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Contract Approvals (Link: 00:00:00 – 00:09:00)
Dan Fox called the meeting to order on January 7, 2026, announcing that the meeting was being recorded and wishing everyone a Happy New Year. The board then proceeded to review and approve several contracts.
The first contract was for Gary School playground phase two, funded entirely through the Gary School playground donation account. Fox explained that the community had raised all the money publicly through donations, with this phase two including irrigation, plantings, ADA accessibility, and equipment for $433,000. A committee member asked about the total project cost, and Fox indicated that the community had raised about half a million dollars, with phase one completed using additional ARPA funding of approximately $200,000. The board unanimously approved awarding contract 26-09 to Belco Landscaping.
The second contract involved replacing an overhead door at the DPW yard for $14,695. Thatcher Keezer explained that this was critical for operations, especially in winter, to keep the building heated and allow trucks to move in and out efficiently. The funding came from repair and maintenance accounts. The board unanimously approved awarding contract 26-35 to Collins Overhead Door.
The third contract was for replacing 50 windows at 66 Clifton Avenue, funded through the Hobbs House Improvement Fund for $24,950. Committee members noted this was an excellent price for 50 windows. James Zisson asked whether this represented the end of major improvements to the building, noting that significant money had been invested over recent years. Keezer explained that the town had completed a new boiler, back porch work addressing egress issues, and now windows, while the counseling center had made internal improvements using their own funds.
Discussion arose about the funding source for the Hobbs House improvements. Fox asked whether there was an endowment for the Hobbs Improvement Fund, but Keezer clarified it was a line item for maintenance coming from operating funds. This led to broader discussion about the need for more systematic facility maintenance planning. Keezer explained that the town had historically underfunded building maintenance, leading to crisis-driven repairs at higher costs. He indicated plans for a comprehensive review of all town buildings with Steve Cummings and Alicia Benjamin to develop a proper facility maintenance plan.
Alexa Singer noted that the town traditionally votes on a buildings article each year with a fixed amount for maintenance projects, with priorities set based on that allocation. Keezer acknowledged that maintenance needs were growing faster than the allocated funding. Singer suggested either increasing the article amount or improving the prioritization process. Fox emphasized the need for a more robust buildings committee and oversight given the spending levels and deferred maintenance issues. The board unanimously approved contract 26-32 to Gambal Construction for the window replacement.
The final contract was for Waterside Cemetery expansion, funded through articles 42 and 43 from the previous year. The project involves expanding burial sites and removing granite, trees, and stumps for $99,130. Fox noted that the Cemetery Commission had met on December 18th and voted to approve the project. The board unanimously approved awarding contract 26-13 to Raphael Construction.
Fox then indicated they would move on to discuss a school lease for copier equipment, noting that Mike had just arrived for that discussion.
School Copier Equipment Lease Discussion (Link: 00:09:00 – 00:16:00)
Mike Piperling from the school department presented a request for approval of a four-year copier lease agreement. He explained that the current copier contract expires at the end of January and the school department had solicited proposals from at least three vendors for replacement copiers. The department explored extending the lease term from their current three-year arrangement to four years specifically to achieve cost savings, given anticipated budget constraints over the next couple of years.
Piperling reported that they received two similar quotes, both lower than their current costs, representing approximately $22,000 in annual savings. He explained two different pricing models available: one where they pay separately for the lease, service, and toner cartridges, and another where toner and service are included with a per-copy charge. The school department preferred the second option because it eliminates the need to store toner cartridges in closets and provides better cost control through a click charge system of approximately 4/10 of a cent for black and white copies and 4 cents for color copies.
A committee member asked about the number of machines, noting that some organizations have reduced equipment due to decreased usage. Piperling confirmed they reviewed all 29 machines and their annual copy volumes. While they will not reduce the total number of units, they plan to shift resources and potentially replace some machines with different speeds or functionality based on departmental needs. Each building maintains one color machine under strict control, which he noted is less expensive than using commercial printing services.
Piperling described new features included in the proposed equipment, particularly a badge scanning system that would allow staff to use a single print driver for all machines rather than individual drivers for each of the 29 units. Staff would tap their badges at any machine to access their print jobs, providing both print confidentiality and reducing paper waste since unclaimed jobs would be deleted after 24 hours. He noted having successfully used this system in his previous two districts in Wakefield and Haverhill.
A committee member expressed concern about potential maintenance issues with the badge system, but Piperling assured them it had been seamless in his previous experience. He explained that if a badge fails to work, users can log in with their username and password, and the system would then code their badge for future use.
Piperling also mentioned an unrelated cost savings on paper supplies, noting they switched from the Crest Collaborative to a direct deal with Staples, reducing paper costs from $38-39 per case to $30 per case, representing nearly a 20% reduction despite generally rising commodity prices.
Fox made a motion to approve the school department entering a four-year lease with Ubio Business Services for copy reproduction equipment, which was seconded and passed unanimously. Piperling asked about contract signing authorization, and Keezer clarified that the school committee would handle the actual contract signing, with the Select Board approval only needed for agreements exceeding three years.
Select Board Announcements and Adjournment (Link: 00:16:00 – 00:18:00)
Fox moved to Select Board announcements and asked if any members had announcements to make. A committee member shared a positive announcement about Dave Braggin, who works at the Council on Aging, and his granddaughter Hannah Friday. The committee member explained that Friday had graduated from Parris Island Marine Corps boot camp after an extraordinary experience where she sustained an injury in week 10 of the 13-week program.
The committee member detailed that the Marine Corps gave Friday two options: go home with no penalty or stay at Parris Island for physical therapy and restart boot camp from the beginning once recovered. Friday chose to stay and restart the entire 13-week program from week zero, making her one of the few Marines who can say they completed Parris Island boot camp twice. The committee member noted that while most Marines are glad they completed Parris Island but would not want to repeat it, Friday gets to say she did it twice. The committee member encouraged congratulations for Dave Braggin and his wife Emma.
Erin Noonan announced the successful tree burning event and praised the Fire Department’s work. She noted there was a great crowd at the event. Discussion followed about Christmas tree pickup, with Fox indicating that trees would be picked up through either the 13th or 16th of January. A committee member confirmed it was the 16th and noted that residents could also bring trees to the brush pile.
Fox noted that there would be a meeting the following Wednesday and called for a motion to adjourn. The motion was made, seconded, and passed unanimously.
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