Orange Archive - Select Board 1.22.13

Office of the Select Board

Town of Orange, New Hampshire

Minutes of January 22, 2013

(Regular Select Board meeting followed by a joint meeting with the Budget Committee to discuss 2013 appropriations)

Present: Dorothy Behlen Heinrichs, Betty Fulton, Bob Ells, and Sandi Pierson (clerical).

Others present: Budget Committee members Bob Proulx, Skip Smith, and Tim Connelly; Judith Lindahl, George and Pat White, Scott Sanborn, Sophie Seace, Henry Minasian, Anita Garland, Beth DiFrancesco, Sharon Dunbar, Caitlan Arnold, Barbara Smith, and Sharon Proulx.

Meeting called to order at 7:00 PM.

Minutes:

The minutes of January 8, 2013 were approved as submitted.
The minutes of the joint meeting with the Budget Committee on January 15, 2013 were approved as submitted.

Sander bids: The Board opened the two sealed bids that were received for the town’s used sander. The high bid was $537.00 from JBC Septic and Rentals of Canaan, NH. The Board unanimously approved the bid from JBC. Scott Sanborn will follow up with the pickup of the sander and payment. If the revenue to originally pay for the sander came out of the highway capital reserve, the proceeds would be deposited there. The Select Board will check on this but it is assumed that it was originally purchased out of the operating budget.

Application for abatement: The Board reviewed an abatement application from the David M. Zani Revocable Trust for property he recently purchased at 101 Tuttle Hill Road. Mr. Zani would like the Board to re-assess the value of the house because he feels it is worth much less than the 2010 assessed value. The Board reviewed the assessment card and noted that a considerable portion of the building has been removed by Mr. Zani. Because there is no means to do an accurate assessment of the building as it was prior to April 1, 2012 due to the partial demolition, Dorothy motioned to deny the abatement. Bob seconded. Motion passed unanimously in favor.

The Board affirmed that if Mr. Zani wants to do an abatement next year, what exists as of April 1, 2013 must be appraised. It was unclear if Mr. Zani is demolishing the house or improving it. The Board affirmed that if Mr. Zani plans on tearing down the building, an Application for Demolition must be filed and reviewed and signed by the Building Inspector and the Select Board. If he plans on reconstructing the home, a building permit must be filed. The Board requested Sandi draft a letter for them notifying him of the Board’s decision and requesting he submit an Application for Demolition or Building Permit, whichever is applicable.

Upper Valley Humane Society (UVHS): Judith Lindahl spoke on the current issue of the town having a contract with the UVHS for animal control occurrences. Judith stated that $590 was paid to the UVHS last year per the 2012 open-ended contract for the acceptance of two cats and two dogs. She added that this cost was an anomaly compared to past years, i.e., it is historically much lower. Judith spoke to Spencer Marvin about the town having a flat fee contract of which the town would pay an annual established fee regardless of how many animals are brought there from Orange. Judith stated that Mr. Marvin estimated a flat fee would be $500. Judith recommended budgeting $300 and seeing if they will agree to that. (Mr. Marvin would bring the negotiation to his superior.) Judith recommended including the cost of a contract (regardless if it is a flat fee or per diem) in the general operating budget and not as a warrant article. Judith will follow up with the UVHS if the Board would like her to. The Board agreed and thanked Judith for following up on the contract.

Insurance Ad Hoc Committee: Pat White gave an overview of the Insurance Committee’s research and recommendations. The Insurance Committee was formed at the behest of the Select Board to review the town’s insurances and make recommendations if needed. The committee consisted of Pat White, Pat Mercer, and Judith Lindahl. Pat White reported the following:

Other towns do not require supplementary insurance, called TULIP policies, for non-municipal use of their municipal buildings unless alcohol is being consumed. The LGC affirmed that TULIP policies are their preference but are not necessary. At present the LGC insures the Town House for liability at $5,000,000 per incident with a $1000 deductible depending on circumstances. The Insurance Committee recommends the town not require supplementary TULIP policies.
It is permissible for an employee of Richard Remacle Construction to drive the town’s truck because they have their own Certificate of Liability.
An updated list of mobile highway equipment values was submitted to LGC by the Board’s secretary. The new sander needs to be added. Sandi will get an updated list of highway equipment from Scott and forward it to the LGC. The LGC should be notified of the acquisition of significant “mobile” highway equipment at the time of purchase.
Workman’s Compensation from Primex covers 29 employees of the town with a payroll of $31,603. (All compensated positions in the town are identified by Primex as employees.) Coverage is $2,000,000 coverage per incident.
Updates of officers and employees need to be submitted annually after town elections to LGC and Primex.
Primex affirmed that a Joint Loss Committee is not required in Orange because there are no full time employees.
The Board should begin reviewing safety improvements to the Town House such as stair railings, adequate outside lighting, etc. They should also decide if they need a formal accident reporting process.

The full report of the Insurance Committee and accompanying documentation is available for public review at the Select Board’s office.

Warrant for the collection of taxes: Due to the misspelling of the land owner’s name, the Board signed a corrected copy of the A-5 and A-5W for a Change of Land Use Tax for John and Elizabeth Tylawsky. This was approved last week.

ZeroSort: Dorothy stated that recycling waste has saved the town $3,400 during 2012.

Secretary’s report: Sandi noted the following items:

A property owner’s land was taken out of current use in 2010 by Avitar. A Change of Land Use Tax was not processed nor is it recorded at the Registry of Deeds. The property has a small cabin on it. The Board requested Sandi write the property owner a letter stating that they will be issuing a warrant to the tax collector (A-5 and A-5W) for the collection of the approriate Change of Land Use Tax. The Board will sign the warrant at their February 12 meeting. Bob Proulx stated that the issuance of driveway permits and building permits should be an indication to the Select Board that land may need to be taken out or current use.
The town clerk’s new daytime hours were incorrectly listed in the January 8, 2013 minutes. The town clerk’s extended hours are only on the 4^th Friday of the month. Sandi wrote in the minutes that they were open on Fridays every week. Sandi will notify her “minutes email list” of the correction.
Groton Selectman Miles Sinclair emailed the town to say they were not hosting a joint meeting with neighboring Selectmen on January 31 about the proposed Spruce Ridge Wind Farm project. (Emails from a private party indicated they were.) Miles said the meeting is with a neighboring Board who would like to hear about their experiences with the existing wind farm. At this meeting they will not be entertaining public comment.
The SAU is having an external audit and has requested school payment information from the town.

Other:

The Board thanked Colin Higbea for his donation of a WiFi device for the town clerk’s computer and assisting with the installation and set-up.
Barbara Smith reported that Mr. Brody has been taken ill and was currently in an extended care facility.
Pat White acknowledged the recent passing of Grafton treasurer June Burrington. June was treasurer in Grafton for 42 years and also worked at Canaan Hardware.
Henry thanked the Mileage Committee for their investigative reporting and findings.

Vouchers were signed.

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Joint meeting with the Budget Committee to discuss 2013 appropriations

Prior to the discussion, Bob Proulx motioned to elect Skip Smith as Budget Committee Chair. Tim Connelly seconded. Bob and Tim voted in favor. Skip abstained. Motion passed.

Bob noted that the Budget Committee public hearing will be on Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 7 PM.

The Select Board and Budget Committee reviewed and discussed the proposed appropriations for 2013. They concurred on all categories.

Officers’ Salaries: 2012 appropriation: $18,500. 2012 actual spent: $20,645.35. 2013 recommendation: $22,500. Bob Proulx stated that this category was overspent because the secretary took on more hours after the March elections. Bob stated that the secretary has submitted to the Board and the Budget Committee a number of recommendations from the DRA to update the town’s current use files and elderly and veteran exemptions. The files were found extremely noncompliant by the DRA following their 2005 and 2010 audits. Also needing updating are the numerous inconsistencies of the acreage between the tax map and assessment cards. Sandi Pierson recommended budgeting an additional three hours per week for 41 weeks to embark upon a comprehensive review and rectification. Both the Budget Committee and Select Board unanimously approved the recommendation.
Elections: 2012 appropriation: $3,000. 2012 actual spent: $3,363.22. 2013 recommendation: $900. This category was overspent probably due to the cost of required legal notices. The 2012 appropriation is based on the single election being held in 2013.
Registry of Deeds (Financial Administration): 2012 appropriation: $300. 2012 actual spent: $255.39. 2013 recommendation: $300.
Revaluation of Property: 2012 appropriation: $7,083. 2012 actual spent: $6,102.03. 2013 recommendation: $3000. This is decreased from 2012 because the Avitar software is now paid in full. Along with the 2013 pick-ups, this appropriation covers software support for the Select Board’s office and the tax collector and a field visit.
Legal: 2012 appropriation $5000. 2012 actual spent: $5000. 2013 recommendation: $5000. Attorney Waugh has not increased his retainer fee.
FICA: 2012 appropriation: $2,500. 2012 actual spent: $3,514.39. 2013 recommendation: $3,000. This was overspent in 2012 because it covered five quarters. The treasurer reports that the 2013 appropriation will only need to cover four quarters.
Planning and Zoning: 2012 appropriation: $500. 2012 actual spent: $398.79. 2013 recommendation: $500. Any housing and economic updates that the Planning Board may need is provided at no cost by the Upper Valley – Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission.
General Government Buildings: 2012 appropriation: $6,800. 2012 actual spent: $5,218.29. 2013 recommendation: $5,800. This includes a separate telephone line for the town clerk’s office.
Cemeteries: 2012 appropriation: $3,700. 2012 actual spent: $3,117.09. 2013 recommendation: $4,000. Cemetery Trustee Anita Garland requested $2000 for maintenance (mowing, etc.) and $2000 for stone repairs.
Insurance: 2012 appropriation: $2,800. 2012 actual spent: $2,372.80. 2013 recommendation: $2,500.
Advertising and Memberships: 2012 appropriation: $1,200. 2012 actual spent: $1,251.69. 2013 recommendation: $1,400. This will include association memberships for the town clerk, tax collector, welfare agent, etc. It also includes memberships in the LGC, UVLSRPC, and Association of NH Conservation Commissions.
Officer Expenses: 2012 appropriation: $6,500. 2012 actual spent: $5,316.12. 2013 recommendation: $5,500. This year’s appropriation is lower because there is not expected to be as many training requests.
Police: 2012 appropriation: $1.00. 2012 actual spent: $0.00. 2013 recommendation: $1.00. The town is covered by the state police at no cost. Bob said he thought the state police provided great coverage. It was recommended the Select Board invite a representative from the state police to attend town meeting. George White spoke in favor of the preventive crime measures previously provided by former Chief Ware.
Ambulance: 2012 appropriation: $3,500. 2012 actual spent: $3,500. 2013 recommendation: $3,675. This amount is determined by the Canaan FAST squad.
Fire: 2012 appropriation: $10,967. 2012 actual spent: $10,967. 2013 recommendation: $10,989. This amount is determined by the town of Canaan.
Building Inspector: 2012 appropriation: $600. 2012 actual spent: $855.55. 2013 recommendation: $900. This category was overspent due to the increased building permit activity.
Emergency Management: 2012 appropriation: $300. 2012 actual spent: $0.00. 2013 recommendation: $300.
Highway: 2012 appropriation: $100,000. 2012 actual spent: $85,509.23. 2013 recommendation: $98,000. Road Agent Scott Sanborn submitted an itemized 2013 proposed budget of $97,200. He said there is $96,000 remaining from FEMA to be used for the general improvement to the infrastructure of the roads; $65,000 of this is committed to paving. This revenue will decrease town funding of pavement repairs and road improvements. Dorothy spoke in favor of setting the highway budget at $98,000 in order to increase the “storm clean-up” category from $1000 to $2000. The Budget Committee and other Board members concurred. Bob commended Scott on his proposed budget.
Solid Waste: 2012 appropriation: $29,000. 2012 actual spent: $32,167.52. 2013 recommendation: $33,000.
Health Agencies: 2012 appropriation: $3,800. 2012 actual spent: $4,529.50. 2013 recommendation: $4,200. In 2012 this included the unanticipated expenditures of animal control issues and AED training. The health agencies supported by this category are all being level funded in 2013.
Welfare: 2012 appropriation: $3,000. 2012 actual spent: $1,461. 2013 recommendation: $3000. Welfare Agent Pat Mercer sent the Budget Committee an email recommending level funding.
Library: 2012 appropriation: $4000. 2012 actual spent: $4000. 2013 recommendation: $4000.
Culture and Recreation: 2012 appropriation: $350. 2012 actual spent: $0.00. 2013 recommendation: $350. It was assumed that supplies for functions at the town house were coming out of the organization’s own account.
Timber Harvest Monitor: 2012 appropriation: $1.00. 2012 actual spent: $0.00. 2013 recommendation: $1.00. This is a service already provided by the DRA at no cost.
Conservation Commission (OCC): 2012 appropriation: $500. 2012 actual spent: $0.00. 2013 recommendation: $315. In 2012, the OCC membership was paid for out of the membership category. The same will be done in 2013.
Tax Anticipation Note: 2012 appropriation: $0.00. 2013 recommendation: $2,200. This has not been part of the budget in the past. Treasure Tessa Michetti previously recommended that it be included. The appropriation is based on the line of credit projection for 2013.
Capital Outlay/Town House: 2012 appropriation: $2,500. 2012 actual spent: $0.00. 2013 recommendation: $4,500. It was agreed that a number of safety improvements need to be addressed as well as a professional cleaning in the Select Board’s office and hallway. Due to rodent activity and possible mold, cleaning needs to be done professionally.
CAPITAL RESERVE RECOMMENDATIONS (SEPARATE WARRANT ARTICLES)
Highway Equipment: 2012: $1,000. 2013: $2,000. Scott said the town truck is running fine and does not anticipate it needing to be replaced in the near future.
Town House: 2012: $2,000. 2013: $1,000. Funding for the Town House emergency generator ( a Homeland Security matching grant) is expected to come out of this fund. The agent to expend from this capital reserve is the Select Board.
Revaluation: 2012: $1,000. 2013: $3,000. This appropriation was increased in anticipation of the 2015 town-wide revaluation. It is expected to cost about $22,000.
Town Roads: 2012: $1,000. 2013: $1,000.
Document Preservation: 2012: $500. 2013: $500.
Cemetery: 2012: $500. 2013: $500. It was affirmed there needed to be an article on the 2013 warrant naming the agents that will have the authority to expend from this capital reserve. Betty recommended the Select Board not be the agents. They will ask Attorney Waugh if the agents can be someone other than the Board or voting body.

(Anticipated revenue figures will be reviewed and discussed at the February 12, 2013 Select Board meeting.)

Meeting adjourned 9:30 PM

Respectfully submitted,

Sandi Pierson

______________________ ______________________ ______________________

Dorothy Behlen Heinrichs Betty Fulton Robert Ells