Office of the Select Board
Town of Orange, New Hampshire
Minutes of January 9, 2018
Present: Dorothy Heinrichs, Chair; Robert Ells, Skip Smith, and Sandi Pierson (clerical)
Others present: Bev Ells and Bob Proulx
Meeting opened at 6 PM. Attendance taken by the secretary.
Minutes: The minutes of December 27, 2017 were unanimously approved.
Canaan Trash facility: The Board signed a three-year contract with Canaan to use their transfer station beginning in 2018. A draft of the contract was reviewed and approved on December 27. The cost for 2018, based on the number of Orange households expected to use the facility, is $14,045.00.
Abatement: A $10.00 abatement to the Tax Collector was signed for Wade and Veralisa Reed as approved on December 12, 2017. The Board had abated the inventory penalty because the Reeds did not own the Paisley property when the inventory forms were mailed out. It was clarified that this was an abatement and not a refund of taxes paid. The Reeds returned the $10 check inadvertently sent to them as a refund.
Intent to Cut: The Board reviewed and signed an Intent to Cut for Marvin and Helen Rocke/191 Cardigan Mountain Road/ Map 3, Lot 60. Walter Buckwold will do the logging.
2018 Budget: Budget Committee Secretary Bob Proulx came before the Board to establish a timeline for joint meetings to draft the 2018 budget. The first meeting will be on Tuesday, January 23, 2018 directly following the 6 PM Select Board meeting. If a second meeting is necessary, it will be on February 13 directly following the 6 PM Select Board meeting. The public hearing for the budget will be on February 15 at 7 PM with an inclement weather date of Friday, February 16. Ballot voting is on Tuesday, March 13 between 11 AM and 7 PM and traditional town meeting is on Wednesday, March 14 at 7 PM.
US Census: The Board was in receipt of the annual Building and Zoning survey from the US Census Bureau, Department of Commerce. Sandi will fill it out and return it.
Elderly exemption: Dorothy asked the Board members to consider a warrant article that would increase the minimum income limit for the eligibility for an elderly exemption. Currently it is $17,000 per annum for a single person and $29,000 for a couple. The Board tabled the discussion until they review the current income limits of other municipalities.
Plowing: The Board revisited a resident’s request to regularly plow a spot on the side of the road so the person will have a place to park while plowing the driveway. Skip said he did not think the Board should set a precedent for the town to do complementary plowing for a particular residence.
Parcel assessment: Skip recapped that the Board wanted to revisit the Standard Mine property issue in 2018 regarding if the whole of the property is one or two lots. The question is if the encumbrance of a town road through the property automatically created more than one lot. Skip said they should begin by looking at other properties in town that have similar circumstances. The Board agreed to begin the follow-up by examining other properties.
Other:
The Board was in receipt of the 2017 Tax Collector’s report.
The Board was in receipt of the 2017 Treasurer’s report and year-end Select Board voucher register. The reconciliation was exact.
The Chair reviewed and signed off on a number of monthly treasurer reports and Select Board balance sheets for verification of reconciliation.
A notice was received from Primex that the $977.88 workman’s comp bill will be paid from an ongoing credit balance.
Secretary’s report:
The Deputy Treasurer reports that the laptop computer (owned by the town) has been having problems. The Board concurred that it should be brought to Systems Plus to be remedied.
Sandi will contact Bernie Waugh to request the cost of the 2018 retainer.
Reports from other Boards and Committees: n/a
Public comment: n/a
Bills and vouchers were reviewed and signed.
Meeting adjourned 6:30 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Sandi Pierson
_________________________ _______________________ ________________________
Dorothy Behlen Heinrichs Robert Ells Lyell Smith