Okay, everybody. thank you. this is the Town of Andover Board of Finance, regular meeting on Wednesday, October 22nd, 2025. we'll call the meeting to order and recite the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic nation under Godisible justice for all.
Okay. Thank you. Our first order of business is public speak. Looks I'll just go ahead I guess Eric first person I see is Valerie Bruno. Valerie, you have anything to
discuss?
You're muted, Valerie.
Looks like she's not muted, but it's not. We're not hearing any audio. And you're frozen now. I think you might have a connection problem.
Yeah. So, I'm seeing her move. So,
she's moving.
Yeah, that's true.
We'll come back to you.
Linda Fish,
all set. Thanks.
Okay. I see Sharon St. Rock.
nothing at this time. Thank you.
Thanks. And Scott Pan.
Scott, you muted. I don't know if you have anything to add during the public speak of the board of finance.
Good. Thank you, Mark.
Okay. Thank you. And back to Valerie.
You're muted now.
Yeah, you are muted now. You're unmuted. There you go.
No, I still can't hear you.
Goodness gracious.
maybe try logging out and logging back in, Valerie. I don't know. Yeah. I don't know what the problem is here. I think we can we could probably come back to her and we talk about the school project or something be appropriate. So, see if she can get logged back in for a second. I don't want to delay too long. If I stop moving, I'm probably not frozen. It's just that I'm in my spare room that we don't heat during the winter, and I'm starting to feel it. So,
I may I may become immobile from mud
from hypothermia.
Little chilly in there, huh? Yeah. Valerie, I see you're back. Do you want to try to speak? We have We don't have video, but you appear to be joined the meeting and we're not hearing you if you're if you're speaking. She's out again. I'll tell you what, let's go ahead and move on. There will be another opportunity for public speaking from Valerie. We certainly could could you know if she has anything to add to the bathroom renovation project agenda item we could talk then does anybody on the board of finance have proposed changes or additions to the agenda tonight?
Okay hearing none we'll move on to agenda item four which is the town administrators report. there. Okay. So, I don't have all that much to report. Most of you know I submitted my resignation to the town of Andover on October 15th and my last day is November 15th. so I will be moving on to a different town. this Friday, the board of selectmen is holding a special meeting in the morning to hopefully appoint an interim town manager for three month three to four months until a permanent replacement can be hired. whether they choose to do that or not, I don't know, but I've given them the option and made the connection for them. right now
really all I'm trying to do is wrap up grant projects that are ongoing. so that I hand whoever takes over from me a clean you know, pathway to to keep the projects that are in motion now continue to be in motion. other than that, it's it's obviously going to be interesting because the board of finance is going to go into a budget season really without a permanent town manager probably and probably without the use of a treasurer. So, that's going to be a little challenging on your part. however I am working with Chris Erica Kelly to set up so we give all the boards the the first thing that needs to happen which is the board the boards to get back with their proposed budgets and the same thing for the department heads that usually goes out December 1st and I'm working with her to ensure that that goes that goes on. So, after that collating that I assume is going to be the responsibility of either the interim or the incoming town administrator. So, that's pretty much what I have. I'll certainly answer any questions that you have as a board.
I have a question.
Go ahead, Louise.
For Friday, is there any way we can make that a Zoom meeting as well? both of those meetings that are scheduled for those people who won't be able to attend.
that's a first selectment or a board of selectment question. It would be theoretically possible maybe. I mean we're not our main meeting room is being occupied for early voting. So we're going to be in the community center. We could potentially move the equipment over there, but that's their decision as to whether they want to do a hybrid meeting or not.
Okay. Because some people are asking and I just wanted to put it out there.
Yeah.
Thanks.
Question. Hey, Eric. last year when we were working on the budget, you had, and I thought it was part of the big, townwide budget spreadsheet, there was a section with all the town, capital projects and grants and stuff. Can you get that to us in whatever? I mean, it was really nice last year and I looked at the most recent budget that we had, the the most updated budget that we had and I didn't see those tabs in there.
So, the the reason that are not there is I give that to you as a separate standalone capital document. the only thing I want to caution you is when I turn that over and the board of finance starts making their changes, I stop updating that. So, that's not going to have necessarily the exact final budgeted amounts in there. because at that point, it's basically your document to but I can certainly get the last version I have back to you. which which would be a great starting point. Yeah. I mean, I realized that there were final updates made to the budget as a whole, which obviously once we took it, you wouldn't, you know, you relinquish responsibility. I got that. but
I just didn't see those other tabs and pages.
Yeah, they're not on the main they're not they were never on the main budget document. It was always a standalone capital funds document that I provided. But I can certainly provide that. Again,
it's in an Excel spreadsheet, right? Okay. That's what I'm talking about.
Yep.
Thank you.
I guess Liz kind of I was going to ask a question before because you you know, we talked about this at the tri board meeting too that the treasurer is also resigning. I think you said as of November and we won't have a treasurer. And I I think kind of Liz's question went hand in hand. What is what is the plan for the treasurer's office? I know you mentioned Chris and I know she's a great asset in that office. Has there been any decision made or will they look for a treasurer? Because as you said with you leaving, the treasurer leaving a lot of, you know, members of the board of finance that have had a lot of years of experience in looking at these things will no longer be there. I just wondered what what was going on with the town as far as the treasurer spot.
We have to hire a treasurer.
Yeah, we're going to have to. But that's I think that should be the person coming in. that's too key a position right now. I don't you know I don't want to saddle anybody future with with a treasure they don't like. So I think that should be there. And then one followup just because it was brought Rob, sorry to interrupt. I just want to get my two cents out and then I'll back up.
Go ahead. Go ahead.
thank you, Rob. and I know that it was brought up among the board of finance members and in your presence, Eric, and probably some of the board of selectmen members, too, that with the changes and and of course, I won't be involved. So, I'm just it's my last time to ask the question, so I appreciate it. It's like what'll happen with with I think some people were concerned with too many people making changes to that spreadsheet. So I hope going forward that maybe the board of selectmen would address it that it would happen in the treasurer's office and you know when you hire a new one again that's all I just want to bring that up because I know it was spoken about in multiple meetings and it's not anybody's fault but with multiple people making changes or putting in information there can be mistakes made that's all
other questions for Eric
yeah So, Eric, that document you provided us at CIP,
did you distribute that to the the board of finance or no? can you once we made one small change to it, but once that's revised, can you send that to everybody?
That was a great document.
First of all, I apologize. I left to go to the other meeting before the committee actually.
I don't know what change you made.
Oh, it's minor. It's minor. It has to it just has to do with the you had kind of a hit list of four things I think it was on there of things to do sort of prioritization.
I think it was appendix two or something like that
and we tacked on we sort of changed it a little bit to to to address specifically the stove hood in the center.
That's all Fred has it. but it I was hoping he'd email you, but it was just a small change to that to just to say instead of a line about we can address the remaining things at the community center to zero in on that one small thing because that's easy to knock off. It was Ed's suggestion. So, but other than that, that document was incredibly comprehensive and I think would be super useful for everybody on this board and everybody on the select board to have. the board both boards did get a copy of that report.
Okay.
in addition to it going out to CIP directly. So if I get from Fred what the change is, I would be happy to make it. in truth, one of my concerns with doing the hood as a standalone project is that building still does not have a fire alarm system. And I'm a little concerned with having a
I didn't know that.
a large commercial stove running when you don't have a fire alarm in the building. And that's kind of why I've been not trying to push that because I think that's, you know, the the hood is actually a lot cheaper than the fire alarm system. I really kind of think they should get done. They don't technically have to. the fire marshall is willing to sign off because of the occupancy of the building and the size. It is perfectly legal to have a hood with no anel system and no fire alarm in the building. I just don't think it's a particularly good idea.
Can you remind me I'm sorry. I remember because I read through that document a couple times while we were having our meeting. Did is the fire the lack of the fire alarm system in there?
Good question.
I I don't recall seeing it, Eric. That's why I asked. Sure.
That seems like something we should we should tack on. If it's not in that document now,
it should go in there.
The fire alarm was one of the things in the grant proposal for the federal legislative funds.
Okay. with the intent that that get done as part of that project because we would be knocking off a whole bunch of things at once when we did the generator and the updates to the basement and finished off the final things in the kitchen and did the fire alarm.
All right. Maybe maybe it was in one of the appendices and I didn't notice it.
Yeah. Okay.
That's possible. But if it's not in there, I would think it should be put in somewhere just to to alert people because that's something I was not at all keyed into. I don't think any of us when we had that CIP meeting realized that because I, you know, Ed was really big on the idea of, hey, look, we just get that hooded and then we have a commercial kitchen up and running. it's a small thing and we can get that building up and running. but if that's a concern, then I feel like that has to be in there.
Well, I don't know whether it's a concern. It's a concern to me. It doesn't mean it's a concern to everybody else,
right? Certainly not.
It's certainly not something you're legally required to do,
right? I I No, I I'm I'm following you. I'm just saying it makes a lot of sense to at least put it in there as a concern. Even if even if we go ahead without it, I think that that if that document just included a line about that, it would be helpful. That's all. I'm I'm good. I'm done. I just want to
put it down on my pad. I I will address that
because that that document's awesome. It's it's a very comprehensive look at all of our buildings, all of our capital projects, the whole nine. it was very very good and I think especially because we're going to have a lot of new blood coming in. we want to have that thing about as well put together as we can. So, thanks Erica. Appreciate it.
One question about that. Going back, is there a working I would assume there's a working like sprinkler system in there? Is it just there's no alarm itself or there's not even a sprinkler system?
You might assume that, but you would be incorrect. There is no sprinkler system in that building nor is there a fire alarm. What is it been plumbed for a sprinkler system?
No, it has not.
That was designed right from the start not to have a sprink not to be sprinkled. There are no town buildings that I know of that have sprinkler systems. Can we put standalone in and in meanwhile if it does get hooked up like standalone smoke alarms and just so we have something if that
I think there's one or two standalone smoke alarms in the building but they're not connected to anything. They don't report out to anything.
so they don't make a call to the fire department is what you're saying.
Yeah. No, there's no there's no monitoring at all.
Okay.
Yep.
Someone just has to run fast across the parking lot. Liz,
911.
I mean, they are right there, but
Well, if somebody hears it, if it happens at night, nothing's going to happen. Well,
that's true.
Yeah,
that's true.
Other questions for me? It has been a pleasure working for all of with and for all of you over the years. and good luck with with the future board of finance stuff. Looks like you guys are going to have your work cut out for you for the next year.
Good luck yourself.
Thank you very
definitely going to miss you. We're all about just
I'm gonna have to learn about some small town in Massachusetts now to to follow your doings.
No cyber stalking.
No, no, no, no. I would never. Okay. thank you everybody. we'll go ahead and move on to the next agenda item which we discussed in our last meeting which is the nomination and election of a new board chair. we don't really have a way to do this via secret ballot or anything. I think it's just that we would take nominations and just vote on somebody understanding that this is I would think that this would just be an interim position and that the new board would elect a a new chair come November once you're settled in. So I'll open the floor for nominations. Kim,
yes, I would like to nominate Liz Lochek as the chair for the board of finance. I'll
second. Okay. Louise seconds. Okay.
I'll nominate Bill,
but I think we got to entertain one motion at a time.
Okay.
fair enough.
So, it's a little bit of an odd way to do it, but you know, this is just kind of how it goes, I guess. any discussion? I guess I would ask the current board members that would be left who is there someone that has strong interest in in are we only are we only allowed to discuss Liz at this point right
strike that
yeah I think for all intents and purposes Liz I assume you're willing and able
to serve in this role at least on an interim basis
I am willing and able I'm pretty engaged I'm pretty engaged anyway in attending all the meetings and trying to be prepared. so I am willing and able.
Okay.
Any other questions for Liz?
And just to be clarified, this is interim until after the election and then we'll do it again.
Correct.
That would be my suggestion. I mean, the board had originally set a policy of nominating a new a new chair on a reg on an annual basis. it makes sense to do it after the election cycle. the reason we're doing this on an interim basis right now is because both Joanne and I will not be on the board going forward. So, we want to have a an
Yep.
a chair person in place to run the next meeting at a minimum and handle any interim board business.
I just wanted that to be clear. That's all.
Yeah. Yeah. And then I think it's it's just up to the board to decide going forward. Okay. you know, I guess my only comment would be, you know, I've talked a little bit about what the role of the chair is. as I see it, the important thing is to manage the meetings efficiently, but also to be, fair and legal. there's there's some nuances there. I know nobody's an expert in this, but certainly you know, you do a little reading up, etc. It's it's fine. you know, and I'm I'm you know, Joanne and I'm sure will both be available to answer any questions people have about about going forward. the main thing is to stick generally to the agenda. you can change the agenda as we always have in our in our regular meeting agenda. We have that opportunity to change it. you do not have that opportunity in a special meeting. So, just one of the things to keep in mind. yeah, I don't have anything else. Nobody has anything else. So, just I guess let's call a vote. All those in
favor say I.
I was just going to abstain, Mark. I just felt like the people that were going to be serving on the board should vote. But I mean, if my vote was needed, I
Well, that's fine. You can abstain. And so I hear no any nays and one abstension. Is that okay?
All right. Sounds good. Thank you, Liz. You are the new chair of the board of finance. Good luck. So, I'm going to actually hand the the meeting over to you. certainly obviously we can we can provide any guidance that's required. but
Mark before you do that I just want
speak probably for the whole board how we appreciate your time spent on it as well.
Absolutely.
Thank you. Thank you Mark.
Yeah.
Thank you Mark. Thank you Joanne for your all your years of service time. Thank you.
Thank you for the nice emails. I appreciated it too.
Yeah,
it's been a pleasure.
Yeah.
Yeah, it has been an honor and
yeah, I'm sure neither know Joanne and I are going anywhere. So, we're here to here to support you guys any way we can.
Absolutely. Yeah.
Okay.
I just wanted
Oh, sorry. Go ahead. I just saw that Valerie had joined the meeting again. Were you gonna have her speak as part of public speak? I didn't know if she was hanging in the whole meeting.
Well, we've moved on. You know, again here acting as my as an former chair, I would say that we probably need to wait either until the next public speak session or until if we want to have her speak during the the new business we have an item for the status of the bathroom renovation,
you know, she'd be the person to address that. I mean, our main goal with that topic when I added it to the agenda was to make sure we had a discussion point and kind of formally request a status update from the school district. So, there may or may not be anything that Valerie's can provide to us tonight, but that's really what that point was and I'm sure that'll be a standing item on our business until such time forward. Yep. Liz, go ahead. It's yours. I'm going to You can call in Rob. We'll go from there and I'll try to I'll mute myself because I'm gonna be in the habit of calling on people if I see a
hand raised. So,
all right. Thank you everybody.
Okay. Yeah, this is going to be tricky because I'm I'm trying to look at the agenda while keeping track of people.
We need We need a vice chair as well, do we not? So, that was what I was ask. You're gonna do fine, Liz. Don't sweat it. yeah. So, if if we need a vice chair as well, so I was going to go ahead and nominate somebody, but you let me know when you're ready. Do
we need a vice chair for for now or can we wait till actually we have our elections back
just in case somebody's sick or somebody can't make it or what happens? I would think we should have a vice chair just to just in case. I mean, I'm sure Liz will be there, but
Okay.
I would agree. I would agree.
Not a bad idea.
Yeah. And it can't be me. It can't be Jo. and Kevin Mark. So, you know, so I have my thought. but let me know when you're ready, Liz.
I'm ready. I also had a thought. That's
okay.
I also had a thought.
Very good. so, well, you know, sorry, Bill. I I was going to nominate you for chair, but I'll nominate you for vice chair just for at least temporarily.
you know, that's my take. Okay, Liz, you should call for a second.
Anybody?
Anybody got a second?
I'm gonna second it. And I'm going to say because there were multiple times that, you know, Mark couldn't make the meeting and it is important to have a backup. So, I'll second Bill's nomination there.
Right. Hopefully, Bill, you're okay with that.
I am. Sure.
Okay. Good.
Not like I discussed this before.
Any discussion for any discussion? And I think it's important probably again I'm not going to be on the board but an interim position too, right? Like you've all said it'll be interim. It's good to have people in place. You know things happen and people need answers if information is going back and forth. That's all.
Yep.
Okay. Hearing none, we will take a vote. All in favor say I.
I'll abstain.
We've got So we've got Mark as a yes. Rob as a yes.
Obviously is my motion.
Joanne.
Joanne as a yes. Mark.
I didn't vote, but I will say yes since I nominated him. Since we're doing
seconded it. Yeah.
Louise
conded it. Yeah.
No. No. I I seconded Liz. Okay. So, Louise, are you a yes or a no?
Oh. no. So, we have
no hard feelings, Bill.
Mark is a yes. Rob is a yes.
Joanne, you're a
That's three. So, it's a tie. Not a tie, but like it's not enough.
So, what happens in a tie?
Well, okay.
Motion fails. Motion fails on a tie.
Okay. Okay.
Who abained?
Who?
I abained.
Can't vote for yourself, right?
Can't vote for myself.
No. No. Can't take your side in the right argument.
Well, you can.
Tradition would call for you to abstain.
Yeah. tradition is one thing, but norms and all that.
Okay.
I think the board's going to be just fine, but I mean, I just thought it would work if with so many people leaving, it might be a good idea to have people like that. That's
I'd like to make a motion.
Go ahead, Louise.
I'd like to elect Kim Persan as the co-chairman. I think they both chairperson
Liz and Kim both work very well together.
Just a point of clarification, Louise, you said co-chairman. Did you mean to say vice chairman or do you intend to say co-chair?
That's that's correct. Vice chairman.
Understood. Thanks for that. What's the difference between the two?
I don't think there is such a thing as
No, a co-chairman would hold equal rank, equal position. So you'd have two you'd have two co-chairman or multiple co-chairmen.
No vice. Okay. So I any discussion?
Any further discussion? Yeah, I seconded it.
You seconded it. Okay.
hearing none. All in favor say I.
I'm sorry. Okay. Joan's a yes. Mark. Rob. Nay,
Bill.
Nay.
I'm sorry.
Nay.
I I can't hear. I can't hear you.
Bill said nay.
Nay.
Okay. and Kim is going to abstain. One, two, three.
Liz, did you vote?
And I'm a yes and I'm a yes. So, the vote carries. And I just want to say for the record, I want to be consistent. I think it's important to have two people. you know, and I think everyone's been on the board. It it's, you know, so
I agree. I agree. Thank you.
Good luck. Yeah.
Okay. So, the motion passes. Kim, congratulations.
Thank you
to you. Looks like the two of us are on for next month. Okay, moving on. Old business, the review of budget to actuals. So, I actually looked at this and I was a little confused because the budget to actual that we got was last year's full year and I believe we got that the previous month as well. so that's why I had sent the email to Kate and asked her for our most recent budget to actual from July through current. So I don't know if anybody had a chance to look at that or if anybody has any comments.
Just the same thing you said that that's the last year's I have
last year's data. So, I think I think there was some probably a misunderstanding of what you were looking for, what we're looking for.
So,
so I
Sorry,
I'm sorry. Go ahead. Go ahead, Eric.
So, I deliberately put last year's complete year budget to actual in there because we're actually far enough along. I mean, we're not audited yet. We're less than a month from starting the audit and you know I thought you as a board would want to know going into budget season that it appears that the surplus on the town side will be somewhere just under $200,000 for last year. So we're in the black which is good.
Can can
Okay.
I'm sorry. I I'm I'm just going to sorry I was late for a meeting. I was driving home. but I did express to Mark while he was there that I will be an extra official member of this board. I non voting member but I can participate. This is extremely interesting to me. So Eric, I'll ask you. So am I understanding this because we have not gotten this in our board of selectment packet even though I've been asking. Are are we see
you did ask for it and right after you asked for it a couple days later I sent it to the entire board.
Okay. Including you.
So So my email is is slow which I know that are you sitting there is this document showing that the school is under budget by $300,000.
That is that does say that but that's only with the information that they've provided to us. So that's not something I would be comfortable taking any stand on.
So it's October 22nd and we don't have final numbers
as far as I understand.
Okay. All right. I mean, because what what what this is showing me on just so where I'm looking, just so everybody can sit there and look at it, if you look right underneath the income section, so on page three of 18, that number right there. So you're telling you're telling the board of finance that 301,000 is not finalized because the board of education information that is pre given to the treasur is not complete.
Far as I know that's an accurate statement. Yes.
Okay.
All right. And then so so if the the board of finance looks at this our revenue number was low as well. is that or was was actually increase. We had an $84,000 increase in total revenues for the town. That's right above that line. So, still on page three, but right above that line, total income. So, that's that's the number.
Okay,
that is correct.
Okay. and and that is actually largely due to the efforts of the tax collector aggressively going out after people to pay back taxes. Without that, we would have actually been under budget.
Okay? And if we go all the way down to the bottom, you got 527,000 total under budget for the entire community, right?
Correct. Which would be roughly 226,000 on the town side. But in discussing this with the treasurer, she thought that there were some corrections that the auditor would make because there are some expenditures where there, you know, legitimately could be booked in either of two years. So her suggestion to me was we assume we have about $200,000, a little less on the down side. I mean, if I look at the expenditures for the town, it's $141,000 under budget
with $84,000 being increased revenues.
Correct.
And then then whatever the remaining balance is related to the school.
Okay.
That that is correct.
All right. And have you asked the treasurer
when this is going to get finalized?
it will get finalized after the auditor makes his final determinations.
Okay.
There are always some changes that come with the audit. The auditor is planning on being in I believe either the second or third week of November to start.
Okay. And so the treasurer has a binder of all all the information that the treasurer provides to the auditor on behalf of the town. Is that accurate?
That is correct.
Okay. So that information is available if board members would like to potentially review it.
You certainly could.
Okay. All right. That's it. Thank you very much for that. That was extremely helpful for me to understand the levels of where we're at. Okay, sorry. You guys are
That's okay. Thank you for that. and welcome. yeah, that that's helpful to review that. we'll definitely have to work with the treasurer and dig into that. check register review of the check register. Does anybody have any comments about the check register? And again, because the board of selectman asked me, I gave it to you also. You have the check register, you know, essentially from the first day of this fiscal year to current. So you can see what all the expenses the town has made. I'm just scrolling through for myself. I looked through it a little bit earlier. I see some fund transfers on July 3rd. $500,000. Do you know what that is, Eric?
if it's exactly $500,000, it's almost always transfers to and from our stiff account, which is the state's short-term interestbearing account. We try to keep as much money as possible in that because that's currently earning like 4.6% interest, something like that. It's under five now that the interest rates are starting to come down nationally, but it's still better than what we get right now. We're getting I think I think three from Mnt. So, we keep three and a half million or so in stiff and we just transfer money back in to maintain a minimum balance with Mnt of Okay.
1 to two million.
Okay. Can you remind me what the Taland County bill is for 11,628? I think we talked about this.
So if it's to Taland County, then more than likely that is that sounds about right for our bill to our annual the they provide 911 services for us. They're basically the regional dispatch for all the fire departments and the first line 911 provider. Does anybody else have any any questions? All set.
All set here.
I'm all set, Liz. Thank you. donation requests. I don't know if we have any updates on that. That was something if memory serves, Liz. we had asked the treasurer to get back to us on something and of course now the treasures resigned.
So, I don't know where we are on that. I
think we had heard from the treasurer that, you know, there was not a good way for us to take donations and to put it into the funds that were requested.
But I think that ended up just there wasn't an adequate way to handle that.
I think back
we have this issue where we have as far as the order auditor is concerned too many accounts already if observes that was kind of the issue.
Question the auditor I think one more time and then get back to us and she might have reached out to him and she just didn't get any respon I don't know.
Yeah
she has she pretty much knew what the answer was.
Do you know anything? Yeah, she did reach out to the auditor and she CCD me on she gave him a whole series of questions related to how the town moving forward could take donations for various different things, but I have not seen a response come back from Sable yet.
Okay.
unless he emailed it to her directly, but usually he CC's me on stuff like that anyway.
Busy season for him, I'm sure. Yeah. Okay. try meeting tri board meeting update. I guess the update is was that we held the tri board meeting. the
most of us were there.
I'm going to say I'm very proud of the board of finance. All, you know, current members, you know, they all were there,
I think. Yeah, we were all there, right? We were all there. We were all there. various levels of illness and absenteeism.
the other boards
I I will apologize for my board and for well I I don't have to apologize for the board of education but for my board I the the attendance was not what it should have been.
No, it wasn't.
But it was good. At least you were there. you know and I think we did get some good information ultimately out of that meeting.
I think so too and it is up the video is up for town people whoever wants to watch it and find out what we learned. Does anybody else have any comments about that?
I was just gonna say Liz if I could. It was a very informative meeting. I thought that everyone spoke. You know, I I think it's making strides. People came prepared. You know, now that you all will be in this new season of doing things so much quicker than we have. You know, it's unfortunate that it falls this year, but we did it last year. So, yeah, we did what the charter asked for. Everybody showed up. Everyone talked about the needs of the town. And I thought it was a good meeting overall. I think so too. And and the schedule the schedule for this upcoming year was discussed and put in place.
We had that one change, right? Because we had a we were one day off, right?
Yep. Yep. anybody have any other comments about that? Should we move on? New business. Oh, it ties into the I'm sorry. Go ahead, Rob.
No, no, no. I was going to say we should see if Valerie can talk.
if we get audio out of her, it would be helpful.
Well, when we get to 7B, that would be good to check for sure.
Aren't we? Oh, we're not quite there yet. Sorry.
Right. So, new business 7A is the schedule for the budget process.
Oh, okay. My bad. And
Eric, you got to all of us, right? Say that again.
There was a there was a budget outline forwarded to us, I believe. Right.
A lot of the work, but now he's happy to let people watching something.
Somebody is needs to mute the
responsible for everything. And that's why you get an iPad helicopter.
Is it my fault I have a much bigger reputation than he does?
It's not your fault. Is it my fault that my name came first on the paper alphabetically?
Scientist correct him?
Why are we listening to an ad?
Okay, Scott Persan, it's not you. Okay, I'm trying to look at people that are not people that are
stopped now. We're good.
Seems to have stopped.
Not muted. That was
usually you'll get a green square on the person where you're getting the audio from. because this has happened.
Yeah, this has happened to me before in the background. I apologize. I don't listen to anything that would be but
whatever. I just checked. I don't think so. There we go.
Okay.
so, Mark did email that to all of us before the tri board meeting and there and it was also passed out at the tribard meeting. I guess my question is should I go through and read this? what do you think?
my question Oh, sorry. Go on this. I I thought you were done. Sorry.
Go ahead.
Oh, I was just going to say I can't recall if we as a board had formally set our dates. generally speaking, we do that month in advance. I can't remember when our last the last time we had done that, you know, six months, you know, looking looking forward six months into the future. if we are at a point where we need to do that, then, you know, I'm prepared to look at my calendar and and figure stuff out. but it may not be something we have to do at this at this moment if if the schedule works for everybody that's proposed. I don't know if anybody else has anybody has any other thoughts. H
yeah. Well, it looks like the first the first thing that's going to happen is the week of December 1st, the budget worksheets sheets get distributed to to the department heads and then the next meeting would be January 5th. So maybe it would be
We have one on the 17th, don't we?
17th of what? I I mean on my calendar I have a board of finance meeting on December 17th.
Correct. We have a board of finance meeting. I'm talking about specifically with regard to the
worksheets being sent out
he important dates for the budget itself.
Oh, sorry. I apologize. Yep. Okay.
That's okay. So, I'm thinking that we as a board as a a new board for who whoever is elected in the November meeting, maybe we would vote on these dates.
you'd probably take a little bit of explanation to the new board, you know, just how it's been done and the changes that were made and you know, how it how it works so we can
you're going to have at least a few new members. So yeah, that makes a lot of sense.
Two new members, right?
Yeah.
So the question is, do we agree that we should wait on discussing and voting on these dates with the new board or I mean really how much are they going to change? Probably not much.
I don't think they would change.
I mean the charter it's so tight there's very little we can really realistically do. But that said, if you get a new board composition like say I don't get reelected, right? A lot of times our meetings were on Wednesdays because that what everybody it worked for everybody and it's particularly good for me. But say you get a new board composition and like Thursdays work better. So I think yeah I think you kick this till the first meeting after the election.
Agreed.
I would agree with that.
So I'm going to make a motion that we discuss the the budget schedule for the fiscal year 2026 2027 that we table this until the November meeting when we have a new board.
Liz, just as a as a point of procedure, if you're not going to do anything, it's you don't need to make a motion. Just let it lie.
Okay?
You know, it's better to not make a negative motion. you you generally just want to say, "Okay, we won't take action on this unless somebody wants to take a motion to do positive action and then it'll automatically you can just you can just ask Eric to put it or
pay to whoever to put it on the agenda for next year."
Right. Just we just push it onto the next agenda, right?
Yeah. Just say we'll table it and you know if somebody doesn't feel strongly otherwise, they can say, "Oh, I want to vote on it now." And make a motion and you can recognize that motion. But other than that, it's probably just simpler and smoother to ignore it and not take a not take any kind of action on a negative motion.
Okay. And then we'll just deal with it again as old business next month.
Exactly.
Yeah. It should be old business for our next meeting, right?
Thank you, Mark, for your help. just as part of the conversation to you know, Liz, I'm emailing you a an email from the town clerk about the board of finance meetings for the next calendar year. So, that'll be need to be something that'll need to be addressed also at the next meeting, I think, and then you should send that to her she wants it before December 1st. I think she doesn't technically need it. She says she does in there, but I think it's a little it's a little confusing the way the the statutes are. but you may as well make a decision at the next board meeting and send it on to her. So,
okay.
Separate separate issue. Sorry to bog it down, but just thought I'd give you that context.
Okay.
Wait for
Okay. moving on to 7B, status of the bathroom renovation project. Valerie, are you
Can you hear me?
Yes.
Oh, yes.
I had to switch. had to switch to my phone. Sorry, there's not good there's not good internet here. so I I'm sorry that you know I I wasn't able to do the public speak at the beginning, but so if this is the I see this is the section for AES. so the first thing I I would ask moving forward now that you guys are going to have new members and and a new chair too is if there's anything that is on the agenda that pertains to the school, if somebody could please just let us know so that we make sure that we have somebody on to answer questions that would be wonderful. at our board meeting we did talk about the fact that the status for the bathrooms right now is that we are waiting for a proposal
with money in it from Fen O'Neal and so the the board itself has said already that moving forward the next step is we get that from them we have a subcommittee meeting we go to CIP and then bring that back to the board of finance. So, there hasn't been any change from the last time, from the last meeting. and we will be sure to bring that to you guys moving forward. I do want to say since we're talking about money here, though, that again, the the thing that was just brought up by Eric about the unodudited amount for AES, that number has not that's the first time I'm hearing that number. By the way, our end of the year number doesn't show 300,000. so I think we do need to wait for the auditor to to do something because that's not the number that we have. That is not anywhere close to that. So I do just caution for us to make sure that when we present things we're presenting them as as factual as we can. and then the last thing with this
status, and then I'll give you guys to the rest of your meeting since this is the only spot that AES is, is that there have been a lot of questions asked by the board of finance about things like preschool and they're not being asked of the school, they're being asked of the state and then the state comes back to us and says, why are they asking these? So, I would just please ask this board that if there are questions on the bathroom that you ask us, if there are questions on preschool that you ask us or come to a meeting, I will answer any and all questions as most of you know. I just I'm just asking moving forward for the professionalism that these come through the school. So, thank you. If you have any questions, let me know.
Thank you, Val. I just want to chime in there and just say something like the idea of going to the state department of education because you have a beef with the Andover board of ed or as completely out of line and should not be done.
Why Why is the assumption that it's a beef? I mean, I don't know if that's appropriate,
okay,
to assume it's a beef to ask a question.
Well, I think the question has been asked and it's been answered by people in town and when you get an answer and it's not acceptable to you and then you go to the state, then it's beef.
Valerie, I think I'll ask a question. How many out of town students are in the prek program right now? We've said that all along. There are eight students right now that are out oftowners that are not part of the AES family. We've answered this. It's on there every month. I don't understand why we continue to keep asking this question.
I asked that question at the board of education meeting. I ain't got an answer.
It's been on We've said it all along.
Okay.
And I also, by the way, do 411s for parents and they get them every Friday. So that is a subject that's being addressed as well. So it it just the and it is a beef because there is a person on that board that is upset that there's an outoftowner that's not being taken. And so it is a beef and so I am upset because I have always I have tried Mr. Magcguire, you know this Jeff, I've tried for six years to answer every question. I do it at every meeting and I do it I I I ask people if you have a question please call me. And so it's embarrassing for the town, for the state department of education to get calls like that when they're like, "Why didn't you just ask the superintendent?" And so the answer of I don't like the answer is not an answer. So thank you, Robert, for saying what you did. I'll leave you guys to your meeting. I just needed to make sure that we we spoke about that because as Jeff mentioned at the tri board meeting, there's chaos that that's going on and and there shouldn't be. There just shouldn't be. And this shouldn't be one area. I I've answered all questions always. I'm an open book when it comes to that and so I just would like that respect. If somebody has a question, please bring it to me and I'm more than happy to answer it. We're all I don't have an answer.
Before you leave, Val, I was just going to make a statement too and I don't know if you can see with the way you are. I agree. And now that I'm going to be a departing member, I think going forward, I know that as a board, we always tried to ask Eric if there was a town issue. And there was an email today that I did say something of this that I was copied on. seeing that the state board of education was contacted. I have no problem with anybody wanting any kind of information. And I've certainly sent a lot of emails through my four years and probably four years of attending meetings while I was preparing to be on
the board of ed. I mean be on the board of finance before I actually got on. I mean some people readily do get back to me and some people I've still not gotten a reply from you know in all the eight years that I've been sending emails. But I just think it's respectful and I'll be watching from afar because of course I care about Andover. Of course I want the best. yeah.
You know, just because I didn't get a nomination this time that I thought was coming my way, that's okay. You know, it didn't happen. So, I think it's respectful if we do just operate. You know, if we have a question about the town, that would be Eric or the new town manager, administrator, whatever, you know, the board of selectmen decides. And then I think if there is something about the school, maybe go that way first. But I'm all for if you don't get a reply, definitely go up the chain. I mean, then you should then I think if you don't get a reply to that instead of
reaching out, you know, to someone's boss first or something. I don't know. That's just my two cents.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
So, I I will speak to this issue because this is this was not a beef. This was my request. Last year I submitted a request. There are reports that you can request by the state which they easily easily provide about public information. And last year I had requested a report about the makeup of the preschool for out of town children since the program had been expanded. And the information that I got back was very different than the information that was provided to me from the board of ed. So my understanding right now is that the numbers haven't been reported yet which is why they couldn't return the report.
I'm sorry. By by whom? By by me or by the state, Liz?
The state. The state.
Okay. It's just it's a state report that any any taxpayer can request and last year the number that I received on my report was much higher than any answer that I got from your office
since you brought it up.
So just remember a couple of things. The state when you use the term report absolutely it is exactly that. It's a report. It's a report that's not in the 8 o'clock PM on a Wednesday night report. So right now it's very possible that you can ask for a report on something and the number may be one off from ours. So I would just appreciate moving forward if you just ask us. I mean
I did ask you this last year and the number was the answer
and I gave it nine off. It was like nine off. No,
it's not nine off.
All right, I'll send you the report and we can talk about it.
Sure.
This is okay. This is healthy to have I don't think I think that people get upset. I'm saying I would rather people speak face to face and be able to have a little bit rebuttal. I think that some people in the past like if I questioned Eric on something would definitely think that I've lost respect for Eric. I think it's healthy to have questions or and anybody can have their opinion, but I'm allowed to speak for myself. So, like rolling eyes and all of those things don't really matter to me because I'm always going to stand behind my truth. So, I just think it's important to Thank you. I I like to hear both sides of this. Liz, you're saying why you looked for it because you questioned it and then Val is here to at least answer to you that she thought it was oneoff. We're not magicians and no. So, thank you. I mean, thank you for saying why you did what you did, and I think that's good for us to understand as a I will be a a citizen and a taxpayer after this meeting. So, I appreciate any work that people put in. I know I put a lot of work in. I'm just saying we should be allowed to ask our leaders and then get an answer back and not have people be upset. It's okay to ask questions. That's why we're elected to boards or why you will all be on boards. Okay. Thank you. I'd like to have comment
Louise. Go ahead, Louis.
I actually think it's a very good thing to to do your due diligence and if you don't know answers and you don't know the whole process is to look not just at one source but at different sources. So, you know, I commend Liz for doing that and trying to get the answers straight are a different issue, but people should not be downed for not for or think bad upon for looking elsewhere for information. I do that all the time on the internet for certain things and there's nothing wrong with it.
Lu, do you think that Valerie is lying?
Is that what you're Because this is this is the core of it. Okay. And this is why I think that there's some upset. Do you think she's lying? You're asking your school superintendent a question, you get an answer, you don't like it,
and you go to the state.
So, in previous years, our preschool program was 45ish, 45 and and lower. the preschool program was expanded and now we have over 60. So to
say that there was eight preschool children or maybe there is only eight eight out oftowners this year. last year the report reported 19 out of town children and the out of town children should include teachers children who do not live in town. So I will send you the report and you can dispute it.
I think there's two things going on here. One is that's not on the agenda is the preschool
I know it's a it's not on the agenda.
so I I mean going on and I don't think the board of finance has preview over the preschool program. Do we?
So discussing it right now is kind of out of balance.
Bill it's it was brought up. So, I'm just responding to it.
Bill, thank you. And before I go, I will just say that I have offered every single member of the board of selectmen, the board of finance, and anyone in town for this six years that I've been here to join what was called the school readiness council. It is now called Early Start, and it is the council that oversees preschool. I don't understand the infatuation, the attack on preschool by a couple of members of this board. I I don't but I have invited every single elected member to serve on that board. And so for whatever reason everybody is very concerned with a program that's not even in the general fund as a line item, please by all means join that early start council. It is imperative that we get people involved in that program anyways moving forward since it's new. So, I would love to have Kim or Liz or anybody join the early start, go to those meetings, learn everything there is to know about it. I would be thrilled to have a member on there. So, thank you.
When do they meet though?
I can get the schedule and forward it to you. Early start has changed as of July 1st. So, it's not school readiness, it's early start. And that collaborative now is between us, Hebrin, and Lebanon. And so we are one full council. We have a parent ambassador who we've just named. and in the state, our fiduciary is Eastcon. So all of our records are not just checked by us and our auditor and our finance person, Terry. We have a council and we had a council before that too, a school readiness council. and so I I think that's why I'm always floored. Why is it that people are so concerned? But please, you know, again, anybody can call me. Thank you for those of you who are saying yes, please call and ask the information. But it is accurate information that I'm giving you. and this has just become a trend. The same thing was true with the bathrooms. When they didn't like the answer that I have no new news, they were calling Fuss and O'Neal. They were contacting our contractor. And and that's just not the way we should be doing business. It's embarrassing. So, moving forward, please
ask any questions and I'll answer them. Thank you.
Does anybody else have any more comments about the bathroom renovation pro project or any questions? The only thing I would bring up is that this came out of a conversation that Val and I had offline that my understanding is the delay is in part because Fussen O'Neal had requested more information regarding hazmat/esmestus in the building you know that sort of thing. And that's the sort of thing that I mean, look, this is a little bit outside of my Bailey Wick, but I handle environmental claims for travelers. And one of the things that I know in a given project, when you have something like that, that can kick a project back because they're just they have to check that box. They have to say whether there's a speestous in the building or not, and so on and so forth. And so that can that can delay things. And that made a lot of sense to me even though it's frustrating. so just FYI, I think that might be part of the reason for the delay.
And you know that because you had an offline conversation with Valerie.
That's correct because I asked her about it.
Okay. And so when Valerie announced the contractors for the project and there's no dollars associated with that, that's okay.
I didn't say that. I said the reason that I understood that Fusset O'Neal's project plan or whatever what have you is not ready yet is that that's all I said Jeff.
Okay. So I what I would like what I would ask and I would I've asked Valerie and this has been asked multiple emails and haven't gotten it. Valerie there's two distinct parts for this this project. One is an RFP, which is what you worked with with your group for the plan to sit there and do the RFP. And then there's the design. And so there's the design documents that you also worked with the the group, the working group to do this. Can you provide to either the board of f both the board of finance and to the board of selectman the RFP package in a PDF form?
No. Why not?
And and this is on the agenda every month as you know because you were at our last meeting. This is something that you should be discussing with the board of education.
The two issues here wait. The two issues here are the town and we had this with Eric with two other projects that were discussed a couple of months ago. The RFP process for the town and the RFP process for the school. Two separate things. And the way the board of education opted to vote to go on this project is just a way that you didn't like. And so that issue Wait, can I finish please? Can I finish please?
That issue is like a family argument. That issue is something that the board of selectmen, the board of education have to get together and discuss. What is the expectation moving forward for how an RFP process is going to occur? Let's look at the charter. Let's look at the board policies. Let's discuss that. But that right there, Jeff, has nothing to do actually with the company fussing O'Neal. They don't care if we're infighting over what process was or wasn't used. They care about the project and they take their orders from the board of education. And so whether or not they you you liked the process or you agreed with the process has to be taken up with the board of ed at a board of ed meeting and not well let's go ask
fuss and O'Neal. They don't care about that.
Fuss and O'Neal and I have not communicated with Fuss and O'Neal. I am asking you really a simple thing to share information so that we can all be
sharing the information that we have to share with you. But please don't say it. They think you called them. I did correct them and tell them it wasn't you because Scott Persan called them. Kim Persan, there are people that have called and so and I know it wasn't you. I had
I give them if they want to call, I give them all the permission to call. Everybody are all volunteers. Anyone on these boards that wants information should be able to get information. They don't have a contract with you.
I am asking a very simple request. This is why when you sit there and say you share all of this information, please
I just said I have nothing to share with you.
So, so you're telling this board, you're telling this board of finance that that we are into a contract with with FOs and O'Neal and if you look at the Fen O'Neal numbers that we've almost paid them almost, they're in complete contract. We're in phase four of their contract and we can't even get a document that says how you are going what you are asking to people to bid on. You can't share that with the rest of the town. Is that
first of all the contract that to which you're referring is that prephase process for the bathroom. It is the the stuff that occurs prior to demolition. To Robert's point, as he just mentioned, it was the hazmat. It was the pre-planning. It was prior to that is the contract that we are currently in with them right now. We are not currently in a demolition contract with them now. We are in those starting phases, the one that was approved by the board of education and the board of finance. That is the contract that we are currently in. And again, I don't want to hijack this meeting. So, I'm going to refrain from going forward. However, the question was, is there any new news to report right now? There is not at our board meeting. Hopefully, we will have that. I am not withholding any documents that have not been presented to the board already. That is a fact. Thank you.
Have you
Okay. And wait, wait, wait, one last thing for the entire board of finance. The most recent bill from Fussen O'Neal, the most recent bill, the Fuss and O'Neal charged the the board of education in four phases and actually the town in four phases. We are into phase four which is a construction phase and I have told Eric that we are
no construction has begun.
I understand Valerie I am talking about the billing from your engineering firm. That's what I'm communicating to this board.
Construction is a is a phase of the construction documents. Valerie is what he's saying. construction. There's phases of a construction of a docu when you have a contract to develop these
forms or these documents. Phase four is construction. It's not the actual physical construction. It's called construction as a phase of the documents that we're written.
We have not signed anything for a construction phase. We have the documents that you guys received, Bill, at the very beginning for this project for us hiring them to oversee. That is the only document that we have signed. So, I will ask Terry to go back through the business office and I will look at all of the actual bills that have come in that she's forwarded over to you guys to see what language Jeff is referring to. But there have been no other documents signed. there's been no other contract further than what we had at the beginning that we have engaged in with them. So,
so, so just so everybody on this board understands, the most recent bill in this total contract with Fuss and O'Neal is somewhere in the range of $47,000.
The original contract that we brought before the board of finance was that range. Yes.
Yep. $47,000. And it went through three phases. And this is the first bill I've seen. So, please understand this came through an email and I'm like, we're on phase phase one was X. Phase two was was another thing. Phase three was bidding and RFP process. Phase four is now into construction. And they're in charging us for construction. So, we've paid Fen O'Neal somewhere in the range of $40,000 to date
for construction documents,
for everything, for the whole process, right?
The whole thing. And the fourth phase is construction documents. That's what they call those.
So there's the bidding phase, there's the pre bid phase,
you know, strategic.
It doesn't necessarily mean that they're sticking a shovel in the ground.
Not that Hang on. Hang on. The the fourth phase was construction administration and included on-site meetings with the contractor to review documents on site. So that can't occur unless you've already picked a contractor.
We have not met we have not met these contractors yet. So, I I think the problem here is what Jeff Magcguire just said, which is, "Hey, I received an email with a copy of a bill that came to the town. If there's a question that did not come from us, if you had a question, I would have thought that maybe you would have called our office and said, "Hey, somebody sent this to me and I have a question about it."
That would have been the way I would have hoped moving forward that it goes because I don't know what you're referring to. Just I just don't understand, Valerie, why you cannot share documentation with interested parties within this town who want to make sure that we get the best outcome.
I think we want the best outcome as well. So, why don't you bring this up at our board meeting? It'll be on the agenda and you can discuss it with the whole board of ed because the last to insinuate that we don't want the best outcome is not fair. No, but I can't determine what the best outcome is unless you share the documents.
There are no new documents for the old documents.
The documents are all there.
Whatever.
They're all there.
All where all
at every meeting they've discussed them.
So,
Bill, have you ever seen the full RFP? You're on the committee. Wait, now you're asking two separate questions because now you're going back to the issue of we wanted this done the way an RFP is done. You're now merging two concepts again.
You're saying this is what we wanted. We want to and and we've already discussed the fact that the board of education went a slightly different route than the traditional RFP. So again, we are taking up time at their very valuable meeting. Please, by all means, I know I'll see you at the board of education meeting two Wednesdays. Let's talk about it then. Thank you.
I have a question. I have a question, Valerie. so, you went a different direction with the RFP. So, are you saying Boston O'Neal didn't do the RFP?
I'm I I'm don't have these documents in front of me right now because I'm not in my office.
So, I You're the superintendent, Valerie. You're the superintendent.
We Yes. And we have already explained to Mr. Magguire and at our meeting that we did follow suit with going with having the oversight of the choice of the contractors going through the guidance of Fuss and O'Neal. The Jeff Murray had said that even at that meeting the only thing that he had asked was that in case there was somebody who wanted to be considered with an RFP that they could go and contact Fuss and O'Neal. Though we gave Eric that opportunity to post it. I've produced that for all of you already via an email. You already received it. The town did not post that. And then Jeff Maguire had a question about whether or not we followed an RFP process the way he wanted it done. Caitlyn Greenhouse, the chair, did have a conversation with Jeff saying RFP processes for the school have never gone through the town. And she has the receipts to show him. All of the projects for the school previous to Val Bruno have all gone through the superintendent's office and the board of education and subcommittee. They have never, and Carol can tell you this as well, never gone through the town. They have gone through the school historically always. The board of education decided that process just like this time. So Jeff kept asking we want an RFP to go through the town. We want
sealed bids to go through the town. That
or Jeff Magcguire
you
me.
Okay.
You kept saying where are these sealed bids? We want to see them. That's what you said.
I Okay. And so understand this process has always gone through the school. Like I said, prior to me, the board of education this time after Eric at the board I think it was board of finance meeting, it might have been board selectman meeting had talked about one of your projects going through NACOG and not going the route of a traditional RFP. At our meeting, we had two board members say, "Okay, so what's going to happen if we get these sealed bids? Do we even know what to do with them? You can go back." Because this was spoken about at a meeting, at a board of ed meeting, and there's going to be no first I mean a public works person to put in their two cents. They have no licensed electricians. They have no licensed plumbers. We're going to be out a town administrator soon. And so they said, "What do we do?" Well, let's go to the experts, which we hired, Fuss and O'Neal, and have them guide us through the project from here moving forward. So, again, you want to hear all of this. You want to see the documents, they'll do them at the board of education. But the board of education voted on which way to go with this, and it was discussed at the subcommittee meeting. And so, Fuss and O'Neal as our experts that we've hired. We had three choices. We chose Fuss and O'Neal for a reason. And we are listening to their guidance on our project. And so there is nothing that's being withheld. There are no secret RFPs. There are no secret sealed bids. So
show us the RFP and the construction documents.
If we could, we don't have all of the construction documents yet. We are still in that phase. So anybody who sent
Why do you have a contractor?
We have a suggested list from Fuss and O'Neal. I read it at that meeting. We have not met them yet. These are the people that they said based on this, this, and this would be the best people to work on our project. And we've said that's where we are
for this little renovation.
That's so little. Did you say little?
For F and O'Neal, it's little for us. For F and O'Neal, it's little. So, I do feel again attacked here.
Okay.
There are there are issues that need to be addressed. I just asked I just asked an RFP is not a single line to state that this RFP is
that is correct.
There is a document that that the committee which Bill de Rogers and Jeff Murray are members of and all I'm asking is to see the document. That's it. That's all I've ever asked you for.
And and when you come to our meeting and the whole board is there to discuss it, not just Val Bruno, they will reiterate what I have said to you. The route that was chosen originally with the three choices and then Fuss and O'Neal and and using their guidance to guide us through has been explained.
Okay?
So whether you like that answer or not, I'm sorry, Jeff. I really am. I'm not trying to not give you an answer. But once again, I feel like, you know, we're at this meeting and now, you know, you're attacking this. The question of the night was, do you have any news to tell us as an update? And I said, no. So having these attacks now, yeah, that's personal.
Don't take them as attacks. They are request.
I answered the question three times. There's never provided us any information. There's no new documents to give you. I told
I want the original documents.
Come to the meeting and at the meeting you can speak to the whole board.
Last meeting and I asked the same question and I was not provided the information.
Caitlyn told you there were no new documents. This is what you asked for. You asked specifically. Your issue is with the RFP process. Your issue is with the RFP process.
All right.
And that is a separate conversation. you're not happy with the process that the board of education selected and I know that you've you've shared that you're not happy with that process.
Okay. When are the subcommittee meetings?
The next one once Fawson O'Neal notifies us that they have something to give us. Caitlyn already said that's when the next meeting will occur. And that and as for the time frame, we are hoping that that will happen by the second week of November. That's that's what we're hoping. Can I ask maybe a simpler question? Is that can you just share with us the proposed construction documents? Like what did Fuss and O'Neal develop for a work plan? What was their extent of work? And can you forward that to the board? Because I think that would answer the majority of their questions. and then you can discuss how you pick a contractor later. But at least the board could understand what the scope of work is.
Again, I I will and and the board of education did have that. So, I will discuss this with the board and make sure that that request is heard that you'd like to see the documents from the beginning, what it was we asked for with the bathroom in the first place. But again, yeah, you know, I I do feel like this attack I understand that the issue is that Jeff has decided that he does not like the way the board of education and I did this and that's fine to not like the way this was done. But that is a separate issue and that was what I'm upset about in terms of them calling and they didn't even call the right office but them deciding to call Fuss and O'Neal and saying they're they're not going to give it to somebody who does not have a contract with them and it makes us look you know as a town not good. it just doesn't if if we're telling you again back to what Robert said, if we're telling you we don't have those documents and then you're calling saying like we don't
believe them that they don't have these documents, that's awful. Do you not believe what my chairperson said, Caitlyn? Do you not believe what I said? There's no documents being withheld. That just simply is not true. So again, I apologize to the rest of the board for this becoming the majority of your meeting. It is your meeting. but again, you know, it we've said hopefully in another week or two we'll have more answers. We don't have them right now. So, we've paid FA and O'Neal 40 something,000 and we do not have a set of construction documents to look at. Is that what you're telling us?
No, I'm telling you that there were plans that were stamped and actually Bill should have them that were sent that were sent to Bill that were sent to Jeff Murray that were sent to Eric Sanderson because he was on there at the beginning and that were sent to all the board members. They are there. So,
can you send them to us?
You can't send them to us
right the second. No, Liz. No. Right this second. No. Now, here's
I don't expect you to do it right this second.
Here's the thing. Here's the other thing. We talked about what the procedure is going to be moving forward. And that was the conversation that that I did have when I happened to get a question from Robert. And I have said it right at the beginning here tonight. Once we know what the documents are, we get the documents in early November, we have a subcommittee meeting. Right after that, it will go to CIP, which is representative that that board is representative of the board of finance, the board of selectmen, the board of ed, and the town. After we go to CIP, we will come to the board of finance. And by then, all of the answers should be there. But it is difficult for me as we're moving forward with any project if it's not someone's lane right then and there. No, we don't usually send it off to three boards. we usually handle it in a certain manner. everybody's welcome to come to our meeting though if you come to our meeting and I know you do Liz sometimes. I think most of the time those documents at our meeting when they're discussed they're then there and available. So
they're there, but they're not available for people on Zoom.
You guys pass around stuff, we can't see what you have other than what's in the packet.
So just just sorry and and I get you I get you, Liz. One question, Valerie, and and I just got to ask. So, you're saying that the members of the committee, Bill D Rogers and Jeff Murray, have seen received or just let me finish stamped construction plans.
I'm not looking at them right now, so I don't ask you. I don't know what the title I don't know what the title on the front of the documents would would be, but I know we reviewed them because as a matter of fact, Jeff Murray's comments when he looked at them we had a fullon conversation about the choice did we want to keep the choice of urinal? about the the tile that we were looking at potentially as as a point of interest for a bathroom. I mean, we looked at plans where we could then brainstorm whether or not this was what we were looking for in terms of replacement of sinks and toilets. So, those plans, I'm not looking at them, so I don't know what the front page said. They were stamped those documents. Yes, Jeff Murray has
.
Correct. They were emailed.
Okay.
And that was in July.
Okay. All right.
Bill, you have those. Bill, you have those as well?
I do not have those. I think there was a
they were in that email over the summer, but I can send them again.
Yeah, there was a mix of the emails. I didn't get the original invitation. We're not sure what happened there. so no, I I don't have those in my possession right now, but Valent,
there was clearly a snafu because they wanted you on that committee and then like you didn't get the email or something like that. It was weird.
I'm not sure. I was I was on vacation beginning of the month and I was also placing my mother in a
facility for memory care at the beginning of the month and
it was a bad time. So it could be on me. I don't remember getting the invitation. I don't remember getting the documents. I discussed this with Valerie already and we're we're all good. But I I had a bad July, so I may have missed it.
I'm sorry to hear that, Bill.
Yeah.
Really?
And I felt and I felt bad because I I did forward it again to Bill and say, "Look, I I promise I didn't forget you." And he said, "I'm so sorry, Valerie. He's I I had a tough July." And I said, "No harm, no foul." But I did want him to see that I had sent them. And so I will resend the stamped document. but it it would have been attached to one of those bad time emails. So, I will send that to him again. But Jeff Murray absolutely got them because he responded to me and said, "Did you make sure to send them to Eric Sanderson?" Because Eric wasn't at that meeting. And so, yes, I said I responded to him and said yes. And he even said, "We want to make sure that Eric Sanderson has an opportunity to look at them, which Eric Sanderson did look at them and offer a couple of suggestions." So, so the there was a a lot a lot that went in this and and
it sounds like there may be some communication issues even within the board of selectment.
Yes, thank you. And all I'm going to add since I'm listening as you know I do go to a lot of meetings and some of the points that were brought up I have heard I don't pretend to know about construction and documents that's why I'd ask questions but I understood when we approved the fuss and O'Neal situation what it was going to be and I know that was talked about at you know they were going to oversee the planning or whatever I don't even want to speak to it I've just been listening but multiple meetings meetings that I have been at, it's been discussed even at board of selectman meetings that I listen to. So, I appreciate no one else is going to feel the way I do. I appreciate honest dialogue whether it's painful to hear or not. I like people being able to defend themselves. So, maybe Val has heard it and heard it and heard it. And this is the first time that I've seen her kind of answer back to you. And I think that's a good thing because I hear a lot going the other
way. You know, I hope moving forward for the town, the way I'm going to end this is I'm sad that we're going to be losing Eric. I mean, I've questioned him a lot over the years, but I've respected everything he's done. He may not feel the same way. He may not like people that question things. I love open communication. So, I just hope that we do hire a town manager, administrator that is okay with doing that and will go across the parking lot if if they have questions of Val. I want to see the town work together. It's so hard to watch this, but it's but it's good. Thank you for this conversation tonight and everybody contributing to it. But I have heard a lot of this stuff in meetings. Maybe some of you have
forgotten it and I'm not pointing at anybody, but I have heard a lot of this stuff discussed before. That's all. Thank you, Liz. Does anybody else have any more questions or comments about this topic?
I do, Liz.
Okay. I just wanted to say, Valerie, that I never contacted Fussen O'Neal, nor did I ever email them. it's my understanding from the history of this project that we approved $48,000 to start an engineering project with Fussen O'Neal in a wing of the school for a bathroom. it seems like there is not an RFP that was created for the project. I looked through the board of education policies on construction, etc. etc. And it seems like those policies within AES were not followed. and it seems like the town policies that people have spent years creating on a type of project like this were not followed. The last thing I'm going to say is that this project
seemed like a wonderful plan for all three boards to get together and work together and that didn't happen. and it makes me sad. This would have been a great thing for all of us to work together on. Thank you. okay. Hearing nothing further, we will move on to the approval of the meeting minutes from September 24th, 2025.
I make a motion to accept the minutes as submitted.
I'll second.
It's good to me. Okay, this is I'm just writing down the number so I can make sure that I write this down right. this would be seven no 8 8a. Okay. the motion is to accept the meeting minutes from September 24th,
2025. All in favor? Hi.
Liz, can I make a suggestion is that you just do a roll call.
and the reason is if you do a roll call, the way this recording is stored, then each person individually will make a sound and their face will show up on the recording and it's easy for the secretary to to be able to transcribe later.
Yes. Okay. so, Kim,
Yes, I Yes.
Louise,
I stayain. I wasn't there.
Oh, okay. Joanne,
hi.
Mark,
hi.
Bill,
hi. and Rob
and me I say yes. So, one, two, three. That's six yeses and one.
Louise abstained.
610.
Okay. Moving on to board open discussion. Do we have anything more to talk about? Anybody? Go ahead, Luis. I just want to thank Eric for his service for these last six years. We're going to miss you and you've done very well for the town and I hope you're the person who replaces you are is half as good as you and good luck in where you're going.
Concur. I've already told Eric this but I feel the same way. Yep. You're here to this town and we're gonna miss you, man.
Yeah. Thank you very much, Eric.
Yeah. Good luck.
Good luck, Eric.
Thanks.
Going to be a hard year.
Be a hard year.
Keep in touch.
Yep.
Or run run run run.
Live your life so when you resign everyone's sad.
Just wishing the board of finance much luck in the year to come. You know, it's it's it's going to be a tough year just all the changes, all of the things. So, yeah, good luck with everything. I'll be
that back. Thanks for your service, Joanne, as well.
Yeah. Thank you.
Been my pleasure.
You dug in. You dug in. You actually did the work and I app
Absolutely.
I never missed a meeting. I have to say I'm very
not one.
Not one in four years. Not one.
Wow. That's impressive.
I can't even match that. That's I mean one or two because when I'm Yeah. So
that's impressive.
Hopefully I I mean my family will be. It'll be like oh you're
Yeah. Your husband will be happy.
Not like on a phone call. You're not researching. Yeah. No, thank you. And Mark, thank you for all the the wisdom and experience. Of course. It took a good year to just kind of learn too. I fell.
Yeah.
But I had watched
honestly Mark did a phenomenal job from the from the jump as as chair just running the meetings. U just had a knack for it. It was very good.
Very good.
Yeah. You have to have that good personality. Nice and calm.
Very fair and and even levelheaded.
Absolutely.
It's good to have an even keel like
most of the time.
Yeah. Well, when you're not in Germany on at 2 am.
Yeah. I I I guess you didn't want to do that anymore.
Prefer not to.
Well, good luck.
Maybe maybe we'll see you around, man.
I'm not going anywhere.
All right, guys.
Appreciate it.
All right. So, do we are we at the point where we motion?
No corresponding public speak again.
We are at correspondence. Any correspondence to share?
I I didn't send it around to the board. I Liz, I just forwarded it to you and Kimberly, we did get a request from the town clerk for the as I mentioned earlier, the board of finance meeting schedule for 2026. she's requesting it by December 1st. So again, if you get it in you know, address that in your next board meeting with the new board, you should have you should have an opportunity to do that. I also forwarded a copy of the email that I had sent to her last year just so you have kind of a template and see what see how I did. You don't technically need to fill out the piece of paper that she you know she sends around a word document to be filled out but you don't necessarily need to do that. but you do need to get the information to them. there is a legal requirement for posting purposes. so you know you can't you have to have it posted 30 days in advance or I can't remember exactly but it's in there. But I would just take care of it at your next meeting and and address it.
Okay. Thank you, Mark.
The reason why the town clerk asked for it by December 31st is with less than 30 days notice, the first meeting of the year will always be a special meeting, which means you can't add or delete things from the agenda.
She she actually asked for it by December 1st.
December 1st
because that means any meeting after in the new year will have met that 30-day deadline. That's why they asked.
Yeah. But yeah. Yeah. I mean, yeah.
Yeah. I'm sure she's thinking holidays and everything like that, but Yeah.
And you want to get it done.
Yeah.
Have to chase a few people maybe.
It's easier to get it done than not. Yeah.
So, we'll address that next month.
Yeah. That should be on the agenda
for sure.
Okay. Okay. anybody else? Okay. Moving on to public speak. doesn't look like we have anybody left
unless anybody wants to be Yeah, I mean, yeah, we've already done it.
well, I I motion to adjurnn then.
I would I was Okay.
Sorry, Kim. Oh, Liz, I did I step on you. I'm sorry.
That's fine. That's fine.
It's not my It was not my
That's okay. We can And it was seconded. We could just have a open discussion discussion. I just wanted to thank Jeff for attending and joining us and
yeah, agreed.
Going going forward, I think even having his council will be really helpful with
e new board that's going to be coming on coming on board. So,
I just want to thank him.
Yeah, I completely agree with that, by the way. And Jeff, do please, you know, keep making the time. I appreciate you're making the time because we're all volunteers here. I get it. but yeah, I personally agree that it's really good that we attend each other's meetings. I have not had the time to attend. It just happens to be that the board of selectment meetings are bad nights for me with my kids and stuff. But yeah, I think it's very good that we have this sort of open line of communication where we have a face on the screen and immediate feedback instead of just watch our meeting. So, thank you for being here.
Well, my intention is to make both the board of finance and the board of education meetings for the probably the remainder of the two years I have left because I do think it's important. And it's something I probably shouldn't have been should have been doing beforehand, but it just seems now that there's a lot less communication and and I hope your board asks questions of the town and ask questions of the board of education because you guys are the ones that determine how much money we as a community spend. You may not be able to tell us or the board of education exactly how to spend it when we move money. And you do get transfer opportunities to for us, but you got to ask questions and that's all I'm going to be here for.
We do.
You got to get information from everybody because we're you know, I wish we could sit there and get a lot of money from businesses and and have a lot more commerce, but that's not how it is. So, we as taxpayers and as volunteers pay all of the the taxes that run our town. So, questions, questions, questions. So, thank you. I look forward to joining you guys.
Thank you, Jeff.
All right. Any further comments? Hearing none. All in favor of adjournment.
Yeah. Okay.
Yep. All in favor of adjournment.
Do you want to do the roll call? You want to do a roll call, please?
Yep. Doing it. Rob. Rob. Yes.
Louise.
Yes.
Joanne.
Yes. Mark.
Yes. Bill.
Yes.
Kim.
Yes. And me? Yes. As well. Thank you all.
Thank you.
Thank you all. I will see you guys in a month. Right.
Thanks, Liz. Nice job.