on this chilly night.  And again I'll ask can everyone here? Okay? Great. Full dive for it. And I hope everyone has a copy of the warning, the agenda. If you need one they are at the door. But Vermont Wild Riders are asked to give a brief overview of the rules that we'll be working with today so I'm going to give you eight reminders and it'll only take a few minutes but it'll get us all on the same page. Number one we're going to be using Robert's rules of order. We adopted these at the last meeting. Robert's rules are the basic parliamentary rules for this meeting except where Vermont law takes precedence. And we can't change state law at this meeting, we all know that, but we can change Robert's rules with a two-thirds vote if you desire. Number two, if you would like to speak, just raise your hand and when you're recognized by the moderator, one or two microphone runners will bring you the microphone. So where are our microphone runners? We have, I'll read it. So we have Ginger and where's me? Okay. Me, and Ginger, who are actually, they are actually on the cross country team. So we're talking microphone runners, okay? We have a stationary microphone like we did last time. So if you want to speak, raise your hand and one of the closest runners will come to you when you've been called on by the moderator. So there's no need to line up. If you, by the way, feel that you've had your hand up for a long time and you aren't being recognized, I really hope that doesn't happen, but if it does, feel free to wave because the lighting is better this time but it's not super easy to see it or be important. So feel free to make yourself known. When you are called on and do get the microphone, please stand up and please state your name and your town. We all want to know who's speaking and it's also really important for the minutes. So please remember to do that. Another key element on Robert's rules requires that all the motions and remarks of this session that we have are addressed to the moderator. So even if you have a question, address it to the moderator and the moderator can see it through somebody who wants to answer it. This helps us ensure that we focus on the issues and not the personalities. The moderator will try to ensure that everyone who wants to speak gets a chance before anyone is called on a second tonight on the same issue. Number three, you have to be a voter in one of the five towns in order to speak or vote on an article. You have to be a registered voter in a very public house. He's not clear in the middle section of Worcester. The exception is if the group votes to suspend the rules, for example, to allow a student or an employee to speak. At this time, can I just see a show of hands of anyone who is not a registered voter in these five towns? Great. Thank you. Thank you. You're all very welcome here. We just want to remind you, please don't vote. Let's see here. Number four, do feel free to ask questions. Just raise your hand if you don't understand what's happening. You can always ask a point of information if you want to make sure you're voting on the right thing. If you want to make a suggestion or a motion, you don't have to be a parliamentary expert. You can just raise your hand and say, here's what I want to do. How should I do that? And the moderator's job is to make sure that everyone gets to make their point and to help them take the action that they see. Number five, this is your meeting. The role of the moderator is to help you accomplish the business that you intend to do. So if you feel that the moderator has made an improper ruling or made a mistake, raise your hand. Robert Tools allows for the group to cope with what's called a keel the moderator's decision. It's a simple process to ensure that the moderator serves the interests of the group. No. I think, personally, one of our feelings is to feel free to do that. Number six, we can only address more articles. It's against state law to consider articles that haven't been born on the agenda. So what you see on the agenda is what we get in terms of taking by the action. Number seven, you can end debate by what's called a polling question. If a voter feels that deliberation has gone on long enough, a voter can move to come up to debate by raising their hand, being recognized, and saying, I call the question or I want to end debate. And two-thirds of the group must then vote. Yes, I'm calling the question in order to cease debate. Otherwise, we just keep on talking. In most cases, calling the question isn't necessary. The moderator will call for a vote when he or she feels that all points that you have been heard are no longer answered. And if we do it this way, it avoids having to vote upon calling the question. So it's actually safe. And finally, number eight, Robert Tools offers different ways that he can vote to the polling or referendum base. Once the moderator feels that all the points that you have been heard, who or she will call for a vote, usually by voice. So if you're in favor of the motion, say I, propose to say no or nay. The two other forms of voting that you might see at this meeting, a show of hands for a standing vote. This is also called division of the House. That's the fancy term for it. You can always request a division of the show of hands for a standing vote. Especially if you disagree with the moderator after the result of a voice vote. And finally, a paper ballot or a secret ballot. This is an important option to know about if you feel that privacy of a vote is important. Any voter can move that a vote be taken by a paper ballot. And if seven votes support the motion, then pieces of paper will be distributed, and you will write your vote on it and pass it in. If we do have that, you'll be able to return to your point of origin, your entire clerk table, where you checked in to begin with and they will give you your ballot. And asking for one of those, as I mentioned, just takes seven voters to support that motion. And the election of the system can be done. It is a motion. Okay. So at this point, I want to do a welcome. In my time at Middlesex, we have a tradition of beginning our term meeting with a civil invocation as a welcome. This invocation originated many years ago. Daniel actually handled the law. And it's now used in many term meetings across the law. In Middlesex, it's usually read by a new voter or someone who is about to be a new voter, usually a younger person. So tonight, I invited Ginger Knight to read our invocation. Ginger is a U32 junior for me, so I'm clear. She's not new to me yet. But unless there's rejection, Ginger will welcome us. Ginger's active in a lot of U32 activities, including the school's diversity organization and the Seeking Social Justice Club. She's also an athlete, as I mentioned. She plays tennis in spring. She does cross-country running in the fall. She just wrapped up the cross-country skiing season. This winter, by the way, both the U32 boys' and girls' teams were still changed this year. So thank you, Ginger. Good evening. Welcome to this five-town school district special meeting. We have come together in civil assembling in a different product tradition that is older than our state itself. We come together to make important decisions. As we deliver it, let us advocate for our positions, but not at the expense of others. Let us remember that there's an immense gap between saying, I am right, and saying I believe I am right. And that our neighbors between we disagree are good people and hopes and dreams as true and as high as ours. And let us always remember that in the end, caring for each other in our communities put together is of far greater importance than any difference we may have. Welcome. We are now going to start with Article 1 to alert the following officers of the district from among the qualified leaders of the district, which officers shall assume office upon election and serve for a term of one year or until their successors are elected and qualified. And we will start with moderator. This is a position that I am not seeking. Is there a nomination? My name is Vera Frazier from the town of Berlin, and I'm going to nominate Gus Seelen. Vera Frazier from Berlin nominates Gus Seelen. Vera Frazier from Berlin nominates Gus Seelen. Are there other nominations? Yes. I'd like to nominate Paul Hamlin. Can you see your name? Sorry. Bus driver from Berlin nominates Paul Hamlin. Paul Hamlin. Respectfully declined. The nomination is like California College. No, she didn't. Any other nominations? We don't get a second. This is a second. Okay. So let's see. We're moving to cast point ballot. And so that means we don't need to vote, right? We haven't done this before, so. It actually takes a... I'm just going to go ahead and have it easy. We only have one candidate for a moderator. So I'm going to go ahead and do this. To make it official, all those in favor of Gus Seelen for a moderator, please say aye. Aye. Those go. I just have it. And Gus Seelen is your moderator. You are in good hands. Thank you. Susan, thank you very much. For those of you who don't know me, I live over in East Calis. I've been there since 1977. In terms of community service, I got to know this central among community by serving, I think 11 years on East Montclyer Fire Department. My kids have graduated both from the Calis Elementary School along from Berlin, and both from here. And this particular space on Ponga, because my older daughter learned to do lighting design in this room and that's now her career. I just didn't need to warn you because of the way the lights work and because I'm of an age where my vision is what it once was. Seeing out is not what these lights are designed to do. They're designed to put lights on the stage. So I'm not going to recognize many faces even though there are many of you who I know from this voting. Susan's done a great job of giving you the rules for this meeting. So I'm not going to go over them and make sense to say that as a moderator in Calis, I've made more than one mistake over the years I've done that. Usually it happens when we're going too quickly, but I do want to emphasize if you're confused or you think I've made a mistake, you can ask for a point of order, a point of information, you can certainly ask to overrule the ruling of this moderator if you think I'm in error. So with that as an opening, okay, sorry I'm too close to the microphone. With that as an opening, the next job is to elect a clerk. Do we have any nominations for the office of clerk? Yes. Microphones on its way. I heard you key in town in Calis. I would nominate Mary. I'd speak for clerk. May I nominate the clerk of this hall sign? Can we do both at the same time? I think we can. So Mary's been nominating you for both offices. Are there any other nominations? There's a handle over here. May I nominate the clerk of this hall sign? I can nominate both very much for the clerk. Okay, so we have two nominees. Do we have any other nominees? Okay, so can we do this by division or do we need a ballot for, and the second nominee, I'm sorry, I didn't like to name them. Both very much. Okay. Okay, so both very much is one nominee and Mary knows me as the other and that was also for both offices. That was just for the office of clerk. Okay, so we'll have to have two elections then. So the first one is for the office of clerk. So all those in favor of Rose Mary, please say aye. Aye. And those in favor of Mary, please say aye. Aye. And it appears to me that Mary has more eyes. Yes? Here, are we not supposed to use these? You can certainly divide the house with these if that's your request. No, I think the reason why we're giving them out is that we're supposed to be distinguishing. I can't hear the man. The reason why we're giving them out is to distinguish voters from non-voters. So, I mean, there's a purpose to these. We're all used to our town meetings where we just say aye, nay, that type of thing, but I'm thinking maybe what we should do is be using these. I could be wrong, but I know we're handing these for a reason. Okay, I think what you're doing is requesting a division of the house and you wouldn't have to check in with the town clerk from your town to get one of these cards. So, we will do this as a division. So, those in favor of Mary, please raise your card. Can we go both ways? Both ways. So, Mary wants to be first. And I'm going to try to just do this visually. Put your cards down. And those in favor of Mary... Close marriage. Close marriage. And I believe Mary Ormsby has been elected to the Office of the Clerk. A nomination is now open for the Office of the Treasurer. And Mary was previously, Ormsby was previously nominated for the Office of the Treasurer. Are there any other nominations? Hearing none, all those in favor of collecting Mary Ormsby to also serve as a treasurer, please say aye. Aye. Those opposed? Okay, Mary, thank you for serving. Now, I've had a request from the Executive Committee and the Supervisor Union to take an article forward and next which says to determine whether we'll let members of the Super School, members of the District Board by Australian and out. So, unless there's an objection, I'd like to take this at a word. Are there any objections? I don't like this, Mary. I don't have an objection, but I do want to request adding an item to the agenda, just a non-binding resolution. And I want to make sure I don't miss the opportunity to do that about the time to add to the agenda. I don't want to come back from later. You know, we don't have other businesses so I'm not clear of it again. Add an item, but I'd like to make you tell me what your concern is and sometimes at the end of our time, we have announcements. So, I don't think that would be out of order before we adjourn. So, if you want to tell us what the item is, we can't actually act on anything that was not born. Well, the list of items we're about to go over are items that are prepared for a voluntary merger of soil districts. We all know that we're here tonight under a force merger. And I think it's important that we make a record that nothing that happens tonight should be interpreted in any way that's consenting to first force merger. And I want to word that as a non-binding resolution and word it neutrally. So, wherever you stand on a merger in favor of it or against it, I hope that we all agree that nothing that happens tonight is consent to the force merger. And I'd like to make a non-binding resolution on that. I do think we have authority to do that tonight because the actual state board order that led everyone being here includes in the default articles of agreement an item for any other business to be transacted. So, this board is actually defective under the state board order. And I think in these circumstances it's appropriate to have a non-binding resolution like the one I suggested. Okay, well, I think we need to get through the other business and depending on how long that goes and how many people are still here or whether people have headed off to watch a basketball game, it would certainly be appropriate from my perspective for you to offer those comments when we get through this to the agenda. Yes, sir. Please identify yourself. I'm going to call it a motion for a resolution because if we do not do it at this point and take votes without the understanding that it is not a consent to the merger which is currently a force merger then the votes that would have been taken can be construed as having weighed any attention to the voice to the force merger and consenting to it. I don't think coming at the very end of the votes would have a binding and retroactive effect on the votes that have already been taken. So, I think I would recommend and urge the meeting at all to take on this resolution so that it is clear to what we're doing here. We'll be voting on various things and I don't think we can go back in time at the end of the meeting when even our honorable moderator noted that there's a basketball game tonight that some people may want to leave early more and lose some of our voters. So, as we go through the articles that are on the agenda we should have in mind our tiles of resolution and I would urge us as a group to take it out now before any more substantive votes are taken. So moved. It's on binding. Second. Okay, so let's recognize the person in the middle here to prove that he's one there I object to considering the part that is out of order. Yes, I take it out while I get through the rest of the business. No, but I that's your, let's say, so-to-speak ruling and I'd like to show up the answer to basically the whole. Okay, that's your design process program with respect to your ideas. Oh, sure. Okay, so that's what I'm talking about. Okay, so we've got a second. Okay, so let's move the second into the question that's supposed to be the moderator, which would be to take this up at the end of the meeting. So if you want to take it up now you're going to vote no. And if you want to wait to take this up later if you want to take anything out of order, you'll vote yes.  Okay, yes. We're up for discussion. Hi, I'm the history and I love it. I think what Chris was saying earlier and I just want to say it very clearly now before we take this vote is that the rest of the meeting may go much more smoothly and much faster if we can get this out of the way now on this issue because I think we have a lot of people here tonight like myself and looking around and seeing a lot of others who are strongly opposed to forced furniture. But at the same time we're here and we want to work together cooperatively on these parallel tracks and kind of choose them on that and it's very hard and we're willing to do that. I think this will go really smoothly if we can just make a clear record that nothing that happens tonight is consented in any way to force furniture. I think that I've worded that very mutually. I think we can do that right away. It will make it much easier to go forward. So the question in front of you is to is whether to overrule the ruling of the moderator so you can take this resolution which is not binding up right away. So all of those, is there any further discussion? If not Yes I'm going to clarify that. So if you want to sustain the ruling of the moderator you're going to vote yes. If you want to take this up right away you're going to vote no. And it's Excuse me? It's clear. Say it again. It's good to do this until it's clear. The moderator's ruling was that we should take this up at the end of the meeting. That's been challenged. That's fine. There is a good friend as an argument to make why take it up now. If you want to overrule the ruling of the moderator if you want to sustain the ruling of the moderator that's the proper way to sustain the ruling of the moderator. If you want to get to this right away you're going to vote no and then we'll take it up. So all of those in favor of sustaining the ruling of the moderator say yes? Yes. And those say no. No. And those here to have it and those do have it and I'm now going to recognize the fellow who got us into this to begin with. This is where Nello propels sex and just for the record it was the state that got us into this. Fair enough. So again I moved to have a non-binding resolution that states as follows nothing that happens tonight shall be interpreted as consenting in any way to enforce murder. Do we have a second? There's a second there and John Grey gap. Okay. Further discussion? Are you ready for the question? Was it in favor of the red? Please say the state name. My name is Gloria Smith and for me it's not the other. I just had a part of my question that Gloria was saying part of the question would this in any way make any decision that we take tonight to make our meeting non-legal? You know what I mean? Like would we be putting ourselves in any hardship that we would say later? So having it in the articles agreement that we had right now is not enough. And so taking I think taking the vote and affirming something now we don't want it to be construed as waiving any rights and that we're agreeing to enforce murder voluntarily. So it's a clarification of what we're doing here tonight. Because voting you know I can imagine another entity construing voting yes for these different items as well. You're agreeing to this because you're voting on these different items and we're just making it very clear that we're taking this vote because of what we are in the legal position in the legal processes and because we have to get a point of a budget and issues like that but not that we are consenting involuntarily just going on the record and I don't think it has any impact moving forward or any of the votes that we'll be taking. So is that are we just going to say the teachers and the contracts and our budget and our kids so I just want to make sure that we are all compromising that. Okay we have a hand up right in front of those just speaking and please speak to the moderator not to each other. On our chapter in the middle sex I'm just one point of clarification. I'm wondering this is asking us to say that we're not going along with the force merger. What are the hopes and plans or dreams of this group? What is it that they would like to accomplish that they would like to challenge this in court? The legislature should be down where is this where are they hoping this will go? I can't hear I can't hear So you either have to speak louder anybody over there we got to turn this up we can't hear Okay we have a sound person who can help with that I have to say that you need to hold the mic right here and you have to speak louder to make this sound work so there's part of it is your responsibility to speak clearly and loudly to the mic. Okay we have a floor one last time I have to decide on the response to the what are you going to say? Kyle the historian a lot from middle sex so the four dollar fire towns are in court now challenging the force merger and so we just want to get a decision from the Vermont Supreme Court on whether the force merger is legal or not I think that it's been worth your future but your favor I hope people support this resolution Okay I see a hand up back there Diane Ingalls calling from Berlin and when we talk about what our hope is we all know what the law is saying we all know there are things in court to me what this helps me feel comfortable with is my voice might be heard in this non binding measure here before the court we're all here to do what's best for our kids we want to move through the subject and try to do it but it's painful unless we can at least identify that for many of us this is not where we want to be right now We're ready for the discussion we're ready for the resolution and a hand over here I just have a question on the way this motion is worded it excludes anybody in here that would be possibly for the force merger because it's worded that we're all in motion I have a request to call a question take two thirds to do that all in favor of ending the debate on this non binding resolution please say aye first the ayes here to have it the ayes do have it and the question is called all those in favor of non binding resolution recognizing the nature of why we are here can we hear it again yeah we can hear it one more time yeah we can hear it the motion was that nothing wait for the microphone please the motion was that nothing that happens tonight shall be interpreted as consenting in any way to a force merger all those in favor please say aye aye those opposed the ayes do have it the non binding resolution is adopted okay as I said earlier there has been a request to change the order I asked for consent to do that somebody's objected so if somebody wanted to make a motion to change the order to take two thirds to do that and we have if there's somebody on the executive committee that want to make that motion for we did we wanted to move in number three to determine whether to vote on district budget and all the public questions by Australian ballot to two to help us clarify the dates that you have now for two that's sort of the explanation so my motion is to move to number three to determine whether to vote on district budget and all the public questions by Australian ballot to two that's a second over there to move to second it let's take two thirds is there further discussion yes or quiet information very currency floor are you saying that if we vote on this this list here going forward on the budgets what does it say does it say anything to do with so that's my question no no today this is basically to the same thing that we do right now but we only vote on the budget and board seats is what we vote on this is probably clarification point of order we're talking about the agenda order right now I'm asking for point of information on what she means by this particular one so I can decide how I'm going to vote so basically why we wanted to move it so that we can clarify the date we need that specific date in order to be compliant to vote in a I don't even know the person's motion right now I think as it was explained to me the rationale that somebody came up with for changing the order here was we can't we could have this district meet on town meeting day if we were deciding to vote by Australian ballot and they'll need to find another date for annual meeting and so on if it's not going to be an annual date and so on if it's not going to be by Australian ballot is that correct oh yes that's the second important that you realize that if we try to set the date for town meeting and then somebody decided they wanted to have a floor vote for directors it would really be difficult to be over here 32 having a floor meeting for directors to be back in our own towns for our county so we have asked to change the order of the articles in order to know what the body wants for the budget and all major decisions and for the directors before we actually, as a body set the date for this first annual meeting and before the annual meeting is going forward they're going to have a little story when you initially propose changing the order of articles on this warning you indicated you wanted article 4 to be first and now it seems like we're discussing article 3 so can there be some clarification so I understand that what the executive committee has recommended is now moving to article 3 is that correct yes so I was mistaken actually it would be article 3 and 4 come so if you have 3 and 4 it would be better to propose 3 and 4 first and then go to article 2 the order is set up on the state and I don't think they understand what I mean okay so Laura do you accept that as your motion that now you're proposing to take 3 and 4 and 4 and 2 and John is the seconder to accept that I do so you're on the question of whether or not to change the order of the warning are you ready for the question yes all those who can favor please say aye aye those opposed we're changing the order we're taking up article 3 so would somebody like to move article 3 floor do we have a second okay we're taking up article 3 and it's been moved to determine whether to vote on the district's budget and all other public questions by Australian now so we're open for discussion on that issue clarification is the motion to vote on the district's budget and all other public questions by Australian now that's my understanding yes so we're open for discussion and we'll vote in the middle and then to the first drawing that's over for Cal's I just want to know if we're going to be using yellow cards that won't allow people to communicate by using the voices vote one reason I'm asking is in the earlier point it was made the yellow cards are only given to registered voters it becomes really close I don't know what that I'm not sure exactly how that works but I thought so my approach is that I'm gonna if you go to a voice vote first if you think it's close please say division and then we'll use the yellow cards okay does that work for you sir okay and then we have a hand in the middle to the right I thought the motion that we were voting on was to change the order we did that we did that okay now on that first drawing bring to your feet Cal I'm a little concerned about starting getting closer to where you are I'm more than ever kind of resolved myself to having four votes it's ingenious that it's a division I think Australia just doesn't seem to be more than should be the case I think Australia just doesn't seem to be more than should be the case so there will be a no vote on the vote for us coming if you don't want Australian ballot you should vote now okay we have a hand up in the middle here still required from Wooster I'm absolutely opposed to voting on the budget and public questions by Australian ballot we're going to be a unified district almost coming from several towns it's important for us to get together and discuss what we're voting on I agree with the gentleman that just spoke that Australian ballot voting separates us from the process when we're in a meeting like this we can question the budget we can amend the budget we can hear from the officials what we're voting on this is a process let's keep our actions in an open meeting we have a hand right on the left here thank you Leslie Finch from Calis I'm speaking to the issue of whether this should these decisions on the district budget another item should be helped by the Australian ballot there is nowhere here in our district where we can hold all of our registered voters from all five towns there are a huge number of registered voters in our district who cannot, would not be able to come and participate we I'm sure no one wants to do anything to make it difficult if not impossible for a large number of our community members not to vote on something so critical as these budgets for our schools so we need to do these budget decisions by Australian ballot so everyone in the community has an equal opportunity to vote fell on the middle this is a this is a this is something that I I will say that two years ago three days ago your county said that we should vote on the floor or on the next I spoke actually but it is not feasible to have all five towns I mean, we can hardly conduct ourselves in meeting in this small group. The idea of actually being able to get business done in a group that far over something that has the right amount of strikes began as reasonable. So I would strongly urge all of us to support us during our meetings. They're going all the way over to the right. There's a hand over here. Right here, she was first. She's at her feet. You know, you're just going to have to suffer because I can't see everybody all at once, but I'll get you next, okay? And so, I'm very much in favor of our Stanley ballot for this. Not only do we need more information, we need people to know you as a online and what you should be voting on, but it also allows people to vote and not just people that you're voting, but people that haven't used absentee ballots can still vote this way. And it's a lost, I don't want to lose. We need to vote by as much as we can when it's necessary. Okay, over here, yes? I'm Janice. I'm very concerned about the voting questions. It's very broad and I have no idea what it means. Would you like to divide the question? There's a rule that we can divide this question into two, so we'll first take up the question of voting on the budget by Australian ballot and then we'll get to all other questions. Is there further discussion? Yes, over here. I won't remain very smart, really. I just want to clarify this. If we decide to not take up the budget by Australian ballot is for our only option and willing to fall to that because I think people need to be aware of what it might be because there's somebody else that it might vote you rather than vote you. Any of them have an answer to that? I certainly know. We'll get to the next. Well, I spoke early on this question and I'd just like you to think and recognize that the process we've just experienced is part of the education that we get in an open meeting. I'm very pleased that the moderator is willing to divide this into a question on voting on the budget versus all other public matters. If you need an amendment, I'd be willing to propose that. Otherwise, I'm glad that we've divided the question. Right here. You need to get me closer to the microphone. I can't hear you. Can you tell us what all five towns are currently going now for budget, please? I cannot. You can't have the town of Torps because they're here, they know. Is there somebody who can answer that question and there's a hand on right here? I have a shiny water house from Worcester and you follow the town's vote. Here's what's running about it for the budget except for Worcester, which has voted from the floor for the elementary school budgets. The high school, middle school budget is very, very high in the budget. Okay, and we have a dot nailer in the middle there. There are a few people in this audience who remember the origins of U32 and the first many years. It was a four-hole, in this room, filled with people and we talked about it and it was good. Okay, over here, yes, sir. First, we bear for middle sex. And I would urge us, I would urge us to consider floor levels for our budget. Mr. Clark, if it is from Worcester, made a great point about discussion that we're having tonight. Then, even though Australian ballots probably have more people voting, they would not have more people discussing. And to say that we can't do it because it's too hard, is that the lesson we want to instill in our students and in ourselves, particularly with technology, which would link up at various sites so that if there's a real-time discussion, I don't know if I'll have to be in this room or in this building and still have a meeting all together and have discussions. We are going to be a unified district. We need to get to know each other in what important way in terms of discussing what our budget priorities will be and getting answers to questions which you don't get when you go in and check the box, yes or no. So I would urge us to give us great consideration to this, particularly since the merger our ability to be democratically involved has been shrunk from five different meetings to one. Okay, in the middle now we're gonna go to the right and then back to the left. Now what you're saying to the panelists tonight is a pretty weak argument to not having a big enough space to enforce it into this facility should begin with and the reality is you do not care. I've been through counting things down a lot, like I learned something in every model. I think it's better to sit in the back room. I know everybody can't necessarily make it. But the Australian ballot is okay, we have information in it. If you can't make it tell me that you probably can't make it, you voted off and that is the reality of what it is. I think what we have to make that work for Chris McVeigh is right, I think we've got technologies that might let us do this from all the sites but the decisions made need to be digested. We need to be educated on it. We can't just go ahead and play it to the left. We don't get the kind of information we need to make these decisions. For the lucrative, especially, for the steps to take. I'm Thalia Farah from Los Angeles. I think that voting is one of the most fundamental opportunities in the rights that we have as citizens and to create a situation to understand the spirit of having four meetings but accessibility and opportunity to engage in the democratic process by voting is your voice is, I think, far more important than trying to come together and have this type of discussion that folks are talking about. There are other opportunities to access that information, to ask those questions but I think when it comes down to it for me and I feel that anything that is going to eliminate participation is not a good idea. Thank you for your hand up and here. You were just on there. Having, this is an affordable, just a franchise is huge numbers of people and I think it's better to tell them that four or five towns already do these school budgets but I also think that it's not like this can't work. It's not like the town town is chosen to do it. So, I think we should definitely ask them about it. Okay, we have a handout here. Then we'll come back up. Joanna von Kiele from Middlesex and I would just like to offer that I think this is a false dichotomy. It's not either discussion or vote. You can have a session and it's unfair to say because someone can't make a particular meeting that they won't be able to make any meeting so I would be completely for the side of having as many people as many voters involved as possible. Any questions? You've got to be recognized in order to be able to call the question so we'll see whether somebody wants to do that. Josh, this is your community. This, I don't know the exact numbers but this type of district would be one of the largest but in Washington County it would be an enormous place because it's as large as anything in the town so I think that you really have to go really down and you want to support it but it's being done. But I do think that having this kind of discussion there's a way of having it represented in the town meeting and represented where you're going to be dealing with this. I think the second one that I just said and I'm hearing a great argument on both sides of this discussion and it supports that discussion is good I don't know all of the rule structures that will be setting the tool process up but I wonder if there's a way that we could all come together probably in this room being the biggest one have discussion about the school budget have productive discussion about the school budget and share ideas and in a way with their voices heard so they have the best of the coming rather than just informational meeting and the town or the group needs to in some way then put forth or authorize the budget going forward that later comes out of an Australian ballot that way I'm hearing them again have a voice heard so I'm leaving up to other folks if that idea seems to have any legs to help me with how I do it. Okay there's a hand in the middle so it's Chris diagram from Calis it's a great point sir and I would say that the school will be a great place to do that so the school will be able to put forth the budget that's going on by the town and also I'd like to call a question please Question that's been called takes two thirds all those in favor of having to debate please say aye those who want to continue say nay the ayes have it and we are handling the debate on the first part of this question and that question is to determine whether to vote on the district's budget I think it's improper to have someone speak to an issue and then call a question please keep that in mind you would know better than I but I think allow it given the overwhelming nature of the vote and I'll try to do better in the future thank you so the question is to determine whether to vote on the district's budget by Australian ballot all in favor of the yes sir Carl and Mary's time to hear do we think the question in a way that actually I think makes sense for us to be voting on is not to determine something the question is that we discuss earlier is to vote on the district's budget by Australian ballot you're correct sir thank you so the question is whether to vote on the district's budget by Australian ballot if you're in favor please say aye aye those opposed say aye aye the ayes appear to have it the ayes do have it and we've decided to vote by Australian ballot on the budget the second part of the question is whether to vote on all other public questions by Australian ballot is there further discussion on that end of the discussion all the arguments in favor of using Australian ballot for the budget would be very similar in terms of this question and sorry just wanted to note that I would also I'm deeply I'll just say that I'm I live in Worcester I really value town meeting I really value the four vote process and the conversation that happens but in five town district I'm really deeply invested in a democratic process that results in decisions that represent the will of the majority of the voters in our district and I'm deeply concerned about any kind of process that essentially allows a small group of folks engaged and we only have deep respect for them and have a particular perspective that is in the minority to win the day because the process allows for that so I'm going to speak in favor of Australian ballot for this as well hand over here I'm sorry I'm a little bit on my poison I do see the questions that's fundamentally different but the budget the process is pretty well established it happens annually we know exactly what to expect this question of any other public questions is really ambiguous and to the extent that we might want to have a forum where we're actually having a more involved discussion of this going on I think that demand is greater participation than kind of the light bulb in front of me in the middle thanks Michael Dwayne D. Smogtilier I think it makes sense to both the budget and the actors like Australian ballot but I guess I have to agree all other public questions I just don't know what that is it may be an excellent idea to develop that kind of Australian ballot or may not I guess I think can we pass this over or let the board decide if there's something that needs to come up and have a vote on Australian ballot or not all other public questions and future questions but all other public questions just seem so broad just wishing there was something we could pass this over or post comment on the table or something I don't know if anyone would agree with that but just seeing so so broad I couldn't promise anything Michael is that a motion I move we table this matter I move we table the second part of article 3 which was and all the public questions we table that to one year we have a second move to the second that we table the second part of this question for one year let's use our hand up here I was saying clear and for good or evil I was contending for 26 years so I've been through some public needs and making some agendas and making some warnings I think that perhaps we can answer the question of what are other public questions that this motion anticipates such questions as number 9 on your warning today is one of those other public questions they are what we get to them people just say yes because they are hosting big motions that allow the business to occur it's not the fairies I just am not understanding if you're saying that these other questions should or should not be voted by a certain amount yep happy to answer that I think they should be voted on by a certain amount because they are house keeping motions and left I think there's very broad other public questions so it really seems to me it takes those questions out of the hands of the school director who requires that it go to Australian ballot and at the very least the school director should be able to determine what questions should go to Australian ballot other than the budget itself if they determine that it should go by Australian ballot but not all not all other public questions yes sir you are correct we're talking about whether the table this item that's what's at stake here doesn't mean it can't be taken up again although we'd have to wait a year so that's what would be the domain debate have and there's somebody waving up in the middle here question please identify yourself oh my name is Rose my question is that even if however we're voting I guess I'm still expecting to have information readings I'm taking that even if you have Australian ballot or ballot we're still having information readings as we have with other things because if we kind of belong to this with all the information that someone has pointed out earlier someone may not be able to make it to Monday or they may be able to make it to another so whatever we do I hope that we can continue to have discussion and information readings yeah the question in front of you is whether the table in this article there's a hand in the middle there's a hand in the middle there's a hand in the middle there's a hand in the middle there's a hand in the middle there's a hand in the middle there's a hand in the middle so how can we we know that there is some I think it's been a long, long experience with all of this currency. The mechanisms of the tools are all there for a little discourse talking about all the important things that are talking about it. This discussion is a great discussion. Having these discussions, that's a lot of discourse is critical to democracy. But I'm not going to worry about this. We couldn't decide whether they should go to the north or the north or the Australian balance. So we founded it for a year and now they don't have a way to operate it. That's when we got it to be done. Okay. On the left and then there's somebody down here. Let's do. After a little bit of sex. If this was said how steep you can get at this time, I would certainly feel a lot like it would be interesting to vote it on. But it's not, so that is not my thought. I wonder if there's a way to replace it. I'd say that was a primary matter. I'm not going to hobble anything. That's a great... Wait for the microphone, Michael. That was a great suggestion. Sorry. To the extent of the confusion, I agree. Any kind of basic housekeeping like borrowing and blue taxes, all that kind of stuff. That should be by Australian balance. All of the public questions are so broad. I just wish for some of you to have it be the other way around. So I'm going to take that as a primary element of my motion if that's the case. Your motion is to table the article. So I'm confused about how we would make that an amendment. I don't think I see a way to do that. We could take it up if the motion at the table fails. No, I do have an amendment. Of course. So despite what you've said up here, it might be this is a great idea, it probably is. And I don't want to hobble the board. So I would like to amend this motion to... just to get a definition of what these public questions are from the board at their initial or their first meeting. Whenever we so choose. I'm going to take a brief pause so you guys can all stretch and consult. But I think we're on a motion to table. And I'm not... I think we have to either pass or defeat that in order to amend the question to be about... No, I'm amending this piece at one year. And you're amending it. I'm going to amend it to the first meeting where as soon as the newly elected board decides to pose it back to us or whatever they need to as one that should be after one. So those public questions are enlist public questions. Is that acceptable, Michael? Okay, so we're now changing the time and giving the board the discretion as to when they will bring it back to us. Are you ready for that question? No. Okay. Well, Robbie Porter is not there. I'm confused now because of the amendment. But my understanding is that if we pass the motion to table the second half of this question, the board essentially, on all public questions, they will then be unable to vote publicly in an open meeting or by Australian ballot. So when we vote to table this, the board essentially can't do its job for a year. No. No, I believe it is now a motion to table for tonight but not for a year. And then the board will bring back to us some list of things that would be voted on by Australian ballot that would be more narrow than all other public questions. So what the board would bring back in a month would not have to be voted on out of public meeting like this. That is correct. It would still need to have another meeting and I would still need to get up here again. I understand that. Scott, I see some unclear. So we had 200 people last time. We have 30% or 40%. Any issue that we thought about should be by Australian ballot, whether it's major or minor, everybody should have a chance to weigh in and participate. And we'll have 18 people next time. Are you ready for the question? Yes. And the question is whether to table this part of the article until the new board brings us back a more refined set of criteria for what other public questions might be voting on by Australian ballot. If you're in favor of table it, please say aye. Aye. If you're opposed say nay. Nay. The nays appear to have it. The nays do have it. And we're back to the question. And the question is whether to vote on other public questions by Australian ballot. Are you ready for that question? All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. If you're opposed, nay. Nay. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it. And that part of the article is now passed. Okay, we are now on article four to determine whether to elect members of the district board by Australian ballot. Would somebody like to move that? The name. And we have a second. It's been moved and seconded. Is there discussion? I actually would rather than to determine say that we will elect members of the district board by Australian ballot. Yeah, discussion. I'm not really sure how many district board members were going to be elected. I think the articles of Greenland, one of the one form that I've read said there'll be two members from each town. And then I saw an amended version that said three members from each town. However, number of members were going to be voting for this district board. I think it's important that we hear from them as a group that we get to question them and hear a presentation in an open meeting. I'll bring their good arguments in this room for Australian ballot voting. However, I think it's important to get together at this time of voting to hear what the representatives have to say and to question them. And like Dot Nailord, I was here in the beginning. I remember those district-wide meetings in the gymnasium with a leisure pack but lots of room on the floor for chairs. It wasn't an overflow crowd. It could be down. Robert Cornyk from Town Pearl Inn. I'd like to make a motion to amend this article. I'd like to amend the article so that it meets with each town voting for their own board members. In other words, I really don't understand why everyone against Gallister, or the other side, it's not mayor voting for Pearl Inn representatives. Can you repeat that? Yes. It's closer to the microphone. I'd like to amend it to read with each town voting only their own board members. In other words, the point being that I don't know that I don't want necessarily to have other town voting on voting for the board members. Conversely, I don't want to quote one of these one-year representatives. Okay, in the middle there. We have a second for this. Okay, and that... It would change the number of members that we have to have on the board. My understanding is, for, correct me if I'm wrong, that to do it, to have two members from each town means that all the town has to vote on all the directors. If we didn't, but we all know one man wants to vote. To do that, it would be different numbers from each town. And at that point, we would be voting just within our own town. And that would make it... Personally, I would not like it that way. I think this is better if we have two members from each town. Fourth. I don't think that we don't get to amend this. We don't get to amend this article. Personally, this is one of the articles that have been given to us because we are being consolidated after percent of the affirmative that was not accepted. Our only option to amend this article is later, and that's what we have drafted, some amendments that would include an extra member from each town. But at this point, we can't amend the article. I'm not sure I understand what you're saying when you say that we can't amend the article. Could I have followed another member that is aware to explain this? But if we can't amend this article, we can even draft articles of agreement by the agency of education and the state board of education. So if we change this right now, we would be changing what they have... We would not be following along, basically. So right now, our only option, and please, Kyle or Chris, I'm looking at you guys to help me out here. If we change this article right now, the article... We're following along. We can right now add like two members to a town, and we voted our large for every member, which we all have agreed that it's much more fair for all the towns to get a greater voice in smaller towns, too. Yes, sir. Chris, you've made a good sense. So what floor in your debate are talking about is that with the one person, one vote, not one man, is that normally there would be proportional representation and in order to have a system in which each town would have two representatives on the student by board and the person who's talking about three members on the student by board, that is an amendment that was to go into effect July 1st of 2020, so it wouldn't be this program next year. But in order to have the two members from each town on the board, all of the voters from the unified district need to be able to vote on all of the individuals who are running. And so if we restricted the individual members who are running to the town to say only the voters from those towns can vote on those representatives that will be on the board then the proportionality wouldn't work out. The proportion numbers probably would be three, could use one period, two to Calis, two to Middlesex, and one to Worcester so that in order to have a even number of representatives from each town, voters from the unified district need to be able to vote on all of those who are running for the board, regardless of what town they're in. And so we actually distributed this, I think, article that could be amended in the article, with the fall of the article, this could probably be amended, but the amendment would conflict with that two representative particles of agreement that we have and would throw, I think with this it would cause a lot of trouble, let me put it that way. Yes, sir, in the back. Wait for the microphone, please. Oh yes, I'll be working on it. I'm not changing, I'm not proposing to change the number of representatives for the town, I'm just saying that those representatives of each town be voted on in their respective towns only. Yes, sir. Yeah, and I think what people are advising you, and I may be wrong about this, is that if you don't have the whole district vote on all the members then sometimes we'll have more, if you want to have only people from their own town vote on people from that town to represent them you cannot have two members per town. That's the question in front of the group. So I'm going to call for I think we're probably ready to have a vote on this issue. So if you're in favor of the amendment the amendment, which will be to only have folks from their own town vote for members of that town will affect how much representation each town has. But if you're in favor of supporting the amendment you say I. Yes, sir. Sound like you were saying something different from his amendment. What I'm saying is that if his amendment passes that you can only vote for people from your town what I've heard three people now say is that that will mean that each town cannot have two representatives. So I understand that. You just clarified that's not the amendment. So without that particular point of view I think we're at some kind of a bust here that I would like to challenge you on that. The understanding is that the thing we would have to change would be the constitution. I think that the one person one vote thing is a constitutional question and there are two ways that we can be constitutional in our voting methods and one of them is having equal numbers of people representatives from town or having a different number of representatives more for bigger towns, fewer for smaller towns and then you vote for them with your own but we can't mix and match there. And I think because of the lawsuit that we have school board members can support. Behind you there I think the amendment is improper for two reasons. One is it would constitute significant change from what was born and people didn't have the opportunity to come and weigh it on it. The second thing is it would put us in contradiction with our default arguments of agreement and so I think what other people have been saying is that this is a topic for another day. People have a chance to vote on this but it's not for today. I'm going to agree and unfortunately rule that the amendment is having spent this much time on it out of order and go back to the fundamental question and agree with you sir that this debate will need to be had on a different day in terms of whether it's going to be equal representation for each town or something different which can be taken up at another time. So are we ready for the debate? Yes, I recognize you so you can call the question. So all those in favor of having the debate please say aye. Aye. Opposed? And the ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it and we're ending the debate. So the question in front of us is to say we will elect if you're in favor you will be voting to elect board members of the district board by Australian Mal and all those in favor please say aye. Aye. Opposed? The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it and article 4 is passed. The next question is to determine a date and location for the first annual meeting of the district and all subsequent annual meetings which shall not be earlier than February 1 and not later than June 1 in each year is what's for. Is somebody going to move that article? Dot. I would hold the first annual meeting to do Tuesday, May 21, 2019 for the two high schools annual meetings to be held tonight. We have second meeting. Second meeting. Discussion? If not, be ready for the question. Best of the hand in the middle and that will be saw on the side. What will be the purpose of the annual district meeting to be held in May? Please. It will coincide with electing a board of directors in order to do that and try to explain this as best I can. Whether you have last meeting the first two to the end the first one year or whatever in order to run for a local board you have to get in your position for the position that you want to be to be elected to to account for some like six Mondays before the meeting which presents at the end of January for that. So the reason May 21st was picked for the annual meeting is now if you wish to run for one of those ten board seats you need to collect the correct number of signatures from your town and have it to your town court by 5 o'clock next Monday, April 15th in order to run for the board. At the May 21st meeting because you have elected to vote for directors by Australian ballot May 21st meeting will be an Australian ballot vote for those ten people and obviously with it we will be voting as a team already with the kind of voting we can do with an Australian ballot. Four may want to be done on the day. Okay, this is right here. Hi, Kyle. My name is Maren Hall from Middlesex and I'm just wondering I think you answered it at the end already that we still have some team out of it. Is there a way that on May 21st the timing could start at the usual, what is it? Sarah's 7 am Middlesex and then we could have the vote since now it's going to be last year we've got it at the individual schools or wherever the town choose to have it. I was just going to add one thing and do what that said is that the May 21st also allows us to have a possible vote on the for both sides. Well we want the amendments to the argument so as far as I can see why not 7 to 7 that is what we do. There's a hand right here. I don't know if you're going to do that on Middlesex. I was just going to have a meeting on May 21st but part of having some people have a meeting on town meeting day how do you propose that we attend a meeting here at U32 where we get to meet all the residential board members as well as holding a meeting in our town on that town meeting day from today I don't understand who it is. Actually we don't have a meeting. It's meant to set the date when we have the vote for the Australian ballot vote for the directives. It's one that also has a meeting. I guess we can pick another date for the end of the meeting but I don't know who to vote. I don't know for sure but I am assuming you will be able to vote at your town voting places at the usual time but that's a total assumption on my part. I just don't believe you're going to have to hold an U32 for an Australian ballot in our town. I can't hear you now. The question is whether it's subsequent annual meetings not subsequent voting so what I'm bringing to the topic of discussion is the actual annual meetings. If I'm going to be voting for representatives of towns that I don't know I would love the opportunity to meet them and hear what they have to say and then have the opportunity for us to have those unified discussions that we're all saying is so important which is why I do not think that the meetings for our community district should be held on the same day as our town meeting days are already being done. You are certainly free to vote against this motion. I think it should also be appropriate for somebody to organize a candidates forum prior to election day but we did just vote to elect these folks by Australian ballot if that helps. Yes. My name is Sarah Merriman I'm the town mayor of Milisex. I just want to clear some confusion perhaps about the terminology. This is a special school meeting. Tomorrow we are going to have special school meetings for the U32 vote and for the individual towns in Central Worcester that actually didn't have a meeting the rest of us are going to vote by Australian ballot for those budgets and those are considered special school meetings so since you guys have already voted for our annual officers in the budget to be elected by the Australian ballot now it would be assumed that this is the thing that we should clarify is that they claim first to be an annual meeting by Australian ballot because the town parks can't vote. Yes, sir. I guess that's what my first question about the purpose of this meeting was about if we're just electing district representatives by Australian ballot we're not actually going to get together but if we are going to vote on the articles of remit without discussion as a group are we I think we need to physically need to get together and talk about this stuff there's tremendously important topics in those articles of agreement which have been prepared by the War of Education of the state so I'm not clear if we're voting in our towns by Australian ballot to elect directors that's one thing but I think we need to get together if we're going to vote on the articles discuss and vote on the articles of agreement so are the articles of agreement a topic for this May meeting? Dorothy would you answer that question? they can be because they haven't been finalized and they wouldn't have to be finalized by next Monday April 15th and I don't believe that that's going to happen but yes we will have have to have public meetings regarding the articles of agreement and I'm hoping we will get the word out when those meetings are and people will come and tell us what they want and we'll have to tell them in some cases to the state and not allow us to do so and we need to understand that too because there's a headache left with regard to the opportunity to discuss items that are going to be voted on by Australian ballot I believe it's an assertion that there have to be public meetings to present and make available and have discussion for any items that are going to be voted on by Australian ballot you might have an Australian ballot warned for a particular date but there is always going to be an opportunity for members of the public to come and hear about the articles hear about the candidates hear about whatever the matter is being presented to us so you will have your voters to have their opportunity to hear about it ask questions discuss with their fellow community members over here I have a point of clarification that there were default articles of agreement that came down from the Board of Education but there have been a group of Board members from all of our district boards have been meeting for many, many months really diligently in Board open meetings to discuss and propose amendments to those default articles so anyone could attend those meetings going forward now on their finalist as well as any public forms that are held to approve them and bring them to the House I've been in some of these meetings I've been part of them in fact close to the mic I've been part of these meetings the reality is there is a difference in the meeting where you hear the discussion about and then you vote or you hear the argument presented and you really don't have a vote and you hear others in Australia and you should have that meeting but nobody else did and they don't really know and this is the importance of this discussion these articles are complicated they are argumentary and they are usually pushed down on this from the board not only in many cases but they are not at all always sinister but by that we are doing well this is our voice we have got an obligation just that we have to perform and we it is not a perfect world we keep relegating these responsibilities off and we are going to end up like a criminal and we are well aware of how we are going to do that believe me the past four years have approved that this whole thing has an alarming effect some of the things that have happened and this is where you debate I've been in that these days I did not think that we have got to start to do this the question in front of us is actually setting a date for the annual meeting to move to do it on May 21st and then subsequently on town meeting day are you ready for that question yes all those in favor please say aye aye the ayes appear to have it the ayes do have it and that article is passed article 5 to determine and approve compensation if any to be paid to officers of the district is there somebody who has got a motion to make on this subject yes I couldn't hear anything you said group of that at east volunteer we need an amount I think anybody on the board prepared to make a motion on this even below from east volunteer um and I'll look to U32 board members for the specific number but I would move that we approve compensation to be paid to officers of the district at the same rate we currently pay U32 board members is one I'll take um clean out the motion looking for a U32 member that might know what the compensation actually is so thank you I understand I'll make a motion to pay the compensation to be paid to officers to be moderated to $250 clerk $500 and treasurer $6,600 we have a second I believe he said $250 for the moderator and you're going to have to repeat the $5,000 $500 for the clerk and $6,600 for the treasurer we have a second to move in second and are you ready for the question yes all those in favor of providing compensation for the officers of the district in the amounts just stated please say aye aye the ayes appear to have it the vision has been called and I get some the JPs to come forward in case we need to count we'll try to do this visually but if it's close at all we'll have the JPs count so all those in favor of the compensation please raise your cards and go and put them down those opposed I think I think that it's very clear that the those in favor of the article have moved the article or passed the article okay so the next article Article 6 is to determine and approve compensation if any to be paid to members of the district board would somebody like to move that article yes that's for $1,000 so we have a second is there further discussion about compensation for directors yes I just want to note that for the time of Berlin for multiple years now we have not had any compensation and I would like to amend that motion that we do not get compensated is there could you repeat that get just closer to the microphone you're a freezer from Berlin we many years ago decided to not be compensated for our time as board members and I would like to make an amend to that motion to not be compensated for our time that's been moved and secondly we'll amend the motion to have no compensation for board members discussion or excuse me just for Berlin but for a unified union district then it would have to be for all the motion is for everybody okay we're open for discussion we have a hand up in front here I I totally empathize with your motion we have that same go for the last decade or so I guess I want to make sure we say it out loud there are costs incurred by the people serving in the school transportation up to U-32 is different to getting to your local school and there can be there can be a little larger entity more or can be done and not everyone can afford to do it for free by not compensating we limit who can't serve and so I think it's important that even if that compensation is just broken it is at least there in some degree so that someone who isn't physical in a position to serve is empowered to do so okay we're going to hand that over I'm tired this gentleman brought out I totally agree this is no more than that it's already in our budget it's totally for your budget and I would love to talk about it yes right at this moment so we can't say whether or not this is a budget yes first of all this is a very interesting account I'd like to thank everyone who serves in the school budget I think the folks who really want to donate their thousand dollars there's plenty of community organizations a little accepted but I think it's asking a lot to have people who work there with their thousand dollars to not offer a number of hours they put it in and guarantee it's a real deal so I'm not going to support this I'm not going to support that's what we're getting the question is whether to provide no compensation to the school directors are you ready for that question all those we're on the amendment which would provide no compensation yes all those in favor of providing no compensation please say aye those opposed no amen in days of period I have it we're back to the main question which was to provide compensation of a thousand dollars for the directors yes we have the hand up here I'd like to make a period of motion of amendment that the compensation that's outlined would be appropriated from the period of time that's coming in today if I'm understanding it and I have no idea how this works in terms of the district's fiscal year if the does somebody know when the fiscal year for the district begins so the year hasn't begun so I'm not sure pro rating would have any impact you've withdrawn the motion thank you are you ready for the question all those in favor of providing compensation of a thousand dollars to the school directors please say aye those opposed the ayes appear to have it the ayes do have it and that article is passed okay again I've been asked to change to take up article 8 before we take up article 7 article so unless there's an objection I'll do that article 8 reads to authorize the district to borrow money pending the seat of payments from the state education fund by the issuance of its notes or orders payable not later than one year from the date provided however that the district is authorized by Vermont statutes to borrow sufficient funds to meet pending obligations who's voting that thank you do we have a second over here and your name thank you we're open for discussion seeing no hands oh there's one I was going to just have a vote you want to vote on calling the question first no okay all those in favor of article 8 please say aye those opposed okay one more to determine whether to authorize the board of school directors oh no I'm sorry two more article 7 to establish provisions for payment of any expense incurred by the district before it becomes fully operational on July 1, 2019 under a voter approved budget for the fiscal year beginning on that date is there somebody in favor to move this article yes and do we have a second thank you Reuben do you want to explain this article I tried to make a motion for an article earlier that needed numbers couldn't hear the end of your I said I was hoping to put it in front of myself for making a motion for an article that needed a budget that I did not have on is there somebody in favor of the executive committee who can answer the question just to ask and that's when I ask somebody from the executive committee to explain to you if somebody is willing the man asks for an explanation I think he should be able to all the people who can help us with this I would offer a friendly amendment to the motion that the motion should be to all of us today on any expense incurred by the district before it becomes fully operational on July 1, 2019 under a voter approved budget for the fiscal year beginning on that date okay and you are thank you is that acceptable to the maker of the motion to authorize the payment on any expense to authorize the payment on any expense incurred on the rest of the is that an answer to the question are we ready for the question I am going for Berlin so where is the provisions coming from so we are authorized for provisions for payment but is that coming from the money we are borrowing until we have a budget or where is the provisions coming from my understanding is that the to be for district is it's legal fees for setting up the fees and corporations so this motion will basically say we will pay for the authorizing the district to pay those fees from the budget that we have specifically the motion to authorize the payment on any expense to authorize the district before it comes to the operation on July 1, 2019 so that means between now and July 1, 2019 the district will form a certain reimbursement for its expenses at some point after the district becomes operational we will have a budget vote to give that view we are ready for the question now we have more questions let's get the microphone to you closer to the mic so because it's confusing it strikes me as it's a bold word that really authorizes payment so this is saying to establish provisions and I'm going to say to authorize but we don't necessarily want to authorize payment because payment is put in front of this new board because they are the ones who have to decide is it a payment we should make or not I think we want to empower them to make that decision struggling for words to make it a little more clear but maybe we want to empower the board Matthew is that acceptable to you I think it's a friendly matter to authorize the board the WCS UUSP to a bit of thinking to make sense of that is that normal for the understanding and yes and we have a handbag here hi I'm Robbie I guess I understand what this is trying to do I don't understand why it's unlimited it seems like we're authorizing any expense it's very little that's occurred in this district it would give me comfort authorizing an unlimited expense to any part of this district I understand that they need money to to operate but it seems strange that they couldn't make an estimate and put an upper limit on how much that might be because the way I read this somebody explain to me why there was little limit parallel amounts I have a similar question I'll put it differently I'm wondering what work the final clause does here under an order approved budget for the fiscal year beginning on that day July 1st we have voted tonight to have a meeting to vote on the budget on May 21st to my understanding we don't have a budget for this district May 21st we are not going to vote on a budget on May 21st when is the budget going to be end quoted on let's get clarification on that because I want to understand what that means specifically my question is can the district incur expenses that will be paid under this provision before May 21st because it will only apply to expenses at the time May 21st animal meeting will be electing the board of directors and the board of directors will set the date for the vote on the budget on the 30th day okay are we ready to vote on this or are we on a board discussion this is clarified I think this is a standard provision that is actually required in the statute remember a new this is an allergy I'm sorry I'm a quiet speaker I believe this provision is required by statutes to be voted on by voters any time that a new disability is created in this state of the law the school district is against that that's not where the language is coming from I understand people's confusion I actually don't think I think we're in a position now given that a budget will become bearable in the process probably in the last week of June we're in a position where we probably aren't going to be required to pay for any expenses out of our current fiscal year budgets last year's town meeting and continue to do that right up until my first extension I'm making a long run I think it's just some exception to that but I think it would be a rare thing that we have to start spending money to be voted on by voters to be voted on by voters I agree with this but maybe we can amend the motion to say that to authorize the war to make any payments any expenses related to creating the new disability maybe if it's more cement we can be on the same page but it's not just that and you think there's anything coming on that maybe that wasn't the part of the last year that we can come up last minute I don't know if it necessarily would have to Matthew, with that big example with your colleagues I would thank you for being actually some figure you want to come up with one? you want to come up with one? I'm just stating that the new district actually has no one it's an unusual situation it's normally year to year when we're asking this to be voted under our current district budgets and even if there are money involved they're using existing funds against the future year voted with the budgets the history that's not the case I'm not even I can't put it in positive that's why I was saying vote will be actually we have a hand right here you have an idea Steve will in front of you I'm just trying to I'm a municipal board member I agree with Matthew I don't think there can be a number but as a board member you're responsible for keeping things operational and I agree with Matthew that if there's a cost there's not going to be substantial and as board members that need to make those decisions you're not going to make a decision that's going to expand money that you're waiting to get the budget approved for that's going to put you in a hole or improperly manage the funds and also as a board member if we tell a business or an individual that we're going to we want their services and as an agreement on the compensation for the services they need to understand that they're going to be paid for what they're going to do but I think Matthew's correct it may not even be anything but that board that's responsible needs the authorization to be able to meet their obligations okay it sounds like folks who've moved this article are asking us to take this on faith so I don't know if we're ready to try to do that or not Carl and Larry's coming together so I just want to clarify my understanding based on this conversation is we're going to elect a board on May 21st they're going to be, they're going to award a meeting to vote on the budget 30 days or so after their meeting on July 1st the new district has authority to borrow before July 1st to pay for the expenses but those expenses cannot be incurred until after that budget which is almost July 1st is that correct? because it says under a voter approved budget the fiscal year beginning on that yes sir Joe, I think it was right these were the thoughts to have under a footer the budget refers to the district on July 1st under that budget we have a hand up in the middle no, okay yes, over here this is Leslie Hitch from Palace I think folks might be wondering what kind of expenses are they going to be incurring before we hit July 1st at which time we are hoping that we can have a voting budget it's going to be things that I may not be aware of the things I do as we proceed to need to mourn the meetings that we will have upcoming things have to be posted in the papers we're going to have to provide notices to all of the members of the communities that includes cost for printing whether it's budgets and having to send those out whether it's postcards, it's the postage we're also going to have to provide ballots and to be ordered and printed those cost money those are expenses of the to be formed unified district so I think it's that type of expense that they're wanting to have authorization to incur those expenses that will be paid by the voting budget comes we have so it's a little bit of parking for the horse but thus the authorization to have that in place okay are we ready for the question okay do you need it read again all those in favor of the article you say aye those opposed nay the ayes appear to have it the ayes do have it and you passed it article 9 to determine whether to authorize the board of school directors pursuant to the provisions of 16 vsa subsection 5 6 3 10 and 11 c to provide mail notice to the residents of the availability of the annual court and proposed school budget distributing the annual report and proposed budget somebody would like to move that article thank you chris we have a second thank you yes in the middle thank you guys Cynthia garden I find it interesting that this was referred to as one of the housekeeping type articles that would be fine for the people to make decisions about it in the public without our voting on it because if you read it correctly it said when we sent cards about the availability of the annual report you knew of distributing the annual report and the budget that means if I wanted to read the budget or if I had to send it out and ask somebody to mail it to me I would just get a note about it because it would be a budget vote but I don't have any details to look at so I find it interesting that this is something we just authorize any further discussion? are you ready for the question? yes carol I just want to be as particular so that we don't get sued and do this correctly I believe that the question we're voting on is if not the question is to authorize the board of school directors pursuant to provisions of 16 VSA subsection 56310 and 11C to provide mailed notice to residents of the availability of the annual report to propose school budget in lieu of distributing the annual report and propose the budget if you're in favor please say aye opposed the chair is in doubt if you're in favor please raise your cards okay you can put them down if you're opposed raise your cards and I believe that the ayes have it and we have passed article 9 and there being no other business a motion to adjourn is in order okay that's been moved do we have a second? have a good evening thank you everyone for coming out and caring and enjoying the basketball games what should we do? that's right let's go do we have any guests? lots of them okay well you're all received I'm giving you minutes as well are there any revisions to the agenda? any public comments and correspondence okay we do have the minutes from February 19th I'll give people a minute to look them over they're fairly brief is there a motion to approve the minutes of February 19th? so moved Chris moves is there any discussion of the minutes all those in favor of approving the minutes please say aye aye upstain opposed any opposed okay the ayes have it electing a clerk is there any nominations for the clerk position second Chris who has nominated Chris with Scott and seconding are there any other nominations for clerk hearing none all those in favor of Chris they is clerk please say aye congratulations Chris thank you for serving tonight I think we have to do really it's 4.11 and 4.12 we can probably table 4.1 I'm sorry 4. 1.1 and 5.1 specifically have to be done tonight in terms of publicizing the process for membership the new board do we want to make some kind of public communication so that people know that this board is going to be there's an election on May 21st if people want to run they need to get petitions in to their town clerks by Monday 5pm on a Monday or what would be the place to put that front porch forum for sure how about the time targets time targets yeah I'm betting it's going to be in an article in the time targets in addition in that too in that as well for sure yeah so I would recommend to the board that there are videos that we made earlier that explain the configuration of the board there are many questions of that tonight we can point those in front porch forum we will see how fast we can get an ad usually public ads they turn around for public entities in 24 hours for a warning we'll be putting this warning in the times Argus that's our official posting place from the last meeting so we'll get that out and we can reference all over the place I'll have to change some of the videos but right now the current videos without being the right date will explain the configuration which there seem to be some confusion on tonight about two representatives from each town elected by all five towns what I would suggest perhaps is that Bill you're going to make these communications that are going to go out to the entire entirety of the five towns via front porch forum via the newspaper you guys can do it I can give you the links what I'm going to suggest is you do that but I'm going to ask the members of the transition board to make any other communication in your towns that you feel is appropriate or would you know best get the word out or encourage people to run get their petitions in because the sort of the petition process and the candidate process is on a town by town basis so this is a good point of application on the petition do the signatures need to be all from the town you're running from and we need to make sure that that is in the advertisement people feel it should be done differently if we want to try to coordinate it all to have it uniform and consistent we can try to do that I think what you're suggesting is great I think you should send that stuff out I'm just saying my guess is that people will want to do town by town additional or clarifying communications to be sure that we're covering our bases does every school have a Facebook page? because I know you put things on yeah we can put it up there you can put it on all of them yeah Chris has access to all of them are people comfortable moving forward that way? alright we also have in front of us a draft warning of course Chris Leopold prepared this morning to meet your draft articles agreement and Vermont State Statute sorry I'm standing also the town clerks have worked to create petitions Chris just gave me extra copies of those here as well we would insert the day of the week and the date he feels that you'll notice it's a little different than our previous warnings that we've used with U32 when it's across all five towns he likes to have the time up front and the polling places and times again at the bottom and that there would be an article for each town for each two directors so as you can see there there's one for an article for Berlin Kalis, East Montpelier, Middlesex and Worcester and he's gone through this with the draft articles of agreement from the state and the and state statute so do you need us Bill just to be clear to pass a motion authorizing this warning? I need you to adopt it and then I have the official one that you will sign and then we will put it into correct dates I'm sorry it doesn't have the correct dates on this one but as we have done with other school other warnings that you've all done with your local school boards we insert this because that was determined at tonight's meeting which is where you will do today and we'll just write in the day in that blank of today's date people want to take a couple of moments to review the warnings is it okay? that's May 21st is there a motion to adopt the warning for a meeting of the Washington Central Unified Union School District on May 21st, 2019 so I'll move secondly, any further discussion all those in favor please say aye aye closed, extensions so I'm going to start out with the official one and I know we don't have all the members but we have a majority which is important so that we can get this and District Clerk will make sure we get the other signatures and it gets out to the towns the other items on our agenda which we can discuss maybe while the signature sheet is coming around are posting a warning for articles of agreement the transition board does have the authority to warn a meeting or a vote rather on articles of agreement I think the I'll just say that the committee actually Flora if you want to speak to this you know more about it than I do having run the committee so I think you and I had this discussion and we understand that we do have the authority to put the articles to vote and we will try to have that vote if we come to consensus which we did just under combination but we still have to finalize the final final there were a couple of things that we had two options most of you were in this committee not everybody and come to a vote June 25th would be our hope that would be the same day we have the budget the idea was to have the vote on the same day but then we would need to have articles that we wanted to approve or warn finished by May 25th or whatever I would suggest to you that because so we would need meetings to finalize the articles of agreement to discuss and finalize we being the other people that the committee passed kindly passed on the remaining decisions to and then also probably public hearings informational meetings as well so all that would have to happen before May 25th and we would have to have them done and reviewed by council yeah so that would need like since he has reviewed most of it we could be a leader for Chris I know that we have a couple of options but I don't think that would be much probably a meeting anything about Chris and if you have full warning then you can schedule that I think we'd have to look for dates for a meeting obviously next meeting possibly two next meetings so can I discuss transition board meetings so you'll know that I put a transition board meeting for tomorrow and for Thursday on my recommended schedule of meetings for you as a transition board the biggest thing you need to do this week is what the motion you just passed which was to adopt the warning so we could get it posted there's nothing pushing us for this week as we get into coming back from April vacation which is the week of the 23rd I believe we would need to start having probably regular meetings how regular is going to get in on the articles of agreement and coming to a recommended budget that you'll recommend to the merge board so I believe that merge budget would probably be at least two meetings if not three I don't think they'd be the only topic but they would probably warrant some discussion so you can see what a merge budget looks like opposed to all the independent budgets remember that the executive committee recommended that we just put all the budgets of the six schools together we actually have that done already just because we had to get more had to do that work to get to other work so it's not that it can't change I just want to tell you it's not hard for us to bring you a merge budget we're ready to go so that and I would see that you'd want it you know if you met you would have one, two, three you would have at least three meetings if you started the week coming back and you had one meeting a week to get you to the 21st if I just counted in my head correctly but I can check my calendar I think I put them on Wednesdays so one, two, three oops you would actually have four if you had one every Wednesday between now and the 21st is Wednesday I don't have a calendar is Wednesday the 24th or the 25th that's an option yeah I did it's probably the 25th the 24th is Wednesday and the 25th is Thursday and I was thinking this Wednesday and I just picked that and then there would be the first the 8th and the 15th would be four meetings to get you before so let me do that does the transition board by consensus want to adopt that schedule of meetings basically before yeah there are others 24th is a Tuesday no the 25th that would be our reorganization of working and it will appoint another person for this board so on the Thursday then April 25th would be the first one April 25th that's the callous board this is what you're going to have but could we could we meet at callous could we meet at callous I'm actually not I'm not available Suzanne has not available on the 25th and I'm not on the 24th having nobody from Berlin at that meeting no that's not we had at the 25th at callous I'm not available the 25th and I think Suzanne you said you're not I'm at the town we're going to have this conference we're going to have this conference what a forum it is more important that we have a Berlin member to because if we don't even have one seated how many people could do it at the 25th well if we made it callous I can do it yeah that might be something you need to do there's other meetings hopefully we do I think I'll I'll try to communicate with everyone and try to coordinate the time on the 25th in a place can I throw an option at Berlin we could do it at Berlin immediately following our board and actually whoever we like that night they would have to explain I don't think you'd be taking many actions my preference would be to do it before the callous meeting if that's humanly possible rather than doing it the late night sort of following the Berlin meeting the day before and the other thing that callous will be having a town-wide school meeting on the 23rd so we might be able to take care of some other business then and get shortening that other one alright okay so we'll work that out get by email and then plan on the other Wednesdays in May following do you want to say the dates of the other ones so people can put them in? yeah it's May 2nd, May 9th no May 2nd is not a Wednesday May 1st, May 8th those are Thursdays so you're Thursdays so you're Thursdays no I'm sorry I'm in what about Thursdays there's going to be conflicts either way so the 1st, 8th and 15th would be Wednesdays if it says on there the 2nd, 9th and 16th it's probably because I was trying to avoid conflicts the 2nd, 9th and 16th currently would avoid a lot of conflicts the 2nd and 9th avoid conflicts on the 1st there's a U-32 meeting there's a Doty meeting there was a reason to my madness when I wrote it well it was the 2nd and the 9th so it's 3 Thursdays there's a 15th what about the 2nd and 15th and the 15th yes 2nd, 9th and 15th it's 2 Thursdays on a Wednesday we'll communicate that out from the people in the email and where did we land to clarify so Thursday, 8th and 20th is Thursday 25th is to be confirmed we'll do some communication about time and place and possibility then what we're going to say we're going to put May 2nd, May 9th and May 15th on the calendar 2 Thursdays on a Wednesday obviously it can change if people have major life events whatever it is yeah it can all be a 6th or do we want to start the 25th can't be a 6th we'll figure that out otherwise I don't know tomorrow morning to do the Cal's agenda so we'll look at that Dorothy and get out to the Cal's board what's on it or maybe we can start a little alright we'll ask the Cal's board for the meetings in May are people available to start if we can't do that so let's try to do that we'll start as early as we can I guess okay are there any other feature agenda items besides the ones we've already discussed articles of agreement budget what about a public forum to meet the candidates I've heard that expressed in the meeting that's a good idea I think we want to see who gets who is actually going to be on the ballot I guess you know the 15th the issues are due on the 15th and then so I think when you meet on the 25th you could set a couple public forums in different towns maybe a couple articles they could be a good idea Chris yeah yeah so we can talk about that on the 25th that'd be a good feature agenda anything else I guess how are we communicating to the public well that doesn't matter no it doesn't matter because we will be communicating alright if there's nothing else we will adjourn by consensus at 847 thanks everybody