What was said

Select Board, May 14, 2019

the recording · 3:05 long, about 22,657 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. ▶ 2:49:27The Select Board endorsed a marked-up town manager performance evaluation, after a long dispute over including the manager's self-evaluation text.
  2. ▶ 2:30:14The board agreed to add a note and italicize the parts of the review that came from a document the town manager prepared.
  3. ▶ 50:41A vote to keep the self-evaluation in the document failed or was unclear, and the chair's ruling on it was disputed.
  4. ▶ 2:50:58The chair announced a new salary for the town manager after the review; the amount is not given in the minutes.
  5. ▶ 22:08The board approved the Arts Festival entertainment license with the fee waived, and endorsed a Green Communities planning grant MOU with MRPC.

Why it matters — our reading

  • The town manager's pay and review are set here, and the pay comes from the town budget, mostly taxes, so the outcome affects what residents fund.
  • Several votes on the review were not audible in the captions, so the record of who voted how on the evaluation is incomplete.

Watch next

  • The signing of the final marked-up evaluation, which the board discussed doing at a posted meeting or on May 21.
  • The town manager's follow-up on the Pleasant Street runoff and on green arrows at the Walmart intersection.

contracts and unionseconomic developmentgrantspersonnelpublic commentpublic safetyroads and dpwtown departments

Present: Jamie Toll (chair); Damon McQuaid (member); Selectman Luck (member); Miss Adams (member); Heather Lemieux (town manager); Karen (town accountant); Town Counsel (town counsel). Names are the caption model’s hearing and may be wrong.

Votes

  1. ▶ 22:08Approve the entertainment license for the Lunenburg Arts Festival June 8, rain date June 9, with the fee waived.passed (ayes, none opposed)
  2. ▶ 50:18Remove the town manager's self-evaluation from the composite review document.not audible
  3. ▶ 50:41Keep the town manager's self-evaluation included in the document.failed or unclear; members voted nay and abstained and the chair's ruling was disputed
  4. ▶ 1:18:44Include the numeric ratings summary as part of the formal review.not audible
  5. ▶ 1:52:52Sign and submit the evaluation provided the information from the town manager's self-evaluation is sourced.not audible
  6. ▶ 2:49:27Endorse the marked-up town manager performance evaluation with the added statement and italicized adaptation.not audible
  7. ▶ 2:55:20Endorse the town manager working with MRPC on the Green Communities planning assistance grant application and sign the MOU.passed (no objection heard)

And 1 procedural: adjourn. (▶ 3:04:53).

Against the town’s minutes

The town published minutes (text) for this meeting; ours were compared item by item. 12 agree, 4 caption errors resolved by the official reading, 8 substantive differences. The town’s minutes are a full record.

  1. differsArts Festival entertainment license vote▶ 22:08

    recording Approve the entertainment license for the Lunenburg Arts Festival June 8, rain date June 9, with the fee waived. — passed (ayes, none opposed)

    town’s minutes “mr. mequaid amended his motion to allow for setup/breakdown and to waive the license fees. ms. luck seconded the amendment. vote: all in favor”

    Both pass with fees waived; official adds setup/breakdown amendment and 10-3 hours, which ours lacks. Minor; check the amendment wording.

  2. differsRemove town manager self-evaluation from review document▶ 50:18

    recording Remove the town manager's self-evaluation from the composite review document. — not audible

    town’s minutes “that the town manager's self-evaluation be removed from this document so that it is a consensus”

    Same motion, but outcome is not audible in ours and not stated in official; check the recording or the clerk for the result.

  3. differsKeep self-evaluation included (Ms. Luck's change)▶ 50:41

    recording Keep the town manager's self-evaluation included in the document. — failed or unclear; members voted nay and abstained and the chair's ruling was disputed

    town’s minutes —

    Official records no vote on the keep-included motion, only that Ms. Luck proposed changing it; check how this was resolved.

  4. differsNumeric ratings summary in review▶ 1:18:44

    recording Include the numeric ratings summary as part of the formal review. — not audible

    town’s minutes “to include the numerical compilation of the town manager evaluation with the tabulation of 80% as part of the review document”

    Official says the first motion was withdrawn and then passed unanimously on re-motion as 'composite document'; ours has no outcome. Verify.

  5. differsSign and submit evaluation with sources identified▶ 1:52:52

    recording Sign and submit the evaluation provided the information from the town manager's self-evaluation is sourced. — not audible

    town’s minutes “vote: 2 in favor, 2 opposed the motion fails.”

    Official records a failed 2-2 vote; ours has no outcome. Check the recording for the result.

  6. differsEndorse marked-up performance evaluation▶ 2:49:27

    recording Endorse the marked-up town manager performance evaluation with the added statement and italicized adaptation. — not audible

    town’s minutes “to endorse the amended town manager performance evaluation with the statement and italicized sections 2nd: p. luck vote: all in favor”

    Same motion; official says passed unanimously while ours has no audible result. Likely consistent but confirm.

  7. differsLocal receipts percent▶ 23:33

    recording two million four hundred and thirty eight thousand one hundred and forty four dollars, seventy percent

    town’s minutes “we have collected $2,438,144.46 or 81%”

    Dollar amount matches but ours says seventy percent versus official 81%; check the recording.

  8. differsFollow-up items from town manager▶ 3:00:00

    recording Town manager to follow up on the Pleasant Street rocks and ask the state about green arrows at the Walmart intersection.

    town’s minutes “ms. lemieux will follow up with police chief marino.”

    Rocks follow-up agrees, but the second item differs: ours says green arrows at Walmart via the state, official says Mass Ave/Electric Ave with the police chief. Check the recording.

4 caption errors the town’s minutes resolve
  • Chair name:Jamie Toll (chair)→Jamie Toale
  • Vice chair name:Damon McQuaid (member)→Damon McQuaid
  • Selectman Luck:Selectman Luck (member)→Phyllis Luck
  • Member Adams:Miss Adams (member)→Katey Adams
In one record only: 3 from the recording, 2 from the town’s minutes
  • Recording only — Overage of $15,600 covered at Town Meeting: fifteen thousand six hundred dollars ▶ 26:21
  • Recording only — Streetlight purchase and LED conversion figures: eighty eight thousand and one hundred and twenty six thousand, 30,000 a year ▶ 2:53:54
  • Recording only — Town Counsel attendance: Town Counsel (town counsel) ▶ 0:00
  • Town’s minutes only — Approval of March 19, 2019 minutes: “minutes of march 19, 2019 were approved.”
  • Town’s minutes only — Other attendees and public commenters: “cultural council member laura bizozoski, 21 francis avenue, presented for the june 8 request.”

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. ▶ 23:33Third quarter revenue and expenditure update

    The accountant said revenues were on target and about seventy percent of the budget was spent or encumbered; she expects free cash similar to last year.

    as heard:seventy six point seven six percenttwo million four hundred and thirty eight thousand one hundred and forty four dollarsseventy percent

  2. ▶ 26:21Overages covered at Town Meeting

    Elections, snow removal and a fire engine repair deficits were eliminated by state funds or supplemental appropriations at Town Meeting.

    as heard:two thousand fifty three dollarsfifty-three thousand seven hundred and seventy seven dollarsfifteen thousand six hundred dollars

  3. ▶ 2:50:58Town manager salary

    The chair announced a new salary for the town manager after the performance review.

    as heard:one hundred twenty nine thousand seven hundred and sixty-five dollars

  4. ▶ 2:52:25Green Communities competitive grant

    Two remaining projects are closing out on a prior competitive grant.

    as heard:one hundred and ninety eight thousand

  5. ▶ 2:53:54Streetlight purchase and LED conversion

    A cost projection for buying streetlights ranged widely; LED conversion would save electricity.

    as heard:eighty eight thousand and one hundred and twenty six thousand30,000 a year

  6. ▶ 2:55:40MassDEP recycling enforcement coordinator grant

    A shared part-time position with Townsend would need a local match from the Casella education amount.

    as heard:30,00025%three thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars

  7. ▶ 2:58:57Warrants

    Water commissioners warrant, accounts payable and payroll were read.

    as heard:seven thousand nine hundred and eight dollars and fifty centssix hundred and seventy one thousand four hundred and eighty dollarstwenty eight thousand two hundred twenty one dollars and thirty centsseven hundred and eighty four thousand eight hundred and seventy eight dollars

Settled without a vote

  • ▶ 2:30:14Board agreed to add a note and italicize parts of the review that came from a document prepared by the town manager.
  • ▶ 2:33:04Board considered posting a meeting or using May 21 to sign the final document; members agreed they could sign the marked-up copy.
  • ▶ 3:00:00Town manager to follow up on the Pleasant Street rocks and ask the state about green arrows at the Walmart intersection.

Documents and exhibits

The town’s minutes

The minutes print no list of documents and exhibits.

Named in the running text, not in a list:

  • Town Manager's self-evaluation
  • Draft composite (BOS consensus document) for Town Manager performance review
  • Quarterly Financial Report, third quarter FY19
  • Memorandum of Understanding with MRPC for Regional Energy Planning Assistance Grant
  • Budget adjustment article at Annual Town Meeting (snow removal)
  • Town Charter

Heard in the recording

  • ▶ 2:06town manager's evaluation overview document (composite)report, shown· named in the minutes’ text, not in a list (“Town Manager's self-evaluation”)
  • ▶ 18:57site plan for the arts festivalplan or drawing, shown· mentioned in the recording, not found in the minutes
  • ▶ 2:53:06Memorandum of Understanding with MRPCcontract or agreement· named in the minutes’ text, not in a list (“Memorandum of Understanding with MRPC for Regional Energy Planning Assistance Grant”)
  • ▶ 2:58:40minutes for March 19thprior minutes· mentioned in the recording, not found in the minutes

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. ▶ 6:21Thanked the chair, praised the Lane collection presentation at the library, and urged people to vote Saturday. — Tom Alonso, 284 Lancaster Avenue, as heard, resident
  2. ▶ 11:14Rocks washing into the road at Pleasant Street and Mass Ave from a private property, a danger to cyclists and motorcycles; DPW cleans up at taxpayer expense. — Paul Larry, 63 Pratt Street, as heard, resident
  3. ▶ 13:32Thanked the chair for his service and Memorial Day work. — Susan Doherty, as heard, director, Council on Aging
  4. ▶ 13:54Announced May 20 dementia-friendly information session at the library; Memorial Day details. — a speaker, Council on Aging and dementia friendly action team
  5. ▶ 3:01:47Praised the town manager's performance and attendance at department head meetings. — Susan Doherty, as heard, department head, Council on Aging

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. ▶ 0:07Pledge, farewell tributes to the chair, public comment, state citationsinformational · 18:23 long · public comment
  2. ▶ 18:57Arts Festival entertainment licensevoted · 4:15 long · recreation
  3. ▶ 23:12Quarterly revenue and expenditure updateinformational · 4:56 long · budget, free cash
  4. ▶ 28:08Town manager performance review compositevoted to endorse marked-up document · 2:22:50 long · personnel, contracts and unions
  5. ▶ 2:50:58Town manager salary announcementinformational · 0:19 long · personnel
  6. ▶ 2:51:19Town manager's report, Green Communities MOU, recycling grantvoted · 7:01 long · grants, town departments
  7. ▶ 2:58:57Warrants and minutesinformational · 0:40 long · budget
  8. ▶ 2:59:37Follow-ups on rocks in road and Walmart intersection safetyreferred · 1:46 long · roads and dpw, public safety
  9. ▶ 3:01:23Public comment, chair's farewell, adjournmentadjourned · 3:52 long · public comment

What the captions could not carry

  • Vote counts on the evaluation motions were not clearly stated
  • Several stretches of the evaluation debate were garbled, with unclear speakers

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.

  • ▶ 2:53:06Street light LED conversionWhat would buying the streetlights and converting to LED cost and save?

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/2019-05-14-rFicJIzUPBQ.json — 3,749 caption segments, sha256 3cf8c44f5872…. 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