Minutes of Town Board Meetings
- Planning Board
- Board of Adjustment
- Select Board
- Budget Committee
- Building Committee
- Energy Commission
Search Minutes of Town Board Meetings
2011 Budget Committee Archives
- Minutes of 12/28/2011
- NOTICE and agenda for 12/28/2011
- Minutes of 12/22/2011
- 12/21/2011 Meeting postponed until 12/22/2011 due to ice
- Minutes of December 14, 2011
- Notice and Agenda for Wednesday December 14, 2012
- Minutes of December 7, 2011
- Notice and Agenda for December 7, 2011
- minutes of 11-30-2011
- Notice and Agenda for 11-30-2011
- Minutes of November 16, 2011
- Notice and Agenda for 11/16/2011
- Minutes of 11/9/2011
- Notice and Agenda for November 9, 2011
- Minutes of 11/2/2011
- Notice and Agenda for November 2, 2011
- October 26, 2011
- Minutes of the October 19, 2011 meeting
- Notice and Agenda for Wednesday October 26, 2011
- Notice and Agenda for October 19, 2011
- Minutes of September 1, 2011
- Notice and Agenda for September 1, 2011
- Minutes of August 17, 2011
- Notice and Agenda for August 17, 2011
- Minutes of July 20, 2011
- Meeting Notice and Agenda
- Minutes of June 15, 2011
- Agenda for June 15, 2011
- Meeting Notice for June 15, 2011
- Minutes of May 18, 2011
- Agenda for May 18, 2011
- Minutes of April 20, 2011
- First Meeting of the Carroll Budget Committee
- 2nd Public Budget Meeting Jan 12, 2011
- Public Budget Meeting Jan. 11, 2011
- Public Budget Meetings
- Meeting of Jan. 5, 2011
- Meeting from Jan 4, 2011
- Public Budget meetings Jan. 11th and 12th
- Next meetings Jan 4th and 5th
- Minutes from Dec. 20th meeting
Older Archives
Minutes of July 20, 2011
July 26th, 2011
Carroll Budget Committee
Minutes of July 20, 2011
These minutes should be reviewed in conjunction with the subsequent meeting minutes, at which a review is conducted and any approved amendments recorded.
Members present: Bill Vecchio, Linda Dowling, Joan Karpf, Karen Moran, Sue Kraabel, Dan Walker. Member excused: Mark Catalano
Frank from the Carroll Information Group was in attendance and filming the meeting.
The meeting was called to order at 7:00. A quorum was confirmed and the meeting began.
A review of the June 15, 2011 minutes began.
On page 2, paragraph 1, regarding the prior confirmation of the ambulance committee discussion, Joan noted that she had not confirmed the statement.
On page 4, paragraph 1, regarding who had noted the overall budget for the Fire Department, the reference to Joan was incorrect. The name should have been Linda.
On page 5, paragraph regarding the April 20 meeting the Secretary was informed that the Carroll Information Group video of the meeting was reviewed by a member and the noted reference to Long Island was in error. Secretary apologized for any misunderstanding or interpretation of what had been said. A VHS tape was offered for Secretary’s review at the close of the July 20 meeting. Secretary unable to review that format, appreciated offer and noted these minutes would reflect the adjustment. Further in that same paragraph, the reference to the LGC should have been DRA.
Secretary at 7:10 began an audio recording of the meeting.
Chair asked for motion to accept the changes to the June 15, 2011 minutes as discussed. Karen moved to accept the adjustments, Sue seconded. Karen and Sue voted to accept, Joan and Linda voted not to accept, Bill and Dan abstained as they were not in attendance at the June 15, 2011. The motion to accept the changes failed. Joan changed her vote to accept, so Chair noted the motion passed with 3 in favor, 1 against, and 2 abstentions.
Joan provided Karen with a copy of a portion of a website: www.robersrules.com relating to adjustments to minutes.
Chair provided a draft copy of the rules and respect tolerance policy. Reference to the survey, noted on the bottom, will be deleted. Chair said he thought that #1 Listening was the most important. Discussion ensued regarding combining items #2 Tolerance, #3 Lead by Example, and #4 Courtesy. The title of the document may be adjusted to say Carroll Budget Committee Meeting Policy. Sue volunteered to draft a revision if Chair sends her an electronic version of the copy he has, and the revision will be reviewed at the August meeting.
Chair lead discussion regarding the format of meeting minutes and the intent to make the minutes instructive and informative for other readers and subsequent budget committees. Linda noted that the Selectboard is working on a policy to have for public record a draft version of meeting minutes and a revised version of minutes, both of which would be maintained. Karen asked about the space retention among other things, and suggested that a statement be included with minutes that the reader understand any changes would be reflected during the review and included in the subsequent meeting minutes. Further discussion ensued, and a copy of a section of a LGC document was passed around the group. Both methods of meeting minutes were noted as acceptable. Dan asked if the Selectboard was establishing a town policy or a policy just for the Selectboard minutes. Chair wondered the same. Budget Committee will discuss once the policy is determined by the Selectboard.
Chair provided a notice of the annual LGC conference being held in Manchester in November 2011. Joan noted the Budget Committee workshops are on September 20 and September 22. The agenda and location will be available on the LGC website in August.
Chair discussed energy efficiency measures which are available to the town at no out of pocket cost. PSNH offers a program called Smart Start through which the town can have electrical measures upgraded to energy efficient items with no out of pocket cost. The funding for the measures is paid through the PSNH Smart Start loan program. Repayment of the funding is made based on the estimated kWh savings, resulting in monthly electric bills equal to, or less than, what the town currently pays. The Smart Start program does not cover anything other than electrical, so measures such as weatherization would not be included.
Energy Audits are available free of charge through the Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA), which is federally funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The CDFA audits are available to municipalities and focus on energy reduction.
The NH Office of Energy and Planning (OEP) also offers comprehensive energy audits through ARRA funding. OEP is focusing on smaller municipalities for this program. The company which does the actual energy audit is called TRC and would review three buildings. A question arose regarding whether or not the town would need an energy committee, and Chair said the application did have that as a question although it was not a requirement for eligibility. Chair suggested that the follow-up could be with the Building Committee (Bill Dowling, Eric Bergum, George Brodeur) as well as the Selectboard.
The North Country Council, through ETAP also offers an energy audit at no cost, but only for one building.
Application deadlines for the programs was said to be July 31, 2011, so Chair was going to work with Selectboard and Building Committee to determine feasibility. Baseline of energy usage and recommended areas for efficiency was agreed to be an important tool.
Notice was received by the town that the PSNH rates will decrease 1.27% from June rates through year end.
Chair provided copies for all members, a line-by-line account level explanation of the general fund police department expense accounts, which had been prepared by Chief Trammell. The Committee appreciated the effort and information.
Discussion took place regarding when and how the department heads should be contacted about the budgets or anticipated warrant articles. Department heads should let the Budget Committee know if warrant articles are contemplated, as that will assist with the operating budget process too. It was suggested that the Chair will get the emails of the department heads and questions the Committee has can be sent to Chair who will funnel our questions to the appropriate department head.
Dan suggested that when the Selectboard begins the 2012 budget process, the members of the Budget Committee attend. It was agreed it would be more efficient, as many of the questions the Selectboard has of department heads, are also asked by the Budget Committee, thus the process should be streamlined by all attending the same meetings. Chair indicated he would find out when the Selectboard is going to begin the process and would let the Committee know. He will also let the department heads know that the Budget Committee will want to meet with them, and on what date.
Discussion turned to the Expenses to date provided to all members. A request was made to review the ambulance maintenance records, for the ambulance that is being replaced. A question was asked why that was relevant, since the March 2011 vote approved the purchase. Response was the review would be for information only. Discussion turned to the Ambulance Committee and who the members are. Chair will check with Chief Duncan.
Discussion took place regarding the ease or difficulty of identifying specific Fire Department vs. specific Ambulance. Many line items in the budget are already so identified, but other, more common costs, are more difficult to split. Reference to Franconia reflecting the two divisions was made, then somewhat refuted. One Committee member, having been on the Franconia Fire Department prior to moving to Carroll, noted that expenses typically paid through town funding were not so in Franconia, such as one generous benefactor literally writing a personal check to buy an ambulance for the town.
Regarding the Postage expense budgeted for $2,600, discussion took place regarding the up-front purchase of postage which is processed at the town hall on the Pitney Bowes machine. Tax bills and water bills are the primary users. Water bills are issued quarterly and thus will use approximately $228*4=$912 per year. Water expenses are typically moved out of the FA account and into the Water expense account. Sue will check to see that the appropriate movement of the expense takes place.
Discussion about the revenue for the Planning Board took place. $839 was posted to 01-3230-02. Because the Planning Board revenue should post to the Special Revenue Fund, and after further discussion, it was determined that accounts 01-3230-02, Planning Board Fees; 01-3230-30, Zoning Board Fees; and 01-3230-10 should be removed from the general ledger, and these should be added to, or solely reflected in, the “05” portion of the ledger. Further discussion took place regarding how transparent the offsetting revenue and expense accounts related to Planning and Zoning should be. Specifically, Postage, Advertising, and Engineering expenses in the Planning Board expense section are typically offset with fees paid, although not 100%. Postage and Advertising in the ZBA section are also typically offset with revenue.
Regarding the Code Enforcement Office, who is paid out of the Planning Board special revenue fund, a question regarding what happens if the fund is depleted arose. Sue noted the payments in the future would have to come from the general fund, as they had in the past.
A question arose regarding budgeted revenue carryovers from year to year, and if that was allowed. Municipal budgets are annual only, with no carryover included. Discussion took place regarding the various inputs when the tax rate is set, which is not based solely on the budget and warrant articles approved at town meeting.
Regarding the Highway Department Cold patch, discussion took place regarding the repairs to Airport Road and why there was still no expense posted. The physical patch material was literally left over from last year and therefore used on the road. A request for more cold patch will likely be noted in the next monthly expense detail.
100% of the Patriotic Purposes $450 budget has been spent on the Memorial Day activities.
The Summer Music Series on line 01-4589-10-304 expenses post to Town Entertainment 01-4589-10-305.
Regarding the Highway Department revenue receipt of over $13,000, it was noted the money was the insurance proceeds received from the claim for the collapsed salt shed. Because the salt is maintained in a concrete bunker, it can simply be “covered”, possibly with a giant tarp, and be in compliance with state regulations.
Discussion took place regarding the section title “Sale of Town Property”, which would more accurately be “Sale of Town Services”. BMSI, the town software, plugs the titles to the various sections.
Further discussion took place regarding the questions which arise during our regular meetings. Chair will keep track and let the department heads know, perhaps by email, that the list represents things we need help clarifying or understanding. Again all questions will go through Chair, Bill Vecchio, to ensure we don’t cause stress on department heads by having questions asked of them by any and all members of the Committee. Chair will review prior meeting minutes and compile a list of open questions. Sue noted she would get the email addresses of the department heads to the Chair.
Chair noted he had signed the by-laws and given them to Maryclare in the town hall.
With nothing further, Dan motioned to adjourn, Sue seconded. Chair closed the meeting at 8:45pm.
The next meeting will be held on Wednesday August 17, 2011 at 7pm at the town hall. These minutes will be reviewed, and any amendment recommended and approved will be so documented in the minutes of that meeting.
Respectfully submitted:
/s/ Karen Moran, Secretary