What was said

Select Board, January 22, 2019

the recording · 1:31 long, about 12,113 words spoken · captions carried this meeting moderately well

lunenburgbudgetproject.org — written by the Lunenburg Budget Project, an independent tool for residents. Not affiliated with the Town of Lunenburg, the School Committee or the school district. The data this page is computed from: /data/recording-minutes/select-board/2019.json

The town published minutes (text) and an agenda for this meeting. Those minutes are the record; what follows is a guide to the recording.

The short version

  1. ▶ 42:01The Select Board held a dangerous dog hearing and found both dogs dangerous; the vote was not audible in the recording.
  2. ▶ 49:04The board set four restrictions: confinement or fence, muzzle off premises, and proof of insurance, amended to 90 days from that evening.
  3. ▶ 1:10:14The board deferred review of a solar payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement until the first meeting after town counsel approves it.
  4. ▶ 2:50The legislative delegation presented a state earmark check for asbestos removal at Turkey Hill.
  5. ▶ 55:44The board appointed a cemetery commissioner unanimously, renewed earth removal permit 15, and continued permit 14; those two votes were not audible.

Why it matters — our reading

  • The solar payment agreement would set a stream of payments to the town over about 20 years, and the board is holding it until town counsel finishes review.
  • The state earmark pays for asbestos removal at Turkey Hill, a cost that would otherwise fall on the town budget, mostly taxes.
  • The capital plan came late to the board, and its timing affects when residents see the spending proposals that go to Town Meeting.

Watch next

  • The first meeting after town counsel approves the solar payment agreement, when the board will take it up.
  • The first February meeting, where the capital plan presentation is on the agenda.

budgetcapitaleconomic developmentfacilitiesgrantslegalpersonnelplanning and zoningpublic commentpublic safetytax ratetown meetingturkey hill

Present: Dean Tran (state senator); Jennifer Benson (state representative); Steven Haye (state representative); Sergeant Tachi (police sergeant); Kathy qu (animal control officer); Bill Tyler (cemetery commission chair); Alan clap (presenter, development manager for nexamp); Steve melany (presenter, engineer for PJ Keon company). Names are the caption model’s hearing and may be wrong.

Votes

  1. ▶ 42:01Find that both Chief and Bella are dangerous dogs.not audible
  2. ▶ 49:04Impose restrictions 1 through 4 (confinement or fence, muzzle off premises, insurance proof of $100,000), amended to 90 days from this evening.not audible
  3. ▶ 55:44Appoint Nancy to the cemetery commission vacancy until the May election.passed unanimously
  4. ▶ 1:15:27Follow planning director's recommendation to renew earth removal permit 15 through August 31 2019.not audible
  5. ▶ 1:16:49Continue permit 14 and extend it to 19 February 2019.not audible

And 1 procedural: adjourn. (▶ 1:31:30).

Against the town’s minutes

The town published minutes (text) for this meeting; ours were compared item by item. 10 agree, 6 caption errors resolved by the official reading, 4 substantive differences. The town’s minutes are a full record.

  1. differsRestrictions on dogs: outcome and wording▶ 49:04

    recording Impose restrictions 1 through 4 (confinement or fence, muzzle off premises, insurance proof of $100,000), amended to 90 days from this evening. — not audible

    town’s minutes “motion: d. mequaid 2nd: p. luck to impose the following restrictions: 1) that the dogs be humanely restrained;”

    Ours records no result, official says passed, and the official lists humane restraint, licensing and an April 16, 2019 deadline; check the recording and the minutes for the result and the restriction list.

  2. differsEarth removal permit 15 extension vs. permit 14▶ 1:15:27

    recording Follow planning director's recommendation to renew earth removal permit 15 through August 31 2019. — not audible

    town’s minutes “motion: d. mcquaid znd: p. luck to follow the land use director's recommendation to extend permit #15 until february”

    Ours says permit 15 runs through Aug 31, 2019, while the official says until Feb 19, 2019; ours also has a separate vote continuing permit 14 to 19 Feb 2019, which the official has no separate vote for. Check the recording for which permit got which date.

  3. differsPermit 14 continuation vote▶ 1:16:49

    recording Continue permit 14 and extend it to 19 February 2019. — not audible

    town’s minutes —

    The official records no vote on permit 14, though it mentions permits #14 and #15 appearing; check whether a separate vote occurred.

  4. differsChapter 61 first refusal lapse▶ 1:04:58

    recording The board will let the Chapter 61 first refusal lapse rather than reconsider.

    town’s minutes —

    The official has no Chapter 61 decision; check whether the board decided this and how it is recorded.

6 caption errors the town’s minutes resolve
  • Warrant amounts:Warrants: 57472348, 168,00, $777,500→$574,828.47, $777,317.42, $168,041.68▶ 1:25:10
  • Attendee: state representative Haye:Steven Haye (state representative)→Stephan Hay▶ 0:00
  • Attendee: police sergeant:Sergeant Tachi (police sergeant)→Sgt. Tocci▶ 0:00
  • Attendee: animal control officer:Kathy qu (animal control officer)→Kathy Comeau▶ 0:00
  • Attendee: Nexamp presenter:Alan clap (presenter, development manager for nexamp)→Alan Clapp▶ 0:00
  • Attendee: engineer for PJ Keating:Steve melany (presenter, engineer for PJ Keon company)→Steve Mullaney▶ 0:00
In one record only: 2 from the recording, 3 from the town’s minutes
  • Recording only — Solar PILOT payment terms: Solar PILOT payments: $7 per kilowatt, 2.5%, a million dollars, 40 Grand a year ▶ 1:10:34
  • Recording only — Brooks House RFP on next agenda: Brooks House RFP discussion put on the next meeting agenda. ▶ 1:27:39
  • Town’s minutes only — Property tax rate proposal by Ms. Luck: “ms. luck would like to see property taxes reduced to 2% rather than 2.5% in advance of having”
  • Town’s minutes only — Foss Yasko to be sworn in: “the board congratulated ms. foss yasko and reminded her to get sworn in before the next”
  • Town’s minutes only — Board members and other attendees: “board of selectmen present: jamie toale, chairman; damon mcquaid, vice chairman;”

Compared 2026-11-05. Neither record is treated as the referee: a caption error is the same fact heard badly; a difference is for a person to check at the timestamp.

The money

  1. ▶ 2:50State earmark for Turkey Hill asbestos removal

    The delegation presented a check for the asbestos removal at Turkey Hill, secured by amendment.

    as heard:$130,000

  2. ▶ 40:12Dog medical bills

    The victim's dog medical bills were mentioned.

    as heard:$1,400

  3. ▶ 1:10:34Solar PILOT payments

    Payment in lieu of taxes per kilowatt, escalating yearly, totaling roughly a million over 20 years.

    as heard:$7 per kilowatt2.5%a million dollars40 Grand a year

  4. ▶ 1:25:10Warrants

    Accounts payable, payroll deduction and payroll warrants were read.

    as heard:57472348168,00$777,500

Settled without a vote

  • ▶ 1:10:14Solar PILOT review moved to the first board meeting after town counsel approves it.
  • ▶ 50:50A letter will be sent setting the 90-day compliance deadline and fence specifications.
  • ▶ 1:24:04Capital plan presentation placed on the first February meeting agenda.
  • ▶ 1:27:39Brooks House RFP discussion put on the next meeting agenda.
  • ▶ 1:04:58The board will let the Chapter 61 first refusal lapse rather than reconsider.

Documents and exhibits

The town’s minutes

The minutes print a list, headed reporting officer::

  • Sgt. Tocci police report, dog bite incident of November 28, 2018 (Stepton / Thibodeau dogs)
  • ACO Kathleen Comeau recommendations to the Board of Selectmen (dangerous dog determination and restrictions under MGL c.140 s.157)

Named in the running text, not in a list:

  • Memorandum from Land Use Director Adam Burney dated 22 January 2019 (earth removal permits #14 and #15)
  • Email from Town Counsel Adam Costa to Executive Assistant Peterson on the PILOT agreement
  • PILOT agreement, 994 Northfield Road (Settler's Solar, LLC)
  • Animal Control report in the Board's packet
  • Set of three plans submitted by S.J. Mullaney Engineering for P. J. Keating (permits #14 and #15)
  • Five Year Financial Forecast and Capital Plan (Town Manager)
  • Certified letter returned unable to be delivered (dangerous dog file)
  • Photographs of the wounded dog and of Mr. Stepton

Heard in the recording

  • ▶ 1:06:43note from town counsel on the PILOTletter or email· named in the minutes’ text, not in a list (“Email from Town Counsel Adam Costa to Executive Assistant Peterson on the PILOT agreement”)
  • ▶ 1:10:34Exhibit C of the PILOTcontract or agreement· named in the minutes’ text, not in a list (“Email from Town Counsel Adam Costa to Executive Assistant Peterson on the PILOT agreement”)
  • ▶ 1:13:45planning director's recommendation on permits 14 and 15memo· named in the minutes’ text, not in a list (“Memorandum from Land Use Director Adam Burney dated 22 January 2019 (earth removal permits #14 and #15)”)
  • ▶ 1:18:51capital plan spreadsheetspreadsheet· named in the minutes’ text, not in a list (“Five Year Financial Forecast and Capital Plan (Town Manager)”)
  • ▶ 17:19dog hearing package, Mass General Law 140 outcomesreport· mentioned in the recording, not found in the minutes

In the minutes’ list and not identified in the recording: Sgt. Tocci police report, dog bite incident of November 28, 2018 (Stepton / Thibodeau dogs); ACO Kathleen Comeau recommendations to the Board of Selectmen (dangerous dog determination and restrictions under MGL c.140 s.157).

State law asks minutes to list the documents and exhibits used at a meeting (M.G.L. c.30A §22(a)). Names from the recording are the caption model’s hearing; the two sides are matched by name, by script, so a document named two different ways can be missed. A place to look, not a finding.

Public comment

  1. ▶ 1:07:25Cautioned the board against approving the solar PILOT before town counsel fully vets it. — Dave pasio 56 Whiting Street, as heard
  2. ▶ 1:29:42Raised concern about closure of the Fort Pond Road quarry and the risk of drownings and injuries once abandoned. — dve pass has 56 six whing Street, as heard

Where the time went

Minutes of recording by subject, from the topic spans below. A topic with two subjects counts toward both.

The whole meeting, in order

  1. ▶ 0:00Opening and state delegation check for Turkey Hillinformational · 5:40 long · grants, turkey hill, facilities
  2. ▶ 6:06Dangerous dog hearingvoted · 44:44 long · public safety, legal
  3. ▶ 51:13Cemetery commission appointmentvoted · 5:35 long · personnel
  4. ▶ 57:08Nexamp solar PILOT and Chapter 61deferred · 15:14 long · economic development, legal
  5. ▶ 1:12:22Earth removal permits 14 and 15voted · 5:58 long · planning and zoning
  6. ▶ 1:18:31Capital plan and five-year forecast timingreferred · 5:55 long · capital, budget
  7. ▶ 1:24:26Warrants, action file, reports, public comment, adjournmentinformational · 7:24 long · tax rate, public comment

What the captions could not carry

  • Vote counts on the dangerous dog findings and permit motions were not stated beyond I and no opposition.
  • Some dog hearing speakers could not be identified.

Reports this meeting suggests

Our reading of the discussion: questions where numbers were in play and a page laying them out would have helped. Every meeting’s suggestions are merged into one register.

  • ▶ 1:10:34Solar PILOT agreementWhat will the solar PILOT pay the town over 20 years?
  • ▶ 1:18:51Five-year financial forecastWhat do the capital plan and forecast show for coming budgets?

These are ours, and they are not the record

OUR MINUTES OF A RECORDING, written by a language model from machine captions. Two derived layers stand between this file and the meeting. Cite the video at the timestamp, never this file. Figures are as heard and may be wrong; names may be wrong; where the town published minutes, those are the record.

Written 2026-11-05 by scripts/write_recording_minutes.py (sonnet) from sources/data/youtube-transcripts/select-board/2019-01-22-D_x0gs5TiKY.json — 2,109 caption segments, sha256 d5e9a81d604d…. All recorded meetings.

Every other report

The budget feed — every board, everything about money →What the town is deciding now →The blog — one finding at a time, in two minutes →This week in town — meetings coming up, minutes and recordings just posted →The boards — each one, in one place →Lunenburg’s homes and the tax bill →The School Committee’s finances — every fund and line it owns →Health insurance →Special education — four reports →School staffing — did it go up, and over which years →If students leave — what school choice would cost →What a family actually pays →

Every analysis this project has written, in one index, is at reports.

What changed

Version 15 — updated September 20, 2026