Duxbury Town Clerk Susan Kelley opened the meeting by presenting a suite of fee increases for both her department and Animal Control. Kelley proposed raising the marriage intention filing fee from $30 to $40 and introduced new fees for dog license tag replacements and transfers. She highlighted a necessary bylaw change to allow the Selectboard to set animal control fines, aiming to align town penalties with state minimums. I want to make sure that it's in place for the point at which that happens hopefully, Kelley said regarding the timing of the bylaw updates. Following the presentation, Bethann R. Halligan told the clerk, And Susan, thanks for all of the information in advance. That was very, very helpful. Motion Made by Alexander Chin to recommend approval for the town clerk proposed fees. Vote Passed 8-0

The committee then received a sobering report from Facilities Director Katie, who outlined the deteriorating state of the town’s 63 buildings and 920,000 square feet of property. Katie noted that the department is currently over 100 preventive maintenance tasks behind due to limited staffing and a budget that remained flat for years. We need to get to a spot that we're maintaining the buildings and not just doing emergency repairs, she emphasized. Ling Wong asked, How long has the system been in place? while Vincent Walsh inquired, If you had an admin, would that admin be doing some of that work? Chair Alexander Chin voiced concern over deferred capital costs, noting, The bottom line is when you're showing that $200,000 for a generative replacement, it's not in the current year. Karen E. Barry added, I just want to reemphasize the importance of the five-year plan. Candace Martin questioned the financial sustainability of the Percy Walker Pool, asking, What kind of discussion around fees is taking place?

Harbor Master Jake presented updates for the waterways department, noting that Duxbury’s unique assets require sustainable funding for infrastructure maintenance. My biggest thing is cost recovery, he explained. Motion Made by Candace Marshall to approve the fees proposed by the Harbor Master. Vote Passed 8-0 The focus then shifted to the transfer station, where Finance Director Mary MacKinnon proposed a 30 percent fee increase to address a chronic operating deficit. MacKinnon noted that tipping fees have increased 70 percent since 2020, stating, For six out of the past eight years the transfer station has been operating at a deficit. Tyler Kelly expressed reservations, noting, We've reduced the hours at the transfer station by one hour a day. That's a 12 and a half percent decrease in the operating hours. Despite this, Frank M. Holden said, I'm in agreement with that, and the board moved forward with the higher increase. Motion Made by Vincent Walsh to approve the transfer station fee increases for 30 percent. Vote Passed 7-1

Finally, the committee debated beach sticker fees for the upcoming season. While the Finance Department initially suggested a 15 percent increase, the committee opted for a 30 percent hike to better account for indirect costs and the potential for a budget override. During the public portion, resident Jonathan Mark praised the new Facilities Director but lamented the town's historical neglect of its assets, saying, I don't know how it's possible to maintain that many buildings with two people. Discussing the beach permit portal, Andrew Marshall admitted, I have had so many problems with it the last couple years. Motion Made by Frank M. Holden to adopt Option 2. Vote Passed 8-0 The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 PM.