I'll be here. Very good. So, I'll call the meeting to order. This is the regular board of finance meeting December 17th, 2025. And we'll start with the pledge of allegiance. pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God,
indivisible, liberty and justice for all.
Okay. So, first is public speak. so I'll just go around see see who I see. Jerry Cr.
Okay, there.
I'm just coming to observe.
Thank you.
Good to hear from you. All right. well, Jeff, you're sort of a member of joining us, sex, whatever it is. so if you want to speak now, fine. If not, I'll pass over you.
All good.
Okay, Joanne. You're muted. There you go. Yep. Got it. Thank you. Hi everyone. Happy holidays. I just wanted to come on and listen as always. And I'm glad to hear at the beginning of the talk that you're trying to look into getting the video. I know I had sent an email of concern. I don't think you know, Rob, thank you for the message that you got back to me. yeah, I just think it's important the history of the town and that was a transition meeting. So, when you want to hear what people say, myself included, I just kind of wanted to review it. So, I'm so glad you're looking into it and best of luck tonight.
Thank you. And, Tenny J.,
hey. Hi. I'm Jody Tenny. the new finance director for AES. That's for change my name in there. Hello. I'm just coming tonight. I know you have the bathroom project on your agenda. So, even though I'm new, you know, I'm already got my feet wet. So, I'm happy to, answer any questions if you have any questions. and I did want to just update you all. I know, I know Robert, you as chair, are in contact with with Valerie frequently. but just some things to let the board of finance know that we're working on and with the town. we're working with the town to try to get the Fuss and
O'Neal invoices paid. So we appreciate the board of finances support in helping us get those paid. there are outstanding invoices that we would like to get paid before the end of the t the close of the tax year. the audit corrective language, we're still waiting and hope to get that soon to finalize the the last audit. the seed money, which is the special education, it's ext enrichment money or enhancement money. and the town received that over a month and a half ago and we're still waiting for that money to be transferred over and yeah and just we appreciate any support or information on any of those issues. So, thank you.
Okay, I think that's what we have for public speak additions and deletions to the agenda. I do have one myself, but if anybody else has something, speak now, please. I had a couple things. one one of the things was the corrective action plan. Actually, I was curious about that and the details of that. And I also wanted to try and add expectations for monthly financials going forward from AES. We tried to address that last year and didn't really get very far on it. So I'd like to add that to the agenda as well.
Okay. So let's do 6A. We'll talk about the corrective action plan and we'll make 6B
status of finan monthly financials from AES. And I would like to add a 6C discussion of actually what Jody just mentioned the Fusset O'Neal billing that's now I think pretty far in a rears. there was a discussion, it was an email that went around the last couple days between Valerie and Jeff Magcguire and me and Caitlyn board of ed chair with a request from Valerie to get those bills paid. And the one of the responses we did get from Jim was and I think I knew this already, you know, we're down a treasurer and our assistant treasurer is out because of a death in the family which has added a bit of a complication to paying things. So I wanted to talk through that and you know in Valerie's email she had a proposal for how to handle it and get it get it moving sooner rather than later. So I wanted to bring that up and bring it before the board and see what everybody thought of it. So that's 6C. you know we can also in in that discussion talk about the seed the seed grant money as well. so basically you know as billing slash fund transfer request regarding the the seed money
if there's nothing further I forget now actually I apologize since I am a little new in the role. we I think we should we might want to quickly vote on those. U so to move to add those to the agenda.
I'll move that we add both of those items to the agenda.
Three. Yep.
Three.
Three items. I'm sorry.
Yep.
I'll second.
Okay. All in favor? Oh. Any discussion? Sorry.
Yeah. I
Nick, I can't hear.
Yep. I
Okay, great. All right. Everybody voted I.
Very good. So, no. So, let's go on to the town administrator's report. What you got for us, Jim?
Okay. So, what you have in the packet is the report from the board of selectments meeting. I obviously have some updates to that. So, I'll read through it and just give you updates. So, under the job postings, we have moved along fairly quickly from the ETH tomorrow. So, there's three job positions as you know, the assistant assessor, the treasurer, and the and the town administrator are the three positions. we have tomorrow and we've got we've got some good feedback as I mentioned. we got a lot of them, but that's not a statement on the quality of them because we've put quite a few aside that really weren't qualified that just kind of threw their name in the hat. But we did get some quality applicants. So tomorrow I believe it's five we have five assistant assessor candidates coming in for interviews and then one on Monday. So that position which is which is critical on a number of for a number of reasons. One mainly is the you
know moving just that office forward and the grant list forward. that hopefully we'll find someone in the next day or three. The treasurer's position we've narrowed it down a bit. Jeff has looked at them. I looked at them and I think we had Kate. Kate was off today, but we were shooting for some Monday interviews for that position as well. So, and those are the main two I think far as town operations to get filled. The the town administrators one has some hurdles to jump over it. namely the selection committee which is made up of two select board of selectman members and one of your members needs to get together and choose from the public the applicants from the public who are neither elected or appointed town officials and and take a look at those. As far as I know, last Kate looked at we only had one person. It was in River East last week. we may have she may have gotten more in the last day than or today when she was out and certain people were going to kind of kind of, you know, beat the bushes for some folks that they might know. If you do know somebody, have them get their application into Kate. So, because that that's the source of it in the newspaper ad. but once you folks get together, you have a pool of people. you'll get a committee of five and then you can start looking at I think we had about 15 or maybe as much as 17 applicants for that position. Once again, if I had to say there's probably about a handful of viable ones, but that search committee will deal with that probably after the
new year. Any questions on jobs or just keep going?
Jim, Jeff McGuire, I have one thing and this is for the board members. I would appreciate if a board member, board of finance member might be available for the interviews. this was only just done yesterday as far as a date, but, we're trying to do this quickly and so it's Monday and I don't know, Jim, if you had three interviews, but if somebody is available Monday morning, I would like your board to vote on someone to to come and sit in on the interviews.
We already did that last time, Jeeoff. I was elected to do that.
No, you were elected for the town administrator one. This is for the treasur.
Oh, I'm sorry. I I zone out.
Yep. I got you. So, if somebody has free time Monday morning,
I'm willing to do it.
Hey,
get get on the that that's something, Robert, that you need to vote on.
No, I I understand. I'm gonna I'm just I'm going to put it out there. Make sure that you know if Kim's the only one who's available and interested and then we'll just vote on that. If there's anyone else who wants to throw their name in the ring, then you know, go ahead.
I'm I'm around on Monday morning if need be.
more the marrier actually, Robert.
Okay.
Because it's your listen, this is this is your position, your board position.
you guys have, you know, obviously the board of selectment has interaction with the treasurer, but the board of finance is really in direct control of the treasurer. reality, she reports to you or they report to you. So, if you have more than one person, I think that would be a positive to have come to the interviews. So,
sounds good to me. so I I'll just go ahead and just in the interest of moving things along, I'll move that we take a vote on sending Kim and Heather to these interviews on Monday morning. I I assume those two are going to need to get a little bit more detail on when Jim, you know, get them in the loop.
exactly when and if because when Kane comes in tomorrow, I I didn't receive any emails. We were hoping for Monday. I'll find out tomorrow and I'll include them in.
Okay. Yeah, Monday happens to be kind of a bad day for me. So, but Heather and Kim more than capable of representing our board. So,
Anybody have any You second the motion. Anybody have any discussion on that or should we just move to the vote?
All right. All in favor?
I All right. did you vote Kim or did you are you abstaining because you're one of the people?
I can abstain. I'll abstain.
Okay. so is that I think it's 610.
So okay. So that's good. We'll have some representation there. Hopefully those interviews come together. we definitely need a treasurer for sure. so good to hear. So and now we are still in the town administrator report. So let's go back to that and hit the next couple items.
Okay. So, I did I've been working, as you know, we have a a new new resident trooper. Trooper Cook is out on medical leave. And one of the things Eric really we never had a chance to really go over is the gun permit process. I went through the process of giving the application out and telling folks what they need to do, but then the process kind of goes over for the fingerprint background check side to the state trooper. and I wasn't getting much me many confirmations on that and a couple people called about their status. So, it turns out Trooper Anderson was not getting access to
the to the approved background checks. So, we're kind of working through that and I expect we will work through it now that we're we found kind of the issue and the problem. We'll move forward. So, so the the permit slowdown won't be a slowdown very very much longer. Bunker Hill, that's old news now, right? You know, the Bunker Hill Bridge is open. So, the real update on that, excuse me, is about what's left to do there. And it really is minor stuff. You know, the weather changed fairly quickly right around before and right around Thanksgiving and then of course the snow came, but it's really minor stuff. You're talking about striping, which they can't do in cold weather. So they do have some temporary you know strips down the middle. seeding to grow grass where grass needs to grow. And of course the main one is paving of two drainage swailes coming off Route Six and into the bridge. They by the time they got ready for that the asphalt plants were closed and then the weather was cold, not good for paving and then the snow came. So So that'll be taken care of. Those are the the three main items for the spring. the Veterans Field Grant. I'm trying to think of where we left it last time, but we were under a bit of a a bit of a pressure to get prices locked in, particularly for the the playground. They were going to go up. I think it was
December 3rd or so. And we managed to kind of plate the contractor by u getting giving them a PO, a purchase order for the amount of the equipment. They're now asking by the end of the year, which we will give them, just the purchase order for the balance of the project. that is a entirely grant driven section of that project, $250,000. I've been working with DEC and we've gotten them what they requested, the budget, a project overview, and a resolution from the board of selectmen. and I'm waiting on them to review those and get me a letter of intent and a financial assistance agreement. That's the more critical of the two pots of money because it's a legislative appropriation which ex which needs to be expended by June 30th for the purposes
of DEC. That's the Department of Economic and Community Development. for the purposes of their processes, it probably should be spent by May 31st. I don't anticipate us having any problem once the weather turns out.
I I had a I had a question about this one.
Yeah, sure.
So, I got a copy of the proposal summary which looks like it was like 884,000 and then the first purchase order was 204,000.
Right.
So, I'm I I was just wanting some clarification on why the next purchase order is 705 cuz 8.83 83 minus the 204 is only
it's actually not it's going to be 6791520.
Okay. That's the number I had. So it's not the 705 that's listed here.
No,
thank you.
I think I don't know maybe the difference was I'm not sure why what the difference was. That's that's the number I talked about with the contractor.
Okay, that's what I had. 679 11520.
Good.
Okay. Thank you. and then the other.
Yeah, sure.
So, so the total grant, can we just break it out for what the total grant is, unless I just am missing it and and how much the taxpayer amount will be for the whole project, ex the expected amount.
So, we're talking $750,000 in grant money. That is $500,000 in a steep grant, which we have plenty of time to spend, and the $250,000 legislative appropriation, which we can draw down on as soon as we get those two documents executed with DEC. that has to be expended by, let's say, May 31st. So, it's the balance of that eight, whatever number you had,
83 minus the 750.
Yeah.
Okay. And there's also there's a minor $10,000 grant from the Hartford Foundation. Some of it is inind work from public works. I don't have the budget. I don't know if the budget's attached there, but I don't have the budget in front of me, but there's a the cleaning and grubbing that was done by public works. So, that's not direct. It's indirect kind of taxpayer dollars.
Okay. Thank you. Any other questions on that? the senior transportation, also known as the municipal hub, grant. we were given elevations and some building drawings. There was a little confusion. We met with the contractor on Jeff Jeff and I did last week. There was a little confusion on the budget and what it we that 83,000 may or may not be accurate. what it was in the original budget submitted for the grant, Eric had used a the cost of a kit which was a little less than the stick built version that's actually going to be done. And we were confused because 83,000 sounded like a lot of money just to kind of expand the second floor of the building, which which is what what the change was. We were going from kind of a regular roof, which was a grade level like the one is now to a higher second floor to use for storage. So, Jeff Jeff and I are working on that with the contractor. So, I I would just hold off on that. Other than that, that grant is is moving forward. I've been in contact with the person from the state. We gave them an updated resolution which was required and
we're going to move forward on that one. Jeff, do I have that about right? Yeah, I believe you have the amount right. I believe we have I mean this is me. I believe we have an issue with this project. We're going to have to sit there and find some additional funding. Jim was right. I mean, listen, the way that this this was initially quoted out and the initial grant was was awarded with the amount the building the current building is two floors. it comes out to grade level on the parking lot that goes on the other side of center street and the building that was initially spec as as Jim said was a a kit but the roof ended up at the at the line of the upper parking lot so that somebody would be
able to step out and walk up onto the roof which is not acceptable. And then the the other concept was I was asking the contractor and Jim like why are we not using putting a second floor on that building so that we can have storage for the town because the sound the town and the organizations have a very we always have problems with where to store anything. So the rec commission has problems with storing stuff. The seniors have problems where they're storing stuff. And so the concept was do a second un something that doesn't have heat or hot water and you sit there and you would
put a new building. We're going to have monetary problems with it. So that's what Jim and Jeff Murray and I were working on with the contractor to figure out what would potentially be needed and then we'll come back to your board and we'll figure out how we might be able to get it done.
Yep. That's it.
focus shift from Bucker Hill to Long Hill. it's kind of a two-prong at the beginning two phase thing. The same inspection consulting firm SLR who did Bunker Hill was selected. This is before I came on with the state DOT the state's consultant and Eric and came to the conclusion that they did a great job and they picked SLR again from the four possible u firms. They are now submitting documents to do. It's kind of a back and forth. there's submitting resumes, whatever DOT requires in paperwork for them to move forward. The second part of that is on the 25th of November, a legal notice and an RFP was put out for contractors to do the work. I've been getting some inquiries and I know very little about bridge construction. So, I've been passing them on as I'm supposed to to do DOT and VHB, which is the state consulting firm and they are answering the the the biders that will probably the the successful bidder will probably be chosen sometime in mid January. They still haven't submitted their bids yet. they have till I think it's January 9th that we will all get together and review those. So sometime in mid to late January a firm will be chosen. just to give you a sense of things there's a number of procedural meetings that have to take place in the DOT process. So probably in April that
project will begin in earnest. There's always a an issue, at least there was last time, with utilities and the movement of the poles have to be relocated and that was a delay. I think a six week delay with Bunker Hill. We've done our part. We've cleared the trees out over there. So, the utilities can be moved. I don't think it was Eversource, though. If I remember Eric saying it was Frontier was the delay. So hopefully that won't be an issue this time, but look for that project to get underway in earnest in the spring. before I left, Eric, yeah,
again, that project's 100% funded by the feds in the state.
Right.
before he left, Eric said, you know, we're kind of up keep an eye on the fuel prices. December is a good month for heating oil and particularly diesel fuel for next fiscal year. And he says if it goes below 260, grab it. It went below 260. So I did sign a contract with dime oil for both heating and diesel. And you see we're we're lower than last year on both both counts of of your interest. I don't know why it says contract with, but I did get the department budgets. Kate did to the respective departments that a lot of them haven't gotten back yet. If anyone has returned their their budgets for the upcoming budget year, it's been the commissions that have kind of small dollar amounts, but we'll start looking at them. I January January 8th is the return date for that. this is an issue that's no longer an issue. I had some trouble with Mnt Bank mainly on AC payments which were required and they're quite substantial, but they still had Eric listed as a global administrator and that took quite a bit of time to to get done. Yes,
Jim. Apparently Nick got cut kicked out into a waiting room. Can you
Oh, sure. I'm sorry.
Okay. He has been back.
Okay, great.
Okay, so yeah, that's not a problem. And every once in a while there's a little glitch with Mnt though. We have to kind of get on with their treasury department and and work through it, but it's okay. This was for the first selectment if you're interested. The cannons wheels are on the cannon. and they look nice. The Amish did a great job is what I can say. We did have our first snowstorm of the year. So, I don't know maybe your comments on on how it went. Eric Johansson is the new public works director. You may or may not have met him yet. and the night of the snow, he did go out and salt. They waited a little bit for the snow to kind of build up. Not to do multiple passes, but let the snow get on the ground and start doing it. So, I was just curious if you folks have any questions or issues that I could get back to him on, but then, you know, the snow stopped and just got frigid. they were doing mostly salting with the with the cold weather and if there was any melting the ice in the parking lots, at least for our buildings. No. And did I did speak with John Guskowski from Taiishi, our our planner, their main job I would say is to get the plan of conservation and development ready to go. They have just in fact
today handed me a draft. and so they've invited members of the board of selected to attend a February I think it's 17th meeting to sit with planning and zoning and give some comments on that. So you know it's something I'm not really sure the last time you folks did that. Supposed to be done every every 10 years. but so that's moving along too. It's an important document too when you're for example applying for grants. They like to hear that it's in line. Whatever you're doing is in, you know, conjunction with the plan of conservation development. And if the POC is not up to date, you really can't say that. and that's what I have. if you have any questions for me.
Sounds like we can hopefully expect in our January meetings just towards the end of the month that we're going to have some real preliminary budget requests to look at.
Glad you will.
Good. Cuz you know, I was starting to wonder I I'm glad you addressed that because that was one of my questions I was going to ask anyway. obviously our given the the charter changes and everything the the first time we went through the the new process was last year and it can be pretty tight. So I wanted to make sure we were on track to actually start getting a spreadsheet together and looking at something so we can start go through it get the maybe get you know public works to come and talk to us get you know as usual that's that's how we
always handle it. each department comes and does a little explanation of what they need in their budget, what they want for their budget. We do the fire department, we do public works, etc., etc. So this, you know, the sooner that starts, the happier I'll be.
Yes. Your your January meeting is a bit late this year. It's the 21st, it looks like, and those are due on the 8th. So we should have a nice give you give you a head start on it.
Is it the 21st or the 28th? 28th.
You the third.
I think I think we might be the 28th. At least that's what I put in my phone. If I've got the wrong date, please somebody correct me.
Are you the third Wednesday or the fourth?
Yeah, we're the fourth. We're ear We're early this month
because of the holiday.
Because of the holiday.
Yeah. We're usually right at the end of the month.
Oh, so it's 28. Sorry.
Yeah, no problem. Gives you even more time. But then then we then we really got to sink our teeth into it and get moving.
Does anybody else have questions for Jim on the report?
No. Thank you, Jim.
Thanks, Jim.
I appreciate it.
And and if I don't have Heather andor Kim, Kim, I think I do have yours. Email addresses, please send them to town administrator andoverct.org so I can arrange Monday. Okay, thank you.
Great. so the next thing on the agenda is old business budget to actual review. actually Jim, is there anything you're aware of that's brewing here, Jim or Jeff, that that we should focus on or are we looking pretty good? that I don't I don't know if Jeff wants to chime in, but again the finance office has been not only do we have the death in the family this week as you know the treasur has been gone since the 8th.
Yeah.
And actually Chris had a medical procedure the week before. So you know it's been about a week and a half. So I don't know I don't think we've seen anything from that. Jeff.
Okay. Did we lose
anything with the you I don't know if you got the check register.
We got the check register. Yeah. Okay.
There was there was one question on the check register and it's just one of those stupid things just like what I think it's page 13. It comes up as it's about 3/4 of the way down. It says spring. It's right under the RAM and AES for 9,450. I'm just wondering what is if anybody knows what is spring.
I can find out for you. about that.
Bill, I had asked that question at one of the last meetings
and I can't remember, but it wasn't it wasn't something that was it was just an odd name for a standard expense,
but we'll get you the information and Jim can send you an email on it.
It's just more of a curiosity than than I'm worried about anything. It's just very curious
that that's that's honestly what you guys should be doing all the time,
right? you know, whatever you're curious about or whatever you're thinking about, you should be getting to Jim and the treasur's office and the board of selectman and saying, "What is this for?" So that we're all aware. I mean,
absolutely.
I personally believe that check register is something you guys should look at. You know, just like the board of selectman needs to look at it and we really need to get all the same information in our packets so that everybody has the same info and anybody has a question on a specific transaction can at least get the information and if they need to drill down further they get more information.
Yep. I agree. Thank you.
I I have a question. it's not big but I did notice it in the budget to actual And I see that we're over in contract software. It's item and I I can't remember how much we were over by. I just remember looking at it and wondering about it. So, let me see if I can find it again.
Do you know what line item that was?
It's 111438. I got to figure out where I found it. So, it must be
There it is. I see it. It's under tax collector contract software maintenance.
Yeah. Yes.
By 30 almost 3,700.
Yeah. So, I was just curious if if Jim if you were aware of what that was about yet and if not if we could maybe just find out what that was.
And that's under tax collector. Okay.
Yeah. I mean, if we're if we're go going over budget and there's a good reason for it, we need to know that for budgeting for the next cycle. That's for sure.
And for transfer purposes because
Yeah.
We will need to come back to your board.
Yep.
In April and ask you for a transfer from another under budget line item to cover that,
right?
Yep. We always do that at the end of the year. Yep. I get it. I I mean there will be also multiple line items like what we talked about at our last meeting related to the community senior center staffing line items will be over budget at the end of the year and we'll be coming to the board and asking for transfers on those types of things and and those are the types of things you should call out early. The sooner you know about it the better off you're going to be and the better we're going to be for like you said Robert for budgeting purposes moving forward.
Yeah. I mean, if we've got if we've sorted out how we want the staffing at that building, we then we need to we need to budget for that, not, you know, not go off last year's, which was insufficient. By the way, I think we lost Nick again. Can you do you see him?
I don't know what happened. I don't
look at the other getting kicked out apparently.
Maybe. Is he on a phone? I think
anymore. He was still He was He was clearly at home. He had his video up. He was on. He's off now.
I'm right here. It's on my computer. I'm sorry. It kicked my internet kicked me out for a second and then it just came right back on, but it kicked me out of the meeting. I'm sorry about that.
Okay. Your Wi-Fi went down.
Okay.
All that happen once a year.
Just once.
Yeah. We'll give you the ball again. Okay. anything else on the budget actual or check register? I have a question on the check register and this might just be because I don't know but what is Aby's Contracting LLC?
It's on that same page.
Yeah, it's a couple under the spring.
Yeah.
Was that page 13?
I don't know because I printed it out with two of the check register.
Oh, yes. Aby's Contracting LLC. You know what? I had a question on that one, too. So Aby's contracting.
I will look for it myself.
Get back.
Page two of five. If you look at the check region on page two or five towards the bottom,
right?
Page 13 overall.
Yes.
One, two, three, four below. Spring.
Yep.
I will find out.
Thank you.
All right.
Do you know what Barton and Lowise LLC is? That would be on the next page at the top. Barton and Log 9,000.
They're working on that the trail behind the town hall in the school area.
the connectivity project.
Yes.
that was interesting because that came up. They did actually they were at and gave a presentation to the board of ed on that at their last meeting. But they were the successful contractor chosen a while ago. I'm not sure who the if the town did that or that was more of a a Crag thing.
Engineering services done by the town.
Okay.
And and that's the Percy Cook Trail. Like you said, not necessarily the connectivity d grant, Robert, but the Percy Cook trail that Eric has a grant lined up for the construction of that project or Eric had a grant lined up for the construction of that project. And that is the engineering firm that's doing the analysis of the grade and how to do it so that it's not too steep and it's as far away from the school property as we can get it.
Yep. That was the substance of the discussion at the BOE meeting.
Jim, on page 15, about midway down on November 19th, there was a transfer. Do you know what that's for? A transfer of 3,49873, I'm assuming.
Say transfer to what? Yeah.
From where to to where? Yeah. Just curious what that is.
I will you you're going to have to find that out. But that's one of those transfers that the treasurer would make, you know, from the cash and the general fund to a a permanent fund and probably should be in the memo so that you could see what's up. So, that's something that Jim, we need to talk to the finance department so that there's a little bit more information in the details on that check register on items like that.
Yeah, that would be good if we could get a memo column.
Now, can you look over to the right? Does it does the list that they give you give the account numbers that certain things are coming out of or going to?
No, no, no.
Well, there's a number. Wait, there is a column says numbum
and there are there are there are numbers there but not for that transfer.
Not for that one.
That's blank.
And the other there's another transfer later at 11:30 too. And it's the same. It's a much bigger transfer.
That's probably something that moves between the interest earning account and the general fund.
So
yeah, I mean it's over a million dollars. That's that's that's actually
something that we we all need to work at that
you can get better information on that report
across report.
Yeah.
Wait.
Yeah. Million.
Which report? I'm I'm sorry. I couldn't check the the the check register getting a a memo or notes or something column
to let us know what a transfer of 1,338,
49104 was from and to but I mean I think Jeff's got to be right based on the sheer size of that.
Yeah.
No, that one that one I'm sorry that one sounds like a that's probably on an incoming transfer incoming.
It's incoming. That's a that's a that's an ECS funding. That's the educational cost sharing for the state of Connecticut.
So yeah, I mean that in my mind there there's got to be a way to label that and say ECS. So we we just know what that is.
that come quarterly
or do we get two payments?
Total amount is only like 2 2.2 million.
Yeah. So, it's got to be that's got to be the first of two trenches or something or second maybe.
I mean, and I Yeah, don't don't take me for exact like that's my best guess on that one. There could be also grant funding coming from the bridge. There could be a lot of different things as to how the treasurer and the finance department are bringing dollars in. But that doesn't mean that the board of finance and the board of selectmen and any other organization in the community shouldn't get a little bit of detail and support as to what those are. And so this is really good because you guys are asking really good questions and now Jim and myself have to get back to the to the finance department say this is what we need to see so that we all can do our job better and more efficiently.
Absolutely. Sounds good. Yeah, agree. Thank you.
all right. If is everybody good on the check register for now?
Yeah.
Because then we can move on to donation requests, which it's still on our agenda, but I feel like I'm not sure where we where we are on that, especially given the situation with the finance department in town right now. probably was just wait till we have our our new,
you know, person hired or something and see how they want to handle it because
yeah,
we were told in the past that there's really no way no way to handle this. It
I don't know if we should leave it on there just so we don't forget it, but we kind of got our answer was kind of like no, not now. Let's not do that.
I I think we have to kick the can on this one as well. down the road.
The issue there is I think that we already have all these little accounts. you know, we've been trying to consolidate them for years and taking in a small donation and creating another account for it. The town isn't really
like to do that. So, but yeah, let's get a new treasurer in there and then maybe revisit the issue. Anybody disagree?
Nope.
All right, I'm good with that.
Maybe Diane maybe Diane does, but because it was her it was her donation, right? It was
Yeah.
Grineer. Diane Grineer. Maybe she feels differently about it, but I think we have to kick it down the road.
Well, she definitely wanted the the town to be set up to take the the money, and I I completely understand it. I just don't know the best way to handle it, and I'm you know, until we have a treasurer, I I don't know that we can make any progress.
Y
leison reports. So, I guess you know, you know, watch the board of ed meeting. We're there via Zoom. I was actually there in person.
Did you skip back? Are we skipping the status of the school?
Did I skip? Did I skip right over six? I did.
I skipped over 5D also.
Okay. I apologize. So, the status. Okay. Well, all right. Board of Ed meeting. Anyway, status of the bathroom project. the way things we we talked about this, the the board of ed talked about this at their meeting last week. and they had a vote to go ahead and get some additional bids. you know
reviews, wasn't it Rob? More more of reviews or
Yeah. I mean my understanding was they they they had three options that they considered and one was just proceed with the project as plus O'Neal you know had pres presented. One was I think you know almost like a start from scratch RFP process and the other was go get additional bids from contractors. and that was my understanding of the vote. Liz, you were there too. I think Kim, were you also on there?
if you want to chime in and and tell me I'm wrong, go ahead. But that's that's what I recall them discussing. That's kind of the way I remember it that op option three is what they landed on and the specifics to that I didn't quite understand to tell you the truth. I don't know
hat going to get additional
you know options or bids or whatever. I don't know what the process is going to look like for that.
I'm not sure either. I talked to Val yesterday and she made it sound like more like it was a gut check by getting additional reviewing by contractors. Not so much it's like not it's not like an RFB process, an RFP process. It's more like kind of checking with other contractors to see does this look in line type of thing is what it seemed like to me. Did does that sound right or no?
It it was kind of like an overview or review of the of the quotes and the and the work.
Yeah.
I mean, yeah, I I don't really understand it. I mean, I think
I don't either because otherwise you do an RFP process if you're putting it out for for multiple bids. kind of like an RFP process almost really,
right?
It seems like it seems like it's turned into a much bigger project than what was initially expected. And I I think for the the better, you know, for what's best for the town and the taxpayer to pe for people to feel good about it, I think the RFP process makes the most sense. and from the beginning she had indicated that Fuss and O'Neal would handle the RFP process. We got a document to that effect.
Correct.
So I don't know why it hasn't gone through that process. I I I think that's the way they're leaning and from what I understand is looking at these contracts. Obviously, none of us board of ed board of finance, we're not people that are really qualified to review these type of documents and bids. So someone like having fuss of O'Neal in in her mind is someone that can review these these bids and these documents with knowledge if you will
that we don't necessarily have
they could have right and and I think
initially f I mean that was the plan was that Fuss and O'Neal would oversee the RFP process but it sounds like they didn't even go that route at all. It just seems like cousin O'Neal chose somebody or
they I think they they sort of picked the the subcontractors that they thought were best. But my the latest communication I had from from Val on this because I asked about it too. was that she t the most recent thing was she talked to Eric Becker who was the project manager for our senior center project.
and this is the Eric Sanderson. Eric Sanderson.
Oh Eric Sanderson. I don't know why I
Becker was the last boy board of ed member that stepped down.
Oh, I think she just got her name swapped. So,
oh, that's possible. Yeah,
it's Anderson. So, but again, and this is sort of along the lines of what Bill was talking about in terms of a gut check and you know, is the fidonial proposal reasonable? Which is not a bid. so, we're going to have to that's sort of TBD. We're going to have to hear more from the board of ed on that. and we'll go from there. But that's the latest and greatest u based on their meeting. They they had a lot to get through. They obviously they put some they had to fill a vacancy. They had a lot going on. So, but that was the update that I got and the most recent information that I have to share.
Hey, Bill, you were on the committee, correct?
Yep.
Did you guys do you guys even have stamped drawings from Fuss and O'Neal as to what the project's going to entail?
I have I have I don't I'm not I wouldn't call them complete. I don't not sure about that, but they have I have drawings and I have the specifications.
Okay. So, has the committee that was established to oversee this reviewed final drawings on the project?
No.
Okay. I think that's where you got to start.
You know, kind of only makes sense that you have a final plan. And yes, my understanding is that Fuss and O'Neal chose specific contractors that they thought had skills within the areas that we were looking for. They didn't go out and quote with multiple contractors. Didn't quote out with any local contractors for any pieces of that project that could be done. So, I think there's a lot of work to do on that. And I think it starts with the committee that was formed to sit there and oversee this. And if you guys don't get final drawings and stamped drawings from the engineering firm that we've paid a significant amount of money to, then I don't think any other board can really do anything. I don't think the board of finance can really do anything. I don't think the board of selectment can be can do anything because I haven't seen final drawings. would have been my expectation and it's still my my expectation and hope is that they would come with busil and give a presentation to our board and to the board of selectmen to show us exactly what what the drawings are. This is what we thought the project was because from what I've heard bits and pieces it sounds like the project has gotten bigger than what it initially started out to be. you know, just to lay it all
out and show us all what it all entails, you know, down to whatever everything and what the financial impact would be. So, I mean, that's what I keep hoping is that we would hear that they wanted to set up time on one of our calendars to do that presentation.
There's going to be a meeting, according to Val, on the first week of January. They're not sure which day, but the week of January 5th will be kind of the next meeting that they're gonna have
meeting with the subcommittee.
I don't know. Yes, she asked me to be there. Absolutely. I'm sure I'm assuming Jeff Murray was asked to be there as well.
Will that be will that be an open public meeting?
I don't know. She just she sent me a text saying that this was going to be the next meeting that we get together. They're not they haven't picked the exact date, just that it would be the first week of January and she would get back to me with more details.
Okay. Because I had heard the board of ed indicate that those meetings would be advertised and that they would be posted on the website. So I I so I'm kind of looking for that. I was kind of looking to, you know, like when the board of selectment has a a special meeting, they
ou know, they advertise it.
Was that done? And I and I I I apologize and I just went to Caitlyn. I wasn't able to attend the board of education meeting, but was that discussed at the board of education meeting? Bill, or
when was that decided? Did you just get a text?
I just got a text today on that.
Just got it today.
Yes.
I think I do remember hearing that discussed.
It was mentioned at the last meeting that they were
Yes. And then they're going to make their final decision it looks like on the week of the 14th at their regular meeting.
Make their final decision about what?
Let's see. Have a board vote on I think the the process that they're going to use whether it be RFP
you know O'Neal or this I don't know that's a third option.
Okay. I'm just
Well, if you have any influence on that, can you suggest that it's a a public meeting?
I think it would be a good idea again just to make a to your point, Liz, a presentation to, you know, to our two boards just to bring us up to date where where they are.
Absolutely.
Yes, I will. It's a question of, you know, when we
when they're prepared to come do that, but I agree. We I' I'd like them to
come and and have us feel there and and help walk us through it.
Yep.
Bill,
I will definitely talk to to Val about that. Make sure.
Thank you. I was sorry, I was just maybe drafting an email to this effect just to to make sure that to explain what we discussed tonight and what our expectations and hopes are. you know, because I do think just hearing our discussion tonight, there's still a little confusion. So, I think we need to get some things clarified. But at this time I I don't have anything further. So either
unless there's more discussion on that, we can go to our new business. And Liz, you had a couple items you wanted to talk about.
Yeah. So the first one was the update to the corrective action plan and because I was confused about that when I heard at the board of education that they were waiting for something from the town. So I was hoping that Jeff could fill us in on that.
Yep.
Are you talking about the back the the overdue payments, Liz?
No, no, this is about the audit. This is about the active action plan for the audit. And it was something that my understanding is that board of ed and board of selectman kind of had to
r the superintendent and the first selectman had to cooperate on.
Yeah.
Okay. for the audit for
I was going to Yeah, I was just going to say for the year ended 2025. So 2024 2025,
right?
Okay. So let's go through the history of this so you understand what's occurred. So the audit was completed. Eric and Valerie were there is one audit issue that is out there and the audit issue as I initially understood it was related to bank statements but when I started to have discussions with the auditor and read the correspondence between Valerie and it's a little bit more about information but the issue the Kappa should have been a collaborative effort between Eric and Valerie and the decisions about what information is needed should have been collaborative. That didn't occur. the issue is that the treasurer is attempting to reconcile the monthly information that she receives to from the board of education into the financial statements for the town. So the information that we receive so I'll try to explain it to you so we can all understand it. town sits there and pays re submits a dispersement to the board of education in the range of about 4 point or $480,000. There's there's 10 payments a year and it's the entire budget that the board of finance agrees upon with the board of education. That money is submitted to the school and the school finance department. The treasurer is attempting to take transactions that are processed by the board of education and determine these amounts. So like if you look at our budget to actual, you have a budgeted amount and then you have actual expenditures. The school does not spend all $480,000 every month. It it fluctuates. So there's expenses that the school incurs and then the rest of the money ends up into bank accounts. And the school, as I understand it, has four bank accounts.
They have an operating account, they have a grant account, they have a a student activity fund, and they have a cafeteria account. So the treasurer was attempting to create an understanding of what those cash balances were and what actual expenditures went out from the board of education. So that's the basic understanding of what that's the treasurer was attempting to do and the treasurer was not capable of doing it with the information that she was receiving. So the auditor made sat there and said you know you really you can't do this in the way that you're doing it because it screws up your books. So Eric wrote a kappa and that kappa was submitted to the auditor. the auditor agreed with that kappa and Valerie did not agree with that kappa. So the superintendent sat there and went back to the auditor and said I don't agree with the resolution to that. So then I had to get involved because Eric was leaving and the auditor called me and honestly I have to sit there and draft the kappa now that and get Valerie work with Valerie to get it done. I have some ideas. I think it can be done fairly easily. and to be really honest, I haven't sat there and done that because there's been a few issues going on. I know I need to do it. I know I need to work with Valerie to get it done. I think we can do it so that the future treasurer can get numbers that actually make sense because even if you look at your numbers now,
I'm not sure what the treasurer has actually done in in the first four months of the year, five months of the year depending upon how many you get, but you know, I think we can do it. I think we can do it pretty easily. I just think that we have to consistently get information. And it's not the board of selectmen that needs to get this information. It is it is the board of finance and the treasurer's office that needs to get this information because you guys need to be able to do oversight. You need to see kind of similar things to what you were reviewing for the town today. And the treasurer's office needs that information so that they can provide you and account for the town appropriate financial statements on every month. So the capa issues on me. It was put on me because Valerie and Eric didn't work together properly. And I will get it done. My hope is to have it done by the end of the month and have Valerie approve it. It's a a check the box issue really. there are some issues that I've been told that the there's, you know, everybody sits there and says a lot of different things about what's right, what's wrong, and you know, we're going to hold up grants and not hold up grants. I spoke to the auditor two weeks ago and I will sit there and get a summary of what I think we can all work with and what the school should be able to work with the treasur's office moving
forward.
Any questions?
Thanks, Jeeoff. I appreciate the update. I mean, it's just
Thank you, Jeff.
You know, hopefully that'll you'll find the time soon. I appreciate I know a lot's going on.
Yeah. Can I just mention for the minutes that were if the audit is for 2324, it's not 2425. This is a
two years ago audit. Yeah.
Oh.
So
Oh, right.
It's still not complete. So the the auditors are ready to do the they're currently working on the current audit. This is left over and unresolved from the from the audit before. So, just wanted to make sure your minutes reflect the correct year.
Oh, thank you. I thought I thought we were talking about this most recent one because I know they're working.
Honestly, so did I.
Yeah. No, it's the one from the year before.
Oh, wow. Okay. That
Well, you have to you also have to sit there and understand when the auditor finishes his work.
So, we won't sit there and see the audit. You didn't sit there and see that audit until probably the middle of the year. So, let's sit there and say we're talking we're talking the end of 2024, right? You saw that the beginning the audit completed in the beginning of 2025. Anybody? I mean, and I'm talking to the finance director at the school. When does that audit when does when is the audit dated? I I I'm driving so I don't have it in front of me.
Yeah, I don't have the exact date, but I can tell you the auditors for this year have been in and they're closing up the audit. So January, February, you know, the books close the end of June and the auditors come in and we want to get the audit, you know, by January, February, so we can close out the book. So, so this audit, you know, my guess is it was done, like you said, probably eight eight months ago. They were trying to, you know, resolve this. I I know there was some back and forth on the corrective language. I I believe Val drafted. Again, I know she and Eric went back and forth. I believe Val drafted language and showed that language to the auditor and the auditor was okay with that language. So, I but I agree, Jeeoff, I think the sooner you guys can sit down together and get this worked out or maybe sit down with the auditor together, the three of you, that would be great.
but but let let us all understand this is not holding up the audit. This is a corrective action plan as to items that the auditor felt that the town was not doing appropriately. It's a secondary report that submitted to one of the departments within the state.
Sorry. Yes, you are correct. I just know that
not holding up the audit.
No, but the state is asking for is the the state is asking Val for information to about that corrective action plan. So that is what's happening. She's the state is saying where is the where is this information? Where's the final language from this? So so again I it'd be great, you know, I think everybody around the table probably wants it finalized, right? And then so just but I again I just wanted to get the year clarified on the minutes for you. So, the current audit that was just has it been submitted? Jim, do you know the most recent audit for the year ending 2025? Was that submitted? Because here we're talking about the corrective action plan from the previous year. I get that.
my bad on that one. But right now, I believe that
he last I checked, the auditors were here. it was roughly the treasurer's last or second or last day and they went over to the board of ed, which was probably the 8th of December. I can't believe they're wrapped up and done. Maybe they are, but
I think they said they're just coming back one more one more day to us. Yeah, one more day.
Okay.
Okay, good.
We should start to see things in spring, you know, in terms of them coming to us with
Right. the final
outcome.
Gotcha.
Joanne put in chat her recollection is April 2025 was when
we had seen the last one. So
that sounds right to me.
Yep. so that kind of segus into six well 6B in in the expectations of what to expect. what we should expect to see. And I'm hoping that we can kind of agree that we're not really we don't really have good insight as to what what's going on on the board of eds, you know, where the money's going, what they're buying, whatever. and that's our responsibility. So, I would like to I would like to see that we get monthly reports in our packet to include the the budget to actual report. I mean, I know they have that out there on their website, but I don't think we should have to go and chase it down. I think it should come I would imagine it comes to the treasurer and that should be part of our packet. And I would also
like to see the bank reconciliations for all those accounts. the operational account with to include the check register, the grant account, the student activity account, and the cafeteria account. I know that I've attended a number I mean I attend mostly all the meetings and I know that the board of ed doesn't look at those. They don't they don't review those in their meetings and they so I feel like there should be some oversight so that we can feel good about the budget that we are putting forth next year.
if I may, may I speak? Well, you know, she's here as a as a resource. I'd be I'd be fine with
getting some more information if you're done, Liz, if that if you've said Okay,
go ahead.
Well, I do have more. I do have more to add, but but go ahead.
Oh, no. Go ahead, Liz. Please go ahead. Please go ahead. I didn't mean to interrupt.
Okay. So, one of the reasons that I'm just not sure that I'm comfortable with the knowledge of the finances is evidenced by the transfers that happened in June. And there's one in particular that kind of concerns me and I'm just curious that there was $112,000 that was transferred to the repair and maintenance for the HVAC account. And that line I think was budgeted I think $15,000 and I think this year it's budgeted for $17,000. And I would like to see I would like to see the the receipts for what was purchased for for that for that line item. I I think it's kind of I don't know. Was it was it a oneoff thing? Was it a new HVAC that they bought? I feel like we have a a right and a responsibility to understand where that money is going. So,
so what I can what I can do, again, I just started in November. so I can look into that transfer. To my knowledge, there was no big HVAC repairs to that extent of $112,000. So, let me investigate that for you. I can come back to to you with that. I would actually like to see, right, I'd actually like to see the purchase orders and receipts that add up to the 15,000 plus the 112,000 for that for that grouping.
Well, let me look into that for you. I I'll get that information. I could share it with you, Robert. You know, I'll talk to Val and I can get that shared with you. I I want to make sure I'm getting you the right information.
Okay. Well, I don't really want a summary. I want to I would like a a detailed expenditure summary.
Can I just one thing is this you said it was a fund transfer. Does that mean the money was spent? All that money was spent.
Money was spent. Yeah. So $15,000 is budgeted for the R&M HBAC line and there were transfers totaling $112,400 some odd dollars for that line. So 112 + 15. So 1175 I I'm curious what was spent. What was you know what was done with that?
yeah, let me check I'll check on that for you. I'll verify I first I need to verify the transfer and take a and take a look at what that transfer is and then I can get you that information. as for reports, just so you know, and again, I can send them to Robert. And actually, I apologize. I meant to get you one of the reports that Terry has been sending you. She calls it the board of finance report. and I have to get Robert's email address to send that. but and just so people do know, and again, I'm happy to share it with Robert to forward it, but the summary expenditure report, it's like a two, three page report. It has a percentage spent to date. that's in the board of ed packet and a detailed expenditure report. so again after our board meetings which are the week before yours I can send that along with the BOF report that I believe Terry has been sending you the BOF report and I apologize for not having it for you guys tonight. I I I just suggest you CC see Liz because she's you know vice chair and you know what if I'm I can't make a meeting for some reason I'd like her to have it too. Is that provided typically to the town finance department as well because that that's you know I think it would make sense.
Yeah. And what goes to the tre and additional reports go to the treasurer. So, so those we have those three that go to the board of ed and then,
there's more stuff that, the list from Terry, the bank statement, goes to the treasur as well. We have, four different reports that go to the treasur every month.
Okay. I put in chat my town email address. So,
wonderful.
You can just get it out of there.
Thank you. And Liz, do you want to throw yours in there?
Oh, sure. Yeah.
Okay.
I don't know. Got it.
Lo at at and over, you know, CG. But
right, so it would be LOC.
L O K I E C at
Okay.
Whatever Roberts is.
Okay.
here. You know what? I I have it here. I'm just going to copy and paste it
hat way. That way there's not going to be a spelling error because
Thank you.
That's the last thing we need.
Can you tell me what reports you do send to the treasurer? Yeah. So, it's the the general fund expenditure report which I assume is the same one. I'll have to double check with Terry, but it's the yeah, it's the detailed expenditure report which has line by line, you know, how much is expended, how much is encumbered. there's a custom report actually and I just actually it tells you our actuals to date. Actually, I just have this one. And it tells the the appropriation, what's expended, what's encumbered, what the balance, the percent used, and our bank balance at the mo at that moment. So we have that and then check registers from the and the bank statements.
Check registers from the operations account. yeah, from the general fund. so actually that was a question I had too. Do you want who usually that gets sent after the board meeting who should I be sending that to while you're waiting for a treasurer? if you can just send it to to the board to to the board or you could send it to me and Rob and we can we can share it with the rest of the board or you can
Okay. Yeah, that would be great. Okay. Yeah, I'll get that to you tomorrow or Friday.
And I mean going forward if we're going to have stuff in our packet, you know, Kate you know, our packet gets put together on the town side. Kate puts it together. So, we're going to want you need to get it to her as well. Okay. I don't know whether we like I I want this to be as smooth and you know not not terribly clunky where you have
one person getting an email and then oh I I forgot to forward it and now it's not in the pack. You know it's better if we tee it up.
If it all goes if if it all goes to the treasure that would be great and Kate can can do it all.
How can I do that? I'll just send it all to Kate and ask her to forward it to you all and put in your packet. So, I I'm kind of sitting here feeling that time is getting away from us and we're going to be in the thick of it in budget budget mode very soon. I I would like to make a motion I'd like to know how the rest of the board feels. and I'd like to make a motion to add these reports as a standard report for our monthly meetings. So, if we could get the custom expenditure report and bank reconciliations for the operations account, the grant account, the student activity account, and the cafeteria account,
I'm going to I'm going to respectfully say that I think that's too much information. I mean, you can request that, but
Well, respectful respectfully, we're responsible. You know, it we're the board of finance. responsible to know these things. I'll make the motion and we'll see where it goes from there.
Can I Can I ask
a question? I just have a question. I haven't done this before, but we the finance group approves the board of education total budget when we do the budget. Right.
That's correct.
Are then I don't know how we break it out, but are we allowed to say how they spend this money once we the budget?
No. No, we do not have line item authority on the board of eds budget. It's that's the board of ed's job,
right? So, I understand like we the information would be nice to see, but
if they didn't spend it how we thought it
's ultimately their call, you know, and so I'm I'm a little dubious about how much they're going to be willing to give, you know, how granular they're going to want want to get with us. But in the obviously in the past we haven't gotten it and you know there has been resistance to you know I think the concern is exactly this issue. Do we since we don't have line item authority on their budget right our our job is to say they come to us each budget cycle and say guys we need $5 million and we say nope you can have 4.8 that and that's you know kind of it and then they have to figure out how to spend that. So, you know, in the past we haven't gotten that kind of really detailed info. I'm always happy to see info, but you know, we may not get it
depending on the board of ed still has their baywick.
Yeah, to Liz's point.
Yeah, I understand why Liz would want to see all this. I just didn't know if what we had authority over to,
right? We don't have authority over that. But to Liz's point, when we're trying to say yay or nay to
whatever the amount of money is that they're asking the top line,
it's nice to have the details so that we can say with making an informed decision that yes, we support the budget that you're asking for or no, we don't. So,
I do understand where Liz is coming from that, you know, even though we don't have authority over it, it's nice to see it so we can make an informed decision when we make a vote on that top line amount. So, I'd like to I'd like to second that motion because did you get the Is your motion complete? Did you get it all the reports you wanted in there?
Yeah. So, the all those all their all their separate accounts.
those are the ones that I've heard of.
Okay. and I just feel like as a board of finance member sitting here, when somebody asks questions, I want to feel confident about the decision that we're making for the with the taxpayers's money. That's all. And I know that the board of ed doesn't do a deep dive into Valerie's budget. You know, she she gives her presentation the way she does it and they operate the way they operate. so ultimately the oversight is ours. So I I I don't know why what what the push back would be, but I it's just my feeling. I'm open to more discussion. Sorry, I'm I'm I'm just going to request that for now the the I think having the expenditure reports, the detail summary, the BOF report. I'm going to be honest, in my town, I'm on the board of selectmen. I've been on the board of finance and that is even more information than in my experience a board of finance asks for and I'm very happy to provide that. I think that gives you, you know, you want to you want to make sure there's oversight. I totally understand that. I think you risk the you run the risk of being very micromanage micromanagy and I I I think at this point I would just formally request or humbly request that we start with these three reports and I'm again I'm happy to come to meetings to answer questions about this report. but I just think if too much is just going to be an overload of information. You know, I have to look at even check
registers. I have to make sure no kids names or things are on there for services. So, I you know, I I just reconciliations, we do them and I understand you want to make sure they are happening, but they are complicated. So, please don't expect a reconciliation in time necessarily for your your meeting. that's really that that to me is is a board of finance and I'm and I I'm trying to be respectful but for me that is really micromanagy for a board of finance in my humble opinion and I I but I respect you I respect that you want information
what what were the three reports you said that we would get we could get
yeah so it's a it's a summary extend expenditure report which kind of lists the main control accounts and the percentage expended right so you can say 29% of that accounts been expended you know 40% and that way if you know you can ask questions based off that report which I think you get then we also have the more detailed expenditure report where you could see again a line item and if that line item has been you know how much is encumbered if it's been ex over you know if if it's overexpended you know then like where we'd have to do a transfer you'd be able to see that. And the other report again has that information as as well as the Mnt bank account balance for that time and as well what was it the third sorry I was just going to read percent used
the appropriation and it also also has our grant income on that report as well. So that's that's a lot of information. Well,
well, I think I think would like to see more.
Can I can I can I can I can I say something as an as an account here? And I'm just asking your board to think about at this moment. You guys are coming into a new budget cycle, right? You're going to be asked to sit there and evaluate the board of education you just like you evaluate the town. But think about how you're evaluating the board of education. If you don't get information that helps you make a decision on a given line item, then how are you doing it? And I just ask you all to think about that because I've been thinking about this. That's why I got involved and engaged and I come as an exofficial member and try to go to all these meetings because like how do you do it if you didn't know? Like just think about this transfer. Think about the transfer. I'll go
through the transfer from my standpoint and the finance director can tell me that I'm wrong. You had to transfer it from somewhere. So, the $112,000 had to come out of a line item to go into a repair and maintenance account for HVAC. Where did it come from? Did it come from salaries? Did it come from some other line item that's that's overbudgeted for? And then you guys are trying to make another budget six months in advance and you're not seeing a lot of information. So I'm just telling you in my head what has to happen is the town's reports that you guys over oversee and the board of education reports that you oversee have to be as close as possible. And I realize the board of education has certain issues that they have to address. confidentiality a little bit different, but not really. I mean, if you're going to sit there and see a check register, you can see a check register. If there's somebody that needs to be blacked out, well, then it blacked out to the public, but the board of finance should still see it. I don't I don't see
any reason not to. But I am telling you in my head, how are you doing your next year's budget? Like, you already did your budget and there was a $112,000 transfer from one account to another account. That's a lot of money. Where'd it come from?
I'm asking for the opportunity. I'm asking for the opportunity. Look, I'm committed as the new finance director to coming to all of your meetings to answer questions. I've already said I will investigate that 112,000 and get that information. But again, this is another reason why I think it's important. I'd rather come in front of you and speak to things as opposed to just looking through 50 pages of financial information that you might you know I I that might you might it might not make a lot of sense. So again I'm just want to say I'm committed to come to your meetings and answer questions and I will look into that that $112,000 transfer from June. So sorry I don't mean to usurp your meeting. probably be quiet. Thank you.
Well, and we have a second on We have a second on that. Don't Aren't we supposed to
Right. We're going to There's a motion on the floor. We're going to We have a second.
Oh, yeah. I second that. Can we Can we vote on that?
Oh, there you go. So, now if there's any further discussion on this. again, I'm a little bit I see the concern here on the school side, but I I think we can request what we want to request and we'll go from there. So, has her hand up. Ken
Oh, Ken, go ahead. I'm sorry. I I didn't see it.
it's okay, Rob. Just go ahead.
No, you're good. All right. So, what I would say is at this point, unless there's further discussion, we should hold our we should have a vote. So, all in favor of Liz's motion.
You want to do a Do you want to do a roll call? So, for the
Sure. Okay. Heather,
wait. Can I I'm sorry. I have one more question.
Sure. So, we're saying we can get the three reports, but Liz is asking for more for detail of every single account or
there were five accounts, I believe she wanted to see,
which is two more than we would have we were going to get anyways. some of the reports we get don't really provide much information. I mean it's it's a monthly reconciliation for the four four of these four bank accounts, the operational account, the grant account, the student activity account, and the cafeteria account.
yeah.
So, I guess the I think what Heather is trying to get at just for her edification is what is the gap between
what Jod was talking about giving us,
right? Right. And what we
right
well the gap is if we saw more maybe we would know throughout the year when something came up. So like this $112,000 transfer, you know, maybe we would see that stuff like like for instance, we saw in our our own account that we were over on one line, right?
Right. That's a budget like the budget taxual. But what what I'm asking is so I understand your justification for wanting the information. What what I'm asking is though
what is theformational difference between
what Jod was proposing to give us?
Would we see
and your motion just so Heather's clear on it,
right? Would we see the transfer? Would we see the $112,000 transfer on what Jody was going to give us anyways?
would we see an overage? We we might see an overage depending on when in the year they incurred that expense if you know with the year with the budget to actual. But there's other bank accounts that we never get to see. There's other bank accounts with funds in them that we never are pretty to see. So our with our oversight we should be pretty to see them if we choose. So like the grant account, the student activity account, the cafeteria account that wouldn't show up in the other reports if that if that explains it.
So it's really the bank statements that that we're getting
bank statements for those those other bank accounts.
Yeah.
Okay. Thank you.
All right.
Okay. Is everybody clear? As clear as we can get anyway on the on the difference between what Liz wants and what Jod was thinking was appropriate. Then we're going to go ahead. I'll go around the I'll go around Robin. I'm gonna actually start to my right. I'm going to go with Louise.
you're a yay.
Liz.
Yay.
Okay. Nick, sorry. You're next.
I'm gonna abstain. I don't think I have enough info on the existing accounts versus what we're asking for.
Okay, Bill.
Oh boy. I'm a little torn because with Jody saying that should be at our meetings for now on and being able to provide the the information that we're looking for, answer the questions, I I think that should be sufficient with the reports that she's offering right now. So, I'm going to say nay.
Okay, Kim.
Yes. Thank you. Okay. and I'm actually I'm going to vote no on this, but I'm with a caveat, which is I I I'm good with the idea of revisiting this if it doesn't if for some reason it doesn't pass. I would like to see what Jod gets us and then like go from there. That's my gut take on this.
And so, all right. And then I'm sorry, Heather. I I've kind of looped around and I don't want to forget you.
That's okay. I'm kind of feeling like Nick, like I don't know. I think I think I'd like to go nay also, but because maybe at the next meeting we could see those reports and then Jody can answer the questions so I can see more of what we're missing and what we need to know about.
Okay, so that leaves us at 331, which is motion does not pass. but I want to make clear though, that the other reports we do want, Jody.
Got it. Got it.
and that this issue I want to leave it on the agenda,
right? Like, let's see what we get and we should continue the discussion because I don't want to shut this down. I think Liz is, you know, looking for information in a valid way. It's just, you know, what is the nature and extent that we want to that we want to do going forward. Let's see. you know, I haven't personally dug through some of the some of the information that we're talking right now on the board of ed side, right? so that's something I think we all need to look at, evaluate, and go, "Wait a minute. Okay, I you know, maybe I agree with Liz, that this gives us a piece of information, but there's not enough here for us to really understand it. So, we need more or this is good."
So, that's my take. I think we should we should leave it on the agenda. we should kick, you know, have it come up as we get that information, right?
Hopefully monthly. Maybe if there's a lag of, you know, if we were talking about reconciliations, Jody, if there's a if there's a lag and so we have a a meeting in February and we're seeing the January stuff, that, you know, that I think is understandable, but we should start to get that in our pipeline, if you will, informationally, and then we can decide, we can revisit the issue. I I don't want to shut it down.
Sounds good to me. Thank you.
okay. So, speaking of school finances, that brings up the other item that that I added to the agenda, succeed. So, there's an email. so, as you may recall, u, most of the members of the board probably know this already, but I'll refresh your memories. There are a couple of fussial invoices outstanding for their design work for the bathroom project that have not been paid by the town and they're getting kind of increasingly in a rears. I think one's from September and the other I think is a November bill.
And you know Valer sent an email to Jeff and you know with Caitlyn and me on copy saying can we get this paid? Oh, and Jim as well. Jim chimed in to explain that, you know, well, we're down a treasurer. We don't have an assistant treasurer this week due to a death in the family. And it wasn't clear to me whether that meant we literally cannot write a check this week or, you know, until we get our assistant treasurer back off leave or what the status of that is. That's that's what that's sort of issue number one. Are we literally unable to write checks this week as a town? And then two, you know, this has been an outstanding issue for a while. I know that where there had been questions about some of the characterization of the work in in at least one of the bills, but I don't think, you know, personally, I don't think we can just sit on these bills indefinitely. At some point, I think they need to be paid. and if
there's a specific issue with them, you know, if there if there's additional information on a on some line item that could be asked for, then then okay, then we then somebody needs to email Fuss and O'Neal with that specific question. But we need to get, I think, this stuff paid. Now, just because at some point we're in violation of the contract right now. A year ago in our December 2024 meeting, we approved up to $48,000 for the design work through FOs and O'Neal for this project. My understanding is we're we're within that figure. These these are not overages at this point. I think we spent like 47. I think we're right about there, but I don't think we're over. So Valerie asked if we could get them paid and then offered a workaround if to the extent that the town cannot pay it this week, she feels like it really needs to get paid ASAP. She was asking if well should the school pay it and then seek reimbursement as via
transfer from their capital account once we have a treasurer again, you know, as soon as possible. So that was the proposal that she put on the table via email today. I bring it up to the board for discussion, consideration, etc. I'm not quite sure the the best way to handle this, but I again one of the questions I definitely have is are we this week just unable to write checks? Like is that true? or is that not so? Jeff, do you have
Well, listen. Yeah, I do because the issue that the reason they haven't been paid is is is definitely on me. I have sat there and requested that the checks be held because for for two reasons and I'll tell the board why because the bills from Boston O'Neal are now in a construction phase. And I heard somebody before and I think it was Bill say construction phases mean a lot of different things. I asked a simple question earlier in this meeting. Have we seen final stamp drawings? So, what I would like to do with Fuss O'Neal is have a meeting open to the public so we can all understand what they've done and where they've been, what they've done related to this contract. Have they sat there and bid it out? Did they not bid it out? I would like to be more open as to what is going on. So, honestly, there has been multiple checks cut on this, Robert, like multiple checks. And I have asked I asked Eric not to sign the first one. I asked Jim not to sign the second one because I don't think we we as a community and now listen board of the the town administrator has the authority to sit there and and sign those. I as a board of selectment member manage the town administrator. So what I've asked is not to pay those until I can get an understanding of what we actually received and we have paid for. I understand we have a contract with I understand. But that contract changed. That contract as far as I was concerned was to go out and do an RFP on a on a
project so that we could get multiple bids. That project changed and I can't no one can tell me if they have a stamped drawing for the project. So that is why I have asked for those checks to be held up. Now I have not seen Valerie's email because I'm traveling and I'm in a car. But that's why Fuss and O'Neal has been held up with the last three or four invoices that they've they've put through the treasur's office the finance office because I don't know what we've actually received. If you guys can find out what we've received and I would love to have a meeting with Fuss O'Neal. I would love and I've we've asked for that before and we were told no, but I would love to have a meeting with Fuss and O'Neal to get an understanding of what they've done related to their contract and where they're at because Robert, they're at the end of their contract and if I don't have stamp drawings, what good is it?
Can I add something to that?
Yeah. Yeah. I I I wholeheartedly believe the same thing. I'm actually working on a project at my daughter's house, too, and I won't pay a scent until I see what's going on and if they've done exactly what the actual contract has said. So, I feel I feel there's an obligation for us to know what has actually been done before we actually sign the checks. And I would assume there's a project manager involved. I mean, is someone overseeing this whole this whole operation?
Does anyone have an answer to that?
The board of ed. Okay.
There is a there is a project manager at Fonia.
At Fonia, I was going to say there
I think Louise is asking for the town though, aren't you asking for the town?
No, it's not.
No project manager for them because there's going to be a lead person. Yeah.
because they're the ones who should be kind of telling us what actually has been done and whether it's been done sufficiently so we can pay them and and again I'm not sure 100% of this but I believe the board of ed feels that they've fuss O'Neal has provided that information or those documents to the board of ed so I think the board of ed feels like they've received that information and the work from Fuss and O'Neal and that the board of ed feels that they should be paid for the deliverables. I I think that's how the board of ed is viewing
this.
Okay. And you're on the committee, right?
The committee advising the board of education as to this project. Have you received stamped documents related to the project?
I I've seen early documents. I have I don't believe we've seen the stamped documents yet.
Okay. So, we're about we're about 95% of the total, I believe. And I don't know these numbers, but I do know that we're getting toward the end of this. There's a lot of money that has because if I understood the original contract, it was supposed to go through construction.
No, my understanding
my the bills that we've received were for construction design
ot construction. I mean, the construction the the quote for the project is roughly $400,000. So, we're nowhere near the I mean, we're and it's my understanding. Again, I haven't seen them. So, I I I Bill, I don't you've probably seen more than I have or Jeff, I don't know if you've asked Valerie for for the plans that that we do have, but according to Valerie, there there are plans. And at the last board of ed meeting, they talked about giving those plans to different contractors to get some informal bids. So, there's definitely enough there for them to send out to it's enough of a scope of work to send out to contractors to get quotes. So,
but I will be honest, I have not seen that. I don't know what Bill has seen. but if they're, you know, and I don't know if Jeff, did you request something from Val and and like when the bills came in or Jim? I I have been I have been requesting information related to the project and it has not been clearly explained as to where we're at because what you said is you said what I believed was supposed to happen which was we were supposed to receive plans that would go to a bid and and an RFQ. the the information that Valerie presented at one of the meetings was here were the contractors and and honestly I threw my hands up and said,
"Well, where's the bids? What were
No, I'm going to challenge you on that a little bit. I'm going to be a little push back because it was design build from the start and I went back and looked at
it was not that's where the rub is
design build." That's where the rub is right there because when I talked to Val, the way it was explained to me is from the very beginning, she thought this was a design build project. The board of ed believes this is a design build project,
which is not a design.
I don't know who's right and who's wrong, Jeff. I'm not saying I'm just saying it to val.
I get that. But I have a board of selectment member who's also on the committee and that's not how it's understood. And now we have a board of education, if I'm understanding this correctly, and have the finance director tell me if I'm wrong, that they sat there and said they want to go out for more bids.
They did not say they want to go for formal bids. They what they what they said was they wanted to get some comparables. So they did want to go out to not an RFP process, okay? But the original process was a design build. again, it's a new process in the state in Lichfield. We've used it twice with a lot of success, but it's new. and it does it skips the bid process. because it puts trust in and in in the contract in the the company that they have, right, that in the firm that they work with particular contractors, they have relationships, they know quality, right? So, it's it's about their quality of the work. But but anyway but yes to my understanding it was always been design build but I think we are straying from the issue and I'm sorry but Robert is I think the invoices and if they if they have given us enough and again I I'm not I was I'm new and I wasn't part of the contract and Bill you probably know best if if you're on that committee
of you know what was what was promised by which timeline. You know, I don't I don't I never heard of a stamp. You know, we weren't going to pay them until we had stamped drawings. of design and you pay as those design go along,
right? That's the problem.
Yeah. I mean, we got we got billing going back, you know, three plus months now at least that we haven't paid. And you know, I don't think that's fiscally responsible either.
No.
So, can I just say this one thing? We approved $48,600 for this and as of beginning of September we had paid $42,850 we'll be at a total of 53,825. Just as a side note,
does appear that it has gone over the 42850 was in an email that I received from Eric because I was curious how much we've spent so far. So
that doesn't match the balance sheet. The balance sheet that the treasurer sent me showed that $11,000 was spent this year from that account. So that 42,000 is not matching up information from the treasurer that just was just in our that I just received from them last week.
So I I don't know where is that.
We should defin Yeah,
we should definitely get you know clarification a little extra clarification on that just because you know it was my understanding we were within budget. If we're not then that changes my opinion. So, but that said, I think there are multiple invoices, right? Outstanding.
That's correct. That is correct. My issue, Robert, honestly, is what have they done and where are we at? Are we at 98% complete? Are we at 40% complete? What is that? Because their bills are close to the the total amount of money that is sitting there in that account. Just telling you.
So, I am I am I have been I have been not on the committee. I wasn't asked to be on the committee. Jeff Murray was asked to be on the committee and he should be on the committee because he is a building person,
right?
But even Jeff Murray is under the understanding that this was supposed to be an RFP because I would ask you in your oversight capacity, does that meet with the board of education's purchasing policies? Does that meet with the town's purchasing policies? you know, you're doing a design build project, you know, that should have been communicated beforehand.
Well,
and if you changed and if you changed and you changed, you should have had some discussion within the community that we're changing to this. So, you could have gotten feedback right away whether that was acceptable to the members of the community and the taxpayers or not. Because to me, not bidding that $400,000 project out, it doesn't sit really well with me. Might not. It might sit all right. It might sit all right with you guys. It doesn't sit well with me.
Yeah. I mean, I I've heard you talk about this before. I'm aware of that. my question, I guess, is this. I I am not sure I am particularly comfortable with again holding these bills because you didn't like the process that the board of ed chose to proceed with. I you know at some point we got to pay them it you know I get I get that you want
Robert Robert they'll get paid. They will get paid. I'm not sitting there saying not pay them. When if they sat there and we could sit there and have a sit down with the committee open to the public so we could understand where they're at and when this project changed from a a bid process to a a a design build project. I I I will they will get paid. I am not sitting here telling you that they're not going to get paid. I am telling you they're being held because the community deserves answers.
You might not like that answer, but I honestly believe in my role that the community needs answers on this project. So, I have I have told the treasur's office not to pay any bills that get submitted until we have clarification on this project. Not just for the board of education because what they sit there and say and what they believe they're the information they're getting from Valerie, but for the entire community, for the board of finance, the board of selection selectment and every taxpayer that sits there and has a $400,000 project that we've paid $48,000 on a design on on on engineering services. What do we get? Okay. So, to be clear, your demand, your your ask here before you're going to allow these bills to be paid is that we have a meeting maybe with open to all the boards with Fusset O'Neal.
All the boards, more the marrier. Everybody should participate. All right. Well, you know, I can communicate that over to the board of ed. you know, I again, I'm pretty uncomfortable with this whole thing, but I also want to get to Yes. I want to get us find a way through this. And I do also want it done, right? So, all right. you know the what I'm hearing is the bills you know going to get paid at some point maybe but not now under the current situation you don't feel you have the information so you're not going to pay the bills
listen if you guys want them paid you can you can I I don't control everything let me tell you I am one member of the board but I am one of the signers on the account and I sit there and have to deal with all of the all of the boards and all of the people and I am telling you if I find a vendor that shouldn't be paid, right, and I need information, my my go-to is, can you get me the information so I know what's going on? And then they all get paid. The town does not not pay vendors. If you want them paid and you want them paid now without getting final understanding of what they've done for us to date, you can authorize that and they will get paid. I mean, I I have, you know, speaking of what they have done to date. I mean, I have because I asked Valerie to email it to me. I have the Fuss and O'Neal documents that they've produced.
And
now I don't see stamps on the renovation construction document. the whatchamacallit, the drawings,
the plan, the drawings have not been stamped that I seen either,
but we have them. We have the documents. We have the have a plan. There's absolutely there's four PDF files here,
right?
So, it's not like they, you know, so I guess the question is,
has the board has the committee reviewed them thoroughly to determine if there's any changes that need to be made?
That's to you, Bill.
Well, listen, again, Jeff, that's I'm not a contractor. I can't review those plans and specs and say with any authority that this is 100% correct. We we got I got Jeff Jeff Murray or anybody the the the gentleman who was on the board Eric Sanderson, have they approved this? Have they sat there and reviewed it? Where the lights are, where the doors are, where the drains are? Have they gone through and sat there and and and and worked with Fuss and O'Neal to say yes? Because listen, I ask Jeff Murray all the time where he's at with this. We asked him in our last meeting where he's at with this.
What is that?
Because because again, Bill, I'm not on that committee and I am not a contractor, but
right,
he didn't give me a warm and fuzzy that he was anywhere they weren't the board, that committee was anywhere close to a final. Like I don't know when your last committee meeting was. When was your last committee meeting?
The last real committee meeting that I'm aware was July.
July. Okay. All right. So, I mean, a couple things. First, Nick's had his hand up for a while, so Nick, why don't you say what you had to say?
Sorry. Yeah, I just have a couple of questions. we're a pretty projectized organization where we work, and there's a couple of things I naturally go to when we talk about projects. The first is, do we have a written contract with them? Do we have access to it? And does someone else have access to it? The other thing is in this contract what were the deliverables and what are the milestone payments and how is that being managed because legally if there is a contract regardless of any discussion the contract is a written form and that's what we have to answer to. So, I was just curious if we have any documentation or anything on this at all because I I we don't know when we're talking about like what particularly was provided. I I'd be curious to see what was provided versus what we bid and what was proposed. And I I think just going to the actual language would help with that on behalf of the town. I've never seen the contract. I've never saw the contract. I assume
that's the contract.
It's a it's in the hands of the board of education,
right? That's where it is. There is a contract.
So, are they the ones that ultimately manage the billing? I I just that would be where my brain goes. I would
The board of ed is the oversight, you know, the oversight board for school projects. They did put together a subcommittee. That's what we've been talking about with with Bill and some other folks on it. And the complication is that their capital fund, their capital money is in a fund that is on the town side. So when they want to pay FA O'Neal, they ask the town to cut the check. And the town, as we've just heard tonight, hasn't been doing it for a couple of invoices because Jeff doesn't feel he's seen enough information to evaluate whether or not those bills are appropriate. so that's where we're at.
That that makes sense to me. I'm tracking that. I just would be curious verse the language they had, what they were pro what they were responsible to provide versus what they actually provided and if that is broken down.
It it is my understanding that the board of ed thinks that they've been provided what they were supposed to get.
but none of us have seen that contract.
Well,
Nick, I would love I would love to see that contract.
I would like to see that contract, too.
I'd like to make a motion. But but the contract and and Joanne's been piping on the side. She says that the contract did state that Fuzz and O'Neal was to do the oversight. They were to be our CM A, if you will, our construction management advisor and oversee the project and and all this. That that's the way it was the design build with their oversight. That's the way the contract was written. according to Val and what she told me and to what Joanne just posted on the on the chat here, that's what she says that she remembers as well.
But to Nick's point, nobody has really seen the contract. Can we request that?
We should be able to request that.
Why can't we request that? As as taxpayers, we should be able to just ask for it and they should just say, "Oh, okay. Here you go." I mean, it's there's no HIPPA.
We can ask.
All right. I think
you want to call him tomorrow.
We make a motion.
Like to make a motion that we request the contract from Fuss and O'Neal so as to move along the the payment.
I think it would provide some clarity on where we're standing. What was
exactly? It would answer a lot of these questions.
I will and I will ask Val to email me the the documents the the design documents again because she sent them to my personal email. I'm gonna get them on the town email instead. I don't want to be forwarding them from my personal email. She just typed in Robert and I think it came up my personal instead of my town account. I can ask for that.
Hi Jody, do you have something to add?
Yeah, I just for moving forward I think one or one question I have because it's my understanding that when this account was set up, it was set up with a memorandum of understanding between the board of finance and the board of education. So, as a new person coming in, I I it feels like there's a little bit of lack of clarity of who authorizes the the payment, right? So, I appreciate Jeff's point of view and he's trying and protecting, but I think ultimately, and maybe that's something the board of finance can look at is go back to thatou
I think when that when the account was established and establish protocols for when bills come in, who who is approving those bills. So, is it Robert and Val? You know, my assumption would be it'd be like the chair of the board of finance. would be or maybe you have to authorize you make a motion at some point to authorize Robert to be the you know the authorizer of that account. But again, if that is something you guys can look into because as in from an outside perspective is that seems to be part of the issue of who's in charge of the who's responsible for that authorization and
for the capital fund account.
Correct. And let's go to let's go to that that because that's a big issue for me because that member of understanding was never approved at the board of selectment. The board of selectment has control of the capital accounts for the community and has the responsibility for the oversight of all of the physical assets of the town including the school. So you may think and and listen honestly that whole transfer was done incorrectly. So we can sit there and have a debate on that if we would like. We'll take this meeting for another three hours which we don't want to do. But I am telling you that is a problem. That whole account is a problem. The board of finance allowed the school to put an they were they were under budget by $400 and some odd thousands and the board of finance put that money
into a capital fund for the benefit of the school. Didn't take into account anything related to the town and what the town's needs were for any other physical asset within the community. That's the role of CIP and the board of selectment. We come to the board of finance and ask the board of finance for s so much money and you guys approve it. That's what you're supposed to do. So I have a huge problem with that memorandum. My understanding it never got passed. It is not official. It is not active. So we have a process and we all need to follow the process. Jeff, you know, first of all, we did take we always take into consideration all the needs of the town, the school, all the constituencies. That's not accurate that we did not take into consideration those.
How did all that money then end up in that fund?
We approved it because we thought it was appropriate because we knew the bathroom project was coming.
Oh, okay. All right. And that took priority over every other project within this community. And again, you want to go you want to go to the bathroom project, Robert, I'll ask you the same questions that I need to ask board of board of education.
Do we need that bathroom with the the student count that we currently have? Because if you want to really get into details, I'll sit there and like to go there because I have 61 children in a prek program that can't use that bathroom. So, I have 195 children that need bathrooms. Do we actually need to spend that money on that school? Because that school was built for in excess of 500 students. So, I have a lot of issues. I agree. I I will support the bathroom project because we should do it, but I have a problem with how we've been doing things. So, I'm just telling you it's just doesn't make a lot of the things don't make sense to me. And when you say that you took into account every other project that the town had, I don't really believe that. Well, I'm sorry you feel that way, but we absolutely go through, you know, and again, I'm on the CIP committee. You know, I we go through and look at the
town's needs all the time. The town has a capital plan.
I'm aware of the bridge covert work that needs to be done. And I mean, I don't I don't know where this is coming from that we just didn't consider it. That's But you know what? Fine. That's your take. I'm I'm not going to waste any more time on it. on getting back and forth on that. I just that's not how I evaluated things. in any event, we obviously have a huge problem here with the operation of that capital account. a capital fund, I should say. Accounts probably the wrong term. obviously I thought it was going to work a certain way, but the board of Select Wind doesn't really agree with me on that. So we're going to have ongoing issues here until we sort out sort this out again. And I think we're going to have to have more meetings. but I don't think we can solve this issue tonight. I am perfectly fine with requesting. By the way, did we do we actually get to the to our motion here?
We have a motion on the floor.
Yeah, we have a motion on the floor. So, we have a second on that motion. And just to clarify, the motion is to ask for the contract between the board of ed and fuss O'Neal.
Yes,
I'll second that motion.
Okay. All right. Any further discussion on that particular motion? Okay. All in favor?
You want to go down roll call or
Sure. Sure. We'll do it that way. Fine. Louise,
I vote yes. Liz,
yes.
Bill,
yes.
Nick,
yes.
Heather,
yes.
Van Cam,
yes.
All right. Seano, I'll send an email that effect. I'll copy you, Liz. All right. or maybe I'll just copy us all.
Rob, can you also when you get a chance, can you send out the copies of those drawings so that we can all
That's what I was saying earlier is that I have them, but Val, I think she typed in my name and it came up my personal address and she sent them to my personal email. I wanted to resend them to my town account and then disseminate them because that's the way it should be. That's just the way I'm being a little personny about this, but apologies.
No, I I get it. I get it.
Okay. But no, I I'm going to ask for both of those things. and then I can send them around. When
you say both of those things, Rob, does that include a meeting for a meeting of understanding like Jeff's asking for or just
I'm going to I'm debating whether I'm going to put this all in one email or I'm going to send two to say that we had an extensive discussion tonight at our meeting visv the status of the bathroom project. And there are, you know, you know, one of the one of the the asks on the town side, at least from our first selectman, is a meeting with Fuss and O'Neal, about what they've done and where they're at in terms, you know, and that's his ask for moving forward with Bill Payment. And I think that's probably a separate email. I think I I'll probably split the because one is a straightforward information request. Can you send us these two documents or five actually, but yeah. So, that's what we'll ask for. and we'll see where we go from there. I, you know, I don't have a problem with, trying to put together a meeting with Fuss and O'Neal. I don't
know how long it's going to take, especially if we're trying to get all the boards together for it. if we can get something together in January, it'd be great. I don't know how, you know, again, how upset they are about the the billing delays. but you know, I know there's some pressure there. So hopefully we can do it quickly if this is what it takes to get it done. That's my take. okay, the other issue, this is the final one on 6c was the seed grant money. that was another request that had been made from the superintendent. The town apparently got grant money from the state of Connecticut for the school for special education grant. It's called seed. and they would like that transferred over and apparently it hasn't been. And I'm not clear on if there's some sort of problem. So, if anybody Jeff, if you know or do we have Jim anymore? If if there's anything that can be added here on that, I'd appreciate it because I don't understand exactly what's going on.
There's been a request for RAM. Sorry, Jim. There's been a request for RAM for a portion of that money as well. So there's not been an understanding of whose money is it really and what is it for
and just telling you Ram has requested a portion of that funding.
So I
okay that I didn't know about
I just I just sent to Jim today was I was over in the office getting check signed. Ram had a board meeting I believe it was November 17th. the minutes already posted where Ram did originally want a part of that money, but then Ram they brought it to the the board of ed and the principal basically conceded and said that they understand that the money is not for regional school districts anymore. It's in their it's in their minutes. they're going to pursue this. Thank you. They're going to pursue that with it says at the end focus is now is advocating for distribution next year. and it said it is towns does not anticipate getting any of these funds in this school year. The way the funds were distributed was not bene was not beneficial for RAM. No allocation this year. So, I think with those minutes we should be ready to release that money to AES.
Okay.
And I think I think under Jeff, if I could underlying in those minutes though, there's clear, you know, it's it's not it's not a an authorization to forego the money. I think it's an acknowledgment that they're saying region should work with local towns and school districts and school districts ultimately make the decision and there's nothing here under the decision that helps us. So we're not going to be out we're out of the money but next year we're going to go we have to go after this money. So that's they're clearly acknowledging they have no use for the money because it doesn't fall into anything they want. but I think there's a undercurrent of saying we really didn't work with the local school here.
And that would be great. And Jody, the only thing that I would ask you on this supplemental money, is it supplemental money that needs to be spent for some purpose that is in addition to what the board of finances already budgeted for, or is it similar to the ECS funding, which is just to support the overall finances for because if you give and I'm going to sit there and I'm going to go like I I have a mental problem with both of the these and it's a small amount of money. So I it's $4,000. and give it to the school, but is it for something additional that needs to to be provided for the ability to receive those funds or is it something that is offsetting the current budget that the board of finance has already provided?
Yeah. No, it can't offset. It's actually it's called the special education expansion and development grant. So, it can only be used for new types of programming. it can't be used for anything existing. So we have we have a plan. Val has already interviewed and met with Taylor and they've met a a tutor to work who ask for special education students in some new capacity. So we've already lined up a a tutor a new tutor to work with students and we would like to start that in in January. that's why we are eager to get the money transferred over. But yes, it cannot be used for something already in the general fund. Unfort Unfortunately, it is that's unfortunate. It's people around the state have been complaining about
I have I have I have no problem if it's if it's for something supplemental and is going to improve, you know, the the situation for any given student. So if that's the case, Jim, just make sure that the issue related to RAM is is is not going to become a problem for us. And then we should sit there and get that money moved so that that and that would go into I'm assuming you would put that into your grant fund account
bank account.
Yeah, that would go into our grant account. Yes.
And then and then and then there's some documentation that's provided to the state as to what was done with that supplemental money.
Correct. We will have to do a report to the state. Yeah.
Okay. Jim, let's sit there and make sure that we don't have any issues with RAM and let's get that money transferred.
Great. Thank you.
Well, I'm glad we made able to make progress on that at least. okay, so let's see where are we? oh, that would bring us to leison reports. I don't have anything from CIP and I think we've pretty extensively discussed the board of ed stuff but if there was more from the board of ed meeting for those of us who attended if Liz or Kim you wanted to chime in with anything to to mention I'm I'm happy to entertain that but I I think it was mostly the bathroom project that we were that we were focused on
and and and more more financial information,
right? I meant I meant sorry. I meant in the context of like a leazison reporting back from the BOE meeting is what we attended. We're not really liaison there, but
I just figured that was the most appropriate place if we had more to add on the what they what happens at the board of ed meeting. It was an over three-hour meeting. A lot got done but most of which isn't really necessarily gerine to the our other discussions. So
I don't have anything new to add, Rob. I appreciate you asking. Okay, good. Thanks. I just want to make sure because, you know, I I'm capable of missing something. I do know at that meeting that Val presented a very preliminary,
you know, budgetary outlook, I guess you could say.
There was a little presentation there. And again, we've heard it before. Actually, the the none of it was about the healthcare costs.
Yeah.
You know, and and what they're staring down in terms of the healthcare premium increase that was communicated at the tri board meeting. It's it hasn't changed. Unfortunately, that hasn't gotten any better. So, that's that was my big takeaway from what's coming down the pike budgetarily, I guess you could say. Putting the bathroom project aside for a moment. That's their ops budget, obviously. Okay. let's see if we can move this along. Meeting minutes, we don't have them. We hope to get them next time. We'll leave it on the agenda. we also hopefully are getting a recovery of the recording. that's I I'm glad to hear that there's some hope that that can be done. So hopefully we do that. That brings us to board open discussion. Is there any other topics that folks want to chat about? Okay. Hearing none, then correspondence. Well, I mean I suppose you could say the email I mentioned earlier was correspondence, but we've addressed it. So I don't have anything further. Does anybody else have anything?
Okay. I got nothing there. Very good. Public speak. Let's see. well, I'll go through Jody. We've heard from you a lot. If you do you have anything more?
Just thank you so much and I look forward to working with you all. So, thank you.
I'd also like to send my thanks. I'm really glad you're coming to our meetings and plan to do so in the future. That's it's great.
Thank you, Jody.
In the interest of get the getting information and understanding what's going on, it's really helpful. so, thank you for that. Joanne,
hey Rob, thank you for the opportunity. I really appreciated listening to the meeting. I've often said that I think it's really important to have you know open discussion, open dialogue even if people don't agree with things. And then I personally just wanted to say to the two members, the two new members that I am really impressed with them and I wanted there was a reason I wanted to see that recording because after the meeting I felt a little bad. I know that I get very you know I put a lot of blood, sweat and tears in my four years on the board. So you know to not receive the Republican nod last time they went with a couple new people. They didn't get seated and so that was fine. you know, I'm willing to just be a resident that's concerned and kind of sit in these meetings and hopefully impart
anything that I do remember because I think it's important in this transitional time. So, I wanted to see that if if I came across as negative to either one of you, I personally want to apologize in public because it was more just making sure that the history of everything going on in the process is just so important while you're picking new people. So, but I'm already really impressed with your thoughtful questions. One thing that I wanted to say too, because it looks like Heather is going to be in the treasurer interviews. I don't think the history, you know, of the treasurer was spoken about too much, but I really had a lot of respect for the outgoing treasurer because she came in when, just so both of you know, she came in when the town was a mess. And you know, Mr. Maguire knows that as an accountant and everything and she really whipped it into shape, got a plan in place and all of that. And so she is a part-time person. I think it would be really important for all of you as a board to and I understand that they kept Cheryl on and she really wanted to retire forever, but she did her piece and she did well, you know, and and I respect that, but I think you as a board should really ask for her to come to your meetings like the the board of ed person came because look how much progress it is when like Jeff Maguire's there,
the new finance person for the board of ed is there and then hopefully,
you know, years ago. I got involved 10 years ago. The treasurer was always at these meetings. She was always at the board of selectmen meetings. She was always at these meetings. I think that it's time for you guys to be a little bit more demanding with the the information you receive in packets information. You know, again, I'm one resident, but I really did put a lot of time and effort into it. So, I'm just putting suggestions out there. So, I hope that like, okay,
Cheryl was able to be present. Maybe one day a week you could email her. And when I found the $40,000 error in the budget last year, it took like a month before I got an email back. And that's only because of the time she was allowing herself. So, I just think it's important that you guys decide how, you know, for a part-time person that you're going to give that much money, maybe demand a little bit more time. That's all. Good luck with everything. Oh, and I just want to make sure that I'm not married to that comment of design and build. I remember what Bill said that there was a contract for Fuss and O'Neal that they were going to be the oversight agency so that the town didn't have to for the plans. You know, then there was going to be a bidding process and then maybe even they were going to oversight something else at the end. But you guys will all figure that out once you see the contract. Thank you and good night.
Thank you, Joanne. I I'll just say as a comment to that that you know, yeah, I would love to have our treasurer come to our meetings once we have a treasurer. I would I'd like that very much. I think we need that.
okay. And then does our first selectman have anything further to add?
You you don't need to hear anything more. We're good.
Thank you for listening to me. I appreciate it and I like coming to these meetings and I should have been coming to these meetings beforehand so I apologize.
No apology necessary. Thanks for coming.
All right.
It wasn't meant negative. I just think it's a positive for the town. I mean, I don't like when people take things as negative. It's just it's just a comment,
you know. Thank you.
Thanks, Joanne. Okay. I think that's everybody. So unless there's anything further, do we have a motion to adjurnn?
Motion to adjurnn.
I'll second that.
All right, Louise seconds. Very good. Any discussion? Going once, going twice. Very good. Let's have a vote. All in
favor of adjourning this meeting, say I.
Heather, did I get an eye?
You did.
I didn't get a room out of that guy. All right, great. Thank you.