BOARD OF SELECTMEN MEETING Minutes 01/19/11

MINUTES of the

BOARD OF SELECTMEN MEETING

Wednesday

January 19, 2011

Board Members Present:  Sherman Tedford, Chairman; Roberta Fraser; Kenneth Gardner; and Gustave Ruth. Also present, Joan Morel; Town Administrator, and Executive Assistant Shelly A. Walker. Theresa Sepe is absent.  The meeting convenes at 7:00 PM.

1^st Order of Business: Open Meeting and Acceptance of Minutes

Selectman Gardner makes a motion to accept the regular minutes of January 14, 2011.  Selectman Ruth seconds the motion.  Motion carries 4-0.  

2^nd Order of Business: Meeting with State Representatives

Our State Representatives Dan Carr, Edwin (Smokey) Smith and William Butynski met with the Board to bring them up to speed on the proposed State budget cuts that may impact the Town and School. The State budget has a $875,000,000 deficit. The State will be making cuts for two years to make up the deficit that would be 12% of the overall budget.

Communities will see cuts in revenue sharing, retirement, and rooms & meals taxes.

Schools will see larger cuts, schools education funding formulas will change, cuts in school revenues, cuts in special education and possibly cutting unified arts programs.  Governor Lynch supports a Constitutional Amendment for Special Education that would benefit Hinsdale and Winchester. This would be consistent year to year if it happens.

Health and Human services will be cut, and will impact community welfare programs.

The Chairman inquired as to the affects these cuts may have on the Highway Block Grant.  Edwin Smith clarified that this grant will not be impacted as money to fund this comes from gas taxes.

The State Budget will pass from the House to the Senate on March 7, 2011, and the final budget will be passed in June. These proposed budget cuts will go into effect on July 1, 2011 but will be retroactive to January for towns on that fiscal year.

3 ^rd Order of Business: Other Business

The Board reviewed a report from Dick Drew, LLS on the property line between lots 14 and 15 on Map 6, and noted that it is clearly marked, and that it is located where the town thought it was. The current activity on the lot does not impact the area of the boundary line. The Board is in agreement that no action needs to be taken on the matter of the bank at this time.

The Chairman read Warrant Article #2 “Shall the Town of Winchester raise and appropriate as an operating budget, not including appropriations by special warrant articles and other appropriations voted separately, the amounts set forth on the budget posted with the warrant or as amended by vote of the first session, for the purposes set forth therein, totaling $3,531,111?  Should this article be defeated, the default budget shall be $3,553,602 which is the same as last year, with certain adjustments required by previous action of the Town of Winchester or by law or the governing body may hold one special meeting, in accordance with RSA 40:13, X and XVI, to take up the issue of a revised operating budget only. Recommended by the Budget Committee 9-1”

The Budget Committee has set the Town Operating Budget at $3,531,111.  This is less than the Board of Selectmen’s proposed budget due to a change in the Ambulance budget. After a brief discussion Chairman Tedford makes a motion to recommend $3,531,111.  Selectman Gardner seconds the motion.  Motion carries 4-0 with 1 absent.

An Application for Forfeiture Money that was seized during a drug investigation has been submitted for approval.  Selectmen Fraser makes a motion to approve this application and for the Chairman to sign the application.  Selectman Gardner seconds the motion.  Motion carries 4-0.

An Agreement and Release for 357 Back Ashuelot Road has been submitted for a signature.  Chairman Tedford makes a motion for the Town Administrator to sign the Agreement.  Selectman Gardner seconds the motion.  Motion carries 4-0.

A Raffle Permit to benefit Wayne B. Snow has been submitted for approval. Selectman Fraser makes a motion to approve the permit.  Selectman Gardner seconds the motion.  Motion carries 4-0.

Five documents necessary to receive the Aid Anticipation Note for the Old Westport Bridge over Wheelock Brook project have been received and need to be signed by all Board members.  Selectman Fraser makes a motion to sign the Aid Anticipation Note documents.  Selectman Gardner seconds the motion.  Motion carries 4-0.

4th Order of Business: Open to the Floor (15 minutes)

Ken Cole spoke to the Board regarding a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Trust Fund to be held Thursday January 20, 2011. This meeting will address changes to their investing policy.

Ted Whippie came before the Board to inform them that he really enjoyed hearing the State Representatives advise the Select Board of State budget cuts and the impact it will have on the Town and School.  He regretted that this had not been separately noted on the agenda.

5^th Order of Business: Office Documents

• An Ambulance Billing Special Funds Manifest for a Power Pro Ambulance cot with a battery-powered lift in the amount of $14,613.70 has been submitted. Selectman Fraser makes a motion to approve the manifest.  Selectman Gardner seconds the motion.  Motion carries 4 -0.

6^th Order of Business: Non-Public Session under RSA 91-A: 3II

Selectman Fraser makes a motion to enter non-public session under (a) and (c). Selectman Ruth seconds the motion.  A role call vote is taken and all members vote “yes”, and the Board convenes in non-public session at 8:03 PM.  

7^th Order of Business: Reconvene Public Session

The Board reconvenes in public session at 9:02 PM. Two non-public minutes under (a) and two non-public minutes under (c) have been sealed. One non-public minutes under (a) and one non-public minutes under (c) have not been sealed.

8^th Order of Business: Adjournment

Selectman Gardner makes a motion to adjourn.  Selectman Ruth seconds the motion and it carries 4-0.  The meeting adjourns at 9:04 PM.

Respectfully recorded,

Shelly A. Walker

Executive Assistant