Some of the Petition warrant Articles submitted for the ballot

Petition Warrant Articles for 2012 Ballot:

Petition Warrant Article __:  To see if the Town will raise and appropriate the sum of $2,000.00 (two thousand dollars) to support the operation of the Boat Ramp at ForestLake.

·         Recommended by the Board of Selectmen 4-1

Is this a joke?  What's to support that requires $2000 a year? A very small dirt parking lot and a gravel ramp to a channel off the pond that's used by 1/2 dozen fisherman.

·          

Petition Warrant Article __:  To see if the Town will raise and appropriate the sum of $5,000.00 (five thousand dollars) to be given to the Winchester Historical Society for the purpose of operating and maintaining the Sheridan House so that this museum may continue to preserve the history of Winchester for the benefit of the public.

·         Not recommended by the Board of Selectmen 3-2

What's wrong with this bunch that they vote against preserving history but don't care about spending thousands on things this town can do without?

·          

Petition Warrant Article __:  To see if the Town will raise and appropriate the sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) for the purpose of subsidizing youth recreation in the Town of Winchester to be paid to the E.L.M. Memorial Community Center on a contractual basis.

·         Recommended by the Board of Selectmen 3-1, 1 abstention

·          

Why are we taxpayers asked to continue shelling out funds for the ELMM Center that has it's own trust fund set up to cover all expenses? Just where does all of this money go? Is it to cover the salaries of board members and staff and not for programs for the kids as we are led to believe year after year?

Petition Warrant Article __:  Shall we adopt the provisions of RSA 40:14-b to delegate the determination of the default budget to the municipal budget committee which has been adopted under RSA 32:14?

·         Requires a 3/5 majority vote

·         Not recommended by the Board of Selectmen 5-1

Of course they don't want this, it would stop them from continuing to add to the budget at their whim and fancy whenever they don't like what the budget committee recommends.·          

Petition Warrant Article __:  Shall the Town adopt, in accordance with RSA 31:39-a, a Town of Winchester Conflict of Interest Ordinance as follows?

TOWN OF WINCHESTER CONFLICT OF INTEREST ORDINANCE

1. Town employees and Town officials must avoid conflicts of interest. Town employees and Town officials shall not participate in deciding any matter in which they, or their spouses or any immediate family member, have a private interest, financial or otherwise, which may directly or indirectly affect or influence the impartiality of the performance of their duties, and are required to publicly disclose conflicts of interest of which they know or should know.
2. In addition to statutory incompatibility of offices as defined in RSA 669:7 and 669:8the following combinations of employment and/or appointed and/or elected positions may not be held by a single person at the same time:

a.       Any employment position in excess of 24 hours per week and any elected or appointed office.

b.      Selectman and chairman of the Planning Board.

c.       Chairman of the Board of Selectmen and Chairman of the Solid Waste District Advisory Committee.

d.      Chairman of the Board of Selectmen and Chairman of any other Board or Commission.

3. Failure to abide by the provisions of this ordinance shall constitute grounds for removal from office upon petition by any person to the Cheshire County Superior Court.

As required by RSA 31:39-a this ordinance exempts affected officers and employees who are in office or employed at the time the ordinance is adopted for a period not to exceed one year from the date of adoption.

·         Not recommended by the Board of Selectmen 5-0

This would prevent them from constantly filling these boards and committees with their cronies to control the outcomes of meetings. Take away their power to appoint the same people over and over again and we may finally get fair, legal common sense decisions and rulings that will keep the town out of court and stop the destruction of our town.

Petition Warrant Article __:  In accordance with RSA 231:62 “are you in favor of electing a Highway Superintendent for a three year term”. Any person running for this office must pass a back ground investigation and shall be paid 40 hours straight and 5 hours of over time each week.

·         Not recommended by the Board of Selectmen 5-0

·  Now ask yourself why the BOS would be against hiring a qualified person to do this job for a term limit of just 3 years and why they wouldn't require background checks for town employees in charge of thousands of dollars of budget monies?       

Petition Warrant Article __:  Shall use of the town ambulance(s), ambulance supplies and on-duty ambulance personnel be limited to emergency response and/or transport from Winchester to a medical or other healthcare facility, except in cases of mutual aid service.

·         Not recommended by the Board of Selectmen 5-0

·          

Petition Warrant Article __:  To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $130,000 (one hundred thirty thousand dollars) for the purpose of acquiring Map 5 Lot 103-1, 99 Hawkins Rd., single family home on 3.3 acres. The Town of Winchester’s water storage is in a critical state. The current water storage tank was built in 1947. The priority is high for the Town of Winchester to erect a new water storage tank. The Winchester Conservation Commission has purchased 28 acres – Map 5 Lot 103, with elevation appropriate to erect a water storage tank on Meetinghouse Hill abutting the subject property – Map 5 Lot 103-1. By acquiring the Map 5 Lot 103-1 property, the Town of Winchester will facilitate their access to a new water storage tank on the Conservation Commission’s land on Meetinghouse Hill. Additionally, acquiring this property would allow the town to discontinue Hawkins Rd. as a town road, relieving the town of the burden of plowing and maintenance. Hawkins Rd. is a steep and windy road accessing just one house.

·         Not recommended by the Board of Selectmen 5-0

·