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Minutes of Deliberative Session 02/05/2008

February 14th, 2008

TOWN OF CARROLL

DELIBERATIVE SESSION MEETING MINUTES

FEBRUARY 5, 2008

Moderator McQueeney called the meeting to order at 7 PM with the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag and a moment of silence for our friends and neighbors who passed away in the past year.

The Moderator introduced Bonnie Moroney, Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, Allen Strasser, Selectman, Rena Vecchio, Selectwoman, John Birknes, the Chairman of the Planning Board, Becki Pederson, Town Clerk, Susan Kraabel, Administrative Assistant, John Trammell, Chief of Police, Jeff Duncan, Chief of the Fire Department, Billy Rines, Road Agent, the Budget Committee, and explained the rules of the meeting.


Article 1. Election of Town Officers

Selectman: Three year term Christopher Hancock

Treasurer: One year term Susan Kraabel

Supervisor of Checklist: Two year term Sabrina Rines

Supervisor of Checklist: Six year term Edward W. Martin
Joan C. Buddington

Trustee of Trust Funds: Three year term Linda Dowling

Library Trustee: Three year term Joan C. Buddington
John Gardiner

Moderator: Two year term Ben Jellison

Cemetery Trustee: Two year term Roberta McGee

Cemetery Trustee: Three year term Edward W. Martin






PLANNING BOARD ARTICLES FOR 2008 WARRANT
(TOWN OF CARROLL)

Article 2 Discussion. John Birknes said with 6 members in attendance, the Board had voted unanimously for this ordinance. Existing lighting will be grandfathered. This article would only affect new or changed existing lighting. With all the new growth coming to town this would protect light trespass. Al Strasser commented about other places he had been that were dark sky towns. George Saffian expressed that people would like to show off their establishments with lights, and Mr. Birknes said the 45 degree angle of lights will allow people to show a building.

Article 2 will appear as written on the official ballot.

Article 3 Discussion. Mr. Birknes said a six member committee met on January 3 and January 15 to create and approve the language of this ordinance that was presented at the Planning Board Public Hearing on January 16, 2008. Attorneys for both the Mt. Washington Resort and the Town of Carroll were present at the writing sessions. Mr. Birknes said this Overlay District is located at the base of the ski mountain, and provisions in the ordinance would affect no other area of Bretton Woods or the Town of Carroll. This would allow a more dense concentration of buildings in the proposed Pedestrian Village and free up open space in other areas of development in Bretton Woods. The village would be an attraction for people year round. Charles Adams from the resort was allowed to speak and invited everyone to the public meeting being held Wednesday, February 6 at the town hall for further details on the impact of a village. They wish to construct 2-3 story structures with mixed uses (office or retail space on the first floor and residences on the second floor) and under the existing zoning these buildings cannot be built. This village would create more jobs for this area, increase business traffic in town, and increase property tax revenue. Mr. Adams said concerned townspeople are not giving fair credit to the Planning and Zoning Boards. They will not lose control.

Evan Karpf, who helped write the ordinance, said while he is in favor of a village, he voted against the ordinance at the board Public Hearing, mainly because of the lack of a height restriction. Portions of letters from abutters and other Bretton Woods residents were read. The letters expressed their concerns about the district, mostly regarding the height issue. They raised safety issues and the impact of taller buildings on present and future views and how property values would be affected. Lee Hallquist expressed his support of the village concept, but spoke against the precedent that would be set for designating an area with relaxed zoning provisions. Mr. Birknes suggested if the ordinance had a cap on the height, such as 4 stories, it would welcome someone to build at that height. He said even with the ordinance change, the only height guaranteed would be 33 ft., and per Atty. Bernie Waugh, the ordinance protects scenic views. Pat Corso spoke about zoning changes since World War II, and said as a result of these zoning changes, it’s difficult to duplicate a New England village. Present zoning does not allow street parking, mixed use of buildings, and alleyways, and the typical pitched roof can easily cause a 2 story building to exceed 33 ft. He said this village will create jobs and if the ordinance doesn’t pass, it will mean a delay for a year in their plans. Arthur Viens spoke in support of the ordinance, saying we have a company here that has potential to bring jobs to Coos County. Joan Karpf answered questions about the open space in developments. She said it was decided 20 years ago how much open space there would be in the Bretton Woods development. It just a matter of where the space will be. The proposed Dartmouth Brook subdivision will have 70% open space and the village would have a much smaller percentage. All would average out to be 1 residential unit to an acre.

Article 3 will appear as written on the official ballot.

Article 4 Discussion. Tom Gately introduced the members of the Budget Committee and explained the rules. Mr. Gately informed everyone of openings that will be available on the Budget Committee. The budget was gone over by sections. In the first section, Town Officers, Nancy Mitiguy asked why the Town Clerk’s salary was increased by more than 5%. It was said she had an increase in job duties and the person who held the job 5 years previously was making more money than the current Town Clerk. It was explained that the state retirement program had increased employer matching funds, and health insurance had risen again. In the section on Solid Waste Disposal, Karen Moran explained that Mr. Dowling had given the Budget Committee costs for certain items, and they calculated line items based on those costs, thus resulting in a large decrease from last year. Jim Covey did a Power Point presentation of the Chamber of Commerce accomplishments in 2007 and their plans to enhance the Town if properly funded.
It was explained that the Highway/Water Staff has had their salaries realigned in the proposed budget, so that it more accurately reflects the time spent on highway and water projects.

Article 4 will appear as written on the official ballot.

Article 5 Discussion. Ms. Karpf, Mr. Strasser, and Harold Garneau spoke about this article to fund replacement of the bridge. It was said that the state originally wanted us to have a 24’ wide bridge, but agreed to a one lane 14’ bridge with a separate bridge section for recreational use: hikers, bicycles, and snowmobiles. This option is actually less expensive than the wider bridge would be because we don’t have to replace the existing abutments. The importance of passing this article was repeated by all three presenters. Our current bridge was red flagged as the #2 worst bridge in the state so the state funding is available now. If we pass this up, we could wait until 2017 for funding and the costs have been increasing 10-15% per year. Also, the state will not let us use the road by Foster’s for a long period of time. They all said we don’t want to have to come up with over a million dollars on our own to finance a new bridge.

Article 5 will appear as written on the official ballot

Article 6 Discussion. As our community grows we will need more fire protection and with the donation of land from Bretton Woods Land Co. to the town a substation could become a reality. As for the Police Station we have a one year lease with an option of a three year lease for a building that does not meet federal/state requirements. The existing facilities would not be able to support the new growth in our town. The design and engineering plans would accurately estimate what the facilities would cost.

Article 6 will appear as written on the official ballot

Article 7 Discussion. The oldest engine, #3, is twenty-one years old, has failed its two most recently pump tests and is showing signs of wear and tear. The engine is continually in need of repairs costing roughly around $30,000 in the next year or two. The engine is designed for three people but can only hold two. The plan for this vehicle is to take all the useable equipment off and sell the vehicle. If this article is approved, after 2008, money would not be put into Capital Reserve Fund for the life of this lease.

Article 7 will appear as written on the official ballot

Article 8 Discussion. It was suggested that the Selectmen act as agents for all Capital Reserve Funds rather than just the Fire and Emergency Equipment Fund.

Article 8 will appear as amended on the official ballot as follows.

Article 8. To see if the Town of Carroll will vote to name the Selectmen as agents to expend on Capital Reserve Funds without a current designated agent. Recommended by the Selectmen.

Article 9. Discussion. Chief Duncan pointed out that the number of volunteers is dwindling, and the intent is to have coverage 10 hours per day, 7 days a week. He said his workload has increased dramatically, and he needs help.

Article 9 will appear as written on the official ballot

Article 10 Discussion. The $141,000 appropriated for various purposes will allow future large expenses with little impact on the tax rate in that year.

Article 10 will appear as written on the official ballot.


Article 11 Discussion. Some residents asked if the Capital Reserve Fund contributions could be voted on separately, and this article will decide if that’s done.

Article 11 will appear as written on the official ballot.

Article 12 Discussion. The vote by the selectmen was 2-1, as Mr. Strasser does not support this article, this being next to the most expensive article except for the contributions to Capital Reserve Funds. He feels we should be hiring part time employees instead. Mr. Birknes is in favor of a Town Manager. He spoke of the previous disarray in the town office, and thanked Sue Kraabel for all her hard work now that she is retiring. A round of applause was given to Sue. Rena Vecchio and Bonnie Moroney support this article saying there is not enough time for the selectmen alone to research all the issues being brought forth. The person in the Town Manager position could research and advise the selectmen on such matters, such as new avenues for health care cost, grant money, etc. Donna Foster said she knows how difficult it is to run a small business, say nothing about a growing town. She urged support for this article.

Article 12 will appear as written on the official ballot.

Article 13 Discussion. It was stated that the duplicate money in this article had been removed by the Budget Committee, and this part time engineer would come under the supervision of a Town Manager if Article 12 passes. John Foster recommended we save the $15,000, spend the $81,000 and hire a Town Manager. The article was amended to be a salary of $1.00.

Article 13 will appear as amended on the official ballot as follows.

Article 13. Whereas Town Maintained roads and buildings have suffered from inattention and lack of scheduled maintenance the following is proposed,

To see if the Town will vote to establish the Part time position of Town Engineer at an annual salary of $1.00 without benefits equivalent to 750 hours per year of work to:

A. To determine the condition of all town roads and propose a maintenance schedule to Selectmen which brings all the Town Roads up to Town standards.

B. This town official shall let the required contracts approved by the selectmen and insure that the work is accomplished up to specifications and standards established in the bidding process.

C. This Town Official shall serve as a Department Head and shall also supervise the design construction and compliance with all buildings or major repairs on Town buildings or other town construction.

Payment of this person shall be paid from the excess in salaries duplicated in the -100 accounts for Water, Cemetery, and Buildings that is already in the 01-4312.10-100 to 104 accounts in the highway department. Note: This position has no tax cost to the 2008 budget; so no increase in appropriations are required.

This official shall report to the Selectmen and work closely with the police, fire and highway departments in any engineering and contract work that they are having or plan to have done.

Qualifications: This person shall be a college graduated engineer in Civil or Mechanical Engineer or related fields and have at least 5 years experience in engineering and/or contract supervision. Petition Article - Not Recommended by the Selectmen or by the Budget Committee.

Article 14 Discussion. It was stated that if the budget with $18,000 earmarked for the Chamber of Commerce passes, this article will be null and void.

Article 14 will appear as written on the official ballot.

Article 15 Discussion. Mr. Dowling said the money came from the Trust Fund last year as well, and groundwater monitoring must continue to be done three times a year.

Article 15 will appear as written on the official ballot.

Article 16 Discussion. Bill Dowling asked to amend the original article, changing the amount from $10,000 to $16,000. He plans to clear brush and trees, seed and mow the old landfill site as a preventative measure. He said there may be a need to put in a new monitoring well, but if not, the money will not be removed from Capital Reserve.

Article 16 will appear as amended on the official ballot as follows.

Article 16. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Sixteen Thousand Dollars ($16,000) for maintenance of the old landfill. This includes needs for actual physical maintenance, engineering and overseer expenses. The appropriation will come from the Landfill Closure Capital Reserve Fund established for this purpose. No money will be raised from new taxation. Recommended by the Selectmen and the Budget Committee.

Article 17 Discussion. Mr. Dowling asked to add aluminum cans to the list of items in the article. He would like to go to the White Mountain Regional School and give the students a project of saving aluminum cans and he would pay them half the market value. It would be a good fund raiser for the students, and the town would make money too.

Article 17 will appear as amended on the official ballot as follows.

Article 17. To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate Fourteen Thousand Dollars ($14,000) for the 2008 tipping of bulky waste and construction debris and the removal of tires, freon, propane tanks, electronics, florescent light bulbs, aluminum cans, antifreeze. The appropriation will be from March 2008 through March 2009. This appropriation will be raised from the Recycling Special Revenue Fund established at the 2001 Town Meeting for this purpose. No money will be raised from new taxation. Recommended by the Selectmen and the Budget Committee.

Article 18 Discussion. Lori Hogan said the money collected from parents for these activities goes right back out to run the program. They cannot write a check if this does not pass for the upcoming year so there would be no ski program, summer recreation program, etc.

Article 18 will appear as written on the official ballot.

Article 19 Discussion. This article was not supported by the selectmen due to questions unanswered at the first time of presentation. After discussion among themselves at this session, they still do not recommend the article. In the summer time the van will be driven by Mr. Patterson the Recreation Director. We have some volunteers now who drive their own vehicle, this would be another resource and would accommodate more people at one time. It was suggested that town employees and volunteers would drive the van during 10 months of the year.

Article 19 will appear as written on the official ballot.

Article 20 Discussion. None

Article 20 will appear as written on the official ballot.

Article 21 Discussion. None

Article 21 will appear as written on the official ballot.

Article 22 Discussion. This is an opportunity for the community to enter into a discussion about buildings, equipment, infrastructure, etc. This is not locked into a six year program and will have annual re-evaluations by department heads.

Article 22 will appear as written on the official ballot.

Articles 23 through 31 Discussion. None

Articles 23 through 31 will appear as written on the official ballot.

Article 32 Discussion. Mr. Strasser commented this would be a savings for the elderly, and the new values are the same as are used in Littleton.

Article 32 will appear as written on the official ballot.

Article 33 Discussion. A brief discussion of this article suggested the $2,000 amount for sealed bids was too low, and that the article was confusing. It was tabled until the end of the meeting at the request of Karen Moran and the Budget Committee.

Article 34 Discussion. Mr. Strasser spoke in favor of this article, saying the budget increases over the past three years were too high. Ms. Foster said with the price of oil, gasoline, and other items increasing each year, she felt the 3% cap was too low; it would hurt other areas of the operating budget.. It was reported that Town Counsel ruled this article advisory only and unenforceable.

Article 34 will appear as written on the official ballot.


Article 35 Discussion. It was reported that Town Counsel says this is advisory only and regardless we still have to pay for the water bond. The article says it will reduce taxes; no tax money was used for the water system in 2007, so the taxes won’t go down because of this article. Mr. Strasser said the water department should be self-sufficient.

Article 35 will appear as written on the official ballot.

Article 36 Discussion. Mr. Strasser spoke in favor of this article, saying people from both ends of town need to work together. Mike Gooden said a lot of what is in this article would be handled by a Town Manager. It was suggested that we need representatives to go to meetings for school, county, etc. The article was amended to have zero people instead of six.

Article 36 will appear as amended on the official ballot as follows.

Article 36. Whereas there have been political friction, differences of opinion, and different ideas between Twin Mountain and Bretton Woods for years,

Do the voters want to form a committee of zero (0) total members from each part of the Town to:

1. Evaluate each issue and come to some conclusions as to what the answers are to the different questions that they arrive at and put real tax numbers on the answers and publish these conclusions.

2. Known areas of friction are difference in tax supported services between Twin Mountain and Bretton Woods in street lighting, trash, road maintenance and subsidizing water systems. The BW/Twin Mtn. Committee may add more areas as they investigate these tax and service issues. What causes the consistently high taxes in Carroll and what is the cause and/or solution.

3. The committee should be appointed by the moderator and the committee use knowledgeable people to calculate and come to some definitive conclusions about these differences.

4. The committee will be asked to make recommendations as to what needs to be done and what timetable it should take place on.

5. The Selectmen should evaluate the recommendations and implement them on a multi year schedule.

This article requires no appropriations in 2008. Petition Article – Not Recommended by the Selectmen.

Article 37 Discussion. Should this article fail or Article 12 fail, the town manager position fails. This question will be on the bottom of the non-partisan ballot with other town officers.

Article 37 will appear as written on the official ballot.
Article 33 Further Discussion. Ms. Moran reported she’d been looking at the Budget Manual, and we can amend the article to read “To see if the Town will vote to develop a Procurement Policy.” The voters approved this amendment.

Article 33 will appear as amended on the official ballot as follows.

Article 33. To see if the Town will vote to develop a Procurement Policy.


Lee Hallquist gave thanks to Mac McQueeney for all he’s done for the Town of Carroll.

The deliberative session ended at 11:00.

The moderator stated the second session of Town Meeting will be held March 11, 2008, at the town hall for voting by ballot.
The polls will be open from 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM.

Respectfully submitted,



Rebecca J. Pederson
Town Clerk

Town of Carroll, New Hampshire ®2024