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Minutes of 4/25/2011

April 26th, 2011

Carroll Board of Selectmen
Meeting Minutes
April 25, 2011

"These minutes of the Town of Carroll Select Board have been recorded by its Secretary. Though believed to be accurate and correct they are subject to additions, deletions and corrections by the Select Board at its next meeting when the Board votes its final approval of the minutes. They are being made available at this time to conform to the requirements of New Hampshire RSA 91-A:2."

Minutes recorded by Maryclare Quigley, Secretary

Board members present: Mark Catalano, Bonnie Moroney, Bill Dowling

The meeting was called to order at 7:04 PM by Chairman Catalano

Members of the public present: Evan Karpf, Joan Karpf, Roberta McGee, Mike Shea, Frank Maturo, Jim Covey, Lisa Covey, Allen Strasser, Ike Ikasalo, Ann Fabrizio, Carmine Fabrizio, Mike Gooden, Greg Hogan, David Scalley, Joyce Charrette, Scott Sonia, Rena Vecchio, Jeff Duncan, Jeremy Oleson, Tadd Bailey, Bill Smalley, Ben Jellison

Pledge of Allegiance

Chairman Catalano had two corrections to make to the minutes of the previous meeting. The first, on page 1, was an insertion into the paragraph beginning with “Chairman Catalano entered into…..sit during the meeting.” To be followed by “Dan Walker refused the first request and was called out of order by the Chairman. After further discussion, Mr. Walker agreed to be seated.” The second was the first paragraph “Under Other” on page 2 – to insert “and Scott Sonia” after the phrase “Road Agent, Greg Hogan.” Selectman Dowling made a Motion to: Accept the minutes for April 11, 2011 as corrected. Chairman Catalano seconded and the Motion passed unanimously.

Stan Borkowski’s report was received and posted.

Ben Jellison told the meeting he is the Chairman of the Ambulance Committee and explained they have bids from three vendors for the new ambulance approved in March. He said we could make copies of the bids, as he would prefer not leaving them as they were quite significant. Mr. Jellison said they compared trade-in, options and quality of vehicles and settled on the manufacturer of what they currently have, AEV which is sold by Professional Vehicle Corporation in Rumford, ME. They have offered the most for trade at $12,000. Though there was talk of one allowing more, the Committee has this offer in writing and chose to go with it. With approximately 95% of the cost worked out, at $131,147 and even with adding the defibrillator, which they were also able to get at a very good price for $24,000, they expect to come in significantly under the amount requested as they believe they are within $1,500 of the final price. Mr. Jellison said this is a 30-day quote which they are nearly two weeks into and requested permission to go forward with the order. He went on to say they can lock in the price by ordering now and when asked stated there is a 90 to 120 day build period. Evan Karpf asked if there is a warranty and Mr. Jellison said yes but he didn’t have that information with him though he thought there is the standard 3 year, 36,000 mile plus many pages more outlining for various equipment and parts of the vehicle. He said it is a 2011 Ford with a gas motor, as they can no longer get diesels. Chairman Catalano said he wanted the Board to have time to discuss this and will bring it up at the next meeting. Mr. Jellison said that would be fine and thanked the Board.

Jeff Duncan said he had not yet looked at purchasing a new pickup truck but would like to go forward with converting the current one as the forestry rig. The old truck is ready to be disposed of however the Select Board chooses. Preparing the truck as the new forestry unit will entail removing the bed and putting a new wooden flatbed on. Chief Duncan said the money for this will come out of the Association and will be at no cost to the town. It was asked what the normal use of the truck is and he said it is usually the first response vehicle to fires, is used for travel to training, inspections, and other daily work. In its absence they’ll probably use one of the other vehicles for around town and for out-of-town travel will use personal vehicles and submit mileage. Chief Duncan stated that while there is no immediate impact on vehicles, it is not a long-term solution. When asked why they needed a forestry truck, the Chief said it allows them to go into a forest fire, hauls all the forestry tools including shovels, saws, etc., and it goes where they can’t get an engine to. He went on to say there are some homes an engine can’t get to, so this truck would be used. After the conversion there won’t be anything to use for training, but he said they would be hindering themselves not to transition it now as we are coming into the season when forest fires are most likely. The question was asked where it will be used and Chief Duncan said wherever it’s called, whether town forest, National Forest, etc. Another question was asked who absorbs the cost if it’s called out of town. If it is a true forest fire, the state may pay, in another town, there may not be payment – it depends on a number of things including mutual aid, the different pacts we belong to, etc. When there is payment received it goes into the General Fund. It was reiterated the cost of converting the truck will come from the Fire Association and therefore, no taxation nor from the General Fund. Selectman Dowling made a Motion To: Go forward and let Jeff change the truck over. Chairman Catalano seconded and the Motion passed unanimously.

Chairman Catalano read the Police Activity Report. He asked what “Call for Service” means and noted the number is down from last year. Sgt. Smalley responded that it is civilian contact, such as burglar alarms, traffic stops, etc. Rena Vecchio asked if the calls are actually down or if the responses are down. Sgt. Smalley said when shifts are uncovered, they presume calls are either being answered by the State Police or are going unanswered and it is difficult to track. Jim Covey said there is a lot of self-generated activity included in the numbers, such as speeding stops, and this activity is decreasing because shifts have been cut. Comparisons were made between 2010 and 2011, and Tadd Bailey said citations include both tickets and warnings. Al Strasser said the numbers are down because the census went down this year and a brief discussion of census numbers took place.

Chairman Catalano read a thank you letter to the Police Department from Michael McHale, Loss Prevention Manager at the Omni Mount Washington Hotel for their assistance during the recent INET Conference held there. They were very grateful to the hours and effort brought forth by the Department and look forward to working with them during future events.

Chief Trammell submitted papers as part of a grant application being made to the State for DWI and speed patrols that will take place in the summer. The Town has participated in this for a number of years. Chairman Catalano made a Motion To: Sign the application. Selectman Dowling seconded and the Motion passed unanimously.

Selectman Moroney said there was a Follies show several years ago that raised about $1,000 and has been in the bank since. Since there aren’t any more follies, Mrs. Moroney suggested they do something for the town. As a result there are now a new refrigerator and a new microwave in the kitchen. She said she has a big coffee pot on order and once it’s here, it will be for everyone’s use, but will be kept locked up as the inside parts for the last one were lost and it could never be used again. It was noted this is a big benefit to the food pantry as the refrigerator and freezer offer the ability to accept those types of foods. The Board thanked her.

Selectman Dowling made a Motion To: Accept the bid policy as written. Chairman Catalano seconded it and asked if there was discussion. Selectman Moroney questioned why it was so cumbersome and the necessity of all of it. While she said she understands having a policy, this one is basically telling the Select Board how to do their job. Selectman Dowling said the Police never came in with state bids and he believes having the policy will help. Selectman Moroney said before Town Meeting the Police came with prices, etc. and the Board felt it was ok to go outside the state as that was where they got the Dodge Charger. Chairman Catalano said the information should have been delivered to the Select Board. He said people have different opinions of vehicles and some do not like the idea of a pickup truck and felt the Select Board should have been more involved in the decision. It was stated the policy is not too restrictive as it does give some leeway to allow the Selectmen to make decisions not to go to bid or to advertise, etc. But, as the Chairman said, it takes the heat off the department head and provides a framework for people to be less suspicious of how work is done in town. Rena Vecchio stated this is two pages long and wondered what the difference was between it and the one put forth last year. She finds it to be cumbersome and feels it is taking power from the department heads and giving it all to the Selectmen. Chairman Catalano said it is not taking any authority away from them as it refers many times to the department heads regarding getting bids, making recommendations, etc. He said he doesn’t want to have to figure out the best type of item, for example a valve, but he does want to know that we’re getting the best price, best value, etc. It is only saying there is a process we’re going to follow and later on when someone asks, it can all be explained how the decision was reached, etc., but it shows transparency and that we’re in control. Jim Covey said he would encourage them to pass this. Jeff Duncan asked if there were any stipulations for emergencies. Selectman Dowling read the section that applies to this and when Chief Duncan said he was concerned it may mean a special meeting of the Board, Selectman Dowling said no, they only need consensus from a telephone poll to authorize emergency spending, and then they will bring it up at the next meeting. Chairman Catalano reiterated changes may be made as it is being worked with. It was suggested the question be moved. As the Motion was already on the floor, Chairman Catalano asked for the vote, which were 2 yeas and 1 abstention. Chairman Catalano declared the Motion passed and the policy is implemented.

Next Chairman Catalano brought up the Selectmen mission statement and Selectman Dowling made a Motion To: Accept the Mission Statement. Chairman Catalano seconded the Motion and proceeded to read it. Selectman Moroney thought the town had gotten along fine for a long time without one. Chairman Catalano went on to say this was the beginning, not the end because the next time we get together he will be talking about core principals or goals for 2011. He believes this is something that should be stated and posted on the wall – this mission statement will not be something that will collect dust, and he suggests that it be framed and hung on the wall. He said he will take this a little at a time, but one of the things he noticed was that in 2005 a review was requested of the internal controls in the town, he wasn’t sure by whom but said the LGC had come in and done the review. Chairman Catalano went on to say there was a lot of discussion about a lot of areas and one of them was personnel such as stated mission, job descriptions, approaches to dealing with taxpayers, a lot of things about managing the town employees, managing the finances of the town, managing the properties of the town, managing the investments of the town. He said a lot had to do with the approach and attitude of the employees and how they worked with taxpayers and people who come into Town Hall. He reiterated this is the beginning. He also said believes everything we do in Town Hall should fit in this Mission Statement and the approach that is taken should fit within this Mission Statement. And the next level to come down from this will be the next thing he brings in and that is core principals, core values of the Selectmen and of the town employees and those should be consistent with what we have for a mission statement. He said there are a lot of towns who have mission statements, core values, and Select Boards that have goals for 2010, 2011, and 2012, and he is going to move forward with some of these to see if it makes sense for us to do. With the Motion on the floor, Chairman Catalano asked for a vote, 2 yeas, 1 abstention. The Motion passed.

The next item was the policy for Selectmen’s rep to town departments. Chairman Catalano read the policy which had been brought up at the previous meeting and had been changed slightly. Chairman Catalano made a Motion To: Accept this as read and as amended from the previous one. Selectman Dowling seconded. Selectman Moroney asked what kind of report they were looking for at each meeting. The Chairman explained the Board may make a template of things they want to know such as the budget or things they should be made aware of, what’s going on in the department, etc. The can determine how and when the report will be made. He said they may let the department head come up with his own format/items. Basically it would be things they want to let the Board know and which should enhance communication and accountability. An option would be that the department head does not have to bring the report, but could have the Selectmen’s rep present it. Jeff Duncan said it appears they are setting a policy that will require attendance at the meeting but they do not want to pay. He also said he would prefer presenting his own report to the Board. Chairman Catalano said they will take this under advisement but he wants to adopt the policy and they’ll work out the kinks. David Scalley asked if it wouldn’t be better to work out the kinks before adopting a policy and Chairman Catalano said no. Selectman Dowling made a Motion To: Accept the policy as amended. Chairman Catalano seconded and the vote was 2 yeas and 1 opposed. The Motion passed.

Next was the policy for non-public session sealed minutes. Selectman Dowling said according to state statute once an issue has gone by or has been resolved those minutes should be made public. He said the Select Board would read the minutes in non-public session and any that can be open will be done in public session. Selectman Dowling read the policy. Selectman Moroney said she is concerned about any legal ramifications. After brief discussion, it was decided to talk to legal about this. Chairman Catalano moved to table this item until they have been able to have it reviewed.

Chairman Catalano then proceeded with his update of his financial review. He said the purpose of presenting the information is so all can understand what we’re seeing. He noted since the last meeting the budget line from 1998 to present had changed as he had left out the warrant articles that would make the budget higher. He had plotted at about 1.8 million dollars and the total is actually 1.922055. The money to be raised to support the budget then followed and how to handle it whether by decreasing spending or increasing taxes becomes the question. Discussion of property values, population, mean income, etc., took place. Mr. Catalano said a good website is transparencynewhampshire which is the State budget. He then went through the tax rate from 2000 to 2010 and the tax commitment from 2000 to 2009. Further discussion of what the tax rate may do, the number of residents, the amount of value the town is going to lose as well as the fact that state money is also decreasing took place. Jeff Duncan said one point the Chairman brought up at the last meeting as well as tonight was about hiring someone to come in and help verify his numbers. Chief Duncan said North Country Council is very good and they are also free. Chairman Catalano made a Motion To: Allot $3,000 to be spent at the appropriate time with the appropriate resource so we may get as accurate a picture as possible. Selectman Dowling seconded. Selectman Moroney said they should look into Chief Duncan’s suggestion first. She also asked what they will do when they find it’s accurate. Chairman Catalano said they will make decisions. This should keep them from ending up with emotional discussions and have fact-based ones instead. The important thing is to agree where we are and where we are headed. Selectman Moroney said the CIP will be going again soon and this would help people see what’s going on, with which Chairman Catalano agreed. He said this would help alleviate the spikes that show through history of raising money, funding items, then not doing it so it goes down, and helping to keep the tax rate on a more even level. He also said getting something like an economic development committee going such as was mentioned at the last meeting was a good thing.

Jim Covey said he appreciates him trying to be proactive, etc., but rather than spending money at a time when they are trying to decrease costs and cutting budgets, he feels they should try UNH, NCC or LGC first and they should do this before voting on spending or allocating any money. Lead time appeared to be a consideration with both Selectman Dowling and Chairman Catalano, and Chairman Catalano said he believes they will need to spend the money. David Scalley asked if they would have an option to see any bids in line with the new policy. The Chairman said no as they would reduce the amount they will look for. Chairman Catalano made a Motion To: Allocate $2,500 for now. Selectman Dowling seconded and the vote was 2 yeas and 1 opposed. The Motion passed.

The following items were approved and signed:

Letter to Liquor Commission for Alcohol Service – Brenda’s Country Kitchen & Skeet’s Pub
(new location, formerly Shakespeare’s Table) – David Scalley Brief discussion took place
clarifying that this would be a full license compared to the beer and wine only at the current
location and it was noted this location will be shut down when the new one is open. Chief
Duncan said they are not quite ready but he does not anticipate any issues when the
inspection for the assembly permit is completed.
Property Tax Abatements – McMorrow, Schaier, Jones, Clipper Realty Trust, Olivier & Lacoste,
Gallagher It was noted all of these are condos in Bretton Woods
Property Tax Abatement Denials – Clipper Realty Trust, Gallagher, et al
Corporate authorization Resolution – Laconia Savings Bank
Water Warrant – Strickland, Hunt Properties, HSBC Bank, FHLM, Co
Thank You Letter to Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank for their food collection for our Food
Pantry

Chairman Catalano read a letter of deficiency to the Town of Carroll from the Health Officer, Evan Karpf, regarding his observation of a damaged septic tank at the Fire Station. It was noted he could see this because the situation had been rectified and the tank replaced. He stated an inspection by NH DES may be necessary and he also required that all necessary permitting be filed Dr. Karpf spoke to the subject as he said he had been asked by the head of DES to make an inspection and everything is in order at this time. He further stated that the installer was legally able to replace the tank without further permits.

The Secretary advised there are forms in the Selectmen’s Office for Low and Moderate Income Homeowners Property Tax Relief. These forms cannot be filed before May 1, and must be filed by June 30. If homeowners qualify, they receive a break on the school portion of their taxes.

Under Other

Management Letter to Melanson & Heath, Town Auditors Completing the audit for 2009 -- This
is a rather lengthy letter and the Chairman asked that it be posted on the bulletin board in
lieu of reading it at the meeting. Chairman Catalano made a Motion To: Sign and post the
letter. Selectman Moroney seconded and the Motion passed unanimously.

Chairman Catalano gave a brief update on the Cable Committee. They have adopted by laws and continue to work with the FCC and Time Warner. They are having issues with the cable consortium over airing meetings on Channel 2 and are developing a plan but what and how will be told at a later time when they are not being filmed.

Chairman Catalano spoke of the MS-7 budget as discussed at the deliberative session. He said he was angry to discover the extra money raised for the Police and Fire budgets by amendments at that meeting had been put in as it was the Selectmen’s authority only to spend money and they had not done it. He further explained there was a line that had been left out, making a $6,000 hole, during the budget process and it was his intention to use this money to fund it. The Secretary said because the amendments applied to the two budgets for the Police and Fire Departments specifically, she had spoken with both Chiefs and the money was put in. She had talked with a DRA auditor who said this was absolutely the appropriate and proper way to do this. The Selectmen always have the authority to move money anywhere in the budget, which is understood, and if the amendment had been to the bottom line of the total budget, then only the Selectmen could have put the money in. Chairman Catalano made a Motion To: Freeze the money until the Select Board could determine with the department heads on how it should be placed. Chief Duncan said he would like to address this before freezing the money. He said he had gone to the Treasurer to ask what was going on as he needed to know for scheduling, etc. It was noted the “hole” in 2010 was actually about $5,300, and the allocations were, $2,500 to Comstar Billing, knowing that it wasn’t enough, but would get it started until money could be moved, $10,500 to overtime and $1,000 to fuel because he knows his fuel line is horribly deficient based on the way gas prices are going. He said he would have no issue taking another $2,800 from the overtime line and putting it into the Comstar line. Chairman Catalano made a Motion To: Freeze the money, $13,500 for Fire and $4,500 for Police until the Select Board can get together with Chief Duncan to determine how the money is to be spent. Selectman Dowling seconded. The vote was 2 yeas and 1 abstention. The Motion passed. Chief Duncan asked if they could discuss this soon as he was over on his line and would need to do rescheduling. Chairman Catalano said they could do it non-public session tonight.

Evan Karpf reminded everyone that community clean up day is May 21. People are to meet here at 8:30 a.m. and there will be a barbecue after.

Jim Covey said he wasn’t sure who to ask but since the Road Agent was here he would ask him if the stumps from the trees that were recently cut on Little River Road would be ground down and who would do it. Greg Hogan said they will be by the Town.

As there was no further business, the Board was polled and went into non-public session for legal and town aid matters at 9:34 p.m.

At the close of Non-Public Session, Chairman Catalano moved to return to Public Session and seal the minutes from Non-Public Session. Selectman Dowling seconded and the Motion passed unanimously.

There being no further discussion, Chairman Catalano made a Motion to: adjourn the meeting. Selectman Moroney seconded and the Motion passed unanimously. Chairman Catalano declared the meeting ended at 10:17 p.m. The next meeting will be Monday, May 9, 2011.

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