Littleton, New Hampshire

Approved Minutes of Press Release Mar 9, 2011

TOWN OF LITTLETON
BOARD OF SELECTMEN’S MEETING
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2011
3:00 PM
TOWN OFFICE CONFERENCE ROOM
NOTE: THIS MEETING WAS MOVED TO THE CC HEALD ROOM

Present: Town Manager Chuck Connell, Chairman Ron Bolt, Vice Chairman Ed Boynton, Selectman Marghie Seymour, Executive Secretary Ceil Stubbings

Others Present: Police Chief Paul Smith, Fire Chief Joe Mercieri, Public Works Director George Chartier, Transfer Station Manager Jackie King, Finance Director Karen Noyes

Bolt called the meeting to order at 3:00 PM in the Town Office Conference Room.
Due to the room not being able to accommodate the public who came to the meeting he recessed the meeting and moved the meeting to the Community Center Heald Room.

Bolt read the following press release as follows:
The voters of Littleton have spoken and opted for the proposed budget of $7.4 million. The Board of Selectmen regrets that more time was not available to consider, in the necessary detail, the impact of an appropriation of $745,000 short of what were anticipating just one month ago. Budget cuts of such magnitude, made in haste, have strong potential for unintended consequences. Accordingly, we took a measured and conservative approach to these cuts, keeping foremost in our minds that the primary role of town government is the protection of people and property.

In New Hampshire, budgets work on a gross appropriation basis. This means that the Town of Littleton cannot spend beyond the $7.4 appropriated by the legislative body (i.e., the voters that showed up for Town Meeting). The governing body – the Board of Selectmen – is responsible for making sure that happens, but has considerable leeway on how money is allocated amongst authorized purposed. Cuts can be affected in any number of ways as long as spending does not exceed the bottom line.

The reductions we are about to announce represent the first round of cuts. Other cuts will follow later in the year as we, given an appropriate amount of time, consider other factors and conduct further analysis. The following cuts have been decided and agreed to by the Board of Selectmen based in part on recommendations from the Town Manager and department heads:

Reductions in Subsidies:
Littleton Library - $50,000
Parks & Recreation - $50,000
Littleton Area Chamber of Commerce - $15,000
Littleton Community Center - $5,000
Conservation Commission - $1,000
Cemetery Board - $3,000

Reductions in Non-Labor Items
Eliminate addition of the Sewer Fund - $32,000
Assortment of miscellaneous cuts - $27,000
Emergency Management, Channel 2 coverage, events, road signs,
Tuition assistance for Town employees

Reductions in Labor-Related items:

Town Clerk – Approximately $15,000 (loss of part-time employees)
Various department employees – approximately $45,000 (35 hr. work wks)

Lay-offs:
Transfer Station – (1) attendant (vacant)
Police Department (1) patrol officer (vacant)
Fire Department (2) firefighters
Highway Department (3) truck drivers
Town Office – (2) Town Manager, effective April 1
Tax Collector, effective June 30

Approximate savings in fiscal year 2011 (3/4 year) of these layoffs is about $320,000, bringing the total for this round of cuts up to about $563,000.
In the coming weeks and months we will whittle away toward that target of $745,000. Further, we hope to re-open negotiations with both unions in the interest of gaining concessions that could reduce the need for additional layoffs.

Bolt then opened the meeting for questions and comments.
A citizen who lives on Partridge Lake said that when he sees the library and the Parks and Recreation being cut $50,000 he only sees it as numbers. He asked if the library was going to be closed a couple of days a week. He wanted to know what all of the numbers meant. Charlie Paradise who is one of the Parks & Recreation Commissioners stated they had not had the time to review the $50,000 cut. Charlie said they had a $50,000 cut two years ago so this would result in something major such as possibly closing down the pool.

Jeanne Dickerman from the Library stated that most of the $50,000 would be taken from the part time staff. They would be losing three permanent part time positions and one seasonal part time person. There will also be some other cuts made. The library will be open four days a week instead of five.

Steve Kelley asked if it were possible to put together a committee to bring the two unions together and have a think tank that would try to come up with a proposal that would have less of an impact along with some long term benefits. Bolt asked Boynton on his thoughts. Boynton said he did not have a problem with Kelley’s suggestion. Seymour said she did not want to dismiss but after her experience with the budget committee and the cut and the support for the cut, she was not in a position to accept any assistance from anyone at this time. Kelley went on to state some of the problems the budget committee and citizens see that are wrong with the union contracts. Luke Harvey said they should do away with the budget committee altogether and start with a new group.
There were several citizens who spoke of their concerns regarding the budget cuts. Bolt asked for a motion to adjourn. Seymour made the motion to adjourn. Gilman seconded the motion. Motion passed 3-0. The meeting adjourned at 4:41 PM.

The Town of Littleton prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, marital or family status. The Town of Littleton is an equal opportunity employer.

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