Meeting transcript
BOE Meeting
April 19, 2023 · Watch on Zoom · All meetings
I think so. Okay. So I can Alright. I think I think you should be good. Technically, they had you there, but I smelled very strongly of cows, so I need to do that now. Yep. Okay. My 10 year old told me that I smell. Although, I I asked to make sure if I hear us. Can you guys hear us?
We can't hear them. They're on mute. Yes. We can hear you. Great.
Hi, everyone. It is 7085, and I'm calling to order the 04/19/2023 regular meeting of the Andover Connecticut Board of Education. Thank you to everyone in attendance for being here this evening. I wanna thank, especially, our Board of Education members for giving up their time on this board for the sound of Andover. And, Steve, thank you for giving up these words. Please stand for the pledge.
What allegiance to the flag of The United States Of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible,
with liberty and justice for all. Thank you, folks. Comments from the public? We have Melissa. You're it. All set. Thank you.
Okay. Thanks for spending time with us. Melissa's not it. Oh. Oh my god. Wow.
And we'll talk later. Have any comments? Yeah. Just zoom in next time. Communications. I
wanna share with you a thank you note that from the fire department for our donation on behalf of Kirk Dowling. Valerie has it there. Yeah. It's pretty pretty.
Would you like to share this? I had one other one. The other one was, the, resignation letter, sent to me to, opportunity board, of Linda Stallone, who is a paraprofessional, who is also a certified teacher, and so she accepted a position as a special ed teacher in another district. So we wish her well. She Friday was her last name. I'm sorry. What's her last name? Stallone, s t a l l o n e. Thank you. So she's very happy. She'll be working in a special ed room with young adults. So Nice. Great.
And we also received a communication from chairman Jed Larson of the planning and zoning commit commission. He invited the board of education to Monday's meeting, past Monday. I wanna thank all the people from the board who went to that meeting and sat through it and tried to learn what we could. Need approval of minutes. Regular meeting of 03/08/2023. Need a motion. You second? I have a motion. Okay. Second. Second, Chad? Yes, sir. K. Any discussion?
All in favor of approving the minutes from the regular meeting of 03/08/2023, say aye. Aye.
Aye. Thank you, Celeste. That's all of us then. Yep. Yeah. 700. Okay. Opportunity to add or delete the agenda item.
I'd like to make a motion to add an agenda item for a discussion of the status of Chris' involvement with the community center and what we learned on Monday night at the PCC
meeting regarding the community center. How about if we do that under our liaison
report? That would be fine, except that doesn't facilitate our discussion. If we can do the discussion of what we learned on Monday night as well, that would be great. I've asked Chris if he wanted a separate thing. Yep. Liaison's good? Either way is fine. Great. Yep. Let's do it on liaison. And I also would like to delete the vote on the policies 10 2,100 to 1,200. I've got a significant number of changes after reviewing the case core manuals that need to be made and the number of policies that need to be added. So Is that what this is, or you still have to do it from this? That's not that doesn't have we're missing about 10 to 15 different core So on top of this? Yes. Okay. Okay. Just number one on the 300? Just number one. And then the other ones, we don't have to take a vote on, but I'd like additional time, and I'll get to you guys by maybe okay? Oh, and So that's a motion. We did the liaison, so I make a motion to delete that. I'm gonna second that. Thank you. Okay. Any discussion? All in favor, say aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Thank you. Okay. So we're deleting item one from E1. Yep. E1. Yep. E1. 79.
But there was no motion on the other one. That's not gonna be done during the liaison. Correct. Right. Thank you.
And I have to well, I guess if it's it can be under superintendent's report, just an update on the solar. Okay. Anybody
object to that? I don't know if we have to add nine because we never. Discuss. I'm okay. Okay. Any other additions or deletions in the agenda items? Any celebrations?
Happy birthday to Steve. Happy to Happy birthday to Steve.
You're be all I have. You're be stronger. He's the one that said happy birthday. Happy birthday, boss. Thank you. Get better soon. I will. Thank you. I will. Any other celebrations? None. Oh,
well, I guess yeah. I don't if it'd be considered a celebration, at least, because I had talked to the town clerk earlier. Apparently, that she's appropriated the funds for for placing bleachers. That That's very exciting. Wooden
bleachers. So That's that's great. So I think it's a board. Yeah. Wow. Thank you, Carol. Thank you for recognition. Yeah. That's awesome. That's great. Thanks, Steve. Okay. Chairperson's forward report. I don't have anything. Superintendent's
report, Val? Oh, it's free. So the, Steve, I will add to this. That's all. I have no update on it. I have not heard back from them that we were approved at that, because they said we bill by March 1 because we know what the deadline was in end of February. I have not heard back from them that that was approved yet, so we can't move forward with anything. We can't move forward because the next step would be once they tell us we're approved for that, it would be that contacting the town and making sure that the specs, for But so with that approval, that either happened or it didn't, right, on March 1, it would've it should be passed, so we should get an answer somewhere. Somebody should We should be getting an answer from them. I don't know why they didn't give us an answer yet. It's it's only mid April. I will call them tomorrow. Thank you. So
Bigger meeting. That's done. Yeah. No. I I'll I'll call them tomorrow and find out. Personal experience, solar contracts and all of that tend to move very slowly.
Well, I know this. Remember when he came and spoke with us, his biggest concern was that we hit that February deadline. Right. That February 10. Yeah.
So right. And we know we did that. So perhaps they haven't heard back yet about the approval. But this is something we I think Yep. Because they move slowly, we gotta keep kicking down the road. So expect me to act and ask every month. Yeah. I definitely will contact them. Well and and maybe the reason we haven't heard back is just they
they they heard, but they can't get to the work yet. Because remember, they said even if we did get approved, it was still
a year out probably. But Yeah. No. I'll definitely call tomorrow and get an update. Okay. There's somebody in the waiting room. Does right there. Yeah. It's it's, yeah, Jenny's iPhone. Yep. It's Jenny Morrell? Yep. Yep. Okay.
I know that the, updates on the grants will be done with, Terry's report tonight. We have a number of grants that expire, so she's been very busy with that. We have a number of grants that expire in June, and then we'll have one left. So grants that expires in September. As far as any of the other new grants, since the after school grant in January, there have been four that I've applied for. They keep moving the deadlines. And every time Terry gets an email on that, she goes, but do we have is it an issue with this? I'm like, nope. It's the same one I already applied for. They just moved the deadline. Just extending it out further? That's a good sign. It's usually a good sign of when they extend the deadline. So it means they want more people to apply. Yes. Yeah. So I'm I'm upset that they're extending it because it means I'm not getting an answer. Right. But I'm happy that they're extending it. What a point. Because it right. Because it means that they don't have a a half, I can see it potentially, for the amount of money that they have, with these. So fingers crossed. They can't extend it too far out because one of them is summer rent. And because one of them is a summer rent, they're gonna have to tell us soon. So, yeah. And so, hopefully, soon, the deadlines that were extended out, we're only extended out a couple of weeks. So they extended them from the beginning of April and the middle of April to the end of April and the beginning of May. So by May's meeting, fingers crossed, we'll have all of those done.
And so that means a lot of expenditure reports for the other ones that are expiring for Terry. Let's see. The the other stuff's in the principal's report, which I'll do in a minute for you. And then, yes, I was gonna mention the bleachers. We do not have to pay to get rid of those bleachers anymore because, yes, the work of Carol and the rec commission, they said, nope. Don't don't get rid of them right now. Leave them there temporarily so we have use of them. They will have money to replace them. She has a figure, and so she's gonna work with us to make sure that, time wise and, you know, labor and things like that will work, around anything that we have planned. So they go over the summer by yourself?
No. I I don't know what their deadline is for installing them, but I think as long as we keep these here, you know, that they have something to use temporarily right now, they're good. And so in a matter of an the next, like, month or so, I spoke to her. And they had their quotes, but we are probably gonna call them now and say, okay. You know, that was approved, and, you know, she's gonna work with the the crew here to make sure that that's done. So she was really excited about that. That was a lot of work that fell apart. Great.
Just because it pertains to the bleachers, and I don't think we've been I don't remember approving the cool time for the summer, but we'll have to that in if there's gonna be any time when the gym's gonna be at There no. We did approve it. And
it was seven weeks, but we did it with the upper end of the So we need to take that out. Okay. Because we were contemplating potentially things going on down here. So
Yeah. They had plans to, like, set up tents out there and stuff and not use the gym at all. Pool removed.
So they have the use of that wing up there. So pool should be okay. If there's ever a time that they do have something that's going on down there, they would have to then ask permission to use it and make sure that it doesn't interfere with any of the stuff going on with the bleachers or anything like that. So I'm not worried that that there's gonna be a problem. So those are the updates on those things. In terms of going on in the school, sorry, Taylor couldn't make it tonight. So oh, yeah. No. She's okay. She just did the date just kinda didn't coincide right for her. So going into hers oh, do you have any other questions for me? Not
to harp on it, but, like, the driver for the kid that needs a driver. Well, so that we we have had some issues with the town.
Not they were down a vehicle, and so they pulled that vehicle, back a bit. And so, for example, there was a a field trip this week that we're supposed to use that for for that student, and, they said, unfortunately, they need that vehicle. So, so, yeah, so it was it it's still work in progress there. We're gonna try to Okay. Work early right now to make plans for the summer because that child is year round. Yep. But that person who's driving is okay to drive? One way. They don't drive both ways. Mhmm. Nobody's been okay. With that person, the one way, yes, it has. Okay. Absolutely fantastic. That's good. Yes. So what it did eliminate for us, Caitlin, was the pressure on that parent Yep. Who had to adjust their schedule. Yep. So, thankfully, that is eliminated.
We do still have a few other issues that we have to tend to with it. Okay. But the good news is is that that is not no longer an issue with the parent, which is a hardship. So so around the school, so we had onto the principal's report here. We had two sixth graders that represented us at the twenty twenty three elementary honors festival banded chorus, Kylie and Elena. They went there, with our music teacher, Julie, and she sent pictures, and it was in our, newsletter, in Taylor's newsletter. So we're really proud of them. That is something that every year they do try to participate in. And so it's great for the kids. It's great for the music teacher as well, just to spotlight and highlight some of our kids. As you guys know, because a couple of you there were there, we do have six, seven finalists in the Invention convention, and they, let's see. What's today? Wednesday. There's about four four more days of scoring. And at the end of the four four days of scoring, then they'll have results there. So we'll definitely know in the next week or so if any of our kids manage to move up from the second round.
18 students won a raffle prize for completing their book bingo, which is an incentive program that they had going on here. And, there were a lot of families that supported literacy at home during this, reading month, so that was fantastic. Today, in addition to our after school activities, they had the tryouts for the talent show, which is coming up on May 4. You guys know that's tradition that they've had here. PTA works a lot with that, and so, the kids were very excited. And the only difficulty today was that the kids had to decide, wait a minute. Do I go try out for the, talent show, or do I go to the after school activities? Because they apparently was a good one. And so they managed to be able to do both. Thanks to Melissa who's not here tonight. So thanks, Melissa. She was running one of them after school, and she worked with them to let kids kinda go back and forth and try out That's great. To the yeah. So it was good that they were able to do both. May 9 will start testing. That window, hold the date for the evening of the arts, which remember last year, we started with the fall, kinda open house event and then the spring big one. And then there's professional development on the May 26, and Memorial Day would the twenty ninth. And, again, the school is, participating in the hundred seventy fifth, which is the eighteenth and the twentieth there at the gazebo on the eighteenth, and the twentieth is the fair, the festival that they have out here. So the kids have made signs for them.
Our kids that are singing and performing will be wearing the hundred seventy fifth gray shirts, and they'll be wearing them for the parade this year. So we opted to support the hundred seventy fifth by using their logo this year instead of just doing our AES. We're the only school in town, so we we really didn't have to wear an AES school shirt. So we figured we'd support the hundred seventy fifth. That's great. We are continuing with professional development in the area of literacy. The PD that's scheduled for the twenty sixth is going to look at best practices for explicit reading instruction in the areas of using the text and assessments, and this is in line with that science of reading, and some of the curriculum changes that are mandates coming down from the state. So, they're in good shape. You can see with the enrollment report here that she had included that, we're still hovering at 200. We are full for preschool for next year. It's gonna be a a a nice number. And I know that Taylor had gotten a question today actually from someone because we do have a few out of towners in that batch, which they do understand that, you know, the handover students take precedence,
you know, in preference in in terms of coming in, but we've had the room. We do happen to know of the two kids that will start with us birthday wise at the start of the year, but then they'll be coming in, shortly thereafter, which we don't always know that. So that was helpful in figuring out numbers. She did get a question today about, you know, would we ever open a third one? And, we did have to explain the costs associated with opening a third one. It's not as easy as saying, well, if you have 30 kids, just do ten, ten, and 10 because there's a cost with, having another teacher and certain staff, and, you know, you can't just put anybody in the room. And so, you know, if any of you get those questions, you know, from people in terms of that, would you ever open another one? You know, just let us know, because I think the people are wondering as the other towns are full and calling and inquiring.
You know? So it it is possible that the question will come up. Well, if you have 10 Hebron kids, why wouldn't you open another one? Because those 10 Hebron kids are gonna go to Hebron for kindergarten. So for one year, then we would have to scramble and figure out how to do that for students that would me. So so there has been a question with that here, but we're real happy to be hovered there at 200. The nurse's summary is in here,
and that's that for Taylor's report. Can I add one more date to her upcoming date? Sure. So April 27, it's next Thursday. There's a jazz concert at RAM, and the kids that are in band here are participating in that as well. April 27? Yep.
And one last thing on the after school program, just wanna think about it because I know your son's in that concert. We have our first student that will be doing an after school program with the help of one of the teachers and the daddy. That's Caitlin's son who'll be doing a claymation class this month Awesome. With a group of kids. So, which I think is kinda cool. We are trying to, you know, obviously, to get people in the community and the seniors and parents who are interested in, you know, bringing activities, and he was this was right up his alley. And so he's really proud of that. It's Friday. He's beyond excited. Be he's got five kids, I think, with Max, and he filled it up, and he's like, yes. So we're going to have a class run by her son. Cool. So that's it. Thank you.
Thank you. Okay. Everybody has seen the financials, and I'm here to field any questions on it.
And I don't this might should should probably been in the minutes, but last week or last month, we approved budget transfers. Mhmm. There is nowhere right now to see what the what we approved. It says approve is presented. There's nowhere in the packet with the presented numbers. Like, I just had to manually go through last month's and see where the budget changed. Like, to change? To try and
to go back and see. We should that that should be documented somewhere. But the sheet that you had with the transfer is on there. So that must be Diane must not have made it It would it's not in the Okay. It didn't make it. That's an easy fix because we're not I had to redo it because Jerry got a cupcake smudge on it, and so she actually had to rewrite it and have it resigned the same one. So we knew it come after,
I think, the future, we should possibly look at doing those in the minutes.
They should be in the minutes. Oh, no. They should have been attached Yeah. The minutes. Do yeah. Yeah. It but in in there, instead of just saying for budget transfers as presented, which we did That was just an oversight, Steve. That sheet that she made should have been in the minutes, and I'm sorry that Diane didn't get that in there. Nope. I I noted it. That's I wanted tomorrow? To I didn't have to transfer that. Maybe,
going forward, if we I don't have any tonight. But maybe going forward, since it's something that has to be we we can scan I can scan it to you guys and send it to you individually so it doesn't have to wait for the next meeting or whatever you guys want. I I think it's mostly that it needs to be posted Right.
Into the minutes on the website. So what on this month looking different than last month without anyone being able to say that we So that people can look to see the tracking. To the next. Okay.
Speaking of that, so that was from administrative, all the professional service, printing, binding, and some curriculum stuff. And you said you don't have any to make today yet? No. Fuel oil where already over expended. What's the plan there? Yeah. That. Yeah.
The plan is probably to move some of the money from because I've been covered for a Mexico, probably moving back over to cover some of it. But the problem is is, like we said, the they were charged at, what, two twenty three gallons, and she budgeted on the low end of $2.23. But even though we had a mild winter, the fuel bills are still coming in. I got another one today. So, yeah, we're looking at that and where we're gonna be moving money around, and that'll happen at the next meeting. And same thing for the other professional services?
What category? What page are you? I I gotta put that on these.
On the on the, like, detailed one, it's page four. Okay. Which professional services?
The other other professional services. Yeah. It's over by It's, like, a 158%.
Which is when we either transfer into or out of less. So
one of those items is legal fees as you guys know. Yep. Yep. Okay. No. I know I know what it is. I just Yeah. The other one, yes. We would we noticed an error within the last month or so, and we know we've gotta move some money around for that. So can you what error? The technology. The technology. That's over $5.42.
So we are now approaching very closely. And we are here. What or how do we look? Do we have? Do you feel like there's enough in other objects that we're gonna have to cover this, or are we gonna need a good one? If I can't if I can't find the money here,
then I believe, there's some technology money specified for technology in the grant. Is that correct? Yeah.
Yes. There is a there is one of the grants that isn't it's not a grant, actually. It's from the connectivity. Oh, okay. That is good for two years. And so if this one is something that we need to actually put money from there into, we can do that to cover that. But were we did we make the technology budget for next year based on the anticipation of those ones? No.
Okay. So why wouldn't we go ahead and take care of it then? So it was the technology stuff that's on here, you said it was, like, in a was it misappropriated, like, in a different place and you moved it, or it just got What occurred with the former
administration Yeah. Was that there was a portion of technology that was covered with grant. Because remember, we have E rates, and then we have the connectivity and Yep. Plans to be covered with that. And the whole cost for this year should have been moved over, including the portion that had been That was covered. The last year's connectivity Okay. And it wasn't. Okay. Which just means that the other connectivity revenue that would be, you know, two years sitting there in case you have to replace your computers, can't be used for that. But it's covered. So
So then that will be adjusted, like Correct. Next month? Yes. Yes. Which item is that? It's on page four of the detailed.
Twenty five eighty. Yeah. Forty, twenty five eighty. It's, like, the second to last from the bottom of the category. So we we knew that was there. Okay. When we got to the end of of figuring out our budget for next year, it took us a little while to sit down and figure out where that error was, and we did. We figured out where it was. And so we know it's okay. It's not problematic
at all. Okay. And and can I just emphasize that this is not an error on Val's part? That's okay. I don't like No. It's it's responsibility. I'll just letting you know. I'm well yeah. I just happen to be the one to discover it. So I'm being transparent, and this is what it is. Yeah. No. I'm I'm glad you I'm just I'm a little concerned. So now
they are confused. You know, the questions I know that are gonna be asked is so we have how much additional is this than we expected? What was the About 35 36,000 is what I have. 36,000.
We under budgeted for fuel. How do we have enough money to cover that? The two year connectivity
is 33,000 total. Okay. But you're We did not use the 18 from this year because we didn't buy computers or anything like that. And then
there's 14. So we are anticipating. It sound like you said you were looking for it in here, but we we're likely gonna have to use it. Because if we don't have to use it, then there's a we if these other line items are over, how are we
because there's a few things in each of the A lot of There's a few things in each of the that we're using up now that were written. Because remember that was a two year grant. So for example, last year when we had the conversation this time about what was left, There was money that was left because one of our grants, if Chris was on that committee, was to redo the Wi Fi. And then when we got the second Esser grant, we wrote in to be approved to pay for part of the upgrade to the Wi Fi, and they did. And so then we didn't need that in there. So what we'll do is it's a process with the state, though, with the grant. What we'll do is that last room was just done with AC and the ESSER. If in fact, now she does her expenditure report and it didn't add up to what we approved for the AC, there's $8,000 left or $10,000 left. We can do an edit to that grant, send it into the state and say, I know that this is expiring.
These were still the categories of things that qualified under that ESSER grant. We now have a a need to cover tech service. Can we do that? And if they say yes, we would take it from there before we would touch the other money. It's still, what, eighteen months. That makes sense. They just have to recategorize it on the grant. Correct. And so that's why, you know, we say, well, we don't know because if I could take it from there, the last bill comes in next week because they finished the AC in the room that is upstairs, the one that's the half pool room and the half OTPT room. So when Terry now gets that bill and that bill comes in and we look and say, okay. Were we right on the mark? Because remember, when we wrote that grant, I had no idea how much it was gonna cost us exactly. We had a quote. And so in a couple of cases, I know that the rooms came in less. And so when as soon as she finishes up with these are the expenditures for the AC,
I think at some point, it was, like, 89,000 that we have built in there. And so whatever's left there then can be recategorized with permission as long as it fits into one of those. And, obviously, with Esser money, so tech is one of them. And so that's where as soon as she's done with that portion, I'll look at that. And if she says, okay, Val. This is the final bill. We're done with that. Then I'll look at that and see what's left still on our eGrant system and take it from there, Steve, first because there's a shelf life on that grant. No. Well and, yeah, you there's the E rates connectivity.
So we're not That's fine. I mean, I understand we've I just wanna figure out
if we all of a sudden if we cover it in in the budget, we need to be able to explain why that money was available. The only other things Right before we go I'm sorry to interrupt you, Terry, but the only other things only because I just went through these this week. The only other things in here, Steven, for the benefit of everybody, is that there when she says maybe extra, when we go through if you're looking at the one that Terry gave you that says detailed custom expenditure Yep. The big fat one here, when you go through here for example, when we get down to that extracurricular coaching and clubs, because the majority of them are now covered with the,
after school grant, this school year, especially since a few of them didn't run, we still have the yearbook. We still have a few things that get paid for out of here, but we're in April already. And if you look on here, we haven't used a lot of that. Will we have to next year when they're running those clubs that buy union contract have to be run through there? Julie runs through here for for bands because part of the, contract for her is, when she does the Memorial Day parade. So that's a different rate. So there are a couple of things that we know have to go through here, but, Steve, that's a perfect example. That'll be a spot where she'll have money that she'll be able to transfer from. Yep. There's three of those spots. Was it admin, technology, repair, and maintenance?
Let's see. Well, more I'm very close. The second spot potentially could be when you look on page three, I don't currently have anybody that is retiring or or doing a package buyout, an exit package. Okay. So do you know what I mean? $2.40 dash 1,000 there. That's 15. On page three. That's potentially spot. Yeah. So that's what Terry on her four days, of course, she comes five anyways, but is trying to look at now. And she doesn't have the benefit of having done this in the spring with us. So so as we go through, you know, she's like, I'm sorry. I feel like I'm
layers. I'm peeling back to layers. Yep. I think as we just pointed out with the tech is Yep. One more spot if you guys are looking going down, actually, so you'll anticipate this. At the bottom of page three there, under professional ed services special ed Yep. Do you see the 15? There's probably about four from there that will still be there solely because that Connecticut SEDS grant that came in allowed us the CT SEDS allowed us to pay part of Hollyetta there. And it was, just under 5,000 that was able to be paid for her, So that's gonna be a difference there. They were they were able to say the person who's implementing your CT says, you can use this for them. And so there's gonna be, you know, just under 5,000 for her there. The lunch or lunch program, is that?
There's 20,000 allotted. There's zero. I was just gonna say because that's because the state in the right I was hoping we're gonna have to wait on this one. There's definitely gonna be money in there. What pages But I was hoping that's can same figure out why that wasn't way down.
That that that I was hoping that that one, would be as it was last year because we had the free lunch all year last year, and so we were able to move the whole thing last year. This year, I think most of it will be able to be moved, if not all of it. We're optimistic, but we're only waiting to see because that bucket, we had built up during COVID in that bucket quite a substantial amount.
And Explain explain the bucket so that we don't have buckets of money. So
that account that's what I was just telling you. That account is a separate account. We have no food service at Innerville Elementary School. We contract with Coventry Foodservice. And Coventry Foodservice is a great partner for us to have because unlike some other districts, I have one, where they just keep your money no matter whether it cost you $3 a kid or $8 a kid, they have a bucket. They say this is Andover Elementary School's bucket, and all of our revenue goes into our bucket, and all of our expenditures come out. They take care of all of that. That's what we don't see that or anything.
And so our two kitchen people are paid for out of our bucket. Our food is paid for out of our bucket. Any of our expenses related to our kitchen are paid for out of our bucket. And then what goes in there is, any sources of revenue. So when your children pay for free lunch or when they get reimbursed I mean, pay for lunch or when they get reimbursed for For subsidized lunches. Or reduced lunch. And they are great partners because when that number went up last year and the federal government was giving a substantial rebate more for free and reduced lunch kids, they honored that, didn't keep it for profit rate. They put it in our bucket. So we just So It went up. At one point, so I'm assuming at some point, the bucket goes they give us an invoice when you sell it. They don't really give us an invoice. At the end of the year, they say, this is how much has come out. This is how much is in there. What do you wanna do? And last year, I didn't realize how much had been accumulated because, you know, I I don't usually talk to them. And I talked to her and asked her solely because we needed that new hot water heater,
and the law was changing regarding the what do you call it? The use of foam, trays. They wanted you to have the washable trays within the next year, and so they were asking for us to have the dishwasher in there. And so I kept saying, nope. We can't afford it. We tried for a grant. We didn't get it. And so at the end of that year, she said there's enough in there to do one of these. Right. And that you have to. And so they did it with the rebate that they had gotten on the free and reduced lunch. And so I have to tell you, that's the only town that I've even heard of that actually took those rebates. Eastcott Foodservice, because I have Eastcott Foodservice in another district. I saw no rebates. They took my 20,000, and I called them and I said, I'm sorry. Like, where are the rebates? And they said, the contract says you give us 20,000 whether you make money or lose money. You'll make money this year or something. Set price. Right. Yeah. They did it. So they utilized it for that. Otherwise, we would have to pay for that this year because when that law goes into effect, you have to have a dishwasher. So, right now, the last conversation that I had with Beth, we were still definitely in a good place there from those rebates still because this year, there was a substantial amount of time that they offered free lunch to every kid. And so that brings in more than what you normally pay for a lunch. And so so far, good. She says we're in good shape. So when the transfers are done for next month, I do expect that she's gonna have, money in there that she's able to take out of here. So I'm Yeah. Just sorry. I wanted to understand this. So this bucket is filled with our 20,000 at the beginning of year. Is that No. They only take our 20,000 if our bucket's empty.
If that bucket that's the thing, Steve. At the end of the year, if there's money still in it in Coventry's, you know,
books Yeah. I'm just trying to you know, I I understand that. I just wanna figure out because
we're we've been covered zero. We spent $0. So that's there in case we don't get the That's correct. The the extra amount. Yeah. Because also no one knew if the free Twice this year Right. Right. They said it was over, and then it came back again. They actually emptied it for a few days or a week or two weeks or a month, and then they started it up again. It didn't So you still have to budget for it. Yeah. No. No. I just
there's zero on a $20,000 line item on. That's why. Yep. Yep. So You know, when it comes to the food service portion of it We won't know what the number because we can't know. Until the end of the school year, I would imagine. In in another month, she should really have a good idea because then we could figure out. Remember, June is a short, month. You can kinda estimate what that Worst scenario right, is there enough still in that bucket to cover our expenses because we have salaries to pay Yeah. For, the employees? The one thing is we went through this last year about
remember if there was a lie object that went over, we couldn't allow that to to stay over. Yep.
So when are we going to bring these objects? Because you can't allow it if you knowingly move it over and there's nothing you know, you don't you're like, oh, well, sorry. The ones that are over now, except legal, because you guys said, you know, we're gonna we know we're gonna cover that, but we wanted to see that. The rest of them right now is we're working on moving grants for. So by
just when are we gonna get a better picture of how the end of this year is gonna look? Well, can I say, Steve, there
have been a lot of surprise invoices that have come in over the last few months that had been diverted to other places such as the town? And, you know, it's still it's been three and a half months since I started this job, and I just need to let you know that, we're paying the bills as fast as we can. We're trying to be sure that we have all the money we need for the remainder of the year. I know it's April. We all get anxious at this time of the year, and we've got May and June. A lot of the bills come in at the end of April, May, and June. We have an Eastcon bill that's gonna be due in June, and we have to have the money to pay it.
And that's why I encumbered it so that we would see that That you can see that. And I and I I I love that you okay. But I I don't like the fact you said what do you mean surprise invoices? We either write purchase orders. Don't like how do we have to surprise them. We have we have blanket purchase orders for certain services such as transportation.
I had not seen a transportation bill until I was probably February or March. We hadn't gotten one since November. It had been diverted
to the town and for some reason was sitting up there. So we have the money in there. Yeah. It's just she's saying she personally hadn't seen it. So she was like, wait. What's this? And you just sorry. She's not like And things are she's not on China. I'm sorry. Things,
in all honesty, they're they are, you know, coming out of the woodwork at times, and this was one of them.
No. And that's why. Yeah. Because I we that has been the trend, frankly, and we wanna make sure as we get close to the end of the year, do not want an issue where we're gonna either be behind or when we get into the audit, on either side, Kent. You know, we need to make sure that we We will be fine. We will be fine.
I just She just needs time. I just need time. I mean, this is my first end of the year here in Andover. I understand how stressful it can be. I know it's a problem if there's not enough money, and I know there's a problem if if there's too much money. Okay? So we I am paying those bills as fast as I can. I'm opening them as soon as they come in. I'm processing them. I'm trying to on a weekly basis if I have the time to do that. And then now we're we're also in the middle of a 2122 audit, which should have been conducted last fall. Okay. So I'm helping the auditors gather information on that. And and keep in mind, April to June, I've been doing education for twenty five years. It's the worst time of year Yeah. To be dealing with anything else. I'm not whining. I'm not complaining. I just need people to understand that your business, the board's business, is number one for me. And working with the auditors, it's it getting all the information together has been very time consuming over the last couple of weeks. And I'm also gonna be with them for two days next week. So, yes, I'm working as fast as I can in thirty two hours. Absolutely.
Yeah. Zero
doubt about that. Appreciate everything you're doing. It's our job is to hope that you're not doing this again next year. No. It's a physical. So oh, no. We do hope she's doing it. Oh, wait.
Wait. What? This is the auditors and everything else in this time. You know what's gonna be wonderful is when July 1 gets here, and I can have
You can make it a clean slate and start yourself. Clean slate and not be dealing with somebody three other people who've had their hands on things. I can assure you, Steve, though, even though she can't see around the corner right now because it's her first year, I can assure you that the money to pay those bills is there. Yes. It's that, you know, when she's not doing those other things I know this because I wrote those grants. And so when she and that's happened. She's brought in something. She brought in a renewal the other day, that isn't due July. I wanted to do now for a subscription that we have. And she's like, what is this? And I was like, I know what that is. And I explained to her what it is. Then she knew where to look, and she said, is this new? I said, it isn't new. We get this every year. This is the renewal for this and this. Oh, okay. Because she hadn't seen it all year because the renewal comes once a year. Well, that's when the
in. Right. So I knew that the money was there because I knew it was something that we do every year and where we do it from. So that on her end is so time consuming for her to figure out as being new. But I can tell you that in those grants, like, when she says, okay. That's not in there. You know? She and I and I can then direct her to the grant portion. So it is there. It it is absolutely there. I am not worried that any of the projects that we know about, any of the expenses that we know about today on the April 19 aren't gonna be paid. They are. As a matter of fact, like I said, with food service, I'm thinking, oh, with food service, if everything goes well, we could be saying to you guys, okay. At the end of the year, there is a little bit left. Remember last year, we had $6,000 left at the end. I thought that was pretty darn good. But it's not just whether or not we can pay it, but we don't wanna be stuck with with the auditors all next year. Right? But but we need to also make sure that that everything is current. Here's what I do right now is because I know the grant, because I wrote the grants,
is I look at this, and I'm looking at a grant as well that I wrote that she's just becoming familiar with. And I think to myself, okay. That one's expiring June 30. Okay. That can go in there. Oh, that can go in there. And then I go to Terry, and I say, hey, Terry. That grant that's on this one, she says yes. It opens it up and looks at it. And I say, this, I actually wrote it. I put this in there. We didn't need that in there, so let's put this in there. Then her job is to figure out financially how to move that over. The moving over part this year, I might actually be driving her crazy with, but the moving over part is so that we can get the most bang for our buck with the with the brands. Because,
you know, if a line item wasn't completely spent, I'm not giving it back to them. Those grants expire in June. Those the SRC, once expire in June, then we figure out what else we can spend it on. And then I just have to send it in and ask for an edit, and they'll approve the edit. So that's not difficult. But I can't change on here until after you get it. So And I'm not I'm not worried again that you guys will find a way to pay it. What I'm concerned about is when you're doing that, you're extending it here that whatever we're doing documentation wise is showing fantastic at that. So this well, tell me on it because Nope. I wanna go through this again. Listen. I I've been I've just been auditors for many years, and they're
not gonna have the issues when they come to do the audit for She really is getting tested. So the only thing I would add so so, a, so I mean, and and I'm not gonna say anything. She don't already know. But just in case anybody is is watching this afterwards Mhmm. Transparency is key. Correct. We all know that. Correct. We're here to work with you. Don't feel afraid to bring anything to us. However, my real question is is if it was lost over at town hall for a period of time, do you not saying I wanna know. Do you know why it occurred, And have we fixed the problem so it never happens again that something disappears? Yes. Okay. That's what I wanted to hear. Thank you.
Can I ask one other question that's not directly related to any of that? So the other professional service under board, we all know that's legal fees. Is it appropriate to change the title of that to say legal? Or so that so that a person who is not on this board that perhaps looks at this at another time would know by looking what that was for. You could, but then That's not the only thing that goes in there. I was gonna say. That's why I'm asking. Service But I have terms of transparency, I think there are other people in this town that would want to know.
But when I suggest have to we have to create a subcategory of professional services to put in legal accountant, you know, for contract negotiations with the the unions
with with if we wanna separate it out So it leads to a bigger discussion, which maybe we need to put on another meeting, but I I think it is something. I think it's appropriate to discuss. Also be we've submitted a budget
for next year, which does not have that in account. No. No. So I think this is a discussion we should have if we wanna add a category, we can't. I don't think But the one thing I've I've asked for, you know, we we plus I have it and and so not right now because I know you're smart. But I think going forward is we need to have a chart accounts Mhmm. Which we have. Right? Mhmm. But I would like to see a description next to each of those chart accounts where we could say that other professional fees includes legal fees, this kind of fee, this kind of fee. It's not gonna be always be a 100%, but at least that would give anybody who's looking at it and wants to know, hey. What's in Like, what is actually what goes into this sub account code, they could look at it and see. And I'm happy to help write that. I don't know what the hell is in there. Did it. I think a lot of the descriptions are very
vague. They Well, I would imagine why I'm, like, running the council I was just gonna say if we that. If we do what you're suggesting too,
you know, long term when you retire twenty years down the road, whoever takes your place, it helps cons
is less surprised by what's in that object. And that is something that she's very good at because when she ran the first grant report, she came into my office, and I think she looked at me like, oh my god. What am I gonna do? And she goes, the way this prints out doesn't make sense. I said, I know. I have evidence. And she said, because it has this year and this year and this year, within a week, she had changed it up, made it made sense so she didn't have to highlight all of this and that. And I said to her, whatever is easiest for you, and it is easy. And I knew that it was frustrating because it wasn't in in order. Edmunds didn't spit it out in order that really is conducive. And so she changed it up and was able to to to make it so that anybody could look at it with any background at all, any level of background with reading a document like that and not be confused. So I think then maybe for a future meeting
and we can wait until after the end of the school year perhaps, but but important to happen prior to when we're doing next year's budget season would be to do what Chris is saying and also to possibly consider if we need to divide out the board professional service because I think other people in this town would like to know what's going into a number that is that sizable.
Or at least if there was a description number. Yes. Yes. So
if we can just make a note to maybe add that,
I don't know, September or something, like, at some point. Are there any other questions on the financials tonight? No. Real good. Yeah. You're welcome. It's okay.
Think it's like It is what it is at the moment. Like, real good. Yes. It's okay. Just know that we all really appreciate what you're doing. Yeah. We really do. Think. And and and you I promise you this will all become
Don't promise. No. No. We're not in that too. We're not in that too. No. No. I'm just We're not. Do things here. Have a good handle on it. Try one. Absolutely. Were all of the budget transfers that were approved? Because I'm I'm probably were they completed? Yes. Okay. Yeah. I do those pretty fast.
All set. Terry. Thank you. I wanna thank you. You'll get two cupcakes. I wanna thank you for what you do. I can't imagine learning this job. You're ill. You've been here in such a short period of time, and you've Yes. Done a lot.
We're we're fortunate to have your experience. Yeah. It's not the most opportune time to start a new job. No. It's fine. We would do. Yeah. Well, no, Terry. Right? We work together. Well, she's easy to work with. Yeah. She's great.
No. She doesn't have to, but, no, it's been a good three months of. I'm not really easy. I know it's not an easy job. No. She's done a hard job.
K. Thank you. Items for discussion and factors. E one, we believe. Item two, board of education policies, updated policies, 1,000 series, 1,300, 1,400, and 1,500.
Let me just ask because I have been doing this. I've gotten the policies and would go back from Diane. Mhmm. Right? Mhmm. Mhmm. Or do you all wanna see,
like, the grammatical changes and whatnot or just, well, the policy changes? What would you like to see so that when we move to approve it as our new policy,
you'll know what you're doing? I personally if I can answer that question for me. Yeah. No. I want everybody I would like for me to know what changes are made in there. Not grammatical and not Changes are changes. Yep. I'm mainly concerned with Substitute. Changes in substance. Okay.
Could you since you have it in Word, and I don't know if it's too hard, but as we're changing it, you could print out the view that shows Track changes. Track changes. And then agree. Yeah. And it'll print out, and that way we can approve. That's all I would want is to see the red or the lines. Has been from d d d. It's Diane. Yeah. And if you email, I think that's I've been well,
Diane, first, I keep it in Word. And then Google Docs, like to use because it allows me to share and everybody else to edit, but we're trying to come to an agreement on all of that because
Diane, like that you keep it in Word, but then when it gets posted as a policy, it should be in PDF. Yes. Because at one point, it was on the website. It's still Word is
on the website. Is which I discussed with Diane. Nobody can change it because you go to try and change it, but we're gonna put it in PDF. Yes. Yeah. You don't want somebody downloading that. Correct. You don't know this. After I put all the. The ones that are in front of you, Susan, she did keep in here. Diane did keep in here.
But this is you're going through what this is right now anyway. Right? Yes, ma'am. So All of it.
Right now, we're missing about 10 or 15 policies, and then we've got a lot of policies that no longer in the Cades core manual. So there's a lot of work that I've been doing. That's a lot. Thank you. It's really important. I wanted to have the Thank you for being a lawyer.
Yeah. That's the time to finish. Why we go back and start all over again? Yes. No. No. It's not a good idea. Done by the end of the year, promises. Not gonna be Sure. I just think we're We're only what? Halfway through it?
I'm gonna Now that I know how to bring it about and do it, we'll get it done.
Thank you. Thank you. So can I ask a question on a go forward then for, like, the next packet? Because I'm just wondering, instead of all of us, like, discussing it at a meeting like we did with the first section, would it make more sense for everyone to go through and write their own thoughts or edits and then compile all of those so that you have it on paper? That's what well, even not on paper. I was gonna hopefully have it sent out to everybody
by email. Like, if I can get the packet from Diane Yeah. And then you And we could send that all out to you. And as long as we're not having discussion, then we're not violating anything. We can email our Yeah. Change. I that's kind of what I was trying to That's what was looking at with that. Okay. If that makes Yeah. So do we need to make a motion to say that we're going to do that or no? Well, unless we're not going to move people with these two because we're gonna do that. Why I'm asking. Yeah. So I guess No. Because it says no. Know at this time. Okay. Yep. So it's reviewing.
Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Did anyone read through a packet? I
read about half of it. We call everyone out there. Yes. I got a packet.
The reason why the reason why I asked is because I read it,
and it struck me that thirteen thirty one doesn't have anything about vaping. And
I thought because these were last modified in 2009. Correct. Right. So
that's why I'm saying I that's from have Zoom. Do we have a poll? No. I
I I have the same question. I looked up they mentioned tobacco related products. Yeah. Yeah. And I know, like, that the e cigs and vaping are termed as tobacco. Right. Mhmm. Well and there's likely a statute about vaping that needs to be revoked. Yeah. It's on on the.
The other the other thing that struck me was thirteen eleven point two, political sign on school property. Because if you go 75 feet from the polling place and then you put signs, then you're if you if you're 75 feet on this side of the building, you're gonna be on school property. Right.
And if you're on the other side of the building where people come out of the building, well, that's a different story. Too late.
Well, interesting. Now that we know where our property lines are, political science has been put up for the last my twenty years here Mhmm. Because they cover the disabled land for all the land around the disabled, which is full property. So Do we I'm violating our own policy? Yes.
Is is that a mandated policy? It is. Here. Yes. I I mean, by, like, Cape or by By Nabal. It's Just by us? Like, did we just do that, or is that from the state? Very low. No. There is There is a a unemployment. Sorry. What's the statute? There is a statute that's seen because I was There's a statute for school. Yeah. Because I was just looking up stamped Oklahoma recruiting signs for football. Okay. I read the political thing. Okay. Political football. Was that? Was. Political football. Yeah. I'm I'm I'm Careful improvement. Yeah.
What's that? So so then can you have Diane email this in a format that we can open and
edit? No. No? Well, that's what I was asking. So if everybody edits, then am I putting together all the edits? So my preference was
send you guys the edits, and then you comment on the edits. So she wants to So you wanna go through this first Yeah. And then send this? Correct. That's fine. Cool. And then what's more? It will go to set it. Okay. Basically, what that was is, like, I want you want to do a lot of work, and then we'll just read it. Correct.
I'm good. That works you, Tammy. Yeah. It works for you.
And I will say very thank you. Oh, okay. Very thank you. I will say very, you're welcome. I think, yeah, having a lawyer review all of Oh, yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. I've been comparing it to the statutes, to the annual, all that stuff. Thank you. Being comprehensive.
Can I'm not following at all what we're doing with the policy. Celeste. So At all. She's
she's decided that she's gonna go through all of the edits. Right? She's gonna have all policies. Edit all the policies and then send it to us with, like, the red line so you can see it so that we can all look at it. And then tell her to make comment on it. We'll make comments on it.
Okay. So the ones that we're not have it taking any action on? Which is all of them right now. Yes. Okay. Okay. So at the next so when are we gonna get those then? So we just wait to get an email from Shannon at some point. So we're not gonna go through them like we've done with the other ones? Within the next yeah.
I'll have prior to a week before the meeting, but I think I should have the 1,000, 11 hundreds, and 12 hundreds to you within the next week. And thirteen, fourteen, and 15 are way shorter or Okay. Many few. Okay.
Yeah. And why why are we not going through them like we did before?
Because we decided it was really onerous to do it at a board meeting, especially with we're facing with 15 policies, and we all have more ideas. It might be easier to share it as the policy person for meeting it. And I would think and the one thing that she's
that Shannon is specifically looking at, which we can't do sitting here, is gonna be comparing it to the statutes to ensure that from a legal standpoint. So if she does that and then we look at those edits once they're now updated with compliance to the statutes
and we wanna make changes, But those have to be in there. So It's it's like we're taking a step out instead of talking about it first and then trying to do that and then talking again. Correct. So Okay. Alright. So you'll so Shannon's gonna go through these policies, make the edits,
and send us those. And then at the next meeting, we're gonna vote on them? No. We'll just second reading. Yeah. We'll have the second reading. We're mandated to do that. Okay. Alright.
Okay. Alright. So we'll vote on them in June. Yes. Correct. K. That's what Valerie just said. Oh, sorry. Under her breath. No. It's okay. Floors. Floor. Okay.
So we have to have discussion on this since there is no capital improvement budget. We can either and this is up to the board.
Will Wait. Just let me stop for a second. Does everybody recall the conversation about the floors? Can you just verify that? I'm sorry. Because I was like, maybe everybody wasn't there. Okay. The beginning of the year, Steve, our custodian, said that they've been looking at the floors in the 23 Main, the current 23 Main, for a while now. The one that's currently Kissing Fraser's room upstairs, those they had put together a few tiles, mixed and matched and fixed a few tiles. But that floor, has been told, yes, that for a while that they need to have the floor done in there. They haven't. And then, you know, COVID. And now it's her room and the room next to hers, which is missus Reschmeyer's room. On a scale of one to 10, Christina's is a 10 that needs to be done now. Otherwise, some of the stuff underneath is gonna become an issue. Like the underlayment? Yes. And we could wind up looking at having to rip up the whole subfloor then.
The room that's Tegan's is probably an eight at this point, and their suggestion always was to do those two rooms at the same time. Now Tegan's room, the reason why I say it's it's an eight to 40 to them, but I I would like them both done at the same time is hers was the room this year that, we had problem with mice. And even after the rest of the building was fine, I think that there's where the floor meets the wall, there's enough gap where they're getting, you know, through there. We had them come. Her room is fine now, mouse wise, but I I am concerned that maybe an eight is being too nice. And it was done the same time as casinos. So Steve had spoken with them. We had a couple companies come out. And when they came out, they, said, really, it's the the labor cost and things of that nature. It's getting them out here to do those two. If you were to add the materials for the the hallway there to do that, which was done at the same time as those two rooms so that you can ensure, seam and no gap, and then everything's done there at the same time, they don't need the two rooms across the hall. They were done at a different time.
So the other third grade classroom and the one that's currently a room, those do not need to be done. So we'll be talking about that strip of Huawei and those two rooms being done. To get them done at the same time would keep us on the path of they were done at the same time last time, but it would ensure that we don't wind up with, you know, further damage underneath where they say, oh, we gotta pull everything out. Received quotes for this? We did. And they ranged from 11,950 to $14.99. Mhmm. And so those are quotes right now. I've been putting Steve off all year with those quotes because it'll sound bad, but I was almost hoping that they three people that came in could describe them as a potential health hazard
if the flooring came up and things the, grant that we are finishing up now, with ESSER, that's category. And the other grant that's coming in, if we get it for the safety and security, there's a category of safety in there where we could potentially do that. So Are mice? Definitely Well, yes. But
so I was hoping to have an answer by now that, oh, don't worry. We have that grant that's definitely gonna cover it. And we don't have that answer yet. And so we could keep waiting it out. But to approve and say, yes. Let's go ahead with the project, there's a a a lead time. Yeah. What is their lead time? The lead time is another month. So that is almost perfect timing to say, okay. Let's do it the last week of June. Then Yep. Once the kids are out, before they start with the waxing, all those things, let them get those floors done, those rooms done. But that that would require us to say, if those grants don't come through, then we have to look to the 2% account.
Well, I think the first thing that I'll say is it makes zero sense to do one room because you're paying half. Right. It's j you're gonna pay double to have the Absolutely. Yep. So it would make sense to do both of those. So if we're doing 2%, then that kinda covers my my concern was when you're talking end of June is, like, we don't wanna cross into two budgets if we're trying to take money out of the big budget because wanna end up with an audit issue because we're now like, we got a quote here. Like, how are we paying for it? Which budget would it go on? How do we We really did budget for it. So it it doesn't really matter. Doesn't We paid it out of here, the work was still going. We're that's what I'm trying to figure out. Right. I'll do okay. We'll have to pay it out of this year's budget as long as we But even if we get from the 2%,
we still have to put that into a budget. Yes. No. No. I understand. And if this one is closed out or if we're starting the last week of June, like, Right. Is it You understand my concern here? I understand your concern, but just So why not go to July 1 and just see what we're gonna do next year? 14 grands being left in this budget. Right. So for us to hypothetically I know what the no. That's not my concern. My concern is it's gotta be annotated in this budget because it will be money that we spent this year. Correct? No. Because if the revenue source is the 2% account, it doesn't matter. We still have to account for the money money we spent. Mean Oh, absolutely. We have to create budget. Which budget do we transfer it into? Because the work started
in this budget here. Oh, but that's your it it's whenever Terry has the bill to pay. Whenever they finish the work, the bill comes in to pay. How does that work? I can do the purchase order when it's when you determine how you wanna pay for it from where.
We can do a purchase order. If we have the purchase order done in this fiscal year, then it can be paid out of this fiscal year even if we don't get the bill until July. But remember remember,
the one time we took money out of there last year, Sherry thought that the way it was gonna work was that the town gives us our money out of that account, and the town said, no. That's not the way it works. The way it works is you get the bill, you give us the bill, and we pay it out of that account. Yep. So the town with that whether that bill comes in June 15 or July 15, that bill gets sent to the town, and they write the check
out of that 2% So it doesn't actually go into the Well, no. That can't be because we It doesn't go into the budget. No. No. Wait. Wait. Wait. Because when we did the transportation
with that with the kid, we We have eventually every month when the bill came in, we No. No. No. We stopped taking it out of there when we had a change of placement for another student, and we said there is gonna still be money in that account, so we stopped taking it. Well, I I don't get it. I just
from an overall knowing yeah. Knowing the audit issues that we're having, okay, the if a town's or if a government entity spends money They never went back into Hold on. Wait. Let me finish. If a government if we spend tax money, which is what it is, we anytime we spend money, it's gotta be accounted for somewhere. It's gotta be audited somewhere. What audit does it fall under? Theirs. Theirs. Because they control that 2% account. We don't. Yep. It's on their audit. So I
Which is why they explained to us last year. Sorry. We control that account because we're responsible for that account. So you'll have to give us the bill. We'll pay With that even more so,
if they can start a week be at the end of can we not do it on July 1? Because we don't want to end up being blamed for the reason that they can't do their audit is because they're waiting for some
So which would you prefer? Would you prefer for us to to ask them to pay for it prior to July 1 or after July 1? Well, the thing the project will be done. Well, because that because I was just gonna say, we can tell the the people, you know, we want it to be for sure the last week of June that you come because when you're all finished and we inspect it and you give us a bill, that bill is going to be paid. So So that the bill comes prior. Just say we need we need the bill All my concern is you rip it up and you get a quote, you know, it can always change. There's two questions. Number one is
we need to know how much money not to do it again, Carrie. We're gonna have left in the budget to see if there's any money we will have from the budget so that how much we know we need to go after, and I'm not gonna stay in vain because it's our own account, our 2% account. Right? And then it's a matter of if we're not doing a budget transfer in which fiscal year so that the audit I mean, I just say if we're doing it over the summer,
why not do it in next fiscal year? That's fine. Don't have to worry about it. That's fine.
I really That way That probably makes it less She just said that she agrees, and that will let out because it's you're the one who's would know, like Most some most projects are done over the summer. Mhmm. And it probably would be cleaner if we did it in July. But that is I mean, are those rooms being used
for any summer programs or anything like that? Or any I mean, we gotta we should have a big enough school that we Not big enough. That's okay. I just need My big issue was asking you guys, where did you want it out of the 2%?
Well, we don't we don't now know We don't need to do it out of the 2%. And there's there's no reason there's no reason that you can't,
at the end of the year, say we have $3,500 extra to the 2%. We're going to say we wanna transfer that $3,500 in and pull $14,000
pay this. Exactly. Same same thing. That's what think That's what's clean. Keeps it cleaner. That keeps it clean. You guys approving the project. So that's what we need is you to approve Okay. So I make a motion to approve the project. Second. Okay. To how much Well, we have to Right. Do the motion. Well,
no. I I just have a simple question. I just have long did the floors last? I mean, how long would they done last?
Oh, a long time ago. I mean, they were done a while ago. I think policy team. Years, thirty years. I don't know the answer to that. Well But good question. Yeah. I I can't answer that. I absolutely can't answer that. I I don't really answer to that. Because if Do I get a price? Hold on. Hold on. Do I get a price for for stopping the the panel? That's a good question. So if they do have to tear it up, there could be asbestos under there, which could make this project even longer and more costlier.
I mean, if it's back to where there'd be asbestos, then how did we even know these two rooms were done together? Like, that that's a while ago. I will get more information for you. And, yeah, please No. On on that stuff because I don't really answer I think for some years, would have already. They The only thing I can really do check first. It was like proof this time so that we can I just saw my Waterbury in? Told it up. So then so then can I make a motion for us to approve it and specify that we would like it to happen after July 1? Okay. Sure. Second. Did did you second? Yes. Yes. Go ahead.
So you motion to approve the capital improvement project for floors after July 1. Correct. Yep. And that we're going to take the money from. No. No. We don't to say that. K? We don't know we're coming from that. K. Thank you. You got help. Is there any more
discussion? Oh, I thought that was We have it all approved yet. Sorry. I'm sorry, man. I'm sorry. I didn't know if there's any more discussion. Yeah.
There is none. We'll vote. All in favor, say aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? K. Passes. 700. Great. I'm having fun too. You are. Now we have staff liaison report.
Would you like to go first? Would you like to I would like you to go first. Sure. So so yeah. So, I have attended three meetings with in conjunction with with various parts of the of the group for the community center. I I think the the conversations have been extremely cordial. I have expressed our our interest in ensuring this goes forward and does so in a in a proper manner and have reinforced repeatedly our support from the board, from the board to to the community center. I mean, I think overall, the project that I've seen has worked out pretty good. I actually even helped out with with kind of layout of the kitchen. Like I a little bit of experience back on that side of the house as well. And, then we did the presentation on Monday. There are a couple areas there that I had concerns with, on the map. And and the the main one I have a concern with on on the the diagram as it sits now is I think the traffic patterns are gonna be atrocious. Yeah. And I really would encourage us at some point in time to see see how we can work cooperatively with the town and figuring out better traffic pattern, with with I think our goal, is the importance of the safety of the children. And so, you know, that's one area where I'd suggest. I did get some additional information, that that can certainly go over as we talk about the actual construction project,
but didn't didn't go didn't we didn't go over Monday night. So they're targeting starting the first week of July or June, with foundation and some of that construction work. They are there will be a fence, a temporary fence put up that is meant to protect the the the site from the children or the children from the site, however you wanna look at it. But that will extend all the way back to the woods and possibly do a little bit of wraparound up front. They'll they'll put the fencing so that we still have emergency access, which I'll go back to that in a second here. Let's see what else there is here. Whether whether we'll drive this to summer schedule, but their goal is to have the outside framed and done before school starts. So the majority of the construction works, the heavy noise pieces should be done weather permitting, and contract permitting, of course, by the time school starts. Most of the equipment storage is going to be on the lower parking area on the fire department side. Yep. So there won't be anything primarily over here. There may be some, some cars and stuff, but the the building is so small. They're not gonna be having any large, you know, construction trailers here or anything like that. They'll just bring the materials in as needed. They did ask, they did ask one one favor, which was a communication mechanism between the site foreman or whoever's in charge that day since the site foreman may not be there at the school. They suggested some walkie talkies. They said they didn't know if we wanted to give them one of ours, like, we had separate channels or if we just wanted to get a separate pair. But that way, if we have a student go missing, we can let them know if there's something dangerous happening over there, something got hurt, an ambulance is gonna come in. They can let us know so that we can kind of have that good back and forth.
They also ask for a, a weekly check-in, meeting between the school and them. And so Who's who's that? The the site foreman. And I also suggest that coming out of that that we share with them our school calendar for next year with a flag for any events that will be substantial traffic on our side. So, like, if we know we have an event going off to school, we know there's gonna be a large you know, we're gonna have a 100 cars in the parking lot because parents are here for something, you know, just so they have awareness of those dates ahead of time and kinda work that that good back and forth. And I think that's the majority of it. So the one area the the one area looking at the diagram, I didn't bring mine with me today, is,
I did have a bit of concern about that that parking spot off to the right The parking right next to the gym. Building? Yeah. I I I said my concern about that is that we maintain emergency access to the lower lots. That is actually parking for the van is what they're projecting there. They did they they did seem to think that there was sufficient parking there and that things would be properly regraded to allow both emergency vehicle access and landscape vehicles in and out of there. So that was the area. And then
Is there no concern with those parking spaces in relation to school pickup and drop off? These two up front? The two that are, like, right next to the gym? Yeah. Yeah. Those are good. Those those can go away.
Okay. Because they're still on the revised diagram. Yeah. Yeah. It's one of I yeah. Yeah. I I I raised that as a concern as well with with buses going through there. But So you're talking about proposed parking, those two spots? Uh-huh. Yeah. Yeah. Those those those aren't necessary, and we're not really sure they're gonna work very well. But that said, like I said, I I think this this little jet out here coming off of the the gymnasium and then into the circle Yep. We know individuals are gonna come in the driveway over there and and be navigating that. If there is anything that we can do, and I don't have a solution, I'll be perfectly honest with this, to make this an easier way, and so I'm opening it up to those individuals who hopefully maybe have a little bit more knowledge about traffic patterns, if anybody on the group wants to claim knowledge of that one. Just if we can figure out a better way to, a, improve flow for the buses, because I don't personally know the bus flow very well. And, also, if we if we could do something to kinda create a different divider to kind of give some parking to the community center because they're gonna use parking over here anyway. We know that. But, yes, still give that boundary to protect the students. So I'm just gonna throw these ideas out there. I don't have an answer for that, but that's the one big concern I saw when I first saw this. This is actually the first time. Monday was the first time I saw this overview. Oh, wow. I've seen the I've seen the the the front view and CAD program
as to its relationship to the buildings, and and I I think it sits fairly well where they put it. You
could put, like, a triangle gate that opens the bones and you could walk out of school? Maybe. Yeah. I mean, I I yeah. I don't know, but that's what I'm putting out here. Because like I said, I don't know the bus patterns very well.
What? I asked you the other question for you. You you you I don't what's the gate at the end of after those two parking spaces, probably, like, right there. Right? Because the buses usually turn
Yeah. They turn that. They don't go over They don't go on the town side.
Yeah. Well, I'm actually wondering if we could trim off this point over by the gymnasium a little bit to make that through fair over to the circle a little bit easier. So my concern would be that I don't think people should be going from the school parking lot to that circle. I feel like that's going to create accidents. Right. I think that that should be, like, a divided area where you can't go through there. Good option. Absolutely.
Because because all I foresee is someone driving through that circle and then trying to go back that way, and they're being a child or something. Right? It I think it's a disaster waiting to happen.
One thing that and you mentioned with the format and everything else, nobody has talked about, like, talking to a state trooper or the resident about our site security plan. So I have a list of questions here. I was gonna say that he needs to be brought in because we wouldn't identify, like, why we didn't have now that's not shared with the public for obvious reasons,
but we need to have that conversation. Well, if Valerie needs to Well, I have a said what she had asked. Hold on one sec. Valerie had already told us that she needs to provide security plans
We need to long before You have an evacuation plan right now that's gonna go out the window. Go out the window. Did they say why they need to start this prior to the last day of school? Because the school year ends early in June. I don't understand why it has to start before the school year ends because we have, as you guys know, the last week and a half of school, a lot of outdoor activities during the day. There was field day. There's a lot of activities, and it is very troubling that there would be activity going on out there. We've waited this long. I don't understand why they can't wait two more weeks. Wouldn't you also need to modify the evacuation plan for Yeah. I mean, on top of just going through my list here based on what Chris just said. I mean, we have ended the year activities that are outside.
And if if they're planning on that I mean, I I thought that their start date had to also be something that was discussed sitting down with you guys. Well, number one, that And No. I think exactly is we haven't moved to that. Last of discussions happened. And by the way, that that date was just put out there today. What was it? June what? June 4. No. And, also, it could have been because they said their intention was to be done by the end of the school year, so maybe that's why they're looking at it. And it's a simple question of saying, you know, we have to give them enough time to do the project. So if our preference is, can you wait two weeks and start? And if that means you're there two weeks in the school year, at some point, they have to be able to do the project. But when we start the school year,
we already have to have plans in place because construction's not gonna be over. So we're gonna be ready by the opening of school I see. I'm saying that they get to a discussion with them based on the we're not. Okay. So on Monday, we learned that
the application to planning and zoning Nothing. Is not going to occur until another month at least. Mhmm. And I'm curious how there's going to be anything proceeding until number one, it gets approved by planning and zoning. That's the application. Number two, we have board of ed approval that we've already informed them is required. How is there any idea and event? I'm not expressing any Right. Yeah. Thing about the community center. I'm simply saying timing wise, I have no belief that that will be able to occur in June. We're here on April 19. The next planning and zoning is is it the third or fourth week of May, Anne? It'll be the fourth week of May this month. Week of May. There's no way There's no way. That an application hearing and and any of that can occur in June as far as I know.
Fair question. But
and on that end, I mean, that's their responsibility to get. Right? The p and z. That's not a clear But it also affects us. I mean, it does. And we're we're having a discussion, but I think So so the end of the year activities, Chris, are something that
they need to know. I mean Yeah. We we we're not gonna budge on those at from the school end. We're we're just not going to. I mean, this is gonna be going on for quite some time if you guys approve it, and so
I just don't see why the two last two weeks of the school Yeah. Yeah. But you are almost seem like it's malicious. Maybe they were trying to No. No. No. But I'm just saying that's that's a concern. We also do question before you offer that. Each other because Gretchen can't take the notes, guys. Sorry. That's okay. I'm I'm That's alright. Guilty of it also. But I was just to say She just keeps looking up, and I'm like, okay. The,
I guess my question is, do we have anything planned over there? Yes. We use the whole Yeah. Back every day. Okay. Field day is one of them. You know, we have a lot of other activities I'm just saying that too. Yeah. Ice cream truck Field day is one of doing that. So we also do need to be able to inform parents of things that are going on. We need notice. We don't have a calendar of events. Like, we don't have anything. Like, they do need to have notice of that.
Will another question is, well, so Before we go off that, so from calendar events, I think what we should do is we should go back and we should say, we would like to know as best as you can tell us because construction never goes to the schedule. Right? You know, when you think you're gonna start and think, obviously, I'm not sure if they they have a good data on that yet. But when are they gonna start? If there's any
what do we want to what do we want to get from them that we want to tell the parents? We really we need as much detail as possible. The vagueness can't happen with parents. We can't say construction's gonna occur. We don't know what kind of a construction. We don't know when. We don't know if there's anything that's gonna be in the environment for your kids. I mean, we we need as much information as possible. We really do for them. The I mean, I I'm speaking for parents right now in saying that they're going to have 10,000 questions, and they have a right to. And for me not to be able to answer those 10,000 questions, I mean, I have three parents on the board right now. If you your head's probably like, oh, I'm gonna be asking this question and that question. If we have, you know, children with allergies, there's gonna be dust in the air. It's gonna there's a gazillion things that we need to know. And so for them to say, well, we'll have weekly check ins with you after June 1, it just that's not acceptable. There are things that we need to know ahead of time. We have to tell parents hear this even at town meetings. We have to tell parents when we're going to spray for something. We have to tell parents when we're going to do, you know, the tick spray. Like, there are requirements for that. So I I I think this generic
oh, we're just spending on breaking ground on the first, and we don't really have any plans to to to to right now, that isn't enough. I I I need to be able to tell parents things. Let me just go through my list before I forget. Will all the workers be on the other side of the fence? You said they're gonna put up a temporary fence. Will they have access still to our backyard, to our children? Steve alluded to that. Is this a a fence that is a secure fence that can be locked, or is this a fence where if if it's the temporary yellow ones, adults can get over it, so can some of our children. Very easily. Yes. Walkie talkie. Construction fence.
Okay. I just wanna go through this while I think of it. Walkie talkies, they cannot be on our walkie talkies because of, laws regarding children, and we would be potentially, you know, saying, you know, hey. Can you come get Mary Jane because she had a seizure? Those things can't happen on on a walkie talkie that a stranger is on. So we will have to talk to them about another way. We absolutely need to have communications,
but we wouldn't be able to have communications in in that manner. And I didn't know if our walkie talkie system had, like, multiple channels maybe. That we could be on one. We could we isolate them to another one, but they were also fine with having a separate set. So
Thank you. Weekly meetings, obviously, we would have to to know who would be part of of those meetings as well, you know, as we do that. School calendar is not a problem. We've already approved the school calendar. And so we know what day students are in school and not in school. We don't have every activity, and things of that nature. So and then in terms of, yeah, the traffic, we would it's not just the patterns for the parents. You said the majority of their equipment would be on the firehouse side. We would have to know if there's any equipment that's gonna be on our side. So we would have to know if there's one area that's just off limits for us in the parking area because they're going to have stuff there or do you know what I mean? Like, it it has to be specific. Or the fence needs to, like Right. Extend around it. Yeah. So those are definitely
And and I think to the the large equipment piece, I I think that the the if there were any situations where a large piece of equipment had to be up here, that would need to come out in those weekly meetings so that so that you would be aware of that. But from what I've been told so far and granted, not talking to construction people, is that the reason why they're using the fire lot is because it's much easier to get into rather than trying to navigate this little itty bitty lot here and get back out.
So the fire lot is much easier, and then they can also come back around the community. But I can Is that what they're doing on the way down area? Yeah. Yeah. So the question I would also have for them is if since they do already know who these site people are because they've hired them, and, you know, once it's approved, they're planning on starting. Is there a way that we can have them out to the school now, where we could kind of do a walk through with them and be able to I mean, if that would help them plan for the next eight months, nine months, however long it is they're gonna be here, I think that that is definitely valuable for them to take a walk through so that they can you know, if they're walking through with one of us in a visitor's badge and they could see our day to day operation so that they can we can say, oh, this is what happens normally here. This is what normally happens here. This is do you know what I'm saying? Just so that they have an idea of kind of what goes on here and what they need to work around. Because right now, they're working in the fictitious because they can't imagine, you know, what goes on here and things like why they couldn't have a walkie talkie. So I would really, you know, really love it if they could cooperate and have us be able to talk to on the school side here, be able to talk to these people even before anything happens.
I I would say it would make the most sense at this point if we're talking, like, a week or two weeks to ask them. Okay. It'll be a lot of you to get the heavy stuff that, like, started after summer starts. You can go a lot of the heavy stuff, and then we can plan during the summer. You can have whatever meetings you need, what have you. Like five I mean, anything that means a day after school ends or at 04:00 on the last day of school, they wanna break ground. Great. But I think that would gives you time to do whatever the parents you know, it's yeah. And, again, I'm I'm thinking that they likely pick the date thinking, okay. Well, if this is a projected time, we'll be done because they pointed that out before school starts thinking they were doing this. Just so I think if we just let them know, hey. It'll be easier if it's still going when school starts than it would be for you to do it at the end. Absolutely. And and I think, you know,
being the representative of the board of education and and representing, I think, what the group has tried to put together, there is an interest, all the time, of working closely together in making this happen. So
No. Ultimately, that should be the goal of all of us. We're at the same. I yes. We have worked so much, but but we are all in the town of Andover trying to you know, we wanna see this happen. We should be able to get along when it's kinda ridiculous where it's gotten. So I I hope I I think what they're proposing I mean, the fact that you were able to have the discussion, and it seems like it wasn't a big deal for them to move those parking spaces based off of your request as you know, and we're able to they're open to us, the feedback. So I
yeah. I'll probably use for that. So thank you. I still don't like how it's it seems more reactionary for us rather than being a part of the process. Yes. What I personally don't like. And I I I worry about, okay. If if we're having to react to something like that, what's the next thing we have to react to? How much time is there gonna be for us to react to make sure that our kids care?
Yeah. That's my big worry. But the times that we've asked for together meeting have
not occurred. Gonna have to occur. It has not occurred as of yet. If they don't have our approval to go forward as we've informed them legally, They can't go forward. My my suggestion,
as I have relayed to Jerry, is that I believe at this point in time, to be successful, we need to have a board of select board of education out. Yeah. Can
you say that again, Chris? I didn't get that. Have a board of select Joint meeting. A joint meeting. Wait. I'm two Selectmen? Two entities. Have we not already asked for that? We have. Okay. I just wanted to clarify. And that they only wanted to meet with Jerry and Chris and two or three representatives from the town,
and that's how it occurred. And those meetings have you had one or two meetings, and they've since stopped. Correct? Two meetings, I think. Now they're I went to one. And now you're the representative for the board of ed on the construction meetings. Yes. When when did the last one occur, Chris? Three
weeks ago, four weeks ago. So, yeah, we did you note about June 1 today? I actually sat down with Adrian and had a conversation that was the kind of follow-up for Monday because I'm like, hey. Yeah. What happened? Because I knew I knew he went away he went out of town, and then then I I was busy the following week, and then I logged in the the following week after that for the Wednesday meeting. Yeah. And it wasn't there. And that's why I sent a note to him, and I said, hey. What's going on? They're like, oh, yeah. We're we're working on the contracting stuff and those kinds of things. And, you know, and so that we were planning on getting together this week, and that was what we said was we would get together before we meet tonight because we've been busy this week.
So that was the answer. Well, I I guess I would just second what Michael said, which is it feels very much not only reactionary, but with respect to you, like, we're not really being part of the process. And putting you into that committee was the objective of having you involved in the process. You're not only your liaison, but you're our representative to the construction committee or whatever we're calling it to be able to provide our questions and to have them answered. And in a timely enough fashion that we could do our job and Val can do her job. No. I'm confused. And that's not being addressed, and that continues
to concern me. I'm confused, though, as a word, because I thought that's what literally was just happening. He was bringing the questions back to or bringing the information back to us. He was answering questions where we're not being involved.
We're not being he's we're not being involved as far as for example, Chris, you said the last meeting occurred three weeks ago. And all of a sudden, at his request or whatever, he had a meeting today and learned of a June 1 potential foundation for it. Now if he's really part of the committee, how has anything that's occurred in the last three weeks been occurring without his involvement? That's my concern. So if he's our liaison, great. I'm not talking about him reporting to us because he's had nothing to report because the meeting hasn't occurred for three weeks. I'm talking about Chris' being involved in all of the discussions that are occurring with regard to the construction of the community center, which I'm concerned is not occurring. So I'll just express that concern. That's Whether it whether it is or it isn't, I I don't know, but it feels very,
not involved. And and I'll be honest. I I don't know how much the other parts of the group have been involved in the conversation. The last meeting we had was actually over at town hall, and and all of a sat down in in Eric's office and kinda walked we're walking through the budget and all those things and kinda making decisions on what was being included and what was being cut out of budget to try to get it down to the number that I believe Jeff McGuire wanted. So I don't know how involved the other individuals in the community the committee have been either.
I'm just be the one off or I could be the dorm. I No. I I'm asking I I guess what I would be interested in and and to ask you to ask is how often is the committee meeting? I mean, especially if we're looking at June 1, especially if we're looking at supposedly BSC engineers making a presentation on an application that's going to have to be discussed. I imagine it's other committee to PZC in a month. So my concern is, as we always talk about, like, we've all become aware, whether or not there are off the book meetings or meetings occurring of the committee in of which you're not informed, you're not involved, and whether that's occurring. Now it sounds like people have been on vacation. You've been busy. I'm not trying to criticize the committee. I'm just saying I would be interested to know if that's occurring, and I very much want especially because this you're our liaison that you're informed of everything, and I'm concerned that that's not happening.
Can I can I also just make make one point or just ask the question, you know, when we do notify parents that that this is, you know, this is starting and all of that, how how are we going to handle all of the questions that Val and Taylor are going to be having? Are we gonna if some are we gonna allow the parents a meeting or something? Because they're they're going to have a lot of questions. And I just wanna I wanna I want us to be there to support Valerie and to support Taylor when they get asked all of these questions. So I I don't again, I'm not we don't have to come up with an answer, but I just want that to be on kind of everyone's radar because once this does once Valerie does send this letter,
they're they're gonna get a lot of questions that I wanna be,
be be there to support her and to support Taylor. Yeah. I I mean, it it probably needs to be, like, some kind of open meeting where there's representatives from the planning committee as well as the principal and Valerie so that parents can people or any community member can come and ask questions. Imagine it needs to occur before maybe even before a letter goes out so that they don't get a letter and and get very, very
agitated immediately. You know, that we have a a preemptive letter. It's a great idea or preemptive meeting, Celeste, great idea to talk with the community,
and especially And Right. And then maybe we we get those we we get their concerns. So then as a board, we know what the major concerns are of the parents, so then we can relay that to, you know, back and I agree with Chris. I think we should have a board of selectmen, board of education meeting. Yeah. I think all all members, not just representatives. I think all members. And I just wanna thank you, Chris, for taking the time out of your schedule to attend these meetings, to report back, and to to hear what we have to say and to bring that back to the to to these meetings. I just wanna acknowledge
you doing that. So thank you. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you.
So so timeline wise, right, to recap, should probably be that there's some kind of meeting between the board of Ed and board of Selectmen, right, all members. And then after that, there should be some kind of notice sent out, right, to all members of our town, not just parents. Yep. Like and we should be able to ask the town clerk to do that the same way we do it for any town meeting so that people can come and ask questions either in person or via Zoom. I think it's very important that it be available both ways so that we are accessing that to our diverse population. K?
And and they could submit questions to our to our general email too if, you know, if they're they're not available. You know? If they don't wanna if, you know, if they don't wanna attend, but they have questions, they can certainly and then and then we have them. And then when we go to that board assessment board event meeting, these are the concerns of the parents. Is there an email address already set up specifically for this project for people to email questions? So perhaps that would be another, like, suggestion that I would give to the planning committee. Can I say something too? With
the planning and zoning end, our next meeting is the fourth Monday in May. That's when they're gonna put bring the application to us for being able to build that. They have to then schedule a public hearing. Yep. So anybody in the town could come with their questions. Yeah. And that's at the last that's gonna be the fourth Monday in June. And then after that, we'll decide we will give them a special permit. It's a special permit, which they changed the zoning rules about two months ago so that they could at least get a special permit. Before that, they weren't even allowed to do that.
But so there'll be openings for the anybody in town to talk at the public hearing. Can I ask you a question on that? And that this is only because I find myself being fairly uninformed often about multiple town meetings. Mhmm. How is it publicized that that meeting is occurring? Like, I I think it's very important that everyone in our community is aware of those things occurring. So is it just on the town website? Is it put in the paper? Is it emailed to people? Is it sent through texting?
You have to be careful, though, because you're also now talking about there's a budgetary requirement to that. There's a cost to so every time there's a meeting and what determines whether that meeting's important or It depends on it depends on the determination of the chair of the particular board. So, for example,
Jed graciously informed us because he knew it was important to us Yeah. Monday's meeting. Right? If it's a PZC meeting and it's a public hearing, that's gonna get to them and determine reveries. It's gotta be the reveries. Legal admin. Also, there's gotta be a And it may end up on the Andover page too. There's gotta be a legal notice that they put into the River East. That doesn't mean that everybody I'm I can guarantee you 99% of the people like me don't go to the legal notice. I see. So then it's a matter of of looking and finding out how we put it on. And I think maybe what should happen, if you could take this back, would be just like we were informed of votes and whatnot by kind of a special alert or text, we similarly should be informed of any public hearing. We're gonna however we're informed of the town budget meeting
should occur also. That's sent as a letter in the mail. Yeah. But I don't think that it's not up to me. That's the problem. It's up to the I just I just bring it up because I think it's important for for people who have questions to be able to know where that I would say I would say is, you know, whether the people that are involved in the community or if it's an elected person or whatever
would be hoof us if we think that's important, then we can share it Yeah. Personally. Yes. But if we And I will. If it comes to the point where because that public notice you're talking about is the one that Mailer because I looked into it was 800 and something dollars Yep. Every time that happens. Yep. So there's yeah. We can share it with whoever. I think that was probably the but I you know, it's just careful because we don't know, like, it's they're having a regular P and Z meeting. So to, like, think that they're gonna be forced to publicize it in a different way.
No. I just wanted to ask how it was already. Because there's no reason that we can't have Taylor share something like that in the, you know, the newsletter that she sends out to parents because a lot of people read that. My question comes in.
With based on what you're telling me. Yeah. No. That's what's They're not gonna be able to launch this project. No. No. They cannot get a building permit until at least July 1. That's what I'm saying. So they wanna start earlier.
They can't. They can't. Start earlier. Or can is it possible as we have special meetings, this p, z, and c?
We occasionally have had a special meeting, but usually that's been, like, go out to have a site visit. I don't know if we would have a what the deadlines are for probably, we'd have to let at least two weeks notice from the time we get the application until we schedule a public hearing. Yeah. I think it'd to be at least two weeks. There's mandatory time period for that. I would also remind that you
didn't go to a meeting to get this information. You sat down with one individual who has been inaccurate on things in the past on occasion. So it maybe that was more of his goal and not actually approved by anyone. Mhmm. You know? So before you know, that that maybe it sounds more like what this is because that doesn't sound like a timeline in which June 1 would fit. So Okay. Just wanna make sure we remember that as we're committing the tone we go to them when saying about not being informed. We might be informed, and this is just somebody's hopes and dreams that we're hearing about being spoken as if they were actual, like, somebody approved it when they haven't been approved by anybody yet.
K. So the one final thing that I I don't know that I wanted to make sure everybody was aware of is they provided us maps that we all got on our email from Monday's meeting just so you know. Because looking at this, I wouldn't know. But they're according to Eric, the town is going to be pursuing a point one acre deed from the school to the town, which is reflected on, in my thing, map number two, which provides for the proposed building and the proposed parking spaces and whatnot and is the basic, I think you've already referred to it, Caitlin, kind of triangle that then kind of cuts through the Gazebo property and yeah. So proposed drive is where it is. So
so I might maybe I'm confused then because I thought the I thought the proposed deed line was, like, the lighter dotted one that's, like, super close to the So
the there are two things that we learned on Monday also that I there was a first deed, which is the lighter thing Okay. The lighter deed line. Yeah. And then there's a darker one, which is our current d line. Right? Yes. Those are the two I understand. Where it says 200? Yeah. Okay. Great. So if you go on to the to the right of that Yeah. I as you're looking at it and you see some proposed drive Okay. You see kind of Yep. The one the line the line that goes like this. Yes. I'm trying to remember my geometry. So, Scalene, thank you. Scalene trying to execute. Says the math teacher. Shaw.
Thank you very much. That's what we haven't received a proposal. We haven't received a request. Okay. But my understanding for Monday's meeting is that the town is going to ask the school to deed that point one acre property, and I don't know the where the calculations were about, to the town Okay. To facilitate that. Now Instead of the other one. Correct? I don't know instead of what? Instead of Instead of the lightly colored dotted d to begin with. Oh,
the dotted d line is the first d from 1946. No. No. No. No longer is appropriate applicable. Yeah. That's what I'm saying. Instead of this one,
they're asking for this. Correct? Well, this this one as in what they proposed to begin with. No. That's the old d. That's the old d. Yeah. There's two d lines. So keep in mind, this what you're looking at here, this piece is a small version of this one. This is the beginnings of the a two survey. Yeah. Talking about I'm asking my And so I thought this is what they were asking for the last time. It was this and then swapping out the this part.
So this is what they're asking for. It's just trying to This triangle is what they're asking for. Okay. So they're no longer asking for anything else except the small triangle. Small triangle. As far as was said on Monday. Okay. Thank made a formal proposal yet. Okay. Can we I missed all of that. These were the same. It's public information. I mean, so these should be included. Can we include these with the minutes?
Yeah. That's a good one. Yeah. Sure. So the just so everybody is clear, the triangle is looks absolutely necessary to facilitate them actually being able to complete circle that they proposed Yes. And to make a driveway big enough. What we also learned on Monday is regarding parking and whatnot, there's a concern about nobody really being able to park because then if there was an emergency vehicle around the circle, it could not get around a fire department vehicle could not get around. A larger truck couldn't get around. They think they're gonna park around the circle? No. There's gonna be no parking around the circle. I wouldn't think there would be. However they couldn't They also not gonna designate a loading zone because if they had a designated loading zone, then it would take up one of the handicapped parking spaces that has been designated, and they need all of those handicapped parking spaces. So I'm just telling you guys a couple things that I was concerned about on Monday that are gonna have to be ironed out before they make an application to PNC, hopefully in a month. And that application is a matter of public record. So Okay. We will have to review. And, Chris Yep. Nope. Chris has got the expertise, but those are things that concern me on Monday. And the other thing that concern me on Monday was
Eric referring to the land, the parking spaces, whatnot as merged use. I don't know if it has a legal definition, but As what? As what? As what? Use.
Merge use? Okay. I don't know if there's a legal definition of that. I would think there is, but he's consistently referring to it as merged property, merged parking spaces,
concerns me. So just from a legal perspective. The only thing I wanna point out too, however, is they did admit or they did comment, and it's in writing, I believe, that that they will be responsible for maintaining the lower parking lot.
Only the lower parking lot. They did? Yeah. It's in writing that the town is responsible for All of the maintenance of the lower parking lot. Excellent. Where is that right now? That was that was in the extra sheet. There was that are down. Here's the previous one. Okay.
So our parking lot's responsibility is kinda. Yeah. Second page. Yeah.
What does that mean? That's a great question. Is it the paving, the lining, the Yeah. Everything for it?
But not the upper All parking areas are owned by the town of Andover and should be considered shared parking for multiple uses. Now how does that say they're being responsive this for it? Parking. Right.
What's the first line say? It says all parking areas. All parking areas are Owned by the town of Ono, by the town of Ono, Therefore,
that is they're required to continue. Okay. I see where you got that. Maybe it should be more specifically spelled more specific. But like how you're reading it. But of floor case. Yeah. Yes. But also along with that, like, I I still so my my only, like, worry with all of this is I still am super concerned about the fact that there's traffic that can go through from the school to where the circle is gonna be. It absolutely terrifies me. I think that for emergency vehicles, yes, there should be some kind of gate there. There should be signs. Like, I foresee accidents happening, and it really terrifies me. Is there not a reason why there can't be parking over here?
I that has to be there in general. Like, why
sorry. With the with the gazebo here, like, does this need to stay, this giant island? Why can't they put parking over here? That's one of the things I wanted to suggest was So that's my suggestion. On the island. Yep. And then and then, also, I think there needs to be a safety gate. They would still need our permission because that's our property. Yep. It should be down the Gazebo Island. And and that's why and that's why when I when I said I I mean, I specifically pointed it out. This is my concern is this traffic flow is my Absolutely.
I was I was offered the opportunity to come up with suggestions to pass back. And, Mike, we'll we'll take a look at it. So You're not a traffic engineer. So but then there's two suggestions. Respectfully
taken. I have no problem with that. But that's two suggestions. Right? There needs to be a swinging gate for emergency use only to block that so that people can't drive back and forth. Right? And then make the gazebo thing smaller and put more parking there so that there's parking on that side of the of the traffic.
You're making a community center. Do we need a gazebo out here that isn't gonna That is far removed from where that is. Yeah. Take money. So when I just wanna make sure I understand the timing because we haven't formally been asked to do anything. Nope. I mean, I haven't heard anything. Nope. When would that have to happen in this process? If For them to ask us? Like, when would they I think we need to Before it goes back to PNC? Right. Yep. That's what I'm so
If they're gonna make an application that includes land that has not yet been deeded to them, they can't make that application as legally as far as I know. I mean, I
we need to get a lot of questions answered first. But once we get to that point, you know, I personally like, I think it's a dis. I think we should be open to the discussion of beating a triangle parking lot that would be on the opposite side of where we're at and a part of a gazebo that's not we don't use anyways. Like, I just wanna make sure we don't immediately shut down. Like, make have them be open to discussion, and then we are open to the discussion on saying, no. That's our triangle. Yeah. So so let's by all, say this. Right? We would like to have a discussion so that this whole project can move forward. Very well put.
Succeed. The only other thing And I wanna geek. The only other thing that came up when that No. No. Center of buyer's aware, it's a beautiful if you look at that one diagram, the big the big version of it, there is some property over on the right hand side of the school, which I believe you're aware. Oh, yes. Yes. There's a there's a there's a property line alignment that that that doesn't make sense. The records don't lie. I know it's shocking over a 100 years, that needs to be there needs to be a conversation with property owners and some There needs to be a boundary line agreement Yep. Required
legally between the property and the town and the school, I think. Because I think there's only about a thousand square feet that affects the school property, and then there's another 4,000 square feet that I didn't I couldn't understand whether that was school or town property. But there needs to be an agreement among all three entities.
For us to get the a two for for them to sign off on the a two survey.
Yes. And I would imagine that has to occur before an application could be made also.
Chris, I have a question. In any of these meetings, did they bring up that the fire department or the fire commission or the fire, you know, that they that they have ok'd
this rotary and access? Like, all of that, has has that been brought up at all during any of your meetings? It has not been brought up in any of our meetings. But but to be but to be honest, Celeste, the vast majority of our meetings that I I sat through was inside design. Okay. So like I said, I mean, part of it was kitchen layout. Part of it was what kind of flooring is going to go in. Part of it was why are we getting charged this much money for a blank basement? Why are we getting you know? So that was a lot of that conversation. There there wasn't any conversation I was involved in for the most part, I would say, from from the outside. Okay. Just just curious. Thank you.
And you know, because Vastian's been involved with this at all? Sure. So the state trooper? No. Because he would be I know he knows he's the one that does our our school plan and can point out Yeah. Things like the parking or other things. He's he knows that better than there are very few people who have access to that plan. We would want once before any kind of I would request that that security committee meet to look and see if there are any other because, for example, at one point, we looked at doing a fence in the back because that was something that we wanted to keep people up and determine that, apparently, for some reason, there was a reason from a security standpoint that we didn't do that. So So I'm gonna hopefully conclude this by making a motion
with that. We propose to the board of selectmen a joint meeting between the board of selectmen, all five members, the board of education, all seven members, the superintendent of schools. Terry, do you need to be involved? I don't No. And potentially the principal of the school if she needs determine she needs to be involved. The town manager? As soon as oh, and to include the town manager. Absolutely. I I good point. I was thinking of our personnel for our for the motion, but, yeah, to occur as soon as it can be coordinated.
I might ask to modify that motion a little bit. You can Only only because only because and it's it's I wanna make sure that we make progress, and I think there's some issues between the two boards Mhmm. That we need to iron out before we invite anyone else in.
I don't I don't know that we're gonna be able. So I wouldn't approve of the friendly amendment only because given the time frame that I'm hearing from you that they want to break ground, I don't see us being able to schedule two meetings in quick succession. One, to work out our issues without anybody else there, and two, to really discuss construction of a community center. So I think we need everybody to be all of the
interested parties to be involved. And I think we need a separate meeting as well with just board of select and board of education. Because I think we have some issues between the two boards that need to be ironed out. I don't know that that all can occur at one meeting.
That's all I'm suggesting. I think it probably will not occur at one meeting because of how those discussions will Okay. Go. I I would my thought would be I would So I guess agree.
I think in order for the second meeting to be effective, we should get to it. Okay. So I will withdraw my motion.
Chris, would you like to make a motion? I would like to make a motion that we've that we establish a meeting between all members of board of selectmen and all members of board of education. To? To discuss the working relationship between the two boards. I will second that motion. Just a discussion.
So you say to improve the working relationship between the two board. Oh, to discuss the working relationship. So that is not to exclude discussion about the community center. Is that correct?
Yes. It's just going to focus on board to board relationship. I mean, I I suspect as part of that board to board relationship, that will come up as well as with some of the other conversations that we've had, but that is not the focus, I think, of that meeting.
The reason why I'm questioning is there was an informal meeting. Was it in December or not? November. November that Valerie and I went to with Jeff McGuire and Eric Anderson, and it did not go well. They asked for that piece of a bigger piece of land to which I believe we got a legal opinion on. Mhmm. And the legal opinion advised us against advised against giving it up. It they advised us to work together with them in a collaborative way and that we retain ownership of our property because once you give it up, it's gone. So that was what came out of that sequence. Maybe
So so we made a motion, and it's been seconded. We're having a discussion about it. But I think anytime you have a joint meeting, it's now gonna be up to the board of selectmen to respond to our request for a joint meeting and create an agenda for that meeting. And I don't know if we can be as broad or as limited, but I don't wanna have a discussion about construction of a community center without our superintendent being involved because she's the one who knows all the questions. So She's got the questions that she needs answers. She does. And we need them answered before anything can move forward.
So And I don't think those questions have to wait until we have this meeting. I mean, I'm happy to carry those questions back. Oh, sure. I mean, so there's no reason we can't continue down the path we've been going. Is there another meeting scheduled? What do you call yourselves? I'm calling you the construction committee. Sure. That sounds like a great Okay.
Is there another meeting scheduled for that? No. Okay. Okay. More discussion on the I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cut it off.
The So agenda well, if the meeting were to happen, how would the agenda
It's a joint agenda where where the board chair to the chair or for selectman, who's the chair of the board of selectman, would agree on the terms of issues for the agenda. Adjoints. If it's a joint meeting, it's gotta be a joint agenda. Sure. So
we're gonna have a meeting between the two boards to talk about how we can better communicate with one another and work together. And that's that's all okay. Can I finish? Yes. And that's and that and that's all we're gonna talk about. And then at the then we're gonna have another meeting to talk about the construction of this, the and how how this is how the construction of the community center. Correct. That's what's been proposed. Okay.
But I think the first agenda for the first meeting board to board needs to be very focused, and it needs to be very
Well, that's what I was saying. I like the word that Celeste used. It was communication.
Right. That was the But I like working relationship because there's more than communication. It's also how we talk about one another in public and all of that fun stuff. So Alright. I'm gonna move the motion. Great. Call the motion. There we go.
K. Anybody have anything else? All in favor? Aye. Aye. Any opposed?
Any extensions? Seven zero zero. And I hope it helps with with your relationship. I'll tell you something. For years, I've been on this board. Seven. Seven years. That relationship has not been really good, and I would hope that it would improve. Thank you for the liaison report. Yeah.
Thank you, Natalie, for your all you've done to try to pull us together here and keep us informed. And 55, Valerie, can you send me any questions you have?
Give it to me, and I'll I'll send feedback. Yeah. Awesome. I mean, I took notes on some of them certainly. But
CIP has not had a meeting recently, so I don't have anything to report from there. I do know that at one of our meetings, we were talking. It's gonna be coming down the pipe. Most recent one was a new fire truck being requested by the fire commission, but that's certainly gonna be something addressed by the whole town. It's not necessary for the board of education. If I need to take something ever from CIP or the capital improvement, Terry, I'm the liaison right now. Anybody else could happily do it Nope. To to their to the meeting. I'm busy. Okay? How about things like the floor?
Well, I I don't know. That's not something that it's very strange. I think it's not something that we need the town's approval on, so it's not really a capital improvement that needs to go in the plans for the town. But as liaison, I usually take to them anything that the school was doing. Like, I took the roofing. I would take the roofing updates and whatnot.
Anything else? How much from the public budget? Any public question? Nope. Nope. Anne. Anne is here. Anne's here. Oh. Good point.
No more Anne? Nothing else to add. I already put my 2¢ here.
I make a motion to go into executive session for the purpose of discussion of the superintendent's contract at 09:11. I'll send it. Well, Jerry, you're seconded? Yep.
I thought you were telling me. No. No. No. I have to write down this stuff. It's the quote. It's. Right.
So this is under other action items. Vote to approve the superintendent's contract as discussed in the executive session. Make a motion that we approve the superintendent's contract as discussed for the following school years, 2023 to 2024, 2024 to 2025, and 2025 to 2026. Is there a sec? Second. Yes. K. Any discussion? All in favor, say aye. Aye. Aye.
Purposes of correction, 700. I'll wait, Tim. Thank you. Yep. Congratulations.
Thank you. You're staying late. Thank you for doing all you do for us. K. Meetings to the regular board meeting on 05/10/2023. I have the next meeting. Policy.
Is this new policies for just the medical mandate? Oh, yes. There will be two changes proposed to medical policies based on those statutes that I gave you guys. They're small, but we'll have to do that. K. K.
Your motion for Motion for your Oh, I make the motion to I know you. You're.
They might not be there, but that's my motion. I'll write you. Celeste, I'll put you in for Gretchen's purposes at 09:57, buddy. Okay. Let's stop recording. K. I seconded it. I have a quick question for you. Anybody
else can come before they go home with Steve? I do Still recording, by the way. Good night. Yeah. Know. I'm talking.