1 00:00:01,459 --> 00:00:09,830 America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. 2 00:00:10,150 --> 00:00:24,739 Select Board, if you have a matter to discuss that is not included on the agenda, you may do so by addressing the chairperson and stating your name and address. 3 00:00:25,519 --> 00:00:30,399 You will notice that all our meetings are recorded, and this is to aid with the summarization of the minutes. 4 00:00:30,940 --> 00:00:37,240 Visitors are welcome, and we allow five minutes of comments per visitor and 15 minutes per topic. 5 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:42,259 Discussions will be held in a calm and civilized manner and respectful of others. 6 00:00:43,179 --> 00:00:45,179 Select Board members present are... 7 00:00:45,179 --> 00:00:45,679 Mike Dural. 8 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:46,859 Nancy Peshika. 9 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:47,899 Jack Kramlin. 10 00:00:48,159 --> 00:00:48,939 John Dunn. 11 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:53,320 Will there be any adding of items or removing items from tonight's agenda? 12 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:57,369 I do have the reappraisal agreement. 13 00:00:58,070 --> 00:00:58,490 Okay. 14 00:00:58,490 --> 00:01:00,520 It wasn't when the agenda was ready. 15 00:01:01,060 --> 00:01:06,180 And I'd like to add an executive session regarding the upcoming tax sale. 16 00:01:08,219 --> 00:01:11,819 Okay. 17 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:17,819 Will there be any adjustments to the agenda, such as changing the order of items? 18 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:19,519 I don't think so. 19 00:01:20,060 --> 00:01:20,299 Good. 20 00:01:21,290 --> 00:01:24,489 And Jed is recording tonight's meeting for his YouTube video. 21 00:01:26,420 --> 00:01:26,859 Okay. 22 00:01:28,109 --> 00:01:29,109 Hearing of visitors. 23 00:01:30,390 --> 00:01:33,049 Representative Jonathan Cooper, you're on. 24 00:01:33,290 --> 00:01:37,739 You can come right up here and stand wherever you're... 25 00:01:37,739 --> 00:01:38,719 Stand on the stage. 26 00:01:38,959 --> 00:01:40,519 Stand on the stage over there. 27 00:01:41,780 --> 00:01:43,120 This is a good background. 28 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:43,719 Thank you. 29 00:01:43,879 --> 00:01:44,180 Okay. 30 00:01:45,859 --> 00:01:46,359 All right. 31 00:01:46,359 --> 00:01:50,890 So, hello, I'm Jonathan Cooper, I'm the State Representative in my current office, and I 32 00:01:50,890 --> 00:01:59,609 think something that's affecting tax sales and how we have to go about providing notice 33 00:01:59,609 --> 00:02:02,769 to individuals affected by upcoming tax sales. 34 00:02:02,769 --> 00:02:05,769 This was Act 106 of 2024. 35 00:02:05,769 --> 00:02:10,770 I'd like to thank Shepard for giving me a little bit of guidance and who to talk to, 36 00:02:10,770 --> 00:02:14,770 for example, Kevin O'Toole, an attorney who works in these matters. 37 00:02:14,770 --> 00:02:19,849 I decided to reach out to some legislators who had introduced the bill in 2024 and also 38 00:02:19,849 --> 00:02:23,710 had jurisdiction over it to get a sense of how the testimony went. 39 00:02:23,710 --> 00:02:26,090 This was prior to my time in the legislature. 40 00:02:26,090 --> 00:02:34,449 The issue at hand appears to be that two new actions were added for what municipalities 41 00:02:34,449 --> 00:02:36,349 have to do to provide notice. 42 00:02:36,349 --> 00:02:42,189 As it had been in the past, you send a certified mail, if you get a receipt that it's been 43 00:02:42,189 --> 00:02:44,189 received by the individual, you're done. 44 00:02:44,189 --> 00:02:48,949 If you don't, you have to send first-class mail that provides all the information about 45 00:02:48,949 --> 00:02:49,750 the upcoming... 46 00:02:49,849 --> 00:02:51,849 tax sale date, et cetera. 47 00:02:51,849 --> 00:02:55,979 But the new things that were added was that in addition to that first-class mail, you 48 00:02:55,979 --> 00:03:00,979 now have to attempt to reach people by email and make a good-faith effort to find an email 49 00:03:00,979 --> 00:03:03,490 if you don't have it. 50 00:03:03,490 --> 00:03:08,490 Second, and the most important, you have to go to the property with the notice, and if 51 00:03:08,490 --> 00:03:12,490 there's a structure on the property, attach it to the door. 52 00:03:12,490 --> 00:03:15,490 I think that's new work. 53 00:03:15,490 --> 00:03:19,490 That's an unfunded mandate that doesn't come with any assistance from the state. 54 00:03:19,490 --> 00:03:20,349 I think that's a good thing. 55 00:03:20,490 --> 00:03:23,490 This is a new requirement. 56 00:03:23,490 --> 00:03:27,490 The goal is to make sure that nobody's surprised by a tax sale. 57 00:03:27,490 --> 00:03:34,490 In my conversation with Kevin O'Toole, he said about 70% of those certified letters 58 00:03:34,490 --> 00:03:35,490 are received. 59 00:03:35,490 --> 00:03:41,490 So this is about the last third, just making sure that people find out what they need to 60 00:03:41,490 --> 00:03:42,490 know. 61 00:03:42,490 --> 00:03:49,490 And you can go into these things fully informed, maybe make up, get out of arrears, if they 62 00:03:49,490 --> 00:03:50,490 can. 63 00:03:50,490 --> 00:03:56,490 It's worth noting that people, after a tax sale, you have a year to make good, and then 64 00:03:56,490 --> 00:03:58,490 everything's restored. 65 00:03:58,490 --> 00:04:03,490 But the challenge, I think, and I talked to the ranking member of the House Committee 66 00:04:03,490 --> 00:04:09,490 on Government Operations to ask, did anybody raise whether this creates a situation for 67 00:04:09,490 --> 00:04:10,490 conflict? 68 00:04:10,490 --> 00:04:17,519 Going to someone's house with bad news at a tough time in anybody's life, sending people 69 00:04:17,519 --> 00:04:18,519 out there to just go. 70 00:04:18,519 --> 00:04:23,589 Just go up to the end of a long driveway where someone doesn't want to see you. 71 00:04:23,589 --> 00:04:27,589 And just boom, and tap them on the door. 72 00:04:27,589 --> 00:04:31,589 And that's an uncomfortable situation. 73 00:04:31,589 --> 00:04:38,589 And unfortunately, that situation wasn't considered in the testimony they received. 74 00:04:38,589 --> 00:04:44,620 They took a lot of testimony, but that just didn't come up as a potential issue. 75 00:04:44,620 --> 00:04:47,620 That surprised me. 76 00:04:47,620 --> 00:04:50,620 How did you get that information that it wasn't considered? 77 00:04:50,620 --> 00:04:54,620 From the legislator who was the ranking member of the Committee of Jurisdiction. 78 00:04:54,620 --> 00:04:55,620 What's his name? 79 00:04:55,620 --> 00:04:57,620 Her name is Shaye Waters. 80 00:04:57,620 --> 00:05:04,620 And so the testimony is all archived as well online to be viewed, so we can check that 81 00:05:04,620 --> 00:05:06,620 out if need be. 82 00:05:06,620 --> 00:05:14,870 And then Kevin O'Toole also did not recall that coming up as part of what the delivery 83 00:05:14,870 --> 00:05:16,350 was. 84 00:05:16,350 --> 00:05:17,350 So there's... 85 00:05:17,350 --> 00:05:18,350 But... 86 00:05:18,350 --> 00:05:20,350 Kevin and I were talking about what were the options. 87 00:05:20,350 --> 00:05:22,350 The legislation is very different. 88 00:05:22,350 --> 00:05:24,350 You can decide whoever you want. 89 00:05:24,350 --> 00:05:29,350 You can send whoever you want to task that letter to the door. 90 00:05:29,350 --> 00:05:33,350 You can even send your state representative, but... 91 00:05:33,350 --> 00:05:36,350 They're gonna be re-elected by 1200 and carried by six. 92 00:05:36,350 --> 00:05:37,350 And so... 93 00:05:37,350 --> 00:05:39,350 I thought that I might... 94 00:05:39,350 --> 00:05:40,350 That's what you do. 95 00:05:40,350 --> 00:05:42,350 So careful where you're at. 96 00:05:42,350 --> 00:05:47,350 So there is, again, there's sort of a thought that maybe some people could hire anyone they 97 00:05:47,350 --> 00:05:48,350 want. 98 00:05:48,350 --> 00:05:49,350 State police, sheriffs. 99 00:05:49,350 --> 00:05:54,350 That also may play into the same dynamic that we were already worried about in the 100 00:05:54,350 --> 00:05:55,350 first place. 101 00:05:55,350 --> 00:05:58,350 Amplifying that it's now a police matter. 102 00:05:58,350 --> 00:05:59,350 So this... 103 00:05:59,350 --> 00:06:06,540 And lastly, unfortunately, towns are not allowed to pass along the cost that might be incurred 104 00:06:06,540 --> 00:06:08,540 by, say, hiring the sheriff. 105 00:06:08,540 --> 00:06:12,540 So at a tax sale, you can only get out of arrears. 106 00:06:12,540 --> 00:06:16,540 You can't then say, okay, but it costs us 400 bucks to have the deputy take this up. 107 00:06:16,540 --> 00:06:17,540 Yet they're forcing you to do it. 108 00:06:17,540 --> 00:06:18,540 Can't pass it up. 109 00:06:18,540 --> 00:06:19,540 So there's another bit of that unfunded mandate, and now you have to eat the cost. 110 00:06:19,540 --> 00:06:20,540 So the legislative intent was, I think, well, like a lot of things, well-intended, but maybe 111 00:06:20,540 --> 00:06:21,540 this didn't quite hit the mark. 112 00:06:21,540 --> 00:06:22,540 So what I wanted to talk about tonight was whether there might be some interest in the 113 00:06:22,540 --> 00:06:23,540 upcoming legislative session, really making sure that we're sharpening up how we can address 114 00:06:23,540 --> 00:06:24,540 this. 115 00:06:24,540 --> 00:06:26,180 There may be a lot of ways to address it. 116 00:06:26,180 --> 00:06:27,180 It may be making that email and notary public loan. 117 00:06:27,180 --> 00:06:28,180 I don't know. 118 00:06:28,180 --> 00:06:29,180 I don't know. 119 00:06:29,180 --> 00:06:30,240 I don't know. 120 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:31,240 I don't know. 121 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:32,240 I don't know. 122 00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:33,240 I don't know. 123 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:34,240 I don't know. 124 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:35,240 I don't know. 125 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:36,240 I don't know. 126 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:37,240 I don't know. 127 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:44,240 There may be that email and notice and email or notice. 128 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:52,000 It could be that the and becomes an or, and then you have a few options. 129 00:06:52,000 --> 00:07:00,240 It may be the case that you try to find a way to allow the legislation to enable municipalities 130 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:01,480 to recruit that cost. 131 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:05,399 That may feel like the camel getting its nose in the tent a little bit. 132 00:07:05,399 --> 00:07:06,399 So, anyway, there's just a lot of different options. 133 00:07:06,399 --> 00:07:07,060 So if you have... 134 00:07:07,060 --> 00:07:13,060 But I wanted to mention that this is the conversation I've been having in preparation for tonight, and I wanted to just sort of share that info with you. 135 00:07:13,060 --> 00:07:21,060 How would we start that process? Write you a letter and say, please present this to the next session? 136 00:07:21,060 --> 00:07:29,060 I mean, so it's sort of starting now, if people are interested. It doesn't have to be formal. There doesn't have to be a – but a town can do something like that to say, this is an issue for us. 137 00:07:29,060 --> 00:07:30,060 Yes. 138 00:07:30,060 --> 00:07:45,189 And that just allows legislators to do what they need to do, which is represent – I'll add one little quick comment that I looked at the – there was a roll call on this act, and it was 92 to 44. 139 00:07:45,189 --> 00:07:52,189 I was like, well, who said no? It was interesting to see. So my predecessor, Nelson Brownell of Poundwood, representing Stanford, he said no. 140 00:07:52,189 --> 00:08:00,189 Nelson's been a lot of years on the team, activities. He saw the issues with it. Representative Sebelia in Dover said no. 141 00:08:00,189 --> 00:08:08,189 Representative Roberts, who was Halifax, Whitingham, and Wilmington. So this whole area was pretty clear. 142 00:08:08,189 --> 00:08:17,509 And I think that the rural caucus, which is a group of legislators from rural parts of the state, which Representative Sebelia chairs, is a natural ally. 143 00:08:17,509 --> 00:08:25,509 And we can sort of begin to send this around to them and say, hey, here's something – because this is about the time of year when people begin to think about what they want to do in the next session. 144 00:08:25,509 --> 00:08:30,509 Obviously, there's an election, and that matters. But the point is that you just at least put that out there. 145 00:08:30,509 --> 00:08:35,509 So people can begin thinking about, am I seeing that from towns in my district as well? 146 00:08:35,509 --> 00:08:40,509 I doubt that if this is a problem in Stanford, that this is a problem anywhere but Stanford. 147 00:08:40,509 --> 00:08:44,509 So it's a matter of finding who also feels uncomfortable with this. 148 00:08:44,509 --> 00:08:51,509 I think there's a lot of – not a lot, but many delinquent tax collectors that are older and do this for part-time. 149 00:08:51,509 --> 00:08:58,509 And I know we did not feel comfortable going here. At first, I thought, oh, yeah, that's no problem. 150 00:08:58,509 --> 00:09:00,509 Then you think – you hear on the news – 151 00:09:00,509 --> 00:09:07,740 with these shootings, people turn around in your driveway, and yeah, that's not good. That's not safe for any of us. 152 00:09:07,740 --> 00:09:10,740 Drew Ridge? No, that was the governor that showed up at your house. 153 00:09:10,740 --> 00:09:11,740 Yeah. 154 00:09:11,740 --> 00:09:15,740 Well, you know, you weren't even elected when this was passed, correct? 155 00:09:15,740 --> 00:09:18,740 So we were not going to beat up the messenger desk for sure. 156 00:09:18,740 --> 00:09:19,740 Right, right. 157 00:09:19,740 --> 00:09:22,740 But it's not just about the safety. It's liability. 158 00:09:22,740 --> 00:09:29,740 The state has done more than just one thing that they force us to do something they don't compensate us. 159 00:09:29,740 --> 00:09:30,740 Right. 160 00:09:30,740 --> 00:09:35,740 If you were to go back to the legislature and say what our concerns were, I would not want a hand order. 161 00:09:35,740 --> 00:09:40,740 Most of these people that can't afford their taxes and are in arrears are having big problems. 162 00:09:40,740 --> 00:09:42,740 They might not even have an internet service anymore. 163 00:09:42,740 --> 00:09:43,740 Right. 164 00:09:43,740 --> 00:09:52,740 You know, to go up to these people in those times, they've already been contacting for the last two years before this happens by members of the town. 165 00:09:52,740 --> 00:09:57,740 So contacting them is not a problem, or if it was, it still is. 166 00:09:57,740 --> 00:09:58,929 Right. 167 00:09:58,929 --> 00:10:01,929 I would like to be compensated for what it costs. 168 00:10:01,929 --> 00:10:06,929 Now, I'm not saying that we're going to be compensating where we're going to hire a guy at $100 an hour, 169 00:10:06,929 --> 00:10:11,929 but we should be able to call law enforcement and be compensated, whether it's state troopers, 170 00:10:11,929 --> 00:10:15,929 which they should just come down and help us for free because we're already paying them, 171 00:10:15,929 --> 00:10:18,929 and we very rarely get service from them. 172 00:10:18,929 --> 00:10:21,929 Not to pick on them, but we're staffers, okay? 173 00:10:21,929 --> 00:10:23,929 They don't spend a lot of time out here. 174 00:10:23,929 --> 00:10:27,929 We already found we can't afford or we chose not to have a contract with them. 175 00:10:27,929 --> 00:10:30,929 We don't have to have a contract with the sheriffs for three hours a week. 176 00:10:30,929 --> 00:10:33,929 It's just not feasible for us. 177 00:10:33,929 --> 00:10:38,929 So we should definitely be able to call up law enforcement and protect the citizens of Stanford. 178 00:10:38,929 --> 00:10:41,929 We don't ask much from the state at all, at all. 179 00:10:41,929 --> 00:10:43,929 You don't ever hear us calling you. 180 00:10:43,929 --> 00:10:44,929 Am I correct? 181 00:10:44,929 --> 00:10:45,929 Not at all. 182 00:10:45,929 --> 00:10:46,929 Especially this board. 183 00:10:46,929 --> 00:10:49,929 I think this is the second time I've ever met you. 184 00:10:49,929 --> 00:10:50,929 Yeah, that's true. 185 00:10:50,929 --> 00:10:51,929 Okay? 186 00:10:51,929 --> 00:10:56,019 Our last representative I never met at all, the longer we did. 187 00:10:56,019 --> 00:10:57,019 My question. 188 00:10:57,019 --> 00:10:59,019 I have one question while I've got your ear. 189 00:10:59,019 --> 00:11:03,019 When these legislations come up, you always hear about them, correct? 190 00:11:03,250 --> 00:11:04,250 No, sir. 191 00:11:04,250 --> 00:11:08,250 If there's a bill that is presented, you always hear about them. 192 00:11:08,250 --> 00:11:09,250 Yeah. 193 00:11:09,250 --> 00:11:10,250 Okay? 194 00:11:10,250 --> 00:11:18,250 So if there's a bill that comes up, and you're representing us, and when I say us, I'm going to say, where is it? 195 00:11:18,250 --> 00:11:19,250 Bennington County? 196 00:11:19,250 --> 00:11:21,250 I mean, how far do you reach out? 197 00:11:21,250 --> 00:11:23,250 Oh, so it's five towns. 198 00:11:23,250 --> 00:11:25,250 I'm staying over at Greensboro, Searsburg, Woodford. 199 00:11:25,250 --> 00:11:26,250 And you get one vote. 200 00:11:26,250 --> 00:11:32,250 You get one vote on that, just like when they ask for these votes, et cetera. 201 00:11:32,250 --> 00:11:34,250 If there's a roll call, yeah. 202 00:11:34,250 --> 00:11:35,250 Okay. 203 00:11:35,250 --> 00:11:39,250 So you get to go and speak and vote, correct? 204 00:11:39,250 --> 00:11:40,250 Yeah. 205 00:11:40,250 --> 00:11:41,250 All right. 206 00:11:41,250 --> 00:11:44,250 So how do you know what your constituents want? 207 00:11:44,250 --> 00:11:45,250 Okay. 208 00:11:45,250 --> 00:11:46,250 So bigger picture question. 209 00:11:46,250 --> 00:11:47,250 So we're sort of not on. 210 00:11:47,250 --> 00:11:48,250 Sorry. 211 00:11:48,250 --> 00:11:49,250 Yeah, that's okay. 212 00:11:49,250 --> 00:11:50,250 I mean, there's maybe 1,200 bills a year. 213 00:11:50,250 --> 00:11:51,250 Yeah. 214 00:11:51,250 --> 00:11:52,250 And so there's a lot. 215 00:11:52,250 --> 00:11:53,250 We rely on our committees and jurisdictions. 216 00:11:53,250 --> 00:11:54,250 We rely on the legislature. 217 00:11:54,250 --> 00:11:55,250 We rely on the legislature. 218 00:11:55,250 --> 00:11:58,250 We rely on our committees and jurisdictions to really dig into the details and let us 219 00:11:58,250 --> 00:12:01,250 know, here's why this is a great idea. 220 00:12:01,250 --> 00:12:02,250 Here's why this is not. 221 00:12:02,250 --> 00:12:08,250 It was interesting to see Mr. O'Toole's testimony, which he gave in February, looked a lot more 222 00:12:08,250 --> 00:12:13,250 like the final bill than what it was looking like when he gave his testimony. 223 00:12:13,250 --> 00:12:15,250 So a lot of his input made a difference. 224 00:12:15,250 --> 00:12:21,250 So we spend a lot of time hearing from committee chairs or committee representatives who are 225 00:12:21,250 --> 00:12:23,250 saying, here's where things are with us. 226 00:12:23,250 --> 00:12:24,250 Like a lot of things. 227 00:12:24,250 --> 00:12:25,250 You've got to be curious. 228 00:12:25,250 --> 00:12:26,250 You have to want to know. 229 00:12:26,250 --> 00:12:27,250 Sometimes you miss all of this or something along those lines. 230 00:12:27,250 --> 00:12:28,250 You miss a bill. 231 00:12:28,250 --> 00:12:29,250 You miss this section. 232 00:12:29,250 --> 00:12:30,250 In fact, this past session, this section of the statute was touched again to raise the 233 00:12:30,250 --> 00:12:31,250 threshold, to establish a threshold where you couldn't do taxes until someone owes $1,500. 234 00:12:31,250 --> 00:12:32,250 Right. 235 00:12:32,250 --> 00:12:33,250 Right. 236 00:12:33,250 --> 00:12:34,250 Yeah. 237 00:12:34,250 --> 00:12:35,250 That was new. 238 00:12:35,250 --> 00:12:36,250 Because they didn't want people losing everything over a $400 bill. 239 00:12:36,250 --> 00:12:37,250 But the point is that was in the education bill. 240 00:12:37,250 --> 00:12:38,250 So we're not going to be able to do that. 241 00:12:38,250 --> 00:12:39,250 We're going to be able to do that. 242 00:12:39,250 --> 00:12:40,250 And so we're going to have to do that. 243 00:12:40,250 --> 00:12:41,250 And so we're going to have to do that. 244 00:12:41,250 --> 00:12:42,250 And so we're going to have to do that. 245 00:12:42,250 --> 00:12:43,250 And so we're going to have to do that. 246 00:12:43,250 --> 00:12:48,409 So that was in one page of a 120-page monster. 247 00:12:48,409 --> 00:12:55,549 And so sometimes it's hard to catch all those little bits. 248 00:12:55,549 --> 00:13:03,169 However, the process is slow. 249 00:13:03,169 --> 00:13:06,590 It takes months for bills to get through. 250 00:13:06,590 --> 00:13:12,009 I think that legislators will have an opportunity to hear if something comes up that's big. 251 00:13:12,009 --> 00:13:13,009 Can you flag this for us? 252 00:13:13,009 --> 00:13:17,009 You talk to some of the attorneys that help legislators shape the bills. 253 00:13:17,009 --> 00:13:21,009 They're called legislative councils, people that have an area of statute expertise. 254 00:13:21,009 --> 00:13:25,009 There's one version for the education stuff. There's one version for the tax stuff. 255 00:13:25,009 --> 00:13:29,009 And you try to figure out questions you may have. You bring it back to the public. 256 00:13:29,009 --> 00:13:34,009 And sometimes it's hard to give every single bill the same kind of setting. 257 00:13:34,009 --> 00:13:41,139 Is there a place where the general public can almost like go to and, you know, what is that? 258 00:13:41,139 --> 00:13:43,139 Online. 259 00:13:43,139 --> 00:13:46,139 Legislature.Vermont.gov. 260 00:13:46,139 --> 00:13:50,139 It goes through the process of where it is. 261 00:13:50,139 --> 00:13:52,139 It's really comprehensive. 262 00:13:52,139 --> 00:13:54,139 Kind of like the media almost. 263 00:13:54,139 --> 00:13:58,139 In the 1500, are they working on reducing that? 264 00:13:58,139 --> 00:14:02,139 That would mean land like we have Alphamaw Lots. 265 00:14:02,139 --> 00:14:04,139 And how many years? 266 00:14:04,139 --> 00:14:05,139 You're different. 267 00:14:05,139 --> 00:14:11,139 If I could make an adjustment and said there's no building on the property, they waived that requirement. 268 00:14:11,139 --> 00:14:12,139 Oh, okay, good. 269 00:14:12,139 --> 00:14:14,139 If there's a building, it still stays. 270 00:14:14,139 --> 00:14:16,139 Okay, all right, that makes sense. 271 00:14:16,139 --> 00:14:23,139 And I think early versions of the legislation, that exact issue came up where it might take 30 years for it to actually become actionable. 272 00:14:23,139 --> 00:14:27,139 So they pulled that, they added some numbers, they moved things around. 273 00:14:27,139 --> 00:14:32,139 But it's interesting in the legislature, everything seems so formal. 274 00:14:32,139 --> 00:14:34,139 Everything seems so set. 275 00:14:34,139 --> 00:14:37,139 And then it turns out there's just erasers on all these pencils. 276 00:14:37,139 --> 00:14:39,139 And people can adjust things. 277 00:14:39,139 --> 00:14:40,139 And that's sort of... 278 00:14:40,139 --> 00:14:44,139 Sometimes it's the case where do we make it perfect in this session? 279 00:14:44,139 --> 00:14:46,139 We just have these 19 weeks. 280 00:14:46,139 --> 00:14:48,139 And we're not even close to one big happy family. 281 00:14:48,139 --> 00:14:52,139 And can we get some things done and then fix it if we find a problem? 282 00:14:52,139 --> 00:14:57,139 Now, that can bite you when there are some problems that you didn't anticipate. 283 00:14:57,139 --> 00:15:01,139 A lot of blowback can take place that you thought was not going to be the issue. 284 00:15:01,139 --> 00:15:02,139 So we try to be as... 285 00:15:02,139 --> 00:15:03,139 I mean, it's imperfect. 286 00:15:03,139 --> 00:15:06,139 Like any cooperation of people, it's imperfect. 287 00:15:06,139 --> 00:15:10,139 But where these things arise, it becomes really helpful for municipalities. 288 00:15:10,139 --> 00:15:15,139 To sort of have these close conversations with elected officials to say, well, let's... 289 00:15:15,139 --> 00:15:17,139 This is a big problem for us. 290 00:15:17,139 --> 00:15:23,139 And the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, by and large, you hear from when people want things. 291 00:15:23,139 --> 00:15:24,139 We want this. 292 00:15:24,139 --> 00:15:32,139 It can be hard to get the same amount of attention for, you know, where was one little town down at the very southern end of the state? 293 00:15:32,139 --> 00:15:33,139 And this is a problem for us. 294 00:15:33,139 --> 00:15:36,139 It's not always easy to elevate that same thing. 295 00:15:36,139 --> 00:15:39,139 You know, it's a kind of Horton, here's a who moment. 296 00:15:39,139 --> 00:15:41,139 And it can work out. 297 00:15:41,139 --> 00:15:43,139 If you're not going to switch. 298 00:15:43,139 --> 00:15:44,139 Jonathan, one more. 299 00:15:44,139 --> 00:15:45,139 Well, I lied. 300 00:15:45,139 --> 00:15:47,139 When I say one more question, that's... 301 00:15:47,139 --> 00:15:51,139 But if a town does... 302 00:15:51,139 --> 00:15:53,139 So this is a mandate that we have to do. 303 00:15:53,139 --> 00:15:57,139 If we don't do it, so we've already been told by the person that usually does this. 304 00:15:57,139 --> 00:15:58,139 They're not going to. 305 00:15:58,139 --> 00:15:59,139 They're not safe enough. 306 00:15:59,139 --> 00:16:00,139 They don't feel safe enough. 307 00:16:00,139 --> 00:16:01,139 I see. 308 00:16:01,139 --> 00:16:02,139 What happens? 309 00:16:02,139 --> 00:16:04,139 What does the state do in the town? 310 00:16:04,139 --> 00:16:06,139 I don't think the state's got so much of an iron fist. 311 00:16:06,139 --> 00:16:07,139 But I'm not... 312 00:16:07,139 --> 00:16:08,139 That's a law. 313 00:16:08,139 --> 00:16:09,139 I actually don't know. 314 00:16:09,139 --> 00:16:10,139 It might void the tax sale. 315 00:16:10,139 --> 00:16:11,139 That could be it. 316 00:16:11,139 --> 00:16:12,139 We spoke with the attorney today. 317 00:16:12,139 --> 00:16:13,139 And he said that you will not have a tax sale if you won't do it. 318 00:16:13,139 --> 00:16:14,139 Oh, yeah. 319 00:16:14,139 --> 00:16:15,139 I see. 320 00:16:15,139 --> 00:16:16,139 So you have to take... 321 00:16:16,139 --> 00:16:17,139 It doesn't seem to do this. 322 00:16:17,139 --> 00:16:18,139 But you have to take a picture when you put the notice on the door. 323 00:16:18,139 --> 00:16:19,139 Because how can you prove that you did it? 324 00:16:19,139 --> 00:16:20,139 So I think that is the goal. 325 00:16:20,139 --> 00:16:21,139 The idea is to have as many of these not fall through as possible. 326 00:16:21,139 --> 00:16:22,139 AI. 327 00:16:22,139 --> 00:16:23,139 Yeah. 328 00:16:23,139 --> 00:16:24,139 That's good. 329 00:16:24,139 --> 00:16:25,139 No comment. 330 00:16:25,139 --> 00:16:26,139 Okay. 331 00:16:26,139 --> 00:16:27,139 So... 332 00:16:27,139 --> 00:16:28,139 When I was a kid, I used to go to school. 333 00:16:28,139 --> 00:16:29,139 I used to go to school. 334 00:16:29,139 --> 00:16:30,139 I used to go to school. 335 00:16:30,139 --> 00:16:31,139 I used to go to school. 336 00:16:31,139 --> 00:16:32,139 I used to go to school. 337 00:16:32,139 --> 00:16:33,139 I used to go to school. 338 00:16:33,139 --> 00:16:34,169 So now I need to go to school. 339 00:16:34,169 --> 00:16:35,169 Okay. 340 00:16:35,169 --> 00:16:36,169 Yeah. 341 00:16:36,169 --> 00:16:37,169 So... 342 00:16:37,169 --> 00:16:38,169 What else would you like to talk to... 343 00:16:38,169 --> 00:16:39,169 I think we've come to that. 344 00:16:39,169 --> 00:16:40,169 That was my main concern. 345 00:16:40,169 --> 00:16:41,169 Tax sale. 346 00:16:41,169 --> 00:16:42,169 That was the big thing that I wasn't prepared to talk about. 347 00:16:42,169 --> 00:16:43,169 And there's no other issues. 348 00:16:43,169 --> 00:16:51,169 I understand how you jump in if there's questions you do have. 349 00:16:51,169 --> 00:16:53,169 I have a question. 350 00:16:53,169 --> 00:16:54,169 Okay. 351 00:16:54,169 --> 00:17:03,200 So how do you communicate with your constituents, you know, periodically throughout the school 352 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:10,440 the year so that we have an idea of what you and the legislature is doing so one 353 00:17:10,440 --> 00:17:17,240 of the things so I've tried to do a number of things is also more there's 354 00:17:17,240 --> 00:17:24,140 sort of the minimum be at town meetings they're all on the same night but at 355 00:17:24,140 --> 00:17:27,420 least a little bit staggering you know this Yankee cannonball whipping through 356 00:17:27,420 --> 00:17:32,359 starting his work for getting back the and then at those at those meetings 357 00:17:32,359 --> 00:17:36,180 reports that people have a mid-year report here's what things are trying to 358 00:17:36,180 --> 00:17:39,900 give folks a sense of I think that this stuff in 181 is going to be repealed it 359 00:17:39,900 --> 00:17:43,599 looks like you know this element of the education buy-down tax will be somewhere 360 00:17:43,599 --> 00:17:46,440 in the hundred million dollar range really giving people as much of a 361 00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:50,579 crystal ball as you can and then events at office hours a little more 362 00:17:50,579 --> 00:17:55,700 consistently last year where it was the Stanford library on let's say it's the 363 00:17:55,700 --> 00:17:57,400 third Saturday of the month 364 00:17:57,400 --> 00:18:02,839 you know at 11 o'clock the at the Reedsboro General Store that at 930 as 365 00:18:02,839 --> 00:18:07,539 many of you know my wife and I have twins and so that was in December of 2025 so my 366 00:18:07,539 --> 00:18:10,359 weekends my Saturdays was a little tougher to come home on Friday and then 367 00:18:10,359 --> 00:18:15,339 just be out the door on Saturday with some of these civic engagements but 368 00:18:15,339 --> 00:18:21,700 that's really events and Yankee coming to select board meetings you know this are 369 00:18:21,700 --> 00:18:25,400 another important way that people make updates what's going on in the 370 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:27,240 legislature and 371 00:18:27,400 --> 00:18:32,519 you know if I can interview scheduled the Deerfield Valley News tomorrow so 372 00:18:32,519 --> 00:18:38,720 there's just trying to be in as many places as you can it seems like the goal 373 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:43,000 is to never stop talking them but I just need to stop talking once in a while 374 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:50,980 but now is a good time but what what what needs to happen is that of course 375 00:18:50,980 --> 00:18:57,539 you need to be available to listen to us and so those events that you are 376 00:18:57,559 --> 00:19:03,880 doing, the Reedsboro General Store, the library, you said. I mean, will you be doing those things? 377 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:08,359 Yeah, that was important for me to spend some time, you know, sort of setting the family 378 00:19:08,359 --> 00:19:11,799 in the first year of this, you know, the last eight months. 379 00:19:11,799 --> 00:19:13,000 How long is your term? 380 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:17,640 It's two years. So yeah, everything except, I think, Attorney General, or like, 381 00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:22,279 state's attorneys are two-year terms, sort of, in the sheriff's. So you see a lot of turnover. 382 00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:26,440 There'll be a lot more turnover this year as well. So it's also one of those interesting 383 00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:31,319 things where part of the beginning of each session is getting to know a bunch of new people. 384 00:19:31,319 --> 00:19:35,960 A lot of people are not returning after some time in the legislature, so we'll probably have 385 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:42,759 40, at least 40 new members out of 150 or so. But anyhow, the answer to that is yes. 386 00:19:43,319 --> 00:19:48,420 One of the, I think one of the, I don't, it seems like every legislator seems to do it 387 00:19:48,420 --> 00:19:52,900 a little bit differently. Some people send out three emails, you know, every two months 388 00:19:52,900 --> 00:19:56,660 to send something out. Some people will have, I think, Kathleen James of Manchester, 389 00:19:56,660 --> 00:20:02,259 had four coffee hours. You know, when you try to, some districts are the size of a few city blocks, 390 00:20:02,259 --> 00:20:09,460 some are 192 square miles, and you try to get what you can get. So that's something that I think 391 00:20:10,460 --> 00:20:13,900 you can always do a better job of letting people know where you'll be, but it's important to be 392 00:20:13,900 --> 00:20:17,180 out there. And it is, I think, eventually coming to sub board meetings is another way of just 393 00:20:17,980 --> 00:20:22,619 hearing from people, talking and hearing and listening is the part that legislators need to 394 00:20:22,619 --> 00:20:23,420 be more willing to do. 395 00:20:23,420 --> 00:20:25,829 Cancel. 396 00:20:25,829 --> 00:20:26,630 The, um, 397 00:20:27,269 --> 00:20:29,750 Beth, you have another question for me? 398 00:20:29,750 --> 00:20:34,390 It was a different topic, but, um, I was more on the school board type stuff. So, 399 00:20:35,349 --> 00:20:40,470 one of the largest items on our school board, on our school budget is the healthcare insurance. 400 00:20:40,470 --> 00:20:45,670 And I'm wondering what the legislature still needs to try to tackle that. Get to the root cause of it 401 00:20:45,670 --> 00:20:46,390 and tackle it. 402 00:20:46,390 --> 00:20:50,230 Yeah, it's, so I think Vermont's healthcare premiums are the highest in the country. It's 403 00:20:50,230 --> 00:20:55,829 $8.50 a month, I think, is what our number is. And then if you live over in New Hampshire, 404 00:20:55,829 --> 00:20:57,589 it's like a third of that. 405 00:20:57,589 --> 00:21:02,230 If that at all. So we're trying to figure out how did it get here and how do we, 406 00:21:02,950 --> 00:21:09,430 how do we move off of numbers that are not affordable for people? Um, and my guess is that 407 00:21:09,430 --> 00:21:13,670 we'll be focusing a lot on this and the healthcare committee, and then at large, 408 00:21:13,670 --> 00:21:19,190 it's impacting our school budgets. It's impacting household incomes, every employer straining under 409 00:21:19,190 --> 00:21:25,029 it. So I don't know where that came from. I have no idea why it is the way that it is, 410 00:21:25,029 --> 00:21:26,950 but it looks like, you know, we've been very, 411 00:21:27,589 --> 00:21:30,470 we've empowered the Green Mountain Care Board to take some steps to really rein in. 412 00:21:31,190 --> 00:21:37,269 We value UBN Health Network. It's a teaching hospital. Teaching hospitals cost the public 413 00:21:37,269 --> 00:21:41,990 more because they have to provide certain educational elements that 414 00:21:42,869 --> 00:21:47,589 broader hospitals do not. And so that, in a small state, we're from that broad state. 415 00:21:47,589 --> 00:21:54,150 How big is the pharmaceutical lobby in the state? I mean, how much pressure do they put in there to allow this to happen? 416 00:21:54,150 --> 00:21:57,740 You know, I mean, there's, I think we, they don't seem, 417 00:21:58,380 --> 00:22:03,339 big, but I think good lobbies, good lobbyists make themselves seem smaller than they are. 418 00:22:03,339 --> 00:22:09,299 Um, I, I don't hear from them too often because my work is in commerce and economic development. 419 00:22:09,299 --> 00:22:13,299 So that's, so I'm hearing from lobbyists who are affiliated with Meta and whatnot. 420 00:22:14,660 --> 00:22:19,619 I do think that, you know, the Vermont Association of Healthcare Systems, the hospital sort of 421 00:22:21,059 --> 00:22:28,380 association, they have a lobbyist. We hear a lot from her. I think that where we tried to implement reference-based pricing, which was, 422 00:22:28,940 --> 00:22:35,259 a way to rein in some of the hospital spending on being able to charge 8,000 bucks for, you know, 423 00:22:35,259 --> 00:22:40,500 a sort of generic medication while you're in the hospital, um, we were able to bring that down a 424 00:22:40,500 --> 00:22:44,980 little bit. We're hopeful that that will be saving us tens of millions of dollars a year, but we need 425 00:22:44,980 --> 00:22:49,859 to be looking at saving hundreds of millions of dollars a year because it's, I mean, it's something 426 00:22:49,859 --> 00:22:57,339 that everyone's alarmed by, not just legislators, not just school members, everybody. I don't know if that means more to come, honestly. 427 00:22:57,339 --> 00:22:57,900 More to come. 428 00:22:59,720 --> 00:23:01,400 Any other questions for Mr. Cooper? 429 00:23:02,359 --> 00:23:05,400 I do. You're up for a re-election, correct? 430 00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:06,119 Yeah. 431 00:23:06,119 --> 00:23:12,039 So your opponent, what, I haven't seen much about him, and I know 432 00:23:13,369 --> 00:23:19,210 you, you probably know your strengths and his weaknesses, vice versa. I'd really like to know. 433 00:23:21,369 --> 00:23:25,210 What I know, so Charles Jewett is his name. Charles lives in Palma, like I do. He lives around 434 00:23:25,210 --> 00:23:29,849 the corner from me, um, and so what I know about him, mostly he's just, I know what color, 435 00:23:30,089 --> 00:23:38,980 he drives. And, you know, I think that his campaign is his thing, and, um, I, you know, I've enjoyed 436 00:23:38,980 --> 00:23:43,779 talking to him. We've walked, not quite together, but whenever you go to the Weeksboro 4th of July 437 00:23:43,779 --> 00:23:47,779 parade, they, they, they put you together. Put you together. Yes, you were, yesterday. 438 00:23:47,779 --> 00:23:49,220 Hey Charlie, how we doing? 439 00:23:49,220 --> 00:23:50,180 Yep. 440 00:23:50,180 --> 00:23:59,700 Um, so, you know, we've had some exchange pleasantries, um, and I think, you know, that his campaign is, I haven't spent a lot of time focusing on it. 441 00:23:59,700 --> 00:24:00,259 Okay. 442 00:24:00,259 --> 00:24:06,099 So I'm sort of trying to talk a little about what I'm up to, what I look forward to doing, and why I'm, why I love this work. 443 00:24:06,099 --> 00:24:12,099 Um, I'm not trying to make this into a softball where I just talk about me more, because your question is about Charlie. I just don't know much about him. 444 00:24:12,099 --> 00:24:28,599 Well, I mean, normally, normally candidates know their strengths over another person. I'm just curious, because I haven't been able to find much about him, so you as a candidate should know who you're up against. 445 00:24:28,599 --> 00:24:30,599 I, I don't know, to be honest, um, 446 00:24:30,680 --> 00:24:40,119 some candidates really take care of their campaigning in a very personal way. Like they may be doing all the door knocking in the world, and you wouldn't know, because they're not knocking on your door. 447 00:24:40,119 --> 00:24:42,200 That's because you're afraid to go over it. 448 00:24:42,200 --> 00:24:44,200 Yeah, yeah. 449 00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:46,200 Take it out. 450 00:24:46,200 --> 00:24:48,200 Because they post it for us. 451 00:24:48,200 --> 00:25:00,779 I think it is important to, um, to let Mr. Jewett, you know, speak for his own campaign, and it's, um, but I know that it's hard to do. It feels odd going into strangers' houses. But if it feels weird going into their houses, it's gonna feel weird. 452 00:25:00,779 --> 00:25:12,299 How are you going to be able to advocate for people around people that you don't know among people? And that was something that I challenged myself with. I felt like I was back in the Boy Scouts doing the canned food drive at first, just scared to go up to the doors and knock. 453 00:25:12,299 --> 00:25:23,259 But it, you know, you get used to it. Any time it's your first campaign, I think it is Mr. Jewett's first campaign, you get past, you have to get out of that phase, and that, you know, that's, um, that is a phase. 454 00:25:23,259 --> 00:25:39,299 I have one more comment. So, I mean, I'm, I'm, I was on the Select Board. I'm now on the Planning Commission. Um, and right now, I'm thinking, just because it's easy and I can bring it up, of Act 181. 455 00:25:39,299 --> 00:25:52,230 Um, I honestly actually think, um, from what I've seen from you since you've been involved in politics, um, I feel like you are a great listener. And I feel like you truly want to do, um, a lot of things. 456 00:25:52,230 --> 00:25:54,230 Um, I feel like you are a great listener. And I feel like you truly want to do, um, a lot of things. 457 00:25:54,230 --> 00:25:56,230 Um, I feel like you are a great listener. And I feel like you truly want to do, um, a lot of things. 458 00:25:56,230 --> 00:25:58,230 Um, I feel like you truly want to do, um, a lot of things. 459 00:25:58,230 --> 00:26:00,230 Um, I feel like you truly want to do, um, a lot of things. 460 00:26:00,230 --> 00:26:02,230 Um, I feel like you truly want to do, um, a lot of things. 461 00:26:02,230 --> 00:26:04,779 Um, I feel like you truly want to do, um, a lot of things. 462 00:26:04,779 --> 00:26:06,779 Um, I feel like you truly want to do, um, a lot of things. 463 00:26:06,779 --> 00:26:08,779 Um, I feel like you truly want to do, um, a lot of things. 464 00:26:08,779 --> 00:26:10,779 Um, I feel like you truly want to do, um, a lot of things. 465 00:26:10,779 --> 00:26:12,779 Um, I feel like you truly want to do, um, a lot of things. 466 00:26:12,779 --> 00:26:14,779 Um, I feel like you truly want to do, um, a lot of things. 467 00:26:14,779 --> 00:26:16,869 Um, I feel like you truly want to do, um, a lot of things. 468 00:26:16,869 --> 00:26:18,869 Um, I feel like you truly want to do, um, a lot of things. 469 00:26:18,869 --> 00:26:33,660 and Act 181 would be a good example of it, the push for building new homes, the regional planning commissions, 470 00:26:34,079 --> 00:26:42,609 because it appears that there is a big disconnect between the regional planning commissions 471 00:26:42,609 --> 00:26:51,990 and the people who are making these rules and changes and the people. 472 00:26:53,549 --> 00:27:07,359 And I feel like the distance between the people, us, and these larger regional planning commissions 473 00:27:07,359 --> 00:27:14,160 and people who are making big changes that have all kinds of fallout, it's not good. 474 00:27:14,180 --> 00:27:20,039 I feel like people feel like they are not being listened to, and they are not being understood. 475 00:27:20,359 --> 00:27:21,339 They're not being included. 476 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:26,920 Well, that's the thing with government, is it's supposed to be for the weak, not the strong. 477 00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:27,180 Right. 478 00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:31,440 And when we are, what, 800 residents? 479 00:27:31,759 --> 00:27:31,980 Yeah, yeah. 480 00:27:32,460 --> 00:27:38,640 If you ask the legislators if they know where Stanford, Vermont is, they probably will still say yes, 481 00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:40,359 but they haven't been there. 482 00:27:40,940 --> 00:27:42,039 And that's the thing. 483 00:27:42,119 --> 00:27:43,880 They represent both big. 484 00:27:44,099 --> 00:27:44,259 Yeah. 485 00:27:44,279 --> 00:27:45,019 It's all about votes. 486 00:27:45,539 --> 00:27:49,000 You know, we talk about health care and insurances and all that. 487 00:27:49,019 --> 00:27:49,700 It's all about votes. 488 00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:53,660 You want to get rid of all these problems, you get rid of the lobbyists, 489 00:27:53,740 --> 00:27:54,900 and you'll get rid of all your problems. 490 00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:56,259 That's your biggest problem right there. 491 00:27:56,839 --> 00:27:59,000 But, you know, Pam's right. 492 00:27:59,079 --> 00:27:59,660 You're both right. 493 00:27:59,799 --> 00:28:06,859 I mean, we have a Euro representative, and what's Bradwell or Burlington have for representatives? 494 00:28:07,660 --> 00:28:12,440 So Burlington's going to vote, and here we set up Jonathan. 495 00:28:12,440 --> 00:28:13,440 I just. 496 00:28:13,440 --> 00:28:14,940 I disagree. 497 00:28:14,940 --> 00:28:20,000 It's going to be very, and it's like that math from Boston versus Berkeley County, you know. 498 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:23,160 But the thing is, you know, of course you know this. 499 00:28:23,819 --> 00:28:25,299 You're here to represent us. 500 00:28:25,299 --> 00:28:27,619 You're here to listen to us. 501 00:28:27,619 --> 00:28:29,099 You're here to represent us. 502 00:28:29,579 --> 00:28:38,920 And there can't, there can't be such a big disconnect between what the government 503 00:28:39,299 --> 00:28:42,660 and large regional planning commissions think about. 504 00:28:42,660 --> 00:28:42,779 Yeah. 505 00:28:42,779 --> 00:28:42,819 Yeah. 506 00:28:42,819 --> 00:28:42,859 Yeah. 507 00:28:42,859 --> 00:28:42,900 Yeah. 508 00:28:42,900 --> 00:28:42,940 Yeah. 509 00:28:42,940 --> 00:28:43,000 Yeah. 510 00:28:43,000 --> 00:28:43,059 Yeah. 511 00:28:43,059 --> 00:28:43,140 Yeah. 512 00:28:43,140 --> 00:28:43,200 Yeah. 513 00:28:43,200 --> 00:28:43,259 Yeah. 514 00:28:43,259 --> 00:28:43,319 Yeah. 515 00:28:43,319 --> 00:28:43,380 Yeah. 516 00:28:43,380 --> 00:28:43,420 Yeah. 517 00:28:43,440 --> 00:28:43,539 Yeah. 518 00:28:43,539 --> 00:28:43,559 Yeah. 519 00:28:43,559 --> 00:28:43,579 Yeah. 520 00:28:43,579 --> 00:28:43,680 Yeah. 521 00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:43,700 Yeah. 522 00:28:43,700 --> 00:28:43,819 Yeah. 523 00:28:43,819 --> 00:28:43,839 Yeah. 524 00:28:43,839 --> 00:28:43,900 Yeah. 525 00:28:43,900 --> 00:28:43,960 Yeah. 526 00:28:43,960 --> 00:28:44,299 Yeah. 527 00:28:44,299 --> 00:28:44,339 Yeah. 528 00:28:44,339 --> 00:28:44,799 Yeah. 529 00:28:44,799 --> 00:28:44,900 Yeah. 530 00:28:44,900 --> 00:28:44,960 Yeah. 531 00:28:44,960 --> 00:28:45,000 Yeah. 532 00:28:45,319 --> 00:28:47,519 And the people on the ground. 533 00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:52,670 And so, you know, you need to find a way to try to bridge that. 534 00:28:52,730 --> 00:29:03,190 Because we shouldn't be, we shouldn't be surprised and taken aback and upset or whatever 535 00:29:03,190 --> 00:29:05,950 about things that are happening. 536 00:29:07,250 --> 00:29:08,549 Things that have happened. 537 00:29:09,150 --> 00:29:09,430 Yeah. 538 00:29:09,450 --> 00:29:14,029 That also applies to the state education support district that they're planning to. 539 00:29:14,029 --> 00:29:14,569 Yeah. 540 00:29:14,569 --> 00:29:25,329 We're going to be some tiny little boys out in Brattleboro somewhere and they got all these big leagues out in Brattleboro, we'll be nobody, we won't have much of a say when that happens. 541 00:29:25,329 --> 00:29:27,289 I'll try to respond to kind of both of those. 542 00:29:27,289 --> 00:29:29,970 They're similar, that's why I wanted to throw that in there. 543 00:29:29,970 --> 00:29:35,710 I think that it is, we have this experience that we've had, 544 00:29:35,710 --> 00:29:44,210 just going back 30 years to when the Brigham decision in the Vermont Supreme Court ruled that you can't just let towns decide it themselves for their school budgets. 545 00:29:44,210 --> 00:29:49,759 And there was, I mean, that's a pretty big hit on the concept of local control. 546 00:29:49,759 --> 00:29:53,940 And we had to create this whole new system that almost nobody can understand. 547 00:29:53,940 --> 00:29:55,019 The cost of fortune. 548 00:29:55,019 --> 00:29:59,640 The cost of fortune, that people can't really feel that they're getting good and clear answers on. 549 00:29:59,640 --> 00:30:06,819 Also that we can meet the constitutional imperative to provide equal opportunities to access education. 550 00:30:06,819 --> 00:30:09,559 But the math hasn't gotten any better. 551 00:30:09,559 --> 00:30:10,220 It's not like- 552 00:30:10,220 --> 00:30:11,160 Do you feel Brigham? 553 00:30:11,160 --> 00:30:14,720 And that's one of those, is it right for another decision? 554 00:30:14,720 --> 00:30:14,920 You know, 555 00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:19,099 the point was just that, if you look at 1996, the year before Brigham, 556 00:30:19,099 --> 00:30:28,920 the difference between the five highest spending districts and the five lowest spending districts was a little closer, just a little closer than it is now. 557 00:30:28,920 --> 00:30:34,680 It's gotten a little bit worse, even adding in this whole system that's meant to make things more equal. 558 00:30:34,680 --> 00:30:41,279 I, part of that bridge building that you mentioned, as just for full transparency, I work at a regional planning commission. 559 00:30:41,279 --> 00:30:44,660 I've been at the BCRC now for just over ten years. 560 00:30:44,660 --> 00:30:47,519 And it's been a weird time for regional planning commissions. 561 00:30:47,519 --> 00:30:49,559 We're not used to being in the paper. 562 00:30:49,559 --> 00:30:51,640 We're not used to having people be bad at us. 563 00:30:51,640 --> 00:30:57,380 What we're used to doing is going to meetings and talking to people about the things that the meeting is about. 564 00:30:57,380 --> 00:31:01,119 And listening to people tell us about what they want for the future of their towns. 565 00:31:01,119 --> 00:31:05,420 And trying to get it right, and square it with whatever the state statutes are. 566 00:31:05,420 --> 00:31:08,680 And not everybody always has the best user experience. 567 00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:14,799 One of the challenges with Act 181 was that it meant a whole new way of thinking about Act 250. 568 00:31:14,920 --> 00:31:19,950 And it really did mean like a lot of signature, what you might call keystone legislation. 569 00:31:19,950 --> 00:31:27,950 You're going to have to figure it out as you're going along, because some things didn't get fixed or addressed on the first pass in statute. 570 00:31:27,950 --> 00:31:35,359 Because the legislators that are making these laws are not the planners who are doing the planning, so some stuff gets missed. 571 00:31:35,359 --> 00:31:41,559 Not every shop in the state interpreted 181 the same way. 572 00:31:41,559 --> 00:31:44,420 And that is the exact kind of inconsistency that we have. 573 00:31:44,420 --> 00:31:45,460 And that is the exact kind of inconsistency that we have. 574 00:31:45,460 --> 00:31:46,680 And that is the exact kind of inconsistency that we need to avoid. 575 00:31:46,680 --> 00:31:50,099 One really kinda quick history lesson, because I love planning. 576 00:31:50,099 --> 00:31:51,599 It is what I chose to do with my career. 577 00:31:51,599 --> 00:31:56,920 One time ago one hundred years ago in New York, Robert Moses was the most powerful man in New York City. 578 00:31:56,920 --> 00:31:58,519 He was the planner. 579 00:31:58,519 --> 00:32:02,019 And he kinda got himself onto all of these boards, panels. 580 00:32:02,019 --> 00:32:05,259 The unelected positions where he could just do what he wanted. 581 00:32:05,259 --> 00:32:09,299 And one of the things that he wanted to do was to ensure 582 00:32:09,299 --> 00:32:11,200 that certain people in New York City 583 00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:14,339 could get to the swimming pools, and certain other people couldn't. 584 00:32:14,339 --> 00:32:15,420 They would be right next door. 585 00:32:15,420 --> 00:32:17,839 but there's no, that road, that street dead ends there. 586 00:32:17,839 --> 00:32:20,160 There's no, so now kids have to walk four miles 587 00:32:20,160 --> 00:32:21,700 to get around to a pool that's less than 588 00:32:21,700 --> 00:32:24,549 a half a mile away as the crow flies. 589 00:32:24,549 --> 00:32:27,970 Our profession was ashamed of that manipulation 590 00:32:27,970 --> 00:32:31,109 of public power and the betrayal of public trust. 591 00:32:31,109 --> 00:32:33,329 Because everybody was paying in for those points. 592 00:32:33,329 --> 00:32:36,349 So, over the years I think planning has attempted 593 00:32:36,349 --> 00:32:41,480 to be very engaging, really focused on public input, 594 00:32:41,859 --> 00:32:43,180 attempting to bring up public input, 595 00:32:43,180 --> 00:32:46,200 but it's hard to ask people to come to meetings 596 00:32:46,200 --> 00:32:48,019 when they're supposed to be having dinner, 597 00:32:48,019 --> 00:32:49,559 which we're all supposed to be having, 598 00:32:49,559 --> 00:32:51,359 and sit in chairs that maybe aren't the most comfortable 599 00:32:51,359 --> 00:32:54,299 chairs in the world, and talk about what they want to see 600 00:32:54,299 --> 00:32:56,220 here, there, everywhere, and maybe it's just 601 00:32:56,220 --> 00:32:58,940 leave us alone is what we want to see. 602 00:32:58,940 --> 00:33:02,400 That tension I think will often be there. 603 00:33:02,400 --> 00:33:07,380 I mean, we got, I think, 900 kids to participate 604 00:33:07,380 --> 00:33:09,759 in the Bennington Town Plan, but what they wanted 605 00:33:09,759 --> 00:33:13,990 to see in Bennington, their hometown, in 50 years. 606 00:33:14,109 --> 00:33:15,910 It was really exciting. 607 00:33:15,910 --> 00:33:17,789 It's hard to replicate that everywhere. 608 00:33:17,789 --> 00:33:20,150 You end up gravitating towards your biggest population 609 00:33:20,150 --> 00:33:23,809 centers, but the obligation is to the entire region. 610 00:33:23,809 --> 00:33:27,799 So, I think the legislature will be taking a pretty 611 00:33:27,799 --> 00:33:30,019 close look at how this rolled out. 612 00:33:30,019 --> 00:33:34,099 The process in which the regional plan is adopted 613 00:33:34,099 --> 00:33:37,359 requires approval by a new body, the Land Issue Review Board. 614 00:33:37,359 --> 00:33:39,420 One entity had submitted a regional plan, 615 00:33:39,420 --> 00:33:42,700 and the Land Issue Review Board sent a pretty strong 616 00:33:42,700 --> 00:33:44,599 letter back that they thought it was not 617 00:33:44,599 --> 00:33:45,980 where it needed to be. 618 00:33:45,980 --> 00:33:48,519 So, that system is looking out for people 619 00:33:48,519 --> 00:33:51,400 at that local level, and the last point I'll make 620 00:33:51,400 --> 00:33:54,140 is that right around now, fingers crossed, 621 00:33:54,140 --> 00:33:57,579 the Bennington County Regional Commission's regional plan 622 00:33:57,579 --> 00:34:02,000 is being adopted by the commissioners in Arlington, 623 00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:03,920 which would be a good thing to see, 624 00:34:03,920 --> 00:34:06,180 because that was a lot of work, and I would love it 625 00:34:06,180 --> 00:34:08,840 if it sailed on to its next destination 626 00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:10,880 with the Land Issue Review Board. 627 00:34:10,880 --> 00:34:13,039 Anyhow, that's. 628 00:34:13,039 --> 00:34:14,239 One other thing, too. 629 00:34:14,599 --> 00:34:19,530 That's going to affect a lot of towns is the mandate 630 00:34:19,530 --> 00:34:22,489 that the towns are going to have to re-appraise 631 00:34:22,489 --> 00:34:26,230 every six-year cycle. 632 00:34:26,230 --> 00:34:29,309 Who's going to do the re-appraisal? 633 00:34:29,309 --> 00:34:33,250 I mean, we have scheduled one, and just an estimate 634 00:34:33,250 --> 00:34:38,670 for the one that's coming up in 2032, 635 00:34:38,670 --> 00:34:40,949 a little bit less than $100,000. 636 00:34:40,949 --> 00:34:43,369 How are the towns going to afford this? 637 00:34:43,369 --> 00:34:45,409 This is important to talk about, because that 638 00:34:45,429 --> 00:34:47,809 is, we tell people they've got to do it every six years, 639 00:34:47,809 --> 00:34:49,809 and now it's not what we're supposed to do with that. 640 00:34:49,809 --> 00:34:50,550 It's the same mandate. 641 00:34:50,550 --> 00:34:51,349 You've got to do it. 642 00:34:51,349 --> 00:34:53,429 Well, how are we going to do it? 643 00:34:53,429 --> 00:34:56,949 So I think that the state has an obligation 644 00:34:56,949 --> 00:34:59,230 to help figure that out somehow. 645 00:34:59,230 --> 00:35:00,809 And so that's something else we should 646 00:35:00,809 --> 00:35:03,670 be sure to talk about, to give clarity to towns, 647 00:35:03,670 --> 00:35:05,769 to our smaller towns. 648 00:35:05,769 --> 00:35:08,510 Here's how this is not going to break it back. 649 00:35:08,510 --> 00:35:10,849 Because as it is right now, it seems like that's a little too 650 00:35:10,849 --> 00:35:12,110 much, a little too often. 651 00:35:12,110 --> 00:35:12,949 I had that conversation. 652 00:35:15,530 --> 00:35:27,599 So the conversation was just about that. 653 00:35:27,599 --> 00:35:30,719 We were talking about taxes and stuff like that. 654 00:35:30,719 --> 00:35:34,739 Can't the regional commission, because of that, 655 00:35:34,739 --> 00:35:39,849 not being able to afford reappraisal every six years, 656 00:35:39,849 --> 00:35:44,570 could that be treated sort of like the and the bylaws 657 00:35:44,570 --> 00:35:49,010 with the, you know, being able to get a grant to do that? 658 00:35:49,010 --> 00:35:50,429 That was my first question. 659 00:35:50,429 --> 00:35:51,309 I'm glad you got it. 660 00:35:51,309 --> 00:35:51,809 OK. 661 00:35:51,809 --> 00:35:52,550 I'll let you say it. 662 00:35:52,550 --> 00:35:55,409 My second question is, speaking on grants and stuff, 663 00:35:55,409 --> 00:35:57,369 we had had a conversation a couple, 664 00:35:57,369 --> 00:36:00,769 a few times about playground equipment and stuff. 665 00:36:00,769 --> 00:36:06,260 And I know you know where the condition of the playground 666 00:36:06,260 --> 00:36:08,860 by the insurance companies, two different insurance companies 667 00:36:08,860 --> 00:36:09,480 or something. 668 00:36:09,480 --> 00:36:12,480 Yeah, we did talk. 669 00:36:12,480 --> 00:36:14,559 So that's where we're at here. 670 00:36:14,559 --> 00:36:21,099 And I know our principal here is interested in .. 671 00:36:21,099 --> 00:36:22,400 So I'll start with that last part. 672 00:36:22,400 --> 00:36:22,900 We'll talk. 673 00:36:22,900 --> 00:36:25,340 So the building community's grants, 674 00:36:25,340 --> 00:36:27,619 educational facilities grant, there's 675 00:36:27,619 --> 00:36:28,960 a deadline upcoming for that. 676 00:36:28,960 --> 00:36:31,780 The regional planning commission can assist with an application. 677 00:36:31,780 --> 00:36:35,900 It's dollar for dollar at the $25,000 for something 678 00:36:35,900 --> 00:36:37,300 like playground equipment. 679 00:36:37,300 --> 00:36:39,659 That's an eligible expenditure. 680 00:36:39,659 --> 00:36:44,340 So I'd be happy to, in my professional day job role, 681 00:36:44,340 --> 00:36:45,840 have that conversation. 682 00:36:45,840 --> 00:36:49,340 We can put something together in the next two weeks that 683 00:36:49,340 --> 00:36:50,900 would be the end of the application .. 684 00:36:50,900 --> 00:36:51,400 All right. 685 00:36:51,400 --> 00:36:51,900 OK. 686 00:36:51,900 --> 00:36:55,739 So the previous thing that you mentioned around appraisal, 687 00:36:55,739 --> 00:36:57,179 regionalization is kind of something 688 00:36:57,179 --> 00:36:59,619 that the legislature is very much thinking about. 689 00:36:59,619 --> 00:37:01,460 There was a task force that was supposed 690 00:37:01,460 --> 00:37:03,360 to examine how that would look. 691 00:37:03,360 --> 00:37:07,840 That was, again, part of that government operations committee 692 00:37:07,840 --> 00:37:09,800 in the House and Senate. 693 00:37:09,800 --> 00:37:11,139 Elections have consequences. 694 00:37:11,139 --> 00:37:13,039 The 2024 election saw a lot of turnover. 695 00:37:13,039 --> 00:37:14,760 And some of the people that were spearheading that 696 00:37:14,760 --> 00:37:17,099 were been appointed to run that were voted out of office. 697 00:37:17,099 --> 00:37:21,079 So we just, that kind of needed to take a break for a second. 698 00:37:21,079 --> 00:37:21,800 But that's still. 699 00:37:21,800 --> 00:37:25,119 That's still something that's been examined consistently 700 00:37:25,119 --> 00:37:28,760 over the years, as you don't want to do these things 701 00:37:28,760 --> 00:37:29,260 impulsively. 702 00:37:29,260 --> 00:37:30,699 You want to take your time. 703 00:37:30,699 --> 00:37:33,159 But that is something I think that people are talking about. 704 00:37:33,159 --> 00:37:36,320 Is regionalization an area where appraisals can become, 705 00:37:36,320 --> 00:37:39,019 soften that, give a bigger bite of business 706 00:37:39,019 --> 00:37:43,559 to the entity that can then handle it at a broader rate? 707 00:37:43,559 --> 00:37:45,639 I expect that those conversations will pick back up 708 00:37:45,639 --> 00:37:48,400 a little more earnestly after this new election, 709 00:37:48,400 --> 00:37:50,059 because I think some of the people that 710 00:37:50,059 --> 00:37:51,840 are expected to be in leadership positions 711 00:37:51,840 --> 00:37:54,980 in those committees are people that really care about that 712 00:37:54,980 --> 00:38:01,880 and have the energy to keep those task force meetings on track. 713 00:38:01,880 --> 00:38:05,699 Any other questions for Representative Cooper? 714 00:38:05,699 --> 00:38:10,559 About 400, but we're not going to do it all tonight. 715 00:38:10,559 --> 00:38:12,360 I'll stick around for a while. 716 00:38:12,360 --> 00:38:14,820 If people want to chat, maybe I'll be here. 717 00:38:14,820 --> 00:38:15,320 OK. 718 00:38:15,320 --> 00:38:16,340 Thank you. 719 00:38:16,340 --> 00:38:21,400 Thank you. 720 00:38:21,400 --> 00:38:23,800 Next, hearing of visitors, Mary Lou Wright. 721 00:38:23,800 --> 00:38:24,800 Thank you. 722 00:38:24,800 --> 00:38:25,940 May I? 723 00:38:26,320 --> 00:38:27,739 Can I give this information to you? 724 00:38:27,739 --> 00:38:28,239 Oh, yeah. 725 00:38:28,239 --> 00:38:28,739 OK. 726 00:38:28,739 --> 00:38:35,570 I'm here regarding the Green Mountain Hometown Heroes. 727 00:38:35,570 --> 00:38:40,570 I would like to see about getting veterans banners put up 728 00:38:40,570 --> 00:38:42,010 in our town. 729 00:38:42,010 --> 00:38:43,829 They're all over southern Vermont. 730 00:38:43,829 --> 00:38:48,130 They're in Reedsboro, Pownall, Arlington, Shaftesbury. 731 00:38:48,130 --> 00:38:51,719 These are the rules and regulations. 732 00:38:51,719 --> 00:38:56,139 The town will have no expense in this at all. 733 00:38:56,139 --> 00:38:57,280 This is all put on. 734 00:38:57,280 --> 00:39:05,849 I'm the sponsor, the person purchasing this band, and it may take over a year to get this done. 735 00:39:05,849 --> 00:39:09,619 I'm willing to take people's orders. 736 00:39:09,619 --> 00:39:12,739 I do have applications if someone wants it. 737 00:39:12,739 --> 00:39:16,739 I'm basically looking for permission to do this from the town. 738 00:39:16,739 --> 00:39:19,320 Do you have a group that's working with you that? 739 00:39:19,320 --> 00:39:21,900 So far, it's just me. 740 00:39:21,900 --> 00:39:23,139 I've been reading about it downtown. 741 00:39:23,139 --> 00:39:23,639 I know. 742 00:39:23,639 --> 00:39:24,280 It's everywhere. 743 00:39:24,280 --> 00:39:25,119 Yeah. 744 00:39:25,119 --> 00:39:26,820 I have one question, one question only. 745 00:39:26,820 --> 00:39:27,320 OK. 746 00:39:27,320 --> 00:39:35,719 The power company that's the holdup down there, one of the holdups that they were talking about says you can't do it. 747 00:39:35,719 --> 00:39:38,920 But I've seen American flags go up and everything. 748 00:39:38,920 --> 00:39:47,619 I've actually emailed one of the towns, I won't say the town, that's kind of holding things up down there in support of this. 749 00:39:47,619 --> 00:39:56,349 Well, my last page here is the email to the Green Mountain Tower, and they said any requests have to come from the select board. 750 00:39:56,349 --> 00:39:56,849 OK. 751 00:39:56,849 --> 00:39:57,349 OK. 752 00:39:57,670 --> 00:40:05,000 Do you have a group that's going to put them up and take them down in two years? 753 00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:06,119 That I don't know. 754 00:40:06,119 --> 00:40:08,719 I don't know that, yeah. 755 00:40:08,719 --> 00:40:11,719 Other than that, I support it 100%. 756 00:40:11,719 --> 00:40:20,829 I'm just, even if they said no, I just, as a board member, we can't give you the permission to break the law. 757 00:40:20,829 --> 00:40:21,789 I understand, yeah. 758 00:40:21,789 --> 00:40:30,190 But I'm saying, as a person, I support it 100%, and I would love to see it go up, but I don't feel that Green Mountain's good to you. 759 00:40:30,389 --> 00:40:32,389 I don't want to hold you up. 760 00:40:32,389 --> 00:40:36,389 But if we need to request something, let us know how we go about doing that. 761 00:40:36,389 --> 00:40:38,489 Because they're up through seven. 762 00:40:38,489 --> 00:40:45,230 Yeah, well, I think they say that, and it may be for insurance purposes, I don't know. 763 00:40:45,230 --> 00:40:49,170 But we put our American flags up on that every year. 764 00:40:49,170 --> 00:40:51,530 Reese Burrell has done it, I've seen it. 765 00:40:51,530 --> 00:40:54,590 And same thing with Massachusetts, they've been doing it all over the place. 766 00:40:54,590 --> 00:40:59,389 I think it's a great idea, I don't see any negative at all to it. 767 00:40:59,389 --> 00:40:59,889 So. 768 00:41:00,389 --> 00:41:03,710 I have no problem giving them a go at it. 769 00:41:03,710 --> 00:41:09,610 And if you want to discuss this and get back to me, I mean, I'm not, I don't expect an answer right now. 770 00:41:09,610 --> 00:41:15,110 But if I get a green light from you, I will move forward. 771 00:41:15,110 --> 00:41:24,510 And the other concern I have regarding this is making sure people are aware that this is going to be happening. 772 00:41:24,510 --> 00:41:29,809 With the program in North Adams, that was all done on Facebook. 773 00:41:29,809 --> 00:41:30,269 Yeah. 774 00:41:30,269 --> 00:41:31,510 And a lot of people. 775 00:41:31,510 --> 00:41:37,510 I guess they have over a hundred applications now to add to North Adams. 776 00:41:37,510 --> 00:41:38,010 Yeah. 777 00:41:38,010 --> 00:41:39,510 It's awesome. 778 00:41:39,510 --> 00:41:45,510 So, you know, I really want to make sure that no one is left behind or unaware. 779 00:41:45,510 --> 00:41:51,510 Do we have a representative in Southern, a lot of them say, I know we do in Southern, in Stanford we don't though. 780 00:41:51,510 --> 00:41:52,510 No. 781 00:41:52,510 --> 00:41:53,510 For veterans. 782 00:41:53,510 --> 00:41:54,510 No. 783 00:41:54,510 --> 00:41:55,510 Nothing, right? 784 00:41:55,510 --> 00:41:56,510 I know Reese Burrell does, correct? 785 00:41:56,510 --> 00:41:57,510 No. 786 00:41:57,510 --> 00:41:58,510 They don't anymore? 787 00:41:58,510 --> 00:41:59,510 Okay. 788 00:41:59,510 --> 00:42:00,510 The. 789 00:42:00,510 --> 00:42:02,510 They do on the region up there though, right? 790 00:42:02,510 --> 00:42:03,510 The North Adams fellow. 791 00:42:03,510 --> 00:42:04,510 Kurt's direction. 792 00:42:04,510 --> 00:42:05,510 Yes. 793 00:42:05,510 --> 00:42:06,510 Very helpful. 794 00:42:06,510 --> 00:42:07,510 So. 795 00:42:07,510 --> 00:42:08,510 He is. 796 00:42:08,510 --> 00:42:11,510 He's not supposed to come into Vermont, but he talks to Vermont. 797 00:42:11,510 --> 00:42:12,510 Yeah. 798 00:42:12,510 --> 00:42:13,510 Okay. 799 00:42:13,510 --> 00:42:14,510 Yeah. 800 00:42:14,510 --> 00:42:15,510 Okay. 801 00:42:15,510 --> 00:42:16,510 Yeah. 802 00:42:16,510 --> 00:42:19,510 Because my uncle Ed down here, he's really involved in it too. 803 00:42:19,510 --> 00:42:24,510 And if we needed to get some guidance, I'm sure they would go into it. 804 00:42:24,510 --> 00:42:25,760 So. 805 00:42:25,760 --> 00:42:29,760 Representative Cooper, do you know anything about the hometown veteran banners? 806 00:42:29,760 --> 00:42:30,760 Can they be put on the state highways? 807 00:42:30,760 --> 00:42:31,760 That was what I was told years ago. 808 00:42:31,760 --> 00:42:32,760 Years ago. 809 00:42:32,760 --> 00:42:33,760 But I don't know. 810 00:42:33,760 --> 00:42:34,760 Like I said, drag right up from Southern, right through. 811 00:42:34,760 --> 00:42:35,760 They're in Bennington. 812 00:42:35,760 --> 00:42:36,760 You know that. 813 00:42:36,760 --> 00:42:37,760 They're in Bennington, in the town. 814 00:42:37,760 --> 00:42:38,760 Yep. 815 00:42:38,760 --> 00:42:39,760 And they're on, and they're up on Southern Town Hall. 816 00:42:39,760 --> 00:42:40,760 Like, just if you're, if you're not in the center of town, you can still see some a little 817 00:42:40,760 --> 00:42:41,760 farther up. 818 00:42:41,760 --> 00:42:42,760 How far? 819 00:42:42,760 --> 00:42:43,760 Is that on the state highway? 820 00:42:43,760 --> 00:42:44,760 Yeah. 821 00:42:44,760 --> 00:42:45,760 It's right around Southern. 822 00:42:45,760 --> 00:42:46,760 Okay. 823 00:42:46,760 --> 00:42:47,760 I think I have that. 824 00:42:47,760 --> 00:42:48,760 I have seen them. 825 00:42:48,760 --> 00:42:49,760 Personally, I think that they're just doing it, and I don't think the power company's 826 00:42:49,760 --> 00:42:50,760 going to come into it. 827 00:42:50,760 --> 00:42:51,760 Okay. 828 00:42:51,760 --> 00:42:52,760 Okay. 829 00:42:52,760 --> 00:42:53,760 Okay. 830 00:42:53,760 --> 00:42:54,760 Okay. 831 00:42:54,760 --> 00:42:55,760 Well, I didn't know if the state was going to take them down if they're on the state 832 00:42:55,760 --> 00:42:56,760 highway, and I don't... 833 00:42:56,760 --> 00:42:57,760 You know, I just, you know, I, I just need to... 834 00:42:57,760 --> 00:42:58,760 I say go ahead and look into it more. 835 00:42:58,760 --> 00:42:59,760 I would have no problem with doing that, to request it. 836 00:42:59,760 --> 00:43:00,760 Let us know what we have to do to request it. 837 00:43:00,760 --> 00:43:01,760 It says a letter here. 838 00:43:01,760 --> 00:43:02,760 The letter that we can go forward with that. 839 00:43:02,760 --> 00:43:03,760 To come. 840 00:43:03,760 --> 00:43:04,760 One of the... 841 00:43:04,760 --> 00:43:05,760 Okay. 842 00:43:05,760 --> 00:43:06,760 Okay. 843 00:43:06,760 --> 00:43:07,760 Thank you so much. 844 00:43:07,760 --> 00:43:08,760 Thank you. 845 00:43:08,760 --> 00:43:09,920 Thank you. 846 00:43:09,920 --> 00:43:10,920 Thank you. 847 00:43:10,920 --> 00:43:11,920 All right. 848 00:43:11,920 --> 00:43:12,920 Well, that's it. 849 00:43:12,920 --> 00:43:13,920 Thank you. 850 00:43:13,920 --> 00:43:14,920 Thank you. 851 00:43:14,920 --> 00:43:15,920 Thank you. 852 00:43:15,920 --> 00:43:16,920 Thank you. 853 00:43:16,920 --> 00:43:17,920 Thank you. 854 00:43:17,920 --> 00:43:18,920 Thank you. 855 00:43:18,920 --> 00:43:19,920 Thank you. 856 00:43:19,920 --> 00:43:20,920 Thank you. 857 00:43:20,920 --> 00:43:21,920 Thank you. 858 00:43:21,920 --> 00:43:22,920 Thank you. 859 00:43:22,920 --> 00:43:24,440 Thank you. 860 00:43:24,440 --> 00:43:29,440 When is it possible, though, a way to put it on the website, or? 861 00:43:29,440 --> 00:43:30,440 Well, that's what I'm saying. 862 00:43:30,440 --> 00:43:32,440 Publish it everywhere. 863 00:43:32,440 --> 00:43:33,440 Yeah. 864 00:43:33,440 --> 00:43:34,440 The two... 865 00:43:34,440 --> 00:43:35,440 Stamps. 866 00:43:35,440 --> 00:43:36,440 Facebook. 867 00:43:36,440 --> 00:43:37,440 You'll get it on time. 868 00:43:37,440 --> 00:43:38,440 Yeah, I would certainly do that. 869 00:43:38,440 --> 00:43:39,440 Yeah. 870 00:43:39,440 --> 00:43:40,440 That'll fill 90% of the people that don't. 871 00:43:40,440 --> 00:43:45,440 So I can go ahead and proceed to, you know, it's going to take well over a year. 872 00:43:45,440 --> 00:43:46,440 Oh, definitely. 873 00:43:46,440 --> 00:43:47,440 Yeah. 874 00:43:47,440 --> 00:43:51,440 I mean, I would say as long as there's no law being broken, I would give 100%. 875 00:43:51,440 --> 00:43:54,789 I think the first thing we have to do is write to...