Littleton, New Hampshire

Approved Minutes Oct 24, 2011

TOWN OF LITTLETON
BOARD OF SELECTMEN’S MEETING
MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2011
5:00 PM
COMMUNITY CENTER HEALD ROOM

Present: Chairman Bolt, Selectman Mike Gilman, Interim Town Manager Fred Moody, Executive Secretary Ceil Stubbings, Finance Director Karen Noyes

Others Present: Eddy Moore, Brien Ward, Jerry Sorlucco ,Ed Boynton, Channel 2, Milt Bratz, Chad Stearns, Alycia Vosinek, Jim Alden, Paul Hayes (Caledonian Record), Jerry LeSage, Richard Massimilla, Linda Massimilla, The Courier, Steve Kelley, Barry Lunderville (WLTN Radio), Chief Paul Smith, Bryan Hadlock

Bolt called the public hearing to order at 5:00 PM and noted that Marghie Seymour was excused but the board still had a quorum.

Bolt wanted to start with explaining meeting procedures. He then read the current policy on meeting procedures.
Gerald Winn attended and presented meeting procedures at their last meeting. Bolt said they have a daft of new guidelines including some of Robert’s Rules. Bolt said that one of the things that came out of the community project was that people are sick and tired of the bickering and arguing at the meetings. Bolt then moved turned the hearing over to Fred Moody.

PUBLIC HEARING regarding FEMA Funds
A public hearing will be held on October 24, 2011 at 5:00 pm. in the Heald Room of the Littleton Community Center as prescribed by RSA 31:95-b, Section III, and RSA 91A: 2 to discuss the acceptance and expenditure of unanticipated money from the State, Federal or other governmental unit or private sources. The source of income is from FEMA-4006-PW-NH in the amount of $88,319.53. This income results from an emergency rainstorm event, which occurred during May of 2011 and was declared a disaster event on July 22, 2011 by the President.

Moody said FEMA will reimburse 75% of the town’s expenses. Before we can accept these funds we have to have a public hearing. In addition to reimbursing the town for the costs we did have to hire outside contractors to help get the roads reopened and back into serviceable condition. Moody explained the balance of the FEMA funds would be used to replace a culvert on Railroad Street, asphalt grinding and to put up a fence at the Meadow Street Cemetery. Moody said when the above work was completed they would be twenty-five cents over budget. Gilman made the motion to accept the FEMA funds in the amount of $88,319.53 as presented. Bolt seconded the motion. Motion passed 2-0.

Acceptance of a New Hampshire Charitable Foundation Grant in the amount of $5,000
Moody said the town has received this grant by working with the senior center for a tree harp sculpture for the River Walk project. Moody said the town’s contribution to this was minimal. He would like the board’s acceptance of the grant. Noyes said the board could not accept the funds at this time because there was not notice for a public hearing. Any funds $5,000 or more need to have a public hearing. The board deferred this item to the next meeting.

Bolt then closed the public hearing at 5:22 PM and entered into the BOS portion of the meeting. Bolt skipped over the administration portion of the agenda because this was dealt with at the beginning of the meeting.

Administration
Meeting Procedures
Minutes - October’s Minutes to be approved at the November 14th meeting

Feedback:
Bolt announced the town reached a settlement with the Hampton Inn going back to 2009. This resulted in a rebate of approximately $16,000 to Murphy Littleton. They received notification about the closure of the welcome center at Exit 43 which is not good news but understandable. There is a meeting with the budget committee tomorrow and again on the 1st and the 8th of November. There will be a Halloween Festival at the Lakeway Elementary School that is being put on by the police department. The first gathering of the Jack-O-lanterns will take place and Dave Harkless is looking for donations of pumpkins. There will be a second prescription drug take back event at the transfer station put on by the DEA. This event is to help people get rid of prescription drugs that are no longer needed. There will be a dedication of the new bridge. The next board meeting will be on the 14th of November. They received notification of the LGC calendar listing the key dates before town meeting.

Appointments: Maximum time per appointment is 15 minutes
Littleton Area Community Project – Alycia Vosinek
Alycia Vosinek handed over the list of initiatives to the board that were established by a steering committee with sixteen leaders. They met monthly throughout the process. The committee is planning on staying involved with the progress. They would like to ask the town manager to sit in on the steering committee to act as a conduit to the BOS. They would like to have someone to keep them up to date and to ask questions if they are struggling with any initiative. Bolt said the town manager has limited time. He is working three days a week and will be working four days beginning next month. Alycia said they are anticipating four hours a month one for a meeting for two hours and two hours for a special project. Alycia said they are all aware of the time constraints. Jim Alden said the most important thing is we had forty people working together towards a common goal to help the town. We had the spirit of cooperation. We all saw in the spring that we were heading down a road we were not comfortable with. Littleton has always been known for a broad number of views. Hopefully we can get out of this period of acrimony. Alden said they are looking for a better way to communicate and work together.


Brien Ward – 2011 Proposed Tax Reduction Plan
Brien Ward said there are three different things that have an impact on our finances. The Tax Rate Meeting has always been a public meeting for the past five years. Ward said he talked to Fred Moody two weeks ago and asked for some information. He was told they could not get the information immediately. Ward thinks the town might want to think about getting another auditor. Ward provided the board with a presentation on the County, School and Town Surplus Tax Reductions. Ward said the town did not allocate any funds to reduce taxes in 2011. The voters have no say in the setting of the tax rate that is for the BOS and the DRA. Ward went on to say that we are in the North Country and we are in the bottom of the income bracket. We make less money here than if we lived down south. Mike Gilman said we make ten to fifteen percent less. Ward said that Littleton had eighty-seven foreclosures. In 2010 the town tax rate increased 15%. Many taxpayers had a higher assessment and a higher rate. Fuel budgets also increased resulting in everybody paying $2,000 more a year for heating. We should do everything we can to keep the tax rate down.

Jerry Sorlucco said that Ward’s presentation was very confusing. He told Ward that what he is doing is eating into next year’s budget reducing services for next year. Sorlucco said it is an exercise in foolishness. Ed Boynton asked if the board would consider taking out $300,000 to reduce taxes. Gilman said he would not make a decision right now but he would consider all options. Bolt told Ward they have this conversation once a year. Steve Kelley said they had a bit of discussion on this subject at the budget meeting. Kelley said the sooner we can get hard numbers the better we are. The second part is as nice as it would be to have the 5% goal the Town of Littleton has a good history of staying on top of our financial responsibility. As a member of the budget committee he would like us to firm the numbers up as soon as possible. The heating oil price affects everyone in this room. Kelley said the tax rate meeting is almost like a secret town meeting and what is decided when the tax rate is set by the BOS it can result in the outcome of the vote in the spring. Jim Alden said that it is his understanding the 5% is only a recommendation. We are going through a period of a recession. It would be prudent to give some of that back to the taxpayer. Bolt asked Alden if he would accept there are a lot of infrastructure problems in the town and how can we address that. Bolt said the fund balance is a cash balance. For the last three years we have not had to take out a TAN (Tax Anticipation Note). If the money is there it can be used. Bolt said that when we go to town meeting there is the possibility to fund infrastructure problems. Eddy Moore said that if the BOS have the power to do what they want the taxpayer has one place to change it and that is at Town Meeting. Ed Boynton asked if the settlement with Trans Canada was a four year agreement. Bolt said it is up in 2012. Boynton asked if the impact of that has been considered as part of their conversations. Bolt said the DRA's guideline is 5%, the LGC’s guideline is 8% to 17%. Noyes said that she looked at what other towns are doing. Bolt advised that some of the other towns have a policy on fund balances.

Citizen’s Concerns:

Old Business:
Bolt advised the Library has a Petition that has to do with the state reducing money for limited ability for inter transfer of library books. If our town was to try to replicate what the state does it would cost $8,000. Please sign the petition by this Wednesday

New Business:
Drug Take Back Day: this item had already been mentioned earlier in the meeting.

Important Dates before Town Meeting: Bolt read some of the key dates.

Office of Energy and Planning Low income Program: Bolt read the programs accomplishments from a brochure received by the town.

Town Manager’s Report:
Moody advised the Redington St. Bridge base coat of paving was put down today. They will finish the guardrail tomorrow and the curbing on Wednesday. The final paving coat will be put down early next week. The only thing left then will be the punch list of items to clean up. Hopefully the bridge will be complete the first week of November to celebrate the life of Bob Corey on Veterans Day on November 11th. Dan Greenlaw from the VFW will perform the dedication. Moody said that he has been advised the Annex will be closed until March of next year. If there are more than forty-one people at the BOS Meeting they will have to move the meeting to the Opera House. Moody said he had identified a policy issue which required a recommended resolution. Moody said that in the past more and more people have been helping themselves to the sand at the Highway Garage. With our limited budget and resources the policy needs to change. He has drafted up a resolution which would allow the town to post location of the sand and lock the entrance. If someone needs sand they would be able to take it but not in large amounts. Boynton asked if there would be a pile outside of the gates. Moody said no. Bolt and Gilman said they were both fine with the resolution and signed it. Moody said that at the November 14th meeting they would be talking about the winter trash policy and the winter road policy. They also might be discussing the waste water treatment plant.

Takeaways:
Bolt said the only one takeaway he had was that they would look into developing a policy on the fund balance. Gilman made the motion to adjourn. Bolt seconded the motion. The meeting adjourned at 6:43 PM

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