Orange Archive

Office of the Select Board

Town of Orange, New Hampshire

Minutes of January 8, 2019

Present: Dorothy Heinrichs, Chair; Robert Ells, Tamara Fairbank, and Sandi Pierson (clerical).Others present: Bev Ells, Scott Sanborn, and Bob Proulx
Meeting opened at 6 PM. Attendance taken by the secretary.
Minutes: The minutes of December 27, 2018 were approved.

Highway: Road Agent Scott Sanborn met with the Board for a preliminary discussion about road paving. Scott asked the Board if they wanted to consider a bond issue in the amount of $200,000 which would allow for the repaving of all sections of paved roads in Orange except for Tuttle Hill and Cross Road (both resurfaced in 2013) and the Orange section of Razor Hill Road (resurfaced this year). Scott said that Orange has a total of about 1.75 miles of paved section of road. Scott recommends that the approximate $37,000 in the Town Roads Capital Reserve Fund be reserved for extra site preparation and the subsequent finishing of shoulders upon the completion of paving. The figures Scott presented were based on a preliminary quote from Blaktop.

Scott submitted a rough estimation on the financial impact to the town for a bond. A five-year term at 2.5% interest (the current rate), including a $30,000 debt service reserve would result in five annual payments of $48,408. A ten-year term at 3% (the current rate) would result in ten annual payments of $25,956.

Scott stated that there has been discussion about the need for the project over the past few years. He said that even though they are not presently at a critical point, as each year passes, the existing pavement continues to disintegrate, preparation work increases, and the price of paving increases. An alternative would be to address key areas each year, paid for out of the municipal budget.

Bob Proulx noted that a bond issue is by paper ballot at town meeting and requires a two-thirds majority vote. The Board is required to hold a public hearing on a bond issue prior to town meeting. After discussion, the Board concurred that they would hold a public hearing to get the townspeople consensus if they want a paving bond issue on the 2019 warrant. They scheduled the public hearing for Wednesday, February 13 in conjunction with the budget public hearing. Bob Proulx said that he would post the hearings and notice them in the Valley News. Scott will contact the Mascoma Savings Bank for specific rates and terms prior to the hearing.

The Board thanked Scott for gathering the information about the paving and its cost.

Budget: Budget Committee Secretary Bob Proulx met with the Board to discuss the timeline to draft the 2019 municipal budget. He said that Sandi has already prepared and given him the 2018financial reports from the Select Board’s office. He will have copies of these for Budget

Committee members and the Select Board for them to review prior to the budget meetings, as well as budget summaries, a preliminary copy of the MS-7, 2018 revenue report, and capital reserve balances. After discussion, the Board and Bob concurred on the following schedule:

•   January 22 at 6 PM (following the regular Select Board business): Recommend 2019 appropriations for the municipal budget line items and capital reserve funds. Approximate 2019 revenues.

•   January 26 at 6 PM: Meet if needed to complete above tasks.

•   February 12 at 6 PM: Meet if needed.

•   February 13 at 7 PM: Public Hearing on the budget and highway bond issue.

  Town meeting:

•   Tuesday, March 12, 11 AM to 7 PM: Voting for town officers and any ballot questions.

•   Wednesday, March 13 at 7 PM: Traditional town meeting, preceded by a pot luck supper at 5 PM.

  The Board thanked Bob for developing the budget schedule and preparing the reports.

  Correspondence: The Board reviewed and signed a letter notifying Dena Aitken that, per the opinion of legal counsel, they cannot remove her name from property ownership until a deeded transference is recorded at the Grafton County Registry of Deeds.

  Treasurer position: The Board reviewed a letter from Deputy Treasurer Trish Weekes regarding the annual stipend of the treasurer. It is anticipated that the current treasurer, Tessa Michetti, is not running for treasurer in 2019. Trish wrote that she plans on running for the treasurer’sposition and that Tessa has agreed to assume the position of Deputy. Because Trish, if elected, will be taking on a substantial increase in duties as treasurer, she asked that the Board consider increasing the stipend by $300, in order to be equitable to other officer stipends. Presently thetreasurer’s annual stipend is $1,425.00. Trish wrote that during 2018 she collected $1,552 in salary as deputy treasurer, but the salary for that position is anticipated to decrease substantially because Tessa will assume considerably less tasks. Even with the $300 increase, Trish noted, the combined salary will decrease.

  Tamara stated that she was on the 2016 salary committee that drafted the current stipends. She said that when they established the treasurer’s and deputy treasure’s salaries, they took into account that the deputy treasurer was assuming the majority of work. Tamara said that now that the officers are switching roles, if Trish is elected as treasurer, and the degree of work hours are significantly changing, she recommends that the Board approve an increase, and to round it off to $1,800. Bob Ells and Dorothy agreed and will propose the recommendation to the Budget Committee. Bob Proux said that speaking as one member of the Budget Committee, he feels the increase is justified.

  Animal control: The Board reviewed and signed the annual contract with the Upper Valley Humane Society at a cost of $300, which is the same as last year. Dorothy stated that she appreciates that Judith Lindahl originally negotiated the significant decrease in the annual cost of the contract.

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Supplemental Intent to Cut: The Board reviewed and signed a Supplemental Intent to Cut for Mildred Davis and Nils Hansen/Route 4/Map 1, Lot 47. This lists additional timber to be cut than what was shown on the original application.

Auditor: Dorothy said she spoke with Bruce Ells about the possibility of him and Catherine assuming the roles of town auditor. Bruce said he will speak to Catherine about it. Dorothy to follow up.

Other:

•   A letter from Avitar was reviewed regarding the 2016 Fairpoint settlement of $977. Fairpoint reported to Avitar that the settlement has not yet been paid by the town. Documentation was sent to Fairpoint and Avitar showing that the settlement was paid as an abatement of 2016 property taxes, an option specified in the settlement agreement.

•   A copy of an application from Eversouce Energy to the NH Department of Environmental Services was received. Eversource requests to maintain their right-of-way corridors, which will include cyclical maintenance of undesirable woody vegetation with track-mounted mowing equipment and tree trimming or removal with a rubber tired skidder-mounted bucket vehicle. Maps of the Eversource corridors are available for review at the Select Board’s office.

  Secretary’s report:

•   Tax Collector Sharon Proulx has submitted her 2018 report (MS-61) and it has been uploaded on the DRA web portal.

•   Young’s Propane is scheduled to reset the propane tank on Wednesday.

•   Sandi said she spoke with the Orange Historical Commission meeting about a joint,

  community program. The outcome was that she and Gary Hamel would present a “cabin fever” slideshow in conjunction with a potluck supper on February 23. The slide show would be an arrangement of photographs from both the Conservation Commission and Historical Commission. This will give the townspeople a sample of what will be includedin the Natural Resources Inventory and the first volume of the town’s history book, bothpublications expected to be presented at town meeting.

  Reports from other Boards and Committees:

 The Conservation Commission will meet on Thursday, January 10 at 6 PM.Public comment: n/a

Bills and vouchers were reviewed and signed. Meeting adjourned 7:00 PM.

_________________________ _______________________ Dorothy Behlen Heinrichs Robert Ells

________________________ Tamara Fairbank

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