Littleton, New Hampshire

Approved Minutes Mar 26, 2012

TOWN OF LITTLETON
BOARD OF SELECTMEN’S MEETING
MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012
5:00 PM
COMMUNITY CENTER HEALD ROOM

Present: Interim Town Manager Fred Moody, Vice Chairman Mike Gilman, Selectman Milt Bratz,
Executive Secretary Ceil Stubbings

Excused: Marghie Seymour

Others Present: Khela McGann (The Courier), Alex Smith (Channel 2), Robert Blechl (The Caledonian Record), Michelle Schaeffer (WLTN Radio), Dann, Chief Paul Smith (Littleton Police Department), Eddy Moore, Ron Bolt, Jerry LeSage, Mell Brooks, Chief Joe Mercieri (Littleton Fire Department), Bryan Hadlock , Bill Sencabaugh

Mike Gilman called the meeting to order at 5:00 PM. Gilman welcomed Milt Bratz as the new selectman and thanked Ron Bolt for his three years of service as a selectman during difficult times.

Pledge of Allegiance

Organization of the Board Vote:
Select Chair and V. Chair:
Milt Bratz made the motion to nominate Marghie Seymour as Chairman. Mike Gilman seconded the motion. Motion passed 3-0. Bratz made the motion to nominate Mike Gilman as the Vice Chairman. Motion passed 3-0.

Determine meeting schedule: Bratz and Gilman agreed to maintain the regular board meeting schedule to be on the second and the fourth Monday of each month.

Citizen’s Concerns: None

Appointments:
Dann – Interest Rate on Delinquent Taxes – Voting Polls:
Dann said that a few days ago something happened where people were robbed in plain sight of everyone and no one did anything about it. Two people robbed eight other people. Dann noted that he was speaking figuratively. One Thousand people robbed approximately five thousand other people on Tuesday, March 13th of this year regarding the 32 warrant articles on the ballot. A minority of the six thousand residents of the Town of Littleton with a low of 780 votes which is only 12% of the population and a high of 1,199 which is only 20% of the population stole property in the amount of hundreds of thousands of dollars out of the pockets of the majority the 80 to 88% out of the 6,000 residents of the Town of Littleton. Dann said he was going to make a statement and it was going to be an axiom. An axiom is a proposition as self-evident truth. He was then going to offer some comments and a solution for consideration. His statement was that just because something is legal does not make it moral or right. The axiom is that taxation is theft. Not only in this axiom is theft implicated, but implicit is the fact that non-compliance with that theft by the victim taxpayer includes not only the threat of prison, but up to and including the murder of the victim. When some people are faced with this axiom they report that they don’t mind paying their taxes. In fact they are happy to pay them because they like the convenience of using the things that all the money stolen from all the other property owners provides. These same people don’t see anything questionable when they are asked why they admit to itemizing on their tax forms and why they don’t volunteer to pay more taxes. They claim that they are only paying their fair share whatever that ambiguous phrase means. Where is what I just said leading? One town in New Hampshire had a school bond defeated because it required three fifths of the majority to pass the bond but only 56% had voted in favor of it. This means that 44% of the voters did not want money that was stolen from them to pay for renovations to school buildings. Dann said he was making the suggestion that all items to be voted on for more money to be stolen from homeowners that an additional box be added to these measures. The box would be labeled something to the affect that “I voluntarily choose to let the Town add an extra however many dollars spread out however many years to my tax bill. Dann said that this is something he wants to happen. In this way everybody wins. Those who voted against the article will not have their money stolen from them. Those who voted for the article would voluntarily pay to make the goal happen. This is truly a win/win situation. There will be some who argue that those who didn’t pay for this would be using those services without having to pay for it. This sort of thing happens now. Couples who have no children pay for the school tax. Parents who spend their own money to send their children to private schools pay the school tax. People who don’t drive or have cars pay the Town roads to be built and maintained. People who live off the beaten tracks sign a waiver that fire and ambulance service would not be provided to them. People with certain religious convictions pay for medical treatments their religion forbids. Some will argue that the majority of the voters decided. Rarely do the majority of the voters come close to the majority of the taxpayers. In almost all cases it is a minority of the people in the Town, County, State or country who decide issues. Some will say they had a chance to vote and the chose not to do so. This does not change the facts that he just presented that the use of force is still immoral. Do we blame the person who was robbed for being in a bad place or do you blame the robber. Do we blame the person who was raped because of the clothes they wore or do you blame the rapist? Immoral acts are immoral no matter what the acts might be. Theft implies force. If one individual does not have the moral right to steal from another person, that is to force a person to surrender their rightful property, it would be immoral for that person to pay a gang of individuals even individuals such as a government to steal from another person. Again taxation is theft. Dann said his final comment was that all services should be paid for by the users of those services. All services should be provided by the private sector. All wages, salaries and retirement plans of public employees should be voted on by their employers, the taxpayers, not by politicians out of whose pockets the money does not come. A democracy that is ruled by the majority has been likened to a lamb and two wolves deciding on what to have for supper. This is not any kind of a democracy it is a constitutional republic. Gilman thanked Dann for his comments.

Town Manager’s Report:
Moody said the Apthorp Bridge plaque has been finalized. As a condition of the grants the Town was required to repair and replace a historic marker on the new Redington Street Bridge. There is already a plaque there for the dedication of the bridge to Bob Corey. When the Town had that bracket made for the plaque another one was made for this plaque while we were waiting for the historic plaque to be approved by the state. The plaque has been approved by the DOT and the Division of Historic Preservation.
Moody then read the contents of the approved plaque.

The town had a number of old GPS Units that were just taking up space in the Town conference room. Moody said he had called the CTC Center and they were very interested to come over and take them for their use. Moody said that he felt that was a good transference of Town property.

Staff will be meeting later on this week with a contractor to investigate the heating irregularities at the police department. The Town will also be advertising for the Transfer Station Recycling Center part time position approved at Town Meeting. Last week the state CDFA (Community Development Finance Authority) approved a grant to Secured Network Services. They operate a data center. The project will include a loan of $90,000 in block grant funds for use to purchase a generator, cabinets providing six new jobs of which 60% would be available to low income people. The total project is $270,000 with the matching funds $160,000 coming from the applicant and from other loans. Moody said there was continued concern regarding the sidewalk crossings. He has contacted the local Duro Therm representative to get a cost to replace the crosswalks and he hopes to have a price back from them shortly. A prior court hearing between Mr. Sourgiadakis and the Town has been rescheduled for April 26 at the Supreme Court in Concord. Town and school staff traveled down to Concord to meet with DOT officials about Safe Routes to School Project. Moody said they were not encouraging us that we would be able to get the project done this summer. Essentially they said that due to the lengthy grant documents we would be lucky to get the project designed this year and get it out to bid for next year. Moody said there was an Energy Conservation Commission in Town that had fallen by the wayside. They recently reorganized with Tony Ilacqua. Moody said they would be coming to the next meeting when the board makes the appointments. Moody said he thinks their primary goal is to look at the highway department to try and figure out how to improve the heating system there. They are also looking into the possibility of a system that would heat the three buildings within that area. Moody then went over the available seats on some of the boards and commissions and announced the deadline to submit self-nominations has been extended to March 30th. Moody said he would like to periodically give the board a copy of the Treasurer’s Report. Moody then explained what the report contained and how it reflected the percentage of spending to date. Dann asked if copies of the document could be made available online. Moody said there would be no problem posting this online. Gilman asked if it was possible to get a short report from each of the departments each month so the board has an idea of what is going on. Moody said he would bring it up at the next Department Head Meeting.

Old Business:
Town Meeting Results:
Moody put together a quick overview that goes through the elections showing the votes and showing the percentages. The purpose of this is to show what happened with the Town Meeting Results. The warrant articles that failed are highlighted in red. Two budget related warrant articles were very close. The document also provides the results of the nonbinding referendums.

New Business:
Adoption of the 2012 Updated Hazard Mitigation Plan:
Bratz made the motion to approve the 2012 Hazard Mitigation Plan.
Gilman seconded the motion. Motion passed 2-0. Chief Mercieri said the plan is valuable to the Town because it allows the Town to be eligible for federal funds.

Acceptance of Federal Funds for the “Littleton Join the NH Clique Seat Belt Campaign”
Highway Safety Project #304-12B-018:
Chief Paul Smith advised the board that this is Federal Highway Safety money that is given to the state of New Hampshire. This is a routine project the department does from year to year. The program is looking for seatbelt compliance for anyone under the age of 18. Smith said they were awarded the grant of $3,775. The grant pays the overtime and the benefits. Bratz made the motion to accept the Highway Safety Project Grant. Gilman seconded the motion. Motion passed 2-0.


Renew Northern NH Fire Mutual Aid Agreement:
Chief Joe Mercieri said that Northpac is in the process of going through a reorganization and recertification. Bratz made the motion to approve the agreement. Gilman seconded the motion. Motion passed 2-0.

Readopt the 504 Self-Evaluation Plan for Handicap Accessibility:
Gilman asked Moody when the last time the plan was adopted. Moody said it was last adopted in 2007. Bratz made the motion to readopt the plan. Gilman seconded the motion. The motion passed 2-0.

Approval of Previous Meeting Minutes: None

Bratz made the motion to go into nonpublic session per RSA 91-A:3, II (a) to discuss personnel issues. A unanimous roll call vote was taken. The board entered the nonpublic session at 5:40 PM. The board came out of the nonpublic session at 6:23 PM. Gilman noted the minutes were sealed indefinitely by a vote of 2-0.

Bratz then made the motion to go into a nonpublic session per RSA 91-A:3, II (e) to discuss pending litigation: A unanimous roll call vote was taken. The board entered the nonpublic session at 6:24 PM. The board came out of the nonpublic session at 7:05 PM. Gilman noted the minutes were sealed indefinitely by a vote of 2-0.

Bratz made the motion to adjourn. Gilman seconded the motion. Motion passed 2-0. The meeting adjourned at 7:06 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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