Good evening, Salem, and welcome to the town council meeting for April 6th.

If you would all please rise here in the auditorium and salute the flag.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

And to the Republicans, one nation, God, an indivisible with liberty and justice for our and I thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

Going around the room, we'll make the introductions.

To my far left, an unusual place to find David on the far left.

Is Mr.

DJ Betancourt?

Good evening, Mr.

Chairman.

Town Councillor Keith Tremallier is next to him.

Good evening.

Paul Pell Tier is next to Keith.

Good evening, Sale.

To my left here is Jeff Hatch.

Hi Salem.

To my immediate left is Mr.

Joe Sweeney, who also serves as our vice chair.

Good evening.

To my immediate right is Lisa Whithrow.

She serves as the council secretary.

Good evening.

Good evening, Mr.

Chair.

And Miss Bonnie Wright is to the far right there.

Hello, Salem.

And then there's Mr.

Devine, our town manager.

And my name is Bob Bryant, and it's an honor for me to uh be here serving in this capacity.

Just a quick note before we start.

I'd like to just say that tonight's meeting is being attended by the Boy Scout Troop 267.

We have a fairly substantial contingent.

It's always nice to have people in the audience.

We don't get a lot of uh a lot of a lot of attendance.

They're working on their communication merit badge tonight.

They'll be observing and taking notes, so it may be nice to give them a quick welcome.

And so we welcome you.

Thanks for showing up.

And now we're gonna get to meeting minutes.

Okay, there's a few of them.

I will move that we seal tonight's non-public sessions in RSA 91A 32 M L D and C.

Second.

Motion has been made and seconded by Mr.

Sweeney.

All those in favor.

90, unanimous.

Okay.

I would move February 20.

February 2nd, 2026, non-public session number five.

Second.

Motion made and seconded by Mr.

Sweeney.

All those in favor.

90.

Again, Miss Whitrow.

I would move February 9th, 2026, non-public session number two.

Second.

Motion been made and seconded.

All those in favor.

Next up.

I would move February 25th, 2026, non-public session number two.

Second.

Motion be made and seconded again.

All those in favor.

I would move February 25th, 2026, non-public session number one.

Second.

Motion made and seconded.

All those in favor.

90.

I would move March 2nd, 2026, non-public session number one.

Second.

Motion is made and seconded.

All those in favor.

I have a sale.

So that's 801.

Go ahead.

I would move March 2nd, 2026, non-public session number two.

Second.

Motion made in second of all those in favor.

That'll be 801.

I would move March 2nd, 2026, non-public session number three.

Second.

Motion been made and seconded.

All those in favor.

Again, 801.

I would move March 2nd, 2026, non-public session number four.

Second.

Motion been made and seconded.

All those in favor.

90.

Nope.

I'm sorry.

801.

Yep.

And lastly, I would you're going off the off the whole night, yeah.

Uh move March 16, 2026 public session.

Second.

Motion been made and seconded.

All those in favor.

Okay, we got 9-0.

We're through that.

We're gonna take a moment right now, usually under chairman comments.

I kind of passed that up because I'm not the long-winded type, but uh, we have an opportunity tonight to recognize somebody for the April employee of the month.

And it is a great pleasure for me to uh thank and wish our employee of the month from April a uh very happy evening.

Mr.

Tom Giarusso.

All right.

If you don't know Tom, Tom's been the executive director for SCTV for over 20 years in that time frame.

He's grown the department from coverage of town and community vets.

He's the producer of What's Up Salem's podcast.

He's also the advisor of the Salem High School Film Club.

The club spends most of the school year working on short films, and Tom is there every week guiding and mentoring these students.

He also started Salem Film Fest at the Historical Society, which features historical films throughout the year.

But we appreciate both uh Tom the most is the fact we can always count on him.

So thank you, Tom.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

Now who takes your picture?

I'm just gonna say somebody's gotta say goodbye.

I'll take his picture.

It wasn't easy to pull off time, you know.

We can't get some medicine.

Joel take the picture.

We can get we can get a boy scout with a what anybody can run one of those things, right, guys?

You guys can handle the camera, right?

Yeah.

Come on, Joe, get the picture.

Yeah, just getting the picture.

Come on, boys, move over.

Wonderful.

Thank you, great job.

Great job.

Great job.

Congratulations, Tom.

Isn't that exciting?

Congratulations.

I like that.

It's fun.

Yeah.

I thought it was funny.

I knew it was going to be here.

I'm not going to be able to do that.

I'm like, all right, let's get back to it here.

Uh next up is the approval of the uh consent agenda.

Mr.

Sweeney.

Mr.

Chairman, at this time I move to approve the April 6th, 2026 consent agenda.

Second.

Motion has been made and seconded by the entire board, but we'll use uh Miss Stacy.

All those in favor.

Nine zero.

Additions and a request by the public or a council by vote.

There wasn't anything on the podium that anybody wanted to talk.

If you'd like to talk later about something, we'll work on that.

But right now, we're going to move into the interview session.

Appointments to boards, committees, and commissions.

Mr.

Devine, if you would please.

Certainly.

Um so we have several um committees that are seeking uh current members or new applicants.

Um so what we've done is anybody who is a new applicant, we've asked them to come before the council.

And if there was a seat that a call contested that there was more applicants than there were people, and that somebody was already in that seat.

We asked them to also appear just to make it fair so everybody can talk and you can ask the questions that you see fit.

So the first is going to be the conservation commission.

There's three vacancies.

Um we received two applications, uh, both are current members, Alan Lord and Glenn Reynolds.

Ms.

Allen Lloyd and Glenn Reynolds around.

Do you want to be able to do that?

They're both current members, so they probably will.

Both count members, they don't need to, so we're all set.

Uh pleasure of the board.

Yes, Kathy.

I move to a point.

Alan Lord and Glenn Reynolds to the Conservation Commission uh to a term ending April 2029.

Second.

Motion but made and seconded by Mr.

Hatch.

Seeing no other discussion, all those in favor.

Next up.

Next is going to be for the economic development committee.

We do have three vacancies.

We received two applications.

Uh one is a current main member, um Richard Doblesky, and then the new applicant is Caitlin Caravillis, I believe.

I believe she might be here.

Caitlin here.

Not motion.

I have been representing the um economic development committee, representing the town council for the last couple of years.

Um Richard has been Dick has been our um chair and co-chair.

He's fantastic.

At our last meeting, Caitlin came and sat with us, asked a bunch of questions.

We adored her.

Um so I would have make a motion that we invite both of them.

Second.

Then you can make that motion.

It's been seconded by Mr.

Hatch.

Further discussion, not seeing any.

All those in favor?

Miss Stacy, did you?

I'm just assuming they're gonna both be regular members because there's three.

Correct.

Thank you for 29.

Thank you.

Mr.

Devine again.

Next is gonna be for the ethics committee.

We again have two vacancies, and we received two applications.

One is from a current member, Donna LaRanger, and the second is from the uh Caitlin Carablis again as a new applicant for the ethics.

She can't do both.

Any discussion, Kathy?

I'll make a motion to appoint Caitlin Caravulius and Donna Lorange to the ethics committee for um term to April 2029.

Second.

Motion be made and seconded with uh discussion question Mr.

Sweeney.

Can she be on two?

Yeah, can she be on ethics and another committee that we just appointed her to?

I don't see why not.

She'd have to recuse herself, obviously, if something comes up on the conservation.

All right, let's just want to get another.

Was that your question, Mrs.

Tramalia, too?

Yeah, I didn't know she could do both.

We don't turn volunteers away.

There's nothing in the charter that I'm aware of.

Yeah, we're Mr.

Bettencourt.

Did you have something?

I was just going to clarify that there are some positions per the charter where you cannot serve on two boards because they conflict.

But I don't recall that this would be one of them.

Thank you.

Okay.

Your motion?

You're second.

All those in favor.

Nine to zero, Mr.

Devine.

Next is gonna be for the historic district commission.

We have two vacancies, and you receive four applications for this one.

So you have one current member, which is Beverly Glenn, and then three new applicants, which are Andrew Feeney, Brandy Lynn Feeney, and Jubilee Aberlander.

Okay.

I know somebody anybody here to talk.

Anyone want to be interviewed?

All right.

So who do we call up first, Mr.

Devine?

Do we have a in order?

If you want to we can go in alphabetical order or so the first one would be Andrew Feeney.

Andrew, are you here?

Awesome.

Name address and give us a little background on yourself.

So my name's Andrew Feeney.

I live at 314 Main Street.

I'm right next to the old uh school house libraries.

Um I've lived there for three and a half years or so now.

Um I've attended a few of the meetings down at the old uh town hall.

Yep.

Yeah, I've uh maybe about two or three.

I've attended last year, so it sparked my interest.

Okay.

Anyone have any questions for Mr.

Feeney?

No.

Is Brandy here?

Yes.

Oh, come on down.

Yeah, you can there.

Um, I'm Brandy Lynn Feeney.

I also live at 314 Main Street next to the Alice Hall Library, believe it or not.

Um I am a operations manager.

I work from home.

Um, and just like my husband kind of stole my thunder, but we attended a couple of the meetings, got really interested.

Um I think the other thing that piqued our interest is you also were making some home improvements that come to find out there were some parameters that the historic district kind of you have to follow, and we didn't know about that.

Um so I think that's another reason why you know we're really empowered to join because maybe we can make some improvements, share some knowledge with the rest of the residents.

Um I have super jubilee.

Are you here?

Oh, I'm sorry.

Did anybody have any questions of Randy?

Brandy Lynn?

Right.

No, thank you.

Is Jubilee here?

Oh, there you are.

These lights are killer.

I'm Jubilee Oberlander.

I lived in Salem for 10 years now.

I have always been interested in the historical district.

I don't know much about it.

I especially like the water feature in the center there, especially in summer.

Someone did a really good job planting all those um native flowers.

So I thought this would be a good way to get my foot in the door and learn more about the history of Salem.

I've seen the town change a lot in ten years, so I'm just really interested in learning more and being involved in the preservation of the district.

Um I think usually it's just trying to put a face to a name, and you know, we may have run in, may not have run into anybody in the past, but um pleasure of oh, where's Beverly?

Beverly is here.

Beverly's got to be back there somewhere.

Yeah, there she is.

It's unaccustomed as you are to public speaking.

Tell us something new, Bev.

Yeah.

Hi, Beverly Glenn.

Was it um right now?

We uh low uh contacting the schools, grade fours in Salem.

We have three responses already, so the schools are gonna come down and visit us, and thank God we have the games a chance.

They were able to fund the buses, and we have also have the cooperation of the Salem Police Department, and we're making arrangements to have them come down and safely cross the children and also have a police car there because route 97 is a speedway, and there was also a death of a young boy a couple of years ago, and we really don't want to have anything happen again.

For sure, and now we have finished the um restoration of the old meeting house.

We are now over at the um station, and we have uh done the floor.

That's all done.

The window should be in in a couple of months, the rest of them, but we won't paint that until the construction of the bridge is done.

Oh, yeah, for sure.

Then we're gonna hop over to the Alice Hall and then over the schoolhouse, and then put money in the trust fund for those buildings.

But uh we couldn't have done it without the games a chance.

I'm telling you.

It's wonderful.

Thank you very much.

Look forward to a progressive year, and I want to thank you, Bonnie, for all your help.

We're now working on um a new um what do you call that procedure for the uh district?

Yep, good.

Yep.

Lots of paperwork.

Thank you.

Mr.

Sweeney.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Question for the town manager.

Do we have alternates to the historic district that we can appoint as well?

Their bylaws don't call for it.

So that would be the issue.

So tonight we don't have it.

We do not, yep.

Ms.

Wright.

I had the pleasure of working with the Historic District Commission as well.

And Bev has a wealth of knowledge that everybody benefits by her sharing.

And I don't think we should have both of a husband and a wife.

So I'm going to recommend that we have Beverly and Brindy Lynn as the two members of the making that motion.

I am making that motion.

Motion has been made.

Seconded by Mr.

Betancourt.

Further discussion.

Did you have something?

Yep.

I would just I would just note that Jubilee has submitted her name for consideration later in the agenda.

So we may be able to accommodate a number of folks here with the exception of Mr.

Feeney.

Sorry about that.

But we do our best to get as many people involved as we can.

Okay, so the motion has been made.

It's been seconded.

All those in favor.

9-0.

Welcome back.

And welcome aboard.

Next, Mr.

Devine.

Next is going to be the housing authority.

We have one vacancy.

We did receive two applications.

One is from Ginny Consoley, the current member, and then a new applicant in Lorraine Thompson.

Okay.

Are they both here?

Yes, I see Ginny.

Go ahead, Jenny.

Come on up.

Is Lorraine here too?

Just so I know.

Huh?

I don't see Lorraine.

Okay.

So she's not here.

Do I still have a meeting?

Yeah, we're gonna make you anyway.

Good evening.

My name is Ginny Consoli.

I live at 6th Clinton Street.

Uh life life's uh long member of Salem community.

I am honored to be considered for the reappointment of the Salem Housing Authority Board of Commissioners.

I've been on the board currently for 20 years.

I've had the privilege of serving on this board and working alongside dedicated colleagues and staff of the housing authority.

Uh we are all deeply committed to our mission in providing safe affordable housing to the residents of Salem.

Um excuse me.

Uh during my time on the board, I have served throughout uh several affordable housing developments, and um we also have many more to come just so we can make sure we are providing um elderly residents uh and veterans the opportunity to have affordable housing in Salem.

I also have a background, um professional background.

I've worked at several housing authorities for over 10 years, and I'm currently at an assisted living community where I've been for 25 years.

Um I would appreciate um staying on this board.

Do you have any questions for me?

Anyone questions?

Questions and Lorraine's not here.

No.

Okay, Ginny, thanks.

Appreciate it.

Motion I uh move to a point, Jenny Consoli to the housing authority with uh expiration April 30 uh 2031.

Second.

Motion's been made and seconded.

All those in favor.

Nine to zero.

Welcome back, Jenny.

Moving on to what I believe is the recreation advisory committee.

The final one is the recreation advisory committee.

We have three vacancies.

We did receive five applications.

Wow.

So you have three current members, Richard Murray, Kevin Richard, and Tom Wolf, and then two new applicants in Ashley Fitzpatrick and Jubilee Oberlander.

All right.

Who wants to step up first?

We got Mr.

Wolfle.

You want to come down and say anything?

Uh by all means.

By all means.

We'll go backwards in the uh alphabet today.

See if the kids can keep up with it, you know.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman, uh members as well as Tom Manager.

Uh Tom Wolfle, I have been uh resident of Salem, New Hampshire for over 30 years.

I have been on the rec advisory committee for approximately 20 years and served as a chairperson for six out of those 20 years.

Uh currently, right now we are working uh diligently at Hedgehog Park, the transformation down there.

I'm sure you've seen some of it with the shade structures, the basketball court, and uh some equipment that's down there now is uh having a trail that will go around that.

So appreciate your uh support on things that are happening at Hedgehog Park.

Uh we have a meeting this Thursday uh to continue and finalize uh the project on there and then strategize on where we'll uh look next for our uh recreational area uh to grow for the town of Salem.

Any questions?

I would be glad to answer questions.

Anyone?

I don't think anybody wants to question anybody that's already been doing it for 20 puts.

Yeah, we wouldn't know what to say.

No, thanks, Tom.

I appreciate it.

Is uh Kevin here?

Kevin Richard here.

Yep, he's over there.

I see him.

Oh, yeah, works up Bitcoin.

Good evening, Kevin Richard.

Uh 34 Colleen Drive in Salem.

Um it's funny the three of us, I think we've been on it the longest.

Uh we've been on there maybe 15 years or so, so we've seen a lot of changes.

Um, the development of hedgehog.

Obviously, Jimmy's a huge part of that.

So we'd like to continue that, whether it's us or somebody else, right?

Obviously.

Um the other people that applied, that's great.

We got two new members this last cycle.

It's nice to see more people are trying to join up.

So I think we'll take as many people as we can get.

You know, obviously we don't want to turn anybody away.

So we always have events that we're looking for volunteers.

So if I'm not on it, I'll always volunteer anyway.

So it's up to you guys, whatever you want to do here.

Thank you.

Thanks, Kevin.

Mr.

Murray.

Oh, yeah.

Oh, yeah.

Yep, Richard Murray lived in town here for like 70 years.

I've been on this board for 70 years.

30 years.

Wow, yeah.

All I want to do is really is get through this and see the completion of Hedgehog and then get on to the Millville property.

Yeah.

Do you have any questions for me?

Shoot.

I love this man.

Yeah.

I think we're all set.

I love that man.

Did uh Julie want to say anything with regards to the uh rec department or what she might know about rec or whatever.

Was she in?

Um my interest in the rec department is personal.

I have four children, and we sign up for everything, and we love the program so much.

So I put my name in as an attempt to kind of give back to the town in a little in a small way.

Um also our Girl Scout troop um volunteers at the town egg hunt every spring.

It's something we look forward to.

So I really like the recreation department here in Salem.

Okay.

Well, thank you.

Okay.

Questions?

No.

Pleasure of the board.

Oh, we have one more?

One more.

Oh wow.

Ashley.

Oh, yeah, okay.

Sorry.

Hi, uh, my name is Ashley Fitzpatrick.

I live at um 20 Kemus Ridge here in Salem.

Um I've been in Salem for about three and a half years now.

And I was interested in joining the recreation committee because I do have a young family.

Um, I have a two-year-old daughter, so obviously playgrounds and parks are very important to us and to our our family.

So um I thought this would be a good way to get involved and kind of give my advice and help um to sort of build up the the parks and um playgrounds and recreation programming through Salem.

Um, because I know what we have is wonderful, but I think obviously you know we can always improve and um you know create more spaces for our community members.

So that's why I was looking looking to get involved in this.

Okay.

Any questions?

Any questions?

Oh, he might have a question.

I think he might have the answer.

Miss Wright.

Um, unlike many of you, I don't know any of these people, so I don't have any connection.

Um I liked what Tom said about having been chair multiple times.

I think we would do well to have new blood.

So my motion would be to have Tom Woffle, Jubilee Olberlander, and Ashley Fitzpatrick as the members of this committee.

Mr.

Hatch.

Were you seconding or what were you doing?

No, I I guess I'm gonna wait for the discussion part.

I'm gonna just ask one question because you know it's it's always hard to turn volunteers away.

It's also hard to turn people away who have spent time doing as much as they've done, and they want to see projects get done.

So my question is is the recreation committee has their own bylaws too?

They do, so they have nine members with one school board member and one town council member to make eleven.

Wow.

That's true.

We also thought I would put a plug in for the friends of the Salem Rec as well as as another entity that is not part of the town of Salem, but does assist with recreation within the town.

Yeah.

For people fundraising.

Yeah.

Okay.

Mr.

Stromalia.

Okay, can I make a motion?

Yeah.

Well, you will.

She's already made.

She already made it.

She made a motion, but there was no second.

Okay.

Can I make a motion?

You may make one.

Okay.

Um, I make a motion that we nominate Tom Wolfell, Kevin Richard, and Rick Murray.

Second.

Motion but made and seconded.

Mr.

Chairman.

Comment.

Yeah, absolutely.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

I like three years ago, we were begging people apply to be on boards and committees, and now we're in the unfortunate scenario of having to turn people down.

Um, but I will say both recreation and the historic district where we had competitive things there.

There is there is the Friends of Salem Recreation nonprofit, and there is the Salem Historical Society nonprofit that people can also get involved with to share their talents and get more involved.

Um I do think I I support the motion for the members just because I do think they've made so much progress with the direction that they're going into.

Um I hate turning people down though, and it stinks.

I agree.

Um, but I hope uh Jubilee and Ashley, I hope you get involved with the Friends of Salem Rec.

Jimmy Kozak's in the audience, and he will hook you up uh with the organization and get you going at uh with shovels at Hedgehog any day now.

Um but it just this stinks to be in this spot.

It's it's I wish we and I was gonna make a motion to expand the board, and then I heard there's already 11 people on it.

Yeah, it's uh that's tough.

Yeah, it's a big boy.

And just so those two people may not know the other two that aren't over there.

Um you know, we have a fairly large piece of property on the other side of town near Millville Lake that we're gonna be working on.

So if you can get involved with the friends of Salem Wreck, you'll learn all about what they want to build over there, what the design plans will look like, as it all starts to develop, they'll be part of it and you'll be part of it, and that may be a way to you know to um work your way into a uh permanent spot.

That's all I just uh I I don't like being in this position either, but so I'm gonna take the motion and the second, all those in favor opposed two, so seven two, zero, and you've uh brought back the trio.

And away we go.

Next up said they didn't care about kicked off.

That's not what he said.

Well, that's not what he said.

Okay, what we're gonna take up number seven now, Joe's second reading.

So this will be for a second reading adoption.

This is resolution number 2026-08, which is the proposed establishment of the finance committee at your March 16th meeting.

We had a first read of the establishment of the finance committee.

Um the council received the policy and background information, and again, this is on for a second read and possible adoption.

Any questions on the resolution?

The establishment of the finance committee.

Not hearing any.

Mr.

Sweeney.

Mr.

Chairman, at this time I move that the Salem New Hampshire Town Council adopts resolution number 202608.

This resolution shall take effect upon its passage as follows.

Resolution 2026 08 establish and adopt advisory finance committee.

Whereas the town council of the town of Salem is responsible for the fiscal stewardship of the town and the development of the town's annual operating budget and financial policies, and whereas the town council recognizes the value of structured financial review and public transparency in the budget development process, and whereas the town council desires to establish a finance committee and adopt a policy governing its membership duties and operations, and whereas the establishment of an advisory finance committee will provide the town council with additional financial analysis, public engagement, and advisory recommendations related to the town's financial planning and annual operating budget.

And whereas the finance committee will serve solely in an advisory capacity to the town council and shall not exercise any authority reserved to the town council, town meeting, or the voters of the town.

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Salem Town Council that the town council of the town of Salem hereby establishes a finance committee to serve as an advisory body to the town council on matters related to financial planning, fiscal policy, and the town's annual operating budget.

Second motion has been made and seconded.

Further discussion.

All those in favor.

So if you recall at the last meeting, we accepted this $38,000.

Back in July of uh 2025, we also accepted $21,000 and $200 for the exact same purposes.

The state came back to us and they want us to accept it all in one motion as opposed to having two separate motions.

So we are revoking and then retaking the motion essentially.

Questions?

Not seeing any.

Somebody want to read Mr.

Chair, I moved that Seattle New Hampshire Town Council in a majority vote had previously accepted the terms of the highway safety grant agreement as presented in the amount of $21,200.

And now the amended grant terms in the amount of $38,000 and 40 cents for MDT slash e crash equipment is presented in the grant agreement amendment.

Notice we're in just adjusted total gross limitation of $59,297.40 cents and further authorize the town manager to sign any and all documents necessary to effectuate this grant.

Second.

Motion been made, seconded by Mr.

Sweeney.

Further, anybody?

All those in favor.

Now we're getting on to the public hearings.

Yep.

So next under new business is going to be two public hearings.

We're going to take up the first one, which is for application of tax exemption under Salem Commercial Industrial Property Tax Exemption Program, Building 1300 Parking Garage at 24 via Toscana at map uh map 108 lot 12657.

The Tuscan Village Development LLC is the applicant.

Included in your package was memos from both uh the planning director Jacob Lafontaine and the assessor John Duhamel to talk about this.

Assistant town manager Colleen Mayu is here to present for the town on this piece.

Come on down.

Good evening.

Um I'll just give a brief overview as the council is aware.

Um back in November of 2024, the council did adopt the um commercial and industrial property tax exemption program.

Um this program, um, it's intended to provide incentives to businesses to build, rebuild, modernize, or enlarge within Salem.

Um, the town has received um the first two applications under this program.

Um, as stated, the first is for Tuscan Village 1300, the parking garage.

Um, you have a memo in um your uh uh packet from staff.

It has been reviewed by the planning department and by the assessing department at this time.

Um staff would recommend that you review the criteria of the um of the um tax exemption program.

We're happy to answer any questions, but um, we would encourage you to review the criteria um here, input from the public, and then we can provide additional comment on the uh staff's recommendations.

Uh the applicant is here to speak to it as well.

Mr.

Gross, do you want to speak?

I'll be so public.

Anyone here want to talk about it?

From the public or us?

From the public.

Nobody, the public left except for the Boy Scouts, Boy Scouts.

Boy Scouts, and you guys don't know anything about this garage, huh?

So I can um provide some additional context then.

Um so there are several criteria that would need to be met in order for a tax exemption to be granted.

Um at this um time, based on the material that was submitted in the application uh presented.

Um the staff have determined that the parking garage is not a qualifying structure under the program.

Um and the um the building does not satisfy the public benefits for granting tax relief is outlined in section eight of the um tax exemption criteria.

So at this time, staff would recommend that the town council uh deny the application for the tax exemption as it's not a qualifying structure.

They have not demonstrated the public benefit in accordance with section eight point one of the program.

I'll take that Mr.

Betancourt.

Is public benefit defined anywhere?

And if so, what is that definition?

It is defined.

There are several criteria in the exemption program.

Um in order to qualify for tax relief, the um public benefits would be that it enhances economic growth and increases the town's tax base, creation of needed services or facilities not currently available in town.

It redevelops and revitalizes commercial or industrial area, prevents or eliminates blight and retains local jobs, increase the local job base and or provides um diversity in the job base.

So in the um memorandum from the planning and assessing departments, they did address the fact that um the program requires providing two or more of those public benefits, and based on the application and the criteria um submitted, the construction of the parking garage, it's staff's opinion does not directly promote economic growth.

It's um constructed for the parking demands of the private development.

The parking garage is being constructed again for the private demands of the development, um, does not serve the same function as a municipal garage or a garage for the broader public benefit.

Um while Tuscan Village has been revitalized, um increasing tourism and commerce for the area.

The parking garage does not directly revitalize this commercial area.

Um the garage does not directly prevent or eliminate light.

Um it's part of a project that's already being developed regardless of the incentive.

And um, as the applicant acknowledged in their application, the garage itself does not generate local jobs.

While we recognize that private development does, the garage itself in staff's opinion doesn't meet those criteria.

Mr.

Pellateer.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Um I recognize the uh the building, the parking garage as being a private entity for the apartments.

Uh although I can't find it right now because I read it.

Um the whole parking situation, the whole parking area of Tuscan Village, if I remember recall, is shared parking, the whole thing.

Um the garage, even though it's for this garage particular garage is for just the residence of the apartment of the apartment dwelling only.

If this garage never took place, then the 300 units in this building would be able to be uh uh obligated to park anywhere in Tuscan Village's parking area.

Uh therefore it would have a hindrance on every other commercial business in the village due to lack of parking for for commercial retails or commercial uh uh uh uh restaurants uh and hotel facilities.

Uh the parking arrangement would be sporadic everywhere.

And in the interest of the revenue that comes in from the other uh uh commercial businesses would dwender and would suffer due to the fact that there isn't a separate parking garage for this development of 300 units.

So I just I just want to bring that up for discussion.

If there's anybody else that wants to slap me in the head above about it right ahead.

Anyone else want to speak with regards to the garage?

Yeah, Mr.

Swaeney.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

So I want to give a brief overview kind of of the whole program because this is our first rodeo uh with this application.

Uh and I just saw a lot of comments on social media and people were reaching out as to what exactly the the game plan here is.

Um so to everybody in the audience and online that's watching or at home watching, uh, we're not exempting all of Tuscan's taxes.

If we were to adopt both this application and the other one, Tuscan pays every tax dollar that they're currently paying today, plus 50% of the new assessed value of the parking garage and this jewel building that they are applying for in the first year, 60% in the second, 70 in the third, 40 in uh 80 percent in the fourth, 90 percent in the fifth, and then by year six they're paying a hundred percent of the new assessed value of the development.

I I echo counselor Pelletier's points.

I I almost want to see this program used for parking garages throughout the town.

Surface lots, if we look at the uh economics of surface lots and surface parking are the least valuable parcels in town.

When you look at per acre, the value of it just is destroyed when you just have land dedicated to surface parking lot.

When you start stacking up the parking, you will have development on some currently already paved sections of town that helps increase the value and in the long run benefit the taxpayers far more than what we currently have.

So taking out the you know, this is Tuscan Village applying for it.

I think just the policy of getting more private development to build garages instead of their giant surface slots so that they can start adding in more restaurants and more ancillary uh development to what they currently have by having the stacked parking.

I think that's a long-term benefit for the town of Salem.

Um, so I I see the public benefit there.

I do think it's up for us to define what the public benefit there is.

I certainly know a lot of people complain about parking in the village and near the village, and so I I think I do see the public benefit there.

I know that the program is more geared towards jobs and and more geared towards employers that are bringing in new jobs.

I think when we adopted it two years ago, the idea was a large industrial client coming into town to bring in life sciences to bring in advanced manufacturing and revitalize something in the commercial and industrial area of the town.

That's not off the table for the future.

I actually like that we're drawing so much attention to the program by being on the uh on the docket tonight, just so that maybe it gets the word out a little bit more that this is an option for existing salem facilities or people that might be looking to move here.

Um so I I see the public benefit.

It's not a blank check tax break for the entirety of the village.

They'd still be paying more taxes next year after these uh after the parking garage is constructed than they're paying today.

We just allow a phase in of the new assessed value that they're paying the tax on.

Um, a lot of people online that I saw were freaking out that we're just cutting the hole, you know, giving them a uh what would be a nine million dollar tax break, which is not the case.

I think over the course of five years, it's it's under 250,000 for both properties.

Not to say that that's not real money for folks in Salem, uh, but a lot of people were talking about the lost taxes.

My perspective is is it's not taxes we count on right now.

It's not like our budget's not built on you know this parking garage being built and this jewel building being built uh in order to assess the value of it to bring it out.

It's either gonna happen or it's not gonna happen.

I think this is a good vehicle to phase in the tax burden on new development, and I'd encourage more developers to come to us to apply when they're starting to build their buildings and start building it out because I do think it's a program that can help pencil out projects when it's looking at the private financing.

Maybe it's not a problem that this specific developer has, but we can't judge it based off of what one developer needs versus the other.

I think we just have to have a fair look.

And I think we will have a fair look at the actual uh program that the the staff reviewed and everything.

Um so that's just me to say that I support this.

I probably won't be able to have a vote affirmatively in support of the parking garage abatement.

Um, but that's that's where I'm at on it.

Just wanted to put it out there for everybody and let everybody else start slapping me on the head on town spell tier stuff.

Mr.

Betoncourt, uh thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

I don't disagree at all with what counselor Sweeney just said.

The problem that I'm running into here, and I think the problem perhaps the staff ran into is they're trying to apply the criteria as it exists right now.

And so, Joe, I think you make a good argument.

I think what is therefore required is for us to go and to update or to change the current criteria to factor in a lot of what you're talking about, because I'm not sure that it currently fits into how the structure of the program is as it currently stands.

And for me, you know, I do the best I can to set aside my personal preferences on things and just look at what the law or the ordinance or whatever it is that we're looking at currently says and applying the issue at hand to what the the words on the paper currently say, and as it currently is constructed, I think the staff read it correctly.

So that's a little bit of the the struggle that I'm having.

So I think we got to have a bigger conversation as to how we factor in a lot of those things that you've just raised because I don't see that being accounted for as things are currently written.

Anyone anyone else?

Mr.

Hatch.

Is this gonna have a second hearing?

Or is this it?

Sorry.

This is it.

This is it.

Unless the council feels like you need to continue this for more information, then this would be the would be the hearing unless you want to continue the discussion to another meeting.

Okay.

So Mr.

Chairman, I'll I'll hold my comments until the public hearing is closed then.

Anybody else?

Mr.

Gross.

Thank you.

Uh Mr.

Chairman, members of the council gross with Tuscan Village Development.

So I'll just talk about two things.

Applicability.

So you have definition of what would qualify.

And at the end of that list of qualifying structures, it does say in any other commercial use that the town council deems appropriate or something to that language.

Paraphrasing.

Um the public benefit, and I'll just give you an example of the current uh parking garage we have over by the um we call it building 3,000, but I think you all know where it is.

That is a shared use garage.

Um the top three floors are specifically designated for the residents that live in there.

Well, we've been finding, and then the the lower two floors, which have somewhere around 225 parking spaces.

We have to do parking counts every Christmas uh for the entire village.

I will tell you that in the parking garage, this is during peak times, 78 out of probably the most was 78 parking spaces out of the 225 in the public portion of that parking lot are used.

So it's very underutilized.

Um I think it's just an education to get people to park in there.

People are lazy, they want to park where they're shopping, so they want to park in front of Nike, they want to park in front of you know Bennett's, they want to and it's you know it's it's just an educational issue for us to get people to park over there, and we don't even charge them for it.

So um but we're also finding is that the residents in that building don't park in the garage.

They park over in the open parking field that's closest to the back end of the building where there is another entrance.

Another issue we have to deal with because they're taking up spaces that we would normally want for other people coming there.

So I guess what I'm saying is that these parking garages are not a hundred percent full at any time.

The same with the one that we're talking about this evening.

Uh that is gonna be a shared parking garage simply because of that situation than the other one.

So to me, it's a public benefit because it's not just for the residents of Tuscan, it's for anybody who comes and visit there.

The the general public can park there and go anywhere they want in the village.

The other thing in terms of the garage with the tax revenue, um essentially the um what do you call it, the gross revenue for both the school and the town would actually the net revenue would actually be the gross revenue because it's very little costs, uh no cost to the school with that.

So the the school revenue would be at 100%.

Same with municipal, not a lot of municipal services will be needed for the parking garage.

Police fire, you know, you might get a call, but not like the other areas uh where you have businesses that are actually operating with employees.

So your net revenue from the gross revenue is almost gonna be the same.

So that that's another consideration.

And the parking garage will generate uh a lot of tax revenue for little or no cost.

So I just wanted to point those two things out.

Questions of Mark?

Jeff.

Uh Mr.

Gross, I mean some of the cons start with some of the concerns that I got is the um trying to recall there's been you know a few changes here and there, the plan.

So part of the deal was there was always a question about parking within the Tuscan village.

And was there enough?

And then we started talking, you all started talking about the uh ballet parking and da-da-da-da-da.

And then you said at some point you were going to have to build the garages.

So for me, what I one of the things I'm wrestling with is you're applying for this tax exemption for a plan that's already been approved or a project that's halfway done or something to that effect, we'll say.

So help me out with that.

Because to me, the way I looked at the tax exemption, you'd apply for the tax exemption for something that was to improve an area where whether it was new const with new construction or with rehabbing something to make something an improvement to look better.

And I think I recognize that you threw down an old racetrack, but that old racetrack was torn down with a long time ago.

And we're talking about not the entire Tuscan village here with this tax exemption.

We're talking about two lots, but at this point we're only talking about this one lot.

And so I don't want to get tied up with talking about the entire Tuscan village.

We want to talk about just this one lot.

Because I don't want to get lost and I don't want to start misinterpreting things that for you and me back and forth.

Understand.

You know how we go back and forth.

So yeah.

I love it.

Um so the the garage that is under consideration has not been constructed yet.

Right.

So it's new construction.

Okay.

Um I guess I don't know if I answered that.

No, it I mean we're heading down the right path.

So again, we're not taking we're building something new, but right now we're not tearing out anything.

It's already been torn out.

So I guess you know, would Tuscan Village survive without this parking garage?

Do you need the parking garage?

That that'd be another question.

Well, it's because you're saying the other one's never not even used.

So the original intent was to build this garage, particularly for most of the residents, and would have a um component for the public.

But it is now going to be totally shared, the 500 or 420 space or whatever it is, uh will be totally shared.

So anybody can park there, whether it be the residents or the public.

Depending on where you're going.

Okay.

All right.

So just if I may, Mr.

Chairman, I got a whole sheet here.

So I haven't interrupted you yet.

All right, thanks.

All right.

So when I when I first read this, I I went back to the uh the program and started looking at things, and and I and I made some notes and because I'm very I've been told I'm a very logical thinker when it comes to these things, so I don't know.

The is the structure in the qualifying area, that's a yes.

There's no I'm not questioning that at all.

Um does the structure qualify.

I like you could make the argument that I could tie that into a commercial use.

So it does state that we could determine at the end that last paragraph where it says that we could go ahead and determine that that has a commercial use or an industrial use.

So I'll I'll give you the benefit of that doubt.

But where I come in having issues is the public benefits.

And you know, does the public benefit specifically outweigh any costs or detriments if we grant this tax exemption?

So is the benefit what's the public benefit to granting this tax exemption?

So then I broke that down into, and much like your application did, you know, jobs and creations and keeping jobs, you know, is it adding new high-quality jobs or preserving existing local jobs?

It's not it's not um preserving local jobs, it's not adding high quality jobs, and this product this particular one is not adding any jobs at all.

So to me, that's that answer is a no.

So then I went to the next block enhancement, increasing the overall valuation of the town to reduce the burden on the residential property taxpayers.

Well, we've been hearing that um every time a development goes up, whether it's a single house, the Tuscan village, or neighborhood development, we all that's the first thing that anybody wants to throw in there.

It's gonna add to the tax base.

Under redevelopment or revitalization.

A revitalization.

A reusing underutilized or abandoned structures to eliminate the blight and improve the visual economic appeal of the area.

One could argue that they've done because they've torn down all the old barns and everything out there like that.

So that's a coin toss, and however you want to think of it.

Myself, I want to think of that whether it's a parking garage or a vacant lot, it doesn't really make any difference to me.

There they have to provide those parking spaces because those projects have been approved or are going to need those parking spaces before they're approved.

So they're forced to do that, provide that parking anyway.

Or they cannot build a parking garage and people can drive around in circles and and give up there and go shopping in the mall instead.

Makes no difference to me.

Um service and facility expansion providing needing services, utilities, or amenities that in that area are scarce.

Okay.

It's not providing anything to the town.

It may be providing more parking to Tuscan Village, but it's not providing anything to the town.

Everything within the walls of Tuscan Village is to support Tuscan Village, not the town.

So I don't think it meets the requirement there.

And then I go over the historical and cultural preservation and restoring the property, significant local, regional, historical and agricultural importance.

It doesn't qualify in that either.

So for the parking garage for me is unless he can convince me in those areas is a no for me.

Because I don't feel it outweighs the public benefit.

Okay.

Vice versa.

Anything further.

Close it.

Okay, whatever you want.

Should we close it?

You can close public hearing?

You can close the public hearing and I'll make a quick announcement.

I'm gonna close the public hearing.

I'm looking at a bunch of very tired individuals who have already had seven and a half hours of school today, and probably could use uh either homework time or just some good old-fashioned uh, you know, covers and billows.

So if you guys want to leave, this might go on a a little bit longer.

And uh I want you to feel free to just you know you're not disturbing us, you do what you want.

But thank you very much.

Yeah, that was correct.

That's what we thought.

That's what I thought.

Thanks, guys.

No hesitation there.

There's not gonna route out anybody that was already a horse in the mouth.

They weren't that correct.

Yeah.

Mr.

Chairman, I would note these are smart kids.

They know not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Yeah, come back anytime, would love to have you.

Somebody's coat.

Yeah, there you go.

There you go.

Unfortunately, some of their rides want to stay.

Good luck.

That's a good thing.

Oh well.

Ooh.

Well, we've got a couple of diehards in the audience.

Yeah.

Double badges for them.

Yeah, yes, merit badges for endurance.

So uh meetings closed, you had something to say.

I did, yeah.

Um I agree with a lot of what Jeff had to say.

I'm not gonna rehash it all, but I I think the point that stands the most to me is it's a benefit specifically for private business.

So I think I'm in agreement with staff on this one.

I agree with a lot of what you said, but that's the one that rises above to me.

I don't see a public benefit, I see a specific business benefit.

Miss Stacy, did you have anything?

Um yes, thank you, Mr.

Chia.

So I mean I was looking at um Ms.

Marle, because I know you have the the backup information from staff because I know there was a lot of discussion with regards to 420 parking spots, but also some something about tying it in with the requirement from the planning board on something.

Is that true?

I I'm I'm working off of my memory of reading lots of documentation here.

So the the memo and the recommendation does um discuss specifically from the planning department about the conditional use permit that was granted to allow relating to the number of parking spots.

You may be referring to um we did provide some additional background information that um when the Tuscan um development was approved, there is a um fiscal impact analysis that's submitted as part of that.

So we just wanted to acknowledge that that when that um impact analysis was submitted, it didn't entertain tax exemptions as being because the program didn't exist.

So that's not something that I think we that the council should be either granting or denying based on the fact that those were not considered in the fiscal impact analysis.

We just wanted to make it clear that that when that analysis was done, it didn't entertain this and could be something that we need to look at in the future, just um the planning board revisiting when they're considering and reviewing applications.

Thank you.

So I'm I'm gonna obviously I agree with what uh Mr.

Hatch had to say and and what uh council with row had to say about a private entity.

This this benefits a private entity.

Um I don't I don't see the public um I I really don't see the public need a piece of it.

Can I ask one more question?

Ms.

Withrow.

Just because I can't remember, I don't know if if maybe you know I don't I don't know who to direct this to because Mark already sat back down.

I I thought it was I thought I heard that it was resident parking only.

If that's written somewhere, but now it's being said that it's not just resident parking.

Can we clear that up?

I can look at the application if you have one moment.

I just want to make sure we're clear on that.

I just know that I don't need to know from this.

What did staff say?

Yeah, well, you've got 300 apartments above staff.

I just want to make sure whatever's in writing.

If you had two cars per so the application number two, the construction of this new parking garage creates additional parking for the residents of Salem as well as patrons and customers of Salem that visit the Tuscan village development.

Thank you.

So it's residents that live in the village and then residents.

Thank you.

All right, I need a motion so we can move this thing along.

Jeff Mr.

Chairman, I move that the town council denied the request for tax exemption as the use is not qualifying structure, and the applicant has not demonstrated that the request provides a public benefit in accordance with section 8.1 of the commercial and industrial tax exemption program is noted in the staff memorandum dated March 30th, 2026.

Okay, made by Mr.

Hatch and seconded by Miss Withrow.

Any further discussion?

Not seeing any.

All those in favor.

One, two, three, four, five, six.

Opposed?

One, two, three.

So the vote of six to three to zero.

And now we'll do this again.

I love this.

I want to see if I can get it to flip over.

Uh public hearing number two application again.

Mr.

Devine, you want to run it through it?

Again, so this is an application for tax exemption under the Salem Commercial Industrial Property Tax Exemption Program.

This is going to be for the Jewel Buildings North, which is 21 Artesian Drive, map 108 Law 12 uh 659 from Tusca Village.

Again, assistant town manager Colleen.

Um so the jewel buildings, um the these are two buildings on one lot, map 108 lot 12, 659.

Um, they consist of a new single-story um 3800 square foot retail building and with a restaurant and a two-story 7500 square foot retail building um that have been conditionally approved by the planning board.

Um in reviewing this, staff has made the recommendation.

Um we do feel that the buildings aren't a qualifying area, they are qualifying structures um because they are built for commercial use, and um that they we believe that they satisfy criteria for public benefits.

Um first enhancing economic growth and increase the town's tax base on the construction of the two new retail buildings will promote economic growth and increase tax base, and secondly, um retaining local jobs, increasing the job base, and or providing diversity.

So the applicant has projected that approximately 22 new employees will be hired when the buildings are fully occupied.

So um staff do believe that this meets the criteria of the um commercial industrial tax exemption program as it exists today.

Discussion.

Ms.

Withrow.

So I have a question on timing.

I believe, and correct me if I'm wrong, this project was approved before this went into effect.

Correct.

So does that matter?

The the timing that matters is construction.

Um the um tax exemption would need to be approved before any construction begins on the structure.

So um the approval is not it's the construction at this point.

They have not begun construction on the structure.

Okay, fine.

One more.

Yes.

I just uh I struggle with this because I do believe it if I'm gonna wait and listen.

I'm not gonna say for the show, but I do believe this fits within the qualifications that it the criteria that is needed.

However, this project was already in progress, and I think the purpose of the the tax exemption was to revitalize things that weren't gonna happen.

This is gonna happen regardless.

So I struggle that that I don't think this feel this meets the intent of the policy, but I'm not sure how much that matters yet.

I'm gonna wait to hear anybody else, Mr.

Hatch.

I basically have the same concerns as if I stated before, it all got to do with the um what's the public benefit here it is creating new jobs, but it's only 22 jobs.

So is 22 jobs enough to outweigh this?

That's the question.

I mean, we don't know if they're high quality jobs or not.

So it's just states 22 jobs, so unless Ms.

McGross can answer that question, which I don't think can.

Um I'm gonna stay pattern where I was at with the same things that I listed in the previous.

I don't think 22 jobs is uh a big enough public benefit.

Mr.

Betancourt.

Thank you.

To that point, does the current qualifications for the program beyond what we've talked about include considerations of the types of jobs, the number of jobs or anything like that?

No.

So it's hard, just new jobs.

It's very, very hard.

And I think it I'll I'll just um reiterate my earlier point, which is we've got to go back and take a look at this program and factor all of these things in because it's incredibly difficult to try to apply the criteria as it stands now to applications when all of these other things are being discussed and things that people wish they could see reflected in there are not there.

So I'm trying to just apply what I'm reading in terms of the criteria against the application and doing the best that I can.

And for this one, I think uh as was stated, it satisfies the public benefit prongs number one and two.

So as is currently constructed, I think this has to be approved.

Mr.

Sweeney.

Thank you, Mr.

Sherman.

And I I don't know if me speaking here is a benefit to the argument or not, but um I will say I think it's all important in the context.

It's 22 jobs, right?

I think obviously when we were adopting the program, we were thinking hundreds of jobs coming in.

But the the context is when it's fully built out, you know, year six, the assessed value is only five hundred and fifty-eight, five hundred and forty dollars.

So year the year one assessed value would be two seventy-nine, two seventy, then three thirty-five, one twenty-four, four forty-six, eight thirty-two, and there's a typo there because it's duplicate, and then five hundred around five hundred thousand all the way to the end point of five fifty-eight, five forty.

So I'm trying to think it's it's probably four thousand a year for the first year for those twenty-two jobs, and then thirty-five hundred, twenty-five, like it the actual tax revenue when we're weighing the cost benefit.

In the context, it seems like it scales appropriately.

We're talking about a building that will be assessed at over just over half a million dollars for 22 jobs over over five over those five years that those 22 jobs start immediately.

So it it feels like the public benefit weighs out.

I I would say if this was a hundred million dollar building and we were getting 22 jobs out of it, it probably wouldn't pass the the smelt test.

Right.

It wouldn't the context when it makes sense.

But for it doesn't a building that's that's relatively going to be the what is now the average property value in Sailone getting 22 jobs out of it for five-year phased in.

Maybe the program needs more refinement, but I think that you know, at the scale seems like a public benefit to me.

Anything further?

I agree.

I I will you know one of the things I will say is well, I'll make two more points, don't mind.

Okay.

One is the you know, this is definitely commercial use.

There's no there's no doubt about this building being a commercial use.

And uh the other the other thing that you know concerns me here is um it goes to the point that we need to take a look at this and redo this.

However, we have we have to deal with the applicant that we have in front of us now.

So it we have to treat that person as fair as possible also.

So if we have to treat that person as fair as possible, also and we have to deal with the way the program is written now.

So I mean, I I I guess what I'm saying is if we if we go ahead and deny this, you know, it may not look very nice on us.

We come up with a program to say, hey, let's we want you to do this to entice business people to do this, and then the first applicant that comes up and meets the requirement, we slap them across the face and say no.

Uh you know, so I I even though I feel the same as I did in the last petition, I almost feel I'm forced to go ahead and bite the bullet on this and say yes to this one.

Anything further?

I need a motion.

Mr.

Sweeney, Mr.

Chair, at this time I move that the town council approves the request for a tax exemption as the buildings are located within a qualifying area or qualifying uses, and the applicant has demonstrated that it satisfies two public benefit criteria in accordance with section 8.1 of the commercial and industrial tax exemption program as noted in the staff memorandum dated March 30th, 2026.

Second motion been made and seconded by Mr.

Pelletia.

Any further discussion?

Not seeing any.

All those in favor.

That's nine-zero.

Thank you.

Yeah, thank you.

Ms.

Chairman for your time.

Mr.

Sweeney.

Um just to say, obviously, I brought forward the program two years ago.

This is the first time we used it.

I'd love to work with you guys to look at state laws to what the program allows for us to do, and maybe we we make a revision going forward before you know other applicants come in.

I think that's and I'm happy to help with that, Joe, because I think you've raised the number of things that can be factored in.

Jeff raised the number of things that I think can be factored in.

And I think the more detail you can put into the prongs, the better.

I understand why the last catch all is there, and that's important.

But it it makes it really difficult because my mind, and I think Kathy probably as well, given our training application.

I always defer to what is going to end us up in court, and if we do end up in court, how are we going to fare?

And what puts us in the best position to be successful should it come to that.

And I think Jeff, to your point, maybe to hopefully make you feel a little bit better about your votes.

I think if we were to challenge, if the first one were to be challenged, I think it would be in a good place because the argument's a little bit attenuated.

The second one, I think the petitioner uh would have had a much stronger case in that instance.

So I think we landed from a legal perspective in the right place, but I do think there's an opportunity for update.

And Joe, that's no reflection on you.

You take took a stab at something for the first time, and as real life and different things come forward, you account for that and you adjust.

As we've seen with the chatter, yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

And hopefully we've finally settled that down.

That's all I don't think so.

Okay, so uh I'm gonna close that meeting.

Love it.

All right, Mr.

Devine, we're moving to the 2026 resident survey.

Yep.

So if you remember back in February, um, we conducted a residence survey that we sent out um via social media, town website, things like that.

To try to get understanding how residents feel about priorities and how we're moving forward, and if we're moving in the right direction, if we need to pivot and look at other things, um, you know, surveys are tough, you never know what kind of response you're gonna get.

Uh we did get 316 responses, which if we look at some of the um previous ones that the town has sent out for let's say open space and things like that, we actually did pretty well at 316.

Um, it's still a very small snapshot of essentially 33,000 people that live in town though.

Um, but if hopefully it can give us at least some sort of gauge on how to look at things.

So I'm just gonna walk you through some of these results.

Um, just so you can kind of get an idea of how we came back and our thoughts on it.

So the first one we asked people is what is do they think is the biggest challenge facing Salem?

And overwhelmingly, obviously, taxes was the number one at 45 percent.

Um making up almost half of the responses.

Safety it's also to note infrastructure was very um important, financial management.

Um, so it's all just all about the tax rate itself.

I think it's more about how residents perceive that we're managing their assets and maintaining the budget as a whole.

Um, traffic does show up as well as a major as a concern.

Um, but overall, I think it tells us that affordability and the financial stewardship of the town is on the forefront of what we're trying to do, which is important.

So, slide four is how would you describe your overall opinion of Salem town government?

Um I'm I'm happy to say that people seem relatively positive.

60% indicated they're either satisfied or very satisfied.

I'm giving us all confidence in town is operating.

At the same time, about a quarter respondents fell into the neutral category.

That's important because it tells us there's a group of residents that don't have any strong concerns either way, so that it's not positive or negative.

They're just a status quo, and I think that's important to reflect upon.

I could list the names.

Um, what do you like most about the town of Salem was the next question?

Obviously, the overwhelming response was a convenient location that people seem to really enjoy about Salem.

Um if we look further on, is the quality of public safety services is number two, and then quality of life is number three, which I think is very important.

Um ranking very low was cost of living, which when we look at the tax numbers that people have already referenced, we can understand why they think the cost of living is is high.

Um, and then surprisingly, they don't really aren't concerned with community events, cultural events that did not rank very high in what they like about Salem and being able to do, which we thought was interesting.

So I think the next town, if the town were to face a budget shortfall, we asked them to rank in options to help us how they feel we should close the gap.

Um, one is most supportive, and then five would be least supportive.

Obviously, there's a strong preference in growing our tax base rather than increasing taxes and reducing services.

Um I think you know, when we when we to reference what we were just talking about with RSA 7281, that's exactly what we're trying to do is grow that tax base so that we do have that.

Umother supported by wide margins, again, attracting those sorry.

Um contrast, increasing property taxes, oming a least supported option, which again we're not surprised with.

Um ranking last by a significant margin.

Um also we we threw out there the regionalization of services just to kind of see what people would think if we were to go to another community and talk about you know combining staff, combining things like that, and surprisingly, that ranked as a low choice as well.

Um we we thought it might be an interesting option for some positions to be able to to regionalize or even talk to the school district about to say is there positions that we both could benefit from as opposed to having two of the same people on staff.

Um so it was just kind of a question we thought we'd throw out there just to kind of get an idea from the residents.

So on this one, it is busy, a lot of colors, but um, we asked them to rank the importance of the following service.

One being the most important, ten being the the least important.

And so obviously, number one was public safety, um, overwhelmingly is the top priority.

Rodent infrastructures and public schools also ranked very highly.

Um, reimporting the um importance of these foundational services, I would say.

Uh lower priority areas include communication with red residents, again, that community events and programming, suggesting that while valued, they don't see the essential essentials compared to public safety.

But it does it does suggest that the residents have a high importance on safety, infrastructure, and essential services, along with quality of life services following behind that.

So again, this is how satisfied with you are the following.

So we went through and ranked different things within the town, um, things like parks and rec maintenance of town infrastructure, sense of community, overall quality of life, things like that.

Uh so the overall satisfaction trends positive across most services with somewhat satisfied, consistently representing the largest share responses, which I think is great.

Um 87% of these people rank quality of life as they're very satisfied or somewhat satisfied.

So people are happy in Salem, which I think is important to really look at.

I think if you look at the lowest satisfaction, um traffic flow and congestion seems to be the lowest, with 31% very um satisfied and 21.

I'm sorry, 31% very dissatisfied and 20% somewhat dissatisfied.

Clearly, they have um issues with our congestion and traffic.

I'm sure a lot of that relates to Route 28, um, which ranked very low.

So, what is currently missing from the town of Salem that if present you think we'd improve the quality of life for residents?

So, again, I think overwhelmingly again, people talked about sidewalks and pedestrian infrastructure at 30 percent as a top priority to enhance the quality of life, and this is followed additional with recreational opportunities at 20 percent and community and senior center enhancements at 18 percent, indicating a strong desire for both connectivity and community enhancements.

A small portion ranked housing options as as a 13% with a relatively few identifying as dining and retail as a necessity.

So, again, we're looking at walkability, re recreation, community spaces is something that the town feels we're missing at this point.

Okay.

So again, please rank the importance of the following capital projects and needs, one being most important and six being uh least important.

Again, overwhelmingly prioritize public safety facility improvements as their top choice of 44%, as well as other options, road and infrastructure improvements, sidewalks, and complete streets also ranked very highly.

Uh parks, trails, recreation fell into what we would consider the middle middle tier.

And then um technology upgrades and public fleet upgrades are ranked the lowest.

Interesting.

Uh so this question was how do you usually get information from the town of town of Salem?

Um again, essentially a lot of it is coming through social media, emails, the internet is where most people do get their information.

If you look at public meetings at word of mouth, only make up 19 percent.

So everything else is coming from some sort of web-based platform.

How do people prefer to get it?

Again, overwhelmingly it's coming into social media, email updates, social um, and then the town website and even the town hall times as where people would like to get their information from.

Um in the last to 12 months, have you contacted um the town for information?

58% of the respondents said they had not, with 42 percent saying they had reached out to us for something.

For the people who did reach out, we wanted to know how satisfied they were with their interaction with the town.

Um and again, overwhelmingly, people were either very satisfied or somewhat satisfied, which is is great to see.

Umly 13 percent combined with uh somewhat and very dissatisfied actually had that, and eight percent had a neutral um interaction.

Eighty-three percent would recommend Salem as a place to live, which I think is great.

And then this is just my closing slide.

So we kind of took all the words to kind of get an idea of what people flagged through all the others and things like that.

And I think what it really shows is it's we have a lot of it's not what I would call individual issues.

I think they're telling us about the direction of the town, they want affordability, particularly around property taxes, um, is definitely the dominant concern.

Seniors, long-term uh residents, traffic condition congestion all have clear priorities.

We're all seeing mixed perspectives on growth and development.

Some residents value that economic activity, while others are concerned about the pace of growth and the impact that it has on infrastructure and town characters definitely came up alongside with a consistent call for improved walkability, better pedestrian infrastructure, and community and green spaces.

At the same time, it's clear that people do care um care deeply about Salem.

They want us to succeed, but there's different views on how we're going to get there.

Um, there's an expectation that we have to manage growth thoughtfully, communicate clearly, and make these decisions so the residents can feel in their day-to-day lives.

Overall, this does give us a clear picture of what we're trying to do as a community and how we're moving forward.

This isn't just information to present, it's something that's gonna hopefully help guide us so that we can make these decisions moving forward.

Um, if we do this again in 2027, I hope we get more than 316 respondents.

I think it'd be great to see where we rank a year later.

And we do plan on doing that.

Um, I'd be happy to answer any questions that the council has on this.

Questions, Mr.

Bencourt.

So just a popourie of quick things here.

First of all, I do think we should do this next year.

In fact, I think we should do it annually.

I think whether it's 300 people, 3,000 people, whatever, I think there's always good information that you can get from these types of surveys.

I'm not quite so sure about the word cloud.

Um, change one thing about Salem people is on there.

I mean I know some particular people that I would change.

I don't know about in general.

Not the ones that didn't vote for you.

Right.

Um but I think that as you look at the questions, potentially making some adjustments to the questions to get more specific feedback would be helpful.

You know, one of the things that came back was taxes and then finances.

Well, those two things are really interconnected.

Sure.

So I assume and assumptions are always dangerous that that a whole bunch of people are concerned about the tax rate.

Okay, I get that.

I'd probably be one of those people.

But then when you're talking about finances, okay.

So are they concerned about how we're spending money?

Okay, if that's the concern, then maybe uh a follow-up question.

So what specifically do you think that we're putting too much of an emphasis on and not enough of an emphasis on in another another area?

Um in terms of community events, that was probably the saddest result for me.

Right.

I mean, all of the nonprofits and the other organizations in the town, I think do a darn good job of putting on events, nice community events, big ones, small ones, everything in between.

And I don't know how to better promote them from than from what I've seen.

And so, you know, it would be nice, I know, to have uh a local newspaper back again, but I don't see that happening because the finances of it just don't work.

But that one was sad, and I know the organizations do a really uh they work really hard to try to promote their events.

So that one was a little bit sad.

Um you know, you had asked a question, it was a good question.

You know, were you satisfied with your interaction with the town versus not?

That was a good question, but again, maybe a follow-up.

So if you were unsatisfied, what was the reason for your dissatisfaction?

Was it because you went to do something at town hall and the line was long?

Well, that's a matter of chance and circumstance.

There's not a whole lot you can do about that unless you want to hire a whole bunch more people, but then you get back into the tax problem because you got to pay those people.

So it kind of puts some of the reason for why people said they were unsatisfied with their interaction into some useful perspective for for us on that.

Um then when we were talking about a partnering up or the streamlining services, uh, people didn't seem too hot with regionalization.

You know, maybe there's an opportunity to put some specific communities in there to say, you know, if we came up with a great plan to partner with Derry or Wyndham or another community that's that's right here next to us, that may get a different result than you know something you're gonna try to put forward with Boston with all of the implications that come with that.

Um so maybe you can just get a little bit more specificity as we go on in the future and maybe refine and tweak some of the questions to get a little bit more specific and detailed information back.

Anyone else?

Very good.

That covered everything for everybody, Mr.

Pellet.

I'd like to add one thing.

Um the way I feel, my personal feeling, is always to try to increase revenue in the town.

Uh no matter what it is with guidelines.

Uh, because of the uh tax bases are so demanding, and by increasing revenue, increasing businesses and and looking for more businesses to come into salem, that will number one maybe the decrease our desk deficit in a tax base, and also maybe trying.

I may be pulley straws here, trying someday to either reduce or eliminate property tax for the elderly.

Now, I don't know how strong that can get I can get with that, uh, but it's it is a possibility in in the future.

Uh because of the elderly living on fixed incomes, it's very hard for them to live in a town that taxes are always increasing.

So, and I feel for those people.

And so I I can't emphasize enough.

I mean, it depends on we I hear complaints all the time.

Well, the traffic is gonna increase.

Uh we don't have enough space on Route 28 in Broadway.

Uh we don't have enough room here and there.

Um it's where you choose to live, I think, is one factor.

I mean, when I when I bought my house personally, I knew that I was gonna hear Romano's dumpsters being emptied at four o'clock in the morning.

I have to live with that.

It's something I have to live with.

Um, because I choose to live in the rural area of the the downtown area.

Um it doesn't affect all of sale.

Uh the people that live up in the North Salem area uh very uh uh lightly impact on increasing revenue, increasing businesses and all that, and they benefit from that.

Uh so that the fact that uh what I'm trying to say is try to always increase, always in always increase the revenue of our town to try to keep always, and we do a fine job at it, is keeping our keeping our taxes uh at a at a very level area uh level pace that we can to the point where to the point where we uh try to eliminate some of the uh factors for like I say for the elderly and for the disabled to stay in sale until live in sale.

Thank you, Ms.

Withrow.

Because so many of the concerns were taxes.

You have a dollar bill graph.

Sure.

I would actually like to see that in maybe a pie graph too.

Maybe we bounce back and forth.

But I think the people of this town really need to see where the money is going when their tax bill comes in, how much of it we get the bulk of the complaints, right?

And I think we're doing a pretty good job.

I mean, could we be better?

Sure.

But I think they need to see how much is the town is doing and how much they're taking out of their tax dollars.

So if we could maybe advertise that more, I would appreciate that.

Down that avenue, there is a piece of legislation that's up at the Statehouse with regards to the requirement that when you send out the tax bills, that exactly they have to include that information.

I love that.

On the tax bills to show exactly what's going where.

So just a little great little FYI.

Thank you.

Anyone else?

Mr.

Devine, we're moving on to authenticate.

So we spoke about charter amendments a couple minutes ago about how we're done with them.

Um something the county council has to do is authenticate the 2026 charter amendments, just essentially saying that they have been added to the charter.

So that's what we are bringing before you tonight for that.

Mr.

Sweeney.

Mr.

Chairman, at this time I move that the town council votes to authenticate the charter amendments as authorized on March 10th, 2026.

Further noting that Charter Amendment number two, Article 3 failed at the ballot and further to authorize the town council chair to sign the authentication statement dated April 6th, 2026.

Second.

Motion been made in second of all those in favor.

Nine and zero.

I guess I'll sign it.

Okay.

And last but certainly not least, we're getting down to the time managers report and questions from the council.

We are so I'll go right through the time management report nice and quick for you tonight.

Um just a quick update so people are aware.

Something we've done is we used to use e-code 360 for purposes of putting all of our codes online.

This is a service we had to pay for that we could only do so many updates a year, or we'd be charged extra money.

We've decided to bring that in-house and do it on our own website as instead of using e-code.

Um so it is now live.

So just give a quick snapshot of it.

But again, it's it's the same idea.

You would go through, pick the code you want to go to, and they'll send you a link and you'd be able to read it, search it, do anything you'll be able to do on the e-code.

Um the nice thing is we're able to maintain it faster.

We only used to do this once a year, so a lot of times with zoning updates and things like that, it may not catch up until the following year.

We're able to do this live as soon as it's passed, which is nice.

So this is something we've rolled out.

It obviously is a cost reduction as well, which we always like to see because we're not paying for service and having a contract to do it for us.

Um 2025 equalization ratio.

Just wanted to put this out there.

We did get our median ratio, it's 70.5%.

What that essentially means is that all of our properties are assessed at 70% less than the market value.

So if you have market value of 100%, you can that assessed value is often 70%, which is why we're doing a reval this year.

DRA says anything below 80% is not considered to be up to date, and you need to update.

And the equalization ratio is 67.8.

That is what they use when they calculate the total equalized valuation to include state education tax and things like that.

Just a reminder to people, we are doing hydro flushing, as it happens every Tuesday starting at 11 p.m.

So it starts this week.

So if you do see discolorization in your water, that is the purpose.

Just run your pipes a little bit and you'll clear it out.

I just wanted to make you aware.

We've had some people ask about a rabies clinic.

This is something that the Lions Club used to hope uh host in conjunction with the town.

Um, the town's role was the town clerk used to be open and take the registrations if you're registering your dog.

The Lions Club did not want to do it this year.

So we do not have a rabies clinic.

You can go online and search rabies clinics in Salem, and there are several at PECCO, Pet Smart, places like that that you can get your rabies uh shots done for your animals.

Um we are looking at opportunities to maybe partner with somebody else next year to bring it back, um, but we just don't have the time to be able to do it.

We're already in April at this point.

Um so just want to make people aware of that.

So while we're speaking of that, dog licenses are still coming up.

Uh April 30th is the deadline.

So if you have not done your register your dog, please make sure you get it done.

Um as we're going through, um, if you haven't seen it, we're gonna start to get blue bags on the side of the road.

We're finding a lot of illegal dumping around town, uh, mattresses, tires, just trash.

Please bring it to the transfer station.

The transfer station is open.

Um I I know that we do charge for some of these items, but just leaving them on the side of the road still costs you money, it's still costing us money to pick it up, it's costing us money to dispose of it, so it does still hit the tax rates.

So please dispose of items properly.

And as we speak to that, Salem litter free is going on.

Those are the blue bags.

Um, if people are interested in donating their time to help pick up, feel free.

You can reach out to municipal services.

They have the blue bags available for pickup.

Uh you can reach out to Lisa Perry and she'll be happy to help you out.

She'll give you areas of town where we're looking for volunteers to do as well if you don't have nowhere to go.

And that is um, I have two quick things I wanted to bring up that I didn't put on a slide.

Uh first, just so the public is aware, we did um get our SP triple A bond rating back again.

So we did confirm ourselves again as another triple A bond rating for 2026, uh, which is great.

Um that lets us basically get favorable borrowing rates as we're moving forward, and that's an important to have.

I just shows good financial management for the by the town, and I think it's really important to um put out there.

And one of the things that have come up a couple times is um Tuscan Village has made a public safety um contribution.

They've they've made a statement that they're gonna be giving us three million dollars.

Um, I just want the public to be aware that at the end of 2026 uh we will be getting our second million dollars of that, and then at the end of 2027, they've committed to giving us the third million dollar installment.

So I just wanted the public to be aware of that as well.

Yeah, it's two million.

We got one on we got one million, correct.

Three million total, we got one million, and we'll held a million and twenty-six in a few.

Mr.

Sweeney.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

On the e-code.

Yeah.

Awesome.

That's great.

Will e-code be deleting what's there for us right now, or is it gonna have old data out there?

E-code will be deleting their their their process.

Or so people will search it.

It will no longer be there.

Great.

Miss Stacey.

A couple of things.

Um, so I just want to make sure people are aware about the Armenian flag raising this Saturday.

Yes.

It's uh at the town hall.

Correct.

At 10 10 a.m.

10 a.m.

at town hall is the Armenian flag raising.

It'll be flown for the next week at town hall.

Okay.

And the this other thing is 10 a.m.

10 a.m.

10 a.m.

The other thing is I um was no I got a phone call from the sheriff and his wife, and they had a little bit of an idea with regards to everybody's complaining about the bridge on Bridge Street.

Right, yeah.

And they said, hey, maybe you should guys should maybe think about doing a lottery with everybody who lives in that general area, if they want to put their name in a hat and maybe draw a name and they can be the first vehicle to drive over the bridge.

So I you know, I just gonna throw it out there to the council because I thought it was kind of a kind of a nifty idea.

So just you know, for you guys to think about.

Yep, that'd be great.

Can I jump off of that?

Go ahead.

I think you do it where you get people's email addresses for the town hall times.

Sure.

To enter the raffle, and then somebody gets it, and then we get more people signed up for town emails.

I think that's a good idea.

That's all.

Mr.

Hatch.

A couple of things, Mr.

Chairman.

First of all, on my list is the dog license.

I just want to remind people that if you're late and you go to the town clerk's office and they say, Oh, you're late, you have to pay this drop as you know, this huge fee.

It's not the town that's giving you that huge fee.

That is the Department of Agriculture of the State, and that's where all that money goes.

Because I sat behind a lady last year, and um she was actually in the hospital and couldn't do nobody did her pet for her.

And the money was in the hundreds.

Oh, come on.

Yikes.

And the town clerk's hands are tied.

So we couldn't wave it or nothing, and they so it was a big fight with the State Department of Agriculture because that's where all that money goes.

So please don't be late, because the state gets enough of your money, trust me.

Uh I want to talk about the illegal dumping.

Are we noticing that happening on particular roads?

Town for a road.

Yeah.

I I it it's it's uh a theme I think we're seeing across town, and I just wanted to address it to make sure that people are aware that we should not be just because police are are we asking the police to take notice of it is with them because some of it I'm gonna bet is not New Hampshire.

New Salem residents because Methoon and the surrounding towns charge for mattresses and you know and just take the bulky permit.

So maybe if we notice it's in a particular area, we go buy a $60 game camera and have police department put it out there.

Yep.

Um I just want to remind you that it goes with a POW flag is now, and the POW flag goes over and goes underneath the United States flag.

Yeah, so they're in the right order.

Yep.

Thank you, Mr.

Hatch.

Mr.

Betton go up briefly.

Yes, thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

So with regard to the bond rate, did it cite what the biggest reason or the biggest reasons were for that upgrade?

It's great news.

Yep.

It'd be great to know what these agencies are looking at specifically.

I mean, we generally know what is more favorable than not, but for this particular upgrade, did they cite anything?

The the major they said that the town has strong financial management, they revealed um strong reserve levels, a stable tax base, and overall fiscal conditions.

We have a I feel like we have that most of the time.

So all right.

Not your fault.

Sometimes it's a bit opaque.

Yep.

Um the bridge street idea was a good idea, so you know it came from the sheriff's wife.

That's exactly uh but what is the update on that, Ms.

John Manager?

Are we on schedule with that project?

We are.

I'm being told we're still on schedule.

They were pushed behind by about a week um due to high water.

Um as the snow melt was occurring.

We had some rain, if you remember, there was gushing of water, and they weren't it wasn't safe.

Um, but they have made up the time, is my understanding, and they have not pushed back.

Uh there's been no change orders that I've seen come through my desk that have said that it's gonna be taking any longer at this point.

Okay.

The other thought I have is with respect to the charter amendments.

Uh I know sometimes people approach us with issues and they think the charter needs to be adjusted this way or that, but I know a lot of that comes to you, Joe.

Yep.

It would really be great for one year to have a breather on the charter amendments.

Unless it is something that must be done or else something is going to break, explode, not work at all.

You know, then I think we look at it, of course.

But for the window dressing stuff, the cleanup stuff, it'd be great to have a breather from that.

One of the things that Joe and Bonnie and I heard as part of being on the charter commission was skinnying down the ballot, not having as many items on the ballot.

You don't want to be handed a four-page ballot.

So if we can cut back on a little of that and just say, look, is this something that's absolutely critical?

You know, again, if so, then let's take a look at it.

But otherwise, I think everybody needs a little bit of a break.

To answer that, as of right now, I have I don't I'm not aware of any charter changes that are coming forward this year.

So I can't speak to any that have we pushed off and waited on.

So as of right now, I would say we have none.

But obviously it it's only April.

Now my last thing, both related to pets for a rabies clinic, uh the sale minimal rescue league, I know used to do them.

Yeah.

I don't know if they're still doing them, but if you approach them about partnering, they may very well be interested and have the ability to do that.

And then on the dog license thing, that really bothers me, Jeff.

I'm gonna talk to the commissioner of agriculture and say, do your statutes really not provide you with any leeway for your story.

Yeah, I mean that's not right.

Individuals who are in the hospital or away from home dealing with a medical condition or something else very serious.

I mean, to get whacked with a huge bill like that when it's something that's out of your control, that's really unfair.

It was it was brutal.

Yeah, that's really unfair.

So let me I'll I'll if you don't mind, I'll take it upon myself and have a conversation and see what relief there might be for people in that situation.

So thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Mr.

Strmalia, you're up.

Thank you.

Um I just want uh last week's conservation committee, we had uh I mean we had a lot of complaints dog waste at the town forest.

It's the highest we've seen in a long time.

I mean, we're talking hundreds of bags.

I just want people to know that when you go to the town of forest or any town parks, uh dogs have got to be on a leash.

And you gotta pick up your dog's waste immediately.

If not, you can be fined up to a thousand dollars.

I looked it up today.

Um discuss that if it doesn't get fixed soon, we actually might ban dogs from the town forest.

Because it it's so bad that when you walk as soon as you go over the bridge, there was a pile of dog waste and people are just stepping in it and that's wrong.

It's it's disgusting and it's illegal.

So if you bring your dogs to the town of us or any town park or any good, period, uh you gotta pick up your dog waste immediately and take it with you.

We tried to put a barrel there and people go into the town of palace and putting the trash in the barrel.

Great.

So we took that barrel away.

So I just want people to know that.

All right.

One of the things that we want to try to get on to also is uh committees and reports from committees.

Sure.

Like the transfer station and those kind of things.

We'd like to get updates from people who are discussing those kind of issues on a uh regular basis.

Maybe you know they could do it every six months, so they do twice a year, somebody else does it twice a year.

The building committee for the uh police station is going really well.

The police station is going really well.

It's uh water tight and they're inside and they're warm and they're cozy.

Nice and it looks uh like it's still uh under budget.

So under budget's always a good place to be.

Um one of the things that was asked of me this week, just last thing I think.

Um planning board stuff.

There people are noticing that like uh the Christmas tree shop has a hole in it.

Looks like somebody's building something.

Do we know what that is?

Um just like an update.

You where would they find them if they wanted to find them?

So the the planning board, if you go on the town website, they do have all plans, every agenda is posted.

So anything, any major projects, projects occurring.

But you have to look it up under individual agendas.

They would, yeah.

Yeah.

That's where the problem exists.

You have to go through 15 agendas to find out like where the garage was.

Yeah, okay.

Okay, all right.

Well, I'll let them know.

I mean, I I would recommend it they have started doing they do um planning board updates as well after the meetings.

Jacob usually is out at one of the sites.

Um I know like the most recent one he was at where the new pickleball place is looking to come in.

So he actually televised right from there and gave an update at that planning board meeting and just kind of talked about what occurred.

Um so I'd recommend people look for things like that.

I can work with um Colleen and Jacob to see if there's another way or a better way we could try to get information out there for people to place simple where they can find it.

Ms.

Wright.

Maybe just an index of what the project is or where it is and how to find it.

Sure.

I don't know the name of the project.

Mr.

Hatch.

I'd say just my suggestion would be just like what we do with they do at the Tuscan village.

Tuscan village has its own icon.

Yep.

List the plaza name down there in anything going on in the plaza.

Sure.

I mean, they're not worried about usually what's going on in the neighborhood so much.

It's those big those big that's what I would do.

Okay.

Anything further?

Anybody?

Motion.

Motion to adjourn.

Motion to adjourn by Ms.

Withrow, seconded by Miss Wright.

All those in favor.

Thank you, Salem, for joining us this evening, and we look forward to seeing you at our next meeting on the 20th.

Good evening.

Thanks again.