HOLDERNESS BOARD OF SELECTMEN
MEETING
December 19, 2005
CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order at 6:05 PM.
PRESENT: Chairman Peter Francesco, Vice-Chairman Sam Laverack, Selectmen Barbara Currier, Suzanne Peoples and Town Administrator Walter Johnson.
ABSENT: Selectman Peter Webster
PAYROLL AND PAYABLES: The Selectmen reviewed and signed payroll and
payables.
Chief Patridge addressed the Board reporting Officer David Bourne reported for his physical agility test today at the NH Police Academy but was unable to complete the test due to a physical condition. Officer Bourne will be scheduled to attend a different academy later this year if his condition improves. Chief also reported he has placed want ads in newspapers seeking a replacement for Officer Vogel. Ads were placed in the NH Union Leader and the Caledonian Record that covers the North Country.
The public meeting was moved upstairs to the meeting hall at 6:35 PM.
MINUTES: Mr. Laverack moved, Mrs. Peoples seconded, and the vote was unanimous (3-0-1, Mrs. Currier abstaining as she was absent from the meeting) to approve the minutes of December 12, 2005 as written.
CORRESPONDENCE FILE:
· Board reviewed and approved a written request from the Squam Lakes Conservation Society for $1000 to help offset survey and legal costs associated with obtaining a conservation easement on the Beij property in Holderness.
· A request from Bruce Bond of the Wauleewan Water Shed Conservation Committee to make a presentation to the Board on a report recently completed on the watershed was referred to the Conservation Committee to coordinate the presentation at a future meeting. A copy of the request letter to go to Mrs. Currier.
· A memo from Conservation Commission Chair Larry Spencer requesting an increase in the proposed 06 Conservation Commission Budget of $2000 to cover the cost of hiring legal counsel when needed. After discussion, it was agreed to have any legal fees for the commission come through the Select Board and funded through the Town’s legal budget and not increase the conservation commission’s budget.
· A letter to the Board from Sid Lovett regarding the wetland off of Butternut Lane was reviewed and discussed. Mr. Lovett’s letter expressed his concerns for protecting all Holderness wetlands with annual inspections by the Conservation Commission.
SIGNATURE FILE. The following items were reviewed and signed:
· Abatement of Property Tax Warrant Numbers: 14-2005 ($5,557.00) and 15-2005 ($79.00).
· Supplement 2005 Fall Property Tax Warrant. ($5,232.00)
· Appointment of Michael Barney as a Holderness Police Officer.
· Intents to Cut Timber for the following properties was signed:
1. Pedigo-Packard, Map 228-41.
2. May etal, Map 250-8.
· the Board noted wetlands may be impacted by both of these timber cuts and copies of the intents are to be forwarded to the Conservation Commission.
OLD BUSINESS
· Review and discussion of the welfare director replacement resumes and applications will be addressed at the end of the meeting in non-public session.
· Modifying the current elderly property tax exemptions was discussed. W. Johnson presented a copy for each Board member a report showing all the exemptions for towns in the state of New Hampshire. After discussion, the Board agreed the subject should be discussed further and instructed Walter Johnson to prepare a report of the possible impact to the tax base if changes were made. It was suggested three scenarios be considered. The matter will be discussed again in January and if changes are agreed a warrant article would be necessary for voters to approve in March.
· For the Boards information, TA Walter Johnson presented a copy of the approved warrant article outlining the process necessary if the Town is to acquire property from Holderness 2000. This process is still necessary even if a warrant article supporting the purchase of the property is approved at Town meeting. It was agreed to begin the hearing process after the first of the year, so all requirements would be complete by March Town meeting. Mr. Johnson will schedule the necessary hearing during the regular Board meetings in January and February.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Chairman Francesco welcomed five civic class students and one teacher from Plymouth Regional High School to the meeting who are observing the functions of the meeting. Chair Francesco gave a brief explanation of the process of the meeting and provided them with copies of the meeting agenda and encouraged them to ask any questions they may have about the process or Town government.
PROPOSED 2006 BUDGET REVIEW. The Board reviewed and discussed several section of the proposed 2006 Town budget prepared by Town Administrator Walter Johnson. The following comments and changes were made:
· Peter Francesco noted a conservation he had with Peter Furmanick regarding the customer fees charged for the disposal of construction and demolition debris (C&D). These fees need to be reviewed and possibly increased to narrow the gap between the revenue and disposal cost.
· A revenue increase in the auto registration fee revenue line by $15,000 to $350,000 was discussed and approved. A question as to why the Town Clerk doesn’t register boats at the Town office was raised.
· The Board discussed and agreed the fire department budget should be changed to reflect the elimination of $2500 from the miscellaneous line that was intended for purchasing dress uniforms.
· The proportionate share of the wage increase for the fire chief/compliance officer should be consistent with the existing split between the two positions.
· Hiring of a meeting minutes recorder for the conservation commission was discussed and recommended.
· It was agreed not to fund the capital reserve fund this year for the grant matching funds.
· It was agreed to include in the budget the full $800 request of the Inter-lakes Day Care.
· It was agreed to include a $1000 to be placed in the White Oak Dam CRF.
· A discussion as to some confusion on the funding to the Conservation Commission CRF and the amount to be funded. It appears the amount is no longer tied to the land use change tax revenue but is simply an appropriation in the budget. $5000 is being proposed for now until further research can be done.
· A request from Harry Decker to add $10,000 to the Honor Roll CRF was added to the budget.
· All other proposed budget items were ok’ed.
After final analysis of the changes in revenue, operating budget, capital outlay and capital reserve funding from 2005 is complete, the Board will make the final budget recommendation to the budget committee. Mr. Johnson will e-mail the analysis to the Board members as soon as possible.
NON-PUBLIC SESSION: At 8:30 PM Mr. Laverack motioned, Mrs. Peoples seconded, and the roll call vote was unanimous to go into non-public session pursuant to RSA 91-A:3,II(a) to discuss a personnel hiring matter and an employee benefit matter.
ROLL CALL VOTE: Currier (Yes), Francesco (Yes), Peoples (Yes) and Laverack (Yes).
ADJOURNMENT FROM NON-PUBLIC SESSION: At 8:50 PM Mrs. Currier moved, Mrs. Peoples seconded, and the vote was unanimous to come out of non-public session. 1.) It was voted Mr. Johnson would schedule interviews with three candidates for the welfare director’s position in the near future. 2.) It was voted all current employee insurance contributions would stay the same, no change for 2006, no matter what coverage they have.
ADJOURNMENT: At 8:55 PM Mr. Francesco moved, Mr. Laverack seconded, and the vote was unanimous to adjourn (4-0 in favor).
Respectfully submitted,
Walter Johnson, Town Administrator
Note: no voice tape of this meeting was made due to the failure of the recording machine.
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