===PAGE 1=== Meeting Minutes August 17, 2026 5:30pm Members Present: Brian Lehtinen, Tom Gray, David Blatt, Matthew Brenner, Anthony Sculumbrine Members absent: Kristina Masaitis, Laura Brzozoski, Greg Roy Town Employees: NA Community Guests: NA The meeting was called to order at 5:34 PM by David Blatt. Minutes: Motion to approve minutes of July 28, seconded and approved unanimously. Motion to approve minutes of August 3, 2026, seconded and approved unanimously. Public Comments: None Walkthrough Report (Ritter / TC Passios) • David Blatt apologized for missing the walkthrough; has visited Brook’s House and TC Passios after recent rains. • Key observations: • Significant volume of records stored at TC Passios. Town Manager unable to estimate how much could be reduced by digitization. Need to determine where stored material will be relocated; storage volume described as substantial (estimate: roughly three classrooms, stacks 3–4 feet high in multiple classrooms). • Roof condition: Despite leaks, wooden roof deck largely in good condition; minimal decking replacement may be required. Andrew Gillis (architectural preservation commission member/structural civil engineer) concurred that deck appears in decent shape, positive sign for renovation options. • Discussion: Planning department historically contributed most to paper volume; most planning records (including large plans) can be digitized but require specialized scanning equipment. Digitization funding referenced in capital plan; progress unclear ===PAGE 2=== but funds allocated (fiscal 2026). Need to obtain department-specific retention requirements and frequency-of-access to determine true storage needs. Space Needs / Square Footage Discussion • Project scope: Town administration building planning, planning target assumed ~30 employees (conservative planning number) and 10 visitors at peak. Police and Fire excluded. • Reference document reviewed (Town hall space needs working document): • Typical space guidelines: workstation/cubicle 50–80 sq ft; private offices ~100–125 sq ft; public service counter 80–120 sq ft; conference rooms: 20–25 sq ft per person (6-person ~120–150 sq ft; 8-person ~160–200 sq ft). Circulation/support adds ~30–40%. • Total building square footage guideline per referenced quick-planning: ~6,300–8,400 sq ft. Ritter current footprint ~5,740 sq ft; adding annex (~1,300 sq ft) could bring total into that range (~7,000 sq ft for two-story annex). • Staffing assumptions: • Current town staffing ~20 (pre-budget cuts); committee used 30 as planning figure (comfortable buffer). Building department may expect personnel change; others mostly stable. • Discussion on possible part-time/shared staffing between Ritter and Town Hall as overflow/fill. PACC (Public Access Cable) Space Uncertainty • PACC location unclear: currently operating out of "Eagle House" semi-permanently; question whether PACC will need studio/control room space in Town Hall or remain at Eagle House. • Cable contract renewal/negotiations will affect PACC funding and staffing. Committee recommends PACC provide best-case / worst-case scenarios for future funding and space needs so planning can accommodate likely outcomes. Cable Advisory Committee beginning negotiations. • Recommendation: Invite PACC/Land Use Director (Steve Wallace) to next meeting to clarify PACC intentions and space requirements. 7. Conference Rooms and Meeting Spaces • Majority of departments requested small conference rooms (6–8 persons) for typical meetings. A town-level larger conference room desirable for management/all-hands (capable of 18 people; full 30-person meetings likely held in Meeting Hall). • Proposed distribution: • First floor (public-facing): multiple small conference rooms for public interactions (suggested 2–3 six-to-eight person rooms). • Second floor (non-public): planning/building to have 1–2 six-to-eight person rooms, plus one larger town conference room. • Concerns: • Balance between providing enough conference rooms for concurrent public- facing needs and avoiding underused rooms that tie up square footage. • Need to gather data on meeting frequency, meeting hours/week per department, peak meeting times, and seasonal peaks (e.g., tax payment quarters, dog licensing, early voting) to inform number/size of rooms. • Suggestion: collect meeting-hour data from each department using a clear definition of meeting. • Consider hybrid approach; allow conference rooms to be convertible to private offices if needs change. Counter / Reception Layout and Public Flow ===PAGE 3=== • Discussed shared counter model vs. dedicated counters per department: • Shared reception/counter for quick acknowledgment and triage recommended; this would minimize need for separate counters for each department. • Distinction clarified between counter (transactional) and reception area (triage/referral). • Recommendation to conduct a time-and-motion / observational study during peak periods (end-of-quarter, tax season, dog-license season, early voting) to document visitor flows and counter demand. Suggested using temporary staff / students to record flows. • Architect/designer to develop optimized counter layout during design phase. Records Storage & Digitization Strategy • Confirmed substantial stored paper records at TC Passios; need to determine: • Which documents must remain physical by law, and required retention periods. • Frequency of access to paper records (to inform on-site vs. off-site storage decisions). • Which records are cost-effective to digitize (consider retention horizon, e.g., documents that must be kept only a short remaining time may not be worth digitizing). The next meeting was scheduled for Monday, August 31, 2026, at approximately 5:30 PM. Motion to Adjourn: Anthony Sculumbrine. Seconded by Tom Gray. Unanimously approved. The meeting adjourned at approximately 6:58 PM.