Board of Selectmen’s Meeting

Minutes of February 6, 2006

Selectmen: Robert C. Flanders, Chairman

Peter N. Miller

Frank S. Michel

Town Manager: Carol M. Granfield

Administrative Assistant: Wynette DeGroot

Call to Order: Chairman Flanders called the meeting to order at 5:35 PM.

Roll Call: Chairman Robert Flanders, Peter Miller, Frank Michel, Carol Granfield, Wynette DeGroot

06 - 03 ACCEPTANCE AND APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES

Minutes of January 9, 2006 Board of Selectmen Meeting, January 4, 2006 Water Quality Meeting, January 6, 2006 Workshop, January 13, 2006 Workshop, Non-Public January 17, 2006

Frank Michel motioned to accept the minutes of January 23, 2006 Board of Selectmen Meeting and January 30, 2006 Workshop, as presented. Peter Miller seconded. Unanimous vote.

TOWN MANAGERS REPORT:

· Candidates filing for office include:

Selectmen -Three Year Term - Two Openings

GERALD W BROOKS

PETER R BROTHERS

ROBERT C FLANDERS

COLETTE WORSMAN

Selectmen - One-Year Term - Two Openings Miller C Lovett

Charles WH Lowth III

Moderator - Two Year Term- One Opening Louis Kahn

Library Trustees

Three-Year Term-Four Openings Paul S Eldridge

J Duncan McNeish III

Jay Plyler

Joseph “Jay” P Tivnan

There were “NO” filings for Trustee of the Trust Funds or Supervisor of the Checklist

· Candidates Night – February 23, at 7:00 pm at the Police Station. This will be a questions and answer format with Ralph Lossee as Moderator. Anyone who would like to send questions to Carol Granfield for the candidates may send them to 41 Main Street or email to Carol at cgranfield@meredithnh.org, There will be the opportunity for people to ask questions that evening also.

· Community Center – Moving along according to schedule. The Climbing Wall has been installed and the flooring is being done this week.

· Police Station – Several presentations are scheduled for various civic groups. If you would like to have a presentation, Please contact Kevin Morrow of the Meredith Police. The new taping for “Experience the Magic of Meredith” features the new Police Station that can be viewed on LRPA.

· Revaluation – Letters will be sent in February for those non-waterfront properties who have not had interior inspections done on their property by Vision. Letters will also be sent at the end of June with projected values. Hearings will be conducted after the projected value letters are sent.

· Board of Selectmen Schedule – Next Monday, February 13^th, the Board will have their meeting due to the President’s Day Holiday on the following Monday. The meeting will be at the regular time of 5:30 here at the Police Station.

· Signage at Town Docks and Waukewan Docks – Public Works has provided signs at the Town Docks and at the Waukewan launch area indicating thin ice; pass at own risk.

· Peter Miller had a follow-up question to the Candidates Night regarding letters to be sent to the candidates. Carol responded she would be sending letters. Frank mentioned the School Board has a few open positions, which most likely will be write-ins.

VISITORS’ AND RESIDENTS’ COMMENTS:

Pat Mack had questions regarding the bubblers at the Town Docks – Carol responded indicating that Joe Dever handles the aquatherms at the docks to kept them in tact. The Rotary and the Town work closely with Joe to ensure the operation of the aquatherms. Further discussion regarding the temperatures and the need to have colder than 50-degree weather to make ice and that there is no risk to the docks until the ice is of a certain thickness.

Bob Hill indicated he made a request to Mill Falls to open the dam because Waukewan is at flood stage.

SELECTMEN’S COMMENTS (Reports on Committees 2^nd meeting each month)

NEW BUSINESS:

06 – 06 Public Hearing

Bob Flanders opened the Public Hearing session at 6:52 pm. Seconded by Frank Michel.

The first part of this hearing is a continuation of the 2006 budget continued from January 9, 2006.

Frank reviewed the previous meeting including:

o Addition of $16,000 for mosquito testing

o $2,500 for Waukewan Watershed project

o $14000 to $15000 for the SRO position

The budget was not accepted at the rate of an 8.84% increase.

Peter Miller reiterated the fact that the Board of Selectmen made an appeal to the School Board to assist with the cost of the SRO.

Frank further explained the budget of $11,619,434 does not include revenue offsets. Also the net assessed value will change in October with the new valuations.

Bob Flanders stated that an 8.84% increase is not acceptable.

Peter Miller made a motion to delete the $16,000 for mosquito testing and the $2,500 line item in Planning & Zoning for the Waukewan Watershed. Frank seconded.

A vote was taken. All in favor. Unanimous.

Frank reviewed the pie chart Brenda had created depicting the areas. See Addendum I

Comments from the public:

Peter Russell asked what Brenda’s revised numbers are for the net.

Brenda responded that it would be a thirty-one cent (.31) increase. (Per thousand based on last year.)

That, to Peter, is the most important number to look at.

Karen Sticht, Tracy Way asked if all Warrant Articles are included in the final amount of the budget.

Bob responded that all are included.

Frank asked what the percentage is at with the $16,000 and the $2,500 taken our. Brenda responded the percentage is now at 8.66%.

Bob commented – We have worked the budget as prudently as we could especially with the Community Center coming on line in this budget.

Pat Mack asked if the $75,000 - Open Space Conservation is going to Fund 5 and the Current Use Penalty tax going towards the same thing? Bob responded that both are going to Conservation, one is going to Fund 5 (Open Space Penalty money) and the other is going to the expendable Trust Fund

Peter Miller explained the ETF is controlled by the Selectmen, and Fund 5 is controlled by Conservation with dialogue with the Board of Selectmen. Both monies could go toward open space protection or defraying the cost of a gift of land. Fund 5 money has a greater variety of uses; some most likely in 06 and 07 will go toward picking up part of the cost of the Natural Resource Inventory.

The Current Use Penalty (up to the first $50,000) goes to the Conservation. Without any action by the Town, the rest goes to the General Fund. The amount of $318,000 billed is not like any year we have seen before. There is a Warrant Article this year pertaining to the excess over $50,000.

Pat indicated that this may be where cuts could be taken. Bob explained that the fund is depleted due to the purchase of Longridge and Eames and the fund needs to be rebuilt.

Karen questioned last year’s Town Meeting and the use of funds for Conservation.

Peter Miller responded the voters authorized the Conservation to receive $50,000 from Current Use Penalty tax. He believes last year the voters approved $25,000 to the Conservation Open Space Expendable Trust Fund. The CIP had recommended $50,000 which was cut in half to $25,000 and that’s what went to the voters to be approved.

Peter Miller reviewed that to a degree, we are attempting to move toward a “User Base” and less toward a general taxation base. The increase in building fees & transfer station fees are examples of that. The intent of the shift, within reasonable limits, is to shift costs to users instead of onto the taxpayers. Frank also indicated the shift of the percentage from 50% to put a larger amount onto the user (60%).

Karen questioned one of the Regional Associations, the Red Cross, asking if the money stays locally. Carol explained they have to provide information as to what they do for the community locally.

Peter Russell asked if the Town had any projections on the Current Use Penalties for the coming year.

Peter Miller responded all but $4,000 that was billed in 05 was paid in 05. Totally driven by development. Bob spoke of the one project in the “system” already – we don’t know of any other larger projects at this time.

Further Action by the Board –

Frank spoke to the Conservation dollars and the Meredith quality of life dictates that we continuously fund the preservation of the character of Meredith.

Bob Flanders wants to residents to see how difficult the budget was this year; the Department requested budget totaled a 16.67% increase, the Town Managers budget was an 11.51% increase and the Board of Selectmen is at an 8.66%. None of the budgets had any foolishness in them. Meredith is growing at a fast rate, 111 new homes built in Town. All this growth means more service.

Frank Michel moved to accept the bottom line for 2006 Town of Meredith budget in the amount of $11,600,934. Seconded by Peter Miller.

Peter commented that each of the four work sessions lasted approximately 4 hours with much tweaking done. The Board slashed considerably. Further cuts would hurt the Town.

Discussion took place regarding the Police Station in relation to the CIP, and one of the issues was that CIP did not have the final cost estimates at the time of the CIP budget, which is why the CIP asked to have the Police Station put off until 2007. This week on Wednesday, there will be final costs for the Police Station. If we could have had all of the information ready at the end of the summer, Bob feels the CIP would have recommended the Police Station going forward.

The interest rates increasing and the rates of increases in construction costs, could translate, if we wait one year, into a higher cost of between $200,000 and one-half a million dollars, a 20% hit to wait one year.

Frank explained the wisdom of the CIP Committee, purchasing the Fire Truck, which was not going to be ordered for two or three years. The Fire Department will be funded for a pumper truck instead of a ladder truck. (Which was deleted from the CIP.)

Our Town saw it fit to fund a 4.6 million dollar Community Center, one year prior to the Space Needs Committee coming out with a report indicating the need for a Police Station.

Peter Miller – If the proposed bond article is too much, the voters will let us know. What sold Peter is the cost savings if we move ahead this year.

Motion on the floor, Call for a vote; All in favor. Motion passed.

Warrant Articles – Draft of Warrant Articles are attached as Addendum II

Article 1 – All in agreement

Article 2 – Proposed Zoning Change – No discussion

Article 3 – Overlay district for the Waukewan Watershed (to protect the water) – No discussion

Article 4 – Police Station ($2,425,000), which the number will change on Wednesday.

Pat Mack – no argument that the Police Station is necessary, however she feels we should go for a year to see the real costs of the Community Center.

Dave Sticht – questioned the sale of the present Police Station. Bob responded to the value the Assessor has placed on the building, Pat questioned keeping the building.

Bob Flanders – discussed the need for a Master Plan for the entire PW facility.

Peter Russell asked about the snow dump and where it would be relocated to – Bob responded that there are locations being looked at. Carol - One location is Jenness Hill, which would need to have some work done, that is already in this year’s budget.

Article 5 – Current Land Use Change Penalty – additional money above $50,000, (in the amount of $264,610) and apply to the cost of the Police Station to reduce indebtedness.

Peter Russell suggests for article 5 & 6 not have just to reduce the bond issue, Peter’s recommendation is to add in or pay into the Police Station ETF. Rather than chance losing it all, add in paying it into the ETF.

Carol will check into the wording.

Dave Sticht asked what if we funded the entire 2.4 million in one year? ($1.43 per thousand, adding to where we are at right now with .31would put us at approximately $1.75 per thousand)

Article 6 – To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $500,000 from the Town’s General Fund for the purpose of reducing debt incurred on Article 4.

Peter Miller requested adding a clause; the amount shall not exceed the income realized from the sale of the existing Police Station. Bob does not feel that would work. Discussion ensued.

Article 7 – Water Treatment Facility Expansion purchase of land in the amount of $50,000 coming out of Fund Balance is because it will be “Town Owned Property”.

Article 8 – Elderly Exemption raise the amounts – This was increased about two years ago and we are still significantly lower that the other communities. This is more in line for the elderly. There are asset limits. (Explanation will be included.)

Article 9 – Disabled Exemption that would take effect April 1.

Article 10- Petitioned Article – Keyser Road

Article 11 Housekeeping regarding when the Town took over the cemetery. Official action needs to be taken.

Article 12 – Feltham Property designation to Town Forest Land.

Dave Sticht – What recourse do we have if the Conservation Commission changes over the years and does not cooperate with the Town? The Board of Selectmen appoints the Conservation Commission members, which hopefully would ensure that is not a possibility. Frank – possibility of taking the entire parcel out of town forest if necessary.

Pat Mack questioned why do we turn it over to Conservation Commission? Peter Miller explained the reasons to make the property functional and useful.

Pat also inquired of the watershed concerns of this property flowing into the watershed. Bob stated the piece considered for the snow dump would be separated by much more land mass.

Article 13 – Expendable Trust Fund – Water system improvement and the need incorporate some of the dollars to cover the “soft” costs. Dave spoke to the water system and the sewer system needs for improvement. This is the beginning to take a pragmatic approach – to build up the nest egg.

Article 14 – Fire Department Expendable Trust $100,000

Article 15- Discussion on the $75,000 Open Space

Article 16 - $75,000 for the Fire Department land building fund, again to help cover the soft costs including the engineering and design costs. This will bring the ETF up to $200,000.

Article 17 - $25,000 into the Disinfection Fund

Article 18 - $60,000 to improve various town roads that are eligible for the two to one match (the town would raise $20,000 and the State would match $40,000)

Article 19 - $60,000 to construct restrooms at Waukewan Beach. Eligible for two to one matching funds –

Article 20 – (The DRA requires the Warrant to read that Articles 13 through 19 stand alone on their own.) To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Eleven Million Two Hundred Fifteen Thousand Nine Hundred Thirty Four Dollars ($11,215,934) for the necessary operational expenses of the Town for the ensuing year’s budget. This sum does not include all of the amounts raised and appropriated in previous warrant articles.

The Public Hearing for the Water Ordinance Rates and Fees began at 8:55 pm

Based on input and modification made after a workshop, this is the final document for review and approval

Frank highlighted the document- A very complete, comprehensive document. The document protects the Town for the distribution of water, and the ability for the Board of Selectmen and the Town Manager to declare an emergency.

This also gives the Planning and Zoning Department the means to, if the proposed development exceeds more than 10% of the available capacity, the project could be subject to denial.

Bob Hill reiterated the importance of the ability of the Town Manager and / or the Board of Selectmen to declare an emergency. Definitions clarified.

Frank Michel reviewed that this sets up a formula and a framework.

Frank Michel motioned to accept the Meredith Water Department Water Use Ordinance as presented by the Water Department in concert with SEA Consultants as just discussed. Seconded by Peter Miller. To go into effective 30 days from today. All in favor. Unanimous.

Bob Hill addressed the Water Rates. Brenda Vittner and Bob after careful and conscious calculations developed a tiered rate.

One of the key elements is to conserve, especially high users.

Brenda discussed the difference from prior years; this approach begins reading from zero (0).

Bob Flanders – There has not been a change in the rates for 15 years.

Brenda reviewed the 2006 budget factored in 605 of current debt at least to cover that expense for 06.

Bob Flanders stated that this should take us toward building the infrastructure necessary.

Frank stated that the need for public education and conservation.

Peter Miller spoke to the taxpayer’s shift of the cost to the users.

Bob Flanders said this is the first step.

The rates to be effective for the second quarter billing.

Peter Miller moved that we accept the proposed 2006 Water Rate increases as presented to the Board by Bob Hill and Brenda Vittner, effective May 1^st, 2006. Frank seconded. All in favor, passed unanimously.

Access Fees and other charges

Discussion on increasing the charge of the access fee to $2,000.

Peter Miller moved to accept with the understanding the access fee be $2,000. Seconded by Bob Flanders. Vote taken, Peter Miller and Bob Flanders in favor. Frank Michel opposed.

Frank Michel motioned to close the Public Hearing at 10:03 pm. Seconded by Peter Miller. Public Hearing closed by a unanimous vote.

Frank Michel motioned to adjourn the regular Board of Selectmen’s meeting at 10:05 pm. Peter seconded. All in favor. Motion passed.

Respectfully submitted,

_____________________________ _____________________________

Carol M. Granfield, Town Manager Robert C. Flanders, Chairman

_________________________ _____________________________

Wynette DeGroot, Administrative Assistant Peter N. Miller

_____________________________

Frank S. Michel

Addendum I

Addendum II

FINAL DRAFT 2006 Meredith Town Warrant

State of New Hampshire

TO THE INHABITANTS OF MEREDITH QUALIFIED TO VOTE IN TOWN AFFAIRS:

You are hereby notified to meet at Flagship Room at the Chase House, 312 Daniel Webster Highway, in said Town on the second Tuesday of March next March 14, 2006,

from 7:00 AM until 7:00 PM for the casting of ballots;

and at 7:00 PM Wednesday, March 15, 2006, at the Inter-Lakes Junior/Senior High School Gymnasium, 1 Laker Lane, in said Town to act on Articles 4 through 20:

BALLOT ARTICLES TO BE ACTED UPON:

ARTICLE 1

To bring your ballots for:

Two (2) Selectman for three (3) years

One (1) Selectman for one (1) year

One (1) Moderator for two (2) years

One (1) Trustee of Trust Funds for three (3) years

One (1) Supervisor of the Checklist for six (6) years

Four (4) Library Trustees for three (3) years

ARTICLE 2

Are you in favor of the adoption of Amendment No. 1 as proposed by the planning board for the town zoning ordinance as follows: Create three new Zoning Districts, called the Route 3 Commercial District (C3), the Village Residential District (VR), and the Village District (V), and change the Official Zoning Map to reflect the new districts. In addition, the amendments make certain changes to the tables of uses applicable to all Zoning Districts in town, and add a number of new and changed definitions to the Zoning Ordinance?

ARTICLE 3

Are you in favor of the adoption of Amendment No. 2 as proposed by the planning board for the town zoning ordinance as follows: Create the “Lake Waukewan Watershed Overlay District” and establish a two (2) acre, minimum lot size/ dwelling unit density requirement in the district. Where the minimum lot size or density required in any existing, underlying district is greater than the two (2) acre minimum, the more restrictive shall apply?

DELIBERATIVE SESSION

ARTICLE 4

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate an amount not to exceed the sum of Two Million, Four Hundred Twenty Five Thousand Dollars ($2,425,000) (gross budget) for the construction and original equipping of a Police Station Facility, and to authorize the issuance of not more than $2,425,000 of bonds or notes in accordance with the provisions of the Municipal Finance Act, RSA 33; further, to authorize the Board of Selectmen to fix the date, maturities, denominations, the interest rate and other details of said bonds or notes, and to authorize Board of Selectmen to make a temporary loan or loans in anticipation of the funds to be derived from the sale of such bonds or notes, pursuant to RSA 33:7-a; finally, to authorize the Board of Selectmen to apply for, accept and expend any public or private grants or contributions that may be available in aid of the project.

(Passage requires affirmative vote of two-thirds present and voting)