 All right, so we'll call the meeting to order First on the agenda is to approve the agenda save any amendments to the agenda or we could Make a motion to approve as written. Okay, all in favor Be a tough one tonight We tonight we're putting the public comment towards the end Being that it's mostly a informational meeting so we Decided to put the public comment at the at the end of the informational meeting. So I'll make sure everybody has an opportunity to Yeah, I mean, you know how it I mean we're usually you know as long as you guys don't get you know Out of control there and we usually are able to take some questions from the public. So As long as you don't get too rowdy tonight Ellie will be we'll take some questions every once in a while But if there's any other questions at the end we can take those So so let's we'll turn over to the we'll do the town warning and then we'll go through the high levels of the the budget and And if anybody has anything that they'd like to dive in a little bit farther into the budget we can do that So the warning as we talked before so just quickly breezing through the warning that the The Usuals electing the town moderator clerk and treasurer the first three And then we have the the two select board Positions that are open Paul's and myself We have the two-lister positions that are open The one of those is vacant. So one of them we I'm Pam Brown currently serves in now, but the other one number six. Yeah, but number six That is vacant. No, I'm not sure if Pam is gonna run. No, I don't get that impression, but okay. No So that one's vacant currently well Pam is in it now, but I don't think she's running again I guess just like Paul's not running again for slick Yeah I have to come in and talk to him someone good for you And then we have the two in there for the trustee of public funds piece which again Paul's position there of the one-year Balance of the three-year term is that one's vacant And I haven't heard of anybody running on that one yet either Okay, one and then we have a couple of That's why I wrote in the wrong spot And then we have the budget piece So 10 is the budget Which I'll speak on the budget behalf as normal somebody else wants to do it I think it's you When it does come time for my nomination I do want to take a couple of minutes and just Say some thank yous Okay That's under Four yep, and then we have 11 11 12 Lisa are you gonna speak to number 11? So you're prepared that you or um? Benton yeah, you are Benton You do you want to speak before we open it up for Discussion like at the introduction of the article or do you want to wait till discussion time? I don't know what's typically to people. Well Usually what happens is the maker of the motion gets first dibs on speaking Okay, so you could either jump right up and move the question and then you would have the first shot and then I'd recognize you to Talk about okay. We can do that. Okay, and if not if someone beats it to it I can Ask them if they mind, okay, most people Thank you, okay, I mean I guess looking at the item Lisa I I would recommend that that somebody Talks on that article prior to make an emotion. The only reason why I say that is I think I think the discussion is bigger than just this year's Item for emotion because we talked about you know, what does it really take to fund our our library, right? And and so that even though we had increased our funds In our general fund budget this extra 27.5 which comes up to be a total of 35,000 I think so so 35,000 is really the number that the town needs to support to minimally Fund the library And I think that's kind of an important thing because it sounds like you know I think that people just need to understand like if we want a public life Or if we want a library then this is what the minimum funding is going to be going forward And it has that good discussion Part of it because someone might just think well, this is a one-time thing. Oh, that's ridiculous We can't give you that much money or maybe oh, that's good. It's one time not knowing that this is likely We're gonna take that information and Likely apply it to future budgets So and I think I think a majority of people in in the town don't understand Well one that it's not a town-owned library And two, you know how much it does take to fund the library and Maybe a little bit of recent history on what you've had to do to fund the library, which isn't sustainable, you know and then like It wasn't Bennett, but there was another gentleman that was talking about minimum like a library of that size should be a hundred and twenty five hundred fifty thousand dollar budget and you guys are working on a $75,000 budget, you know, so we're gathering that information from I think Chelsea, Tumbridge, and Rochester were who folks asked about so we're gathering that information and what Bethel is paying for operating costs is minimal compared to what they pay so and Really the idea is to build up the To be able to get some time and some breathing room to rebuild the investment account And there's some misconception around town that At one point we had millions of dollars in the bank, which isn't accurate at all So if that comes up, I certainly would want to be able to address that Do you have some kind of a handout that you're gonna have? Yeah, so I think that's the ideas we were gonna put like a handout on people's seats So Right, I mean they'll have what's in here. Yeah. Yeah, but I think just You know addressing those pieces Would be important because people I would have thought would be fairly well educated about it actually have really Lots of misconceptions I think that one of the biggest misconceptions that kind of has come up to me is the fact that People think that your town owned and town run and part of the budget already And it's like no they have their own endowment their own fundraisers. They own our own building and so Gene brought up last time to go that language, but yeah, and there's there's a whole Way that it went, but we weren't ever really Given like this huge lump sum of money. We just got a little teeny bit Based on interest. Yep. I trust sure makes sense back when interest was and we're not the only ones Receiving interest from that trust, right? So there you go. Yeah, so yeah, I think that'll be great So I think the first part is that people realize that you're not town owned that that was even Bennett said I didn't realize until I joined the library that so I do think that's a big thing So, yeah copies on the chairs whatever and you need copies, you know We can make them for you just swing by the office Oh good you talked to Pam or Kelly Great Lisa those be the library and yeah, who's gonna speak to and I'm gonna be tired of each out today Make sure he knows and then and then 12 is is their recreation improvements with the skate park so Yeah, I'll be doing that and we'll be having A table and as part of battle for all we'll be having a display on the bulletin board Paul you yeah willing to touch base on that again this year Do we know of any identities that are Planted to be there to speak or the only one I've gotten any communication from a safe line at least on a note thanking us for the Proposing their appropriation, but I have not heard and anybody come here From the agencies And then 14 is what your valley ambulance yeah, I'm gonna reach out to Dave ultra getty since he's the Representative and make sure he's prepared to okay speak And you know that one to You may want to speak prepared to speak on the Increase the increase is because you know on the budget wise the white revamp Valley ambulance was probably our largest budget increase percentage wise so So there's probably gonna be some questions centered around that and then and then we have the petition piece that was for the Playhouse theater and Randolph and I would assume that I'm gonna email Bennett law and find out if he's been I want to talk about it. Yeah, cuz he's the one who handed in the Petition and then we got the taxes Yeah Teresa's taxes and what you want some in by so those dates are on there and then Then we have the question in regards to the Australian ballot So Rick, do you need someone to speak to that or are you just gonna say we have to vote on it? Are you gonna explain that we have to vote from the floor and that's For it to be the next year or do you want someone else to do that or it's up to you guys if somebody wants to It's just kind of a technicality I would assume after its motion and second and it's gonna be quite the discussion. Yeah floors open then so yeah and I think that we've answered several questions about The requirements to pass a paper ballot To go to is that am I using the right terms here to move? Yeah, so that I because that's that statute north north It needs to be we need to vote. Yeah, so it's seven people is what you said. Oh, you're talking about that part Yeah, I'll go over that before in my okay. All right my introduction. Yeah, I'm not sure if this is the article or not But that's my assumption so yeah, all right. I mean the only thing I could foresee is even though it Appears clear to me in here When people hear Australian ballot, they may think the whole you know the whole town meeting day So so maybe on your end if you can just explain to him that That this would just be for the town officers only The you know the budget and all those pieces would continue to be done in person But this is just for you know Boards the board directors like like a moderator ten clerk. Yeah. Yeah, let's do pieces of it The only thing I was The only thing that was kind of odd that I was thinking about is so if you're electing your moderator through that Do you have to have the meeting after the Like you'd have to have the Australian ballot the day before and then you have you meeting the day after Yeah, because you're you're elected until a new Yeah, I you know thinking it didn't occur to me that this was going to be all So I was thinking strictly select board. So Yeah, okay, so everyone who has it has to be like that's the only way I think it can go is you're either Australian ballot can only be three things your public questions budget or elected officials So it has to be all elected elected officials and all No matter because we don't Yeah See papers which is good Don't get confused they have an appointed town clerk or town treasurer So sometimes if they appoint their clerk treasurer, then of course they're not running so sometimes that goofs you up But yeah, that's royalty on the points But here you're elected and yeah, you run every Every year Or for certain things it's so yeah, so there will be a couple of things to navigate through on that one One that it's just separating out the officers and then what the definition of those officers would be which would be the ones just numbers one through nine Great, so one through nine and this year's warning Yeah, no kidding well, and yeah, you're right it does And I'm printing up You know you're gonna have a ballot and all the different candidates on it So yeah, you'll save time there, but you'll spend more time there But wait and see how it turns out My guess is that'll be a lengthy discussion Now will that be a paper ballot or from the floor? It'll be from the floor my I had had to ask Rick how many someone asked me how a paper ballot How do you ask for paper ballot? And I had to ask Rick because I didn't know what the magic number was and he's seven or eight or something Yeah, that's one person has to ask and some people have to agree affirm it. Yeah, that's what Rick's Which I imagine that's probably the way it's gonna go. I would I would assume And I know we took up the question of Australian ballot like Ten years ago, but it was on the it was on the any other business to conduct. It wasn't a formal remember we took that like Under any other business it was Man ten twelve years ago Yeah, remember we had that and right Just a hand vote of people that wanted that oh years ago, but that was like at all or nothing It was like a non-binding somebody had brought that to the floor and But we've never formally voted on it And then we have the Shall the town provide notice of availability of the annual reports by postcard Mail to all the registered voters at least 30 days prior to the annual meeting instead of mailing the report so that So in order to do that we have to do it at town meeting day So that would be instead of handing out 700 books of town meeting day Books we would send a postcard in the mail to everybody and then they could pick it up at a You know at the office or at the library Whoever we get to collect that and I think the idea behind it is that we usually print off 700 of them and maybe Three or four hundred actually get used and we have a whole bunch of leftover Books that don't get used and just become a waste of money in paper Yes, yeah, yeah So but the only way we can do that is by a question on the floor So we can't change the the delivery mechanism Unless it's voted on the floor. So that would be the I on the towns and it'll you know save some time some money and some paper Postage printing that sort of thing. Yeah, so we'll see someone actually wasn't our idea That was somebody else came to us and said hey you've considered doing this and right And then and then we just have the overall discussion items of of what is being done on Australian ballot So which is the cannabis retailer Peace as well as the bond vote for the water. So I have a question Rick about that I have a question about the number one the cannabis so It's discussion only So, I mean obviously people can ask Questions So It's such a Difficult in a way Can you do that while you've got people voting on that? Yeah topic at the same time in the same building In that regards as if we go to elect the elected officials We can't discuss that in the future Right, but it's this are coming in and voting from seven to seven She told me to be there at seven People are in the building voting on that is a proper to have a discussion of it And can they hear the discussion from where they'll be voting? No, they'll be out in the lobby Yeah, that's what I can't hear the lobby. I didn't think so from where you vote So I just I'm concerned a little bit about it's such a confusing topic Cannabis to be able to speak about it articulately and Especially what's happening in the news the last week You know that deadly stop that they're finding in it people are getting very sick Three months one point six million dollars in tax rent a revenue for the state Talking about I guess Right, right. Yeah, we have to just be kind of Existing zoning district for retail we can't zone it out But it's really can go in district where it's currently like if retails are currently allowed Then that would be the and I guess we yeah, we need to make sure people are aware of where that is And it becomes such a it's a very uneducated Topic for people because you know the state has the Governance over the grow operations the town has no say in any of that and then Then the state turned around and pushed it down to the town's level to say if you if you want to allow a retail Establishment or not. So I don't know why they don't But on our end the reason why the question has come is One it's been a couple years and we haven't asked the question Even though the state said they recommended to put it on all the ballots and to we do have an identity that wants to put one in in in the commercial district so So at this point if we didn't pose the question They could easily, you know go get 20 signatures and have it put on the ballot so I think the only thing that probably needs to be brought out is If you do allow retail cannabis sales You have the right to take it away at any time through through vote Listen, yeah, so you could go you could go very next year someone could petition and say we we don't want to do retail cannabis anymore And you could change it back. However, if there's any established Footprint so if you have a business in town that's already selling it Then your grandfather's in there until you decide that you're done with that Yeah, so it's a very tricky thing if you voted in it's in or a real-teller is in period And you and the town doesn't have any say over that at that point I mean towns people could say we don't want any more of it But whatever's in is in it's way different than tobacco and liquor and you know There should be somebody other than me talking Because I'm not no, it's not my Positions explaining all that So I don't I mean I I don't know I think what we really need to do is just have a very short Paragraph or two paragraph statement that follows the legislation law You know What the question really entitles that it's for retail inside the commercial district only And Then and then I guess whoever talks about if it's me or somebody else can you know what that means to us if If you vote in favor or not in favor of what that does I can draft something and then send it to you guys and then To all of you select board members and then you can you know make comments or what do you think it needs or ads or so We'll talk about the zoning, but maybe something grandfather. Yeah, okay Something very simple. Yeah paragraph that we can talk about that. Yeah, and someone I'm sure hopefully someone is there You know, maybe the people that want to open a store. Maybe they'll be there so they can answer questions and So and I'm assuming that if it's voted down that it could be petitioned to be put back on the question For next year, I mean, well, and I'm not sure actually I don't know if we would I Don't know if it has to wait for town meeting or if we have to do Yeah, I'll have to look I can't remember It could be a tricky one because I think a lot of the comments. This is the only Agenda item that I've had some comments on Over the last month or so and a lot of the comments don't follow exactly what the question reads So I think there's a disconnect on thinking that the town has or the town's people have the authority over marijuana in the town and it's not that it's just the Just the retail sale of it not to grow and not You know, there's already rules in place about public usage and things like that In their legislation is wrong, so you don't want me to talk about One of those, you know, kind of the horse tight deals Yeah, I'll pronounce It's interesting how the state's the only one gets any money out of this, isn't it? I mean we get the whatever permit fee permit fee of which we don't know what it is for retailer for a grower We got two hundred dollars It's like oh god Yeah, that's a one-time fee. I kind of thought so Sure, but yeah, okay We'll work on so we get a work on the cannabis one. Yeah, I don't know between threes and I will figure that one out We'll draw straws if you have to Feeling I know what I'm gonna get It's pretty easy. Gene's not here tonight. He's not here today, so Yeah can be ballin ballin cold You're ballin cold And then article two is in regards to the The bond for phase two of the water project So the only thing if I remember it correctly, please if I'm wrong the only thing the select board or I Cannot say we cannot say Vote yes We can talk about it and answer questions, but the select board cannot say go vote. Yes on this, right? Isn't that the Well, what's I'm saying on either one of those you can't really oh yeah, we're just saying to answer questions Not give your opinion in the town. Yeah, well, I think I think like in the cannabis one. I think it's okay for individuals to understand What the yes versus the no vote gives them? I mean we can't endorse one of them No, but you could say, you know if you do vote yes, then someone can Sell retail marijuana And if you vote no, you know, then they can't however if you vote yes, and you want to take it back at another time Those those retailers are already grandfather closed in I think it's that helpful to know that I think the water one we just I think it's you know to read the read the article and yeah Hopefully I don't think you really need a discussion. No, well, I'd like on like the way mission here about How the last one went how I got plenty it's who's paying for what yeah And this is very clear at the end of this one about okay The user is still gonna pay for this new water project, but the town's going to do the infrastructure. Yeah Yeah, so it's we're doing something. We're not Technically play paying for the water upgrade, right? We're only yeah The the roads the tax people paying for just the road work, which they would have anyways So yeah, we so we put this out on the website. It's on there was a link to front porch forum. They spoke so that it's out so and Mike Maynard is Coming next Monday for the you know the big bond informational. He's gonna come From Aldrich and Elliot so he hasn't been in front of the select board in a while So he's gonna talk about too and he's coming Wednesday at noon And he and Richard and I are gonna sit down and go over all the this I don't know who put this together Mike Maynard. It's short to the point in English. Yes. It's very nice. Yes You're the next one But I also sent it to you guys as a PDF. Yes, I saw it. Yeah, yeah So, I mean unless you have a different opinion on it, I think if it's the articles just read the way it is as Notice that there is the waterline vote and here's what the article is and yeah It's out front to be voted on you know there's stuff in town Why don't we certainly can answer questions, right? Because I'm sure there may be somebody who doesn't make the hearing Yeah, always happens. Mm-hmm Yeah Mentioning the fact that we're doing something in three or four years and we should have been doing over the last 40 or 50 Yeah, and so yes, it looks like a big hit and we should have done it differently But if we don't know we're going to pay for it without any help And this is the tail end of what we have to do to you For now unless they to keep our operating permit with the current operating permit We have right now, but once you do this. Yeah, they'll release That portion but just remember they do that sort of review every couple years couple years So doesn't mean say they won't add that restriction back on later But we are you know, yeah Dana naggy does seem like if we pass the bond vote that he'll be maybe willing to take it off You know sooner so I Was thinking about cannabis Rick we could if people want to see the zoning maps You could send them to the Planning Commission table and tell them on the way that people out there looking for members You could do a sales pitch from Wait the recruiter. Yeah, well, we're gonna be we're trying So So is there any further questions regards to the The warning for town meeting day Can't change it any we can act you know, we can take your questions at this point. It's It is what it is been printed So it so it looks like so the only homework that we have is That Teresa and I will Figure out whatever our statement will be for the cannabis retailer Piece of that and I'll email Bennett about the playhouse and talk today about your goodie to make sure he's prepared to speak on Okay, I Think we're pretty good done All right We will go through the budget So did everybody get their town report? Oh Good All right A slow mail not everybody's getting mail every day, so I just want to make sure No, that's why we were concerned about town report because some people are only getting their mail once a week Did anybody get their school one in the mail I heard that maybe that got mailed out today or I That one should be coming because I saw an advertisement for today at it that has been put out there town report. Yeah. Yeah Yeah, I haven't seen Gold-colored mailer about the water Yeah Okay, well at least we you just were concerned about I know David mentioned if he didn't get mails on as he didn't get it for Every couple weeks. Yeah mine comes about twice a week or so now But I've heard it's gonna be more regular All right, congratulations to you. Yeah Okay, all right. Well great. I just want to make sure everybody got it So budget-wise I'll go through the higher levels. What's kind of moving the budget in one way or another If at any point when we're kind of strolling through this if you have a question Just put your hand up and I'll try to get you as I see you and So the first part of the revenue end of things revenue Year over year. So that's the local revenue that we raise in town not tax revenue That revenue has gone up about fifty six thousand dollars over last year of which pretty much all that Fifty four thousand five hundred and sixty dollars of it is through the sale of the transfer station. So The town of Bethel had sold its interest in the transfer station in July so Royalton has full interest in that now and we had Worked at a deal with them over a period of time, which is five years that they will buy our interest out on that so So we right now for the five years starting this coming budget season last year We already got fifty four thousand will have fifty four thousand five hundred and sixty dollars for five years So that buys our interest out So that's good on the revenue side That's pretty much the only thing that really the revenue doesn't usually move very much in the town So that is that when we get to the cost in the things, you know, there's a lot of movers on the cost and things and So the cost, you know a typical year you'll see maybe the cost of our budget cost cost of our budget may be changed by You know a hundred thousand dollars at the most usually it's less than that and This year the cost of our budget has moved two hundred and sixty three thousand so So it's a significant move cost-wise And we'll get through this on how that actually impacted us on the tax rate and why why things Impacted us or didn't impact us as much as we thought So if we start breaking down that, you know the question would be We went up two hundred and sixty three thousand. What what is that right? So the high levels of that And if you want to write it down or if you have questions, let's put your hand up But so the movers of that $35,000 of that is just on benefit increases. So that's that's The benefits that we play pay our employees so thirty five thousand dollars Which benefits went up about twenty one percent So twenty one percent on our workforce has gone up Then you add in some things for retirement and a couple other benefits. So so thirty five thousand dollars is benefit package yes, Dave That twenty one percent I think it should be clear that the big hunk of that twenty one percent was the retirement that we were forced To increase we didn't give them a twenty one percent right? No twenty one are in health insurance premium Just health insurance one and a half percent help, but it wasn't like we gave them no no no no no No, that's what someone's gonna think. Oh, I see what you said. That's a good point No, it was health insurance premium went up twenty one and a half percent. We budget for a small increase We get a big hit two years ago Was it on retirement two budgets ago in retirement even though the state has the same fiscal year We do they came out with it late after we'd all and we're sustaining that we're sustaining that but we I did We created a little buffer there and hope if we got an increase it won't be big and that no salary is ought You know, so you're right. It does sound like I'm just thinking that might be a question. Yeah Yeah, so these are just you know uncontrolled costs that are our Are sent from the state to the carrier to yeah to in our case the customer Yeah $80,000 of our budget Which is this is the largest part of our budget that has increased is due to what we're calling inflation pieces So just like you saw if you filled up your car or went to the grocery store a lot of the things that we use in the town Have gotten more expensive Some of those biggest movers are like salt for instance, so a Few years ago. We were using almost a hundred thousand dollars a year in salt and most of that was just we were throwing salt on all of our problems and And we were able to dial back the salt usage to about sixty thousand dollars Well that same sixty thousand dollars of salt last year is now worth a hundred thousand dollars worth of salt now You know a lot of that is in just a commodity of salt It's the transportation of the salt, you know, so everything's gotten more expensive on on that Other pieces that are in that eighty thousand or things like diesel fuel for the trucks for plowing or maintenance Heating heating oil prices for the buildings So those are a lot of the you know then you get into some of the supplies that go up and those types of things So so eighty thousand dollars of the budget really are things that Unless we change the services that we give the town It's the cost that just went up due to everything that's been going on over the past year So we chose as a as a board to not reduce any services To the community but to pay the increased inflated cost of those services to have them Sixty thousand dollars the next is We have had Trees has done a really good job of landing us some grant money So we have a lot of projects in town that need to get done. So not just a water job, but we have other projects that we have been successful of Getting money from the state And and those projects come with matching money. So usually they'll say We'll find eighty percent of your project, but you got to come up with the other twenty percent So it's they're really good deals for us because that's you know, eighty percent money that's coming from Well, it does come from our pocket in a roundabout way, but you know, it's not local money that comes from it So we were able to secure a grant for For Redoing the point eight miles of Christian Hill Road So quick the paved part of Christian Hill Road that if you've driven down that it's you know pretty bad So we were able to secure that that it's actually out for bid now We were able to secure a loan well a grant through Bernie Sanders For some of the work on Sandhill So Sandhill is a two-part job. So the first part of it is in the water bill Which is replacing some of the water infrastructure and then the second part of it is you know Anybody who's driven up Sandhill road lately is you know the black top the drainage All those pieces need to be improved So so we were able to get money from Bernie Sanders that comes again with a match So we got he gave us six hundred thousand dollars and we get a match it with a hundred one hundred and something so Granted we're not matching at all one budget cycle It's things that either we already have saved for or things that we continue to save in our cycle We also was able to get a grant to replace the sidewalks that go from the school up to Up to the triangle on Pleasant Street so if anybody's walked down those sidewalks a long time they they're very narrow the You know the curb might only be about that tall now So there's a lot of issues the water sits on the sidewalks. There's a bunch of issues through there So that was another one that we were able to secure Some funding for that that comes again with some grant money and that's a longer grant Yeah, can take three to five years because the money comes with bike ped grant comes with you have to do a study So we have an engineer and so we're just I'm actually just reviewing that RFP now and so that will get put out to bid and with a couple of With a couple of pre-approved people for a free beach from returns list But it's gonna be a study first so you're not gonna see sidewalk construction probably for like two years my guess Yeah, but again what we do is when we're putting all these projects into Usually a ten-year grid is we we look and see how much funding do we need at certain periods to keep that flowing? So so that comes with it We also have a pee vine Boulevard culvert Replacement that that needs to be done that we have secured the funding for that Again, that's probably gonna be one that'll be in the spring of 2024 because we couldn't it's a small It's gonna be a it's a small bridge It's on pee vine like when you come down Sand Hill if you're gonna bank left and come back always floods and freezes But because we're gonna do the Sand Hill project this year, you know when the bond passes So we can't have both roads closed at the same time. So we'll do that one in 2024 Also a page in town report. I think lists all the grants and we did put that in as well Yeah, each well lists all the grants. So there's other ones. We're doing to as well right road Macintosh so Unless you live in Lilliesville will probably gonna be or East Bethel will be tearing up your road at some point or somebody's road near You so I apologize in advance for the inconvenience So those are you know those are you know some of the jobs that we're looking at doing in those Where the match money is that for this year we have About thirty thousand dollars of of the cost is Some things that we've changed at the highway department. So Two things we've changed at the highway park. Well The the major complaint and or what we've seen is our gravel roads So we typically don't have a lot of gravel on a gravel roads We've graded them so much that we're down to nothing All the good infrastructure has been graded to the side of the road at some point. So we've looked at You know, how how many years does it take to you know, sustain your roads and on a gravel road? It's about seven or eight years every seven or eight years We should be doing something to those roads and and I'm sure right now a lot of you're sitting there going I haven't seen anything in seven or eight years, right? So that's that's where we're that's where we're heading so So we increased some money in the budget to to start appropriating the right amount of money to do our gravel roads in the right cycle the second piece of that is It connects to the gravel roads, but it is more so winter maintenance So winter a lot of times as you see us will spread sand on dirt roads And as you've all seen on the in the winter time that that sand just turns to muck, right? And it creates no structural stability for the road So that sand just turns to muck or it's at the at the side of the road and It's it's just winter maintenance only We are trying a manufactured sand. So natural sand is usually round round stones has a lot of Lot of fines in it. So that's why you just see it turn to muck after that Yeah, well depends on where you get it But yeah the so we've been using some manufactured sand this year So sometimes you might not it may look like we're not putting a lot on the roads But what it is is actually stone chips So you don't see it as much but it what it does that kind of locks into the frozen sub base and stays longer As well as when it's done it it helps with this Structure integrity of the road so you're in a sense adding some gravel to your roads in the winter time Rather than just putting a product down. That's only good for the winter now. It costs more money. So we're we're we're monitoring that to say It is the extra cost worth the trade-off of You know of that so we're looking at it but it does cost some money So that that's some things that we we feel confident that will be worth our money as a town And I think we're seeing going to see you know when the road when it gets a little warm and you know the organic the sand I had a lot of organics would get really kind of slimy first So I think without that and we have had quite a few phone calls about people saying there's no sand on the road But we're like it's just not the organic sand was much darker And you drive down the road and see that they had sanded and so it's this Manufactured sand is lighter in color. So you don't see it as much. So yeah, we're hoping that That it's a positive change so that we're not scraping it all out of the ditches and That it's actually working on the road base. So those are just some changes that we have have done the we added some money to the constable budget so the the discussion at the select board here over several months has been a combination of what we currently Budget and what we currently are getting for service. So, you know the the service that we have Or the service that the citizens had asked for that we are supposed to be guaranteeing is is 20 hours of service a week The challenges that we have with that is we've always been a town that we've been able to either share Constable resources with other towns or What we've been doing the last three four years now is we have a part-time constable that comes from another identity to do some work Over the last couple years, it's all these identities are Short staffed. So what they do is they offer their existing staff, you know over time and and Typically they get paid a lot more to do that work than they do working as a constable So what we had done at the select board was we have been evaluating not changing our policing policy But just changing our you know try to get that 20 hours that we've promised everybody So we've done anything from we've met with the Windsor County Sheriff's to see if we did a Contracted patrol with them what that would look like in our budget Which was roughly about 125,000 dollars if we wanted to do that and and our budget is normally somewhere around 50,000 for the constable. So it'd be a significant increase to do that So we had decided at this point that we didn't feel that that was financially stable for our town So at the end of a bunch of options what we decided to do was take another look at what we currently are Paying our constables and try to make that more competitive so that they would want to pick up those hours So that's the extra $10,000 in our budget is to set a price that is Competitive so that they will come and provide the services that we're asking for and the second piece of that is three star He reached out to them to get them to make that commitment to sign up for those hours Which that's you know, we're working through that right now So because one of the things to is these Justin our second constable some of the because there was such a shortage of police officers we had at least one constable was on mandatory over time and He didn't have hours to give you know during COVID and then another there were short short staff So we you know when you take someone who works for someone else Which is a great benefit to us because their boss is making sure they get all the right trainings and that they're up to Date and all that we end up You know their commitment obviously is to their first agency that's given them all the benes in the regular hours So there's a good trade-off of the extra 10,000 is not only just to get us competitive with the other identities It also brings our total budget Closer to if we wanted to do some contracted services would say the sheriff's department Not maybe a full-time thing But maybe if we wanted to do some selective things that we would have that option Without going to like one way or the other so it kind of puts our town in the middle And I think it's something that we still have to Look at evaluate see how that goes And then you know decide you know next year You know at this you know next year's budget how well that's going or not going so in october We'll be having the same conversation and being able to see what the constables were doing Would they able to come to their commitment and see what happens and as as we were talking about prior to the meeting starting was You know the you know our friends to the north in Randolph are you know uh going to be voting to put their police department back into commission and And what that brings whether there's Over a hundred percent increase in their budget and Somewhere in that they were paying like four hundred and something thousand dollars It's now going to be seven hundred and something thousand so there's They're you know So big big numbers that we're talking And and we're not on that scale but you know if we would have taken to go to the sheriff's department We would be talking going from 50 to 125 which is a big jump for our town So we're we're gonna we're gonna try this and see how this works and and and make some adjustments to that The white river valley ambulance So over the last I don't know 10 five to 10 years The adjustments to that budget have been actually very light We haven't seen very big dips. I think well, maybe six or eight years ago. So that sounded rick We had I think they tried one point to Increase the budget drastically one year and then there was a lot of discussion around that and I think it ended up coming down a little bit But there was a significant increase to the budget this year So on our end of things Um, you know, we typically spend around 120,000 dollars a year for that service that's now going to go up by 26,000 dollars. So it's it's a you know 20 jump And and a lot of that is directly related to wages benefits Same as ours. Yeah pieces of it. So It becomes that thing. There's a shortage of doctors nurses EMTs and so Making things more competitive so that they have good trained staff But then you had all the benefits and things like that that would increase. So from what we were told and what you can see on Do you have what page the What your valley ambulance is you can see if you're looking through there where a lot of their Figures have changed is in around their salaries and benefit pieces of them What their pages for the back of it there and also to Bethel is you know, Randolph is the first Biggest user and then Bethel's right behind them. So they obviously Yeah, so there'll be a several pages back there for whatever valley ambulance So you if you're looking through there, you'll see that a lot of it lines up with the wages and benefit pieces of it And then the last 22,000 dollars is what what I would say is normal things that we look at That's So the last 22,000 is what what is kind of a typical year we're looking at and that is things like You know wage increases for our employees Supplies, you know those those types of things that change a little bit here and a little bit there Some appropriation money changed like we talked about some extra money that we appropriated for the library um Getting getting some appointee Appointment salaries some things like that change that are the 22,000 so The Important piece of it if we turn to page Where's your round rate calculation page? Am I not seeing it The index Probably around 54 Yep, okay, if you turn to page 54, so that's kind of where the You know when we start talking about revenues going up and costs going down or cost going up in this case Is what does that really mean for for my home? You know how much comes out of my pocket? um So we had Established a few years ago um Few years ago. We had established at the board level that That we hadn't been planning enough for the future um To get said services we believe that a budget should be at a certain amount and and also talked about what a fair increase in Budget a year would look like for citizens. So so we typically kind of talk on a 3 percent Which is close to like two to three cents on a tax rate increase a year is is kind of um Flow as well with services and costs piece of it last year we had proposed Last year we had proposed roughly Around a two percent increase that ended up being nothing Because the grand list went up so the grand list um So the grand list is kind of the the bible of of the town it comes to your real estate and And looking at Your budget Typically the grand list really don't move a lot You know grand list is roughly two million dollars It you know might move down by just you know a couple thousand dollars or up a couple thousand dollars but The way the market has been with real estate Is a lot of grand lists have changed in one way or another here in the last couple years So right after Irene our grand list changed a little bit to go downward because we lost some Residents or buyouts due to FEMA and things like that And then last year our grand list grew faster than anyone would have anticipated So where we thought we were going to be increasing A two percent increase which actually came out to be two cents gets confusing sometimes two and two but Um It didn't go anywhere. So it was a it was a neutral year for us for us at the town This year kind of just breaking down the budget So the base budget if you go to the warning which is article 10 So if you look at article 10 what article 10 means for you Um And it gets a little confusing because article 10 includes article um No, it only includes article 10 because 11 12 and 13 all get added on later Right, but if but if you put into play what the normal services are so Article 10 plus your white river valley ambulance and your human services. Yeah What we're looking at is about um a 2.3 cent Sorry 2.8 cent increase in your Um taxes 2.3. Sorry 2.3 Is that increase in our taxes? Then there's then there's the three add-ons in in the warning which is Which is the um the extended amount for the library The extra amount for the skateboard park And then the thousand dollars for the the playhouse theater If if all three of those are approved Then that increases it by another 2.8 cents so if if everything gets approved then Sense wise on the tax rate would be just over five cents Um, which would be that so and and roughly right now our grand list the way our grand list is or where we anticipate our grand list to be That every 21 000 dollars So if you see 21 000 of cost go up or down that's one penny on on the tax rate So when you're thinking at home um the the median home in Bethel is roughly well, we did 200 250 000 so if we set a quarter million dollar house, you know each cent is roughly about 150 dollars a year So if you think of one penny on the tax rate is 150 dollars that you pay a year To the town more So right now if everything gets voted in Um, you're looking at just over five cents. So that's you know, you'll be at 600 600 700 dollars more that you would pay in for taxes a year if you look at the if you had a 250 000 That does not count if you have a pre-bate. Obviously. Yeah, just straight up taxes If you look at the base If you look at just the base Town budget that doesn't include the add-ons Then you'd be going up roughly two cents a little over two cents, which is about 300 dollars a year So that's kind of how that plays out. Yes, ellie Exactly because you're trying to reappraise Yeah, so it is before the reappraisal. Yeah, this is this takes an effect and doesn't And and so that's before the reappraising right because the real reappraisal is going to be a Is a two-year process and we will in our town will be starting a reappraisal in july so typically well Usually it's it's often good to do a reappraisal every 10 to 12 years Or there can be some factors that will trigger an reappraisal earlier So the reappraisal really is just establishing a new new baseline for everybody And then once that baseline starts being adjusted by the economy and the way things are being purchased or not purchased That can go up or that can go down And it probably saw something that in the legislation right now. They're actually talking about reappraisals because Because everybody's appraisals townwide have changed So dramatically over the last year and a half that it is getting at those rates where those Automatic reappraisal Lights need to go off and you need to do something now the town our town had Um had already Well, we hadn't anticipated what's going on now, but we had looked at what was going on in our town and said We're due for a reappraisal. So the last two town meeting days. We've talked about that We started a reappraisal fund locally to match the state funds. So So we've already contracted that out and we're already starting that process so what that Reappraisal is a lot of people a lot of times scares people and they say oh that means I'm paying more taxes and But what the reappraisal means for a large majority of people is it means we start a new baseline Uh, you'll have some people on each side of that spectrum very small amount that may be either Just barely built the house that might be getting Appraised at a very higher level now That theirs might come down a little bit and then you might have somebody that might have done work to their house Before the last appraisal, let's say they You know did a lot of inside you know Changes to their house that maybe brought their value up That now would get you know that theirs might go up a little bit So you're gonna have people that go A little bit of people that'll come down little people that come up, but most of us are going to be flatlined Just starting a new A new baseline for us because think zoning permits drive the grand list to an extent now So obviously if somebody builds an addition a garage etc They have to get a zoning permit But if you've remodeled your entire inside of your house and you have a brand new kitchen and master bath and this and that That is not we don't know about that so it hasn't affected the value So that's something that a reappraisal will do it will you know kind of make it catch everybody up So if you have maybe your house needs more depreciation because it's You know then it's 20 years older and no work has been done to it So maybe that house needs a little more depreciation than it currently has so it kind of bubbles the playing field and also Creates a new you know land schedule and things like that. So You know, it's it's a positive thing for baffling What about Environment well, I know but like heating Things that supposedly you get rebates for efficiency and things like that normal. I guess home improvements are home Is that affect you that not affect anything no not as far I think That's just general Well, yeah Yeah, I think Rick can answer that better if someone has a brand new furnace is it No, yeah versus no, I mean if you've created windows It might affect a little bit quality is better than it was before You know the value everybody's value is going to come up. Yeah, just because of the market Absolutely, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you're paying more tax No, because then you factor in that grand list to the to the budget And and it comes down actually because there's more The only way comes down because you're basically spreading your budget over more dollars because the grand list goes up The only way that you could pay more taxes would be Like we were just talking about last year and this year as well that our grand list has increased The only way that you could pay more taxes would be our grand list comes it will significantly Like Rick was saying it will come up significantly So make it up if your house is worth $200,000, maybe it's worth 250 or three, right? That doesn't mean that you're gonna pay more money unless the town decides to take advantage of that budget And increase let's say let's say you had more you have a higher grand list and you say we want more services, right? So you could theoretically pay more if that happened I don't see that happening with our first time user No, but I'm just being on you know, just so that you know that it could happen. It it doesn't usually happen It's it's usually just a base baseline to do it, but it could you know, so But um as long as we don't all say well now that all these houses worth all kinds of money We would really like uh in a something else and uh, you know, but if we if we continue the services that we have You'll see that my property value went up quite a bit But my tax my tax rate came down and it should offset And and there'll be some people that might pay a little more and a little less but majority of us should be an entire process too I don't want anyone to think that it's inequitable or so if you go through the process and and you're unhappy Everybody's going to get a reappraisal notice. There's time you can come and talk to the listers There's a whole process to grieve so that you can in this case You'll be sitting down with the listers and and a representative from the company doing the reappraisal and I can speak I had our house. We went through a reappraisal And our town I live in brookfield And we had built a new house recently than the last five years and I did go and talk to them, but they had done such a good job I didn't I I thought the value was fair based on the market I knew what I could get for it and but just went and asked some questions and And it was fine. They're very helpful very user friendly and but there is a process So if you're not happy and the listers don't you know, whatever you have a place to grieve and and so there is a process for everybody to be heard And currently because I sit on the school board as well So at the town like right now with the common level of appraisal Percentages so they go a percent of baseline Um Where we actually are getting hurt in Bethel right now Is on the school end of things because the school's calculations For formula is way different than the town. I mean the town is a very basic calculation which says Here's here's your baseline Here's your local revenue, which is Dog licenses and things like that and and and here and here is your tax rate, right? It's very simple That's the school has a lot of things that factor into their budget. So The first thing is the state will establish an equalized pupil rate, which will say We're going to give you $15,000 for every child that is in that school for the full year So If they stay all year So they will send you an amount and then there's another piece of it that deals with With the state yield rates. So Um, so like right now where real estate is really good because everything's based on real estate at the educational level Then the yield is higher And then they look at the common level of appraisal so Right now where our common level of appraisal Is at a whack we are at 88 percent. I think they sent the card out this year So so baseline's a hundred percent. So we're at 88 which is below And when we talked about those trigger points where Assessment comes into things it's 85 percent forces you to have a reappraised. So right now For instance, but when you see the school one The state gave us about a thousand dollars more a child this year to factor into our Our budget and the bond yield rates were I don't know what the percent was but the bond yield rates were quite a bit higher So the school actually was looking really good like, you know, the budget is Um, you know, the budgets are much higher. So the budget is going up by, you know, 400 000 dollars But with everything being the bond yield rate being higher and equalized people being higher It would have been something like a You know eight or 10 cent Reduction in the tax rate But where the common level of appraisal Is is so far at a whack right now. We're on the on the negative side of that Is now it brought that from in Bethel from being an eight or 10 cent give back To being a I think It's going to cost us about a half a cent So that's the difference in what those common level appraisals can do Now if our common level appraisal was at a hundred You would get that back and you don't see that at the town level as much because formulas are way more complicated at the school, but but that's this kind of, you know If to understand what that the value of the value of having your grand list Be very accurate with the market And I mean how many times in your day have you seen the market? Change in such a dramatic fashion that it triggered the grand list like there's probably two or three times. Maybe Yeah Yeah Short amount of time the last time was in oh 2005 2006 But not like a jump this year and people people are going to be shocked when they get their reappraisal because they're going to say oh my god, but They have to be educated that that's not at this tax rate, right? Exactly Well, what will happen is we take that information and then we reset Everything so you say yeah based on that grand list. This is what the pennies would be then you go from the night like you said This was it's an equalization Yeah, yeah, but when you have a property that bethels valued at 400 to 450,000 It sells for like 1.4 million. I mean Who could come up with that? I mean it's it's just There's a couple that you know and we've seen it people playing two and three times what houses are valued at cash and it's Or or if you would have you know say last year when Building prices were really high if you built a new house and put it on the you know you built a new house You know next to your neighbor that might have been almost a similar house, but You're paying that much more because the house value of that new house and what it costs and Yeah So that's kind of that that's the high level look at the budget so Hopefully If you were following you know that cost increase of 263,000, you know all those pieces in there is is how we got to that And the The breakdown for town meeting day is essentially If if we were looking at just if if you're looking at article 10 13 and 14 which is Usually the articles that are on every single year. That's the human services piece the baseline budget And the white river valley ambulance than that is a 2.3 cent increase over last year and if you look at adding in article 11 for the library article 12 And article 15 then that would add an additional 2.8 cents if those all three get in there and then if you wanted to do the math individually Approximately 20 every 21,000 dollars you add or subtract to the budget is one penny So that's kind of how that Yep, Teresa and I exchanged emails towards the end of december and to talk about The increase that just the library would create And I think we talked about 12 Dollars and 70 cents Per hundred thousand Dollars of house value So say for You know $200,000 house. It would be just over 25 dollars a year. Is that right? So 0.013 is the estimated tax rate do you have your 0.013? Hold on So just if you put that in that's about Just a library extra 27,500 dollar one. It's right here. It's 0.0 Right because the other pieces are already included in the baseline. Yep. How much it yeah, it's 1.3 pennies Yeah, so 0.013 which is you divide which a dollar amount would be on a 250,000 dollar house You take 250,000 times 0.013 0.013 Did you divide my hundred so that's 32 dollars and 50 cents on a 250,000 dollar house Does that sound like What I said if not just send me an email that's roughly I mean, yeah, okay Now we talked about You know, yeah pieces of like a hundred thousand dollar chunk as opposed to 250. Okay, so that's about yeah Thank you. Yeah, not going to be any hundred thousand dollars left. Yeah Yeah Well, it's like that it always reminds me of there was uh There was a skit that was done. I don't know It a little bit before my time, but it was um Dan acroyd and chevy chase it was on saturday night live back in the Late 70s early 80s when they did the inflation skit remember that where they're They're saying no wouldn't you wouldn't you know because inflation was out of control at that point And they were kind of mocking it like, you know, wouldn't you like to be a millionaire and wouldn't you like to own a, you know 15,000 dollar cigar and a 20,000 dollar suit, you know It was just kind of mocking a how you know how that was getting out of control and it kind of reminded me of You know just the way things have exploded here in the last You know a couple of years Yeah, yeah, yeah So So that's where we're at um, any questions in regards to either Any pieces there just one stupid question I don't see the sand uh the salt. Is that included in the next page? It's hidden right at the bottom of one page Look at page Kind of cut off I think Okay, yep That doesn't count Page 38 to be actually be the next page in that part of the budget and that top line is a gravel Then sand So salt's on page one of eight Yeah, so where it says page one of two on page 35 page 37 is two of two Yeah, it's two page two of two of the revenues. Dang All right, huh, you just rubbing salt in the wound. Is that what you're doing? Yeah, I mean that was just a good example of what happened with everything the salt one But no, all right. Well, that's a good point. We'll have to point that out That's on next up. Thank you All right, so I did the oh you can see it you yeah fire away if it has budget related, let's do it All right on page 12 you were mentioning the grants and on page 12 There's a grant that says state of Vermont recreation facility grant program for bike rack seating and exit ladders for pool Um, the grant is 1,487 and it has to be matched. Where is that matching money coming out of our budget? It's coming out of the budget, budget, budget, budget Okay All right, very good. So and then if you turn um to page 40 and And then um right at the top Um, it's uh, it's the recreation improvement fund actual as of 111 2022 You get 2,500 does do you put in every quarter? Yep. Is that what you do? Yep. Okay. Bye lisa. Thank you Yeah, have a good night everybody Okay, and then on page 48, okay on page 48 It says That I know you would put in a 100,000 for pool stuff But that was only just you were you were 250 in there because we just don't know and it sounded like Well, obviously it opened in relation to all that when we heard back originally from the gunnery Person, I mean their estimate was way out of whack, but it also made us realize that 100,000 Wasn't gonna touch it. So so you change that from 100,000 to 250 just it's just a placeholder That's why it says estimate because we just don't know yet. You don't know yet. So and then um So it's not that's not gonna all come out of the improvement fund And you're gonna get grants and fundraising to do that Well, I'm not sure about the fundraising aspect, but we may get obviously if there's a grant we'll look for it But until we have a better estimate, we just wanted people to know We have to keep our eye on the fact that something's gonna happen something has to give here to the pool. So yes, we certainly would look for grants and We'll see, you know, once we have a better price tag We'll have a better idea. Is it going to be a capital campaign? Is it going to be Grants it alone. We just don't know yet because we don't know what we're Yeah, well once we saw the price, I mean the guy had a it was a crazy price, but also made us realize that whole, okay I just see that and and there's none on the other years, but all of this and you have I know I just saw that ellie and I'm not I you know what it is is it's the balance Interest It does the beginning balance That's if you I think is or the 284 plus the 10 is the 294 And it said zero before that. So I'm gonna have to look I don't have my spreadsheet in front of me because we can't go from a negative 142 405 You know, just so that's there's something in there that's messed up. Yeah, I don't know I yeah, me too We would have yeah, so let me look at pay. I'll just have to make a note page 48. We do what it's It's funny too because I That when I compare it It is out of whack because if you compare it, I do it and then I compare it with I know and then I compare it to page let's destroy this way the bank area is not in your favorite That's right. And then that number is going down Because it has to compare to page 51 so cash out now if you get a chance In page 51 ties out to the 87 595. So I'm not sure I'll have to look at that So then Yeah, you you talk about the expenses. Yeah, um, the the benches of 3000 Offsets from the the grant that we got right, but they're still on revenue and still on expense. So yeah, and but What are the fundraising expenses? I wasn't sure. I think it was the hot dogs and uh, I mean you have the list I gave you the right right and I t-shirts t-shirts and hot and the hot dogs I wasn't sure I came up with a 18 1,800 But I just didn't know if there was anything else. I I can't rub her off top of my head. So but if you look at my back What it would have been. Yeah, if you look at the spreadsheet You're going to see so it would have been the benches would have been 3000 the hot dogs the t-shirts the um Whatever else you you know Yeah, absolutely I have a question of basement of the Geico well house. Yeah, is that gonna Have any effect on the recreation center during the summer? No, Geico is across the street next door Across the street from the school. So we're talking about the well house. So it's by Renators young the Roy Carrier's property across my school. So it's nothing to do. Oh, okay. Yeah, so it's not gonna affect No, nothing to do with that. Yeah Yeah Okay, because I didn't know because I know Nope, nothing to do with our trucks. We're gonna be it's not to do with the well. It's not to do the reservoir Oh, I mean there is a reservoir that's going to get some work done to it But it's not going to affect the anything that we're doing. No, it has its own road up to it and all that. All right. Thank you You should be fine That's right. That's right. It does. What did you say the waterway comes off that reservoir from down to the gw parking lot? It doesn't go anywhere near the rec area So you're in the clear I wasn't even looking. I'm sorry. There hasn't been anybody online. No, she left. It was jamie daniels But she's what gone a while ago any any other questions budget related in house here? Okay Anything at the select board level? Just I know we gotta where to do the water bond here and none. We'll move on. We got the water bond Famously phase two of the water line improvements. Yeah, so you can I put on the screen, but you also I gave you guys all hard copies so um, so next week we'll have another informational hearing on monday night and um So this So we can see if we go down page two that This is where we are. This is the bond vote. It's going to be from 8 a.m. To 7 p.m. On town meeting day at the school Where you normally vote absentee ballots are available um, so we're going to be doing Two inch four inch eight inch water mains on sand hill bicentennial highland gram and crystal drive Means new water services curb stops We have to put in a new water main crossing under the railroad, which is near babes between babes and the hardware store We also are going to be building a new booster pump station on Four crystal drive. It's actually going to be on dick adam's property and Because currently the if you live on crystal drive If you are running water downstairs, you can't what run water upstairs They have no water pressure and that's one of the reasons that the state has said to us until we take care of that problem We cannot add any more users to the system We're also going to do the replacement of geico well house, which is the one we were just talking about That's on renay and laroy's Land and we are going to refurbish the boulevard water storage tank That needs some work So we're having a company that's going to come in and they'll clean it They'll also do some work to seal it and to take care of any of the you know minor issues nothing Yep That's not the boulevard Well, the boulevard tank is um Up by the town. Yeah boulevard tank is up here. No Boulevard well over here By that's that's geico. That's geico The boulevard is by the crossman town office That's right by p vine. Yeah. Yeah, I'm confused because I'm I'm thinking where where the location of this tank is. Oh, yeah, that's right Pumped yeah, you're right. Exactly. Yeah So, um, we talk about why the improvements are necessary and there's a nice little picture here This is actually something that we found um near the depot apartments in the street And I have gw tatro and the engineers were like, what is this? Somehow they had you know, they managed to connect like three different Buildings using this crazy connector Obviously the water mains are old. There's no work had been done in a very long time and We have a lot of the water line that we have is the two inch galvanized So that's why we're able to qualify for some of the lead subsidy That's why we did, you know, we got quite a bit of that in the last project and we're getting that again in this project They'll do a dollar for dollar match. So what goes in they pay for it going in or coming out and going back in So that will be taken up and obviously the He's saying the requirements here the crystal drive, which we just talked about and then the geico well house. They just That's the one that's down by um terzians that needs to be dealt with because it is um Has deteriorated and it's you know taken some flood impacts. It's also kind of funny because it's like this three tiered Thing instead of being all on one level. So when it floods if it floods, it's it's going to flood again So and we just got to think about you know, there was a prolonged period of time in town where Where we didn't do any upgrades to our Water infrastructure. So right, you know, there's from what we're being told by the experts, you know Your water system is on like a 40-year rotation So you should be doing certain segments of it, you know Every five to eight years, you know, because I think we said there's five or eight segments So every five to eight years we should be doing a segment of this and we haven't done anything in a very long Time so like that picture shows that that's some of the issues that we have there Um, and as we found with Waterline phase one, you know, we used to spend a lot of time digging up to fix water Breaks Yeah, and because that's a lot of a lot of wasted time That's a lot of wasted resources because the pumps up the water station are going longer if you get, you know, major leaks Um, and we've already seen that paying dividends just by we're not, you know I'm not sure probably just jinxed us all but you know, we're not digging the holes in the ground as much So it's a combination of the old infrastructure that Should have been changed out that needs to be changed out as well as the state when they come in and do the periodic Into your inspection audits on your water licenses. They say you need to You know x y z needs to get done So these are pieces that the state has determined that we need to do as a town If this bond vote passes or doesn't So if we don't pass the bond vote, we still have to do these things. It's just going to be at our own dime 100 percent our own dime. So yeah Huh, yeah Yeah, exactly and and like the railroad crossings, you know And one of these pages on page six it says these these are old 1900s to 1950s So that we're dealing with that. Let me just tell you talk about dealing with the railroad And then like we're seeing with like crystal drive for instances There were pieces segments of the system that were constructed That didn't necessarily meet proper specs engineering standards, you know, so To get pressure to certain elevations were not done correctly You know over years or you know a lot of times you see A developer maybe years ago put in so many houses and then the town took over those that area But maybe it wasn't developed Maybe it wasn't you pressure tested to so, you know crystal drive is an example of that That town at some point took that over and and there's not adequate pressure to run your systems As you go up the line there. So and there's a picture on page seven I'm sorry Dave that shows interior deterioration in boulevard tank and it was built in the 1950s and You know, those are certainly very expensive. So is the hammer laminated over? It was just in the tank. I guess so the pictures that the person took So we're going to dig up main street again to do that railroad railroad crossing. Nope We're going to only piece that's going to get dug up is right next to babes Where there's like that ball right there that's going through and we're going to try to our We're going to directionally bore that so we're not coming in. No, so that's just there No, no, no, we're not doing that. So we're not we're not doing that. So on page eight it shows You know, we have an aging and corroded equipment. Um, this is this is the pump house here Here's what we've been talking about It's not built to withstand flooding and it's got some structural deterioration So we are going to be tearing this one down And rebuilding a new one and it's going to be less Dangerous to get it out of it'll be all in one level and we've worked with the homeowners We have assigned easement to you know, where the placement is going to be and it will look, you know, match your home those things um So the big one is everybody wants knows what's it's going to cost. So we are Passing working hard to pass a bond vote for 2.5 million Um, you can see they lay out the construction is around 1.8 million There's a 15 contingency fee um engineering And other cost 76 this also includes um That there'll be someone overseeing the project, you know, there's be an onsite engineer, which is very helpful To us someone overseeing the work making sure that the contractor does it, you know per specification and And um, so that's what we're looking at here We talk about funding opportunities We were lucky last time we had a 2.8. We had 2.8 million dollars worth of work done for 939 000 because we got so much aid and assistance I think that Obviously we were hoping that would happen again because we've all heard about all the federal money That's pouring into the state and this and that but because at the same time What happened is the median household income in Bethel and across the state really raised Which is a great thing. Everybody's making more money, but when they You know, we say that right, but then you're paying more gas and so I know Anyway, so the median household income comes up So what happens is then the state with their You know formulas say that we're we don't get a disadvantage subsidy that we qualified for last time We no longer qualify for that. So what we are looking at this time is We're looking for approximately 425 thousand dollars in subsidy from the state That's what we're estimating right now and that's just based on solely Lead replacement the galvanized replacement If it's more than that great You know, but that's where we're at right now and what they're and what we're also anticipating is a 40 year loan Um at a 1.5 percent interest rate We were lucky with the 2.8 million dollar project because that 939 thousand dollar loan we got for 40 years was zero percent interest so We are openly admitting we are not looking at as good of a package in aid that we were looking at before Not that we haven't tried. It's just this is you know, the state tells you what they're going to give you and But it's still a better package than if we have to do it ourselves There's still 425 thousand dollars in a reduced interest rate that we didn't have Before and they will give us a subsidy for our planning loan. So that looks like around 49 thousand dollars That they were going to give us so because we looked at this I talked to the engineer and the state about We can't obviously there's less users on the system than there is tax payers So in the prior Package they wouldn't allow us to put any of the money onto the tax payers It had to go onto the users and it worked out to be a pretty good deal So it was all right this time We talked to them because we were getting less Aid, I want to know how that if that would impact our financing from the state So what we did was We looked at the possibility of having the users pay For the water upgrades But putting the road construction onto the entire tax space Because we would have if we need paving or gravel roads, we would normally pay for that out of taxes anyways So to try to give the users, you know to try to see if we could take some pressure off the users So that's the way, you know, we looked at we looked at this Um To look at how we could cost share obviously everyone has to vote on it This is a question I get why aren't just the users voting? But everybody has to vote on it because it's the good faith and credit of the entire town that stands behind the bond node and um So currently we're saying the typical residential water Customer pays 126 dollars and four cents per quarter And we expect them to see To see an increase of about 26 dollars and 14 cents per quarter. Um, and that's That's us taking out all the Roadwork hydrants and related costs for for the road work And that's gonna call that on a 250 thousand dollar house Is gonna cost a taxpayer $18 a year so As you can spread it over more users And then like the It's difficult because they've had The rates had not been raised in a long time and then we did have to do a big hike about Four years ago of 10 percent because people were paying a 25 dollar vacancy rate Well, I wasn't even covering the base operating costs. So we have changed the rate I did hear that someone was upset because there is an increase this year over last year of Delinquencies in water We do not calculate water rates based on the delinquencies. So that is not a factor into this You are not paying because somebody else hasn't paid we readily admit We had, uh, you know, certainly with tim's death. We had bigger fish to fry as to just cover the The job and to get moving and we um, a couple of them are bigger users and It's all collectible and and we will do that. So but I don't want people to think that you're paying for that You're not we'll you know, and it is collectible and it will be collected. So Don't I don't want someone to think that that just because someone else has an 11 000 dollar delinquent bill will get the money and um That doesn't affect Exactly and that's a conversation Bethels had for a long time And that is something that they've talked about and I know at the 2.8 million dollar we're looking at that I think it was we were looking I think if we metered the whole system It'd probably be like a million bucks or more by the time we paid for meters and went in and you know, did everybody's house You know, I certainly have Said openly that it seemed you know, we have some people metered and it looks like You know, if we were going to start, I thought it was going to start metering I think they need to start with the high users and kind of get it accurate and kind of meter down to make sure that the businesses And multiple family apartments are you know paying what they need to pay So and the challenge with our system Is Is when you're talking a cost of something you have the fixed cost and then you have the variable cost And being that we are such a small The water service is a smaller identity in our town. It's not like a big city So we have a lot of fixed costs. So regardless Of how much water Dave uses at his house or not Set like 75 was just round terms So 75 to 80 of the costs are fixed no matter if we turn the faucet on that home or not That's the you know, that's the facility. That's the the individuals running the facility And then the variable cost of what I guess we could control as as consumers is very very small And when we looked at things like water meters To add on that much more fixed cost At the end of the day did not pay back the water users on the variable cost If anything what would have happened is you would have been getting charged more for water And then turned around and had to use your water less or wouldn't have the Ability to use the water as frequently that you would want unless you wanted to get charged more So it was kind of in our situation a little bit of a double You know whammy for for individuals where a city where You know you have You know tens of thousands of users You it makes sense because that you have a lot more variable piece of that With with this and and on the first project and usually Paul has the number But on the first project that we did want to say that we had advertised that that the water users were gonna Their rates were going to go up like 14 dollars a quarter somewhere around there 12 So we had advertised that in the bond vote that it was going to go up roughly around 12 dollars a quarter That actually went up about Two or three Yeah, yeah, so Again, we got really lucky on a lot of the financial packages that we had gotten So I guess in some way we've already kind of saved the users some money from the last time Where this time? Potentials aren't there now. We're still hopeful that maybe something will happen But but we have to be realistic with everybody to say this is You know prepare for this. Yeah, because this is we can do better. We will obviously do better, but we did You know, we did get the 600 thousand dollars from senator sanders So that you know while the water system is going to pay for just the water Part, you know, like the 600 thousand or now 750 because of our share Will pay for you know the rebuild of the road the storm water and hope you on the tax and the things Yeah, absolutely. So construction is planned for this summer. So it's why we're having the bond vote on town meeting day Obviously, we're hopeful that it passes so that we can move forward because You know part of this too is that the planning commission and rick and denise and I can all attest that we are working with two rivers to um Create an increase in density so more, you know to have some more flexibility may be more housing more But we we can do that the pc but yet the state says we can't add any users So it's we're kind of like fighting ourselves. So And and one thing that To look at that was significant in this one is and again If we pass it or don't pass it we still have to do a majority of these upgrades now There might be some that we could push off But a majority of them have to get done To keep our water license, but one of the biggest drivers on this isn't necessarily the cost of the project But it's the interest of the project that we're going to pay and there's a huge difference between 0 percent interest on 2 million dollars and 1. 5 percent interest on 2 million dollars and and what that means is at the end of our life of our loan We're going to have like 800 thousand dollars in interest on this job, right? But it's going to save us about 260 No, no problem saying and we've all seen that with rates going up So it's one of those things that we're paying more this time around because we've all seen You know the federal government has raised rates, you know consecutively. I don't know about eight quarters now or whatever it is And likely is going to continue to do that And things are only going to get more expensive. So if we did delay this somehow, we're probably going to be Footing the bill on higher interest and as well as we don't know what incentives are going to be coming because some of the money Is funneled from the feds through the epa into the state. So that money dries up for like Galvanized line or lead replacement then the state's not going to be offering us much either So at this point it's kind of taking advantage of what we have So and a lot of that federal money that that we hear about is supposed to dry up in 2024. Yeah Um So we'll see what you know, what else is gonna happen, but kind of this was just an interesting picture. Um on page 13 This was actually something that we found in main street This is an old piece of wooden water line Have back in the day and uh, we actually found this on main street It was still in the ground not being used, but it was still there. So okay, so it was not being used No, and then the final page This is our um, yeah, it does make you wonder Our 70 year old water pump at geico. So this has not been replaced for 70 years So that's a picture of that. That's what um, he'd put on the back. So Yep, that's what I got from the engineers. I asked him today This afternoon about two o'clock. I was on the phone with him and asked him and he said that I don't know if I'm running that water proposal, I'm not gonna have to reply Yeah, I should have heard it when we first finally got the power to it. I bet And that's the only pump or something they must have they pulled it and did something. Yeah, they must have referred to this We could not we you couldn't stand in that room. It was so loud, but it was the only pump that would run Yeah, and give water. Yeah, it was a little loud until it went so hopefully on town meeting day, you know Fun passes and we're trying to get the information out and really appreciate people are coming to hear about it and ask questions And we're trying to do we've done stuff online, but this presentation out Also sent it all the committee chairs that's on facebook. It's on front porch forum It's on our website to try to you know, make sure that people are educated about the vote What do you anticipate down the line of future projects? Actually have a list on the corner of my desk. I found it something that tim had drawn up and So we have A couple so there'll be a break Obviously, we've done these very close together. Yes, and so there's going to be a break the next we have projects left are going to be South main, you know from the town office out and since the state paved recently That's nothing we're going to be doing tomorrow Also, the north main is the other piece and river street. So we do have another three pieces and it was so But I think that the space of time might have been Don't hold me just I want to say it was five years or so until we did like another piece Certainly, so pleasant street is good. Well pleasant street is actually Up to the fire station. Yeah The fire station on that stretch was brand new. I don't know Ten years ago, maybe yeah, and I'm not sure if what piece yeah, I'd have to look at tim's piece Mine's the last one. Yeah, and we did do some work there in the last project We put in a couple sampling stations and but you know knock on wood women had any You know issues with that. I'll have to look at tim's list I actually made a copy of it and put it in the select boards packet for our next meeting To so and but I had just found it the other day and shared it with Richard So it won't be doing we won't be doing it in another two years like this. So so we're doing graham street Isn't that right off river street It is okay, so we're going that just we have piece of that and then later Later do the main later do the main. Yep. So it's um, we have graham bicentennial sand hill And what we're anticipating is the dws or f program won't pay for a full lane full width paved generally But obviously graham. We don't think that's a problem and We so there's going to be there may be a situation on highland Depending Up where Yeah, well we also I asked richard about it the other day and Now we think that the water line goes right down the middle of highland Sounds like so there's pressure getting in the line So all that's richer to take a peek because that's definitely what it sounds like is that because if there's pressure If there's air getting into the line, I would think that would do it All right, so I'll say highland ab noise I'll ask um And I would think you know assuming that we're still around after all, you know down the road is You know, I guess the next piece would be to get whatever the next piece of this puzzle is That south main street or whatever and probably get the project shovel ready So that when there's an opportunity to take funds from The federal government or state government that we can say we got a project ready Because as we found out what we did here it takes us about a year Maybe even a year and a half to get a project To shovel ready so that you can take on funds Because if you wait until the funds are available and then you try to do it the funds are dried up by then so So I think that's what our goal will be is we're talking about pausing But I think we're still going to go ahead Do some of the engineering to get it ready So that then we can take advantage of it when when the opportunity which is what we did here when we knew that You know that president that the presidents were changing we knew that a lot of times when they do that There's infrastructure money that comes in depending, you know when a new president takes over Obviously, that's what president biden did so we we were already in design for phase two We can get a planning loan and I think they give us five years basically of no interest until we And then they give us some forgiveness later when we finance it through construction But yeah, it's it's all about the timing and that's how we were able to get you know I think we got a good deal last time because the state was putting a lot of pressure on us and This time because we were you know, we were trying we were ready for the project to come So we were already on The priority list So, you know, we always do keep an eye on that and see you know What's trying to see what's coming down the pike for money? But yeah, and when you can do a planning loan at no interest and you got five years to do your project It just makes sense to kind of Start looking ahead and we did have a master plan done a few years ago Bethel did have one done a few years ago. So We and we were just richard and I were revisiting that the other day looking at you know What are going to be the priorities and it could switch it could be all of a sudden If we have a bunch of breaks on one side, you know, one thing that Bethel is blessed with is a lot of water pressure So we fix something and there's something weak down the road and blowing it back out. So You're certainly blessed with good water pressure That could be i'm actually gonna sit down with engineers on wednesday to see the plans. Um, do you know where your shutoff is now? Across the street from where I live on somebody else's lawn. Yes, then yes Because we had Yep, that's that's what it is you will get a curb stop that's on your on your side of the road Yeah, we went through that with here we the depot We couldn't they couldn't figure that thing out it ended up There was one of them that was like the pipe had gone out I think they avoided some ledge and came back and somebody's one of the shows was across the street and It was kind of convoluted. So yeah They i'm dicks. Oh, hopefully he doesn't mess with you and try shutting your water off. Just we're fine Yeah, so it could be that there's it could be air in your line It could be in your service line or it could be in the water line where it passes the road those are some common complaints that we've had is A combination that we haven't done anything with our infrastructure in so long and then you know, maybe buildings have been Constructed since then or whatever since last I mean we're starting to think of you're looking at that You know a lot of this stuff infrastructure was before 1950 So think of all the houses that were constructed after that And like I know my house out on pleasant street when they put in the new water line When we were having non-stop breaks out there My water shut off was on the opposite side of route 12. So I would have to You know, I'm not digging up through route 12 to get to it, you know So, I mean those were some things and then when they put that in now I have a curb stop that's on the corner of my property as well But and there were so many places that didn't even know where it was Yeah, I remember one time out in pleasant street didn't they have a curb stop from a neighbor They just had to turn off at the Not the main and we recently had to do that on sand hill We had to shut off several people just because one person was having a problem in their basement because we couldn't find their shut off But I did want to say as I was saying about Highland in the paving Drinking water loans only let us do basically a trench patch and then Richard said to me the other day He said i'm pretty sure Highland's water main goes right through the middle of the road I was like, yes, because we might uh, even if we have to put in a little bit of capital road money You know if the trench is going to be so big we might be able to make a deal to get a full pave Because what's going to be the point of trenching, you know, come on Yeah, just do it all at once So I was very happy when he when he said where it was so that's Oh I'm Yeah, okay, I'll have I made a note to have Richard, you know take a peek at that and see what's what's going on there so but hopefully Bond passes and we put out to bid and we start construction and you all have new shutoffs and water line and paved rope It would be nice. It would be nice for yeah, everybody deserves that so Okay, you can pave my road next. Well, not you you don't deserve it. I'm sorry the ladies in town deserve it. Yeah Sorry, no, we are we are we're gonna pave your point 79 miles of christian help Speaking of that if we get to other business they have one request Yeah, so I was just gonna open it up now to um public comments. So if there was Any questions anybody wants to comment on anything it doesn't there's two pumpkin-sized holes Across some scandal lane if you're up there in a truck like mine You end up being thrown out the window on the okay across from the scandal. Is that John McLean's No next corner. Okay Next corner. All right that poor it's uh blue or whatever Oh, yeah, and the next plate next road that goes down in a scandal. Yeah, I know where scandal is So it's across the street from right in the middle of the road big big holes All right in christian not yeah, so hopefully I could just throw some patch in there for at least for I mean holy crap. Yeah, oh my god. So all right Well, it's like the sand hill the only the only part of sand hill that's in good shape is the patches We put in the rest of the the rest of the It's just the patches we put it That's right. That's right across from scandal lane two big holes. Okay I'll I'll um let them know Well, they'll be feel forget the storm they're talking about to be filled in with snow and you'll be Be frozen back So we'll let them know They're talking about thursday Anything else any other public comment? No, I would entertain a motion to adjourn Okay Thank you for coming out