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Jan. 12, Public Budget Meeting
January 21st, 2010
PUBLIC BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING
January 12, 2010
Members present: Carmine Fabrizio, Mike Shea, Jim Covey, Becki Pike, Tom Gately, Lori Hogan and Bonnie Moroney.
Guest: Jeff Duncan, John Trammell, Kelly Trammell, Cecile Doyon, Michael Gooden, Lee Hallquist, Bill Dowling, Linda Dowling, Scott Sonia, Edith Tucker, Dan Tucker, Susan Kraabel,
Claire Gritzer, Allen Strasser, George Saffian, Kathleen Saffian, Frank Maturo, Donna Foster, Leslie Bergum, Ed Martin, Joan Karpf, Evan Karpf, and Bill Smalley,
7:06 PM meeting brought to order by Tom Gately.
Tom opened the meeting with an introduction of the members of the Budget Committee, and went over the rules for the meeting. He informed the audience that the meeting this evening was to go over the Budget Committee’s 2010 Budget, and that tomorrow evening would be to go over the Money Warrants, and Revenues.
Lori Hogan was asked to present the budget for the Budget Committee.
The budget for 2009 was $1,884,810.80 and the proposed budget for 2010 is $1,699,863.40 a 10% decrease. Lori reminded people that in 2009 that none of the Capital Reserves were passed and how important it is that we continue to add to these each year, as part of a savings that we have instead of having to increase taxes.
Lori went over the Public Summery and how it reflects the budget that was voted on in 2009, the actual spent, the departments proposed 2010, the select boards proposed 2010 and the budget committee’s proposed 2010. It showed the percentage changes between each of them and the 2009 budget.
Joan Karpf said that the percentage changes on the final budget for 2009 to 2010 didn’t show the same picture. Lori explained that the actual for the 2009 budget were not in yet, so it would not.
Lori said that rather then going line by line she would go by department and if anybody wanted to visit a certain line in that dept. they would do that.
Town Officers – no increase
Election & Registrations this went up 33% but that only is about $1,000.00 and that is because there will be more elections in 2010 then in 2009.
Financial Admin. – 4% increase, there was an increase in the Auditing company from $12,500 to $14,000. Al Strasser asked why the town got rid of Karen Carew. Bonnie said that Karen Carew’s company was no longer auditing for municipalities as the state mandated that the auditing company had to train the town’s office people how to do more to prepare for an audit, and only a few were doing that. The company that the town chose was highly recommended by Karen Carew.
Property Assessing - 7% increase
Legal Expense – no increase
Personnel Admin. - 8% increase, Lori said that most of the increase was due to the Retirement. She said we had checked into this and the state increased it due to a short fall by the state for several years and the towns have to make up for that.
Kathy Saffian asked about the difference on the Administration asst. and Selectman’s Office Staff and the amounts spent was over what had been budgeted. Bonnie said that last year they didn’t put in overtime line, but will have one in the 2010 budget. She said that this short fall will be covered by another area where not the full amount of money is spent. Sue said that it is due to go up again in July.
Lori went over the fact that the Select board had gone through the other Health, Life, Dental and Disability and found a new less expensive policy for the employees.
Planning Board - 51% decrease. The budget committee had taken the amount for the Maps, Master Plan, and Good/Welfare down to $1.00 each.
Board of Adjustment – 24% decrease. The budget committee took the legal down to $250.00.
Lee Hallquist asked what the budget committee used to calculate how many hours each employee should work. Tom told him that this is now something that the budget committee did that would be something that he should go to the select board about.
General Government Buildings – 22% decrease. Lori said that there was another decrease in the heating oil partially due to the installing of a smaller furnace for the office part of the town hall, decreasing the usage of the larger furnace.
Edith asked about contracted price on the heating oil. Bonnie said that the town had locked into a price back around Sept. or Oct. and it was about the same price as they locked into last year. She asked when it was done, Bonnie said she thought it went into April or May but was not positive.
Cemeteries – 7% decrease
Insurance – 5% increase
Other General Government – no increase. Evan Karpf, asked what the contingency can be used for. Lori explained that it is there to use for any unexpected expenses.
Police Department – 12% decrease, but Lori said that it was really an 8% decrease as the select board had increased the Vehicle Repair line to be ready for any vehicle problems, and there were quite a few.
Al Strasser asked about the cost of the ammo that the police used. Officer Smalley said they have 4 full time officers and 7 part time that need to qualify. They use 3300 AM rounds 1,100 shot gun and 600 rifle. It cost $.34 per round for duty ammo and when they qualify they use 100 plus rounds. He also said that the state is saying that they need to go to lead free ammo which is more expensive. The $6560.00 reflects two years worth of ammo, half for 2009 and the other for 2010. Joan Karpf asked if they have separate ammo for on the job vs. training. Chief Trammell said no and they hope they don’t have to use any on the job.
Fire Department – 12% decrease but it was really 5% decrease, as they also had money added to the vehicle repairs and maintenance line by the select board. It was questioned about the OT line and Jeff Duncan, said that the money reflects Jeremy and himself going on 2 calls per week past their regular working hours. He said that so far this year they each have gone on an average of 4 OT calls per week.
Joan Karpf asked it the committee had used the wage survey from LGC. Lori said that she and Becki had used the information from them comparing the town to other towns with the population from 999 or less. She said it was not just cut and dry as our town combines some of the jobs that are separated in other towns. She also said that Jeff had told her at one of the last budget meetings that some towns hire private EMT companies, so when they have a fireman that is just what he does. He had suggested that if the committee was going to do such a study that they needed to go to each suggested town just after election and ask for copy of the town report. By doing that they would get the actual amounts of what was paid for doing what job. He had also told her that not every town sends all their information to LGC.
Al Strasser said he had a problem with comparing Carroll to Newington. Jim Covey said that Lori had spent a lot of time on this and it was found that the majority of the wages were within the ranges of the study. Lori reminded people that it was the town’s people who had voted in the full time employees, not the select board.
Chief Trammell said that when he was hired and Al Strasser gave him a contract for a 3% yearly increase for 5 years. He said he came to the select board and gave up his contract to help keep the employees that we have by giving increases.
Property Inspections – 44% decrease. The committee took the 3rd party down to not expecting much if any building of businesses.
Emergency Management – 13% increase but that only equals $200.00.
Highway Department – is a 28% decrease but as Lori said it is really 17% decrease, because the select board had increase the Equipment Repairs and Maintenance. She said that the budget committee had also decrease the OT line by $3000.00 and the sidewalk repair down to $5,000.00. She said they left enough for them to repair the sidewalk across from the Grandview after the hydrant is replaced.
Joan Karpf, said that a friend of theirs says that Littleton leases all of their equipment, and has the town looked into doing that. Bonnie said no. Jeff said that they looked into a lease for a fire truck but the company wanted it paid off in less then 10 years.
Ed Martin says that they lease all of the equipment up at Bretton Woods.
Street Lighting – 15% increase. Lori explained that we still have not heard from the power company on what we should expect for % increase this year.
Solid Waste Disposal – 3% decrease. Lori said that the committee had lowered the Recycle Salaries 102 because its been there for several years and never used that much, so they lowered it to $500.00.
Bill Dowling said that he estimated that his electric will go up about $1,000.00, and the tipping fees will go over 20,000 this year. He said that in 2009 we had 207.32 ton of trash.
Sewage Disposal – was a 50% increase. Lori explained that if we needed to have a pumping done that $500.00 would not cover it. Bill Dowling said that the line item if for a contract with the state for disposal in the town. He said the person to contact is Pat Hannon from the DES.
Public Assistance – 26% increase, Bonnie said that they had added a line for Welfare Administration, so that they could keep track of the amount of time spent on this line. She said that the $4,000.00 was not an increase to the budget but misused from the wages of the two ladies in the office and added in on this line. Sue reminded us that this number 4441.10-201 is not a payroll number so this needs to be changed to reflect a payroll number.
Parks and Recreation – 3% decrease. Sue said since she is now controlling the funds for this program, and she has noticed that the participation is down was the recreation going to decrease the budget more.
Lori said they have a committee that is looking into what they need to do to increase the participation. She said that some people are looking more at the program for a day care, or possibly something else so they are looking at adjusting accordingly.
Joan Karpf asked what the age levels were, and if we take other towns. Lori said its from Kindergarten to going into 9th grade, and yes we took other towns, but at a higher rate.
Chief Trammell asked about the life guard, Lori said that they had hoped to train some of the counselors to be life guards, but last year they happened to get lucky and one of the counselors that was hired was already a certified life guard.
She said that the life guard is just for during the rec. program, there is not one there for any other hours. She said that she doesn’t think there has been one there for the town in many years. Edith Tucker said that Dalton was told by the state that there insurance is better off if they don’t have a life guard and just post “Swim at Your Own Risk”.
Library – 2% decrease
Patriotic Purposes – no change
Culture – no change. Lee Hallquist asked if any of this money was for the fireworks. He said that Mt. Washington was doing their own fireworks this year so they would not be giving the Chamber any money to help with them. Jim said that he had asked to have line 4589.10-304 changed to Entertainment instead of Summer Music Series. He said that he was not going to do the music this year and wanted to be able to use the money for the fireworks. Bonnie reminded them that a check was cut to the Chamber and it was us to them where it was spent.
Lori said that Budget Committee had voted not to change the name as the warrant that was up this year for the voters to decide how this money would be handled in the future.
Claire Gritzer asked about the $10,000.00 is that was all salaries as that is more then the library ladies make in an entire year, not just the summer. Jim Covey, said that no it was wages, phone, and wireless internet.
Conservation Commission – 2% decrease but that only equals $10.00
Debt Service, Lori reminded people that there is a warrant in to pay the Principal – LTD Landfill for this year only to try and give the people a little break, but that it would probably be back next year.
Water Distribution and Treatment – 1% increase. Bonnie explained that they were restructuring the water Dept. that we would be starting on the meter reading payment service as of April. She said that the select board had promoted Scott Sonia to become the Water Dept. Supervisor. Part of his salary will be under the water, but he will also help under the highway dept during the year as well. She explained that this would be an experimental year, and they next year we would know more.
Lee said that we had gotten a notice saying that there would not be a bill until Oct 2010. Bonnie said that she didn’t remember that but she would check on it.
Bonnie also explained that the Clerical had been increase in order to take care of all the extra work that would be required for that. She said the Kelly Trammell would be doing that part time and also the asst. town clerk. Bonnie said that Kelly had been working with the company to set the rates, reading the meters, and working with Scott. Joan Karpf asked it the two part time jobs made Kelly a full time employee. Bonnie said no and again we are trying to figure how much time it will require but will not know for sure until next year. Joan, asked if this job was put in the paper, and Bonnie said no, because Kelly had been working with Becki from the start and had learned all about the meters, billing, and had just got done putting together a policy manual for the water dept. Bonnie said it would not make any sense to hire somebody who has no clue what is going on.
Lori reminded everybody that tomorrow evening will be the money warrants and revenues. She said that the Revenues and warrants are the key components of the budget and the taxes.
Donna Forster thanked the Budget Committee for all the long hours and hard work to present the 2010 budget.
9:20PM the Public Meeting ended.
9:35PM the budget committee went into a regular meeting.
Members in the audience: Jeff Duncan, Bill Dowling, and Linda Dowling
Jeff Duncan said that he wanted to change the amount that was on line 4220.10-606 New Fire Truck. He said that the cost of the truck had come in less then originally thought, and rather then taking it off of the last payment, he asked the company to change it on this years. So the new amount would be $59670.00 vs. $65,000.00. Lori motioned at accept the new amount, Bonnie second and it passed.
Bonnie said that she had made a calculation error on one of the wages in the highway dept. 4312.10-104 should be $25,683.20 not $20,018.00. Carmine motioned to accept changes, Bonnie second and it passed. Lori abstained.
Solid Waste, it was decided to revisit the Electricity line 4324.10-404 as Bill had said he was expecting a $1,000.00 increase. Jim motioned to change the amount from $5,300.00 to $6350.00,
Carmine second and it passed.
Lori asked about the changing of the hours at the Transfer Station, if it would have any impact. Bill Dowling said that he didn’t see where there would be any difference.
Bill Dowling said that the Sewage line used to be $1,500.00 to cover the contract with the DES.
Bonnie said the we need to check on this and the agreement, making sure that its in place.
Jim motioned to change the Chamber Summer Music Series to Entertainment. There was no second, so it was dropped. Bonnie reminded him that during several conversations about the money that the Chamber received, the $2,000.00 had been defended by several people because they liked the music, so it might be something they want to give some thought to.
Bonnie motioned to adjourn at 9:50PM, Becki second and it passed.