Raynham Select Board 10/21/2025

(Episode Description is AI generated and may be errors in accuracy)

A hidden pipe changed everything. What looked like a perfect 10-acre site for Raynham’s new public safety facility turned out to be a connected wetland under state rules, capping allowable wetland impacts and shutting the door on the plan. After months of due diligence, trenching, and on-the-ground review, we faced the facts and chose a path that gets our first responders the space they need without more dead ends.

We walk through the exact wetland findings, why they surfaced late, and how historic farm tiling created today’s drainage reality. Then we pivot decisively to Orchard Street, the current public safety site. That choice means smart tradeoffs: no rifle range, tighter parking, refined locker layouts, and careful phasing to keep police and fire operating during construction. The good news? The building plan we’ve refined over years fits the site with minor adjustments, and our code updates are already baked in. Police and fire leadership are aligned. The board votes unanimously to move forward.

Between these headlines, we share practical updates that impact daily life: completed paving and striping, pothole repairs after heavy rains, successful hazardous waste collection, and grounds maintenance at the senior center. We also tackle some information in regards to the transfer station, where recycling now costs rather than pays, and discuss a fee structure that balances cost recovery with operational efficiency. Plus, we celebrate a $25,000 state earmark for a future canoe launch area and salute Crew Brew Brewery as a district Manufacturer of the Year at Gillette.

If you care about public safety infrastructure, local budgeting, and how decisions actually get made, this one brings full transparency: the constraints, the options, and the vote. Subscribe for more grounded, step-by-step progress updates, share with a neighbor who follows town projects, and leave a review to tell us what details you want covered next.

Chapters

• 0:00 Meeting Called To Order
• 1:19 Highway Department Monthly Report
• 4:22 Hazardous Waste Day And Grounds Work
• 5:53 Project Updates And Events
• 6:42 Alcohol License Manager Change Hearing
• 9:10 Citation Honoring Deborah Dooney
• 12:24 State Updates: Earmark And Manufacturer Award
• 16:50 Transfer Station Fee Increase Proposal
• 21:20 Board Takes Fee Plan Under Advisement
• 22:22 Public Safety Building Site Setback
• 24:31 Wetlands Discovery And Impacts
• 27:10 Pivot To Existing Orchard Street Site
• 30:12 Board Deliberation And Unanimous Vote
• 33:06 Town Administrator Announcements
• 34:38 Select Board Reports
• 36:15 Upcoming Events And Hearings
• 38:10 Public Q&A On Facility Compromises

Transcript

SPEAKER_07: 0:06

Good evening. I'm going to call the meeting to order of the Iranium Select Board here on Tuesday, October 21st, 2025, here at Veterans Memorial Town Hall at 558 South Main Street. Announced this meeting is open to the public. We thank you for joining us. It is also being broadcast live on the Rainham Channel, Comcast Channel 98, and Verizon Channel 3034. Also, it is being recorded by Raycam for replay on the Rainham Channel. Please join us for the Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you. Our next agenda item is the acceptance of the minutes, the regular session of October 14th, 2025, and the executive session of October 14th, 2025, with the executive session minutes withheld from public release. Do we have a motion to accept as printed? So moved. Motion is made and seconded. Any discussion? Hearing none all in favor? Any opposed? So voted. For department head reports this evening, we have Norm Sturdivant, our highway superintendent, with his monthly report. Welcome, Norm. Thank you.

SPEAKER_05: 1:28

I have some updates from the highway department for actually the months of September and October. The road crew's been busy with working with some contractors for the Mill and Overlay project that we had on Elm Street East. I'm happy to say that's now complete. Line striping and everything is all uh set. And the roads and lawns, I mean, I'm sorry, the backing of the roads and the lawns have been repaired as well. Um they've also been busy with the Mill Street reconstruction project, working with the contractors on that, and they've also begun uh repairing lawns and uh backing up the roads for that, even though the top coat is still uh probably scheduled for this uh coming week or Friday or next week, I'm sorry. Uh they've been busy filling potholes around town, especially after the heavy rains that we've had as of late. And they can sit continue with roadside cutting, which is now complete for the season. Uh they've been busy trying to keep the debris off the catch basins with all these heavy rains, and of course the leaves are falling now that time of year, so we prevent any local flooding. Uh last month we had a very successful solid uh at the solid waste division, we had a successful hazardous waste day again. That was a second one and final one for the season. I think we had over a hundred cars, and that was great. No, no long lines like the old days by having two uh in one year. Boxing grounds was busy uh sprucing up the gazebo park in the senior center area ahead of the community day, uh, which was great on uh 928. Uh they're also busy with ongoing mowing and leave cleanup at this time. And they worked on part of Mill Street uh while the road crew was doing some other work. They had uh replaced some plants uh that got disturbed uh from one of the uh residents over there that are butt uh the construction zone of Mill Street, and we planted some new stuff over there, and that resident's very happy. Um they also completed 65 to 70 retention ponds with the assistance of a subcontractor, so those those are all complete for another year. Um project updates, um Elm Street East, again that's all complete. Mill Street now is we're just waiting on one gas gate to get lifted this week, hopefully, and we're gonna schedule top coat, which could happen as early as this Friday, but more than likely next week, and then that project would finally be complete. Um line striping has been done around town. We did it as needed this year. We didn't do the whole town. Some of the roads were still very good, so we didn't want to waste the money on that. We have some more um hand work, cross bar uh uh crosswalks, arrows, and stop bars. That's gonna be done hopefully tomorrow night around eight, and that'll complete that. And um, I'm looking forward to it. In a couple of days, I'll be joining the crew for trunk or treat again this year. We'll be taking another piece of equipment down to join join the crew for that event uh with Tim McCray and the parking rec crew. That's all I have.

SPEAKER_07: 4:03

Thank you. Um Mr. Pachico, no questions, Mr. Collins?

SPEAKER_05: 4:08

Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_07: 4:08

Yeah, yeah, and thank you for participating in Community Day. Your vehicle was a big hit. And um also for all the work, Clint getting everything spruced up for it. It was great.

SPEAKER_05: 4:20

You're welcome. Thank you.

SPEAKER_07: 4:22

Uh next we have a public hearing on an all-alcohol restaurant license, change of manager for Pepper Dining Incorporated, doing business as Chili's Grill and Bar at 500 South Street East. Uh that's South Street West, excuse me, South Street West. And I'll call open the public hearing at 7.04 p.m. And we have, please, your name for the and address for the minutes.

SPEAKER_00: 4:49

Yeah, my name is Dawson Cooper. I'm an attorney at Upton, Canal, and Devlin, representing Pepper Dining, doing business as Chili's Bar and Grill at 500 South Street. With me today is the proposed new manager of record, Julie LeChance. Julie is a U.S. citizen and a Massachusetts resident. Um, she's TIP certified and has experience in the food and beverage industry. Julie is also familiar with the rules and regulations of this board, the ABCC, and the laws of the Commonwealth as they pertain to the sale and service of alcohol. Um, Julie and I are happy to answer any questions the board may have, and thank you for your time.

SPEAKER_07: 5:23

Thank you very much. Mr. Pacico.

SPEAKER_11: 5:25

No, no questions, and and council recognizes that we have a zero tolerance for serving to minors, so I'm not going to go through my usual scale tonight.

SPEAKER_07: 5:34

Okay, Mr. Collins. Okay. Um I have no questions, but it is a public hearing, so I'll open it to the public. Does anybody wish to make any comments? Hearing none, um, I will ask um Mr. Pachigo for a motion made and seconded. Any discussion? Hearing then, all in favor? Aye. Any opposed? It is so voted. Move us to the wish for the best of luck.

SPEAKER_00: 6:04

Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_07: 6:05

And I will close the public hearing at 7.06 p.m. Next we have completion of old continuing business. Do you have anything, Mr. Pacheco? Mr. Collins? Mr. Barnes, do you have any older continuing business? We move to new business and the best of the on here. We have a presentation of a citizen, a citation to Deborah Tooney, our former um executive assistant. This comes from Massachusetts House of Representatives, through our state representative, Dennis Gallagher. Representative, I'll turn the floor over to you.

SPEAKER_04: 6:45

Thank you, Madam Chairperson and members of the board. It I'm delighted to be here tonight. And before I get into the real reason why I'm here, I just want to give you an update on two quick things while I'm here, because I I only have good news tonight. I'll I'll bring I'll bring bad news at some point. But but tonight I I have a couple of things to talk about. And I did speak with your town administrator and sent an email that the local priorities that I filed for during the budget process, we did get notification from the executive office of administration and finance that those those amounts will be released. And I did get$25,000 through the request of the town administrator for some work you want to do on, I think a South Street East. Yes, off of South Street East for gravel parking lot to eventually have a canoe launch over there. So that was part of the budget priorities that I put in as a they call them earmarks. And that was a again, he asked for a lot more, but I did get$25,000 approved for that. There was an uncertainty whether those monies would be released. They are being released, and they can certainly be asked for through the town at this time. So I'm glad to report that. And every year they have what they call uh a mashup, they call it at Gillette Stadium. And it's to recognize a manufacturer in your district as a manufacturer of the year. It's kind of a feel-good, feel-good thing that the uh Manufacturers Association looks to the legislature to come up with a manufacturer in your district to acknowledge them for what they do in the community and for what they the product that they provide uh to the citizens. So I had to sit down and think, okay, what what uh manufacturer do we have in Bridgewater or Rainham? And I chose Crew Brew Brewery, who manufactures beer up there off of one 138. And I was happy uh that Kevin Merritt, the proprietor of that, was with me this morning, and there were 66 uh manufacturers throughout Massachusetts. Other breweries and distilleries were acknowledged as well. But I was very happy to uh nominate uh Krubrew for the work that they do um this morning at Gillette Stadium. It is a very nice business that they run in there, and I know they do a lot of things for the community as well.

SPEAKER_07: 9:12

Very good.

SPEAKER_04: 9:13

So today, tonight um I'm just happy to be here because this this citation is certainly one that I love giving citations to people, particularly a citation like this that recognizes someone for their public service that they have given not only to the town of Rainham for many years, but I go back with um Deborah Dooney back to the days when she was in the town of Bridgewater when I was a selectman. So um Debbie, if I could ask you to come up here. So this citation is from the um Commonwealth of Massachusetts House of Representatives, and it's to recognize and congratulate Deborah Dooney in recognition of her 25 years of public service to municipal government. Um the entire membership extends its very best wishes and expresses the hope and future good fortune and continued success in all the endeavors that you encumber going forward. And it's given this, I it's dated fourth day of August, but I guess I'm a little late. But anyway, they've had it in the town for a while. But anyway, I'm happy to be here tonight. And this is signed by the Speaker of the House, Ron Mirelli, and your state representative, Dennis Gallagher, and I'm happy to present this to you. Deb and I, like I said, go back to capital planning, selectmen, and then she came over here uh to work for the town of Rainham for several years. So this is well deserved. Congratulations on your retirement, and I wish you the best.

SPEAKER_07: 10:56

And we are very fortunate that 16 of those 25 years were served here in Rainham. And as we said on your retirement deb, we have great appreciation for all of your time and efforts serving the town of Rainham. It's it's greatly appreciated. Thank you so much. Thank you, Representative. Okay. And now continuing with our agenda, next we have discussion and vote on setting transfer station fees, and um we'll ask you back for that, um, Mr. Sturdivant.

SPEAKER_05: 11:42

Just to ask for an increase for the uh for the yearly sticker uh permit for the transfer station, that has not been increased in the 22 years that I've been there. In fact, I believe just about a year before I started there, that fee was actually lowered. And the history of that was is we used to get a lot of um recyclable money back. We could get money for cardboard, plastics, paper, things like that, and now that's become an expense to the town, unfortunately. So though we um, you know, uh encourage people to uh recycle for the environment, we're no longer getting a bene a financial benefit from that. Um the other thing is I did a study from around town, uh several towns around our area, and um many of the towns are over$100. So what I'm asking for is an increase to just offset costs. It's not to make a profit. Um costs have been going up to run the facility and uh for a tonnage and trash and C and D and other things, and of course the recyclables that used to be a kind of a profit. Um so we're asking for uh$70. Right now it's currently$70 for the full year,$35 for a half year. Uh ask is$100 for the full year and$50 for the half year. So a$30 increase for the for the full year and a$15 for the half year. And that will kind of offset our costs and get us back to where we need to be you know to run flush. Actually, it's probably not even going to be flush, but closer. Yeah. Um, I did want to mention too that uh in the old days we had asked um the resident we offered the residents up to 50 pounds per bag uh for the for the two dollar tag. And unfortunately, with the cost of what we pay per ton, those those numbers don't work anymore. So again, I did a study around the towns and I found that I use Bridgewater, for example, there, two dollars for a 15-pound bag. So we're asking to lower it from 50 to 25 uh to still offer a little bit more than some neighboring towns, but and that's gonna offset that higher cost to get rid of trash, you know, per ton.

SPEAKER_07: 13:44

Which is an expensive proposition for the town, I'm sure.

SPEAKER_05: 13:47

It is, and we haven't got the new increase for for January yet, and we I kind of played that into my into my numbers. Um I had played that number a little higher to uh as an ask, but I'm trying to do the best we can to be modest, and our increase is to try to let those services for tax dollars stretch as far as we can go.

SPEAKER_07: 14:04

And when would the increases go into effect?

SPEAKER_05: 14:07

Uh January 1st. Yes.

SPEAKER_07: 14:09

Mr. Pacico.

SPEAKER_11: 14:10

Um two parts. I mean, I I'm not opposed to the increase because I think it's necessary just looking at at these numbers. It's it's obvious we're operating in the red over there. Um but Norm, one of the things I I think you and I had talked about some time ago, and I know I talked to Ed about was, you know, when we're looking at staffing levels, we do the half year and the mid-year. To me, this should be an incentive to buy the full year sticker because it's going to reduce administrative burden by, in some instances, processing two transactions for the same household at your shop and here.

SPEAKER_05: 14:42

Sure.

SPEAKER_11: 14:42

Uh, and I don't see that in this proposal, and that would be something that I think uh we should look into because there has to be the give and take if we're looking to increase the rates for folks. Um, and one of those I think has to be making our operations a little bit more efficient.

SPEAKER_07: 14:57

So I'm taking this under advising or thinking or thinking under advisement.

SPEAKER_11: 15:05

Yeah, do you think you can come up with something that captures that?

SPEAKER_05: 15:08

Sure. So I'm not exactly sure why people buy the half here. I think sometimes they move to town, you know, into the season a little bit, or maybe perhaps they're moving, or I'm not really sure why they buy the half here to tell you the truth. But we could come up with something to do that. Sure.

SPEAKER_11: 15:21

Yeah. I would uh motion and take it under advisement.

SPEAKER_03: 15:24

No, take it the motion.

SPEAKER_07: 15:25

Okay, the motion is made in second to take it under advisement. Any further discussion? Hearing then all in favor, any opposed? So vote, and obviously we have time because it was going to go into effect. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_05: 15:35

Yeah, I just wanted to get the following. Thank you for the question.

SPEAKER_07: 15:37

Thank you, Norm. Okay, and that brings us to item C, discussion and vote on public safety building. Mr. Barnes, do you want to preface this for us?

SPEAKER_09: 16:11

As you know, we have been um uh viewing the Borden Colonies site as the location for the new public safety facility. Um that site we worked very hard to get uh special legislation uh that would allow us uh to take land out of uh permanent protection for that site. Uh there it involved land trades. Um since uh uh we've been moving forward on the site, um, there were certain issues that had to be addressed. One of them had to do with the wetland. Um, well, initially it was felt that was not going to be a problem. It was later determined that uh we had a uh connected wetland, and I'll let the group explain that a little better, but um unfortunately that makes the Borden colony site non-viable. Uh you are not allowed to um uh fill in more than 5,000 square feet of connected wetland. Uh the reason this was not picked up earlier is many, many years ago, probably I don't even know if it was last century, they built an underground drainage system, uh, and by state definition that that turns it into a connected wetland because that drainage system uh ultimately drains right into the river. So I'll let the group further explain that. Um we are now looking at the existing public uh safety site as the alternative. Um it does mean compromise, uh, but uh we desperately need a new site, and um uh if we don't uh compromise, we are not going to be able to move forward um uh on on the facility.

SPEAKER_07: 18:24

Thank you, Mr. Barnes. And I'll welcome to the stage Mr. Rick Pomeroy from Pomeroy Associates, the project manager, and we've been working on this for a while, Mr. Barnes.

SPEAKER_06: 18:34

Yes, thank you. Good evening, uh Richard Pomeroy. Um you pretty much summed it up for us, Greg. So but uh just after the the I guess late in 24, um we began uh you know, after there was more positive uh movement uh on the transfer, we began the uh permitting process. And as part of that process, it's uh you know, all of the the uh following all of the local and state and federal guidelines as it relates to uh wetlands protection. And uh during that process, um we had uh delineations made of the property, uh, and uh we'd had a number of uh informal meetings uh with different uh members of the town and uh with the conservation commission. And um it looked as if we had uh we had it because of the the wetlands and how the site was encumbered and all of the setbacks, uh we're we're very restricted. Even though it's 10 acres, we're very restricted as to the buildable, the area that we could actually utilize. Uh we were able to to maneuver things around. I'll let Don talk a little bit about it, and I'm gonna steal the wind out of your sails, and then but uh we were able to uh maneuver things around a little bit, but through the final investigations uh and some actual clearing and trenching in a certain area of the site, it was determined, as Greg had mentioned, that we had connected wetlands. And that was the uh dagger. Uh that was the dagger. So uh we've um we've moved on. Don can Don can get into the specifics for it, and we've well I guess we could maybe tag things together on this and talk about what we've done for the existing facility. But what's most important to understand is that at one time that 10 acre parcel was the ideal parcel. Uh and uh but uh once it it's deemed that it's uh in probably your second ranked parcel was was the existing facility, but uh it wasn't even touching it as far as ranking. But once you don't have a viable site, uh the the existing site becomes the more viable in town uh just by default. Uh so that's why we're going in that direction. It kind of reverses where you know our opinions always were, um, but unfortunately, it's just not buildable uh for this size facility. You could build a smaller facility there, uh not public safety facility, but I'll let Don get into it.

SPEAKER_08: 20:57

Thank you. Thank you for having me uh here tonight. I'm Don Walter, principal with uh Dornwoody Architects. And I I think the key here is just to kind of put a nail in it, is that we're talking about isolated vegetative wetlands versus bordering vegetative wetlands. And isolated vegetated wetlands is not they're not connected to anything. They're basically a place that gathers water and it dissipates. Whereas a bordering vegetative wetland, they are hydraulically connected through uh either through a channel on the surface or some kind of underwater or underground um uh pipe or channel or something uh to that effect. This uh site was uh through the work of the um uh the wetland specialists was viewed as an these are isolated vegetative wetlands. Right. There was no uh activity showing that they were in fact connected, never mind connected to the river, which is even uh uh more important. So we had gone out there and done some uh additional looking around based upon conversations with conservation. I think conservation needs to be thanked for for this in many ways because they were out there during a rainstorm and saw water channeling off the site. It disappeared and then reappeared. So the key was what where it disappeared and where it re-reappeared, what was happening in between that would that was unknown. If it was just disappearing and going and becoming groundwater, then there would not be that hydraulic connection to the river. So we had planned on going out there uh through the DPW and uh town administrator and do some test pits out there to see if in fact there was some kind of a pipe or connected um uh channel underground. And when we got out there to do this investigative work, there was some pipe uncovered where they had done some basically weed whacking, uh brush hogging, and where there was a broken pipe, and you can see where water had been running through. So in fact, that was a pipe that was making the connection from where the water had disappeared into a basin and reappeared. Hence the hydraulic connection. Further investigation and going around the farmers' fields, it it is now known that apparently there are a number of channels in all of these fields as part of their irrigation or uh ways of getting water away from their crops back in the day. Um I think uh Dave from conservation called it tiling. So that with all that information being found in what we now know uh about the site, the amount of wetlands on the site were such that certainly we couldn't build where we the ideal location, so we said, well, let's push it to the way back up the 10-acre parcel. And even with that, when you had between the building, the circulation, and the parking, you would certainly be well within the 50-foot buffer. In some cases, you would be actually engaging with the wetland. And as Rick mentioned, 5,000 square feet is the most you could replicate on site, and we just don't have the room to do that. Hence all the discussion about we should replicate this site. So I hope that helps.

SPEAKER_06: 24:16

Um in the last couple of months, what we've been looking at is redirecting our efforts uh and looking at what can be done at the existing facility. Again, um, and as the town administrators mentioned, it's uh there are some compromises, uh, but the design team feels that they can make that work, accomplish the project program that was established for it, and um create a viable uh facility you know for the town and for the both departments. We've looked at several different ways to integrate phasing into it to avoid relocation of at least one department. Uh and you know, those are in the works right now. We just sort of wanted to make sure that we had enough uh information to recommend uh moving forward with that site. So at this point, our goal is to abandon uh any more time or money spent on the Borden Colony site, unfortunately as it is, and uh move forward uh and uh you know do some investigations on the existing site. When I say investigations, we don't have an accurate existing uh site survey, so we'd like to get that completed. And uh we'd like to do some uh geotechnical analysis to make sure that it's uh soil bearing uh or bearing soil, uh building bearing soil. How's that? Um do some test bits for drainage purposes, but uh there's no indications that uh that the there's nothing that's not gonna be suitable for that. Uh we'd like to we'd like to concentrate some efforts on that to make sure.

SPEAKER_08: 25:55

And and the really good news is it's almost like it was meant to be the building that we designed for King Philip uh basically fits on the existing site, which is on top of the existing building. So there'll have to be some discussions about how we do temporary operations or phases such that some can stay some operations stay and some may go. So there's there's some things to work through, but the fact that the building basically fits with some uh minor tweaking, the money that's been spent on those drawing is not lost. I mean that's money well spent. We spent a lot of time with the public departments and the town administrator working all that out, so that that's that's all money that's been spent well.

SPEAKER_06: 26:36

And we also did a refresh the first part of this year uh to make sure that the documents that had already been uh were sort of in the in the middle phase of design from a code compliance and uh appropriateness uh uh perspective. We've done a refresh on that as well. So we're really uh able to take that design and almost plop it right on the site as we move forward.

SPEAKER_07: 26:59

Um questions, Mr. Pacico? No, no questions.

SPEAKER_11: 27:03

Obviously, all of us are frustrated that we're at this point, um, but you know there's something to be said for being thorough and doing due diligence and um understanding what would be what we were going to be dealing with at King Philip uh and having an opportunity to pivot. Um and as I think Greg mentioned, and I would agree with his assessment if if Orchard Street wasn't a viable option, we had nowhere else to go. Um so I would I would support this pivot, and um my vote would be to authorize the building committee and the project team to to advance uh to next steps to ensure a viability of Ludget Street.

SPEAKER_07: 27:41

Um Mr. Thank you. Um Mr. Collins, second the motion for discussion. Sure. I'll second that motion.

SPEAKER_03: 27:46

Yeah, yeah, yeah. This is like a very difficult and very easy decision, if that makes any sense. Uh it's difficult in the sense that I know that there's a lot of people that have put a ton of effort and work into this, like countless people, more than I even know. I could even name all of them. Um, but to be honest with you, like I came into this very late, and you know, from the start, from when I started, it's been problematic from the beginning. I haven't I wasn't here at the beginning when there was a lot of positivity around it. When I got on two years ago as a selectman, I feel like every time we made a trip out there, there's another obstacle. And it, you know, Greg would find a solution, or somebody else would find a solution, and it was another obstacle, and it's just like one thing after another, and um now we're we're we're cornered, you know, it's we're left with no other options. Um, and I'm in full support of pivoting and moving to the site of the original public safety building on Orchard Street, and try to get this done as quick as we can for our officers and firefighters.

SPEAKER_07: 28:41

Sure, as Mr. Pachika said, it's definitely disappointing. I mean, I think it was one of my first meetings when I was here, and I remember the presentation, and that this was the perfect site, it was ideal, and that the existing site was just not doable, the building was in terrible condition, so that hasn't changed. The building is going to have to be demolished.

SPEAKER_06: 28:58

We have a whole new building, right?

SPEAKER_07: 29:01

Right. Yeah, but obviously, as you mentioned, you have to have a backup plan, and sometimes the best plans just uh just don't work, and we had no idea, or no one had any idea we'd run into the problems. And as you mentioned, it has been one thing after another.

SPEAKER_03: 29:19

People have been trying it tirelessly for four years now to make that say work, but unfortunately, it's just not gonna happen.

SPEAKER_07: 29:25

Right, right. But you're uh confident that the existing plan can be made to fit on the site. With some minor modifications. And there have to be modifications, obviously.

SPEAKER_09: 29:37

Yes, and and certain things like the rifle range, obviously, not going to be able to do that. Not going to be able to do that.

SPEAKER_07: 29:49

And I think there have been other modifications too in the plans.

SPEAKER_08: 29:53

That's right. When we did the restart after going through the the last slowdown, uh, as Rick mentioned, we updated basically. Upon uh how codes have changed over the last four years. Uh for instance, we looked, we went back and looked at the program with the police and fire department, did some minor changes there also. So they're constantly looking at ways to save money within the building too, which is good. So that effort I would imagine will continue uh moving forward.

unknown: 30:18

Okay.

SPEAKER_07: 30:18

Mr. Barnes, anything else you want to add before I take a call?

SPEAKER_09: 30:22

I actually I don't know if the um captain or the chief wants to say anything.

SPEAKER_07: 30:29

You know, that might be a good idea, Captain Beatrice.

SPEAKER_01: 30:32

Uh Captain Beatrice.

SPEAKER_07: 30:34

Because she's I think you served on the building committee.

SPEAKER_01: 30:36

Yes, I'm on the building committee, and um I'm uh currently the acting chief right now of the chiefs away, but I did talk to the chief before he left. Um we concur with the assessment here, and um, like was already said, we made a lot of uh cuts to a lot of parts of the building to make this work. Um, and we agree with their assessment. So okay.

SPEAKER_07: 30:54

Thank you, Captain and our fire chief, Chief Les Civita.

SPEAKER_10: 30:59

It's it's been uh fairly well explained, but um I will acknowledge that the there was a lot of work that went into it, and it it certainly is uh frustrating. It's been uh I've been the chief since 2019, that's kind of when we started. Yeah, yes. So it's it's it's been in the works for a long time, and uh it's frustrating to have to say we can't go there because I thought that was gonna be the place. But uh hopefully with your support we can move on and uh make this happen.

SPEAKER_07: 31:20

And it's not like there is another option because the committee at the time looked advertised if there was any land for sale, and there was no other site. It was board and colony.

SPEAKER_10: 31:31

We had also had some different sites that in each site costs a different uh sum of money, right? And and it all had kind of the uniqueness, and and we had picked that because it was the less we what we thought was the less unique.

SPEAKER_07: 31:44

Right, right, right. But again, I appreciate everybody's help and and hard work, and I am looking to well obviously we want the station, we want it in the public safety facility, and we want it done in our lifetime so we'll be I agree. All right, thank you, thank you, Chief. All right, any further discussion? Then I will call for a vote. All in favor, any opposed? Unanimous vote. It is voted. Thank you, gentlemen, for coming in.

SPEAKER_03: 32:09

Thank you very much. Thank you.

SPEAKER_07: 32:13

Okay. Uh continuing now, uh, we come next to our town administrators' report, Mr. Barnes.

SPEAKER_09: 32:21

Uh well, uh, I would like to thank the uh state uh Dennis Gallagher for uh the$25,000 earmark that I was gonna announce, but he already stole my thunder on that. Um the other thing um on Thursday from 6 30 to 8 p.m. uh at the Borden Colonies Soccer Field will be the annual uh trunk uh treat. I will be participating, and I understand the chair will be at as well.

SPEAKER_07: 32:54

I will as well. My theme's gonna be ghosts, so watch out.

SPEAKER_09: 32:58

Um I look forward to that. Uh every year it seems to get bigger and bigger. I'm not sure how many they had last year, but I uh I was a lot of candy 350, 400 easily, uh if not more.

SPEAKER_07: 33:16

It is ideally for children between pre-K and second grade, and younger siblings are invited as well, and it's a great time.

SPEAKER_09: 33:24

Yes.

SPEAKER_07: 33:25

Thank you, Mr. Barnes. And that brings us to select board's report, Mr. Pachico.

SPEAKER_11: 33:30

Yeah, just one item I had the chance to attend BP's open house this past weekend. Um, superintendent and I had a chance to chat for a few minutes, and uh they're ahead of schedule and um under budget on their project, and they're still looking at an April completion date. So yes, so good news.

SPEAKER_07: 33:47

Excellent. Thank you, Mr.

SPEAKER_03: 33:49

I have nothing new to report.

SPEAKER_07: 33:50

Collins, I understand our uh football team over at Bridgewater Ringham is doing pretty well.

SPEAKER_03: 33:54

We're doing very good. Uh yeah, we have uh game this Friday versus Dartmouth, and then we're on the road against Barnstable, and then the playoffs started.

SPEAKER_07: 34:03

Sounds good, very good. Okay, just a couple things. Our our Bridgewater Rainham School Budget Working Group met last uh Wednesday and are working on uh the independent third party uh financial review. A couple of details that we're working on there. Hopefully that will uh uh be finalized very soon. Some upcoming events uh next next Wednesday, October 29th, is the Council in Aging monthly breakfast at 9 a.m. And they have an additional attraction uh this month after the monthly breakfast. They Bristol County District Attorney, Attorney Quinn's office, is going to be giving a presentation on elder abuse prevention at 10 a.m., focusing on identity fraud, financial exploitation, and scams. Seniors, you do need to sign up for that, so either call the COA or head over to the senior center for that. November 5th, they're going to be celebrating the senior center, their 25th anniversary celebration. We'll have more details uh coming about that. And the council on aging has started a new senior gardening club, so that sounds like interesting. On um Thursday, November 6th, the planning board will be holding a public hearing on those two articles um that uh the board has um sponsored, changing the name of our board officially to select board on the zoning bylaw, and in addition to the um town bylaws, and also uh re regarding the associate member of the planning board. That will be on November 6th here at town hall. And on November 8th, which is a Saturday, our American Legion Post 405 will be having their annual Veterans Day uh ceremony. I believe that's at 10 o'clock, but I'll double check on that. And that is all that I have for Selectman's report. And that takes us to correspondence, but I don't believe we have any correspondence. Press time. Do we have anyone from the press? I do not see anyone. Emergency business, Mr. Patrick. Mr. Collins?

SPEAKER_03: 36:17

Emergency business.

SPEAKER_07: 36:18

Mr. Collins, any emergency business? We have none. Citizen and community input? Do we have yes?

SPEAKER_12: 36:27

Um Jackie Mello, 147 Carroll Drive. Um I just have a question about the public safety complex, and I know they, you know, for the reasons they gave, it has to be switched back over to Orchestry. However, what are they compromising on? Are they gonna lose a lot of what they were really going for when it comes to, do you know, like a lot of like you know, I don't know, like room space and quality of what they were because I know there was a lot on that.

SPEAKER_07: 37:00

Yeah, I don't believe so believe so because the police chief and the fire chief and the members of their department are supporting it. Okay. Mr. Barnes, can you respond?

SPEAKER_09: 37:11

Like I mentioned, for example, they can't have a rifle range. Right. There'll be more uh perhaps limited spacing for parking. I know they like reconfigured the locker area, there'll be less locker area there. Um the overall facility will allow for the fun uh you know the functionality needed to do the day to train. Okay, like training. But you know, usually 10 acres would be more ideal than a few, but um uh the the exact details are still being worked out. But the important thing to stress is uh our consultants do believe it is it is viable, it does involve a compromise, but we have to look at the the the um significant need for the facility, and we want something uh centrally located, and that is that is considered to be uh a good location for the facility.

SPEAKER_12: 38:18

Yeah, I was just curious if they were losing considerable like space as in training space where you know not sit-down, like sit-down space, right? I mean, obviously not gun training, but okay. I'm just curious about that.

SPEAKER_07: 38:30

And I think the important thing to consider too is that the existing uh station is substandard, it's um all kinds of violations, and it does not serve our public safety officials well at all, and it hasn't for a long time. Um do we have any other public input? Anyone else from the public wish to speak? Okay. Um with that, then I'll just mention performance of administrative duties that the uh finance director and I have reviewed the town of uranium invoice and payroll warrants, dated October 21st and signed off on those. And with that, I am looking for a motion to go into executive session in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 38, Section 21A2 and 3 to conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with non-union personnel or to conduct collective bargaining sessions or contract negotiations with non-union personnel, specifically non-union positions. Do I have a motion? So moved and a second, roll call vote, Mr. Pachico, Mr. Collins, chair votes aye at 7 39. We are going into executive session and will return only for the purpose of um concluding the meeting, adjourning the meeting with no additional business to be conducted.

unknown: 39:47

Thank you.