 Okay, we're officially being recorded. So this meeting is called to order. So first item is approving the minutes from the January 20th meeting. I didn't personally have any comments. I guess the chancellor is not here. I also need to take minutes. That's horrible. You can ask for volunteers, but since you volunteered Jim. I'll volunteer fine. Jim minutes. So any comments on the January 20th minutes. Okay. We'll move that we accept the January 20th, 2000 motions. He said to accept them and we'll just do a show of hands. All those in favor of accepting the January 20th meeting. I see a unanimous approval from all three of us. So they've been accepted. So next item of business is what have we done since our last meeting? So Connie, nothing. I've had, I had one single interview for affordable housing trust. And there was one opening and one interview. And everybody loved the interviewee and the interviewee, I believe has already been appointed. Jim, just out of curiosity, since they're already appointed, can you just say who it is? Yeah. Allegra Clark. Okay. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I certainly had been going to the meetings beforehand and ready. Sort of was very up on how it all worked and was very interested. Keisha, you do anything in. Since the last meeting. I have not had any interviews. No. Okay. So that was the one and only. Okay. Enough about that. Do we know anything about upcoming interviews? Paul, do you know? Yeah. So we're interviewing for. We're interviewing for the arts committee. I think that's, there might be a third one in there. Oh, human rights commission. So that's, that's out there for the current for current vacancies. We have board of registrars where for reappointments, but the board of registrars is a different process. The way we do that is we reach out to the Democratic and Republican town committee. And they, we ask for three nominees from them. Sometimes it's hard to figure out if there's, if there is a Republican town committee in this town and they often don't, we try, we send it to different people, hoping that they are Republicans and that they can respond. If they don't. And expect to hear from them in a few days. Or not hear from them. We'll, we'll post that because then it defaults to our normal appointment process where we would advertise for someone, but they have to be. They have to be public and because the board of registrars is supposed to be balanced. And then Angel and I have started going through getting ready for the reappointment process. And so we, that will be happening pretty soon. We can start advertising with all the slots are the, in talking with the council, there was a debate over automatic reappointments of someone who was ready for a second term. And they were concerned that those, I would not post those because it was someone going into their second term. They thought it was important to post those. And I was sort of like, well, I don't want to be disingenuous with people. I want them to feel like, you know, if there's a vacancy, there's a vacancy. And so what the sort of wording we came up with is that there's a vacancy say on the shade tree committee. I always use the shade tree committee as my, you know, but there is a person looking for reappointment who's eligible for reappointment, something put in language to sort of, you know, messages to people that there is someone, there's an inside candidate in essence, but the people know that there's a vacancy there. So because I think we know the charter says all vacancy shall be posted. My argument was that's not a vacancy if someone's going for a second term, but I didn't see the harm in posting it as long as that caveat was there. I don't want to like invite, you know, if we have, if we have two people going for the energy and climate action committee for reappointments that we posted, we're going to get 20 applicants. And it's like, well, we're really not looking to change horses in midstream at this point. I don't think, you know, I, do you have thoughts on that Connie? One on that. It's not clear to me that second term is automatic. And I think there was some discussion of that. It's on the paper. So if it weren't, somebody might be going for reappointment, but there may be a problem with their service or whatever, in which case you wouldn't want to collect up some other interested people. So I don't know how that issue plays against, I hear your point. I hate making it seem like there's a real vacancy and people are all excited and really it's just the reappointment. So I have a signal that I think is important, but it brings up for me that question about how automatic is reappointment. Somebody read a letter of the paper about that recently. I mean, I just remember reading it recently. So I don't know. But my other thing, Paul, but not to interrupt this part of the conversation is, I saw in your time manager report, and maybe also in the paper that you were forming a new committee to look for a site for a homeless shelter. Right. So is that going to be, are those, are you advertising for those positions and will RAC be involved at all in that? So it's, you know, I know that the charter says we're there to help evaluate and select candidates, but I don't know. I don't know where we, where we fit in terms of when a new body is being formed or sometimes there are certain decisions around how appointments are being handled. So I'm not necessarily looking to expand our role, but it's a little bit weird like, oh, there's a new committee. Oh, will we be involved with, we have a role in commenting or whatever. Yeah. So it's a good question. I, so I start up committees all the time. Committee a week, you know, hiring, hiring committees, committees on, on this or that, the other thing, this one's a little bit higher profile, which is why I reported it to the town council. My intent is this is an advisory committee to the town manager and not, not subject to this process. And the way we've structured it, I mean, I do want to share the charge with the council. So they're, it's something they care a lot about, but the way I structured it is like someone from Craig's doors, someone from, you know, filling slots, slots. Yeah. Okay. There is another committee that we haven't talked about yet, but a building committee for the DPW and the fire. And so putting together a charge for that, that will be something we will seek, you know, broader participation on because it's, it might have some designated things like an architect or something like that, but it's going to be broader. I think it's going to be more open selection. Yeah. So would you, so would you anticipate that rack would be involved in that? I would ask for a rack to be involved. Yes. So, you know, it's great that you're joining us today, Paul, so we can get kind of updated on some of those things. So we know what's going on. I have a thought. Let me see if it's still in my head or if I lost it. Just. Just regarding the, the reappointments and the way you're posting it, I think that's a great solution. You know, one question to you and it's a hypothetical. If you're in a situation where there's somebody up a reappointment, who you're not sure about, would you post it differently? I might put a different phrase in there. It might make it a little less, you know, but, but other applicants are welcome, you know, but if it's like, I mean, John Harnick is the affordable housing trust. If he's up for reappointment, I'm not going to message to people that that's really, if they can see. Yeah. And I think, you know, me personally, and I think the view of this committee in general. Is that we're fine with the process that exists. That we don't feel that reappointments should just be open to everybody without, you know, Do you feel that people should be re interviewed? Personally, no, but I don't know if I can speak for these other two. So do you guys have comments? I don't think people should be re interviewed either, but I do think there should be an element of making it public. If somebody does want to apply. Okay. Yeah. I mean, I, that does raise the question. And I think we have a, a spectrum of opinion on this. About reappointing people who have served, you know, more than the six years of the two terms. And I know John Harnick's one of those people. And so, you know, that's, that's still out there. And I think Paul, it has a lot to do with what your preferences are. We each have our own opinions. I know for the, the personnel committee, you made a decision. To reappoint someone who had been a long standing member. So it kind of raises that. Issue a little bit. So Connie, just, you didn't exactly answer the question. Okay. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I don't think they need an interview. Okay. Okay. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I don't think they need an interview. Okay. Okay. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Okay. Okay. So. I don't think there's any more on upcoming interview assignments then. I imagine once we get into. You know, I think we're going to be doing that in June or so we're going to have a big new push for. Open assignments. Yeah. We're trying to get a bit earlier start on that. So that in April, May is when we'll be doing those interviews. So that the council can act on them in June. So we're not acting down. But they, their schedule is pretty heavy throughout the next three months. Yep. Okay. So we're going to talk about the survey and our proposed memo to the town manager. I could read the memo now and then I don't even have to send it. But maybe instead of doing, I'll give it a little summary first. I did send. Wording basically. The survey had great results and, you know, all positive. And I think that's a good point. And I think that the areas that we felt could maybe be tweaked for some improvement. Or when people talk about was the mission of the committee explained clearly. And was the. Time commitment of the committee explained clearly. And basically. What. I wrote in this memo. Is that a suggestion that. The committee, the committee should have, the committee's drum set. Should write something out ahead of time. So they have a really clear. Well thought out script to read. Of the mission and the time commitment. Just so it's a little less haphazard. It's a little less hit or miss. As to whether they touch on all the important points. an advanced look at this memo. Did anybody have any comments on changing anything or is it? Yeah, Connie. I did. So I never thought you'd have a comment, Connie. Yeah, I know. You can't don't give me anything in writing and not come back. So I thought it was it was it was a great draft. Thank you for doing this, Jim. There's some I didn't have a lot but I'll just tell you what I saw this is a memo that becomes more of a standalone perhaps going out in a packet to the town council or in some other way being being made public. So I formalized a couple things that you can agree on. Well, first of all, in the header part from Jim Pistrang, comma, chair, comma, resident advisory committee, which is actually the way you had it at the end of the letter, just making it consistent. Subject RAC post interview survey, I would spell out resident advisory committee. Again, thinking of this as a standalone document going to people who don't know what it is. And then just near the beginning of high Paul, I would say, you know, dear, you know, Mr. Bachlemann, or again, for a former front formalized. At our RAC meeting on January 20, 2021, we reviewed the feedback that we received from the survey that Miss Mills, executive assistant to the town manager, sent out to, and this is the only place I kind of struggled and I didn't rewrite, but to all interviewees in the fall of 2020, I wanted something that said sent out to all applicants for town manager committee appointments involving RAC representatives since the inception of the RAC in 2019. And maybe even adding, and again, the sentence is too long and a mess. The RAC created under section 3.3c of the Amherst home rule charter, because for someone who's encountering this in a packet or in an archive, it just doesn't have enough. I just wanted to have the more formal content. And again, for us, this is fine, but we're in the last sentence of the first paragraph where it says Angela, I put Miss Mills, the survey summary, if that was fine, and it's just that I struggled at that beginning part. And then just lastly, where you had the recommendations, question five, your last sentence, a prepared script will eliminate confusion and increase clarity on the part of the interviewee. Perhaps a list of items to be prepared to speak on should be sent to chairs and staff along with the interview invite, so that there's always be prepared to talk about time commitment, schedule, whatever, just that list could just be kind of the three or four points whenever they're invited to an interview that there's a reminder that that's what they're expected. So maybe add another line that says the script should include and then some bullet points. Yeah, that's all I got. And what the things it would include would be the time commitment. I mean, I sort of do say that. You do. I might as more about suggesting that a bulleted list goes out when they're invited, because chairs change, people forget. So I'm not quite sure what you're saying you would change there. Are you saying that? I'm adding, well, that they, you say a prepared script will eliminate confusion, but I mean, I say before that a written script describing the time commitment in meeting schedule. Right. But how are you going to let the chairs and the staff know that one time or each time they're participating in an interview? I mean, kind of I'm leaving that up to the town manager to figure out. I mean, we could be more explicit there, I suppose, or we could, you know, this is to the town manager saying, these are things that should be done and it's his job. Yeah, of course, there's some recommendation in a memo to call. So yeah, doesn't have to do that. And you don't necessarily have to get that detailed, but I have found everything from being totally unprepared to being very on top of it by staff and chairs and interviews. So it's just a suggestion. Anyway, I'm happy with whatever you take and do with it henceforth. Okay, what I guess I will do is I will send out a new version of the draft. I mean, this is kind of a this is a strange conversation because we're talking about composing a draft that's going to be sent to somebody who's sitting right here with us. But you're right, it's a public document that we're sending out, although this meeting is a public document too. So yeah, since you are when this happens all the time when people send things to the manager, and it's really intended to go to the town council or whoever, and he knows about it and he's part of, you know, part of the drafting in the discussion. So Paul, are you content with the memo as such and what purpose do you see it serving? Well, I'm not sure if I've read the memo, honestly. Oh, I have it. So, but I think the reason for the memo is important, because I think the council is interested in the process and they because they have a parallel process for their appointing appointments, which is much more elaborate because they do so so many fewer appointments. But I do think it should be seen as a fairly public document that would be shared with the council. Because I think people care about this is a there's a lot. This is a major touch point for a lot of our residents is this the interview process in the in the appointment process. So, and also just to sort of reflect back on how rack is doing, you know, in a way, it's not a bad thing. So, I can I one question is, should this memo also be, you know, cc to town council? Or should I let Paul decide or share it the way he wants to share it? So, that's one question. I will definitely I can formalize the names and the wording. One problem is, once I have this new version of it, can I send it without us reviewing it and voting on it again, which we can't do by email, we can only do it our next meeting. So, we could approve it for you, Jim, as amended as we discussed. Yeah, if it's a little different than the exact, you know, words we talked about. And just I, I think it's up to Paul to send it to the council and I'm assuming he would because I think it is a general interest and helpful. So, I would just send it to him. Okay. So, to review the changes I'm making just things about, you know, my title chair comes before the committee, spell out committee and the subject, address the town managers, Mr. Bachman and Angela Mills. And then the line about sent out to interviewees be more explicit there, sent out to, you know, interviewees who were, you know, town manager appointments that worked with the resident advisory committee. I'm not sure I need to state the charter and the line and the charter that has people can look that up. That's fine. I looked up the committee this morning because I wanted to like, since the inception of the RAC, I wanted to know in 2019. Yeah, make it clear. Yeah. Because from the beginning of our time, for everyone, got an interview, got a survey. Is that true that everyone get a survey or is it just the people who were interviewed in this past summer and fall survey? I think, yeah. I think it was just the more recent interview. Okay. That's what I thought too. And could maybe Angela could clarify with you the span of time that it represents because I think that is important. Yeah. I'm pretty sure. I mean, I'll look at her emails and if I can't get a clear picture of it, I'll ask her. But I'm pretty sure it was, as Keisha said, it's just sort of the more recent ones. Okay. I think you're right. And I, yeah. Okay. In that case, all those in favor of the amendments we talked about and approving me changing it and sending it without further looking at it, say aye. Aye. Yeah. It's approved by everybody. Okay. I will do that. I will copy you guys when I do send it to Paul. I did something horribly wrong. We can fix it at the next meeting. Oh, Jim, do you want to list, this is often done, do you want to list all of our names after you're, you know, where you had, Jim, do you want to list the members? Yeah. RAC members. Yeah. Thanks. I just thought of that. Great. And it's technically just the three of us. Is Angela an official staff liaison? Staff. Yes. Okay. Hang on. Great. Okay. I don't think there's any public here. So there's no public comment. We usually do talk about approximately when we want to have our next meeting. And we could have it in a month or we can wait and have it in two months. I see is two good choices and possibly two months just because nothing much has happened and nothing's likely to happen in the next month. So should we try and pick something for May? Very exciting that May is just two months away. Well, we can go. Tuesday the 11th. That works for me. Kisha, does that work for you? It should be. It should be fun. Tuesday, 11th. Same time. 11, 11. Oh, great. Nice. Yeah. And for the foreseeable future, I guess we're still zooming our meetings. So they were just in the town room this morning. I just came up from there. They're trying to figure out how to do Zoom, hybrid meetings, Zoom and people in present who are present because I think that's where that's our next phase because I know there will be members of the council or committees who don't want to come to a meeting in a small room. But we also, people are going to want to get back together. So they're trying to work on the technologies. And we've been talking to lots of places around the country on a listserv. And the technical issues are the ones that are most complicated because of feedback and open mics and all that stuff. It's hard enough on a Zoom meeting, but then when you put a public component in it, I think they're figuring it out. If you've talked to any high school teacher lately, you know all about the different issues involved in this. And it's very difficult. It's really hard from a teacher's perspective to keep everybody engaged and to give the same experience to your Zoom participants. It's just about impossible. It's really hard. Just a quick, funny story that I was talking to a friend of mine who teaches kindergarten. And she's doing a hybrid and she's just like at Whitson, she finally got the kids in person to settle down and do reading. And then she went to the bathroom and came back and all the kids were giggling because she had kept her microphone on. And everybody could hear her and kindergarteners were just crazy about Miss Betty Ann. She said, at least you heard me wash my hands. Our bodies ourselves. Right. Yes, your teacher's P2. Well, it's more and more people are getting vaccinated, too. I mean, I'll be fully, fully covered by our main meeting. I don't know about... Yeah, I get my second jab next week. Yeah. Keisha, have you already been vaccinated because of the work you do with children? No. But you'd be eligible. One thing that Tata's doing is we do a regional site with North Hampton, but because we're regional, we're allowed to take 25% for our own use, basically. And so for the next four weeks, that's going to be prioritized just for teachers and childcare givers, anybody forward facing with children. And that's going to be shared out with different people. So if people want to get it, we're hoping to give it... Almost all of our teachers, like Mike said, that almost all the high school teachers have been vaccinated, mostly all through CVS. CVS has been just chunking through lots of people. Yep. I actually went to the North Hampton Senior Center. We had been canceled because of lack of supply, but they were really good about... They got back to us and said, can you come in the next half hour last week? So, dashed over. Cool. Good. That started. Yeah, it was very nice over there. So, we don't have a target date yet, Paul, for starting to have people come in in person. Well, the staff is here for the most part, we're about... I mean, for hybrid meetings. Oh, no. No, we're just trying to figure out the technology of that. And, you know, there's a lot of reluctance to it because people find the Zoom as... We've gotten a lot bigger participation from the public. And I think... And because it was Zoom, you can record every meeting, just like we recorded this one, then it is up available. And I think if we just goes to strictly in-person meetings, there's a loss. And I don't know if... What's kind of interesting is how people settle down on this. But it may be that for this group, if it's available, we may be having a face-to-face in-person May 11th, we don't know. Yeah, unlikely. But yeah, we're sort of... I'm looking... Yeah, I just kind of... Yeah. ...forced to July issues. Yeah. Oh, okay. Doesn't matter. This is easy. Yeah, it is. Yeah. Okay. Anything else anybody have to discuss? Sounds like we're all good. In that case, I move to adjourn. All those in favor can raise your hands again. It's unanimous. So we are adjourned. I'm going to stop recording and end the meeting. Thank you. Thank you, everybody. Good to see you. Bye-bye.