I don't know who's in charge of recording. Thank you very much. Appreciate that. so I am going to call to order the Town of Andover Board of Selectmen regular meeting for Monday, November 10th, 2025 at 7:01 p.m. And our first order of business is the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. item two on our agenda is public speak. So, I'm just going to try to go around. and I'm gonna start with Heidi. Hi. I I wasn't sure I was going to be doing it this way, but okay. I'm here just sort of as representative of the Norton Commission to talk a little bit
about a proposal that we have. So I I don't know where this sits or when I'm supposed to do that. So but I said I would join and I'm here for that purpose.
Okay. we'll sit there and and get to that Heidi. So we'll just keep going. Diane Grer.
Hi there. I hope you can hear me.
Yeah,
good. I've got a new computer, so life should be good here. I just a couple of things. I just want to thank Eric Anderson for his years of service to the town of Andover. we will miss him and I send best wishes to him and is on your way to your new job. So, thank you very much. also like to extend congratulations to all the winners in the election and thank you to all those that did step forward for the election and I I hope you all continue to stay active in the town. So, thank you all very much.
Okay, Kathy Plazy,
good evening. I want to the only couple of things I have is I want to thank all the candidates that won and I want to thank all the ones that didn't win but they should stay join a committee try hard because who knows there might be something else in a couple years. So, thank you very much for that. And lastly, I want to thank of course Ed Eric Anderson for all he did to help us or especially our sustainable committee and all the other committees I worked on like the olderian grounds. whenever we had something a question, he was always ready and able to help us. And so we thank him very much and good luck with your new position and new town and state. Thank you, Eric. All right, Liz Latch.
There we are. I I don't really have much either. I would echo the thanks to Eric and wish you well on your your new adventure going forward. thank you for all your help and personally all your help with me lately. I appreciate it. All right. Ed Weineart.
Hi. I'm here to speak out in support of Haley Proto who's been running a program for kids after school on Thursdays at the community center. both my kids have been doing this program for quite a few months now and it's been absolutely fantastic. And this is not you know, we don't need afterchool care for them or anything. Usually I just sit in the parking lot and wait for them to be done. my son who has been playing chess and checkers at the chess and checkers club has really done a great job this he has a lot of trouble interacting with other kids and it's really made a huge difference to him. and my daughter, they just started this past week adding a D&D I don't know game I guess. I guess it's a game Dungeons and Dragons game
which she's absolutely in love with. And getting to have not having to go to other towns libraries, which is where we usually go for her to play and being able to do that in town with her friends has been really really excellent. and so I just want to say that a note of support towards her and how how great of a program that has been for my kids. Thank you.
Jeff, you're on Zoom or on mute? Mute.
Jeff, I Yeah, I'm sorry. I did. I'm Megan Lai. All right. Can you hear me?
I can.
Okay. I want to echo Ed's comments. It's my understanding that the board may be voting tonight on whether or not to expand Haley's contract and I would advocate for, you know, doing so if at all possible. She's been really expanding in addition covering when Sus was out expanding the programs particularly those for families in town. my children also participate in the after school programs that Ed was talking about, but she's also working on doing like a winter Polar Express parents night out with the PTA. She's previously supported a lot of the recreation programs and you know for fact a lot of that was volunteer hours. but it would be nice if we
could pay her for some of the hours that she donates. So just also for my sport. and then I'm also on, so I don't know how long I'll last because I'm usually in bed by 9 to answer questions about some of the ideas I had about how we could use the money for litter prevention and education.
Okay, thank you. Badonsky.
Good evening. just wanted to congratulate everyone who ran. Thank you to everyone who put theirelves out there. thank you to Eric for all the service to the town. And I also just wanted to speak in support of Haley and everything that she has done to connect the community and offer more programs. and I hope that we can find a way to continue to keep her here in our town. Thank you everyone.
Okay, Claudia Mendoza.
Good evening. I am also here to support Haley Pro. my daughter Valentina has been in the program the after school program and not only playing chess and but interacting and developing her social emotional skills with Haley and and you know all the kids that go there. So I'm here for Haley.
Okay. Marcy Miner.
Hi. No, thank you. What I'm think right now,
Leanne Hutchinson.
Okay, we'll come back to you, Joan Eert.
nothing right now. Just here to listen and stay informed as always. Thank you,
Bill Penn. good evening. I'd like to first of all I I read the article with the work that Kathy Plazi has done with sustainability work in town sustainability work. So kudos to her for that and for going getting trying to get us to the next level. Hope we can do that. Also like to support Haley Proto. while I don't have any kids involved with or have worked with her directly, I have heard from others and not just those here but others on the good work she's done. So I would support her being her being sustained and continued. Eric, thanks for all you've done for the town and specifically for the rail trail. as you know, I I use the rail trail a lot. I live next to it, but you've you've you've made the Andover section of the rail trail part of the shining part of what's going on here in along this 20 mile segment. and I close with one question. I I've often wondered why our voting results aren't posted by the town of Andover, even if it's in just a a draft format that we have to find it on Andover Grapevine or some other Andover page. Why the town doesn't even if they're unofficial draft like like the Secretary of State posts them, why we can't have them posted so they're more immediately accessible. And my god, I had a final question, but I talked so much I can't remember what it is. So, sorry. I'll sign off. You're five. test graphs.
I'm all set at this time. Thank you, Jeff.
No problem. Kim P. Kimberly Person.
Yes,
I'm all set right now. Thank you.
Okay. And I have one phone number 2345 ends in. That's Dennis. Jeff,
is that Dennis? I didn't think Dennis was going to make it tonight. Okay. [clears throat] So, did I miss anyone? Okay. before we get started, Eric, I do want to thank you for all your hard work and I I want to introduce everybody to Jim Blano. he is taking over on a temporary basis. He's over there in the right hand corner in a nice black turtleneck. So Jim, you're looking good. You're making us all feel bad. And I figure we'll get started now. So as I said before, an will not be joining us tonight. so we have Carol and Carol is on 6988. So everybody, if you could, you know, keep yourselves muted and we'll sit there and see if we can make this move along a little bit. So, item three, additions and, changes to the agenda. Did any of the members have anything that they want to add or
delete, for me?
Okay, Scott.
Nothing. Thank you.
Jeff Murray. Okay, I'm good. We'll get started. So, item four, board and commission, commission presentations. Eric, we don't have any,
I haven't gotten any advanced notification of any.
That's fine. I'm just clarifying. It's on the agenda. Got to ask. item five, appointments. we've had, some appointments that have been made. number one, Jim Balano has been appointed as the interim town administrator. replacing Eric. Eric's last day is this for coming Friday. So if you haven't gone in and talked to Eric and wished him well where he goes, take the time to do it. the next 5B is Eric Johansson. Eric's actually on the call. and Eric, you know, I apologize. I didn't give a chance to talk, but I'm going to give you a chance to talk now about your first few days at public works. So, Eric has been appointed as the director for public works. So, Eric, thank you. Welcome.
It's definitely been interesting. I don't know if any of you guys know my background a little bit. I got over 35 years of public works experience. my first my first public works I was in East Harford for 13 years. I then came out to Coventry for 22. I've done just about every job you can think of in public works. and I'm looking forward to doing some real good in the town of Andover.
Eric, we appreciate it. Thank you very much.
thank you.
Good to have you here and we look forward to working with you.
Thank you. I look forward to working with you guys, too.
All right. 5C, Jim Harlo has been appointed to OABGC. And Eric, if you can give us what the acronym is for, that would help us.
that's the old Andover burial ground committee.
Okay. All right. do we need to do we need to approve any of these? I mean, we've approved I know we've approved Jim. I know we've approved Eric, but do we need to approve Jim? I don't think so because I think the committee the committee has the authority to appoint them and they have. So,
okay. All right. we'll move on to the next item. Sustainable Connecticut Committee. What page was that in? I don't have who was appointed or who is being appointed. I know Kathy is involved in it. and Kathy, congratulations on the bronze certification that the town received. That's that is a very nice honor. No, we'll try to keep moving upwards if we can. Jeff, also may I just say that it was my era. We had a death in the family and I was not able to send to Kate as I had intended because I need to have my committee reassigned you know that they can be on for the next year until I guess June of next year. And I want to make sure that they're on there. And the people I'd like you to thank is the lane card. Mike Burke and Michelle Lauren and also Mike Palazi and myself.
Okay. So I'm assuming those are all the new members or the existing rolled over members.
They are. Yes. All the Yes.
Okay. So if you could repeat that again. And so is Elaine Bukart, Mike Burke,
and Michelle. King, I think it's King Lauren. L O R N TZ.
Okay. Can you actually do a favor for us, Kathy? Is can you put the the names in an email and get those to Kate? We'll get those on the next meeting and we'll have information posted.
I did that this morning.
Okay. No problem.
Kate was very busy.
Yeah, we'll [clears throat] we'll get that information posted.
Yep. Thank you. and then the other one is 5E, Bill Penn, Hop River Trail Alliance. I don't remember us voting on that. I know Eric had requested that someone be appointed to Hop River Trail Alliance. I'll make a motion.
You have not appointed anybody to that.
Yeah.
I suggested Bill would be a good representative, but you're certainly free to pick whoever you so desire. I was actually going to make a motion to appoint him right now if you don't have a problem with that.
You should.
Well, let's actually ask this. Bill, are you okay with with joining the Hub River Trail?
Yes, I am. I was basically the second second person. If Eric couldn't show up, I could be the representative before this, but I would be happy to take the lead now.
All right. so with that being said, I'll nominate Bill Penn to serve on the Hop River Trail Alliance on behalf of the town of Andover.
Seconded.
Jeff Murray has seconded. Does anybody have any discussion related to the Hop River Trail Alliance and having Bill [clears throat] be seated? Okay. And I'll call for a vote. Carol Lee
I.
Jeff Murray. I
Scott Person.
I Jeff Magcguire. I So four nothing. Bill, thank you very much. We appreciate you stepping up for that. All right, we'll go through item six, resignations. We had a resignation from Tom Reza for the old Andor burial ground. Robera Doherty has resigned her position as the assistant to the assessor. Megan Lai has resigned from the economic development commission and the rec commission and Kim Hall has resigned from the rec commission. Am I missing anything, Eric?
No, you're not. Not that I'm aware of.
Didn't we get a letter from Mike Perzo?
Say that one again, Scott.
Mike Perzo. that was Tom Risma's letter to Mark Mark Kurdzo. So it is Tom Rinsma Rimsa. You okay Scott?
Yeah.
Okay.
Good. All right. and then we'll move on to item seven, the town administrator's report. And, for this meeting, Jim, we're going to have Eric give it to us for his last meeting and then you can carry on with his with these reports moving forward. Go ahead, Eric.
Okay, I will keep this short and sweet. the Bunker Hill Bridge project, the last of the concrete pores occurred last Friday, which is excellent news. Next up for that, seven days after Friday, they can put the waterproof membrane down and travel on the bridge. So, the waterproof membrane has to go on, the deck rail has to go on, it's got to be paved. That's scheduled for November 20th at this point. and then some drainage needs to be installed on the sides. So, the contractor is still hoping to bring this in by the official date of closure, which is November 29th. So, the bridge should be back open by December 1st as long as the weather cooperates over the next week or two. so that's Bunker Hill Bridge. so item number two, field projects. The ECIQC project for the athletic field improvements. We were supposed to have a meeting this morning with DEC with the two representatives and DEC canled that meeting on us. So that's not good. since it took me more than a month to get them to schedule that meeting the last time. that is going to have some negative repercussions for the town because we are likely not going to be able to go to contract now without this meeting until after the December 5th deadline where we're going to see a price increase for the playground. So I don't know what to do about that at this
point. It's certainly unfortunate news. but you know that's the problem with dealing with state agencies. so you've already met Eric, so I won't discuss item number three. And the long I want to talk a little bit about the Longill Road Bridge replacement. So that is still scheduled to begin April 1 of 2026. you know, and along with that will be the temporary traffic signal at Hendy Road. so traffic will be able to to move moderately well while the bridge is being replaced. prior to that we have gone out and the town has picked or correction the town plus DO's committee has picked the construction inspection services team and we use using SLR which is the same firm that we hired for the Bunker Hill Bridge who've done an excellent job for the town. So, they will be rolling over with the same project administration as on the current bridge. and DOT has formally agreed to that selection. so that's out of the town's hands.
Somewhere around November 25th, we will be going out to bid for the bridge, the actual company to build the bridge. you know so with a little luck right after the first of the year we will have the team selected the bridge company selected for that and be on our way with that. So that's good news. In the interim public works has to take down a series of trees that are located in the utility rightway right next to the the existing power lines. and that hopefully will be done in the next couple weeks and it will be Eric's decision whether they do that internally with public works or whether they farm it out to distinctive tree care or tenant. but that needs to get done as soon as possible so we could start moving the utilities so it doesn't delay the projects. town hall operations are running fairly smoothly. I am transitioning right now and I have been for a little over a week to Jim Balano as the interim town manager. we've got him fully set up with the bank account as the global administrator number one. So he has AC
privileges full access to the bank accounts and is the signer on checks for both the AES and the town. So, that's good. as far as other offices, Robera Doherty has been sworn in and is now the town clerk. And, Lauren Persan appears to be willing to stay on for a period of time as the assistant town clerk. Still working out what that arrangement will need to be. we will need to go to advertisement pretty quickly for the assistant assessor position. pending any decisions relative to that. And part of that question should be a discussion about who fills the role of social services once Roberta is fully transition to the town clerk. finance office. I included in the packet a proposal from Cheryl Miller if you want to consider that until such time as the board or somebody finds a new treasure. you have the the blight enforcement report in the packet. in terms of town engineering, our engineer from Nathan
Jacobson finished the easement mapping for the bridge replacement on Lake Road near Basola. I gave a copy of that to Dennis O'Brien. they're going to need to also write the nets and bounds for the easements. And then the town is going to begin need to begin approaching the homeowners figuring out what has to happen to get an easement to the town for for the period of time when that bridge is under construction. resident trooper. as many of you know, we got Trooper Cook back to active duty just recently and then he tore his ACL playing football. So now he's going to be out for four to six months. We do have a temporary resident trooper. Trooper Anderson is filling in for him. we will need to coordinate with him, myself, Jim and I, figuring out how to do pistol permits and the absence of our regular trooper. Hopefully trooper Anderson has the same access. if he does, then it should go fairly smoothly. I talked about Bunker Hill. I talked about Long Hill Bridge. and capital improvement. we did they did approve at their last meeting the building and GR grounds CIP. so they approved it with minor changes. I made those changes. and now that is on file. So that's basically everything I have for report unless you have questions for me. electrical is done at the new community center right now. What are the next steps and did you go over them with Jim?
I can you repeat that question, please?
The electrical work just got finished at the community center, right?
Yes. So,
and so what are what are the next steps and and did you let Jim know what our next steps were going to be for the community center?
Yes. So, I did talk to Rick Wilson of Mitech today. he's supposed to come back in and fully commission the dishwasher because now that is fully wired and plumbed. I just want him there when we fire that up. and I also asked him to come back and figure out what he had to do to insulate the the waste plumbing. one of the issues we discovered when we cut a hole in the sheetrock to do the electrical work is that the pipes were so cold because the the dish the dishwasher, not the dishwasher, the ice maker, the excess water in the back is flowing out of the pipes, but it's flowing right at 32. So, it's condensing on the pipes and it's causing a little bit of dripping onto the insulation. So, the insulation in the ceiling in the basement is wet. So, I've asked him to address Hang on a second. Sorry, had to get my light back on. I asked him to address that and insulate the pipe and then come in and do the dishwasher. So, in terms of immediate projects, those are the next two steps. Rick does have some work to finish off the automatic transfer switch, but
that's waiting a backlog of parts. So that is probably another four or five weeks out. after that, the next big project up would be doing the hood, but I also recommend doing the hood at the same time you do the fire alarm system for the building because there is currently no fire alarm in the building. And I really don't think you should be using [clears throat] a heavy combustion appliance without a large system in the building in a building designed for seniors and people with limited mobility.
So that's my take on it. those are it in terms of projects and next upcoming.
Thank you.
Anybody else? Jeff Murray. early.
All set. Thank you.
No problem. All right. we will move on to old business. And so items 8A were we've already discussed. Item 8B. is there any update on the finest? Have we gotten any new applications or anybody that's put up any new individuals? Eric, has it come through?
No. Okay. anybody have any discussion on Andover's finest? Okay. 8 C the status of the veteran fields improvement. I know Eric in your report you sat there and told us about the individuals that were the bidding process and how that worked, but where are we at with the project? Just a brief like when started kind of at a standstill. I had asked about six weeks ago that we be allowed to combine the two funding sources into the same project. and sent them a proposed finance schedule for both projects included in one and asked for decision one way or the other whether we were going to be allowed to do it or whether we were going to have to do it as two separate phases and just put out two contracts to the contractor. you know, I've been struggling to get DEEC to give me a response one way or the other. We finally got a meeting scheduled today because one of the members of DEC was working remotely in Colorado and didn't want to attend meetings. then they blew us off today think for some health complaint. So, we have no meetings scheduled. We have no nothing. So, that unfortunately is on hold. That's dealing with state bureaucracy.
Meanwhile, Jeff, the price of the playground is going to go up 9%.
Yep. It's going to be a hit.
You're going to have to shrink the playground, [clears throat]
Eric? Yeah.
Let's talk about that tomorrow. How about that?
Fair enough.
Okay. Excellent. 8D the AES renovation bathroom project. Do you have any additional information, Eric?
I do not.
Okay.
Jeff, I Valerie reached out to me November 1st and said they wanted to review the drawings and I asked for copies before the meeting and Valerie responded that she had to get approval from Caitlyn, the chair, the chairwoman of the BOE. we're into the 10th now. I still haven't seen any drawings. So, that's pretty much where we're at. There was supposed to be a meeting to review, but it hasn't happened yet.
Okay. There's a board of education meeting on Wednesday. We'll sit there and see where they're at. And 8E the NIP program request for expenditure.
Okay. So, Megan Lai is on this call. I'd like to She was the one that approached me originally with a proposal to be labeling all the drains as he's done in a lot of communities and I think she can speak to
Okay, Megan.
Sure.
Yeah. So, I had listened to one of the meetings a while back where you guys were talking about the funding and had looked into it and what you know the state has on its web page for how it can be used and it seems like it had to be relatively tied to pollution which makes sense but in my past career I was a a director for program and a nonprofit and that's one of the things we did to raise education and awareness of storm water pollution folks don't realize that storm drains actually in communities like ours go to the nearest water body as opposed to, you know, a water treatment system. So, they may even intentionally put stuff down the drain thinking it's the right thing to do. So, it's a way to engage the community and raise awareness. so I'd be happy to help implement it if it's something the town wanted to pursue. And I I have touch base with Cub
Scouts. They'd definitely be interested. and and we're working to connect with Alboa and Alma. but I think generally the lake community would be supportive, especially if there's no cost that they have to incur. Okay. So, what we'll do, Megan, is maybe, sometime you and I can connect and get some details as to what the program potentially would entail, and we can come back and present to everybody. but let's let's sit there and see what we can do related to that. But thank you very much for that. And Eric, those dollars have been put into which fund?
I think they're right now sitting in the CAR program account, but they're not being spent out of CART funds. They're just sitting there.
Okay. All right. Okay. let's sit there and revisit that at the next meeting with maybe an understanding of what the project would would for the money that's available, what the project will will get for us. So, Megan, I'll get with you after this meeting and we can exchange emails and get some things written up.
Okay.
All right. Thank you very much. 8F the NCOG animal control cancellation. Where are we at with that, Eric?
we're not anywhere. Jim and I had some discussions about that. He's got some ideas about some potential town combinations we could make. it's not something we want to do on our own certainly and retake that on as a town. We desperately want to combine with somebody else and just pay somebody as a shared service to deal with it given the change in regulations.
Okay. [clears throat] Did you have another town in mind?
I have a couple actually, but let's see how it pans out before we see if they're even open to. Jim, if you could sit there and investigate that, that would be helpful. Just sit there and report back to us and let us know if someone might be interested in assisting in that shared service. All right. Okay. 8G AES transportation. Is this the issue related to the school bus?
yes, primarily. so I put my correspondence with Val in there. My personal suggestion at this point is they don't seem to very be very happy with the proposal. and it certainly hasn't been beneficial to that's okay.
So, we should simply cancel it.
Let's let's sit there and move to what the next issue is.
Do you have any other issues related? I mean, I understand the school issue and and I understand we we spoke about it and I understand where we're at.
Yep.
We're we we will sit there and deal with that issue. That's it's not something that should be at this meeting to be really honest.
So, but is there anything else related to AS transportation that we need to discuss?
Not that I know of.
Okay. and just so the other board members, I mean, I I'm assuming you all had the time to read the issue related to the the school bus and the transportation. I I would rather deal with this directly with the school board and with the superintendent because it is not something that really should be brought up and brought up here. So, okay. let's now move on to 8H the status of the community center assistant. we had a meeting a previous meeting where we all attended and we had discussed the the senior center and what we were going to attempt to do with the individuals that were at the that are currently working there. So, Tess Grouse is the senior center and the community center director and Haley Proto has been serving as a co-ho assistant director. and Eric, just from my standpoint, the hours that Haley is currently working,
Haley is currently working 19 hours a week.
Okay. And Eric, just from a standpoint of of understanding the line item for that, based upon us, well, we're going to go two different things. One is the municipal agent and the social services. is what?
I don't know. If you give me five minutes, I can look it up though and give you that number if you would like it.
I would love it.
Okay.
6,000 and change, I think.
Yeah.
Cargo pants. And then what I would ask is Eric, if you also can sit there and if we kept Haley on at the 19 hours, what is the expected amount that we would be in an overbudgeted pos underbudgeted position in that line item? andor a senior senator or senior citizens. Okay. Well, for the board members that are here, what I need to find out and I need to get from Eric, the the thought is to take the stipen and use the remaining balance on the stipen and roll it over to the account that we would have [sighs] a negative position on because knowing we had not budgeted for the 19 hours for Haley for a long term that money would need to come from another line item. So the hope is that we can fund those additional hours and use the stipen to offset some of it and then also sit there and work to generate some additional funding so that we can offset Haley's Haley's cost because I do think it's in beneficial for us to sit there and keep both the individuals there and the other one question is Lind Linda Derek is still doing this transportation, right?
She is doing the transportation. Yes.
So that those numbers should probably be added to the line item.
absolutely. I mean you have [gasps] you have Linda probably coming out of the transportation line item and we need to ask that question to Eric. Eric, did you leave us early?
No, I'm still here, but you asked me to look up some information, so you're going to have to be patient and let me do it.
Okay. so Jeff, so we have we have the the stipen, we have the other line item for the assistant and and Eric, while you're on the phone, do you know the account number so that I can look at the the treasurer's report? community center. There we go. So, right now in the community center information, and that's on page 150 of our 216 page report, we have a $47,000 line item for the wages for the director. We have $10,000 for the line item for community center assistant and we have the stipend that is available for the senior money. So what we would want to do is put that stipend u put the those two positions over into the community center and offset those costs. So, my my assumption is that we're going to be somewhere in the range of 20 15 to $20,000 over budget on that line item.
And we have to determine if we're willing to sit there and do that for the benefit of the community center. So, I am personally in favor of doing it, but
new to our discussion, Jeeoff, is if we engage the board of finance and come up with a way to pay for it, I'm fine with it.
just so everyone's aware, I did reach out to Liz Loatch and Bill D. Rogers before the election because I wanted to make sure that I reached out to both sides of the board and I told them both what the thought was and they both understood that we would be coming back to them looking to transfer funding from one line item to another line item at the end of the year. So, you know the worst case scenario would be to take it out of contingency. That wouldn't be my intent. My intent always is like this year we were somewhere in the range of about $100,000 under budget on the town side. So we would have been able to move it from one line item to another. So, I did reach out to Liz and I did reach out to Bill being the two people that were on the board from both sides of the board of finance aisle and they were both made aware and neither one of them and Liz is on the phone neither you know Liz wanted to make sure that we didn't overspend [clears throat] it by too much and our goal would be not to but I think it would be appropriate for us as the board of selectmen to deal with making sure that our seniors and that community
center is is is used and everyone gets the appropriate service that they need to from the town. So Eric, did you have some numbers now that you popped back on for us?
Sure. Currently the stipend [snorts] is $6,100 annually. the deficit if you take the wages at the current rate for Tesl Haley Proto and the Linda Derek all Linda Derek's can be absorbed with the driver dispatch salary because our driver's hours are low enough right now that we can just treat her as an additional driver because her pay rate is basically the same as the drivers. it leaves us a net cost over budget of $16,78 annually.
Okay. that is an amount of money that I'm willing to sit there and go figure out where we can pull it from from other budget line items. I think it's important to the community that we we keep the staffing levels that are currently being dealt with at the community center there. And Jeff, since I'm going to all the board of finance meetings from now on, I I know we'll be able to work with the board of finance on this one.
Okay, let's get it on their agenda and then let's have them all discuss it and send back a favorable vote then and figure out how we're going to pay for it. And I'm finally,
so first of all, if you just took it from the public works salary line item, remember you went three full months without the two highest paid employees at public works employed because of employee turnover. So there's well more in that budget in salary than that value. there's enough in the public works supervisors line alone to pay for it if you wanted to take that out.
Well, I I understand where Jeff's coming. So, what
But that's not our decision. That is the board of
I understand. And and and what I'm going to do though is because I told the the members of the at our last meeting that we would vote on this. So, I'd like to make a motion that we approve the continuation of Haley Proto's contract till the end of the fiscal year 2025 2026 or till [clears throat] the till June 30th of 2026 at the current compensation levels pending the approval of the board of finance at their next regular scheduled meeting which is one second. I got to look at my calendar. no
November 19th
.
Second staff. Jeff,
can I can I just ask a quick question? Is there that 15,000 in the town administrator budget? Is that going to be used the project manager? because I I didn't see that anything was used on that. So, that could that potentially be part of the money?
absolutely. I mean, what would happen, Carol, is we would sit there and look at lines that are under budget and then come April, we would sit there and send a transfer request to the board of finance. What we were trying to do and what Jeff Murray recommended was that, you know, we reach out to the board of finance and let them know that this is coming so that we're not just surprising them at the end of the fiscal year saying, "Hey, we decided to do this." And I have no problem with the other members of the board of finance being made aware of this and voting on it. and they're not going to be able to vote
on anything other than understand that we're going to send them a transfer come April of 2026 because we anticipate being overbudget on that line. And Carol, we can use anything.
I think they can make a motion where to take the money from. That's what I'd like to see. So, that money is money's earmarked till the end of the budget season.
The $15,000 Jeff is going to be used for the veterans improvement, the engineer for that. Christine Rendaza, the engineer.
She's going to be using that. She's going to be overseeing that.
Yeah. And so my but
you're going to use the full 15,000 for that.
the
armarked for that.
Was earmarked for it, but it was it was based on an hourly rate. And I think when we sat there and approved of that, the hourly rate was was from Jeff Murray's perspective being an engineer was reasonable.
Because I believe that's an hourly rate.
And what was that? What was the hourly rate?
Eric, I mean, Eric, do you have that?
I don't have it off the top of my head. I would have to look that up.
Never mind. I I just found it. I was looking it up. it 100 an hour was what it was figured out to be.
Okay.
Is what it was moved for. It's got got moved for that for the 100 an hour.
Yeah. I mean, it it is you know, I'd like to sit there and see that project get underway. but Carol, if that money is there, if we don't use all 15,000 of it, we would use some of that money to offset that line item for community center expenses. So, I I'm not really I'm not, you know, like I said, worst case scenario is we take it out of contingency. [clears throat] We don't want to take it out of contingency. The hope is that we have other line items such as the the public works salary line item where we can move funding from. So, you know, knowing how we have operated over the past four or five years, we always have some level of of resources available at the town level. They may not be excessive, but they should be significant enough to cover the $15,000 or 16,78 of overspend that we anticipate. So, I had made the motion that we approve this and we make sure that we get approval from the board of finance at their next meeting. And Scott seconded it. So, Carol, do you have any other questions related to this? So, you don't think that we should wait until we do get approval from the board of finance to move forward with this?
No.
See where the money is coming from?
This is this is all pending the board of finance approval.
Yeah, this is subject to board of finance approval, Carol,
which I'm fine with. They control the they control the budget and the money, and I want them to make the decision where it comes from. So your motion is that we're going to extend it through the end of the fiscal year pending approval from the board of finance. Is that the motion that you made, Jeff?
That's what I made.
Yeah.
Okay. All right.
And the meeting is scheduled for the 19th, which is 10 nine days from now. And we will sit there and I will have a discussion with the full board of of finance at that time.
Okay. All right. so we'll call we'll call the vote. All those Carol Lee
I.
Jeff Murray
I.
Scott Person I for Scott. Jeff Magguire I. So four nothing. Okay. we're going to move on to item nine. new business and discuss upon the following 2025 meeting dates. I am okay with the meeting dates that are scheduled there. The one date that's in question is the October meeting. For 2026, I would recommend that we schedule it for October 5th rather than October 19th.
No. What page is that on?
There's lots of pages.
Page 22. [sighs and gasps]
Page 22. Okay. So, that's the schedule for the calendar year. second Monday of the month at 7 p.m. the only one that fell on a holiday was the Columbus Day of the 12th of October, 2026. So, it was I would rather it be scheduled for the first Monday of the month, which is October 5th. Anybody have a problem with that or want it to be scheduled for the 19th? I am flexible. I'm good with the fifth.
Okay, Scott.
Good.
Jeff. Okay. So, I'll make a motion that we approve the proposed 2026 regular meeting dates as outlined as the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. with the exception of October of 2026 with the meeting being scheduled for October 5th.
Second.
Seconded by Carol Lee. Further discussion. Carol, how do you vote?
I
Jeff Murray
I.
Scott Person.
You can't hear me, Jeff?
No. For some reason, when you try to say I, your speaker does, your microphone doesn't work. So, Jeff Magcguire I. Is everybody else hearing them or is everybody missing them?
Say hi. There you go.
Coming in late. Comes in late.
There's a delay and I don't hear the I. So, okay, we're good. item 9B, the status of the treasur proposed contract discussion, or alternate. we all we all received that. I I would personally like to I'm I'm planning on being in the office on Wednesday. I would like to sit down with the treasurer and talk to her about what she's proposing. I I honestly believe that we should at a minimum keep her engaged through the end of this fiscal year audit. but I would like to discuss with her personally her recommendations and what she's looking for as far as u an opportunity for 2026. I don't know if anybody has any Carol if you have any caller you want to provide to that.
You're saying to keep sher the treasurer on?
Yes. Yep.
With the proposal that she gave us, correct?
Correct. Yes. Yes.
But you're going to talk with her, you said on Wednesday. No, I want to talk to her. I want to talk to her on Wednesday, but if somebody wants to sit there and vote or somebody wants to discuss the proposal, I'm all I have no problem.
I don't know how everybody else feel. I think maybe you should talk with her on Wednesday just to see.
Okay. well then then let me do that and then we'll talk about the the I mean because listen with the the election and with Eric's leaving we have a lot of issues that we're going to all have to address and the treasur's office is one of them that we want to try to minimize as much disruption as we possibly can. So, I am all for utilizing Cheryl's services, but I do want to understand what that means. You know, how much time is going to be required because I really don't, you know, she sat there and and talked about monthly reconciling or quarterly reconciling. I definitely want it done monthly. I do not want it to go
quarterly related to the banks, the bank accounts. so, you know, I need to touch touch base or about, you know, how she anticipates if she's if she's out of town, how she's getting into the computer, a lot of other things that we should have a little bit better understanding of. So, if you guys don't mind, I I wouldn't I wouldn't mind talking to her and then pushing this off till next month. I think you should talk to her, too, because if depending on what she tells you, we may want to get an ad out there and start taking applications to get someone in there to cover the office. That's really important position. We don't want to go
backwards in that office again.
No. And I 100% agree. So, let me do that on Wednesday and then I'll report back to all the members by email. All right. 9C, we had a request from the new town clerk. It's on page 24. requesting for some IT upgrades within the office. I was in the office this afternoon and I asked Eric and [clears throat] Jim to reach out to South Windsor to sit there and understand what we can get done. and I just think we need to evaluate the IT infrastructure within the office. So, I have no problem having Eric or Jim sit there and get an understanding of what it would take. And if there's extra costs, then we'll need to sit there and figure out how we sit there and do it out of our current capital funds or what we do if there's a significant cost of improving the the equipment or the networking capacity of that office. So, anybody have any other issues related to that request? Okay. the 9D the acceptance of the section 5310 grant. Eric, do you have some update on this issue?
Sure. At some point, this is going to have to go to a town meeting because it requires a significant town match. however, you have about another week to submit this form. So, what I would suggest is the board authorize you to sign the form and then you schedule a town meeting to get that ratified.
Okay. Just so we do it in public, how much is the anticipated grant for? It depends on what exact vehicle you select.
Okay. So, if we select the biggest and the best van or the van that we need, what are we looking at?
Give me a range.
Yeah.
Somewhere between 75 and $120,000.
Okay. And if we went to $120,000 for a van, what are we looking at for a match? 20% of the the total.
Correct.
Somewhere in the range of $30,000
maximum. Yes. Likely less than that.
Yeah. Max. And the charter requires us to go to town meeting at what threshold?
I I don't know off the top of my head.
Okay. So, the town meeting would be determined by the threshold required. Carol, do you have a number for us on that? I I don't right now. I don't. I'm sorry.
That's fine. I mean, so so depending upon the vehicle we pick will depend upon what we need for a town meeting requirement. Just saying. I'm I'm not asking for any I'm just trying to give the public an understanding of what we're talking about. So, if we had $120,000 vehicle, 20% of that cost would be $24,000. We could potentially have a town meeting related to that grant cost. Okay. Listen,
I I'm just gonna I'm gonna say make a motion to [clears throat] authorize the first selectman to sign the acceptance certification document for the section 5310 grant for a new senior van.
Second that
Scott Person seconded. further discussion. Although Carol Lee,
I
Jeff Murray,
hi
Scott Person.
Jeff Maguire. Hi. That was four nothing. okay.
The signatures. They they they made a big deal of the signatures on that thing. And who's gonna You're going to be signing it, Jeff?
Yeah. Yeah. the form.
Yeah, we'll we'll get it, Eric. We'll get it filled out tomorrow and I'll sign it on Wednesday.
I'm not gonna be here tomorrow. It's Veterans Day.
Oh my god.
I'm sorry. So, yes, we'll have it filled out for Wednesday and I'll sign it Wednesday afternoon.
Perfect.
Okay. Okay. the 9E review of the town administrator hiring process. there is a significant amount of information in our packet as to about how we go about looking for the town administrator and I know Jeff at our last meeting we had discussed putting out ads for the town administrator locally.
Yes, we had discussed that.
Okay. is that the direction that the board is looking to move in as opposed to hiring an outside search firm? Okay. Does anyone want to hire an outside search firm? I think we should try locally first and then if we're unsuccessful, consider the search firm.
Okay.
At least give it a month or two just to see what
Okay. comes what comes through. So then
or should we give it?
Well, we should put it on the state website as far as the we should be putting it in LinkedIn. We should be putting it in the local information. We should sit there
again, Jeff.
Indeed. Yeah. Yeah.
LinkedIn jobs. There's a bunch there's tons of places we can put it.
All right. the municipal web postings.
Yeah. So, what what is also in here is the charter so let's sit there and get to the charter documentation. So that's in the beginning of this. So on page 33. So if we go through this and we talk about the appointment procedures which is 701b it talks about the committee that should be appointed to sit there and get this. So we need to advertise for this and we should talk about what we're doing related to our membership to it and we should also we have to talk to the board of finance at their next meeting about appointing someone. So the way that this is supposed to work the board of a selectman shall appoint a town administrator who will be chief executives officers. The appointment shall be made by a majority vote of the board of selectmen based on the recommendations of an add search
committee consisting of two members of the board of selectment a member of the board of finance and two electors for the town who do not hold any public office whatsoever chosen by said three public officials. So, we need to appoint two people from our board for the search committee. is there anybody interested in specifically wanting to sit there and deal with it? And my recommendation is we do one Republican and one Democrat, anybody? Jeff Murray,
I'll leave it up to Carol. What What would you like to do it, Carol, or would you like me to do it?
Go for it, Jeff. Okay, Scott. [laughter]
Scott, I'll do I'll do the same thing. Do you want to do it or do you want me to do it?
Okay.
I don't know if Ann would be interested, but
she's a Democrat. [laughter]
She is a Democrat. I agree with you. But maybe maybe the three maybe you should just ask her as courtesy to see if she'd be interested and you guys can decide between
do we have to know tonight?
well we've pretty much got you know we understand where we're going to go
so I have no problem asking an and sitting there seeing what she she wants to do and then having a vote over it. So if she wanted to do it no problem. But
I will talk to her and then I will also sit there and get to the board of finance and get their member selected because then once we get that done, we need to select we need to advertise for the other two members.
we should do that tomorrow. So, Eric, if if we could could you sit there and get with Kate or get with we need to advertise for the search committee members. And I would also ask that the board members sit there and communicate to engaged residents within the community that this is something we're looking for. And if somebody can help us out that has is not an elected official and can participate, that would be great. So
yeah, we could probably even send it to the town committees, too, because I know Scott Soy had identified somebody that he thought was very qualified to serve on the committee.
Okay. have no problem. Let's get that situated as quickly as we possibly can so that we can move forward with that. And then once we get that up and running, the members of that committee, we will sit there and and work on getting information out there to Indeed and all the other sites and get this going as quickly as we possibly can. Okay. Anybody any other problems with that issue? Okay. [sighs and gasps] anybody have any questions related to all the informations in here? I know that if if it doesn't work and we go in a different direction, there are proposals or potential RFP proposals for different search firms. anybody have any any questions for Eric or they want to discuss any of that information? Okay.
I just wanted to say I sent an a text and she said that she might be interested in serving on that panel for town administrator.
Okay. I will call and talk to Ann tomorrow when she gets home and we'll sit there and see what what we can do because then my question is who votes, the three Democrats or the entire board.
Okay. She just sent me a text that she definitely would like to be on that panel.
Okay. So now I'm asking the question, is it the three Democrats that are voting? Because if it's the three Democrats, if it's the three Democrats that are voting, Scott, how do you vote?
I vote for me. How do you vote for you?
Okay. But I think wouldn't it be the whole board that's going to vote for the two that are going to serve? Whether it's a republic, you know, I mean, I would think it would be the whole board would still vote regard I mean, you suggested that one of the Democrats.
Okay, I'll tell you what. Let's have
Can we do this next meeting? Can we do this next meeting? Because we're gonna have to still go out to the board of finance. We're still going to have to advertise for two people at large and then we can appoint everyone at the next meeting,
right?
So, we're going to put it off for 30 days.
Point of order. You guys don't get to choose at the next meeting. The three people, the two people the board nominated and the one person the board of finance
pick the other two per the charter. That's not a board of selectman decision.
Yeah. No, no, no. We understand. We just need to get I understand that part, but the issue is are we going to wait 30 days to sit there and do this? So, I I I sit there and I go just vote.
We should pick the members of the board of selectment tonight.
Vote on me first. Go ahead.
If one of you two doesn't vote for me and you vote for Anne, then Anne will serve. If one of you votes for me, then I would be the other member of the board, the committee. So, Jeff, do you want me or Ann on that committee?
[sighs and gasps]
I I would like to talk to Ann first before I mean she says she wants to serve kind of in the middle here. I really don't care who it is. I don't
hat's that's that's what politics is all about, my friend, and you know it. So, do you want to vote for Ann to be on that committee or me to be on that committee?
Well, you didn't ask Carol how she's voting.
Okay, Carol, how would you like to vote? Are you gonna vote for me or you gonna vote for Brandon? [laughter]
I'm not kidding you. This is This is how silly this is. No, I understand. Okay. I just I don't know. I would like to see a woman. I don't want to be the person. I can't do anything right now. So, I don't want to be that person, but I would like to see one woman from the board of selectmen and one man. Do
you know what? This doesn't have to be this does not have to be a Democrat and Republican. I would almost yield my position to an And it could be that we would have a woman on the board and we would have Jeff and it's settled
because I was already on the hiring committee for the for the supervisor
for two people.
Yeah. So
we just did it.
Yeah.
Meuire, you're it.
It would be so it would be worth it to be somebody else. So I would actually have Ann take my place. that way there be a woman on the on the selection committee if that's okay. It doesn't have to be a Republican.
It's okay. I mean, listen, I it is
and I was on the last time administrator search committee.
We we we will need to make sure that we have a very strong nonelected official individuals on that board.
Yep.
All right. So, somebody make a motion to appoint Ann and and myself on that committee.
I make the motion to appoint Jeff Magcguire and an Crown Administrator search committee.
Second, Jeff.
Okay. further discussion.
Just a quick question. What are you going to do in terms of the advisory screening and review committee which the charter requires?
Well, isn't that what this committee is?
No. [laughter]
So, so you're telling me we need
So, you you've selected your two members of the ad hoc search committee.
Yeah.
Right. But you're also supposed to have an advisory slashscreening review committee an advis so I have to we have to select another committee.
So what's that? Well, you would you would have to recruit that committee because per the charter, the selection process will include an screening review committee made up of incumbents from other towns in similar positions to determine qualified candidates. So, what this is saying is if you're not using a professional search committee, then you are supposed to be using other town managers and administrators as your advisory slashscreening review committee.
Correct? Carter says
and and understand I understand I get that that that wasn't what I was thinking but yes we are definitely going to have to recruit as in we did in the past another town manager or administrator to assist in the advisory standpoint and isn't that done after we sit there and get all this organized because do you have candidates from local town administrators that are going to help No, I was assuming you would check that box with a professional screening committee.
Understood.
Hiring screening committee.
And and and I understand, Eric, your your thought on that. And we're going to sit there and have to go in a in a different direction. So, we're going to have to sit there and work as a board to find the members. we'll work with Jim to sit there and find out who we can sit there and get to assist us as we move forward in this process. So, that is something that we can do after we sit there and get the entire committee there because as I'm reading this, it doesn't say how many people are going to be on that. It just says we need to hire a search committee to that committee would be one of the one of their processes I would assume would be to review any resumes received and any applications received.
And how long are we going to do this for?
before we do the professional search people,
well, we have to sit there and see how we get a response and if we get a response and if there's anybody that we believe is qualified and if we don't get a good response to what we put out there, then we go and do a professional search committee. So, basically, we're going to probably try this for 90 to 90 days, I would guess. Indeed, R.
Yeah. three months.
Well, you're going to have to sit there and go through this process and then you're going to have to sit there and give them a timeline to submit and then you're going to have to review and then you're going to have to sit there and if we feel comfortable that they're they're qualified candidates, we're going to have to have an interview process. I think you should just make it ongoing, Jeff, until somebody's found because that interview committee is going to still interview the ones that the search committee or the search firm that if we hired if we have to go out to a search firm, we would still interview candidates.
Oh, understood. But what Scott was asking is how long before we decided to turn around and hire a search committee, a search firm search
I would say February, March. So 90 days.
Yeah. Because right to be honest with you, November, December is going to be tough. I mean, not a lot of people are going to be looking for jobs during the holiday season possibly. But
let's trying to get people together during this next six weeks is going to be sort of difficult.
Okay. So, let's sit there and see if we can, you know, expedite what we're doing and do it as quickly as possible. And then, you know, if we find that we're not having success moving down this path, we're going to have to sit there and pivot. Anybody got any problems with that?
Okay.
just one more thing. Do we should we reach out to a couple of these search firms and just get some pricing just so we know budgetary what we're talking
Eric has got one
like to talk about it.
It was $15,000 I think when I read it.
15 plus.
So your
So I reached out to two firms. your range is some it's going to be somewhat dependent on how much services you want. but the range is going to be somewhere between a low of around $10,000 and a high of around $25,000. That's your range. But you're going to have to decide whether you want support via Zoom or support in person. and you're going to wanna you're going to have to decide whether you want them doing all the background checks and investigation or you want to handle that yourself. and you're going to want to have to to speak with them on where you want to
advertise because that can be that can run in the thousands depending on where you're advertising. So, those are that's your range.
Okay. So, are we still are we still good with moving forward with the direction that we we want to move in or are we looking potentially to sit there and hire a search firm?
If we were to follow the charter though with 701B, would the advisory screening review committee incumbents from other towns. just I would say put it out to take the applications like Jeff said and then have the advisory committee screen them, put them forward and then the two select men, the one member of the board of finance and two members of our public then decide after interviewing those that were screened and put forward.
Okay.
Who's who's going to do all the backgrounds?
Well, we'll figure out the background checks. It's it's you know, all of those things are things that we can get accomplished. it's more a question of what you're looking at doing. So, I I would rather if the goal is to sit there and do this, let's do this for 90 days, see what we get for applicants, and then move on as quickly as possible. I don't want to be wasting time if you know if we have to pivot and go to a search firm it's going to delay us you know we're going to be out another three months before
you know because I read they're they're
in you know I was looking at their documentation and they did have a timeline as to what it would take for them to sit there and get potential candidates for us
was another three months.
Yeah. so if the goal of the board is to sit there and and and do it, they have, you know, obviously if we sit there and go to the search firm, we have another $15,000 expense. If we do it this way, we probably still have another $5,000 expense. So, what's going to end up happening is we're going to spend $5,000 to do it this way, and then we're going to sit there and potentially pivot. Hopefully, we could find a qualified candidate that we can all agree upon and get them hired. But,
I mean, these search firms are no magic bullet. They're just going on the web and looking for resumes and they're advertising. That's basically all they're doing. It's it's not it's not rocket science. We're paying a lot of money for that service.
Okay? And and I I have no problem supporting that this direction. I just we just need to do it quickly. I don't want to waste any time, right? Because I I'm concerned that we do pivot and we have trouble finding candidates that we have to go now go to a search firm and we have we've delayed our our permanent replacement. Okay. All right. So, we have appointed the two in two individuals from the board of selectmen to the committee. We need to sit there and get a member from the board of finance appointed at their meeting and then Jim and Eric if you can, anybody that you can identify as an existing town administrator, town manager that might be willing to assist us to evaluate resumes and applicants, that would be great. Okay. Okay. where are we? Oh, 9F, a review of the senior transportation garage status. Eric, where are we at with that building? I know that's in our packet.
So, I gave you the revised structural plan in your packet that starts on page 115. we did not make it in the packet, but he did provide a revised cost estimate which I have not even read, so I'm not going to comment on one way or the other, and they still have not supplied us with exterior elevations. Jim and I did meet with the contractor on site to answer a series of questions that he had, but I don't we don't currently have a proposal you know that I think you should be voting on at this point.
Okay.
All right. but if you have questions or feedback on the design itself, feel free and I'll pass them up. Well, it was all
ooked at the front.
I mean, there was a slab work and a and a slight roof truss configuration. What's the height? What's the exterior look like? There's a lot of questions.
Yep. Concur.
Okay. So, we'll sit there and Jim will look at that and sit there and see if we can get with the the contractor and get some or the potential builder and get some better idea of what we're really looking at.
This is all because you changed the roof truss system to make more room up there, Eric. I thought that they already came back with a proposal for that.
Well, the problem is is that we didn't have anything visual. We had kind of a vague proposal on what they wanted and they hadn't sent it out for the engineering. So, we signed a quick design contract with them as part of the overall process because I feel a lot more comfortable once I see a final design and a set of visuals on what this is we're getting. so that's a stage where now I had hoped they would have provided that to us already, but they haven't. So this is as far along as we are on that proposal.
I mean, at one point you had we had a an exterior design of that building,
right? It might have been internally done, but so they didn't take that preliminary design and
No. So, so we had an exterior design of that building
which [clears throat] you and the board didn't want to build because it didn't have adequate storage space on the second floor. So then we turned that based on the feedback from you and the board. We went back to the contractor and we said we don't want this built essentially one story with the bonus room truss. We want two full stories and whatever roof you put on top of that. And that's where we're at now coming back with that revised plan.
Okay. All right. So
we have more space up there, Jeff.
No, no, no. I'm listen I am all good with it. We space is a problem with the community. The bre commission needs space. There's space that needs to be dealt with. I mean you could put three garage doors up there on the second floor and have it be cold storage. I'm definitely all for that. Eric, you know, when you were initially doing this, the roof was was situated to face in the appropriate direction for potential solar panels. So when they get it done, if we can upstairs, cold storage roof, slanted roof with the majority of it toward the back so that we could maximize sun if at all possible. And yeah, Jim will get with this this group and see what we can get done so we can have something for the next meeting. Anybody have any questions related to that? Okay. a 9G, construction inspection services for Long Hill. that's in your packet. Starting as page 119, the search or the rating committee, which was myself, one of town of Coventry's engineers, Mark St. Termaine. Ed Sizley is a PhD in construction engineering. Bill Watkins who is the public works director for Coventry and Michelle Rain who's a DOT engineer were on the panel. we evaluated the three firms that sent in proposals. we all preferred the proposal from SLR over the two over WMC and Bes. I submitted all the forms and the summary of that to do and to VHB and VHB has gotten concurrence. and DOT is now negotiating with SLR for the you know for the compensation for that. This is this was an RFQ for so it's basically a request for qualifications. We choose the best firm and then do basically uses their standard cost per hour formula for
each category as part of the the thing. I also listed on there what the interview questions that we asked the panel and put all the interview rating forms on there so you could see how each individual rated them total for your information. So that is basically done. do has preliminary said they're accept ex the accepting SLR. So SLR when they finish the project on Bunker Hill will move directly into the Long Hill Bridge project for construction inspection services.
Okay. And so this is for inspection services and this is all part of the Longill Bridge project. Is this something that's funded by the town or is this funded by the state? this is funded by a combination of state and federal funds. Okay.
The town is not going to actually pay anything for this bridge when everything is said and done. that presupposes that at the next Capital Regional Council of Governments, they have a favorable tip amendment to cover the increase in costs for building the Longhill Bridge. they've requested I don't know about an extra million for the construction of that bridge. Okay. when you say that who who requested the extra million? Is it the contractor that the state the state and the federal program has selected or who who's is the bid that came up for this that high?
So we haven't gotten to the bid stage for the construction. However, we've gone through we've basically gotten through final design and with final design the designer lists expected costs for the construction both for materials and labor and then kind of the next so that is the estimate on which the tip amendment is based is on the contractor's estimation of the cost of construction. Then somewhere around November 25th, it will go out to bid. When the actual numbers come back, the lowest qualified bidder will be selected. So basically all the firms that supply the correct documentation and have a qualified bid then go and get reviewed by the design firm that's the bridge designer of record who comes back and determines
whether the lowest bid is a qualified bidder and if it is that company is selected automatically and that then becomes the final cost basis for the bridge plus any change orders. you know, so basically this accounts for the fact that it's been four years since this bridge was originally accepted in the federal local bridge program. And in that time, labor has gone up significantly, materials have gone up significantly, and the cost of construction is up, and that accounts for that.
Okay. what happens if they reject that?
I don't know. Maybe we don't build a bridge.
We don't build a bridge. Okay. All right. item. the the reason the region the reason CROG has to approve it. So, if it's a tip amendment, that means the Connecticut DOT has already approved the increase, but the Capital Regional Council of Governments serves at as the MOO or Metropolitan Planning Organization, and all of DO's cost increases have to get referred to to Crag for an up or down vote. but since it's doesn't cost anything to Crag as a region and it's already funded money from the federal or state government, they're not going to turn it down. They have no incentive to Okay. Well, let's get it built. So, 2026 is a big year for that one, right?
Correct.
Okay. 9H sustainable Connecticut award.
So Eric, you were at the the ceremony. Andover was awarded a bronze certification. The committee driven by Kathy Palazi and Ela Bukart did a great job. on page 138 of our packet, it has a bron certification u document that was put out there and I'd definitely like to congratulate everybody that served on that committee and worked to get it done. I think it's great for the town.
Congratulations to all of them.
Yeah. anything that you want to sit there and add to that from your position? No, I think it's for a relatively small town with limited resources, I think we're, you know, I look at the sustainable CT certificate is basically what the town is doing well in terms of governance and in terms of doing things that are good environmentally and smart economically. and it's an acknowledgement that we're one of about 35 towns that received this award this year. So, I think that's kudos to the town and the sustainable CT committee for really pushing and doing the documentation on this and for a lot of the departments and organizations who do work towards it.
All right. Thank you very much. Anybody have any questions related to sustainable Connecticut award? Okay. [clears throat] 9 I the Percy Cook Trail Preliminary Plan page
Okay. So that is page 139 of your packet. you have two maps which show an overview of the proposed trail going down the town property and then an enlargement of the area directly by the municipal campus. So, I asked the town's engineer to get us a preliminary set of drawings because I wanted to share it with the board of education simply because I know they're going to have some significant concerns with safety for a trail that runs near the school. And if we improve it and make it better and more people on it, they're going to have even more concerns. So, I had hoped to have myself and the engineer discuss this with the board of education, but they have no interest in meeting with us this month. So, that's going to be a future problem to be dealt with. and frankly, the engineering firm is going to have to keep with the design. and then we're going to have to deal with their comments or concerns further on in the design process, which is unfortunate, but that's a board of ed decision.
So, does this proposed trail exit at the fire department parking lot?
Correct.
Okay. And
we're doing everything we can to keep it as far away from the school as possible.
Okay. And then do they do the does the engineering group have like what's the distance that the close the closest distance to that town line that's near the soccer field
the town line near
town line or the school property line you're saying?
Yeah that's that's a town property. So that line that goes back there that's near the soccer field. How far away is it?
I don't know. Okay.
If you if you if you can get that and then you know if you if they if the engineering firm can get that and if if it does come up at the board of ed meeting I'd be happy to let them know.
I mean we're not going to know that until after the survey.
Okay. And when's the survey? Well, so we hoped to have dealt with the school and had a rough trail idea before we commit to surveying this because I don't want to. This is a 70 acre parcel. I do not want to topo and survey the whole process because that's well beyond the scope. So, what I was hoping was to get this back with the school and know what area we're toping so they can survey what they think is the actual proposed trail. Now, this becomes a problem because now we either put it off a month and we don't have any progress until we talk to the school or we survey and hope that that's closer to the final path. And I don't, you know, I'm I don't know which way to proceed. And actually, it's not even my problem. At this point, it's Jim's problem.
Well, it's this board's problem. So, let's sit there and see what we can do.
I'm going to look at the map again, Jeff, and I'll see if I can figure out how far how far it is.
Okay. All right. Eric, do you have any more documentation for this for this trail that you would have provided to the board of education?
No.
Okay. I mean, look at the looking at it, Jeeoff, it's a it's quite a ways. I know that property pretty well. Well, that's
if you look at that map and if you look at the map enlargement where it comes on the other side of the community center,
it's it's fairly it's it's quite a because it's on the other side of the power lines, the gas lines
got be there's a there's a pine grove in there that's where it's going through and it's it's that is well beyond that's out of sight of the soccer field actually.
Okay. If if you look on page 140, that shows their rough ideas of the elevations based on on the locations in the location A and B are identified on the map. So you can kind of see where it is they're talking about.
So it's 100 170 feet from the start of the soccer field.
Correct.
Okay. and it's going downhill. Okay. Okay.
Right. So, we did everything we could to make it out of sight of the school and not have any impact on the school. Now, the problem comes in during engineering when you go out and topo that. There are some wetlands they have to deal with and that may be impractical, but that is the that is the goal is to put the trail there. So we minimize any impact to the school and that's what we were attempting to discuss with the school. But you know
Yeah, I agree with that. That's all that's very wet in there. It's extreme. I mean when we used to have the bike races in there, we couldn't go through there. It was too wet.
Okay. All right. So, I will sit there and I will get this to Caitlyn so that she can have it for the board of education. And
Kaitlin and the superintendent have copies of this already. They've had it for quite a while.
Oh, okay. I'll send it out to the other members of the board. Okay. Go ahead. What's next? Actually, I gotta go. It's my job. Sorry. 9J, the cannon update.
Sure. Very simple. The wheels basically fell off the cannon. They got so rotted the spokes all rotted off. we are ordering a set of replacement wheels from an Amish wheel builder. and an axle. We're probably going to have to shorten the axle, but that's a welding job and public works is capable of doing that. There's no way we're getting exact replacement for those wheels because those were made somewhere in Japan somewhere in the 30s. So, we're going to make something that will last, that will look fairly normal historically and replace it. It's going to cost about a thousand bucks.
Okay. Anybody have any questions related to the cannon? I mean, I do have to tell you that that that monument park and veterans monument park looks really nice and Jerry Wright and the rest of the team did a great job. Every every time I drive by it, I'm like, it's it is very nice. The bridge and that monument park, they did a nice job. Okay. n 9k authorized town administrator to sign a contract for fuel and diesel for next fiscal year. So Eric, why don't you give us some information as to the status of the diesel and fuel pricing and then we'll make the motion.
So the pricing has been fairly steady for about the last month and a half. It's ranging somewhere from a low of about 259 a gallon to somewhere around 265 a gallon for diesel fuel. So we lock in at the same time for both diesel fuel for town vehicles which includes the school as well as heating oil at the same time. But we use very little heating oil. So we tend to key on what the cost of diesel is. And as far as I'm concerned, if we can get it for under about 260 a gallon, it's worth locking in sometime in the next 3 weeks or so. Typically around the first week of December tends to be the lowest cost point for locking in for a contract that's six months out. for a futures contract that's six months out, but
obviously geopolitical stuff comes into play. So, you know, it's always possible something happens geopolitically that drives up or down the cost of of fuel oil.
I'll basically make a motion that we authorize the town administrator to sign a contract for fuel and diesel for the next fiscal year. at the time that they deem appropriate.
Second that.
Okay. Further discussion on the fuel oil contract. It's something we sign every year.
Yeah. Every year.
Any further discussion? Okay. we'll call the call the vote. Carol Lee.
I.
Jeff Murray.
Hi. Scott Person, Jeff Maguire. Hi. So, that was for nothing. All right. we're going to move on to item 10, approval of the minute meetings. U minute meetings for our 106 2025 regular meeting. The minutes start on page 143 and go to 147. I'll make a motion that we approve the minute meetings for the 106 2025 regular meeting.
Seconded.
Seconded by Jeff Murray. we'll call the vote. Carol Lee
I.
Jeff Murray.
I.
Scott Person.
Jeff Magcguire. I for nothing. Okay. now we're going to be moving into a reports, the treasurer's report, a section 11, a finance department report. Those reports start at page 149 and they go through the, budget to actual expenditures and then we move from there. So the over budget and that's for the current fiscal year July through October 2025. So that goes from page 148 to 153. And then on page 151 we have check register for transactions for the town. So those are five pages. And then we have the balance sheet which I appreciate the treasurer including. So that lists our balance sheet for the town through the same period, July through October 2025. Anybody with any specific questions that they want Eric or Jim to go back to the treasur with. Okay. Then we'll move on to section 12, the
tax collector's information. That starts on page 164. We also had a a a letter from the tax collector page 166. Kate is doing a very good job actively corre collecting delinquent tax amounts and you know the information she provides is is extremely helpful in understanding what we have. So, in the first section, she has [sighs and gasps] off of our software system, what we have to collect, what's been paid to date. page 165 is the daily deposits and what's going in. So, October is a big collection month because it's the the second quarterly payment that we we need to make. 166 is her letter about her collection efforts and then 167 through 189 are the delinquent tax accounts based upon total dollar value. Anybody have any questions? Okay. after that we have section 13 departmental reports. So we have the troop K report building land and use and we have to thank Lynn for doing this for us. there's a lot of information that she provided especially in pages 203 I think it is 203 through 208 and I definitely Scott and Jeff and Carol I'd like to sit there and have everybody look at that because I'd like to understand the estimated costs and what you guys think of that in those sections. So,
I did I went over them and we decided that the building inspector was supposed to go over those numbers.
I just want everybody to be aware of them because I don't I think they're low.
I think they are too. I I looked at them myself in detail. It was a very good report this time. I got to tell her that. Very good report. But not but I I think they're very low though.
Okay. and the one thing that I would ask is, are they all without labor? Because I can't believe that the contractors are doing that. So, and Eric, you tell me if I'm wrong, is the is it the cost of the materials without labor or is it the cost of the project?
You'll have to ask that one or the building official.
Okay, we will sit there and do it. I just wanted to bring that to everyone's attention because it stuck out to me when I reviewed all the info.
I think it should be the cost of the project because when you get a roof done, the contractor comes out and tells you $13,000 and that's what we're paying how much we're paying on a permit.
Yeah. So that's the supplies and the cost of the the labor for the contract, right? Okay. I mean I and I just look at those numbers and I just I was going they're kind of low. and it's something that we should evaluate because, you know, it's a voluntary system and it's who's checking the information and it's just something that we as a community and as a board, we should be looking at to sit there and make sure that we're we're advising that department correctly so that they maximize their revenues.
Right.
right. So the building department was the next one that we had. We have also the information in there related to to blight. [sighs] and then we also had a report from public works. So Eric, thank you. or Mark Williams, thank you. Sorry. we'll go from there. And that was it. Anybody have any questions on any of the departmental reports? All right. And then item 14. This is the first time we've had correspondence. So Eric, if you can sit there and help us out. you wrote a letter to the trails and greenway program coordinator. So, the Hop River Trail Alliance has looked at submitting a grant to the D wreck trails program to look at the entire length in the Hop River Trail to do two things. Do a safety study at all the road trail intersections. this is something that the DP has been focused on after somebody was killed at a road intersection. not off the hop, but one of the other, rail trails within the state. and at the same time do a parking assessment because, both D and we occasionally get complaints that the parking lots are all filled. So they wanted to look overall and say what is our actual you know how much usage are these actually getting to provide advice to to DP about where they might need additional trail heads for the trails.
So this is not something that will cost the town any money. similar to the signage project that was done on the trail, the organization itself, Hot River Trail Alliance will use, you know, basically labor in kind as part of the study. so it won't it's not going to cost the town any and you should get something out of it that will help you if you go to grant fund improvements and crossings of the trail, things about that, but it's not binding on the town. It's just a piece of information that may or may not do the town some good in the future. Okay. All right. And then we received a letter from Ram. is RAM requesting that we fund them some of the grant dollars that we've received.
basically the town as the school district is receiving some grant money called seed. but it's unclear as to you know the the basis of them giving the grant is our total student population. so it would kind of make sense that the money would be split between the regional school district and the local school district. but Valerie or Superintendent Bruno has insisted that all the money will go to the elementary school and they're not going to share any with the school district. That's not my fight. I'm just putting the letter in there so you can review it. Okay. And who received the grant? handover the town or the school like where did the money get deposited?
Has it got
I have no idea.
Okay. All right.
So, we'll probably come into the town. I get it. I mean, depends upon who has Okay, we'll sit there and deal with it. I will sit there and bring this to the attention of the chairperson on the board of ed. We'll sit there and try to see how to best resolve that.
And the real question is, do you even share it with either school board or just put it in the town general fund? Because let's face it, we're already funding the special education program. So why shouldn't this come to the town as a refund for all the money we spend on their special ed? we will sit there and deal with it and we will sit there and talk to the members of that board and and actually to RAM to get an understanding of what they're doing. So I mean obviously Eric this is this is grant funding for the expansion of their special education services. That's what they're supposed
to do. Yes, we are funding their special education department, but if there the state is providing additional funding to provide additional service to special education, we'll sit there and deal with it.
Well, I mean, my first thought is since the town is providing with them a vehicle for their special education needs, [clears throat]
maybe we should keep it as our expenses for running the program. You know, I wish you well in Dalton and I hope you get that done in Dalton correctly, my friend. [laughter] I will sit there and we will have a battle, Eric. I will sit there and I will get with the rest of the board and we'll deal with it. And Eric, you do know that you're loved. So, thank you very much for everything. Right. as Eric always does, he stirs the pot. and I'm sitting there trying to cut this short and this meeting will end at about nine o'clock as long as we don't have too much craziness. okay. So, right now we're moving on from correspondence to item 15, public speak. And I'm going to go through, Eric Johansson, we'll let you go first. You're at the top of
the board. Again, I just want to thank the board and Eric for hiring me for the town of Andover. I have some big hopefully big things planned that can make the town a lot better.
Okay, we appreciate it. Thank you very much, Liz Latch.
Hi. nothing nothing more for me tonight. Thanks, guys. That's a lot of good work. Megan Lai.
Nothing further for me. Thank you guys.
Diane Grinder.
Yes. first I'd like to say welcome to the new guys. Jim and Eric. looking forward to seeing what you do for us. So welcome aboard. good luck to you. also, I'd like to say that I'm delighted that the board is looking to find ways to fund, both all of Tess, Linda, and Haley for the, senior center, senior community center. I think that's a great idea. looks like there's a lot of support for that group and, delighted to hear that, you're going to go find some money for them. That's a good idea. also I'm a little concerned at the beginning of the meeting, there was somebody from the Norton Commission who asked to be on because they had something they wanted to discuss and it just seemed to be ignored or
nothing happened.
Actually, I'll I'll apologize for that one, Diane. I forgot to add it to the agenda because I don't know where that came from. I'll I'll take responsibility. I'll reach out to Idy.
No, okay. I think I say it was just they had something to say and like whoops. So
understood.
Okay. Just letting you know that it was noticed. people notice these things. So
thank you very much. Always a good meetings. Thank you.
All right. Bill Penn.
nothing additional to add other than I will say that I know the person I'm on the Norton commission also. So I believe they had attended because they had been conversing with Anne and Anne had asked her to attend this meeting. So I'm not sure what their exact discussions were but that was why she was on here because she had talked to Ann about something. So I told her basically to email you guys the whole board and request to be on the next meeting agenda. So hopefully she'll do that.
That'd be great. Thank you Joanne Heber. just a couple things. First of all, I want to wish all of you well as you look to fill such very important positions in our town. you know, looking forward to seeing the people that get selected for offices and, it's just important because everybody that's in an office there does give out important information to our residents. we come in with questions and we expect to get the right answers. there's been a couple lapses where that hadn't happened and I mean no blame on anyone there but I just look forward to seeing you know a nice professional process and and getting good people hired and then personally I am happy to see you all know as an outgoing member of the board of finance I had advocated for a long time to move the duties of the municipal agent and the social services person over to the senior community center. now that we have one and we have a director and many employees over there. So, that budget total was $7,400 with the MURF payment and the $6,100 stipen. So, hopefully that will help get the duties and the pay over there. So, happy to hear that. That's what a lot of other towns do. So, thank you and good luck moving forward.
Test graphs. Jeff, I am so all set. Thank you.
Okay. Leanne [clears throat] Hutchinson.
Hi. Can you hear me?
Yes.
Hi. Yeah, thank you. I was on earlier, but I could hear you, but apparently you couldn't hear me. so I wanted to say that I'm thrilled that Eric is reporting that the Bunker Hill Road Bridge is going to be open by December 1st, barring some very unforeseen and, you know, severe weather events apparently. So that's going to be much much more convenient as you can imagine and also a lot of peace of mind. And I wanted to thank Eric for his dedication to the town and he's done a great deal of work. I wish he was still going to be a resident at least, but it doesn't sound like that's going to happen. But I'll miss you, Eric, and I just wish you the best.
Okay. Marcy Miner,
hi. once again, another great meeting everyone. I'm I'm thrilled that you agreed to renew Haley's contract. She is an excellent addition to the center and I believe the investment is well worth it. regarding the hiring of a new town administrator, I want to urge you guys to appoint the search a search committee so we can move forward as quickly as possible. I just hate to hate to have us, you know, sit around and spend time, you know, trying to make decisions and I know how hard it is to hire people and then you have a lot of other people with their thoughts and we just really need to have a company that's going to be objective and is going to guide us towards a best candidate. so anyway, I think that we need to start making some investments for our town and I think another this would be a good investment for us to be able to move forward with a a [clears throat] new administrator. So, Eric, I've already told you how much I'm going to miss you and you've really did a lot for our town. Thank you so much. Good luck on your your new prospect there. So, I'm sure you're looking forward to it. We'll miss you. Also, I did want to appreciate being able to see the new guys in town. It's we look forward to seeing what you can what you'll be doing with us. All right. Thank you. Okay. Jim Bolano, I will let you have
the last public speak, I think. because I don't really want to offer it up to Dennis O'Brien if he's still on.
Well, I know Dennis well, too. I don't know if he's gonna I'm going to live with that. But anyway, thanks everyone. Thanks to the board of selectmen for for choosing me to do this. I hope I could be helpful. if I've heard one thing in the past weekend change is that got some big shoes to fill. I know Eric did a great job here and he was obviously beloved by the community and I want to thank thank him also because he's taught me a lot and he few and he's hanging on there. You know some people in their in their last days get a little get a little loose but Eric has still has a few days left and he's showing me a lot and I look forward this feels like a great town, great community. you know, I've been to many whether they've been Zoom or in person, town meetings and it's tough to get people there and just the turnout here shows that this community is committed. So, I look forward to working with you all.
All right. Thank you very much. Eric, do you want to say anything as you're parting from our our board meetings?
No.
[laughter]
You know, Eric, I love you. Eric, thank you so much for everything that you've done for the town. You've been greatly appreciated and you know that. I do wish you the best of luck in Dalton. They're, they're lucky to get you. So,
okay. I think we're done. Did I miss anybody in public speak? And Dennis, do you want to say anything? because I know you're on. Technical problems. Good. All right.
I think we're okay. Did I miss anyone?
Janice?
No, he can't. I mean, Carol, did you want to say something before we leave?
No, I'm good. Thank you.
Okay, no problem.
poor Dennis. That's all I want to say. Poor Dennis.
Oh, Dennis. Dennis is fine.
You pick on him. I do not pick on Dennis. Dennis is a is a dear friend and I will I will take him out for breakfast soon. So
I hope so.
That's right. I'll make a motion that we adjourn.
Second.
Carol seconded. All those in favor? I four nothing. Everyone, thank you very much. Appreciate it, Eric. Thank you very much.
Thank you, Eric.
Thank you.