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Minutes of 08/27/2007

September 1st, 2007

Carroll Board of Selectmen
Meeting Minutes
August 27, 2007
"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 Susan Kraabel, Secretary

Board members present: Bonnie Moroney, Allen Strasser, Rena Vecchio

The meeting was called to order at 7:08 PM.

Members of the public present: Roberta McGee, Eleanor Brauns, Carmine Fabrizio, Ann Fabrizio, John Burt, Jeff Duncan, Harold Garneau, Billy Rines, Mike Gooden, Fred Hollis, Tadd Bailey, Bill Wright, Buddy Boder, Judy Boder, Claire Gritzer, Paul Gamache, Rosemary Gamache, Mac McQueeney, Marty Martin, Gloria Martin, John Sweeney, Meredith Bussiere, John Birknes, Judy Cookson, Lori Hogan, Evan Karpf, Joan Karpf

Pledge of Allegiance

Chairman Moroney asked for a moment of silence in memory of Mimi Bragg Monahan who passed away this past week.

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

Selectman Strasser had two changes in the minutes that were made. On page 3 it was added that Selectman Vecchio asked if we could consider forgiving this year’s proposed $33,000 deficit billing, and also that Selectman Strasser said the water department had to pay for itself, and not the town’s entire tax base. Chairman Moroney moved to accept the minutes of the August 20, 2007 meeting as corrected. Selectman Vecchio seconded and the motion was passed unanimously.

Stan Borkowski’s report is posted on the bulletin board. In conjunction with this report, Selectman Vecchio asked about the Paquette Circle house that has had doors and some windows boarded up and trash removed. She was told that Stan had viewed the property, and the real estate agent in charge was there, and commented that the bank did not intend to spend any money on the building, but would sell it as is. Selectman Vecchio talked about our Zoning Ordinance, that in the property maintenance section it states that no boarded windows and doors are allowed. When asked by Selectman Strasser, John Birknes offered the opinion that this ordinance would apply to houses that were inhabited, but not abandoned property such as the house in question. He said safety is a primary issue, and said if the building is safe, he thought it would be okay. Mr. Borkowski is working on a letter to the bank and will bring it to the board when complete.

Chairman Moroney addressed Lori Hogan about the sleepover that was held on August 17th at the rec area. She told her that an abutter had called Selectman Vecchio about the noise level well into the evening, and she asked if neighbors were given any notice of the late night event. Ms. Hogan said the event was brought up in Recreation Committee minutes plus a schedule that had been posted, but no contact was made with the neighbors. She said this was an annual event, and they had no plans to have outside events on a regular basis. Chairman Moroney suggested that next year the event be published in the town newsletter, and that someone come to a selectmen’s meeting before the sleepover so that it would be in the minutes for everyone to see. Fred Hollis commented on how beautiful the rec area looks after the ball field and basketball court were completed, but mentioned that the first building you see as you drive in looks awful. Ms. Hogan said they intend to go to the budget committee with requests for this building and the bathrooms.

Water rates discussion began with the question of whether we could use the balance of unanticipated funds for lowering the water deficit. The secretary had not investigated this, so it went on to discussion of whether we could forgive this year’s portion of the deficit. The secretary reported that she’d spoken to Paul Sanderson, attorney from the Local Government Center, and Don Borror of NH DRA. Atty. Sanderson first asked if we had a water precinct or district, which we do not, and said that while water departments should be self-sufficient, they are not required to be. He said that the department is part of the town, and any deficit is not a legally enforceable debt. The fact that the water fund is an enterprise fund means only that the selectmen are able to set and raise rates without going to Town Meeting. It is not a separate entity, and the town is ultimately responsible for the debt, the fact being that the entire town voted for the bond. In his discussion he cited RSA’s 38:26, 27, 28, and 29. Mr. Borror, citing the same RSA’s, said while the water should pay for itself, the statutes are silent on forgiving the debt, and he thinks it’s an accounting issue. He said the water funds can only be used for water expenses, but there is nothing that says the town cannot eliminate the debt. He said he has no direct statutory authority on this issue, but he does not object to the town forgiving the deficit.

Rosemary Gamache asked why there is a deficit in the water department, and Chairman Moroney explained that this has been going on for years, that the revenue collected each year has not been high enough to pay for expenses which include the bond for $750,000. She said they’re trying to decide how to go about eliminating the deficit and also set rates high enough to cover expenses without hitting the water users with bills any higher than necessary. Selectman Strasser said the way our budget is set up we had commingled funds and the law requires the water department pay for the construction and interest of the bond. He said this came from Mr. Borror of DRA. He said at the end of 2006, the department owed the town $175,000, and there was only $110,000 in the water bank account. Although the auditor projected a $30,000 deficit for 2007, Selectman Strasser thinks it will be much higher than that, because the budget committee removed the hydrant fees and they also showed the bond as part of the town budget. He said when the warrant for the town was passed, it said the bond would be paid by the water department. He stated that at the last meeting they talked about $100 as an addition to each user bill, which would cover most of one-third of the projected deficit. In talking about the hydrant fees, Selectman Strasser said they were a legal way for the town to contribute to the water revenue, because they were put out as fire protection. He said that is a legitimate thing. He said our average bill is $174, and should be about $400 per year.

Fred Hollis said maybe the town should loan the money with interest to the water department. He said he recently put in a well that cost over $11,000, and he wasn’t interested in subsidizing anyone’s water bill. Marty Martin asked Chairman Moroney if she wanted to forgive a $100,000 debt and was told no. She said they had discussed a lot of things the previous week, including using money left from the unanticipated funds to lower the deficit, but nothing has been decided. She pointed out that the town including, Bretton Woods, had voted for the bond in 1993. Mr. Birknes, homeowner and president of the Bretton Woods Property Owners Association, pointed out that the owners pay dearly for water from the Rosebrook Water Co., and that the excess money we have may have come from the taxpayers, and its use will cause a tax increase at some point. He said he thinks users must pay for the old problems. He suggested we check with Bernie Waugh.

Selectman Vecchio said explained that the selectmen want to raise the water rates to reflect to costs of running the water system. She explained that we had not been audited for two years, and the deficit ran unchecked. She said this should have been addressed before, and they are trying to come up with a plan now. She said they are trying to avoid sending out a $500 bill, without any notice, to people who have had bills of $170-$200 in the past. It was her thought that maybe they could forgive the deficit for the first year, and raise rates immediately to cover the cost of the system.

Several people spoke in favor of having the water users pay for the deficit. It was viewed that they’ve been underpaying and now must be billed, even if spread over several years. They also expressed the opinion that the water meters should be used to more accurately spread the cost of the water system. Selectman Strasser explained that there would still be a base fee for fixed costs such as bonding and repairs in one bill and a second bill using the meters would cover variable costs such as chemicals and electricity. Attendees expressed these things should be addressed with some urgency, and it was explained that while they will not be used for billing this year, all meters had been read recently, and information necessary for the computer program was obtained at the same time. It was determined that about 100 meters do not work properly. When Mr. Rines suggested again that we need a full time man for the water department, it was suggested that we hire an independent contractor to get the metering program running. Mr. Birknes said it was his experience that the town has been reluctant to hire expert help, and that with the current growth, this is not practical. Mr. Hollis said he’d be willing to pay the hydrant fees for both Twin Mountain and Bretton Woods. Some others shared the opinion, and it was Selectman Strasser’s recommendation. Mac McQueeney suggested that when the original warrant article for the bonding was voted on, it probably stated that no money would be raised from taxation, that the water users would pay for it. The article was read, and it had no language to that effect.

The current system of billing was explained. Each user pays a base fee of $150 and an amount for each bathroom, faucet, dishwasher, etc., so the bills are not all the same. Since the end of 2005, all money collected has been placed in a separate water savings account. As water expenses are paid for out of the general fund, the transaction creates a “due from the water account” transaction, so we know exactly how much the water fund owes the general fund. There was one transfer of funds in December 2006 in the amount of $88,000, and the balance in the water savings account at the end of 2006 was $110,000.

Selectman Strasser moved to raise the water rates by $75 per user and put the hydrant fees back in the budget. There was no second, and John Burt suggested that in light of the cost of putting in a well, perhaps the town should consider raising the $1,500 hook up fee for town water. Paul Gamache said he thought we should get the meters going, and put the hydrant fees back. Selectman Vecchio said she was unwilling to vote for the hydrant fees tonight, but would be willing to consider that for 2008. Selectman Vecchio then moved to raise the water rates in 2007 for each user by $100. Selectman Strasser seconded the motion and it was passed unanimously.

Discussion continued with Joan Karpf stating that her family conserves water at home, and she’s not sure others do. She wants to see the meters being used. Gloria Martin commented that the group seems to be saying that there be no forgiveness of the water deficit and that the rates be raised. When asked why Scott Hayes had stopped his work on getting the meters prepared for reading, Mr. Rines said while paying him $45/hr to do the work, Mr. Hayes brought his son in to do the work and he was not adequately trained for the job. Chairman Moroney suggested Mr. Rines get bids for professional help – talk to other towns including Bretton Woods. Ms. Gamache suggested that if the hydrant fee system is brought back, it should be called what it is really for – fire protection and expansion. Selectman Strasser suggested that if the town wants to complete the expansion on Lennon Road, this system must be reinstated. Chief Duncan stated he would be in favor of the hydrant fees, but we need an accurate count of hydrants, and both Bretton Woods and Twin Mountain must be held accountable for how the money is spent. Mr. Rines reminded people that there are a lot more hydrants now, and if the same $500 per hydrant is appropriated, this will involve lots of money if the fees are reinstated. The selectmen said they are intent on solving the water system problems, and they will come up with a plan so something will actually be done. They will be working until it’s done. Chairman Moroney moved to have a letter written to water users explaining the water rate increase. Selectman Vecchio seconded, and the motion was passed unanimously.

It was reported that the shoulder work at the Elworthy subdivision was being worked on, that he had called town hall, and expected the work to be completed this week. Mr. Rines has finished his last NIMS class, which means all employees/selectmen have completed the training. The building committee will meet September 11 about the Bretton Woods land transfer. The shutters for the town hall have been ordered but aren’t in yet. The secretary will call Town Counsel about the Chamberlain property letter to be sent and the Industrial Park issues. Chief Duncan reported that he is going to set up a training session for the GIS software to be used in the LUCA project. Jenn Hancock has volunteered to work on the project, and Mollie White may be interested as well.

The following items were approved and signed.

Yield Tax Certification – Cersosimo Lumber (USFS)
Water Warrant – KimChris Properties
Certificate of Occupancy – Maguire, Hyer

Given the fact that their budget recommendations are due to the Budget Committee on October 10, the selectmen set up a schedule for department heads/committee chairmen budget sessions. Chief Duncan asked if the selectmen were going to recommend a set percentage for raises in their budget, and was told it would be 5%. Departments should come before the selectmen on the following dates:

September 10: Fire, Police
September 17: Transfer Station, Library, Recreation, Planning, ZBA, Conservation, Health
September 24: Highway, Water, Buildings, Trustees of the Trust Funds, Moderator, Cemetery
October 1: Leftover departments and general discussion

Selectman Strasser asked about the shoulder work on Harmony Hill Rd. and Fieldstone Lane, and Mr. Rines said they were just about finished and had done work on Brian View and Michael Way. Mr. Rines is going to get a 2008 price for doing septic work at the fire station for a possible warrant article.

Carmine Fabrizio commended the cast and crew on the Town of Carroll Follies last Saturday.

Ms. Karpf said the ZBA has been down two members and Paul Bussiere has said he would come back as a regular member, and Pam Walsh would become a member. Chairman Moroney moved to appoint these members, Selectman Vecchio seconded and the motion was passed unanimously.

At 9:00 PM, as there was no additional business, Chairman Moroney declared the meeting ended.

Action Items:

Response letter to Bretton Woods land offer
Property tax exemptions – increase limits
Industrial Park land use - CEDC
Term Limits for Planning & Zoning
Fix sign on town hall
Chamberlain property
Website
Local ordinances
Sweeper ad
LUCA Program
Elworthy subdivision
Water bills

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