--- title: "Stamford Select Board — March 6, 2025" date: 2025-03-06 session: regular speaker_labels: 1 cluster(s) named from the roll call and that meeting's chair in the minutes, 1 named from roster attendance, 8 of 10 clusters unnamed voice_ids: {"SPEAKER_00":19,"SPEAKER_02":72,"SPEAKER_03":1,"SPEAKER_04":2,"SPEAKER_07":9,"SPEAKER_08":10,"SPEAKER_09":7,"SPEAKER_10":3,"SPEAKER_11":5,"SPEAKER_12":4} duration_min: 103 audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_Pc844oj_Y audio_source: YouTube (@jgramlin78) minutes: https://townofstamfordvermont.org/mediaItems/Sbd%20Minutes%203-6-25.pdf minutes_pending: false present: [Nancy L. Bushika, Douglas Wright, Michael G. Denault, John Dunn, Kurt Gamari] absent: [] transcribed: 2026-10-12 (faster-whisper large-v3, CUDA; names corrected per data/name_fixes.json) diarization: pyannote/speaker-diarization-3.1 (automated; cluster labels may over-split a single voice; unattributed paragraphs have no reliable speaker) --- # Stamford Select Board — March 6, 2025 **Session:** Regular · **Duration:** 103 min · [Audio](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_Pc844oj_Y) · [Minutes](https://townofstamfordvermont.org/mediaItems/Sbd%20Minutes%203-6-25.pdf) **Present:** Nancy L. Bushika, Douglas Wright, Michael G. Denault, John Dunn, Kurt Gamari --- 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. Welcome to a meeting of the State Procedure Lecture. We have a matter to discuss that is not included on the agenda. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** You may enter by addressing the chairperson of the State Procedure Address. You will notice that all the meetings are recorded, and this is to aid with the summarization of the minutes. Visitors are welcome, and you are allowed five minutes of comment from the visitor and fifteen minutes of comment. Discussions will be held in a calm and civilized manner, and respectful of others. Select board members present are Will there be any adding of items or removing of items from tonight's agenda? Will there be any adjustments to the agenda, such as changing the order of items? And tonight's meeting is being recorded. Thank you. Will there be any adjustment to the agenda, such as changing the order of items from tonight's agenda? And tonight's meeting is being recorded. I do not. You do. Yes, you do. She has just without their witness. I solemnly swear that I will be truly faithful to the state of Vermont, **Speaker 1:** and I will not happily or indirectly bring an act or thing injurious to the Constitution or the Constitution of the United States of America. in front of a government in a row to help me out. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** I do. Mr. Walmart, I... Mr. I am in the government hall. Mr. ...do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of select only member of the town of Stamford who will therein do equal right and justice to all persons to the best of her judgment and ability according to law to help me out. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** I do. Thank you. **Speaker 2:** Now, I don't really need to be swore in but my kid, I'm just curious... Oh, you do! **Speaker 1:** Oh yeah, that's true! **Speaker 3:** I thought it did. No, it didn't. I thought it did. **Speaker 4:** Right. That's what I was thinking. I thought I did it before. Yeah, I thought she did it before. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Because she just asked me, did you get so already? Yeah. **Speaker 2:** You should speak out. **Speaker 1:** Do solemnly swear that I will be true and faithful to the state of Vermont and that I will not directly or indirectly do any act or thing injurious to the Constitution or government thereof. So help me God. Again, I, Nancy Bushika, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of select board member for the town of Stamford and will therein do equal right and justice to all persons to the best of my judgment and ability according to law. So help me God. So help me God. I didn't know you were going to do it. You said it was me. Yeah. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** The first order of business is reorganization. Reorganization of the board. Can I have a motion to nominate someone as chairman of the board? **Speaker 4:** I'll nominate Nancy Bushika. Second. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Any in favor? All in favor. Any discussion or anybody else want to do it? No. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** All in favor. We need a vice chair, Lori. Yes. Any nominations for vice chair? **Speaker 5:** I have no objections at all. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Second. Any discussion on this? Anybody else want to do it? All in favor? All in favor? Aye. **Speaker 5:** Clerk? Who's the clerk right now? **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Oh, it's me. Oh, Kirk? Yes. I nominate Kirk. Second. Oh, that was quick. I'd rather be chair than a clerk. All in favor? I thought they both do the same amount of paperwork. Right there. Thank you. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Now, Lori gave us a list of appointments. I believe that's all we need for today. Thank you. Thank you. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Thank you. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. **Speaker 6:** Thank you. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Do we have anything to do for that? Correct. Lori gave us some appointments. A couple of meetings ago, we sent out letters to the officers whose term were going to be up in March, and we asked if they wanted to be reappointed, and Lori got letters and phone calls, and she has given them to us, so how do you want to do it? Zoning Board of Adjustment can go down. Sure. Okay, so Zoning Board of Adjustment. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Jean Kirkfield said yes, but happy to step down if someone else wasn't interested. Does that mean? **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Well that's, I guess, before we start this, we've had citizens question multiple boards. Some are for, some are against it. It may become a problem down the road. If we have other people interested on making a list for years, some of them, is it in the best interest of the town to change the way we're doing it? So we have some people that are on multiple boards. I'm talking not just two, but three to four or five. **Speaker 4:** I would agree if the board's very voting weight. Like if you're on that conservation committee, and then the Planning Board, I mean that's fine because they don't vote both. But if their boards are very voting weight, and boards that are directly related to each other, or for example the Planning Board creates laws, and the Zoning Board, the enforcement, enforces those very laws. **Speaker 4:** So, I mean, I can see where those two boards would be down there, for sure. At least in the environment where we're in. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** So in lieu of the new city, the new town, that's not a problem? The new state ethics laws. This is where I'm bringing this up. Things are changing. People are complaining. Ethically, is it, and I don't know it, again. I'm just bringing it up, because I think it should be brought up. Is it in the best interest of the town, and this is where we were talking last time about it, should we change things before there is, in our perception of ethics, or conflicts, I guess, should we change anything in order to avoid an ethical problem? Or should we just leave it status quo, and then when the complaints come, look at it better? This is, you know, I'm throwing this at the board. I'm not on one side or the other at this point, Sean. It's just kind of hit us, so it's really, it's a thought process that I know that when you became a slot board member, you're a great example, and you stepped down as a voting member on the Planning Board, but what I read in the handbook is, if my sole purpose of being a slot board member, **Speaker 7:** you're already a, I didn't want to say, **Speaker 4:** I knew that, but I was already pretty, see, math is a little ahead of Vermont, it's a little language, and I get bombarded with Massachusetts trainings all the time. So I already knew this notion of perceived. Yeah. So that changes everything, right? Anyone can perceive, I guess. One person out here that perceives it as an ethical problem. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Sure. There are members that have been here for 30 years on some of these boards, and that's a great commitment to the town, but on the other hand is we have, I guess you'd call it new blood that wants to step in and pick numbers and throw their hat in the air. And I don't know, maybe we should start, because these are appointed, maybe we should start thinking about that. If they went to elected, we wouldn't have to worry about it. We'd say, okay, if the Planning Board's elected, let it be, you know, but right now, and you know, the big three, our Select Board, the Zone Board, and the Planning Board, those are the three that make decisions and have voting. We just went through it with a sign, which I wish I'd never have to mention again. You know, our Select Board has to go and ask the Planning Board and Zone Board for their votes, and if we're on that board. **Speaker 4:** I mean, if you carry on, I mean, we have a lot of boards that are just like, congeniated boards, and go, oh, oh, oh, oh. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And all kinds of other, kind of, I don't know, sort of a gossip column or something. **Speaker 4:** I think the 15th Wow. I know that's in the Concentration Commission, but, and it's great. **Speaker 4:** It's great that the Board is getting more active about certain things, and they could definitely be advisory to other boards, but they don't carry any weight. They don't vote, right? **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Yeah, you know, I mean, we have a bunch of yeses on here that they want to continue to do it. My question would be is if there is someone else. Can I answer this again? **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** We should probably advertise so that they have a look especially the ones that say no we should put it out in public now to say that these openings are available if you're interested the only ones that know are the ones probably that read the letter or got the letter I looked at it **Speaker 4:** quick and for example over here we have one two three no's on Conservation Commission but there's already two people that submitted their names and I think there's not sufficient time where I think we should at least take those two and then post it for the other one or whatever I don't know I don't agree with **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** her I think we should open all three terms up and let anybody else open since **Speaker 4:** the first of the year essentially right now people got their reports people know that I would be privy enough to know that we want one of these seats that we **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** do this every year one more thing I would say is if we had someone who said no or you you know in the end we have that open seat we we don't already that's not actually what I'm trying to say what I'm trying to say is if I had someone said no and another person from the other board wanted it boost so once we start saying we don't really we don't really want the same people on these different boards conflicting boards we shouldn't go either way yes or no if I was on board and then it was an open for planning boards and say well nobody wants it I'll take it but I'm on the slide board right still say no the way I understand **Speaker 8:** that the rules is ultimately the final months are responsible for all I hate to **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** bring it up and drag this along tonight but on the other hand is this is one we have to talk about it and that ethics the change in ethics when the state has brought up so many people coming to the board **Speaker 4:** okay I was going to bring it up **Speaker 9:** I'll bring it up I got myself did you or did you pathway she was first one **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** don't get something so far no no no no gonna kind of she'll ever attention **Speaker 10:** someone will know you guys are discussion about thirty years on a board okay sure you don't come up in an its very seldom do you get anybody out especially our conservation okay we are supposed to be getting feedback from the selectmen on different lands and properties and just like that we never did so we belong to it and we've discussed some different things i've already just talked to dave and asked him is there something that he could ask us to help him to look at and stuff and he said just to feel comfortable meeting and talking our other ones have done the thing about this the windows and that we have enough people we we need one more person basically and that one person i would like to see her because she is also has secretarial work we need somebody that can write for us and ask david so busy with going in and interviewing in that lisa is on a planning board as secretary so we don't have that i'm not a good speller anymore so i have a great knowledge and there is enough people that you can get on there you can go up to 11 to 14 like you did with the planning board and all that so this is about this is about conflict **Speaker 4:** that you should seriously think you should seriously think about more but because you're in the center of the conflict you could be brought with an ethics violation if you're on the board absolutely if you're on the board that's making me on there if you're out of court that's making the laws and the institute on the local board that enforces those laws you are in in my opinion a conflict of interest **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** this is not a personal there is no ethics violations as we've talked about right now this is not a personal thing the state said we have to come up with ethnic policies the state said the state said that we have to have a policy in place okay so this life over has to put that policy in place okay so you didn't do it because you took a test that's what you took i understand you have to come up with this and because there is there's examples of conflict within boards we're talking about that now and looking and saying should we address it if you're on multiple boards and there could be a conflict just like kurt said the conservation committee there's really not going to be any conflict with that but on the planet border and zone borders very very likely that there will come a day that there's conflict and there's conflict within the board so Yes, we've already seen it actually within our own **Speaker 5:** I do as everybody knows I've been working very closely Yeah, and I think it's getting vastly over thought what about this? We're going crazy here. We've had one complaint and most complaints are easily rectified By the person like I said Sheila. We do have a conflict here That doesn't mean you have to get off the board it just means that I'm this subject all she would have to do is Recuse yourself every summer with a problem **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** One at a time **Speaker 4:** We're not making those accurate points. It's every subject Lord is writing the laws and the other branch is enforcing those laws **Speaker 5:** This is one of the things I'm talking about over thinking What about this another thing that scares me with this epic stuff is that somebody's got A bad attitude towards somebody. Oh, I'll get up here. This is something I can use I seen it done, but as a police officer, I had people come up and make false complaints We'll take the cops on you and I had that done more than once And that's what's bothering me. I think they're overthinking it now. We have people here that had expressed an interest if nobody else has what's wrong with a plane and this bit about Oh serving on two or three boards, we have that sheet that suggests which which positions might be in conflict with others Why don't we before we make a big deal out of this and spend the rest of the night? I want to move back and forth Why don't we look at that sheet and we'll look and then we'll be able to say to somebody well You may want to be careful of this or you know, maybe these things conflict, but let's know what conflicts before we start Going off into outer space. It's already taken us five or six weeks **Speaker 4:** All right, we kind of just with a conflict of interest a month ago We haven't done anything yet. So obviously we're moving into What do you mean you haven't done anything yet? I'd say a snail's pace **Speaker 5:** Snail's pace? Do you have a way to pick it up? I spoke with somebody I spoke with somebody that made a complaint. They know what the procedure is if they send that out to the the state and the state gets back to us then we'll do something we can also be **Speaker 11:** preemptive and avoid all this nonsense then why don't we even have a procedure **Speaker 5:** if everything is going to be different well let's do it local of course then somebody might say well I'll go and say to my buddy Kirk or I'll go to my buddy Doug or I'll go to my buddy Mike we have a simple procedure that's already going on Doug we have a simple procedure no I don't think it is going on except for stuff like this petty arguments and overthinking it's not overthinking it's not a move on it just came about so let me leave the floor to Mr. Mimari for the rest of the meeting **Speaker 4:** let's just vote on it Jim you had your hand raised I'm afraid to say anything **Speaker 5:** I won't interrupt you don't worry I just did **Speaker 12:** I just had a suggestion so two things one one one I feel like this board is tasked with it's a huge task to do what you're doing right now we appreciate it I appreciate it for sure but I'm thinking like you guys got enough on your table right entrust your boards to do this that's what I'm that's all I'm saying take that list or the people who want to be on the boards and instead of appointing everybody tonight allow the board just like we do with the zoning agreement right and then we decide okay there's three or four people that want to be on that board let's send our request of who we want on it if there's only one open we got three people that we're talking to we'll send it to you guys and you guys approve it **Speaker 5:** but believe it or not that's kind of what I'm saying let's just kind of so on these lists that you've handed us wait a minute oh I'm sorry **Speaker 13:** I'm done **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** I mean he's listed a I'm sorry it doesn't have any boards at all on here it has pretty much all the ones I'm looking at are elected it doesn't say planet board it doesn't say zone board any of that stuff **Speaker 1:** that's from the select board handbook of anything that's not compatible with select board that's just one chart for you to see **Speaker 4:** is that up to date with the new office law **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** this latest one is the one 2021 **Speaker 6:** oh what we're talking about is not on there at all **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** you're on solo it's not about that it's about this process when you have a perception I have a perception listen I back up because I'm a fed senator right now I'm a mayor what's the Terrence House case it's not a argument **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** it's a argument I wish it wasn't this is what happens when you're on a board you have heated discussion but I'm just saying I didn't bring it up for that I brought it up today There's definitely a thought here that there is perception, there is a thought that there is, and I just brought up to look at it as a board and say, hey, what do you guys think about this? I don't know. I mean, I agree with Doug when it comes to, there's been very little complaints, very little complaints. I agree with Sheila, she's been on it for 30 years, probably very little complaints. It's a new law. But exactly what I'm getting at is, the state comes down with this, and then it opens the doors, because it's out in the public now, the people will say, geez, I never thought of that. I'm going to complain. And you're right, sometimes people use it, it's like the red flag laws in this state. You know, they can also threat to me, boom, they walk in my house. It's an awful thing to have, it's wrong. But I understand it. And that's why I'm asking the question. What do you think? I know what you think, I know what you think now. **Speaker 13:** Good. **Speaker 5:** If I said, and you keep saying, well, the state's going to come down, before the state's going to come down, we go through our process. If somebody thinks there's been a violation, send it up, you know the procedure, send it up to the State Ethics Commission. They may say, there's no problem here, or they may say, yeah, give us a little more. And they'll send it down, and we investigate it, and then it goes. And each time it goes. And we're going to work. But what I'm saying, as far as the state's not going to come down, unless somebody complains, and we just say to hell with it. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Well, what I'm saying is they already gave us the law. I don't think they're going to come down in a few days. **Speaker 5:** But we're following the law. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** We are following the law. Okay. And that's what I'm saying. By looking at this list, if there's any other list, if we're following the law, we're following the law. I want to make sure that we're doing what's in the best interest of the town. Me too. And not because, you know, exactly. So if someone wants to retaliate against someone, or someone wants to stay and have their power, I don't care. I want to see what is the best interest of the town for this ethics law or policy that we have in place. And if you feel that it's status quo, that the state made the decisions, that's your opinion. I have no problem with that. I think there's common sense moves that we can make, right? **Speaker 4:** I mean, I think most people in the room would agree that if you're on a board that writes the laws, and then you're also on a board that enforces those very laws, that that is a conflict of interest. And that is to benefit the person that sits in that position. They should be aware of that themselves and remove themselves from that potential violation to protect themselves. And we can also do that right here, if it makes sense, and protect them from them. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. **Speaker 10:** Sheila? I've done two things when I was on the select board, and the zoning board, and the other one. Number one, when I was the select man and I was the chairman, we had the state coming in, and they were telling us, oh, you've got to get rid of those wood stoves and those things that you've got. We'll take them, and you've got to go buy these pellet stoves and stuff like that. Nancy was, well, we were the secretary. We wrote a letter to the state. And we basically told them, back off. Mind your business, because we're not going to just go in our house and rip out our stoves and give it to them and then have to buy these other stuff. So I'm telling you guys, yeah, you've got some people around and everything, and you've got some that have been on there, like I have. And I hope to plan to be on there until the day I'm in the ground. But you guys got to understand, you've got to fight back at the state. And number two. When I was on the DBA and all that, when it came time for the golf course to be open and they have all these permits and stuff, you can ask Nancy, you can ask anybody. I recruited myself and walked out that door and stayed out there until all the disruptions and everything got taken care of. When they came to the door, they said, okay, Sheila, you come back in. That's how I handle it. And when I have a problem with something like that, I just sit there quietly. And you can do the thing. It's very seldom do I raise my voice or say anything in any meeting. And unless I agree with it, then I agree. If I don't, I say no. But I don't go after people. I talk to them and I talk to the whole group. So there's no way you're not going to get anything like that on me. I'll tell you that right now. Because I watch my teeth and cues because I like my doors and I like being here. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Again, this is not anything personal. And that is great that you do what you need to do. The reason why I brought her up, it's a blank face in front of me. It's not Sheila Lawrence or anyone else. It's a blank face. Is there a conflict of interest between this blank face and this blank face? That's what I want. Excuse me? I just thought you said something. You know, it's whether you have two people that you want. It doesn't matter who's in that position. Is this position A and this position B a conflict of interest? I'm not looking to say I'm asking this person or that person. I think that just like I said at the town meeting, anybody who throws their hat in the ring for the town, I give them an applause. I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about is there a conflict. And if there isn't, if there isn't, if no state says there isn't, if there's none and you want to move forward, that's fine. But I thought it was worth bringing up to discuss. And right now, just out of five people here, we have two people that definitely disagree. I'm sitting on the fence saying, which way do I go? John hasn't said anything. I don't know how he feels. Taking it all in. Yeah, I don't know how he feels. But I'm just saying is as a board, before we do this, I don't want to do this. And then two weeks from now, I'll say, geez, when she does that mess, I'd like to talk about it. That's all. Hey, you know what I mean? I can talk about it all night. I ain't got nowhere else to go. **Speaker 14:** You're right. **Speaker 5:** I'm going to add something. You're saying about how can we work the ethics. That's the purpose of this board. Is it ethical or is it not? That's the purpose we're here. So that's what I'm saying. Follow the process. If somebody thinks there's a conflict, go through the proper procedure. We'll handle it. If not, then it shouldn't be anyway. We'll send it to the state. And then if there's a problem, we'll come down. That's how we're going to find out in the, how can I say, the or the least conflict, is to follow this procedure. That's my point. I hope they made it. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** So can we move on with zoning board of adjustment appointment? Jean Kerfield. Yes, but happy to step down if someone else wants it. No one else sent paperwork in? No. Motion for Jean Kerfield. **Speaker 4:** Second. All in favor? **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Aye. All in favor? Yes. Do you feel, though, that we've given the public time enough to get their paperwork in for these open boards? I know it was in, like Kurt said, it was in the minutes all the time. It's in the minutes. Every year for the last 30 years. Yes. And it was in the last minutes, too, even though I can't find it in our minutes saying that we were going to send letters to, the ones that are, **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** We did send a letter to everyone. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** We did send them it. And we said get back to select board or Lori before this meeting. And it was that last meeting that we sent it, that we talked about it, or was it before? It was the one before. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Did you have anybody not respond? Yes, we did. On the document? I have somebody not respond. Okay. Oh, oops. **Speaker 15:** I'm sure it's. Did Jay Jordan respond? Yeah, he did not respond. No. Oh, we're doing appointments. Does Jay Jordan respond? Yes. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** We're doing appointments. Is that why he's doing it? . Is that why he's here, taking over? Yes, it is in the one before. **Speaker 1:** I mean, the other thing we have said is anyone interested in serving as an appointed board member, please review the expiring appointed positions in the parliament forum. So, once the information on voting began in the back of the select board minutes, that note was on there. It's been on there. so it's been on probably since the end of december only january okay uh if you wanna **Speaker 16:** take more time that's totally up to you do you think we've given enough time that people **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** could have applied if they wanted to i think so okay i agree with you all right so we appointed gene the next one is sheila lawrence for a three-year term motion second all in favor emergency management director robert briggs he said yes he would like to be reappointed motion to reappoint robert briggs for one year second all in favor yes yes yes yes yes emergency management coordinators **Speaker 17:** sheila lawrence and stuart johnson motion second on the favor yes **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** and we do have um i received a note i don't know if lori sent it to everyone i think he **Speaker 1:** okay no i just compiled it here okay unless the person specifically asked me to send it to you **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** was there a note from robert briggs about the emergency management coordinators **Speaker 1:** so he is interested in expanding his team and asked if you would appoint another coordinator **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** stephanie shelver my opinion is i just met her once here at one of the emergency management meetings uh she'd be very good for the for the team but we've got three in charge already i think she'd be great on the team whether she is appointed a coordinator or not but i don't want to you guys feel about it. Stephanie Shelton. Oh okay I know who she is. Down at Patlin's old house. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** I think if she wants to do it. What are the things this is one of the ones that I look and say we have a director and then the director recommends it's kind of like Dave Heider's you know you Mike's under you you don't see Mike's not up for any of these he's he's your employee **Speaker 15:** is almost the same thing to me. Yeah having been you know in Bob's situation for many years and Bob has aggressively expanded the responsibility that he's taking and the things that he's got involved in that he's studied for and if he feels that he can use additional help as he broadens his response I don't see you ought to refuse him. That's our house. **Speaker 18:** We created the position anyway. We created the assistant coordinator **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** the directors thing. Well I think that's kind of asked for it right? I think that's in your uh uh your emergency management paperwork that you have to have a director and coordinators and stuff **Speaker 15:** but there's nothing that puts a limit on how many coordinators and I don't all those who have been gone and look at the ISO and you know idea that you shouldn't have more than five people that you're responsible for at any one point for any kind of event means you should have somebody beneath you that you can designate to take care **Speaker 1:** of that responsibility. Do you think this is something that he would maybe want a group like just an emergency management group under him as opposed to just appointing **Speaker 15:** coordinators? Did he ask specifically to name an additional coordinator? Yes. I'd give it to him. If he wants to establish a broader group of people to work under those coordinators and he has the time and ambition that Define them, just let them do it. I'll make a motion to move along with the board. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** So it's time, yes? Dog Officer, Ruth McKay. Motion to approve. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Motion. Whoever changes his mind. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Second. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Second. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** All in favor? **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Aye. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Energy Coordinator, no one applied. No one. Sectic Officer, Morrow said yes, she would take it. **Speaker 5:** Second. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** All in favor? **Speaker 5:** Aye. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Planning Commission, three positions are up. Lisa's four-year, but June killed it. Dave Salter, four-year. Marta Miller, four-year, but she was appointed herself. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Did anyone else ask for the unnamed in this book? **Speaker 12:** The planning, no. Why is there so many people on there? Good question. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** It was because we broke it down all of a sudden. We just put it on there. We went up to 11, I want to tell you. We did? We have a great group now. This is the lowest five. It's nine, seven and nine. Seven to nine, yeah. **Speaker 12:** This is the lowest five. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Because we couldn't get enough. We have a quorum right here in the room. **Speaker 19:** We couldn't get a quorum. **Speaker 12:** See it? Right here, right now. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Oh, yeah. Do they all attend, or does everybody usually go? **Speaker 12:** I'm sorry? Do you usually have a full attendance? I'd say 90% of the time. Yeah. The time I've been on it, in eight years, we've gone from, there was five of us originally, and now it's nine. Nine. Nine. Nine. Nine. Nine. **Speaker 20:** Nine. **Speaker 21:** Nine. **Speaker 4:** Nine. Nine. Nine. Nine. I was boil about eight years ago. When I think about it, we came up with this small group from eight years ago, and united in more, because life is valuable than bad. We were lucky to get two. We didn't talk about much, or anything. And the last eight years, it's kind of grown in popularity, the board's come up, and now the numbers. **Speaker 4:** We've just put it at nine not that long ago. Right. I'll make a motion for Lisa. Second. **Speaker 17:** All in favor? **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Aye. Aye. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Aye. Aye. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Aye. Motion for Dave? **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Second, all in favor? Aye. Aye. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Aye. No. Dave sits on the BBA. I perceive that it's a conflict. I'll make a motion for Rhonda. Yes. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Wait, I'm sorry for Dave Salgo for four. Yes. Is one. No. Okay. That's not personal. And Marta, I'll make a motion for my 2nd favor. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** The reason why I'm making these motions, Kirk is because no one else is asked, except the father. I'm just, yeah, I guess we'll, we'll wait until the state called us and then we're never an isolation. But no, I understand. We'll see how it goes, Kirk. We'll see that here. **Speaker 5:** Do you feel it's a violation? I'm not going to file a complaint. I just perceive it as a gun. We're not trying to get anyone trouble. I'm trying to save them from trouble. **Speaker 16:** Conservation Commission, Martin Miller. Oh, no, no. So we'll have a vacancy. Yes. He responded and said he did not want to be for you. **Speaker 22:** Oh, I got another letter, right? **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** I have a lot of safe. Okay. We have to acknowledge this. You'd like to step down. That's right. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** So I would like to accept her resignation. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** I would like to thank you for stepping up and resign. So we have 123 open seats on the conservation commission. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** We'll need to if no one we have to name something here. Oh, we do. Okay. Um, requests. Okay. Well, we'll get to that. We want to get to that now. Or. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** No, well, the request for conservation, there's names here. Yeah, of course. Can I just ask a couple of other things? Okay. What's that preservation? Lisa? Sheila? David? Saldo? Sally? Gold? **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** So, okay. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** We could appoint. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** We have Sheila Pequot. You're resigning too, correct? So why don't we go over to resigning people? So let's accept the resigning. Well, Martin is, but he's not here. We'll send him a letter, but no, I understand that. But he, but I'm just saying that you're resigning and same thing with you. I will accept your resignation. Thank you. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Sheila's term is up anyway, so she doesn't have to resign. Well, she's not. Right. Right. Thank you. Okay. Just Marta. We accepted her resignation. Thank you. **Speaker 4:** We could fill the two vacant ones that just expired and then appoint somebody. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Eventually. Yep. So we will have a vacancy on there. All right. So we have two people that were interested. Peter Greenbush and Irene Berkman. **Speaker 23:** I'm assuming you're Irene. Okay. Hi. Hi. Motion to appoint Peter Greenbush. Second. All in favor? Aye. Yes. And motion to appoint Irene Berkman. Second. All in favor? Yes. Aye. **Speaker 4:** So we have a vacancy. So she did both, uh, same number of times from both where you are just the three someone can fill in for three years. **Speaker 6:** And yeah, we have to figure out where we want to put these. Well, yeah, we would have to do that because. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Marcus is 2028. We'll have to close that one. **Speaker 17:** The other two are expired. So those are not for basically hold on there. Yeah, we'll put Irene. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** And Peter. Peter in the twenty twenty fives. **Speaker 6:** Yes. We have a hold on vacancy for Mark. Sheila and Mark. No, we have two. Peter and Irene can go and show that we are all having to show up. **Speaker 17:** I know. I did. I did. Yeah. I think she's helped you pass for years. You probably failed the ethics one. So. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Okay. So we. Keep that in your notes and minutes that we have a vacancy in conservation commission. If anyone else. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Again, I would like to send a letter to Martin thanking him for each years. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** We'll back to row commissioner, David. No, no. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** It's only one year. I can get appointed, get paid, not do my job and take the money along. Right? Yeah. Yeah. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Yeah. Yeah. I think so. Yeah. Motion to action or commissioner. Oh, digが. Yes. Yeah. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Tree war. No one applied. So that is. That is that still? **Speaker 4:** I don't have any. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Don't county regional. Mission. Debraancard is. We have a vacancy. Lisa Grandma and said she would like to stay shake and work. You know. with them for maybe the past year or two. **Speaker 1:** Was it Dan that was on it? Dan was on it last year and we sent a letter saying if you'd like to be on it again let us know and he never did. So an official vacancy was created even though we kind of thought he was still on it. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Current starting motion for Lisa for Bennington County Regional Commission to fill the vacancy. **Speaker 24:** Debra's spot? **Speaker 4:** Debra's spot. Deb said she was going to stay on it. **Speaker 1:** Deb said she was willing to stay on it but if there was only one slot available she would forfeit her slot for Lisa. **Speaker 25:** Oh I got you. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** So we could put Lisa in the vacant spot? Yeah. **Speaker 4:** And Dan and Deb can duke it off for the other spot. **Speaker 1:** I talked to Dan before and he said if somebody else really wanted it it was fine with him. Yeah. It was a meeting where I was trying to get it started. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** So it looks like if someone stepped forward they probably could get in because that doesn't really work. There's only one vote though right? **Speaker 1:** Maybe Dan could still go to it. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** No matter how many people who are right. It might be good to have a certain meeting to see who else can get in. **Speaker 4:** Yeah. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** So what was the motion for Lisa? You made the motion to appoint Lisa to the vacant position? **Speaker 4:** I'll second that. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** All in favor? Aye. And Deb we'll keep her on then? **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** She said that she would but we'll keep her on and unless someone comes forward then we'll talk to her about it because she wants to step down. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Yeah because she was almost going to resign in the last meeting. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Just keep her on for now. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Okay. Can I have a motion to appoint Deb Burchard to Bennington County Regional Commission for one year? **Speaker 5:** I'll make a motion. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** All in favor? Aye. Greenup coordinator Brian Rauer did he send anything back? I did not hear from him. What are we doing? **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** No one sends it back. No you talked to Deb so we know. But he didn't talk to you at all? **Speaker 1:** No he actually came to the window register and didn't say a word and I didn't think that he did. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** So that spot is open we have no greenup day coordinator. If anybody wants to do that? **Speaker 5:** I'm going to meet Merrick Miller. Second. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Merrick you just resigned from wanting to go that day. Yeah but that's you know a couple days for a bunch of posters. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Yeah and you're there anyways. **Speaker 15:** Yeah I mean I was sort of the co-coordinator last year with Brian so I'll welcome him into **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Greenup. **Speaker 15:** There you go. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Because he probably gets a shot. **Speaker 15:** You're going to make cookies either way. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** I am. I always do. Someone made the motion to appoint Merrick? No. I'm going to choose. **Speaker 4:** Second. **Speaker 9:** Second. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** All in favor? Aye. All in favor vote aye. unchanged when추 Divi Fiber representative Bob Briggs for one year term and William Lou Binks for one year term. I'll make the motion to appoint both of them. You're still going. Second. Second. All in favor? **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Aye. precise. Community Projects Committee, Carolyn Brooks Weeranat fromЙ nothing back so that's a baby. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** So it's not me. **Speaker 6:** Well that's what I was saying. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** We should manage now. Be Collective. We should reach out to all of these guys and see if we should just dissolve the committee. **Speaker 1:** Yeah, you guys created it. You have the ability to dissolve it at any time. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** If there's no meetings, there's nothing. The other thing, this is the last appointment that we're doing tonight, so I want to bring this up. Sheila kind of brought it up earlier that the select board is supposed to be giving information to the board. Nothing against that statement. Maybe so. I didn't see it in the select board handbook or anything like that. But nevertheless, we used to have all board meetings, and I don't see those anymore. The boards, I mean some of these boards have not met in years. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** That was the conservation committee. They haven't met in years. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** So when you're not meeting, you're not having meetings at all, the select board has meetings at least twice a month. We should definitely have communication between the boards. So I think our chair should reach out or at least do an email to all the chairs and say, you know, if you need anything from the board of selectmen, let us know. If you're looking for any information of what's going on. And that way we can communicate a little bit better. **Speaker 15:** As the last member we know about, you might want to reach out to Carolyn because you still have funds. Okay. Yep. **Speaker 26:** So that's what I'm saying. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Yeah. We should talk to people before we dissolve into it. That was kind of created by the people. They came to the select board. It wasn't the select board coming out and making it. People came to the select board. So I would like to see if these people want to continue it, they can come. If not, then go ahead. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Do you want to send a letter to all the chairmen of the board? **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** I think we can at least throw an email out to everyone and say, you know, at least, I don't know if you guys might have any more meetings, but we used to have, you know, all board meetings. And everybody would, you know, be invited. They wouldn't always show up. But the other thing is, is at least send an email out and say, just like you say, well, the select board, we'd like to hear if there's anything new coming up. Okay. Well, here's what pertains to your board. This is what's new. You know, just like you were saying with the ethics. There might be some people here that didn't even understand the ethics. You know, they're on boards and they need to take it, you know. So we should send out a group message and say, you know, let's communicate. Go ahead. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** That's all our appointments. Issue your appointments. Should, I think we're all on here. We just have to re-up the appointments. All right. **Speaker 1:** I'll leave select board and Luke McKay. Maybe our administrative officer. Not sure about that. Issuing and appearing. Appearing. I am only issuing. **Speaker 22:** We do not have to re-appoint people. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Can you check to make sure Deb is on there? No. Designation of meeting dates. Keep it the first and third. Thursday of the month. We're used to that. Yep. At 6 o'clock. Yep. Make a motion to. Motion. Second. **Speaker 4:** All in favor. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Aye. **Speaker 4:** Motion. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Aye. Aye. All right. Designation of newspaper for publication. **Speaker 4:** I don't care anymore. **Speaker 8:** I don't care. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Unfortunately, the more people get the Eagle then they do the banner and. Yep. So I'll make a motion to. Eagle. Designate the Eagle as our. Motion. Second. All in favor. Aye. Aye. Designation of select board member to review bills. Motion. Second. All in favor. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. All in favor. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Aye. All in favor. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Aye. All in favor? **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Aye. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Aye. Designation of highway liaison. Is that you, John? Or Kurt? **Speaker 4:** What's that? It's a real busy market. That was me last year. Whatever. You want to do it? **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Me? John? No. You want to? I'll do it. John? Okay. Do you need to make a motion, Kurt? Can I make a motion? Second. Okay. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Switch it up for me now. **Speaker 4:** So now it's John? Yeah. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Did somebody second that? Negative. All in favor? Aye. Okay. Yep. Designation of sheriff's state police liaison. Do you want to do the same thing? Sure. This kind of . Motion for second. **Speaker 4:** Second. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Designation of school liaison. Oh, that was Kurt. Do you want to do it? **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Two years ago it was. Two years ago it was. I guess I'm going to . We didn't reappoint anybody. We didn't reappoint anybody last year? No. **Speaker 4:** We didn't. We didn't. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** We didn't. **Speaker 4:** We didn't. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** We didn't. **Speaker 4:** We didn't. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** We didn't. We didn't. We didn't. We didn't. We didn't. So I don't know if you want to do it with the sheriff or not. Sure. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Let's make a motion, just in case. All in favor. And second? What was it, Kurt? **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Yes. Yes. **Speaker 12:** Second. All in favor? Aye. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** All in favor? Aye. Designation of DV fiber representative. Does that one know? Is that? We got that already. **Speaker 5:** We've got that. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** On our list. Only thing, Nancy. Did somebody send a note off to the DV fiber board? Because they looked at that. **Speaker 15:** Yes. Yes. Okay. And I think we have, we do have the report. I can see it. We can see it. We can see it. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** for an annual they usually send us the paper to fill out to fill out yeah okay and i'm sure **Speaker 6:** it'll be coming very shortly after um so we did they dug the represent or the liaison to the **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** ethics committee or policy that's not on here it's a new board you need to put that on here yep **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** we did earlier hearing the visitors getting approval of records and orders motion all in favor aye aye throw conditions dave uh since the last time we met with you **Speaker 27:** has been a normal winter road maintenance and we repaired a small amount of mud and for sure gaps and enough has been it's like everybody else are self-supplies yep it's coming for most for the most part the roads have been kind of just no ice covered and it's kind of gone as well i don't know next week's going to be six to the 60 degree day it's going to get us everything's all pushed back i mean no water issue really was on the end of lincoln road on the intersection of maine because the state won't maintain the waterway so there's kind of a cross-country road this morning oh it's gone down for a good time **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** we have a photo and a map and we can have you learn about what else so that's good how about the blacktop how about the blacktop roads are they holding up pretty good no we definitely have plenty of **Speaker 27:** frosties okay um easter has been a lot of heavy for us but we're going to be resurfacing that **Speaker 6:** this summer our road has never been as bumpy i can't believe the main road is this bad yes i **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** mean they just we did that yeah it's this amazing hole that yeah it's got a pretty good bump on **Speaker 5:** jefferson road too just about where the yeah i found i found it something yeah **Speaker 27:** yeah it's definitely there's some some real serious frosties this year yeah you know we had those two months of straight holes in the water and we had a bunch of rain you know like i think it got cold at the end of november and just stayed cold right that rain he had so all that froze and a lot of that will come out but the good thing about our you know gypsy overall is they kind of move so they move back you know we'll stab a lot of it yeah next year we'll hopefully if the town lets us get them on our resurfacing project we'll be asking them that next year's meeting to resurface again so next time yeah i mean we've got you know plenty of maintenance to repair too **Speaker 16:** review and sign 2024 grant in aid reimbursement request yes we finally came to terms with um the **Speaker 1:** refusing to pay the dcrc bill we fought back dcrc ended up submitting a new bill for almost 500 almost half of the first bill which the state will allow a reimbursement of because it falls within the proper dates dcrc said they would um i think refund the money that we paid for the remaining part of the bill so that we're not left only holding back i'd like to sign this grant i'd like to sign this grant agreement then we can send it into the state and share this we'll watch the dates closer fighting back really helped us out yeah that's a thousand dollars right it wasn't **Speaker 27:** it's new it's different the thing is we did what we needed to do right we can't really follow the dcrc either because they need to try and pick it up there that's right right they gave us a day they really need another week or two at least because they're not going to come on us the the same ideas of us deals **Speaker 27:** the same nice nice long explanation well there's a lot of issues that come up there at the state level they're not really thinking about i mean it's like well all the other you know **Speaker 28:** counting the paperwork that goes along with it and i think too a two-man road crew **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** is a lot different than a city road crew hundreds sure well i mean **Speaker 27:** can you really think about all the things we have to do and you know the day until september it's just a couple culverts but you know there are other things like out there you don't think much of but like the modeling i don't wanna wait because then everything's to see so i can't throw it out there just know i think now i'm going to put in some more work on the and then you do the mowing, you know, June-ish. And all the gratings, you know, in the spring before that. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** And grating, you're watching the weather anyway. **Speaker 27:** Yeah, and everything's weather-dependent, so they're not really thinking about all that when they're putting dates on things. They really, more people need to get together and be involved in some of their decision-making process of when they're going to put dates on things. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Laurie, any update on FEMA reimbursements? Nothing yet. **Speaker 1:** I submitted a paperwork. She said she would be sending it in for payment. I got an email from her this week about it, so I don't know if that means a week or two from now. We might have something. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Recycling. You just had something fixed at recycling? **Speaker 27:** Yeah, the contractor had a control inside that starts the mower here. It doesn't matter. **Speaker 27:** It's never completely failed. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Anything else on road conditions, recycling? Moving to discussion. Review results of town meeting. That's about it. As far as the hired solicitor, we're going to have to wait at least 30 days in case, or just to make sure everything is set with town meeting, it's required to wait 30 days. Anything else at town meeting? **Speaker 5:** Well, the day after, there was a new voter turnout. Yeah. **Speaker 1:** It's a new vote. Question on the dog reserve fund. Yup. Are you content to have that just in the general fund, separated, or would you like its own account that would be over to us? Or is that interesting idea? Well, you would track it. You would do a separate fund, right? You keep track of what it is, I don't know. Yeah, I think the auditor's kind of recommended. Yeah, it just won't be an interest if it's part of the reserve fund. If it's part of the general fund, it'll just, you know, the $5 will go into it. I don't think it's part of the reserve fund. I don't think it's part of the general fund. I think it's part of the general fund. I don't think it's part of the general fund. I think it's part of the general fund. I don't think it's part of the general fund. **Speaker 1:** Not yet, but someday. Let's see. Can we transfer an auditor to the general fund? We have to. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** I mean, once we get to a certain level, you know, we'll see how it goes, if we start using it, then the loan will go away. **Speaker 15:** Yeah, fine. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** then I think we have to set some guidelines for the use of that. **Speaker 1:** Like a lot of your future funds and a lot of your funds are separate accounts from the general fund. Do they get their own interest? **Speaker 22:** That's the whole thing. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Yeah, because we want it to be right. So do you want me to contact Luke and we can work on the guidelines for the use of that? Do you have any ideas right here of what we want to use it for? I like the animal care. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Didn't we have an amendment to it so we could pretty much use it for anything at all? I think the way we amended that. Anything that is dog related. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** But we don't want to use it for rabies. Is that what you said? **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** I don't think we said we don't want to. I think we said we could use it for anything. We didn't want to use it for just rabies. Animal care and control. Yeah. **Speaker 4:** I mean, I don't know about Luke. What if he brings a cat that's, you know. No cats. What if he brings one in that's been hit or out that needs to be taken care of? **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** That's his. That's his cat. Sorry, I have a cat while we're working. **Speaker 27:** I'll wear them all. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** We're dogs. **Speaker 27:** Put it in reverse. **Speaker 12:** Finish it off. **Speaker 4:** That's the only rabies you got, so. Yeah, I mean, you can't really bring them in. **Speaker 23:** I don't know. **Speaker 4:** By law. Then we have a lizard or something. I don't think so. **Speaker 23:** By law. That's what I'm saying. **Speaker 4:** Right? Well, if he wants to do the lizard himself. Then we have someone put on a lizard. Tons of feral, feral cats. **Speaker 29:** That's funny. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** I don't know. **Speaker 29:** By law. That's it. **Speaker 29:** That's it. That's it. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Really, I didn't think you even had to register a cat. So how would anybody know that you need it by law? Farmers have thousands of cats all over the place. Yeah, they can get it. Yeah. But it's a new Vermont, right? Is it? Wow. Feral cat. **Speaker 15:** Relatively new. Huh? **Speaker 8:** Yeah. **Speaker 30:** Domestic cat has the most invasive species on the planet. **Speaker 15:** The only difference is you can inject the cat yourself. **Speaker 18:** Yes. **Speaker 15:** You don't have to take to a vet. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** But how does a state, you know, how do they enforce that? **Speaker 26:** It's another law with no means for enforcement. **Speaker 31:** Right, right, right. **Speaker 32:** That's what I'm saying. It's more of an enforce afterwards. So if your cat gets rabies and then gives it to somebody else, your response. Your response. Or vote. Yeah, like an insurance deal. Yeah. **Speaker 29:** Lisa, I just wanted to put in my two cents if I could ask. I like what Kurt said. If there's a cat that gets bit, that we could euthanize it, name it with that money. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** We're not required to do that. I know. I know. **Speaker 33:** I know we're required to. **Speaker 29:** But like could we just add that into the fund that we could do that? No. **Speaker 4:** Except it's just under animal. I mean, like I said, we had a lizard last year or whatever. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** How many, what animals are we going to stop it at? **Speaker 4:** Dogs. Dogs and many other animals. I'll euthanize any deer or bear. We can't find the owner. No alligators. No alligators. We could all get a cat in a container after. **Speaker 20:** Well, for the most part, if we can find the owner, then the owner would take care of **Speaker 12:** it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. **Speaker 12:** Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. **Speaker 1:** Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Yeah. **Speaker 8:** Yeah. Yeah. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Sure. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. **Speaker 4:** I love this- Hue. Hue? Hue. Yes sir. I love this. Thank you. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Thank you. You can come back for a meeting tomorrow coming up. Yes sir. the board anything else on town meeting ethics commission update last week doug laurie and i worked on paperwork we have tons of it we're almost there laurie you need to send me the **Speaker 34:** conflict of interest that's right so there was a couple little parts that you wanted **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** to update our conflict of interest our policy and we'll continue working on that review job descriptions um i gave dave the job descriptions for recycling and position **Speaker 27:** and you have them with you i mean i think we if you got something just sat down and then this one i brought what we expect i think i agree with that okay when's a good time when it's **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** that story i'll call you yeah nancy call dave anybody else else wants to be in on this we'll uh yep we'll bring it back to the board correspondence signed **Speaker 22:** uniform municipal excess weight permit from belco so i have belco and i actually got one from rk miles **Speaker 1:** today papers were attached and they're checked jim bucks can't miss out on that **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** where do we got that dog from **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** can i motion to sign them motion all in favor all business oh any other correspondence laurie all business we haven't heard anything from pbr regarding our letter to them so and to go along with that we did sign the contract for nimric two weeks ago two selecting two board meetings though whenever we didn't send it in but i think we've got to send it in yeah we can't appoint listers for 30 days and april 1st they have to start working on the grand list and the listers aren't going to be up to speed on that so we'll have to hire nimric but um when we appoint them we can ask our contractor to work with our listers too **Speaker 4:** what we're happening do we have to put out the bed again what's happening we have to put it out **Speaker 23:** the bed again the contract yes we you know i we could do we have to no they are they're already under contract to make sure you know what they don't want to do it then we're stuck we only had **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** them last year yeah i know that's what i'm getting around to we only have yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah so i would say send it in yep of course too late and hopefully someone's up for it um **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** shrubs at the school and i spoke to the principal and she was going to check into it why the shrubs were put there if they wanted them to cover the windows or for whatever reason or if they want us to take them down **Speaker 4:** we'll have more pictures to see if they used to be trimmed up yeah check it out you have to keep it over there **Speaker 12:** is it a safety issue that's what someone brought that up before i mean can they open the window and get out i don't know **Speaker 4:** those scrubs are pretty they used to be i mean they were fairly close to the school years ago so i imagine they're probably touching the building at this point but it's just again and school safety will change a little bit probably here they could just go out the floor **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** any other old business new business joint meeting with town and school i spoke to the principal yes we have a new school board so So does this board want to have a joint meeting with just the school board, one meeting, and then another time have an all-boards meeting? Do you want to institute these all-boards meetings again? **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Well, I think that we should at least send a letter out for all boards and see what the boards think. You know, we had someone complain to me tonight about not having communication. Well, if we had the boards and if those boards met more than once a year, maybe they would be more involved. **Speaker 4:** Because I've almost viewed that some of the other boards are submitting information to us, not us. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Oh, yeah, I agree. But I think we should separate that from the school board. Have two separate, I think so, otherwise it would be too... **Speaker 4:** I mean, the all-board thing could just be as, you know, once a year or something. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** If the chairs want to just go, then, you know, we're not making any decisions. It's just an informational thing. Jim? **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** I just want to... **Speaker 12:** I wanted to wait for this part of bringing up the all-boards meeting is, I think that's a great thing to do. I also think it's kind of important for this board to address every board equally. As far as I'm talking about rules and how, you know, you guys govern yourself here and the kind of rules that you have to initiate. It's state law that you have to have rules anyways for every board. But I mean, you guys are our guidance, right? Yeah. And so, I'm on the planning commission, and the first day I sat down in my chair, I said, well, you know, what do we have for the planning commission? What's the rules? Oh, we have my rules here. No rules. So, and it's evident. Oh, I know. Very evident. And so, I'd like to see some direction in that. I know there's manuals. I have copies, or I have it on my phone where I can print them all out. I can't do that in my house. I don't have it in my house. I can't make money for anything. So, but there's handbooks, albeit they're kind of old. But still, but there is, I mean, what do you guys use for sets of rules? Is there standard Vermont rules and regulations for boards? I mean, and does each board have its own specific rules? And that's, I'll leave it at that. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** We do have a select board handbook. Yep. You can go on Vermont League of Cities and Towns and read them. Yeah. I have. **Speaker 35:** No, I understand. **Speaker 15:** We don't follow Robert's rules. No, we're too small. Robert's rules are the default. Right. Governing situation, unless you provide otherwise or announce and decide. **Speaker 36:** Well, we can't take part of Robert's, because Robert's rules are a lot bigger. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Too big for. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** But we do kind of, you know, use it as a. The state modifies Robert's rules for town leading. Yeah. But I, you know, given that, I did watch your last plan. Board video. I'll tell you, these videos are nice because, you know, at first I thought, oh, geez, why are you taping the select board? But you're taping other boards. And that's nice because there are nights where there's two board meetings going on at the same time. Right. You know, but it's nice to have that and see that, especially as a select board member, you watch the plan board. What happens when your chair of your planning board is the problem for it? Not that he is. But it would if it was. Just saying. But if you got, you know, two people arguing and the chair can't break order, you know, that's when they need to come to the select board. And the select board has to say, hey, guys, here's the rules. Knock it off. You know, I know things can get heated. I've never heated. I've never seen Nancy. John, I don't want to see. I don't want to see. But, you know, I understand. I understand that things get heated. But when they just keep spinning their wheels and name calling, it gets to the point where, you know, you're right. People are watching that now. It's embarrassing. It's embarrassing and it's wasted hours. Hours, not minutes. Yeah, I know. Yeah, I saw it. It was amazing. And I just want to say, you were all at home. **Speaker 2:** I used to have it on the air for the night. And then the quorum. So we are going to cover that after this meeting. Because that wasn't interesting. Sure. And it felt like. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** You know, I hope that you can do it internally at your own board and not have to come here and say, we're going to remove the members. **Speaker 37:** Right, right. **Speaker 1:** Well, this, we're going to cover it. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** This happened a while ago with another board that came to me. And I said, you're an elected people. This was an election. Yeah. Elected board. Mm-hmm. Figure it out among yourselves. I, and the select board, do not have any power over it. Work it out amongst yourselves. You're only, you're a board. You're big people. Get along. And I think you did. Thank you so much. **Speaker 12:** I'm just thinking, you know, topic, you know, for your meetings. **Speaker 38:** Sure. **Speaker 29:** We're also going to hand out a short thing of Robert's rules to everybody. Not to treat them like children, but just as a baseline. **Speaker 4:** Sure. Yeah. Good luck. We don't know. Good luck. Mm-hmm. Good luck. Good luck. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** So back to the joint meeting between the select board and the school board. Kirk, can you set this up as school liaison? **Speaker 4:** Sure. Who am I contacting? You know, the one there, she's, they don't have a chair. They don't have a chair. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Right. As soon as they. **Speaker 4:** What are they meeting next, you know? **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Probably soon, because they're going to have to. **Speaker 4:** I think they're the second board. I think they do the second board. Tuesday. They changed today. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** They're under a time constraint now for a report. **Speaker 9:** I'll find out. **Speaker 4:** Seems like last year they had a lot of. A lot of changes in the nights. I'll find out. I'll reach out to them and just say. I'll reach out to them and just say. I'll change it. **Speaker 8:** I'll set it up anyway. **Speaker 39:** Yeah. **Speaker 15:** Yeah. **Speaker 35:** It'll probably be after their next vote because. **Speaker 15:** Who's going to create a moderator for their meeting? **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** It's only, it's only informational meetings. It's not a. It's Australian, it's Australian ballot. **Speaker 12:** We have a vote. A moderator. Yeah. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Their next, does their Australian ballot vote got defeated? Yeah. They've got to go back to the board and get, and have, yeah. **Speaker 15:** I thought it was approved. Future meetings would be on the floor. Right. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** But the budget meeting was voted by Australian ballot. So according to school laws, it's the re-vote's got to be Australian ballot. So they're going to have to do an informational meeting. No moderator. All, probably all day election, I think, voting. They're going to do the ballot first. **Speaker 40:** Yeah. Boy. **Speaker 41:** I. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** I believe that's how it's going to be handled. Or cookies. **Speaker 40:** Or cookies, all right. But it should be an early night. It should be an early night. Try that at the next, public meeting, or whatever. Yeah. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Or cookies. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Well, once we know who's here, yeah. That Australian ballot vote. **Speaker 18:** They're going to want to get through this match before they have it. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Is not going to be in effect for this meeting, for that matter. **Speaker 15:** So in effect, they will have voted their own officers before this information meeting? **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Their own officers. **Speaker 35:** They could. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** They're all. **Speaker 35:** If they have any. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Yeah. Yeah. Yes. **Speaker 15:** Okay. **Speaker 18:** Because the election was okay. **Speaker 15:** And they have something to run the meeting for. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Yes. Yeah. Are we done with the open? Yes. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Yeah. We already went through open, so we're on. Yes, I have a question for you. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Sure. When is the date of the Planning Commission informational meeting date and time of the hearing? Yes. Is it 24? 4. It's 7. 3. 1, 2, 3, 4. 7. **Speaker 4:** What was the hearing? Yeah. **Speaker 29:** Can I just circle back some? Yep. I just want to ask Lori if that DCRC letter went through. Yes, it did. Did you send an email also? **Speaker 1:** I did just now, ma'am. I can send an email if you'd like. I don't know. That's what I was advised. Okay. We can do that. I don't know. Yeah. That's fine. Because we have a DCRC on the 20th, so I just wanted to know before I go. **Speaker 1:** Yes. I'll send that tomorrow. Okay. Thank you. Any other new business? Yes. Why? You thought you were gone? You can go. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** Thank you. **Speaker 6:** Thank you. **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Okay, dose it. Okay. Thank you, sir. Yeah. During the town meeting, a subject matter came up about funding. We've got future needs I guess or whatever you want to call those. But we were talking about putting money away for later on and it came because people asked me if the chair or the commission or whatever you want to call it could spend that money. I know that Dave has a limit on how much money he could spend. Yes, sir. tell him okay dave if it's this much money anything over that you come to the board and ask like you can't go spend a hundred thousand dollars on a new truck without asking for it okay i have to spend them within my budget right and then in there isn't there a where we we said you could go down to another hardware store or something wasn't there something around that thousand dollars limit on that credit card right so the reason why i'm bringing this up is there's a committee that has quite a bit of money can they spend it any way they want as much as they want **Speaker 17:** the cemetery has 40 something thousand dollars right well the 33 000 out of that point **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** it's always been always been set up as a perpetual taking care of the cemetery like luke said well you repaired monuments before i remember sheila was on the board then they **Speaker 23:** repaired the monuments it was cleaning the limestone they cleaned the limestone monuments **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** and stuff yeah one of them was a great big one down uh buying more land if they ever had to but **Speaker 17:** probably not anymore because of the uh so say they wanted to buy again they could take thirty thousand **Speaker 6:** dollars go buy a piece of land well oh no they can't do it on their own well that's my question **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** yeah i don't i don't believe they can we can't **Speaker 40:** that would use for a big project right remember when the the whole monument fell down and that column was laying on the ground they used something from that they used it for cleaning stones **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** but there's a well i heard the number 43 000 right like that and i'm just wondering if someone if if that committee could take that 43 000 tomorrow and say i want to do this project do they have to answer to anybody that's all i'm asking and again this is not a personal thing **Speaker 7:** i thought about it and i'm like that's all i have that's a good question i don't know **Speaker 30:** would could they just vote and you will have the committee maybe you can't you elect those people **Speaker 15:** to administer the cemetery okay yeah i don't know how you can so this board wouldn't be able to control that you have no control of it right i'm curious anybody else okay no that's right **Speaker 4:** about it like we're just talking about rules for boards i'm curious if now that they have rules **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** about how well if what if that was um four hundred thousand dollars yeah right the same you know **Speaker 36:** because it's the same answer no matter what the amount is you know ultimately you first offered **Speaker 15:** the question as to future needs and i didn't know you were specifically talking about the cemetery yeah the future needs that the town holds the town has to release publicly but back to the **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** cemetery like you said there's 43 000 44 000 33 is for that perpetual care so it's about ten thousand **Speaker 17:** that so it's not much then like you said and if they go over i'm mowing or they need more gravel **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** or and again it is it's again it's not a personal thing i thought about it i said wait what's this number yeah i'll hide it and hide it and hide it i don't know can someone that is elected this well say i'm going to spend this money and it sounds like they could i mean they might not get re-elected but the money's gone **Speaker 26:** as a group they could yeah yeah so we also have so you're trying to you ought to pay attention **Speaker 15:** that you're just not letting everybody who wants us i'll sign up for the cemetery committee you **Speaker 39:** might want to have some fun about who you know we should definitely have more fun **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** exactly that's a vote you know there's nothing you're going to sound pointless but no how many people are they're all they're all they're on here **Speaker 40:** look at the library they have 20 000 in a savings account and nobody picked up on that **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** no and i guess my whole question would whether it's a cemetery that number of 40 000 didn't hit me but whether it's the cemetery the library any monies out there that can be spent i just want to know how how much leniency do the board have **Speaker 15:** the library commission has used money to refurbish the library additional shelves and books and **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** furniture yep they've got their own governing board the trustees **Speaker 15:** and they're elected too i don't know whether they would they show what they spent with **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** this past year no i i agree with you we could have on the town meeting we could have said we're not voting for that budget we want to make an amendment we'd like to vote for this about but nobody did but it makes me laugh because on the other hand they voted **Speaker 42:** to 1450 charities that we get nothing from well let's just slow just slow hanging for a week i **Speaker 4:** mean what did we say we have sixteen hundred dollars between how many people in town pay taxes on the cemetery i mean what would we say even two cents i mean we saved nothing **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** i just i guess was the whole question is is if whether it's forty thousand four hundred thousand or four million can you just do are they allowed to spend the money without any no question question yeah but it's like kind of three and we only got three board members it just seems like in them not accusing anyone of anything it just seems like the more that number goes up there yes so if the answer is yes it is a good idea to think about who you vote for uh because if you voted for it they're all they're all they're all and you give me three million dollars **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** that 33 000 though came from sale of aerial lots now nowadays you probably will be cremation and they're allowing i think four cremations in one single lot making less money yeah just curious how much how much **Speaker 4:** land do we have left in the public summit there is as far as a lot shield do you know you know how many lots roughly are left in town in either cemetery up here yes either one **Speaker 40:** run up and none in a and b just down on them by bruises **Speaker 42:** the impulse of the lots left really not many there are not that well some but not i don't **Speaker 40:** know how many because i haven't been on the commission for about five or six years so i **Speaker 4:** guess the point being someday they're going to have to have another cemetery that would continue to **Speaker 39:** you know bury people in the ground if people not people choose to yeah get buried in heaven yep **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** because over that potent cemetery that's got to be full that's full maybe they have one **Speaker 9:** they're making one soul that's not used yet or something one cremation could go in there so that's not a good idea **Speaker 4:** in which whole no i agree that i mean there's literally only maybe maybe six or seven burials **Speaker 43:** right in my entire life it's got a big rock i think too you have one all right looks but it's **Speaker 44:** got a big rock so you wouldn't use it um back to town meaning i just thought there was it was **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** very quiet very quiet no i think so or i thought that was quite well yeah **Speaker 17:** and not a lot of questions **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** if you wanted no opinion instead of just factual stuff i kind of kept my mouth shut but it boggles my mind just like we were talking about these committees against biden the first meeting we went through was two and a half million dollars and there was three questions asked three questions asked the select will already town meeting each and every warrant article there was a question asked multiple questions on some of them which is great i'm i love the questions i love the dialogue out of a million dollars for the town two and a half million dollars three questions asked that's it watch next year a lot of years **Speaker 4:** when the school goes second people just get up and leave i don't know what the reason is it's almost like i think it's a misunderstanding it's a misunderstanding it's a little more complicated **Speaker 15:** i don't know whether how many people currently but traditionally understood that no matter what you do could reduce or change the total amount for the school budget but you can't touch you cannot dictate what happens on individual items the same the opposite is with the town budget you know it's the whole budget or none for the school yourself no you can take you can take all you can take ten thousand dollars out of the school budget but you can't tell the school directors where it's going to stop oh let's get it right right so you have one item to talk about when you get it to the town meeting if you don't want to buy lori a new five thousand dollar typewriter **Speaker 45:** you can argue about it right i got you yep this is cool this is super regular **Speaker 12:** it just seems like we have no control over it so **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** we don't you know it does it seems like that's the message you get but if you look just like sheila was talking about pushing back against the state yeah if the board and i'm not calling the board i'm just saying that the board voiced an opinion once in a while and just said hey look we don't feel this is right i mean and again this is a place for the school board meetings i should be over here talking about it but a lot of times it's conflicting but you have a tough time and the superintendent takes a 12 13 raise with no questions asked you know and those are the things that it just as a taxpayer not a board member of a taxpayer i look for that a little bit i'm going to use this to get people you know the백 can go how long are we going to keep throwing money at it and have failing grades i asked a question about grades can you imagine almost 80 percent of children are not efficient at math 80 i think what jim was telling me in higher education they make it so easy that you better pass it right yeah higher education he's got children in higher education i won't say where it is but these kids are taking tests that they should be taking in fifth grade **Speaker 15:** up in high schools but some of these things go back to state curriculum because as the superintendent talked about and it was also in some of the bennington papers this is reflected by the whole state it's a big problem i agree those levels of not being up to grade level i mean what are we worldwide **Speaker 4:** it's already important yeah it's up there i mean and look at the vermont look at vermont **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** and our neighborhood is not now i'm not a big fan of that but what are they doing in education different than we want to send them but that's i'm yeah i know it's spooky in a school book **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** if anyone gets the deerfield valley news what they want to do with the schools combined and have five supervisor unions districts and for the whole state for the whole state and this local school board will only be advisory **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** talk about not knowing what's going on now imagine when you don't instead of a regional we have a statewide for the whole state that's going to be three of them or right one in the **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** middle and whatnot yeah i don't think it's a law yet so it's going to be tweaked a whole lot but **Speaker 15:** that's the super board that they've had for maybe the last 10 years is it kind of represent they only send representatives **Speaker 30:** from individual school boards they've got no choice but to consolidate right there's no other **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** option and can i go back to town meeting again um someone brought up about voting and voice voting and paddles and all that mark whippers yes and uh that will be something probably will come up to a vca meeting that we might want to discuss if we want to do that but the other option is just call for paper ballot and then you have a secret vote that's going to be a vote that's going to be a vote that's going to be a vote that's going to be a vote that's going to be a vote that's going to be a vote that's going to be a vote that you're a friend **Speaker 15:** that town meeting and i get and i saw mark again here the next morning and we have discussed it in the past it's not the first time that somebody brought up the concern and you have the people who as mark pointed out you get a group of people with loud voices and they don't want to shout yes the other side of it is i think we need and i'm i'm going to try and put down on paper basic rules and regulations and the way of operation i used to try to educate everybody just a little bit at the beginning of each town meeting if you're not happy with the vote what do you need to stand up and say paper counted by none i don't believe it's accurate when the moderator says it's passed or it isn't **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** i challenge that have a show of hands it was very quiet nobody challenged anything to what he **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** did until it was a little bit late well you know a great example of that was when we had atv meetings there was many people who were named town residents they're my voters and they had no **Speaker 15:** news loud i hope you know the voices of opinions well again somebody's not gonna set the rules **Speaker 40:** well maybe **Speaker 15:** somebody's gotta make it clear that you only have the right to vote or your right to be heard if you're a registered voter yes being the landowner doesn't entirely do anything **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** if you didn't come register to vote well sometimes they separate them non-voters over there voters **Speaker 35:** over here that's potentially a good start we could do that you know it's really hard if you've done **Speaker 15:** something the same way you know from my standpoint 40 odd years when you were comfortable **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** and trusted townspeople yes i think during a discussion like you said there have been like if we were talking about what we're going to do with the camp roads and you have eight camp owners that are out of staters during the discussion they want to get up and talk i think they should be able to ask at least be able to ask permission to talk i think that would be a great idea to let them talk um because they do have some skin in the game but when you have people just you know showing up just **Speaker 26:** to push on you know get all my friends it's really hard if you don't establish control **Speaker 15:** at the beginning of the meeting and keep up with it right **Speaker 12:** i read some of the moderators the laws and stuff and i do believe i read in there um that in the beginning of the meeting the moderator i remember bill did this in the beginning when i first moved because it stood out to me that bill would mention that you're not a registered voter of the town and you're not allowed to vote on the floor i also remember seeing something in them rules that they may not even be able to like don't quote me on this because i it might i might be wrong i might have misread it but i don't think they're entitled to speak as well no you're correct **Speaker 15:** if they want to speak it's with permission and that was one of the things you know i brought up in our meetings as an example you know we got like the town legislator the state legislators who come in and i've always asked with your permission someone said our state representative would like to talk to you and if somebody objects they don't get the floor he sent them he um the new representative sent the newsletter out there was a handout at the table i remember getting up **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** moderators handbook or something or something can be passed pass over there was a whole list **Speaker 17:** of terminology whoa boy that's a lot to learn i know paul said he has that handbook right because **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** he actually put on the facebook poll of whatever the moderator is he went to the get ready for town **Speaker 15:** meeting education stuff with whatever laurie late morning and i hope john paul understands that he's kind of responsibility oh sure yeah there's a question or how many amendments you **Speaker 35:** can do it's a whole big it's all in the moderator's handbook yeah and a lot of terminology it's online **Speaker 15:** and you can ask for a printed copy of it sure okay any other one the day before any other **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** business you were old what's that i said um do we need to go into executive session for anything okay **Speaker 17:** um these guys took that honor away **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** so thanks a lot yeah regarding um the conditions that found me in the group the statement that we made about the time making money on the album wall sale back in 2000 **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** two or something like that we had 60 parcels that we put up for tax sale some of them were redeemed before we went to tax sale um yes we did sell them but taxes were due for the past 20 years so we the money we legally have to collect is back taxes penalty interest costs of the sale now i was reading back in the land records it's got all the reporters sale one property sold for forty dollars more sally had to set up separate accounts keep it for a year send it back if we could not find the landowner it went to the state we can't have it **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** we could be over three thousand dollars and one was over three thousand dollars all the way back to the tax table **Nancy L. Bushika (Chair):** but make the money if they can't do it **Michael G. Denault (inferred):** why would you not do it because it's all in the original record why would you not do it 60 something crowns, things like that, just, you know. But we're not taking your money, we're not taking your profit. We're not taking your money, we're not taking your profit.