MINUTES of the BOARD OF SELECTMEN MEETING
Wednesday April 7, 2010
4th Order of Business: Any Other Business
The Town Beach Committee asks if the Board intends to remove the four rotting picnic tables from the grove area before the season begins, to which Chairman Tedford responds, yes, if they are rotted and unsafe, they should be removed. The Committee is requesting Board approval to purchase replacement picnic tables. Chairman Tedford checked the money available in the budget-$2,388.00 and checking-$9,580.00 (interest from the trust fund). The Board governs these accounts and has the authority to spend the money, as this committee is only advisory. Selectman Fraser makes the Board aware that the committee would like to use the remaining money for this fiscal year to pay lifeguards from May to June 2010. Chairman Tedford suggests the committee wait to purchase these tables until the new fiscal year begins and prepare a purchase requisition at that time. Selectman Fraser would also like the Board to review the responsibilities of the Beach Committee so each member has a clear guideline and understands their duties as a member. Ellen will put the Bylaws and Lifeguard Rules in the Board’s reading file for discussion at an upcoming work session. Erin Robb gave Ellen some specifications for the retaining wall to put out to bid, but needs some assistance from the Chairman. The committee intends to advertise for the rebid on the wall after July 1, 2010.
MINUTES of the BOARD OF SELECTMEN MEETING
Wednesday April 21, 2010
4th Order of Business: Any Other Business
The Town Beach Committee would like to purchase two weather-exposed green square tables and blue umbrellas for the patio area at the lake. The committee is looking for board approval for this expenditure using money from the checking account (roughly $9,000.00 available). Selectman Sepe does not understand why the beach committee does not need to bid this out, and provide quotes for the Board to review. Selectman Gardner is in favor of putting this discussion off for another week to see what the beach needs and how much money is available. Chairman Tedford advises that this money is in trust set up by the Court, and the Board’s only authority is to approve the expenditures and sign the checks. Chairman Tedford makes a motion to approve expenditure out of Town Beach checking account. Selectman Fraser seconds the motion and it passes 3-2.
Last night, the Selectman heard an impassionate speech from Selectman Roberta Fraser on how horrible the Budget Committee was by cutting $5,000 out of their Beach Committee budget. “They do not appear to understand how their cruel actions hurt our town.” According to Roberta, the Beach Committee will not have enough money in the budget to pay for two life guards all summer. There was a long discussion about cutting the hours per day and swimming-at-their-own-risk. Roberta informed the board that they were going to be $2,000 short even with the cut in hours.
Which of course leaves us scratching our heads. After reading the minutes above, one has to ask – why were they spending $1,200/each on two picnic tables? Is this not the $2,000 shortage? Were the tables really a necessity? Why not purchase two wooden tables for less than $100/each ? Are we running the Beach budget the same way we do our own personal budget? Purchasing what we want and then not having the money to pay our required expenses….
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
24 comments:
Ah yes, spend now, pay later. As selectman Tedford has said so many times in the past " We'll figure it out later when we need the money for something else". What a way to run a town.
Any wonder why property taxes are so unaffordable for so many of Winchester's Homeowners?
Fiscal irresponsibility knows NO borders and hurts everyone.
I'm concerned. I have the money set aside for the July taxes. I want a new picnic table, too. I have to wait to see how much the taxes are going to increase before I get one. I am also watching gas go up. I can't afford to figure it out later. Maybe I should be like everyone else and buy the table and make arrangements to pay my taxes.
Interesting concept. A popular practice in this town. It's about time they become fiscally responsible.
We should all take a page out of Roberta's book, spend what you want, go where you please and screw paying your share of taxes. If we all did this, they'd have no money to spend and wouldn't be able to buy all the unnecessary junk this town does not need to get by on and our taxes would be reasonable.
Let's have our own tea party; but instead of throwing tea in the river, let's start with those responsible for our high taxes.
The Town Hall in Winchester and those that control our government here remind me of a big old house sitting up on a hill in the middle of a field.
You can put beautiful curtains on all the windows to deceive people into thinking that the inside is just as beautiful as the outside but if the inside is a pigsty those curtains won’t ever be able to cover up that the people inside don’t give a rats ass about their house.
I would just bet that the boys from Aubuchons could come up with fist class tables for a lot less money. As for Roberta, I'm still trying to figure out how a rational person can spend money like the economy is in good shape. On one of the morning news shows, one expert said that its possible that the good old USA could go bankrupt. $175 dollar shoes and $1200 tables, what a great show of leadership.
NON-Leadership - we just keep voting it in!!!!!
Did we? Or did something else take place?
Informer, Let's take a minute to remember Gary Beaman. He and his brother provided a lot of jobs for this town. Say thank you to them for what they did!
Condolences to the family. This is a difficult moment.
Gary lived in Hinsdale, so just how much did he do for this town. My condolences to his wife and family; but let's get real here and stick to facts. By the way, are all of the town's employees who attended services and the reception after going to work on Friday to make up for the time lost, or will this be construed as another paid holiday?
Whats the criteria for the lifeguard jobs? Do you apply at the town hall or do you have to be friend or family of a town official or employee?
A $500,000 community development block grant will pay for renovation of 30 apartments at Winchester's wedgewood duplexes. Its nice the money is coming to Winchester, but its just more entitlement that's killing America.
May 18, 2010 8:06 AM
You are a sick person, very sick.. obviously you have no clue about our town and what Gary Beaman has done for this community, I am totally disgusted with your comment.. and you have a issue with the town employees attending the services for Gary, what makes them any different than anyone else, they are allowed that time.
Disgusted with you and your comments..
Makes a great place for the boyfriends to stay for free.
Let's get real friend. In the real world, not Winchester's version. Only people related to someone who has passed gets a day off, not the whole plant or town. In the real world, only someone affiliated with local government or the state would require a contingency of officials to attend, not every single employee. That our town officials and employees use every excuse there is to not work for the money and benefits they receive and use the funeral of someone who obviously meant a lot to many as an excuse to do is the real sickness here. Especially when there was a town emergency and no one could be reached.
The Beaman Service was no big deal as far as town employees taking time to remember a man that created jobs for Winchester and Hinsdale. I would imagine some went and some just goofed off. The poster is correct with the opinion that we do things different, this is not the real world and its got to be the best jobs in the state.
Sorry I missed your impassioned speech on how horrible the budget committee was to cut the town beach committee budget. I guess I am guilty Roberta of partaking in this horrible act of cutting the TBC's budget. Further more I was motion and many other motions just like it. Some passed and others didn't. That's probably why I got voted out! Right! Considering the TBC, your talking about a totally none fiscally responsible committee that wasted over $40,000.00 for a bath house that the contractor laughed all the way to the bank with the tax payers check. Over priced picnic tables from Lands End? Now you want more over priced picnic tables, Lands End again? How about getting the highway dept, a$$es off the Curby Couch from watching cable TV and have them build some. Now the TBC wants to spend thousand on re-facing the discusting looking cement wall, which is all cracked and should be replaced. Which by the way was built by Mr. Rip-cord, I mean Mr. Secord.
I read your town beach committee record of spending lavishly and I acted accordingly, after all I was working for the taxpayers of Winchester; not to please you.
Wake up Roberta. We do not know what kind of deal the other selectmen made to win you over to the un-logical spending side. We do know “The Board has the authority to abate interest and penalties"! ref: April 14 selectmen meeting. Has your property been tax deeded for non payment? Have your taxes been abated by the authority of the Board? is this why you vote the way you do?
Inquiring minds would like to know.
Good Afternoon Blog,
I was trying to view the minutes of the Planning Board meeting and have found a nonsequential mess. You used to be able to click on the minutes and read what happened. Now, there is no way to figure out what happened and when. Frankly I don't give a damn about 2008. I wonder who I need to contact to get this straightened out. I can't help but feel that Ms. Sharra is up to her shenanigans again. So, Maggie if you are reading this be advised that we want to know what you are doing.
Thanks for the help blog.
Oh-Mr. Davis perhaps the town ought to go Target. They might be able to get a table and chairs for under $200. Target also takes visa and MasterCard.
Have a great night!
From the town hall today the new tax assessments will be mailed out in about one week. 42% of the properties will decrease and about 40% will see 5% to 10% increase in their evaluation and some will stay the same. The town hall doesn't expect any fur to fly when people get their new tax evaluation, because the evaluation are fair. Can anyone believe anything coming from the town hall lately?
If you voted yes on the town warrants and your evaluation increase you deserve the increase.
Truly fair or justifiably fair?
If 42% go down and 40% go up what does that say?
There certainly hasn't been an 82% turn around in property.
What's the % decrease for the 42% that are going down?
What were the percentages the last go round?
Wonder how many town employees will see their property values go down while the rest of us make up for their tax breaks?
Good Morning Blog,
I am wondering how they came up with this evaluation. I did not have any assessor in my house. It's my understanding that drive by's don't count.
Of course if your assessment is lower then you pay less now. Interesting way to jungle the town's funds and lead taxpayers to believe that things are just peachy keene.
Food for thought!Have a great day!
They did visit a small percentage of homes in town, mine included, and then based on these assessments came up with a formula to judge similar homes in town. How they can figure this is a fair and honest way to judge the value of someone's home is very unclear to me. Based on their previous assessment, I filed a rebate after researching similar homes and found I was paying much more than many others here in town. It will be interesting to see how many lawsuits get filed after the new bills are sent out.
Post a Comment