Okay. 704 call to order the Donna boarding special meeting for Thursday, April 24th. Our first order of business is the pledge of allegiance to the flag to the father stands one nation individuals. Please be nice to employees. Kathy Roger. Kathy Roger 232. I would like the board of select to read in the letter from the chairperson of the commission on aging. I think that would be important relevant to the people that are here. have not received that all the selected members. be right now after I don't have it right with me. So the purpose of this meeting is to discuss the contracts of our foreman and our community center person. You take one at a time or do both of them or how would you process? You're in public speak. You do what you want. Okay. Well, well, well, as I said at the budget meeting, our public works department is a little a little top heavy. For many years, we operated with three public works people. Now, we have five that has occurred in the last several years. And now we have a $90,000 foreman and four guys making 50 $60,000 a year. We've
spent probably close to a million dollars on vehicles, back homes, transportation, and other equipment with public works, including their $250,000 boom flail. and I find it to be a little bit difficult for a small town like us, which has no population growth, no additional roads, to address these level of salaries. They're very salary friendly in this town. So, I would like to speak. now Jay, our portman wants a two-year contract. Is that what we're looking at? Yes. Yes. Two contract. How much per year? $96,000. no. I have it rained on $94,694 in in 2024 and a 3% increase each year. and he's looking to Will you Tom administrator suggested a two-year contract? That's a request now. Just keep going. Yeah, that's the request. Okay. Well, I think it's it's far too generous, you know, and I think that if our foreman who's maybe having issues with his retirement state, he's made some changes. he's pretty well paid. if he thinks he can do make a better deal somewhere then I think he should he's a could be a free agent. Well, I would like to say that I think salaries I try to back in the motion of the budget hearing which didn't pass unfortunately to reduce the salary of public works and I don't think so of that. I don't I think that we're approaching a situation
where affordable we have seen our budget go from 12 million or less than that to over 13 million. we have I don't see the roads being done that much better. maybe there's been things I don't see, but I'd like to speak in I would like to see a more modest contract for our our for the Republican committee deal. Now, on to the community center. and again, correct me if I'm wrong, she's currently making 43,000, work 26 hours a week. Does that say that's accurate? Go ahead. Keep going. Okay. So, she's on target to be given increase to what this coming,000. 26 hours a week. What are her hours? Does she work 9 to2 Monday to Friday? What are her hours? Yes, that's her hours. You actually got something correct. Yes. Beautiful. and then we have the part-time person. There are very very few activities that more download. Okay. Woman's making $35 an hour. And now granted, she does make doctor's appointments for people and take care of that. That there is a value in that. But we also, and that came out at the at the budget meeting, we are our assistant assessor getting a $6,000 stipen for being the senior municipal agent, which in most towns the community director takes care of. So, we got some double dipping going on. We have high salaries and I would respectfully submit that the that our community director is underworked and overpaid and I think that since taking
into consideration that what kind of programs has she brought forth that she really brought forth any new programs? You have an answer to that or you're just gonna I'll answer that question. Anyway, I think that u our salaries are partly generous. I think both the community director and the foreman should be looked at closely and u I'm opposed to any significant. Yes, Michelle. Yes. I my name is Michelle Bale. I live at 189 Lake Road. I like to talk about the contract that Jay has. when we were just three town people working in the busy yard, it was very difficult if the tree went down to get them to come out. There's snow removal. But now that we have five, I have easier access. I can pull my bus over and call or text Jay and say, "Bus two is on Windrush and there's a tree down or bus three is here
and bus three and he'll send somebody over because if the bus can't get through, the kids can't get picked up and go to school." And I really trust what Jay says. He tells me it's going to be a bad day. I think two years ago we had a the rain was going sideways. The bus company told me, "You need to go out." Jay's like, "No, you can't go out. The rain is moving sideways. There's too many trees down." And we still could. And then they wind up cancelling school. I don't have the degree or know the specifics on how town's run, but I know since we've upgraded to five people, the town rules seem to get more access. And I know they're being playing catchup for the last 10 years of trees not being taken down prior to trimming and so forth. For the community center, I know it's brand new. I don't know the specifics. I know somebody needs to run it. I know that pretty soon I would like to have gatherings there. I don't know the specifics and I know that if the town knew, hey, you can have a gathering there. Somebody has to put it together. My mom is a senior. pretty soon she's not going to be driving. I have to make a decision to call the town to have
somebody make those arrangements for her to go. So, I'm not sure what her salary is, but if it's in the budget, I believe it should stay. And if she's working hard, I am not the one to judge. I'm sure if I had that job, like with my job, was that safe? Nobody thinks they make enough, but I believe if you're doing the work and you're working hard, you should be paid for it. Julie, I'm just That's okay. I want to speak first to Tess position. She's basically doing a bangup job. She started having Palazi retired to put on a much more varied schedule for all seniors and now she's putting out a very nice newsletter on a monthly basis. There are a lot a variety of kinds of activities that we can go through. We have a person who moved into Sue Loy's house fortunately who was a very good yoga teacher and there's a whole bunch of us who take it can't get up off the floor. So we do it in a chair. So there's chair yoga and there's a special class to help those of us who if we fall and get on the floor cannot get up by ourselves. But that's a Wednesday class. And then there's a pinñana type. I'm not sure what that is. I think it's the most strength science of yoga. And this is
her very welcome together newsletter that she puts out. And she is on a track to provide the kinds of activities that I was taking advantage of in Bolton because anybody from Andover could go to Bolton and they didn't even charge a one-time membership. I was also going to Vernon And I paid $15 for a lifetime membership and they put out a program too. It has a lot more print in it because they've been going 25 years. Both of those senior centers and she's on track to grow the way they have already grown. We now can get haircut here. And for those who don't drive, that's a big up. you can get foot care now. All of these are new. Every month there's a new addition of activities and a dog may not be ready for this yet. But there'll be a time when we'll have card games there and other kinds of activities that you can't even imagine yet because probably not. You may have visited senior centers, the people who built this, but they have no idea what it's like. Unless you actually enroll and go there. There are many many kinds of presentations done to help seniors just with interaction and socializing. They have activities in the big centers too that provide the physical help like the yoga does. and social activities where people come for dessert and they have a speaker or a piano player and it's just a night out for seniors who are housebound and it's really a known fact at least by United Healthcare I
senior that these kinds of activities extend senior citizens lives and make their lives more interesting because they're living alone most of them not all and That's true of any other centers and they also are she is also helping us to work up to day trips like we did go to the heart flower show and that was very much a a positive thing that happened and we had a full bus when we went. So I c I can only say that she in the time she's had me she's been operating without the help of Kathy Palazi things have really started moving in a very good direction there and they're going to end up like we're going to end up like both of them. and there are other things that we need to do though is we need to stop having the door open with a key and in places that I've mentioned nearby. Well, I'll talk about furniture in particular. You pay $15 in a lifetime membership and you get a lanyard with your picture. They take your picture and outside the door there's no use of the key. Everybody who goes there has a lanyard with their picture on it. They hold it up to this reader. The door flicks open. You go outside, close it, and it's locked. So, there's no risk because they have about five outside doors. We have two. it's something we got to think about. But I can only say that she's
doing a wonderful job. She couldn't bribe me to say this. I have been trying all the different things. when the other senior group and it was always a mystery on the words that I've done to what these two groups do there was the dinners and then there was a group that had movies and big partn senior as I am now but now that has been melded into the activities that belong here and bingo and birthdays is one of for really comprehending events and it's a lot of fun and I never thought I'd be the person to say that but I've been enjoying it tremendously and I have old Linda Vernon one to compare to and she's on her way to be right up there with some good ones and they've been in business 25 years only been doing this for what six months and part of that six months the dinners were still done by so it's two things. Kathy, can you sit there and please email me the letter? All right. And they're offering free haircuts at the center. I think you might want to take Okay. Did you have it? I did not see it on my Can I say one more thing, but go. I've been working at the center for a few months now, assistant. I do
approximately 10 hours a week. And what you see going on there is that we're a work in progress. We're just starting to get like evening programs going on and that's something that the community wants for people of all ages. So we have a lot of ideas out there. We're recruiting volunteers. So hopefully we'll see a lot more of everyone in town show up there. And we're always open to new ideas, different things you want to have there. We're thinking like a family bingo night, movie night for kids. we're not gonna be three babysitters, but yeah, bring your kids along and we got a lot of things to get going. I just got it. But I'm sorry. Are you done? I done that was wonderful. you got the first gold star in the 90s on build marathon road and so I want to speak on behalf of Jay a lot of people may or may not read but the roads before Jay were a campus there were a few roads in town the old administrator lived on that were pretty good shape but the north side north side of six feet I thought right now was the chance my road had been touched over eight years Now, I know that every road in town has been addressed since Jay's been in office. He
has a plan that shows each road, the condition it's in, what needs to be done, when be done. It's not just, well, he's a planning over here, so we'll go to that room now. He's got a plan. He's got a plan for the equipment, looking out 20, 30 years of when that equipment needs to be replaced. Not like, oh, the truck should be bad. How we going to find the money to replace that truck? There was a 30-year plan looking at when how old each piece of equipment is, what it needs to be replaced, what the life is left on it. He is a professional road group, our director of public works. He the roads are in the best shape. They're lined every year. The the brush to cut back every year. The line the mo the mowing's done every year. The gutters are cleaned out. Clovers are cleaned out. Signage is up to date. The trees are coming down. We have never had such a good and I've lived here for 40 one or two years now. We've never had a good road crew as we have today. I love what we have with Jay and that we have today. So I would hate to see anything happen. If his contract wasn't renewed, I call it being fired. Why would you fire the job he's doing? I'd love to look back. after kind of New Town for years. I live on air for me. couple things I want to say. I have two little kids and we're actually thinking about doing some birthday parties here at the community center. So, we wanted to know what we're allowed
to do, what we're not allowed to do. invite some of our my son's little friends as well. So, we're planning on doing that. also get a nice shot taking down some trees that I put a request in that was endangered swamp. I was pregnant at the time. I was afraid that it comes down stuck there especially neighbors. So, that was taken care of. Really nice shot. Thank you. regarding the roads, I know that the school is eating our lunch on the budget and that's why we can't get to those roads. and another thing is someone making 47,000 that's I mean four times as much. I had trouble paying my bills sometimes, especially without bill that give away 30% for our money to people that so $47,000. and another thing is I think the crew I've seen them cutting the long stuff. They're doing a great job. You guys have done a great job. This town is small. it doesn't need to grow like over landing and stuff like that. People live here for a reason. They're in the in the suburbs and having acreage. That's why I move here. so taxes are not terrible at all. I live in town so it affects a lot more than that as much as they do here. So that's all I had to say. All right. Thank you. first of all, I want to apologize to the people online because I'm not sure how well you hear us, but I'm going to
also give you the opportunity to speak. So, if we can move through it, Jerry Corme, you can go first because you're in the upper left. Can you hear? Yes. Yes. Go ahead. Right. Right. I just Shannon's in the other room. Ask her to put that on mute. I did. Okay. Can you hear this? Hear me without the echoing. Yeah, you're better. Okay. Thank you. I appreciate the meeting that you're having, the work that you do, and the time that you spend. It's difficult with the things that aren't involving payroll or employees or contracts. Unfortunately, you're faced with the choices of handling those items. I have complete faith and trust the board of selectmen will make the right choices. Keep going. That's it. Okay. Great. Thank you. Thank you very much. I hope you can hear me. Okay. again, thank you for having this meeting both making it available for Zoom so that people like myself can join in and it is a little difficult hearing but I I'm working on it. But I did want to have a few things to say. One is in support of Jay Jay Tuttle. I think he does a great job. I'm loving the fact that so many trees have been taken down. we hardly lose power at all over at our place now. the the road work is great. I love the snow plow sign sign out in front of the public works department. I think it looks very professional and it's a good look for Andover and I I think it makes a very positive statement about our town. I I good job good job done there. I delighted with the cleanup of the public works garage that Jay
undertook. I mean that was a disgusting mess over there and now it it looks good. It's very professional and that's the kind of thing I I like to see come to Andover. I think we're we're lucky to have him and I'm I'm happy to hear that he's postponing his retirement so he can continue serving the town of Andover. I'm sure I wouldn't have made that same decision. I think retirement is the best job I ever had. but I applaud him for doing that and continuing to serve the town. I I think that's wonderful and I hope that you do plan to extend his contract. As for the p the director of the community/cenior center, I again support Tess, I I've spoke to the
board of selectment about this at the last meeting. I think that she was given a gigantic job. given a building that was half completed with no policy, no proc no procedures, part-time position and getting this up and running is a a massive job. And not only dealing with the building, but the grants and programs and just the transportation issues alone is a gigantic job, the lunchons, the newsletter. I I think that you've given her a a big job to do and I I hope that you you continue with her so that we can get more things done as as time goes by. So again, my support for for both of these people. And my final comment is I'm not quite sure why we have public discussion, a public meeting about the contracts for these people, why this is happening. So that's just my two cents and leaves me confused, but I'm easily confused. So thank you very much once again. I appreciate the time you all take do for this. Who are you asking for? Oh, no. Joan, I didn't get to you yet. Shannon, you know I'm impersonating Anne Cre, right? Yes, we know that. Okay. Jerry and I got confused with our computers. thank you. The only thing I want to say is not so much to the contracts,
but the fact that I would love to see our community and senior center have a lot more community events. I I just don't I see a lot of senior events. Wonderful. but I really think it should be a community center and would love to see a lot more community events for families, for younger kids, especially as the summer is coming up. be offered through the center. Thank you, Kimberly. And nothing right now. Thank you, Joanne. Thank you, Jeff. I just wanted to say a couple things. I know I said a lot at your meeting last week, so I won't repeat myself. no matter what happens tonight, I just want to tell the board of selectmen that I really appreciate this process and the time that you are putting into these two important contracts in our town. like I said, went to the meeting last week, had my say a little bit, gave a couple of opinions, and then all of you met for two hours in an executive session cuz I was out in the hallway. So, I know that you have done your due diligence. you're taking, you know, both of these important roles so seriously with all the questions that have come up. so I really appreciate that. I also would like to just say, and I hope you I had to leave after that two hours, so I know you were still in executive session, so I know it went on and on. the other thing I wanted to say is that because these two positions are, you know, kind of management level positions, I appreciate that you have
individual contracts like this. I think that's important. I don't think these type of positions should ever be in a union because they do manage union employees. or you know, I know that the senior center community center director is so new. so that's a little different, but again, I like the individualized contract so that you can pick and choose which, you know, things or perks you want to put in each one. That being said, I know that that community center director position slash senior center also is a part-time position. So, I would like to see maybe a few and and again, this is just my opinion. You're going to do what you want and I respect it. You know, maybe a full-time position would have more perks because they're a full-time person. If a person wants to work part-time, maybe a few less perks in that kind of contract that you guys are drawing up. I'd also like to just put in my two cents that I think they should be yearly and not two years. again, your decision. You all are meeting and making the decisions. I just think people work well with a year-to-year position. That way, you get
to kind of maybe make some changes or whatever year to year as you see fit as well. But again, thank you so much for this process. Thank you for inviting the public into it and I'm glad I logged in tonight. I'm hoping after your executive decisions, you know, discussions, we get a little bit of feedback of what you're planning on doing. So, good luck. [Music] Did you say Louise? I did. Okay. Thank you. I'm here to support basically both Jay and Tess. I'll keep it short and sweet. Jay was very very helpful for me personally when I came into town and I started doing my new driveway and he was very effective with the contractor I was dealing with. very professional and very helpful and I would hate to see him go. As far as Tess is concerned, Tess has been very sympathetic and helpful and cheerful and very resourceful. the way she deals with seniors is very very professional professional and also very down to earth which the seniors love. as far as the software I would love to see her get that eventually
because that would help out a lot for her to do her other duties. She is always leaving after the 2 o'clock for the most part. after the 2:00 for a lot of these events that are happening there. She never gets out the door any earlier than that time frame and she's happy to stay. I'm sure she'd be happier if if things are a lot easier for her. And as far as the and she also has a very open door policy. Anybody can go in there and talk to her. And as far as the community part of the community center, we would love to see more volunteers. And when I say we, I'm a volunteer there. And we need more. We need not just seniors, but we need those in the community, mothers, fathers, whoever can help out and, you know, give give the examples of what can be done in the evenings and maybe help set it up and even help do some of it. It's a part-time thing. I mean it's very part-time and we she and everyone else would welcome you know whatever information they could give. So and again supporting both Jay and Tess. I hope they continue and thanks for your time. Thank you. I don't know who is the owner unless that is Dennis O'Brien. Yes, that is me. Dennis, I'm not letting you talk. You're not. That's probably smart. Do you have anything you want to say? No, not not at this point. All right. Thank you. I covered everyone. Correct. Anyone on the screen? Good. All right. I'm going to read this letter. this
letter is from the commission on a drafted by Bukart. I'll just read the whole thing. So attached to the minutes from our last commission on AG April 21st, past few months, there have been a lack of support for needed software to run the run and report on all that goes on at the community center senior community senior center. As the commission on aging, we need to express our support for this software and anything necessary to have a successful center. As you will see from the minutes, there are several activities and services that go on at the centers thanks to Tus Grouch and Kim Hall and all the work they have put into it. We all highly support Tess Kim and Robera and praise them for all the work they have done with the resources they have. On a personal note, I would not be I will not be able to attend the board of selective meeting on Thursday because I have a cert meeting and sustainable Connecticut meeting at the same time. I can't be three places at once. I wanted to express my shock at the board of selecting and board of finance efforts to impede forward progress being made for our seniors and the community at our new center. I don't know what the ultimate agenda is, but it certainly doesn't appear to be successfully supporting the center. We all worked
very hard for this center to exist and cutting off funds necessary for things to move forward is a step backwards. The attacks on our hardworking, well-intentioned staff that support the seniors has got to stop. And the money needed to run a successful center needs to be found. The infighting between the board of select and the board of finance needs to stop. The boards need to meet together to carve out how to work with each other for our town, not against it. Elaine Bukart, chairman of the commission on aging in EDC. Okay. So that concludes public speak. No, one more thing, please. No, I mean, I'm sorry. It's 7:37. I love all of you. You all had your chance. I didn't even cut down. Right. These poor people are sitting here waiting for this meeting to happen. I apologize sincerely. Not because you guys are talking public speak. Yeah, we have public state at the end, but their employees, they need to get the heck out of it. Right. So, we're going to move on to item three on the agenda. Discuss and act upon the proposed Department of Public Works supervisor contract. Jay, would you like this in executive session or in We can do it public. Okay. We're in public so far. So, let's go. It's in public. we all have copy of his contract. We do, but I just want to make sure he understands that we're making questions about things like things that are going to be talked about talk about your dollar in the contract. It's all public record. Anyway, do you have a problem with that? No. Okay. we all have copies of the contract, correct? We read it. the contract that is being discussed
for 2025 and six is is exactly the same as 2023 with the exception of section three that we need to discuss in section 8 to remove the annual increases that could be given because in the past we gave annual increases. It was in the contract in section 8 that if we felt this performance generated it, it was given increased rate just like we give to all non union. So anyone have questions for Jay? I do. Let's go. Okay. So in the first year you were hired at 85,000, right? for two years and like said no additional overtime compensation. But then there was a 7.12% increase between this contract and your next 2year contract because you jumped from 85 to 91 052. And then if we go from this contract to the one that's proposed, it's another 70% increase. So I'm just asking these first two contracts were most definitely two years. Were you given a raise in between like year one and year two on this $85,000 contract? And how Okay. So, well, Eric sent us an email with all that information. I did not get an email. So, I I don't know when that was sent, but I did ask you about not you. I did ask you, Jeff, about that last week and then this one. So, it does look like it's 7%. No, it was it was a 3% raise most of the years and then one two years he got 4% just like every other employee at that time. But they're two-year contracts, right? Correct. But what ended up happening? I thought it everybody. He said two email. You're correct. I asked for it. I checked mine all day. Well, Jeff asked for it. I respond. I did. I did ask for but please in the
future if you just send the word. Okay. So, so I'll ask Listen, I will read off for you. Jay started with us in 2020. He started with $85,000 and he got a 0% increase at the end at the end of the first year into 2021. Right. He was hired December 21st, 2021 or 2020, I'm sorry, 2020. So 85,000 and into the first year, we didn't give him an increase. And then in the next budget year, we moved him up 3% that got him to 87,550. In 2023, that budget year, he got a 4% increase and all approved by the board of selectment. 4% increase. 2024, he got a 4% increase. It moved him up to 94,694. And the 2year contract that's in front of us is for a 3% increase which would move him to 97,534. Okay. So this first year he went from 85 to 87 because well not the second started the second year got to 4%. Okay. So then when he started this second contract in 2023 where it says section 8, let's just read section 8. Okay. So if you have the previous year's contract any performance valuation annual review they can increase the in Can I just ask one more question? You ask every question that you want. Okay. Because then the start of the 2023 contract is at 91 052. So why would that be? So in in because you we went through the budget
cycle. So, okay, if you sit there and you go in the beginning of the contract that was signed 1120223 which was retroactive to July of that budget per year, right? July one he was making 91,052. Okay. Right. He got a raise of 4% that year. approved by the board of selectment because again I was going to read the contract language so everybody sees it or hears it. 11:23 section eight. Section 8 says performance evaluation. Section 8. The board of selectment and town administrator shall perform an annual review of the work performance of the employee and if they so determine they may increase the annual salary of the employee beginning with the annual budget of the town. That's in section eight. So Eric would prepare the budget. We
would talk about non union employees salary increases at that time and at that time last year we gave Jay a 4% raise because we deemed his service to the town valuable enough to give him that increase. So if I take 91,000 91,452 and I multiply it by 3% that gives me 273156. That was Jay's increase. I add that back to the 91,052 and I get a total of Oh, I'm sorry. I did that wrong. I mean, I did that wrong. It was four%. 4%. Thank you everybody. Yeah. Oh, I got you. 1052. I don't think it Yeah. 9,000 94,69408 that was his compensation. So 4% raise sorry 4% raise that's what he was on the books and in the budget for 2024. So the request for 2025 2026 is a 3% raise. My only concern Jay honestly the only thing that I have that I'm concerned is is us here at this board agreeing to two years on the number. The reason why I was always left blank was because we always had to re-evaluate and go for the budget number. You know that that that is my only concern about this entire thing because all my questions to you would be do I think you're doing a
good enough job for the community in the position that you're in. I would say yes. Does everybody else on the board think that? I don't. But the only thing I have when I read the contracts and compared to what Eric has drafted or at the time attorney has drafted, the only changes were really section 8, they removed the annual increase information. And you sat there and said compensation was 3% annual increase for both fiscal years. That was it. Yeah. After a two-year contract. Two year contract. Yeah. Normally in our situation, you can't really do it guaranteed two-year contract with guaranteed graes because you have to go through the budget process with a quarter. That's my only agree. Yeah. Do I sit there and look at you and say I give you a 3%? Yes, I would. And I will I put it would I put it in front of the board of finance? Yes, I would. But there's there's differences that work. Yeah. That's the only issue for me. Another
thing to mention is the public works contract is going to be up next year and those increases are not negotiated yet. No. So we don't know what those increases are going to be because I would like to keep you know whatever they're getting keep it somewhat in line with what public works in general. Yeah. I don't think we necessarily follow the contract with J. you would know that this year this year for public works. Okay. Okay. does anyone have I'm the on board. Anyone here have any issues related to his performance and what he does for the community? No. Okay. Do we want to just make this a oneear contract with 3% and we'll be we do it again next year? Jay, you have a problem with that? and and the reason the only reason I'm asking is
because I can sit there and tell you it's my vote. I would give you the two-year contract, but I'm gonna have someone like Joanne Eert sit there and say that you can't do that because you need to go to the board of finance and do X, Y, and Z. Yeah, understood. Right. Yeah. So, yeah, I will tell you, Jay, you're going to get your number, but we have to and I will go to the account attorney. What can we do in this situation? Dennis O'Brien, I don't I don't understand the question. What are you saying? a two-year contract or one-year contract. Correct. Do we as the board of selectment have the ability and the right to give him a two-year contract with a guaranteed raise with you mean because the board of finance hasn't approved it as of this point? Correct. We need the board of finance to approve it. Not at this point. No. Board of Finance is you're dealing for the board of finance is dealing with this year's budget. you know, they're not going to deal with a future budget, I don't believe. Okay. All right. But but but I don't see anything wrong with a two-year contract. There's nothing wrong with a two-year contract. We just have to change section eight. I mean, nothing wrong legally. You still have you still have under the charter the the town has lots of power even under this contract to terminate the contract under certain circumstances. Okay. And probably if the board of finance didn't fund the contract, you could make an adjustment. This contract would allow you to make an adjustment.
All right. Thank you. Go ahead, Mary. So, per charter, the board of selectmen sets pay in compensation for non-union, non-elected positions. That is your right. The only thing the board of finance can do is choose not to fund the position, but they can't tell you what, you know, they can't tell us not to. Correct. They can reduce the overall salary budget or salary for public works if they so chose. That's within their purview. and you would react how you would react whether it's renegotiate a contract or lay off an employee. Okay. Well, my concern is if we put another year two in the contract negotiation coming up, will that impact? Yes. Yes. so given that we already have an agreement for a 3% raise with the other union, I believe it's pretty unlikely that in the next year you're going to be able to negotiate anything other than that with this union because both union contracts come up two years apart. So I don't see that being I don't see there being a whole lot of choice with that unless there's some other concession you know you're giving as unless you want to take it to arbitration. I I mean listen I I called that out just from a technicality standpoint. I wasn't really worried about the 3% honestly. I personally think Jay listen we don't have a lot of money as a town in total. So let's everybody understand we don't have a lot of money but we stretched our budget on town road work side pretty well. We are much more
organized than we were when I first got on this board and I do attribute a lot of that to your innovates your organization. Do I want to do certain things better? Sure. I would love to a better fashion. I would I would love more of a forecast. This is what we're going to do or this is where the guys are at. All of those things that I would like as a as a as a manager, but and understanding that takes time. It takes time away from, you know, a working It should be should be supervisor. Okay. listen, I don't think we need to waste a tremendous amount of his time. Unless you want to make a statement. You don't need to make statement. Don't make a statement. I have no problem offering the two years. If you don't want to want to do a one year, then it's up to Jay whether what he does. I I really don't have a problem with the way the contract is drafted based upon what Eric really is saying is that we're going to have a public works position a director in here. Whether we choose to say we're going to give him 3% today or 3% in January to me doesn't really matter. And and I know what you're
saying. I I called it out. I mean when I read the contract I was like section 3 2026. I question that. So yeah, before we just made it arbitrary, right? Correct. Yeah. And I would support if you made it arbitrary next year and we decided on our budget season next year. I would not guarantee the 3% next year. I would support it this year, but not because this is the budget that's going to Well, increase is already talking about the follow. This is on you. It's up to you, right? I did I did in my head go that's potentially an issue. but I would also sit there and say that what Jay is doing is a little different than most years in that he's trying to position his his two years for a final two years. Is that accurate? Are you going to have be okay or you might still say after two years? no. Years. So, we need to both Yeah,
this is the end of your killers, you know. I mean, the part time may be a thing, but yeah, for sure. And who knows what two years is going to bring to it, but now that's my plan. With the old with the old verbiage in there, have you ever been short change? No. Yes. First budget here. Yeah, he was hired in he was hired in December. Yeah. 6 months made the decision that no raise was appropriate because I think he was doing better than his predecessor. I took I just so everybody understands I mean you know in this public you know publicly. So I did take a cut in pay
coming to Andover. I realized that you know knowing full well what was and you know I had hoped you know that my work would performance would be you know show my abilities and what what I can bring to the town what value I can bring to the town. you know a lot of what people read and see and even in this contract talk from you know Monday to Friday you know and on call if somebody calls me well that might have happened in the beginning where somebody would call me you know if something were happen but I'm on the I'm on call 247 I have a pile of keys I have a phone when I go on vacation I bring my work with There's very rarely have I gone on vacation and not taken a phone call and passed it along to my crew to the town's crew. Something came up. If I give they don't even want my phone just because it's it's ringing off the hook all the time. That's why I try to limit who has my number. and so I respond in the winter time. you know, you're working 20, 30 hours. Well, I only, you know, I'm there for the aid and then the rest of the time is on me. That's part of this job. This is what this job requires. all the towns have these type of positions and I'm in a little bit of a unique situation because and there's not too
many towns because it is a a working supervisor's position. So, I'm filling in when somebody's out. I perform work when I can and chip in a lot of and and I do a lot of the odd jobs myself if I can do them. And I have to take care of the management end of things at the same time. So, there's a lot that goes with this job. It's just not what is read on this piece of paper on the contract. So, there's more to it, I think. I just kind of understood. Okay. Anyone else have any questions for Jay that we need to get addressed? I I'll make a motion that we approve the contract as drafted with the two-year contract with 3% for both fiscal years. discussion. All those in favor? I suppose. Okay. I support the original. All right. Make a motion. [Music] make the motion that you want to you want to sit there and go backwards on the contract for the verbiage from the it's not going backwards to go back to the original why don't you go the one-year
contract why force him to sign something when he doesn't know what he's going to get next year make that motion it's one year it's 3% proposed one-year contract with J value over 3% raise in the first years. I'm going to second that. I'll second Dina seconded. any further discussion? All those in favor? Before you answer that, is that acceptable to you, J? if it's accepted by you guys depending on do I have time to think about it. Sure. You go to 131, All those faire. All those opposed. All those same. You're opposed. You're slow. All right. 32. Jay, right now the board of select men is willing to offer you a one-year contract with 3% increase that gets you to 94,000. No 97,000. What's the number? I don't feel that we should be promising something two years out. We've never done it in the past and I don't want to do that. 97,534. Okay. Do we have anything else for Ch please? thank you for taking the time to visit us. Thank you. Okay. item four. We're going to move on to item five. discuss the committee and senator would you like this public or an executive session? I guess everything is all in public now. So it doesn't need to be test I I have nothing to hide. So let's do it in that fine. We pretty much had an executive session. We just added it in case you wanted. Yeah. No, I think okay. So act senior
sign of contract director contract. So well the current contract of the senior center director is a two-year contract. So it doesn't expire in this cycle. So I guess my question is what are what do we want to discuss? I just think that I mean not exactly expected. So I just some of the feedback and the information that we've received. I just don't think that the senior center has progressed to where it should be after nine months. and the programs that are there are programs that were in place and the new programs there there's no Facebook certain things that were brought up during public session of our meeting last week there's still not still have nothing has been done or we just haven't heard about it so I just don't think that where we're we should be with a new community/cenior center after 9 months almost nine months. It's not quite nine months. Okay. So where are we? Well, that's why that's why I made the motion to extend it after six months because I wanted to see I mean I realized that she started with a brand new position with a brand new center and I I thought it was great for
another three months to see where we progressed. Okay. And we had discussion at the the meeting that we held last Wednesday. Is there anything additional that we need to deal with other than holding her accountable to what we had a very thorough? Okay. Anybody want to do anything? Anybody? So I move that the appointment of Tesl currently serving as community and senior center director be terminated immediately. Okay. Is anyone going to second that? Yes. All right. Further discussion. I have no idea why we're doing it. Why we're bringing this up, but that's not not for me to sit there and deal with. anybody else? All right. All those in favor? folks? I I'm just going to make a point of this that all further types of meetings like this and anything that this group this board wants to do be done at their regular meetings. that's more people are taking the director away from the town. Okay. And when does that end? Immediately. I have no idea. Okay. I will sit there and get with you tomorrow. I guess tomorrow's Friday, right? yeah, tomorrow is Friday. But she said immediately. So, I can go path my office tonight. Kim, we're gonna be by yourselves tomorrow. Sorry.
Okay. well, we're not going into executive session. That's bothers. We're going to move out of public speak. I cannot believe the three of you who are elected to represent the community could behave like this. I hope you have very good grounds for doing this because she should sue you because you'll avoid her contract and unless you've given her grounds for firing her, you've put the town in a bad spot. She has started working with very little and as you heard tonight, she has done so much for this community. I don't know who you want to put in charge over there, but I'm sure you have an agenda because the three of you are thickest thieves. You're not representing people. You're just sticking together and not doing the right thing for the people. But in two years, the people can vote you up, which is what they need to do. I'm I'm ashamed that you're represent the board of select men. And with Jay again, he has a year contract. Hopefully he'll be here a year or two, but again, you put the town in bad spot. We finally are moving forward and for some reason you don't want that. I don't understand it. You heard I don't know how many people spoke in favor of it, but you just aren't representing the taxpayer Vandal. Miss Michelle, I agree with Mr. Roa. cost of living since everything's gone up. We need somebody like Jay. I know we're keeping him, but we need somebody to help us run our town, our roads. And Tess, I really don't know her personally, but during co I've worked
volunteered with the seniors because nobody else wanted to take them to their doctor's appointments and I I helped out. it was just a a thing personal to do to help out your community. on that where I'm a senior but my mom is and the thing is is that I feel that I like what Kathy did and if tax has taken over for Kathy and has improved and seniors are going that was one of the purpose to getting a community senior center for the seniors they fought for it they wanted to go to school but the parents fought against them to go to school so they can have their own place now they have their own place who's going to run Julia, I have a question. What was this original contract for lengthwise? Two years. How much? Two years. She hasn't even finished. Why would you cut her off at this point when she's doing a fantastic job? The seniors can tell us All I can say is and I'm speechless. Never I don't know. I'm actually Thank you for volunteering. Absolutely. My classes Saturday. I'm not sure the history. I know some of you guys
where am I going to go for birthday party? No. Can you guys just rethink it? And can you please please? It's it's it's one thing to maybe let her finish this year. It's it's I can't imagine being jobless. Just look to your heart. At least let him finish year out. Good evening. I I I don't even know where to begin. I I am so so disappointed in the board of select minute. I think this is very shortsighted and I I don't know what this is all about. But I suspect that there's some underlying issues going on here. but basically I'm just speechless and very disappointed. Thank you. can you hear me? Oh, yeah. Okay. I have nothing to add. Thank you, Kimberly. nothing right now. Thank you, Joey Neighbor. Just a couple comments and I appreciate the time. I want to say to the town's people that I mean, obviously we're all here and we're taking this all in. We have to understand that the board of selectmen held a meeting last week and they spent over two hours with the community slash senior center director. so I don't know what was said in the executive session but they probably did do their due diligence and due process at that time to come to some of the conclusions that they came to. So again I wasn't privy. I stood out in the hallway with Jerry Crema for two hours until he needed to leave and then I needed to leave. it's very difficult and hard in these forums that we all volunteer in. I am on the board of finance. so let's just give them a little credit for having taken the time and coming to some conclusions that they
came to. I would being a person that has a heart too and I'm not saying anybody doesn't maybe give some kind of a a timeline you know for someone to prepare for something like this. So I don't know where the timeline was but that's my only thought on that. my suggestion earlier in the evening making or having these contracts be yeartoyear and maybe have a little less perks if there's going to be someone that's a part-time position. I still stand by. We're not doing a disservice to someone if we offer them a one-year contract with a 3% raise. And I mean, I didn't know the history of this salary, which has raised quite a bit. so I appreciate that being brought to the table. it's a very valuable position, the the director of public works or the supervisor of public works. so it's nothing personal with having a one-year contract. It's just my opinion working in HR. I just think they work well. the other thing that I wanted to say is again, and I kind of wanted to refrain from this tonight, but it was there in full force. you all do have our town administrator who
represents you, and I know the board of selectmen, you know, are the leaders of the town. We have a town administrator. So, I would just caution him from being so one-sided in these things. And I I as an employee, I would appreciate a boss that is totally on my side. You know, he needs to sit in union negotiations, which he will be doing and which was pointed out tonight. We can't come to a conclusion that these are done set. I want to see a fair process in our town. That's what happens when I sit on both sides of the table. You know, I take them seriously. So, it's not a done deal yet that things are done. you know, please go through the process with an open mind. negotiate with your workers, negotiate with your union employees, but bring someone to the table who is representing the management side of things. You know, these raises and and things have come up. So, that's all I want to say. This has been, you know, it's a hard process to go through. So, so please, as a management representative, please bring the management side. and lastly, I just wanted to reach out to Elaine Bukart,
who, you know, I respect so much and I, I don't think we have a problem with the board of finance versus the board of selectmen. I just happen if I speak out, I just speak out because that's what I do. I take my role on the board of finance seriously. I do a lot of research. I bring things to the table. I'm going to bring my thoughts, but I respect everybody that's there. We're all We all have a hard job to do. So, thank you for what you're doing. those are my comments. You good? Yeah. I'm appalled. I I don't know what to say at this point. I don't know what the next plan is. That's what I'd like to know. I'm supposed to go there tomorrow to help do a lunch and and I have no idea what's going to happen. I used to rent property. I own property and I used to rent it out to tenants and you know like a store and I always gave them at least a year to like prove themselves and you didn't even give her 14 months and she she started in with hardly anything and I've watched it through the process. I was there watching. A lot of these people, a lot of other people who are speaking were not there watching and helping. So, I can't see how they can have a valid reason for doing what they did. I'm really appalled and I'm so sorry, Tess. And I plan on coming to
help you, Kim, tomorrow. So, don't worry about it. I'm still there for you. Okay. I make a motion that we adjourn this meeting.