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Minutes of Public Hearing 1/4/2012

January 6th, 2012

CARROLL BUDGET COMMITTEE
MINUTES OF PUBLIC BUDGET HEARING
January 4, 2012

These minutes should be reviewed in conjunction with the subsequent meeting minutes, at which a review is conducted and any approved amendments recorded.

Members in attendance: Chair Sue Kraabel, Secretary Karen Moran, Joan Karpf, Bill Vecchio. Dan Walker, Mark Catalano Select Board Representative, Vice Chair Linda Dowling.

Members of the public present: Mr. Tucker, Edith Tucker, Rena Vecchio, Bill Smalley, Jeff Duncan, Bonnie Moroney, Bill Dowling

Chair called the meeting to order at 6:35.

A summary of the process used by the committee to arrive at the proposed budget for 2012 was discussed. The overall reduction in operating expenses is just under $5,000 due to the efforts made by the department heads, select board and budget committee.

Edith Tucker asked if there were any reductions to positions or hours and was told no.

Rena Vecchio requested clarification of Culture listed on the summary of department expenses. Culture represents the budget for 2012 of the Chamber of Commerce and the Carroll Information Group.

Rena questioned the Highway Department reduction of $10,000 and was told that the specific line items for things like hot top and resurfacing were reduced as there is to be a warrant article for reclamation of New Straw Road.

Jeff Duncan questioned the Carroll Information Group’s encumbered use of 2011 franchise fee revenue. Chair noted the encumbering of funds was not done in 2011 as the revenue had been used to offset taxes. The new line item in the 2012 budget reflects the anticipated expenses. None of the expenses had been incurred or paid in 2011.

Bill Vecchio provided a copy of a PowerPoint presentation which summarized efforts to date regarding the town’s opportunities for energy savings. He discussed the energy audits done through North Country Council and the Department of Resources and Economic Development (Carroll is one of only 30 towns to receive DRED assistance). There were no costs to the town for the audits. Buildings reviewed were the town hall, fire station, highway garage, and pump house. Air sealing, insulation, and lighting are the primary areas in each where savings can be achieved.

Jeff Duncan asked if any costs to implement the recommended energy savings measures have been included in the 2012 budget. The answer is no based on the manner in which the measures can be purchased. PSNH pays for the measures up front and the town repays PSNH over time, through on-bill financing. The program is called Smart Start. Grant possibilities also exist from ARRA and RGGI funds. Operating expenses should remain flat or go down based on the savings on electricity and/or fuel costs.

Discussion took place regarding the manner in which the estimated savings are based. Bill Vecchio noted that he has met with an account executive at PSNH who will be contacted once the implementation plans are determined. There are many opportunities for savings. Bill noted he had conducted an inventory of utility pole numbers and will compare that inventory to an inventory being provided by Jack Schelling, PSNH. This will determine if the number of poles for which the town is billed is accurate. Discussion then took place regarding the rate category for outdoor lighting, the cost per hour for a PSNH truck and linemen to provide service such as changing bulbs. Further discussion took place regarding group lamping, use of photocells to shut lights at midnight, LEDs, and dark sky bulbs.

Edith Tucker suggested a policy adopted by Randolph relative to lighting. Bill Vecchio noted he has case studies from other towns, and would ask for input from public, Police, Fire prior to any suggested lighting change.

Joan Karpf requested clarification of the summary line amounts noted as Special Warrant Articles and Individual Warrant Articles. Chair said the Special represent funding from capital reserve funds, individual warrant articles are those that are specific requests for explicit items. (Clarification from the Chair to the Committee was provided via email 1/5/2012, which is attached.)

Chair thanked the attendees for coming. Chair then reminded all about the Primary Election to be held on Tuesday January 10, 2012, from 11:00am to 7:00pm.

Joan motioned to accept the minutes of the December 28, 2011 meeting as written, Mark seconded, all were in favor. Bill Vecchio did not vote, as he was not at the meeting.

With nothing further, at 7:15pm Karen motioned to continue the meeting until 6:30pm on January 11, 2012, Mark seconded, all in favor.

The continuation of the Carroll Budget Committee Public Hearing will be January 11, 2012 at 6:30pm at which warrant articles will be reviewed.


Respectfully submitted:
/s/ Karen Moran, Secretary



email attachment:
From: Karen Moran
To: All Budget Committee Members
Date: January 5, 2012
Hi Joan:
The $9,500 special warrant article represents the money to transfer into the water fund. The revenue offset is a couple of lines below, included in the revenue total. Because there are two warrant article totals, the vast majority of the ones we voted are noted in the line below it, in the total $355,560. That $355,560 is the total of:
the salt shed $31,000
the highway truck $78,880
New Straw Rd $189,996
Planning and Zoning $11,000
Coalition of Communities $2,000
Bulky Waste $20,000
Household Hazardous Waste $1,500
Landfill Groundwater $8,736
Old Landfill $1,000
Sum of the “feel good” articles $11,448

As Sue indicated, the difference between the $116,500 and $9,500 line represents the proposed additions to capital reserve funds that the Selectboard literally just reviewed and approved Tuesday night. We will get them to review and vote HOPEFULLY before 1/11.

The two warrant article lines noted represent the appropriation, and the revenue line is the sum of all of the possible revenue accounts and use of special revenue funds and capital reserve funds, so that in the bottom line is what technically would be raised through taxation, if no other attributes were included in the tax setting session.

Hope that helps.


From: Joan Karpf [mailto:megellana3@aim.com]
Sent: Thursday, January 05, 2012 1:03 PM
To: kraabeljd@roadrunner.com; bvecelec@hotmail.com; dcwalker55@hotmail.com; Moran, Karen; mtview@roadrunner.com; ckatman@aol.com
Subject: Re: Clarification/Correction

Hi Sue, Thanks for the clarification but I'm still confused as to why the Select Board Budget for Special Warrant Articles shows a major deviation to the Bud Com's Budget. I know we are waiting on Petitioned Warrant Articles but since we voted in favor of the SB's warrant articles shouldn't the numbers be the same. $116,500 vs $9,500? Can I get the breakdown that totals the $116,500?
-----Original Message-----
From: Sue Kraabel
To: Bill (work) Vecchio ; Bill Vecchio ; Dan Walker ; Joan Karpf ; Karen Moran ; Linda Dowling ; Mark Catalano
Sent: Thu, Jan 5, 2012 4:52 am
Subject: Clarification/Correction

I was mistaken last night when I said money being appropriated from CRF’s or SRF were special warrant articles. It’s just the opposite – among other things, it’s articles placing money into CRF’s, not out of them. The $9500 on our sheets is an article to put money into the water improvements CRF from water revenue.

Sorry to have confused everyone. The statements below are from the MS-7 form.
Sue


Special warrant articles are defined in RSA 32:3,VI, as appropriations: 1) in petitioned warrant articles; 2) appropriations raised by bonds or notes;
3) appropriations to a separate fund created pursuant to law, such as capital reserve funds or trusts funds; or 4) an appropriation designated
on the warrant as a special article or as a nonlapsing or nontransferable article.


"Individual" warrant articles are not necessarily the same as "special warrant articles". An example of an individual warrant article might be negotiated
cost items for labor agreements, leases or items of a one time nature you wish to address individually.

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