We guess the BO$ thinks Santa is going to be bringing all of us brand new wallets filled with crisp new $100.00 bills. On top of all of the budget increases and raises they've laden the new budget with, now they expect us to fork over more money. We guess they really don't get it ...... These articles will be discussed on January 13th, at the town hall, the public is invited, so be sure to attend and let them know how you feel.
ARTICLE___ To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $28,677.00 to be placed in the Capital Reserve Fund established under Article 16 at the 2006 Town Meeting for the purpose of performing the assessing update or revaluation of the real estate in the Town of Winchester scheduled for 2009-2010? Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 5-0.
ARTICLE___ To see if the Town will raise and appropriate $24,800.00 as the forth of five lease-to-purchase payments for the 2004 International dump truck, plow, and sander package? Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 5-0.
ARTICLE___ To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate an amount not to exceed $18,000.00 to be deposited in the Evergreen Expendable General Care Trust Fund established by an affirmative vote by the 1998 Town Meeting as Article 11; the source of these funds to be withdrawn from the surplus generated by the perpetual care funds already established for the care and maintenance of lots within the Evergreen cemetery, and not from taxation. Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 5-0.
ARTICLE___ To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $6,000.00 to support the annual Pickle Festival? Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 5-0.
ARTICLE___ To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $10,000.00 to be placed in the Police Cruiser Capital Reserve Fund established in 2006 at the Town Meeting under Article 14? Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 4-0.
ARTICLE___ To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $5,000.00 to hire a professional firm to prepare an impact fee schedule? Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 4-0.
ARTICLE___ To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $14,500.00 to payoff frozen sick time for Town employees? Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 4-0.
ARTICLE___ To see if the Town will vote to establish a Capital Reserve Account under the provisions of RSA 35:1 III for the purpose of future upgrades and/or purchase of the town’s computers and networking system, and to raise and appropriate the sum of $10,000.00 to be placed in this fund with the Board of Selectmen being the agent of said fund? Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 4-0.
ARTICLE___ To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $15,000.00 for promoting commercial and industrial development in the Town, and name the Board of Selectmen as agents to expend said funds? This is to be a non-lapsing account. Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 4-0.
ARTICLE___ To see if the Town will raise and appropriate the sum of $50,000.00 for the purpose of subsidizing youth recreation in the Town to be paid to the E.L.M. Memorial Community Center on a contractual basis? Inserted by Petition. Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 4-0.
ARTICLE___ To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $40,000.00 for the Town’s share of State road grant reconstruction costs for bridges and place it in the non-lapsing Capital Reserve Fund established at the March 2006 Town Meeting under Article 19 for that purpose? Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 4-0.
ARTICLE___ To see if the Town will vote to authorize the expenditure of payments from the Ambulance Outside Activity Fund for the lease/purchase of a new 2009 ambulance? The cost of the ambulance will be $35,000.00 per year for a term of 5 years. The lease/purchase contract does contain a non-appropriations clause. This expenditure will not come from taxation. Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 4-0.
12 approved Warrants $221,977.00 (not including ambulance-$35,000.00)
... and here's some more they have been discussing..
ARTICLE ..... Shall the Town vote to discontinue Hawkins Road? Hawkins is classified as a V road. It’s really a driveway with one resident, which the Town should not have to maintain. Selectman Whippie makes a motion to recommend this Warrant Article, and notify the owner and abutters. Selectman Berthiaume seconds the motion and it passes 5-0.
ARTICLE ..... Shall the Town vote to discontinue the Class 6 portion of Fullam Pond Road? Fullam Pond is classified as a VI road. The abutter of this location would like to discontinue the umaintained portion because recreational vehicles access his property from Old Chesterfield. The Town would no longer own or maintain this road. Selectman Whippie makes a motion to recommend this Warrant Article, and let the abutter have this portion. Selectman Ruth seconds the motion and it passes 5-0.
ARTICLE ..... Shall the Town vote to adopt the provisions of RSA 36-A:4-a, I(b) to authorize the conservation commission to expend funds for contributions to ‘qualified organizations’ for the purchase of property interests, or facilitating transactions related thereto, where the property interest is to be held by the qualified organization and the Town will retain no interest in the property? Selectman Ruth, Chairman of the Conservation Commission explains that a lot of towns have been donating to outside interests to purchase development rights of properties. The purpose is to preserve open space. The Conservation Commission is authorized to give money for Winchester properties, but not for land outside the town. Members of the Board are concerned with the terms “qualified organizations” and lack of taxation for non-profits, and giving other towns the opportunity to purchase Winchester property. The Board will not place this Article on the Warrant. The Board would like to see if other towns put this on their Warrant, and if it passes. This is a new law effective January 1, 2009.
ARTICLE ..... Shall the Town vote to adopt the provisions of RSA 36-A:4-a, I(a) to authorize the conservation commission to expend funds to purchase interests in land outside the boundaries of our municipality, subject to the approval of the local governing body? The Board feels comfortable with this proposal because the BOS can authorize expenditures, and the Town would acquire interest in the property. Selectman Berthiaume makes a motion to recommend this Warrant Article. Selectman Fraser seconds the motion and it passes 5-0.
ARTICLE..... To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $50,000.00 to be placed in the Fire Department Capital Reserve Fund, for the purpose of purchasing new fire apparatus, as established under Article 21 at the 2005 Annual Meeting? The BOS discussed this last week and agreed not to put on the Warrant. Fire Chief Barry Kellom spoke with Bob Gray and is asking the Board to reconsider. After review, the BOS are still not in favor, and the article is stricken from the Warrant.
ARTICLE ..... To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $30,000.00 to purchase 5 new Scott Air Packs for the Fire Department? The Fire Department has approximately 25 working air packs, but most are older models (1994), which are heavy. The BOS agrees that at some point these packs should be replaced, but the money should come from his budget. The suggestion is made that Barry purchase new air packs (April 2009), based on the funds available at the end of this year. The Board will not place this Article on the
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
22 comments:
ALL LIES
So if it is a joke it is not a funny one. I believe it only because I know of two of them that are deffinetly true. Well as we all know the BOS is going to approve just about anything put in front of them because they are all afraid of conflict and don't want to take the time to do the rite thing by arguing a point and doing what is in the best interest of the town. So as long as we all vote no to what we know is unexceptable, we should be on the rite track. With warrent articles like this, we have to do their job and vote vote no more tax increases.
Be assured, it's no joke. Despite the juvenile attempt to discredit the info posted, these warrant articles, approved by the board will be discussed at the meeting on 01/13/2009 at the town hall.Four of these articles were approved by the board October 29th and the rest on December 3rd. Anyone who doubts the information can either contact the town or send us a request with a return email addy.
To: ITS A JOKE .. it's so easy to come and post anonymously and call someone a liar isn't it?
This is fantastic,having the warrant articles to study long before its time to vote. I don't think the majority of the people in power are going to like this. It gives the voters to much time for the pros and cons, not to be led around like sheep to the slaughter.
If this is a joke? Then the jokers are at the town hall. The warrant articles came directly from Bob Gray's e-mail at the town hall. This is just another attempt to discredit the website and us. Just like the selectmen did to Susan Newell and Brian Moser. The town hall and the town employees do not want tax payers to know the truth. The people in charge have hidden the truth for years from us. Well "the chickens are coming home to roost" as they say.
For instance, take note on this article sent to me as a member of the budget committee, which reduced the line item from $5000.00 to $1.00 from the Land Use budget. Read the minutes from the budget committee meeting of Oct. 23rd, by following the link on the main page of the winchesterinformer.
" Jack would like to make another friendly amendment changing the Impact Fee line item to zero, Harvey accepts this friendly motion. Discussion was to keep $1.00 in this line item; Jack changes his friendly amendment to keep $1.00 in the Impact Fee line item. Harvey accepts this friendly motion."
The new bottom line for Land use is $68,269.
Harvey makes a motion to approve Land Use to $68,269.
Jack seconds the motion.
Motion carried:
After we voted the $5000.00 line item out, Sherman Tedford Stated and I quote, "we will get the money anyhow!" What a cocky attitude. This articles was submitted for the benefit of Margaret Sharra.
Under HB 512,“a planning board shall, in the course of site plan or subdivision review have the authority to require that a
developer be responsible for the payment of the cost of any on-site improvements as well as the developer's proportional share of off-site improvements.
Such authority shall not be affected by the adoption of or failure to adopt an impact fee ordinance.We surely don't need to spend another $5000.00 to set a fee schedule. many towns have adopted this and I'm sure Winchester could set it's own fees without spending more money. It's the applicant that pays the Impact Fees, not the town. I say piss-on-her and the impact fees, she will only use it as a weapon against the town's people. Did Sharra or the Planning Board ever think about making her friends at the race tracks and Robert Van Dyke have an impact study on the noise and the effects they would have on the town and it's people. No! So why the fuss now?
ARTICLE___ To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $5,000.00 to hire a professional firm to prepare an impact fee schedule? Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 4-0.
I ask the joker again. Is this not true?
We can only assume that the discussion that followed the lowering of the line item from $5000.00 to $1.00 was brought up by either the Selectman's rep or someone close to the Planning Board's chairperson. By not removing this line item and leaving a balance of $1.00, it gives them the opportunity to raise the sum at any time they see fit, by either a warrant article as they are trying to do now; or by simply transferring money from one account to another. They are becoming quite adept at getting their own way.
Check out what we pay the town employees. Go to the home page winchesterinformer.com click on town budget on the left and scroll down to benefits, payments and perks. Note; The highway dept wages doesn't include over time and you thought you had a nice paying job.
Bob,Does the police pay include that big bucks detail work that they ware out are cruisers and inflate there retirement with? Got a feeling the don't want anyone looking at that.
to; ITS A JOKE
Would seem looking at the minutes from the selectman's meeting and the other evidence this website has posted, that your post saying it is all lies is completely unfounded.
BOS agree to a bulk mailimg to provide you the tax payer with info. on the articles. I guess they think you are to stupid to understand, and want to use your money to assure passage of every warrant article.It just might backfire, can't wait to see the public reaction.
Maybe winchesterinformer.com should write another news letter this year, to educate every Winchester resident about the truth, the wasteful spending of our tax dollars and to explain the warrant articles that will do all of us and our town much harm and to offset the misleading facts that will undoubtedly come from the town's letter. Things like the Pickle Festival, that should be self supporting by now. Also to show that it is a conflict of interest and a travesty to have Planning Board Chairperson Margaret Sharra, chair or sit on a community improvement group. With her influence and friendship with the BOS, it will be filled with her circle of friends; like the Beamans and the Bosiverts, who by the way, own the racetracks. Look at the mess she had made of the town out on route 10, she is shameless. People can not even go out and enjoy their back yards with the loud noises coming from those tracks every weekend. Did she ever think of what it would do to the tranquility and peaceful settings of our neighborhoods? Of the impact her decisions would have on the quality of our lives? No, she only cared about one thing, "I love to race" she has stated in the Sentinel. Then there's the truck junk yard and the dirt piles, from the concrete plant and both of Van Dyke's projects along route 10 and route 119, a nice representation of our town. Not very inviting for a business or anyone looking for a place to live. People should know the whole truth, not just the sugar coated version coming from town hall.
Just how expensive is it to send out a mailing like that and to keep this web site up for everyone? To the town, spending money doesn't seem to matter, just as long as they justify it in their own minds. For them to keep adding to our expenses is an insult and to pretend these things are that important that they can't wait, like other towns or even the state, that has put a moratorium on new spending, is an example of just how far out of touch the people who run our town are. It's just wrong to keep adding to our woes and not give a damn!
Also note, that the Warrant Article regarding the SEWER PLANT is not on this list (which they discussed at last week's BOS meeting), for $3.4 MILLION! Bob Grey said that it will be an additional 90 cents to the bottom line (per $1,000).
Do you realize that last year, we voted on $2.1 Million for the sewer plant? They have no clue what the actual construction costs will actually be until it goes out to bid. They are just relying on this figure from what the engineers are estimating. Don't you know that if you throw a number out there like that, everyone bidding on the project is going to just bid around that number?
And with the Governor's cutting funds, there won't be any reimbursements coming from them. A quote from Bob Grey.... Unless the Federal Government is willing to help out - and do we really see that happing?
ITS A JOKE needs to attend the BOS meetings or walk into Town Hall and read the minutes to know that this is all FACTS!
We should also get into a discussion about TTT building a restaurant waste composting plant/facility along the Ashuelot River on 119....
In regards to us having to pay an additional $.90 cents per thousand for a system that should have been taken care of all along, that the selectman still allow certain people to continue hooking up properties to and a system that less than half the town's population uses is not right!
We homeowners on our own septics don't get any help from the town when something goes wrong, why in hell should we pay to fix something we don't even use? I'll be asking these BOS members why they blew the money appropriated years ago to fix problems at that plant and why they feel we should all shoulder the burden because of their stupidity and ineptness; or perhaps just downright thievery. Where did the money go?
This ambulance thing costing that supposedly is not going to cost the taxpayers any money I find really hard to swallow. If they have this money in some kind of fund, then why wasn't it used already? And just where did all this money come from that's in this fund already? I myself think they should add a surcharge to every ticket they sell at the 3 racing tracks in town and let them pay for it, after all it's them that's putting all the strain on our ambulances and crews with all the trips they make up to Keene during races.
Someone made a good point the other day, when they mentioned that we no longer hear at BOS meetings regarding things falling apart and in desperate need of repair at the sewer plant - now that Ken has taken over. He is doing an excellent job!
Also, one thing that I have noted and the BOS members are good about not mentioning, is the fact that the wood electricity plant that is planning to go in across the street from the sewer plant would require ALL of our affluent (the cleaned waste we release into the river) to COOL their plant. Plus they will require even more river water (which they are getting permission from the State). If that is the case - we will no longer being emitting one drop into the river. Hence we will no longer being in penalty with the state requirements.
Do you understand what that means? If the wood electricity plant gets built - we won't be in need of new sewer plant.
So why the need for 3.4 million dollars if the sewer plant doesn't need these supposed upgrades? And what are we giving up ( all of our forests? ) to have this wood burning plant in Winchester and just who will benefit from it being here?
Opps, I meant to say Rick Melenski (not Nick).
The BOS had proposed the Sewer Plant last year as two phases. The first phase (for $2.1 Million) was to get the plant up and running with a new facility. BUT it still wouldn't allow us to add on any new potential customers (commericial or residential).
The second phase ($1.3 Million) was set up as a way in which we could have customers add onto the service. Supposedly a way in which to dry out the slugged and possibly make money creating fertilizer. This is the condensed version, mind you. When the engineer was here several months ago, it didn't sound like that at all. NOTE: The BOS ran an ad in the paper last year, announcing that they would be discussing a proposed new sewer plant project that would cost over $100,000. Can you imagine my surprise when at the meeting they said it would actually cost $2.1 Million? BIG DIFFERENCE! It wasn't until I went to the second meeting that they let it slip that there was a second phase.
When I asked the gentleman from the wood power plant how much they needed to cool their plant, I looked directly at the BOS and they all looked at me like, "You better not connect the dots and say anything."
At another one of the meetings in which the power plant representatives spoke at, he said that he didn't intend to offend anyone, but they choose Winchester as a potential sight because we are a poor town in desperate need of work and income. Plus, we have a hardy supply of forest surrounding us.
Now, in regards to this plant - it doesn't matter if the town is for it or not. If the State agrees to their proposal, they have all the permission they need to build. It does NOT have to go before our planning board or selectman to get their approval.
The facility will not be an eye sore. It's a nice looking barn structure. It will employee over 20 people with $75,000+ salaries. The down side, it will have 50 logging trucks entering and exiting every day. We also can not get electricity at a discount (due to PSNH regulations).
Reading over the latest BOS meeting minutes, I'm sitting here scratching my head wondering what kind of game Fire Chief Barry Kellom and the BOS are playing in regards to these Scott Air Packs we continuously see popping up discussions? First it was reported they were paid for( $25,000.) and included in the purchase of the new fire truck; then on last years ballot it was a warrant article in the sum of $30,000. if I my memory serves me. Then earlier this year, Chief Kellom approached the board with a request for another $25,000.00 check to purchase 5 Scott Air packs again. Just how many of these things are we getting fleeced for? The Fire Department has approximately 25 working air packs now and when there's a fire, we're lucky if 6-8 volunteers show up. Why in hell do we need more of these packs when there's a dozen or more sitting idle all of the time? Just where in hell is all of this money going? Someone's pockets are getting awfully heavy!!
Please support the following Warrant Articles submitted by the winchesterinformer.com it will help the town's growth with low income condo projects we can not afford.
7th Order of Business: Petitioned Warrant Articles
Next the Board discusses 5-petitioned Warrant Articles, which have been verified by the Town Clerk with the required number of signatures. After the articles have been approved by the BOS, they are to be forwarded to the Planning Board. Chairman Tedford reads the petitioned Articles as follows:
We the undersigned, hereby request the removal of all Planned Residential Development Ordinances from the Zoning Board ordinances of the Town of Winchester.
We the undersigned, hereby request the removal of all “Back Lot” ordinances from the Zoning Board Ordinances, of the Town of Winchester.
We the undersigned, thereby request that the Zoning and Planning Boards uphold and enforce the “Steep Slopes Ordinances”, voted into law by the citizens of the Town of Winchester.
I have the facts about your half cocked statements, I do....
but just like you guys are finding out no one can do it alone.....
This sight started with facts, it really did, and I believed it.
But I have read minutes that go back as far as I can research, I really have....for BOS and BC and I tried very hard to understand the minutes for planning board and zoning board but I couldnt understand any of the language and I think that may be by design....I dont know. This sight has drifted away from the facts. I agree that the situation you are dealing with "RVD" will do no good for our town, NONE.and He kinda tried the same kinda of thing in my neighborhood on a smaller scale. but you have taken that platform, and started chest beating about the few good things that our community has.
I may be one of those guilty of seeing my opinions in print and thinking it would bring change, but it doesnt. but I know the counter you have on the home page does not show how many people log in to this sight several times a day giving you 1847 visitors at 3:10 am this morning I myself have probably logged in 500 of those times
with that in mind I fear this sight no more
I will go to the delibertive session with no fear
I will listen to warrent articles with no fear
you people will not be showing up in great numbers, no voters ever do.......I will venture that in all reality there is no more that 20 people "Discussing: or venting here
A selectmen of ours figured this out a couple of months ago and I should have followed suite
this place is not the place that will be bring change.......
see you in the election booth
I will never visit this sight again
Hallelujah!
It will be a joy not to have to read your blogs...
Post a Comment