get there until seven. I was trying to talk to my daughter and joining her committee. Oh, very nice. Have an input from the school side. Yeah, get it on for college applicants. Yeah, yeah, we have advertised for students to be on in the past and I think Gabriel did a little bit. He did a little bit at one time by about we want people to the diversity. Yeah. So I just need a motion to accept each of his letter of resignation. Thank you for all the work she has done for the energy committee. The red or the red committee and the year and a year will serve you. Hey, all in favor. Hi. Hey. And we have a second class liquor license approval. It's all online. They have a gorgeous like everything they have a portal. So there's nothing for you to sign anymore. And the only reason the tobacco licenses in here is because Pam wanted all together. So you can see that it's slow and low groceries is the name of the business but it's, you know, but it is Bethel central market. But no signatures. Right. So you make a motion approve and then she has to go into this portal and she enters the day of your meeting and everything and when you approved it. Okay. So we have a motion to approve second class liquor license for slowing, slow and low groceries. Hey, all in favor. Hi. It's also application for tobacco. No, it's the used to go in front of select. No, it's not. Pam just wanted it all together. So she just gave them both copies because she wanted to stay together. And then we have the certificate of highway mileage for the year. Yep. Ending it. Right. No changes. Nope. No changes. Next year. I'm looking at with some of the with some of the third class roads that are not up to standards. Is that No, they'll deal with it. They, they already took one off that wasn't up to standard. Okay, so Yeah, once we make those, if we move forward with the discontinuances this year, then this next year will be adjusted, but for now it's not. And this does require signatures. Is that class 356 supposed to be 5622. Yes, I just fixed it. I just noticed it. So thank you. I just corrected it on the original. So that will just require motion and signatures. So move. Hey, all favorite. Here you go right here. What is a class one lane, you know, I don't know the one I don't know because there's nothing on there. We don't have one so I don't know here you go. I don't have to know because we don't have to know because we don't have one. That's right. I don't know. You never know we might have one. I've never heard we do today. That's one lane means. I don't know how to ask somebody I don't know. What. Have to ask. I'll Google it tonight. True. I'm sure it's been on there every year. I just never. Yeah, no. I mean, it must be a lower end because it's in there with class four and legal trail. Yeah, I don't know how you're making me. It's a very well, you're single lane highway. That's right. Or is it not paved because it's like down there with like all like the lower end. Yeah, you know, is it a downtown that's dirt. Oh, here we go. It says right here class one town highway lane miles are sections of class one that may be divided or multi lane sections. Let me click on it. Here we go. Weird, huh? Okay, here it says frequently asked questions by God you're not alone is right here. There are sections of class one that may be divided or multi lane section these miles are in addition to the class one miles and in some years get supplemental funding, but are not used in the standard appropriation calculation for state aid for maintenance funding. Class lane one class one lane miles need to meet specific criteria to be included. This is just talking about a lane with at least 10 feet. Calculation of length shall not include any tapers and will commence when the width of the lane has reached a full 10 feet. A lane will be only considered if it is identified by appropriate lane striping. Turning and holding lanes shall not be included unless a length of such lane exceeds 200 feet. This sounds like maybe this would affect Burlington Montpellier sounds like more like a one way. Yeah. Right one lane. Yeah, great. Yeah, so it'd be like the entrance primary and secondary direction so yeah that could be. Yeah. So there you get some lanes me mama straight from the train. How much funding do you get out of it? That's right so that's, that's the answer. I'm sorry. Yeah, I'm trusting that I learned something. That's right. Everybody learns something. It's a very educational Denise not just all fun. Everybody's signature. And just continuing on with the final of the budget discussions. So I gave you the version that is going to go in town report so it doesn't have to be legal size and you know I don't have to make multiple copies so this is the one that will go in town report. So just remember this does not include the additional money for the library, the additional money for the phase two of the skate park or the additional $1000 for the playhouse. So those would be that's not in a budget you're presenting that would be additional to this that's why. So when it says that you know the amount to be raised by taxes those are not included. So that's the final meetings. Yes, absolutely. We are going to have them on the full February meetings. Yep, they are going to be. Whoops, you don't want that. Hang on I gotta look at my calendar because I just put them in. They're going to be February 13th, 20th and 27th we usually have a special meeting which would be the February 20th will be a special meeting. We always do a separate one just for informational. Yep, we will we do it. Yeah, I'm actually I don't, we don't have I think we did it last year on the 13th as well, just as a small portion we just went over the warning, the 20th will do a totally special meeting. That'll be the only thing on the agenda is that and the bond informational we always do a special meeting before a town meeting, and then the 27th will we have to legally do the 27th. Oh, yeah. So, so, but we've always kind of that way it gives people more opportunity. That way we have had, you know, two regular select board meetings to discuss it plus a special meeting. Just try to get a do our part to get the word out. So the, again, the breakdown on that is the base. The base budget that doesn't include the extra money for the library, the extra money for the wreck department skate park and the playhouse. That's a 2.3 cent increase over last year. And then the add ons if you add all the add ons that could be as much as 2.8 cents and extra. So if, if you got voted in the base budget with all the add ons that would be 5.1 cents. That's how that how the math comes out. Currently on the house. You can see it looks at the other thing too that looks so funny when you see the tax rate sheet that we do. When we're looking at this, you can see that when you look at the amount to be raised by taxes, it says 9.69% but because we've had growth in the grand list. That helps us out so we actually aren't going to be taxes are not going to go up 9.69% because we have had, you know, because we had the growth in the grand list so it's actually going to offset it just like it did last year. I hope your powers on Ellie when you get home. You can stay and be warm. So, um, so we do have. So just so we know that's, if someone sees this, oh my God, taxes are not going to go up 9.69% because of the growth in the grand place so just want to make. Yeah, the growth in the grand list ate about half of that. Yeah, half of the potential increase so. But if you it's it's hard but like from some of the information I've gotten from other areas of the state right now with budgets like you see a lot of them that are over 10. Like over 10%, you know, which means you know, I don't know what that is for their enemies on the dollar but you know, so many of them you hear over 10%. And again just looking at ours I mean if ours had a growth of nine, over 9%. And I was looking at it like, you know, right out of the gate three, 3% of that was just inflated cost over last year. So, fuel salt and those, those materials that have gone up. Just right out of the gate three 3% of that was just eaten on inflation pieces. You know, we have some money that's in this one to take care of the matching funds for our for grant projects that we have. And it's probably a recent hour talking about this, you know, with everything with the interest rates going up and some of the commodities going up it's, you know, just, you might be on the tail end of doing work for, you know, best bang for your buck right now you might have to sit on some projects for a while until, you know, costs of things come down, or, or you might be stuck. Yeah, paying exorbitant prices, you know, and, you know, we're seeing that like on the waterline to we'll talk about you know, for last time we were talking about a 0% interest rate that you're at 2% now already, right, because they raise the yeah median household income and it took a. And a lot of, and a lot of the work we have to do on that waterline is, we got to do it regardless to get our to keep our permanent some point right so we don't do it now when do we do it and how much more will that cost us. Yeah. So we're already seeing how everything's coming up and. We can't add users to the system right now either and they're not willing to take Dana's like I'm basically not willing to take that off till we, you know, so. So I think overall, like analyzing the budget and looking at what other people are doing. I feel very happy about our budget but the only thing I would just caution is that we have to, you know, if our budget continues to grow at this rate which, you know, maybe this year is this and not normally but hopefully, but our growth in the grand list will not continue to grow. So, you know, we would have to make some tough choices here. Next year, the year after cost continue to grow, but the grand list doesn't. Yeah. But, but for this year, it worked out well. And we may be okay for the next couple of years, you know, doing the reappraisal and, you know, so we'll have to see but yeah, you're right. It's always tough. So the budget. It's gone up 10 and a quarter. I'm looking at page two of two. Yeah. Income revenue has gone up 13. Yeah, because of that, because of whatever, whatever, 50,000 in the transfer station. Right. And so the amount to be raised by taxes is 969. Yeah. I mean, and that will be impacted by the grand list. Yes. Right. So I'll cut it almost in half. And then, you know, so we're at just under a 5% increase. On our end of things. Okay. So what do you need is the motion to approve the budget. This is what we're going to go to the voters. Because this is what's in the morning. Right. Any further discussion with the budget, Dave, you're on. Good. You're good. Okay. All right. So I guess. The budget. Second. Yeah, on favor. I just have it. And then we have the town meeting warning and discussion of the most recent. So I put those in backwards. I guess you need to talk about each 42. Obviously everybody knows it gives you the right to move. You know, back to Australian ballot and not do it in person. But you also know if you do that. You can't vote. Number one has the. Mailing of town report and one doesn't. Yeah. If you go to Australia ballot, you can't vote on, but if we move it. Yeah, we could. No. If you, to me in person, we can vote on, on whether or not we will vote in person on whether or not next year, we will elect officers by Australian ballot. If we held. If we had an in person meeting, but we changed the date. Moved the date. Yeah, you could still, yeah, we could still do that. Yeah. Sorry. Yeah. So, I mean, because this authorizes. Either or. Right. It's true it does. You know, I mean, I think people hold state law about. I think people know when town meeting is state law allows people to get time off work to attend. Obviously the other thing that impacts us is. We don't really want to move town meeting because we need to do the bond vote in order to. Well, I mean, and we still could do the bond vote because it's Australian ballot, but. But it would be weird. I wouldn't even, we'd have to figure out how to do the warning because we would still want to move forward with the bond vote in March. So it would end up having to be probably like a whole different bond warning like our one in November was number when we voted in November of 2018. Maybe to do the bond vote. So we would have to. Warn, you know, a whole bond. So just obviously it would change some things if you were going to do that. Yeah. I wonder what the special alternative procedures that they gave the town of Brattabereau and North. Oh, I know. I don't know. Well, with those, with those caveats. Yeah. Sure. But, um, It's on a desk. Oh, I thought it was signed. I wasn't sure. Well, and for us, we are town. Report goes to the printers tomorrow. Yeah. Yeah. So this is basically when you need to sign. Yeah. So I actually from our last conversation last meeting, I spent some time kind of sitting with this and with the different kind of points that were being made. And I feel like as. As tempting as it is to want to sort of push it off. I actually think kind of your point of like, people know when this meeting date is we have a lot of, we have a lot of things in motion. And we're also we're, we're setting this up in a space that we can do it. And we can do it. And we can do it in a space that we can do it ourselves. If they're concerned. And I think the unfortunate reality is that there will be some people who maybe choose not to come. If we hold it in person. For their safety. But the, but the fact is there are ways to stay safe and do this. And we're sort of in this mode of. Shifting where, you know, life has to kind of get back into gear and we have to do the right things for ourselves and our peers to keep each other safe, to keep ourselves safe. And we have a lot of things that we can do as individually, individuals to keep ourselves safe. And to keep others safe. And that, you know, maybe it's that the town says we're going to hold this in person. And we really recommend that people. Consider the safety factors and the health risks and we'll have masks on hand. If you want that. We have hand sanitizer. Pam got a bunch of PPE from the secretary of state's office. So we will definitely have that available. So we have a lot of things that we can do. We have a lot of things that we can do. We have a lot of things that can come in either on the, to vote or, and if they choose not to come to town meeting, they still can vote for their school board officers. As well. Do you vote your school budget via Australian ballot? What's that? Do you vote your school? No, just the officers. All right. So the officers and you can still vote for the bond vote and you can still vote for whether or not you want to go us. Yeah. So we're going to have those things and Jean has started. You know, looking for pies and don't. Yeah, Jean. Gosh bless. Yeah. You're worried and eat your pie outside. Burnham is going to, you know, is putting the word out to spearhead, you know, that, and we are going to put out an email tomorrow to all the committees asking them to be present or to have a, you know, even doesn't have to be anything advanced. Just be there. Tell them what you're up to answer questions, maybe people volunteer. Yeah. So I think there's a lot of people who really want to meet. She just feel that normalcy and have that connection. And there's some major issues that we've been pushing off for a few years that I think it would be. Almost at this point detrimental to push them off for yet another year. Not disagree. Yeah. No, I know. It was something I wanted to discuss. Brought it up and I really sat with it for the last couple of years. And I was like, Oh, I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't think I had a strong opinion one way or another. And I sort of had to think about that like, oh, what, what are you thinking about this? I think one thing that I would ask is that we. Designate. At least some area that it is. Social distanced. So that if there are people who don't want to, that's a place they need to stay out of. I mean, because the bleachers are all anyone could socially distance in the bleachers and. Cause, but I don't want a non-vaxxer. Non-vaccine person. To say, well, I know you're all socially distanced, but I'm going to come and sit in the middle. Oh. I don't know. I mean, I'm not sure. I don't know who's a vaxxer. I remember that's been proven at this point that vaccination or no vaccination, you still can spread. Well, it doesn't matter what your vaccine. My point is. But I hear you want to be crazy world where there are people who may. Choose to. You know, be in your face about it. But maybe that it's easy as like, like Chris was saying, like the bleachers kind of allow for a little bit more distancing and people tend to congregate on the side, you know, closer to the pies that tends to be a bit more full. And the side on the other side tends to be a bit emptier. And so maybe we just designate that as, you know, this side is for social distancing. Or high risk individuals. I can ask Pam about it. I mean, just remember those social distancing guidelines went from three feet down to three feet. So three feet. Okay. Really. You know, not, you know, one arm length at this point. I don't think people even think about that anymore. They just think about they're going into a place where there. A lot of people and they're not comfortable. So they're going to mask out. And they're going to sit a little bit further away. Us being able to provide mass and yeah. And any type of. Yeah. And you certainly could. You could rope off a piece and just say, you know, if you want to, I mean, I don't know. Section kind of sets people into a category. Yeah, that's, you know, excluded or called out. Yeah. But we definitely will have hand sanitizer. We will have masks. We will have, I mean, you know, there's plenty of room. We all know people. You could certainly stand in the back or opt with, you know, you can just sit in the front. And it's plenty of room. I've never felt really crowded there. I can also ask when they set up, maybe to put a little bit more room in between the seats of people. You know, John. I'll be always sets up, so. And I think for the most part, normally there's more chairs than there are people that sit in them anyways. to sit in the first like half a dozen rows, but then the back rows are pretty empty or, you know, I think there's opportunities that you could place a couple less chairs and space them out and still have the opportunity for the same amount of people to sit down. Yeah. So the other thing is the, so as far as the warning goes, there's two, two warnings you could see. So one asks, number 18 asks, shall the town provide notice of the availability of the annual report by postcard mailed to all registered voters at least 30 days before the annual meeting instead of mailing the report to the voters of the town. So this was a question that was brought up actually Penny at Spalding Press because they print it, but they also mail it for us and with postage has increased. And so she asked the question, have you ever considered, which a lot of towns do this? You could say, you know, they'll be available for pickup at the library at the town office and if people call, you can mail them to them if they want. So it was something that she asked. So the postage isn't a big difference for sure. There is some savings there, but I think what you will find as I have found in other towns, once you, when you stop mailing them like that, more people read it online and you end up printing less town reports. So I think the real cost savings comes from the less amount of town reports that you would actually print. I mean, I still say, if we printed the delinquent tax list, utility list, marriage, deaths, births, marriages, deaths and births, you know, there'd be like, we could do this on four pages and that's what would go because having run a landfill before you would be saddened by how many end up in the landfill very quickly or the transfer, you know, station very quickly. So Penny had asked, I told her that it would, this, you know, this was it. You had tonight is why, that's why I made two different meeting or two different ones. Someone says I have a comment. Oh, Dave, Dave, it says school instead of Dave. I don't know. I don't know why it does that. It changed on its own. I didn't do it. That's okay. I don't know about anybody else in town, Bethel, but getting mail is not a regular thing anymore. So we're required to provide reports within a certain amount of days of the meeting. And if we don't get them out a lot sooner than we have, there are people who are not going to have them 10 days before the meeting because I'm getting mail. I get mail once a week, some weeks, twice a week, some weeks. And if delivery misses that once a week until the next week, I might not get the report until the day after the meeting. It's true. And unfortunately for us, I mean, we will have mailed them in plenty of time, whether they get delivered or not is beyond our scope, but you're right. We just got our mail today after three days. Okay, well, I just wanted to make sure that I know we are obligated to have it in people's hands in a certain amount of time and that it may be the post offices issue, but are we still held to the obligation? Well, the good news is we don't mail, these won't get mailed out of Bethel. These get mailed out of Barry because a couple of years ago, Bethel does not want us to mail, but it is about distribution. And I know she's so short of staff. I mean, the postmistress herself is delivering mail. So I'm not sure. I mean, as long as we can prove which we will, because it goes to the printers tomorrow, so we will have them in the mail. Yeah, so we have all the proof that we mailed it. It also will be on our website so people could access it there. And we'll make sure we put that on Facebook and front porch forum. So we will have holed up our legal obligation, but you're right, I know that it has been a struggle. We just got our mail today after three days. So I think, obviously they're doing the best they can. So anyway, so what this would do is this would relieve us of mailing the actual town reports. We would still be mailing a postcard to all residents. This is registered voters. And I think we also, and we also do the, we merge it. So we do registered voters and property owners, you know, that are in Bethel because you could be a property owner in Bethel and not a registered voter. So we do try to cover and get as many people as we can. So this would just give you a postcard saying, it's online. This is where you can access or you could pick it up at the town office or you could pick it up at the library or wherever else you want to distribute it from. Yeah, you'd have to. So if you choose to, it does. And Australian? No, no, from the floor vote, it's number 18. And I think putting it on the one and put it to the voters to vote about it. Yeah, I just wasn't sure. Like I said, Penny brought it up to us and I'm like, that's good thinking, you know, it's now or not till next year. So I just didn't know how people felt. It's not so much. A couple of hundred bucks is not a big deal. But like you say, it's down the line. You may not have to print as many. And as Dave mentions right now, things are really difficult post office and probably gonna be the same. We're probably gonna continue to see that over the years until they get staffed back up to where they need to be. Yeah, my guess is we'd go from printing like 705, which is what we're printing this year to probably 500, because the people that don't read it, that don't want it, that aren't going to look at it. And we obviously will bring some with us to town meeting. But again, it wasn't my choice or frankly, but she had asked. And so I said, well, we'll do two warnings and they can pick the one they want to sign. I don't have any problem with both their choice. No, I mean, I think the, I don't really have a preference either way on. And I think the thing I'm a little worried about of course is, we go from no town meeting the last three couple of years and then we get a really full warning of things that we, more items than we're normally used to by far. So do we somehow overwhelm people of, oh my God, we got so much stuff to do. Or is it just the, this is what happens when we haven't had it in a couple of years. We can all lift up that pile up that we gotta get off our plate now. But I'm thinking at this point it's gonna have to be- Town meeting agenda, I don't think it matters. But at this point it's gonna have to be pie and maybe a lunch or, you know, I mean, we're almost getting to dinner here at this point. So- Well, some of it, I think we'll go quickly. I mean, the election of officers always seems to go quickly and that's a big portion of it here. And then, you know- Of course, we already get down to 17, 18. Yeah, the budgets have been good. And yeah, some of this stuff- By the time we get to 18, it may only be half the people there, but. Yeah, this is a full warning. Yeah, and it's also unusual because you do have the discussion and there may not be much of a discussion because we will have also had three on- and budget informationals. So hopefully people have attended those. I mean, sometimes it's just us in here, but hopefully people have attended those so they don't have- And we will have mailed a mailer and it will be in town report. So hopefully people, maybe there'll be less questions because people will have read, you know, all the information. We put a little blurb in the- Dave has- I know a lot about the special meetings. We could, yeah. Three meetings. Hang on a second. Dave's got something in the chat, I got read. This agenda only has about three more articles. That's what Dave said. Yeah. And why is it to have to be number 18? Why can't you put it above? Is there any more business to conduct or do we agree to do it in four equal installments? Those are the articles that people leave on. Yeah. So instead of being 18, won't it be 16? I think, well, I don't know. I was just kind of the way I just added it on at the last minute. And I think people will stick around for number 17, which is, shall the town of Bethel elect its town officers by Australian ballot? I think that will be a good hold for people to stay through the majority of the meeting. And if they've gotten that far, I can't imagine they'd run out on number 18. You know what I mean, Dave? Because I think a lot of people just saying, if someone's worried that we had number one and we have a lot more articles, there really isn't that many more articles. And I agree, usually the last two are really a, I could tell you what's gonna be the vote on it next year, year after, year after. It'll be yes and yes or yes and no. But so as far as more articles, I'm not concerned. The only thing I would say was if you were worried, move it up. I don't think there are any rules or anything about where it's placed within the warning. No, no, but it's just the way it... I mean, I'm going with it the way it is. I'm just offering. 19 articles. We have another question. Owen, after the budget informational hearings, can the budget be amended before going to town meeting? No, it may only be amended on the floor, Owen. You good with that, Owen? And then it depends on the size of the amendment. Yeah, and it also depends. So, Owen, the thing is, if the budget is amended on the floor, obviously it has to be a motion and a second. The other thing is when it is, if the budget is amended on the floor, say, for example, somebody wants to cut $10,000 out of the budget, they cannot tell the select board where to cut the money. They can make a recommendation, but in the end, it will be the select board's choice if the money, say money had to be cut. If money was to be added, obviously you'd have to get enough at the time, and it couldn't be added. A new item couldn't be added to the budget. You have to vote on the budget as it's presented, unless say you want to add an extra 500 to the food shelf or something, you could do that, but you couldn't add, like say all of a sudden, you want to give $10,000 to AARP. Does that make sense? I got a thumbs up. And you can't change the question. So if the intent of the question is changed, that becomes a major change, which can't be amended from the floor, so like make it up. If someone got up and said, the Australian ballot question for officers and someone got up and said, well, I would make an amendment to do everything Australian ballot. Yeah, you can't do that. That couldn't take place because that changes the question. Yeah, he'd asked specifically about the budget numbers, but did you have a specific concern or question, Owen, about the budget? No, no, I was just wondering, so I can, if people ask me, you know, at the bar, I have the right answers. Oh, sure, no, happy to help. I just wanted to make sure if you had a specific question that we answered you. Okay, thank you. You're welcome. I got a question that I don't think I've ever seen asked, but maybe it will be. Can you amend a article to the point of, can we omit article 17? No. Nope, that'd be a major change. You can vote it down. Like you can't vote, you can't vote it, you stop, piece me a vote down, is it? It would have to be like for, let me just look at the, let me give an example. Shall the town of Beth-Electon's town officers buy Australian ballot? You have to vote it up or down, you'd either say no, or you can't omit it, you just would have to, the majority would either say yes or no. Thank you. You're welcome. So we call this the new draft or? I don't know what you want to call it. I guess that's one you're going to sign. You could just say motion to approve town meeting warning, because this is the one. Okay. And approve the town meeting warning with 19 articles on it. There you go. There you go. I'll second that. Okay, all in favor? Aye. And let me just pass it around, so you will have to sign. I'll try to stop by tomorrow to sign whatever needs to be done. Sure, thanks. If you don't feel up to it, Dave, if you're not feeling good tomorrow, we have, you'll have four signatures on it. So you'll be okay. But if you, but feel free to come by. So if you're, but if you're not feeling good, don't feel pressure. Alrighty. All that's being passed. It would be good if the town reports were on the first page of the website. Yeah, once it's done. So the link be right there on the first page. Yeah. So it's easy to, it may be, I'm just. Yeah, I'll have to look. I don't know. I'm just making that suggestion. Yeah, I'll make a note. Cause I can't, I think it is, but I'll make a note. Link. I think right now it's like. The fewer people, the fewer times people have to click on something better. Usually we do put it on the main page. I think so. Towards, well, I want to say towards the bottom, but. Yeah. It's usually at the bottom. Where the audits are and the new page, we haven't put anything on the new page yet. Yeah. I'll have to ask her. I don't know. Or I'll have to look at the website on site. I can't remember. Well, I just, I just strongly suggest that it should be prominently displayed. Yeah. No, definitely. Yeah. And we will put a link on from porch forum and Facebook and all that stuff too. So. And when we put something in the newspaper and there's a whole thing. Right. So we have a discussion of the declaration of intent. For the waterline project. Yep. So it's the declaration and adoption of declaration intent. The necessity resolution. And there's also a bond issue morning on here that you'll read. It doesn't slamming emotion. But those are the two that you'll. That you'll do. So. I put something on each of your. Tables and I've been working with Mike Maynard. I gave you information in the. Report here. Hmm. Talking to you about. Budget numbers and stuff. So. What. What I did find out today from Mike Maynard is that. We. Excuse me. Beth was not going to qualify for any. Disadvantaged subsidy. The state of Vermont and it's going to impact not just Beth. It's going to impact quite a few people. The median household income for Beth will increase from 51,000 471 to 62,000 188. So that's good news in the sense that Beth will residents are making more money. But what happens is it. Is going to be a lot of money. And it's going to be a lot of money. And it's going to be a lot of money. But it's going to be a lot of money. It's going to be a lot of money. But it's going to be a lot of money. So. We're going to manage subsidy harder to get. So for us, we are definitely going to get. You know, 425,000. In. In lead abatement, but. That is the same deal as the 2.8 million. The more we find. The better we do because it's 100%. And we're going to be able to do that. And. When we, he had done. Before his passing, he had gone through the plans. And of course had dealt with Aldrich and Elliott doing the 2.8 million dollar project. And he felt. That the whole scope of the project. That's left. Graham street. Highland abbing all the streets that we're going to be doing in this project were galvanized. So that. And he was correct in that assumption on the 2.8 million. That's what we're going to be looking at is 425,000. You know, up to, so of course, we all have to remember that the project is going to come in. We're going to bid it out. Could come in less. And it's going to go out to bid. It's going to depend on what. We get for. You know, what's actually in the ground. And then of course you have bond, then you have a year for the warranty period. So. As you know, it took us a while to sugar out. That was about $2.8 million. But that worked out amazingly well for us. That was about. $2.8 million in work for about a buck a month. For users. So I mean. We did well. So. Currently. The state is offering. Also a little, it's of the lead forgiveness and a percentage, I think 50%. Of our planning loan. We're looking at, we're looking at, we're looking at, we're looking at, we're looking at, we're looking at, they will also give us a subsidy on. So that's an additional of $48,950. So one of the questions that had come up. Was. Can. Are we able to divvy up the loan? We're looking at approximately a $69,000 a year. Loan payment. But Mike was, you know, suggesting we. Just be a little bit more conservative. So just fine. And that's based on the whole 2.5. Yeah, that's based on minus the 425,000. It's actually based on them. $2,026,050. The DWSF our loan amount up here. So. What I asked Mike was, you know, if will it hurt us since we are not going to get a disadvantage subsidy. And we are, we did qualify for the 40 year loan. And we did get a little bit of a reduced interest rate to 1.5%. She originally thought we'd be 2%. So I asked him. If we could divvy up. The loan payment. So that the water users would not pay the entire thing. Because when you're getting a disadvantage subsidy, that affects how it works because they look at median household income. Versus. You know, how much your budget's going to go up and all these things. So. Without us having to worry about that. Could we divvy up the payment? He said, yes. I asked him for was to pull out. And this is what he gave me. There's $200,000 in roadway work. Paving, building, et cetera. 14,000 in hydrants. I wanted that number two. Then there's an additional 64,200. So 30% for engineering admin construction management cost. Plus the 15% contingency that you can see. He's built into the budget. So. So. 480,000 300. So 23% of the project. Seemingly. Could logically go. On to the taxpayers. As a whole. Now remember water users are also taxpayers, but you're. Diving that up over a bigger. Yeah. Over a much bigger area. So that we say that number again. 400. So. And Dave, I'll have to email you one of these sheets, or you can pick it up tomorrow. Okay. Sorry. It's, it's the bond mail. So what it comes down to is using these numbers, which obviously I hope we're going to decrease. Once we go out to bond and that we get, you know, additional. And maybe love lead abatement, maybe. But. So. It's anticipated that a water user. We'll see an approximately. $26.14 per quarter. $8.71% month per month. Now. That is only. Based on the loan payment. Has not include any other changes that may come to the water budget. I can say to you that the draft. The draft. The draft. Because some of the expenses and things are going to be picked up. In the. Project. You know, repairing. God. Shoot one of the wells guide go or. No, which one is it? Boulevard water tank. So anyways, so. Then. The taxpayers. That would be an approximate cost of $18.50 per year. In addition to what it already is. Yeah. Yep. So basically I'm just talking about just the. This is only talking about the bond itself. So that $18.50. Could be an approximate cost of $18.50 per year. In addition to what it already is. Yeah. Yep. So that $18.50 could be higher because of the budget that you pass. And so could. You know, this is only talking about. The $8.71 per month. For water users or $26 and 14 cents per quarter. Again, it's just simply to cover. The bond payment. But. When you look at it. To me. You have a 2.8 million. And then a 2.5 million. So you've got $5 million worth of work done. For basically. What? $9, 10 bucks a month. I mean. You know, if you look at it in the whole, you know, picture. So. That is. It's anyway, so this, like I said, I would like to put. This in town report that way. We'll do the mail or and put this in town report so that people are, you know, can be pretty educated about the bond boat that we're going to be doing. So. I also want to say. That I found that this. 480,000 300 this, this 2.5 million water project. It's not a full lane, it's a full lane. It's just like. It's just a full lane. It's just a full lane. It's just a full lane. It does not include a full lane pave. DWSRF will not fund that. I think they give us like seven feet. Now somebody, it's something like Graham street. We may end up getting a full. Lane pave. Just because. It's so narrow. I think it was seven feet that they gave us. And I'm just. Yeah. So maybe it's more, but, um, and I put a little question mark by my note because he said on the phone, I was writing down all my notes and then later I'm like, I wanted to ask him, but so anyways, so that may be something we address at the time too is. No, it doesn't include sandhill. Oh, I say until I have a separate earmark for. Oh, that's going to get a reason to know. Yeah. So my guess is by Centennial. First of all, it's the crystal drive schools right here. Crystals dirt dirt anyway. They did pushing they did the full lane. Mm hmm. They tore up the whole thing to get exactly. So, yeah. So I do think that the one that may, you know, I don't know if it was just highland, maybe did it, but maybe at the time we just say, hey, you know what how much extras are going to cost us for a full lane so, but just to be clear, that is something that we had asked for. for me today, he said, DWSRF will not pay for that unless, you know, the water line was like, you know, maybe taking up one full plane. But so I think you're, I think Graham and Bicentennial won't be a problem. But, and then Sand Hill has already covered with that out of money. And that's a whole rebuild paid the whole bunch. So numbers wise, I'm trying to, the numbers are adding up my head. So, so out of the roughly 2,026,000 that we would be on the hook of that we're budgeting for, the breakdown would be four, roughly 480,000 of that would be what we would be putting on to the tax payer. And then, and 1540 would be the balance that would go on to the water users. So the phase one project that we did, I believe the ending result was around 700 something thousand that we owe on that. We ended up which represented three to four dollars a month. So this one's like double that one. We ended up last because we ended up. Well, okay, well, it makes your case harder than so. No, I'm trying to remember how much our loan payment ended up being the only thing I can remember is that I budgeted well, let's just 23,000 and change for that loan payment. And this loan payment is going to be well, I'm just saying so let's let's just say it's 700,000. It sounds like it was a little bit lower than that. So this project is roughly double that one. So paying three to four dollars a quarter. Yep. Right now for the one that we just took care of. Yeah. So doubling this, yeah, one would think that would be in the six to eight dollars a quarter and we're at 26. So how does the math? Well, because well, we got last time we had I understand there's some interest this time around where there is no interest. Yeah, exactly. So there's no interest. This is a, well, I guess what I'm wondering is in these calculations that those 26 dollars a quarter encompassed a whole job and it didn't take out the 480, you know, numbers aren't adding up. No, I took out the whole 480. I did the math earlier and and I also ran two separate amortization schedules. So what happens is I don't know with the original. The original one of this, I think we were at like 12 bucks and we ended up getting more obviously, letabatement and forgiveness than we thought we were going to get. But I mean, I ran two amortization schedules myself and it's right. I can't tell you how what I ended up doing when Mike must, I know Mike is dividing this by 508 EUs because that's what we have. Because EU is your one EU, but the school may be 30 EUs. So I went through the math and it's right. I don't know. As if you calculated, I can whip out an amortization schedule here online, but if you do a 69, you know, to come up with that, I hate a little bit higher, but for 69,000, it works out right. That's the math. So, and then he must have divided it. I know he did. He divided it by 500 EUs because I took the loan payment. When I took the $23,000 loan payment, I divided that by 500, 474 EUs because I was trying to figure out how much was water, how much were vacancy, how much was, so when I came up with the approximately a dollar per month, I took the final forgiven final amount of the loan and divvied it up. Yeah, by EUs. So because I, I don't know. I'm just the numbers are ended up because it says if roughly it's double and we were at, let's say four at the highest, so that should be eight. And then just one and a half percent on this loan over 40 years would represent around $560,000 of interest that we're going to be on this loan. So that say is another $3. So eight, I mean, that's like 11. I mean, I come up with 11 a quarter. I can't get to 20. Well, what are you doing? What are you trying to get to the $26,000 loan payment? No, I'm trying to get to, you had said that base rate increased by approximately 2614 per quarter. Yeah, so he took, so 26, so what I'm saying right now is the, if we pay just on the 1540, this is just water use or not taxpayer, 1540, that's rough. She said the monthly payment would be 26. Would be, no, I said $8.71. Which is $8 and something a month, a month. But is that in addition to what they're paying now? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. I just want to make sure we're comparing apples to apples. Because phase one, and let's say it's on the high side, phase one, we're at like water uses go up $4 a quarter. I thought we were like 12 a quarter. So this is the amortization. Yeah, I'm going to have to email you all a month. It was for a month. It was 12, 12 a quarter. Is that okay? So maybe that adds up. You're at 8.71. Are you guys talking about current rates? No, the last, the, so when we get through the 2.8, when the phase one water line goes through. It was thinking $12 a quarter. Is that $4 a month or a quarter that we were going up? No, I thought you said it was $12 a year. Oh, that's okay. Didn't she say $12 a year? No. I said about a buck a month per, are you talking, you're talking about the original loan payment? I calculated the loan payment I took. I said it would be about a buck a month because I divided the amount of the loan payment, which is in the budget, water budget, which is 23,000. I divided that payment by 575. Whatever my EU was, I thought at the time, I think I used 474, came up with a number. And then divided that by 12. So I said take the budget, yeah, take the amount of the user divide by, I think 474 was the number I used. So that came up with the per EU cost. And then I divided that per EU cost by 12 for 12 months. But that payment is now going up from 26 to 7. We're talking about two separate things. $24,000 payment for 23,000 and some change to say 24. That's for the 2.8 million. Right. So what they were asking me was how I calculated the per month cost. But I think Chris is asking how this 2.5 million or 2 million compares to the 2.8 million we had before. And we see a difference in the payment that's almost three times. I can't tell you in this second because somebody should ask this question when I was still in the office because I didn't have that schedule memorized. I'm simply, it's not apples to apples. The reason it's not apples to apples is because you can't compare 2.8 million to 2.5 million because you didn't pay 2.8 million for that project. You ended up paying whatever the number is. We said over 40 years, right? 40 years, yeah. So this is roughly $53,000 a year payment for this one? He said 69. I came up with my numbers of a little bit lower, but I can email you all the bath tomorrow because we can talk about this for two months and I'm not going to come up with anything better than I got right now. About 69,000 divided by 4.75. Well, it's 508. Well, you have to take 64,000. I know what I'm saying, but you have to remove because this portion, all right. So yeah, if you take, yeah, you could take 69,000, but that's the total bond payment. Okay. 69,000. Well, that's why I'm wondering, did some of these numbers get? Mike calculated them. I just wrote them. I'm wondering if some of these might be the total, but not, you know what I mean? I can double check, but to take 69,000 times 23% and subtract it. So that's roughly 16,000 that would be on the users. So now take the 69,000 minus the 15,870 or whatever you just had. Now divide that by 508 users or 508 EUs. So yeah, there's 104. That's a year. A year divided by four. Ding, ding, ding, ding. Right there. 2614. Well, I'm just saying, but the math for the old one doesn't add up. Well, it's because to this one. It doesn't add up because we don't know what the starting number is. And I don't, I can't tell you because I don't have, all my stuff is on my computer at work. I don't have a summary. Just trying to get schedule and I don't have, oh wait, hang you right on. You know what we can do? We can look at the town. I wouldn't care, but you know, there's going to be a lot of conversation. I'll tell you, we can go on the town about the website, pull up our financial audit, look at our one for 2022 and look at our, my God, there's a way and we're going to look at the desk. Let me find it. I don't need any of that. Let's see. So we should have a debt schedule on page. What? So the, the water line phase one that we just did is roughly what $18,000 a year. 20 roughly 24. 24 over 40 years. Yeah. All right. Let me just find that. Hang on. I gotta find that. So we are roughly 960,000. We have to pay for that? No. Stop asking. I can't tell you. It doesn't change how many different ways you ask. I can't remember, but we're going to find out in just a second. Let's see. All right. Here we go. I'll just find this. I'm sorry. I just can't remember. Thanks for the joys of compound interest. You know, it's. Let's see. And for the life of me, I just can't remember. So let me see. We are paying back a lot more than you borrow. Okay. None of these numbers are adding up trees. All right. We'll just move forward. No. Now you're going to wait a second. There's nowhere to find. Now, the hole is getting deeper. Well, we've got one. We did the path and you came out. Now we're back to the phase one. What does it add up? Well, here, I'm going to tell you this. Hang on. We got to find our statement of. Abilities here. This makes for scintillating TV, I bet. I remember it's the meeting of the meeting of the select board. And there and everybody is welcome to watch. That's right. I'm just trying to find it in the audit. All right. Jim, here we go. Town hall mask. That one. Yeah. So we're a sewer treatment bond payable. Is it that one? It's not this one. It's right here. Bond table. Yeah. Water system improvements authorized to 25, but eligible for principal payments of 23, 497, 0%. So we recognized 939. 939,871. Okay. Because we were authorized for 2.5 eligible for 1.566. So that was over 40 years, right? That is 0% interest for 40 years. So around $24,000 a year. That sounds right. Yes. 20. Yep. $23,497. So 25. Right by how many water users? 508. So that's a year. $47 a year. Yep. So, okay. So like $4, $4. A month. A month. Oh, a month. Okay. So you're right. So $12 a quarter. Yeah. So we took... Right. So if you take 12, this one's roughly double. So I guess, yeah. Okay. All right. All right. So it wasn't a buck a month if you divided that by... That's where I threw me off because also I'm like, wait a minute, this buck a month, I'm gonna find any of this. 407 divided it by 508 users came up with... And you're playing a little smoke and mirrors over here. No, I divided it by... I actually left it on my spreadsheet as I'll look. But anyway, so that's the answer. Well, that makes more sense now because this number does not make sense based on that one. Well... Well, I was going off that buck a month thing and I... No, that's what I was thinking about. Well, I'm gonna look at my spreadsheet now. So because I can't figure out... I'll have to look and see what I did because I took it and divided it by 508 users. So that would have been annual per month per year divided by 12. But as we're seeing, I mean, just the difference between phase one and phase two, I mean, just the interest alone, which one and a half percent interest you wouldn't think is a lot of money. But on this loan, it's another $900,000. We're gonna pay on this loan over the course of... Yeah, sure. Yeah. Plus, yeah, and you look at two, I mean, we got so much... We had the additional subsidy that we got last time as well as the disadvantage subsidy. So it was interesting. One thing Mike said today is, everybody's watching the news, reading these articles, that all this money is flooded into Vermont for projects. And he's like, but he said, I can tell you, I have multiple projects going. And he said, I only have two that are getting any sort of subsidy. One is Swanton. And he's like, because they're broke, they just don't have anything going on up there right now, unfortunately. And then there was one other town. And it was just the same situation where there's not a lot of business, not meeting a household income has an increase. They were just in straight. So he said, a lot of people are thinking that there's a lot more... That there's money out there. He's like, but it's not trickling down this way. Well, it is, or it's not trickling. It's not for this kind of work. Right. I mean, they still owe us from Bennington. Yeah, they're still going. But so anyway, so that's the deal. So, okay. So still, so then $5 million worth of work for not a lot of money. And not to mention the fact that when you look at the rates that Paul wanted, they're in the packet. He hadn't raised rates in years. And then, yes, we had a big jump of like 10% or 15% one year just to, you know, you've been paying, having people pay $25 a month in vacancy rate, which wasn't even coming close to the base operated cost. So it's unfortunate that the system wasn't properly paying for itself originally. The good thing I can say is that there is no longer due to due from because for a while the water system owed the general fund money. So the general fund was subsidizing water sewer. And really that I mean, at the time of the budget draft that Richard and I did, I think it was just, it was very low as something that had finally taken care of itself, so which is good. And so it didn't put the burden on the taxpayers. All right. So you want a motion to adopt this? So what you have is, yeah, so you have the declaration of official intent. So obviously that talks about the fact that you intend to do this project, that you're going to have $2.5 million to have indebtedness. Well, excuse me, Trish. It says portions of Sandhill also. Yeah. That's separate. That's not part of the $2.5. Yes, the water. Just the water. Just the water. Yeah, the water is. None of the roadway. Okay. Right. So yeah, the road, the water is. So that will go in. So that's what the declaration of intent is. The necessity resolution lays out what you're doing. Again, what that you resolved to borrow the money and that you have the attached form of the article and warning for this value, what you do, I gave you the updated copy of the warning and also talks about when we're going to hold a public hearing. So all that information is in here as well. And I gave you an updated version of the warning because I want to use the stricter guidelines so that we would have to put it in the newspaper for preconceived publications before the bond boat host in five places. And, you know, so we'll do that as well. So yeah, so you'll need a motion to adopt the declaration of intent and necessity resolution. So Any further discussion? Dave, do you have further discussion? Nope. Okay. So I end up all in favor. Okay. And then this needs signatures. This needs signatures. Remember, Paul, you signed the people you got off the boat. Did you? How we keep you up? What you're talking about? Legacy project. Yeah. So you got Paul's water lines. Paul's water lines. Paul's water lines. Paul's water lines. You're Paul's water lines. Well, well. Yeah. Paul Krischer's got his bump out. Well, my bump out costs a lot. Lots of good water budget. Yeah, they were great. Ain't anybody packed? They just getting away. They're just getting away. Of traffic. Assuming you're traveling. I'm right here. Was this year the last year of, speaking of those bump out? Yeah, it was last year. This was the last year of the grant that we had to install. Yeah. And you know what? We, because we moved them and Morgan and I met with you know, Penny at Spalding Press and she liked them there. And then we moved them over here. We actually did not receive a single complaint this year because we moved them to different areas. And especially at the crosswalk, I think that was nice to do them near pennies. I think that was a good call. So actually we didn't receive any complaints because we had some colorful planes before. What's up? Put them in the loading zone. I remember that. I noticed it ran over all the pots and there's quite a bit more congestion that little curve there with the businesses leaving their vans and whatnot out there. And it's not going to get worse being on the retail space that was going there. Yeah, I have noticed that. I usually don't typically get stuck there and I've had to wait for one or the other. Love 18 wheelers. Yeah, log trucks. Yeah, it's very congestive. Maybe we need one of those class one lane. So where's it going to go? Down through the bar and come back up. All right. Town managers report. So I didn't put one in. I realized after about so have a couple things for you. Better connections makes us eligible for a $6,500 quick build grant with no match. The application is due February 10th and the project has to be completed by September 30th. It needs to have a strong public health connection and it actually ended up working out that we didn't have any capacity to do another project. But Chris fours. And Farron Griffin are have worked with the school and Chris's got permission. I believe from the school and he's always getting permission from school and he's got permission from the church and they're actually going to do do a connector so that it's going to go from the athletic fields to the church. So it will be on school and church property. Will not be on town property. We're basically just going to funnel the grant to some to them. Chris and I met our, you know, we discussed and he put in the agreement or is putting in the landowner agreement that it will be closed in the winter. It won't be maintained and it will be closed like barricaded sign of both ends. Put a gate and blocking gate. Go pass there right now. Right. Go from the back of the church down to the ball field. Exactly. So the school is, you know, happy because we received an email that he'd sent and he sees me on that he sent to Jamie and he said, you know, that the church was on board. So it won't be anything to do with the town. This won't be a town. Probably won't be up to us to maintain it. Anything like that. Be school. Yeah. I think he'll be coming. Funneling the money. In February to come to the school board meeting. Yeah. Talk about that. Yeah. Because the application is due the 10th. I know that Chris and like Rebecca are going to do that and then it has to be done by September. But to do, there was a couple suggestions of other projects, but we just didn't have the wherewithal to take on another project. So anyways, I was very happy that Chris and, you know, Farron had gone down there and that they were spearheading that. Thursday. So this week, Thursday, I'm going to meet with Connor from Two Rivers. We're going to start the ball rolling on our, it's called our BRIC grant, which is the scoping study for Gilead Road. There's a large box culvert there that's going to be replaced. And we got money and Two Rivers. Luckily, we could use them as a project manager. So they're going to oversee it and do the bid work and stuff. Thank goodness. They're also doing that with the, that bike ped grant we got for, it's going to go in front of John and Giffords to the school. So Two Rivers is also, Rita is going to take over the management of that project. So that would be great. So we'll do that. And then the town report goes to Spalding Press. And then, so I made a mistake last year apparently when completing HRA paperwork incorrectly. So our HRA is our health reimbursement account. So you fill out this paperwork and part of it is you check the box and it says that the HRA is paid, that the town pays their portion of the employees, you know, half their deductible front and then the employee pays the second share. I filled out the paperwork incorrectly and I fully funded it instead of doing half the deductible. So obviously, I might fall, obviously, and I should have written it. I figured it out this year when I was refilled doing the paperwork and then I realized it. So what I can tell you to the best of my ability is this. There were, it appears that two employees received additional benefits that if I had written in half the HRA, they may not have received. But what I can tell you is I can't, I can tell you what I think but I can't tell you exactly and I'll tell you why. I am on that. I am not one of these people. But when you look at, there's only three of us who went, who had a higher amount on the card because you get a debit card to make it even more fun and harder to explain. I know that my share of the deductible was $3,200. So as you would expect, I keep track and I write it all down who gets paid. So I know I swipe my card for $3,200. I paid out of pocket $3,200. Once you reach your total deductible, you continue to use your card because you are then it pays 100%. So when I see the breakdown at the end of the year, which is what I printed out, I can see there were three people on there who made, who spent, who's used whatever $6,400. I'm one of them, but I know that I paid my $3,200 out of pocket. So I know that the additional amount on here is, because I hit my 100%, yeah, two kids having surgery and you bring it up fast. So what I can tell you is the other two people, it looks, it appears to me that they received additional benefit that they would not have been entitled to if I had funded it properly. However, I don't know what they paid out of pocket. If they were like me and they paid an amount out of pocket, I can't see that. And I did email the lady who runs the HRA that's my contact and I said, hey, do you know what they paid out of pocket? And she's like, I don't know. She's like, we don't know that. So if that's so assuming that they did not pay anything out of pocket, one employee got an additional $1,500 and the other one an additional $2,800. It actually affected three different budgets, water sewer and transfer station. So it was my mistake. I didn't realize it. I saw it this year when I was filling out the paperwork for this year. So I made the correction. So I just wanted to be honest and tell you I realized I made a mistake and I fixed it moving forward. So that's the situation. And I know it's complicated just because insurance is that way. And like I said, so this is my estimation that maybe these two people, if they didn't pay out of pocket, then this is what they received. If they did pay out of pocket, I don't know. So this is what I would consider worst case scenario. Anyways, it's one tight sense of situation. I think that's it for my... Oh, I guess I can take my class one, Lena. Also too, just to let you know, in case you see them, one of our employees fractured his leg playing basketball yesterday. So you will see Dylan McCullough plowing in town for a little bit, but we maybe two with the most, depending how long employees out. So if you see Dylan, that's it. The international truck is not back. So Dave may have noticed Christian Hill got taken care of with the greater. And guys, did I tell you that, that they think that they may be cracked the block? Did I tell you, okay, at the last... We sent it up. We all know we agreed to about $32,000 because there was a blown gasket. We get the call, we go get the truck, we drive it back from Burlington Colchester area, use it in short, not very far, back to the, go back to the garage. AJ realizes or says, calls me up and says, ah, guess what? There is fluid in the oil. So they called, they came back, they flatbed the truck back. And at that time, AJ and Morgan had thought that maybe when they were sleeving the pistons, that maybe they cracked the block. So the truck, we did not pay that bill, obviously. And we are waiting at this point. I only spoke to Morgan briefly today about the storm. And so, but at last I heard from him, we don't, we don't know what the, they were diagnosing it. So we're down a person. And, but we've taken care of that with Dylan and, but we're still down a vehicle. So who knows, we could get a whole new, you know, we'll get it back just in time. Engine for all this. Yeah. And our other truck, you know, is still looking to maybe middle of February, March before that comes. And Morgan had said that he was talking to someone and they're basically saying new trucks now are, are years out now, two plus years out. So, so that's the update on the road, road situations. So you're advertising again. We are advertising again. Yep. I put the ad back out. We had been out on the website, but put it back in the paper and, you know, because we're still looking for a full-time person because once the seasonals are gone, we're back to just Morgan and AJ. So we figured we'd, you know, put it out. It's been some, you know, just, you never know, people changing jobs, whatever. It's a good time because the instructions, seasonal people usually don't go back until like the end of March. So it's a good time to, you know, they may want to create your choice. Yes. So we put it back out on Facebook from Port Warham and being published in the newspaper. So, so if you hear of anybody who would like to work for the town of Bethel, give us a call. Fill out an application. I think all the area towns have the same one out. Oh, I'm sure they do. All the area, all the area towns. What was that? Postman. There you go. With all my spare time. CDLB, you're good to go. So that has to do with moving lumber around. So I'm good at that. I'm afraid not. But so we're still, yeah. So we're looking and just put the ad back out. Okay. So I also gave you in the packet the year in review, which goes in the town of Port Paul had edited it. And I do realize today, you know, well, I guess, come over there. So no, I, so if anyone has any changes, they want to see, let me know. I moved Paul's around asked me to move a couple things, which I did. And then I didn't add anything about the bond because we're going to have the mail are in and, you know, this is still the two year in review. So if anyone has any issues with that, let me know in the morning, because like I said, we're going to the printers tomorrow. We have meeting minutes from the night. Any amendments to that? Are we good to approve as written? It was a short meeting. I didn't have any. You missed it, Linda. It was like the shortest meeting of the year. Yeah. There was no budget questions. No warning. Yeah. I know my presence was missed. Yeah, that's right. That was that lack you were feeling. That's right. Jean, did you just move? That or just said no. Oh, no changes. Oh, I'll move it. Okay. That's printed. Moved by Jean. Second. Second by Paul. All in favor. Bye. On the year in review. Yep. Could you spell out whatever NEMR stands for? NEMR? N-E-M-R-C. Oh, I'm sure. Spell out. Oh my goodness. Um, where is that? Good question. I just know by NEMR. Yeah. No English. Second. Municipal resource. Yeah. Spell out. Just three more lines. Yeah, exactly. I'm like, I'm trying to get it on. All right. It's just right. Great. All right. I'll make it. Oh, okay. Yeah. Fix. You're right. Okay. Yep. We had EIC and in conservation and commission meeting minutes in the packet. I didn't say who was attending the EIC meeting. Oh, and they have present, you know, present. Oh, and your minutes for the EIC didn't say who attended. Do you know who was there? For which meeting was it? A December 24th are the minutes that are in the packet. I was asking the question. There should not be any December 24th minutes because we didn't have a meeting that day. All right. Let me see. This is your agenda. Maybe this is just the agenda. I don't know. I didn't put it in here. I mean, it seems sparse on the actual notes. So that would make sense. Oh, okay. Yeah. So you didn't meet that day. Okay. Oh, meeting some agenda. Oh, that's funny. If you didn't wind up meeting, everybody was either sick or it was the holidays and they just didn't, nobody came. Okay. Oh, I guess must be Kelly just put the agenda in here and didn't put the minutes in. Okay. Sorry about that. That's okay. We do have a meeting tomorrow. It's going to be a potluck style meeting at the town hall if anybody wants to join us. And it'll be on Zoom as usual as well. Oh, nice. Potluck. What time? Six to eight. Sixty. Okay. Perfect. All right. Any other business to come before the board? We took care of Teresa's piece so we don't need to do any executive session. Anything else? I didn't see anything. So I'll just need a motion to adjourn. Okay. Have a good night, everybody. Eight or seven. Thank you.