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Minutes of 08/22/2011

August 23rd, 2011

Carroll Board of Selectmen
Meeting Minutes
August 22, 2011
DRAFT COPY
"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 7:00 PM by Chairman Catalano

Members of the public present: Greg Hogan, Roberta McGee, Frank Maturo, Al Strasser, Mike Gooden, Butch Garneau, Scott Sonia, Rena Vecchio, Chris Pappas, Jeff Duncan, Tadd Bailey, Jeremy Oleson, Bill Smalley, Evan Karpf, Joan Karpf

Pledge of Allegiance

Frank Maturo filmed the meeting.

Stan Borkowski’s report was received and posted.

The Board announced the approval of bills and signing of checks.

Selectman Dowling made a Motion To: Accept the minutes of July 25, 2011, as written. Chairman Catalano seconded and the Motion passed unanimously.

Selectman Dowling made a Motion To: Accept the minutes of August 8, 2011, as written and Chairman Catalano seconded. The Motion was approved unanimously.

The following items were approved and signed:

Yield Tax Certification and Warrant – Reed
Town Hall Use Permit Application – Fabrizio (Twin Mt. Stamp Club)

Employee pay raises came next and Selectman Dowling made a Motion To: Table this for executive session. Selectman Moroney said she thought they put this on the agenda to vote on at this meeting. Chairman Catalano asked about the reason and Selectman Dowling said he had some information he wanted to bring up. Chairman Catalano seconded the Motion. The Motion passed with a vote of two (2) yeas and one (1) opposed.
Next, Chairman Catalano made a Motion To: Adopt the Meeting Minutes Policy as written and discussed previously. Selectman Dowling seconded and the Motion passed with two (2) yeas and one (1) abstention.

The Carroll Information Group sent a letter requesting the remainder ($1,500) of the funds appropriated for them in March. Chairman Catalano read the letter and opened for discussion. Selectman Dowling made a Motion To: Approve the request so the group can move forward. Selectman Moroney said she does not approve as she feels they should wait like the rest of the “feel good” articles which they were grouped in with. Chairman Catalano suggested this be tabled so further discussion can be done either in public or non-public session. He said he feels they do not have enough information back from the consultant. Chairman Catalano asked Selectman Moroney if she wanted to second the Motion and she said no. As there was no second, there was no Motion and the matter was tabled.

Under Other:

Selectman Moroney spoke of their earlier discussion regarding schedules for department heads to come to the Board with budgets. She said she had spoken with Karen Moran, the Secretary of the Budget Committee, and they would like to know the schedule. They would like to sit in on the meetings so they will know the discussions and not repeat questions when the department heads come to them. Chairman Catalano brought a chart which he said my influence how much the budgets should be decreased. They briefly discussed setting dates, etc., and it was decided the first budgets will be requested for the next meeting. Selectman Moroney will set up the schedule and it will be sent with letters to each department head and committee chairman.

Selectman Dowling said he would like to see Chief Trammell about the cruiser and asked that he be requested to come to the next meeting.

Chairman Catalano reiterated that the report from Carol Coppola did not include a lot of the information he was looking for. He read a portion of the contract and stated among other things there should have been analyses of budgets and actual data which he said there were not. He also said the report says the tax rate will increase 3.3% and he’s not sure where she came up with this figure. Chairman Catalano referred to his email with questions generated by the report – she said she would respond in a week but he hasn’t heard anything yet. He also commented on her email that said he was teetering on harassment – and he said he had left four phone messages trying to reach her and didn’t think that was harassment.

Chairman Catalano went back to the chart he brought and reiterated what he was asking for and didn’t get and explained as the reason for the freeze on spending, were projections on tax rates and projections on revenues. He went on to say there is nothing included in the chart but reassessment and what the tax rate needs to be in order to survive and do nothing for 2012. It is his opinion that a 20% reduction in value will mean the tax rate goes up 25%; 25% reduction will mean a 35% increase; a 30% reduction means a 43% increase in the tax rate. Discussion took place about reduction in property values through reassessment and it was stated there was a reduction of 65% in the 1990’s. Chairman Catalano said he will have information from realtors at the next meeting and that it is not inconceivable that we could lose 30 to 40% in value. He said he will not vote for an increase in taxes to compensate for the loss. He also asked that people come back to the meeting educated and not opinionated about this. Rena Vecchio asked when he says he will not vote for an increase, what we will lose, people losing jobs, or what. She went on to say that not only losses should be shown, plusses should be also as there must be some. Chairman Catalano said there are creative ways to reduce tax pressures. Mrs. Vecchio asked where does he expect to go – we have a good ambulance service, a good fire service and a good police service and she doesn’t want to lose any of them. Chairman Catalano said he has some thoughts on how to handle it and said further the department heads are not doing their duty if they don’t find creative ways to reduce their budgets. He went on to say even though technically as we are less than 4,000 people we do not need to have a police department, he would not vote to eliminate the police department or the fire department. Mrs. Vecchio asked Chairman Catalano got his numbers if just his or Carol’s. Chairman Catalano said when he and Selectman Dowling were at a selectmen class they kept hearing reduce budgets and fix employee manuals. Selectman Dowling said the State is broke so there won’t be any money coming from there. Mrs. Vecchio said she understands trickle-down and it always ends up on the towns. Al Strasser said we need to look at values as the town pays County and school taxes based on them. He suggested either do a reduced assessment of 25% across the boards or complete the reval this year rather than as it is scheduled for next year. He said we don’t have the money but we can call DRA and take it out of the unreserved fund balance. He’s sure they’d give permission. He recommended that someone talk with Mark Nieder of the appraisal company.

Joan Karpf said they were told at the Budget Committee meeting last week that water bills will be going up because they don’t have enough money to cover their expenses. She said she understands the town is responsible for the debt when the Water Dept. can’t make the payment. She also said the Department made the payment of $45,000 each of 2007 and 2008. Selectman Moroney asked who said the bills would be going up as that is not true. She said adjustments were made in 2010 to be sure their expenses were covered and this was fully explained in a meeting at the time. Chairman Catalano concurred and they both added the rates will stay as they are now. Mrs. Karpf said according to the 2010 annual report the Water Department has a responsibility to pay $30,000 back to the town. Selectman Moroney said in the past the Selectmen had agreed to forgive the Water Department’s debt. She also said they agreed to let the auditors address the best way to handle the water debt. Al Strasser suggested they look at what Rosebrook users pay versus what is paid here.

Jeff Duncan said he understands all the discussion of budgets and cuts et cetera, but ultimately it comes down to the Selectmen deciding what is acceptable for a tax rate and asked what that number is. Chairman Catalano said they do not know that yet. Chief Duncan said with all the talk of budgets and reductions, he’s looking for guidance. The department heads need to know where they want them to come in. He also asked if they had spoken with the Budget Committee yet and which they have not. The Chairman said he wants everyone to know what issues they are looking at and hope to come up with numbers soon. Selectman Moroney asked when he’s coming up with figures is he guessing who will ask for abatements and wanted to know a starting point for figures. Discussion returned to tax rates, value reductions, and abatements and it was reiterated to try to get the adjustment done from CNP ahead of schedule, in 2011. The first thing they have to do is contact the State to find out if it is possible. Chief Duncan repeated they would like guidance on their budgets before they try to come in with them and also expectations from both the Select Board and the Budget Committee. Mrs. Karpf asked if there had been any tax calculation with the hotel and property since the foreclosure sale. There has not because we don’t have all the information yet.

Evan Karpf said regarding the Bretton Woods Land Co. which went to CNL, a representative had come before the Planning Board regarding changing the name of ownership on the bond. He told them the Select Board accepts the bond, not the Planning Board and suggested to Susan Kinnear that she contact the Town Office. He said we need to know if anything is changing on the plans and if not he sees no issue with someone else’s name being on it. If there are to be any changes, it should be reviewed so the value of the bond may be changed. He advised that the bond not be released without checking with the Planning Board first, whenever that may be. Rena Vecchio said Ms. Kinnear had called the office last Thursday when the Secretary was off for two days. No one knew anything about it except when Mrs. Vecchio suggested she call Dr. Karpf for the Planning Board, Ms. Kinnear said it was he who told her to telephone the office.

Jeff Duncan said he had received a telephone call about the Fire Department pick-up truck and was given a bid of $500. He asked what he should do about it. Selectman Dowling said it should go back out to bid as that was in the bid policy that the Board approved. Chairman Catalano opined that they should be able to get more than $500 for it. Therefore Chairman Catalano made a Motion To: Put the sale of the pick-up truck back out to bid. Selectman Moroney seconded and the Motion passed unanimously. Chief Duncan asked the Secretary if she would send the ad to the paper.

As there was no further business, the Board was polled and went into non-public session for town aid and personnel matters at 8:07 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 10:46 p.m. The next meeting will be Monday, August 29, 2011.

Town of Carroll, New Hampshire ®2024