Some Elected Officials Have a Conscience

Too bad certain elected officials here don't have one.

Dummerston Selectboard chairman to resign; cites conflict of interest 

By MIKE FAHER / Reformer Staff

 

 Friday February 8, 2013 DUMMERSTON -- The chairman of Dummerston's Selectboard says he will resign following a dispute at a Wednesday meeting over his ties to the town's highway department.
Lewis White, a five-year veteran of the Selectboard, maintained that he never has shown any favoritism to the department, which is led by his cousin, Lee Chamberlin.
Several other town officials agreed, and they urged White to reconsider his decision. But White on Thursday said he won't risk the town dealing with allegations of impropriety every time a road-related issue arises.
"This will be thrown in my face," White said. "We're not going to have that. I'm not going to deal with that."
White said he will submit a letter of resignation within days. He also said he does not expect to accept a Selectboard position if he is re-elected at the upcoming Town Meeting -- though he did not completely rule out that possibility.
The highway-department issue came to a head during a sometimes-heated Selectboard meeting Wednesday at the community center in West Dummerston.
But the dispute has roots in a long-running disagreement over a September decision of the town's Development Review Board.
The review board denied a site-plan approval and variances requested by Schoolhouse Road residents John and Lori Thibault for a fence standing more than 6 feet high, a deck, and an above-ground pool.
The Thibaults have appealed the board's decision in Vermont
Environmental Court. And there has been ongoing debate about whether and how the town should be represented in those proceedings. It's become clear that some Selectboard members thought the review board's decision was unfair. In one example, Selectman Tom Bodett said during a Nov. 28 meeting that he felt the ruling was "overly restrictive."
"I thought it overstepped ... I didn't feel I could defend it," Bodett said at the time.
In an interview Thursday, Bodett said he since has gained a better understanding of the board's decision.
"But I still think the perception of that case is doing great damage to the overall perception of our planning and zoning process," Bodett said.
The criticism led Herb Rest, the review board's chairman, to read a pointed letter into the record at Wednesday's Selectboard meeting. Rest said his friendship with a neighbor of the Thibaults had no bearing on the board's review, pointing out that the neighbor appeared at an Aug. 15 hearing but did not testify.
"I failed to conclude that I should have recused myself in this matter," Rest wrote.
Rest added that now that the neighbor in question has filed to appear in the Thibault court appeal, he has withdrawn "my candidacy as a town-appointed resource to the court in this matter" to avoid any appearance of a conflict.
He also said continued criticisms from some Selectboard members are "undermining the functionality of the DRB process," and he objected to any allegations of impropriety.
"I reviewed all of the DRB decisions rendered in the last approximately 18 months. I will state categorically that there is no bias suggested and that the decisions consistently reflect the will of the citizens of Dummerston as expressed in their zoning bylaws," Rest wrote.
"I, quite frankly, am bewildered by any contrary conclusion of the Selectboard if they too researched their allegations."
That led resident Jody Normandeau to angrily denounce the Selectboard, saying Rest and review board member Lew Sorenson had been unfairly targeted.
"I have never seen such abuse of another public body," Normandeau said.
She also pointed out the familial relationship between White and Chamberlin. For White to raise a conflict-of-interest question, Normandeau said, "is like a pot calling the kettle black."
White noted that he had recused himself from any involvement in Chamberlin's hiring. But also said he would leave the Selectboard if residents perceive a conflict of interest.
"If it's seen that way, it's seen that way," White said, adding, "this will be my last meeting."
Later in the meeting, other Selectboard members, Town Clerk Pamela McFadden and meeting attendees -- including Normandeau -- asked White to remain on the board.
"This is an inexperienced board," Selectboard member Steve Glabach said. "We need your experience."
But White said much of the town's business is highway-related, and he said he didn't want his vote to be a deciding vote on such issues.
"That shouldn't happen," he said. "So, it won't happen."
For the resignation to be effective, White will have to submit a letter. The Selectboard then would appoint someone to fill that position until Town Meeting, McFadden said Thursday.
White's departure also would complicate the upcoming election. While there are two candidates for a three-year term, White is the only listed candidate for a two-year term on the board and it is too late for his name to be removed.
If he is elected but does not want the position, White would have to resign again.
On Thursday, White said he likely will search for someone else to seek the office.
"I would like to find somebody who wants to run as a write-in and support him," he said.
Bodett, who also is leaving the board as his term expires, said he hopes White reconsiders. He echoed others in saying he never has seen evidence of bias.
On highway-department matters, "if anything, I have seen (White) exercise more caution than the rest us," Bodett said.
Bodett, who was out of town and absent from Wednesday's meeting, said he regrets any role he played in escalating the dispute with the DRB. And he called for a careful re-examination of what truly constitutes a conflict of interest.
"I would like to see everybody take a breather," he said. "Is this really serving the town? No."

Be safe, Be smart and take heed

Winter Storm Warning

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
439 AM EST FRI FEB 8 2013
A POTENTIAL HISTORIC WINTER STORM AND BLIZZARD IS EXPECTED 
To DROP UP TO 3 FEET OF SNOW THROUGH SATURDAY...

MAZ002>004-008>011-026-NHZ011-015-081745-
/O.CON.KBOX.WS.W.0002.130208T1100Z-130209T1800Z/
WESTERN FRANKLIN MA-EASTERN FRANKLIN MA-NORTHERN WORCESTER MA-
WESTERN HAMPSHIRE MA-WESTERN HAMPDEN MA-EASTERN HAMPSHIRE MA-
EASTERN HAMPDEN MA-NORTHERN MIDDLESEX MA-CHESHIRE NH-
WESTERN AND CENTRAL HILLSBOROUGH NH-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CHARLEMONT...GREENFIELD...ORANGE...
BARRE...FITCHBURG...CHESTERFIELD...BLANDFORD...AMHERST...
NORTHAMPTON...SPRINGFIELD...AYER...JAFFREY...KEENE...
PETERBOROUGH...WEARE
439 AM EST FRI FEB 8 2013

...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST
SATURDAY...

* LOCATIONS...SOUTHWESTERN NEW HAMPSHIRE...AS WELL AS WESTERN
  AND NORTH CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS.

* HAZARD TYPES...SNOW...HEAVY AT TIMES...WITH THE POTENTIAL 
FOR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS.

* ACCUMULATIONS...SNOW ACCUMULATION OF MORE THAN 2 FEET.

* TIMING...LIGHT SNOW WILL DEVELOP BY THIS MORNING...BECOMING
  MODERATE TO HEAVY LATE IN THE DAY INTO THE EVENING COMMUTE.
  THE HEAVIEST SNOW WILL FALL TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY TAPERING 

OFF LATE SATURDAY.

* IMPACTS...ROADS WILL BECOME SNOW COVERED WITH VISIBILITIES
  DOWN TO AROUND 1 MILE. WINDS WILL GUST AROUND 40 MPH...
  POSSIBLY RESULTING IN THE BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF SNOW...IN
  ADDITION TO THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGE TO TREES AND 
STRUCTURES ALONG WITH ISOLATED POWER OUTAGES.

* WINDS...NORTHEAST 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH.

* VISIBILITIES...ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS AT TIMES.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE LOWER 20S.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN AN AVERAGE OF 6 OR MORE
INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED IN A 12 HOUR PERIOD...OR FOR 8 OR 
 MORE INCHES IN A 24 HOUR PERIOD. TRAVEL WILL BE SLOW AT BEST 

ON WELL TREATED SURFACES... AND QUITE DIFFICULT ON ANY 

UNPLOWED OR UNTREATED SURFACES.

Tax system is flawed

Published in tonight's Sentinel and permission given to reprint here:

For you individuals that belittle this man and his efforts to bring fairness to all of the people of Winchester regarding your tax burden, read his words well and take heed.

In supporting the needs of our local government and schools, the revenue for these expenditures are levied on the property owners. This tax rate is determined by gathering revenue from other sources (vehicle tax, timber tax, permits etc, state revenue sharing) of which is subtracted from the requested revenue by town and school. The difference that remains is levied on the property owner. This means each year as the revenue request increases this cost increases is levied against the property owners only. This way of taxation which is at a flexible rate depending on needs and requests in a certain year. In a period of raising expenditures the tendency is to raise the rate on the property owner faster than any other tax, this tax increase does not take a legislation battle to change year to year. On the other hand the state has a fixed rate of gathering revenue. The state tax rate remains stable except in times of increased needs and requires a legislation battle to change. This is not true with the property tax. Local government relies on the elected officials to be honest about their needs with the tax payers. Greedy local governments, special interest groups and individuals can levy unneeded cost simply by collecting 10 signatures to file warrant articles to be placed on a ballot, well knowing mostly the special interest will show up to vote. This places most property owners at a disadvantage, allowing a few to dictate the increased tax rate for the many when these people know only 21 percent of the registered voters will show up to vote. What a state of disarray we would become if only 21 percent of our state Legislature showed up to vote and pass laws. To get fair taxation with representation at least 51 percent of registered voters must vote on the warrant articles before any increases could be levied on the property owners.
Last year the Winchester Budget Committee became responsible and cut the town’s request to increase the burden on the property owner. The state legislated the towns shall have a balanced budget. Last year, the Winchester Budget Committee worked many hours on the town budgets until finally voting on a budget that was honest to the town’s needs and fair to the property tax owners. Then at Winchester’s deliberative session, the selectmen were furious over the budget committee’s budget, and attempted to nullify the budget committee’s decision. For once, this time the selectmen failed in their attempt to get the voters to fall for their devious and scheming attempt to circumvent the budget committee to accomplish their selfish needs.

The Legislature mandated budget committees to be a independent entity process and not be overruled by five selectmen’s agenda or having to require more oversight. Yes, the budget committee includes a voting selectmen member, and that should be the limit of their influence. The system is broken. The selectmen, in their attempt to get their own greedy way, petitioned the state and had the budget committee decision reversed and the money restored to their town’s budget How fair is this to the voters if their choice of budget committee members can be overruled by a state agency that does not own one piece of property in Winchester or does not understands how manipulating a town government can be.
This year, the selectmen, in another and different approach in their attempts to control the budget committee, are presenting a warrant article to reduce the number of members elected to the budget committee from seven to five. This is still another attempt by the selectmen to eliminate people on the budget committee that push back on spending.
These flexible taxes are unfair and more revenue should come from the state Legislature, instead of being controlled by greedy self-serving people.
Robert Davis
893 Old Westport Road
Winchester

Understanding the Town Budget

Former Budget Committee Chairman, Brian Moser

will hold a meeting at the VFW on Main Street

Monday, March 4th @ 7:00pm

( the meeting will be held upstairs)

"Explaining The Budget"

How the Selectman's proposed increases in 
spending will affect each and every taxpayer in the town of Winchester and what you need to know to make an informed decision before you vote.

Deliberative Results

Voters debate libraries, sewer upgrade project

Posted: Sunday, February 3, 2013 8:00 am   

By Meghan Foley Sentinel Staff

WINCHESTER — A warrant article seeking to move forward with the third and final phase of upgrades to the town’s sewage plant has cleared its first hurdle in getting voter support.

The majority of voters at the town’s annual deliberative session Saturday morning voted to place the article on the ballot next month after about an hour-long discussion focused on the necessity of the $1.48 million project.

Ryan Cain, an engineer with Tata and Howard, said the scope of work in the third and final phase is everything not included in the first two phases of the project. Those items include putting a rubber membrane roof on the operations building, upgrading the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, installing a station to receive sludge delivered to the plant, and upgrading the well water system and laboratory equipment. Developing a plan to inspect the sewer collection system is also part of the project.

Upgrades to the roughly 30-year-old plant have been ongoing since 2010.

Resident William A. McGrath asked if the $1.48 million was enough to fund all the items listed under the third phase. Cain said it was.

In addition, 50 percent of the cost, or $739,050, would be covered by the state, he said.

Resident Harvey J. Sieran pressed Cain for specific numbers on what would be saved in electricity costs if the upgrades are done. Cain said he didn’t have specific numbers, but knew from the first phase of the project that electricity costs did go down for the facility.

Sieran also asked if installing equipment to improve the plant’s ability to accept more sludge from septic systems was cost effective.

Cain said septage currently generates about $4,000 a month, or $48,000 a year, in revenue. That $48,000 offsets the labor and maintenance costs associated with accepting the waste, he said.

Two articles involving the town’s two public libraries, Thayer and Conant, also generated a lot of discussion.

One, establishing a committee of seven residents to study the effects of consolidating the libraries, quickly moved to a conversation of why the Thayer Library shouldn’t be dissolved.

Julia Ferrari, chairwoman of the Thayer Library trustees, said she believed the article arose because of the library’s budget.

“We voted to have the same budget as Forest Lake,” Ferrari said. “Aren’t our children more important, if not as important, than having to take millfoil out of Forest Lake.”

Earlier in the meeting, voters approved warrant articles seeking $2,000 to be put into a capital reserve fund for treating exotic invasive plants like millfoil at Forest Lake, and to appropriate $1,200 for the operation of the boat ramp at the lake. Thayer Library was allocated $3,500 for fiscal 2013, according to the town budget.

Selectman Sherman Tedford said the article wasn’t to dissolve Thayer, but to form a committee to study the two libraries.

Theodore Whippie, vice chairman of the Conant Library trustees, also spoke against the article, saying comparing the two libraries was like comparing “apples and oranges.”

“There is a good reason for two libraries, and I think it would be a mistake to combine them at this time,” he said.

Before voters decided in favor of putting the article on the ballot as written, resident Paul Taylor proposed an amendment that would alter the membership of the study committee. Instead of having five residents and one representative from each of the two libraries on the committee, Taylor suggested the board have two representatives from each library, two residents and one selectman. The amendment was seconded by Kenneth Cole.

“The purpose is to make sure the study is done in a fair way,” Taylor said.

The amendment was voted down.

An amendment proposed by Tedord, and seconded by Selectwoman Theresa Sepe, to reduce the amount placed in a capital reserve fund for the Conant Library from $20,000 to $10,000, also failed. Voters then approved placing the article on the ballot as written with the $20,000.

Sepe said while she would like to support the allocation of $20,000, she would also like to see a detailed explanation from the trustees about what repairs still have to be made to the century-old library.

Whippie said the biggest of those repairs is the roof, which he was told two years ago would cost about $100,000 to repair.

Sepe said the library currently has $45,000 in its capital reserve fund, and she would like to see a warrant article next year asking voters to support a roof repair project.

Sieran, a library trustee, said he strongly objected to funding the project all at once.

“I don’t think people in town will vote for a lump sum,” he said.

Voters approved the remainder of the 31 warrant articles, including one containing the town’s proposed $3.42 million budget, with little discussion.

The deliberative session, which began at 9 a.m., ended at 1:10 p.m. Voting will take place Tuesday, March 12.

Meghan Foley can be reached at 352-1234, extension 1436, or at mfoley@keenesentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter @MFoleyKS.

Winchester Town Budget 2013-2014 BEFORE WARRANTS

This is the approved Town Budget for the year 2013 - 2014 BEFORE any more spending has been approved on all the Warrant Articles submitted by the Selectmen. Looks like many people are either going to have to find 2nd and 3rd jobs or another place to live other than Taxchester.

Click your mouse on the pages to enlarge

ATTENTION ALL CANDIDATES

FILING PERIOD FOR OFFICE BEGINS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013

AND ENDS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2013

FROM 3:00 UNTIL 5:00 PM FOR FILING

FOR OFFICE ONLY, NO OTHER BUSINESS

WILL BE TRANSACTED DURING

THAT TIME.

DELIBERATIVE SESSION

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2013

AT THE TOWN HALL,

WINCHESTER, NH AT 9:00 AM –

UNTIL DISCUSSIONS OF ARTICLES END.

Session to vet budget, warrant articles approaching

By Meghan Foley Sentinel Staff

WINCHESTER — Voters will have a chance next week to slice, dice or add to a 2013-14 town budget that is up 11 percent from the current year.
Town officials will present a $3.42 million operating budget at the deliberative session on Saturday, Feb. 2. The budget, which selectmen recommended unanimously and the budget committee supported, 5-2, is up $346,074 from this fiscal year's budget of $3.07 million.

Selectmen Chairwoman Roberta A. Fraser said Friday the big increases in the budget are employee health insurance and retirement costs.
"We've kept it low as much as we can, but everything is going up," she said.
Health insurance has increased by $97,726, from $254,799 to $352,525, and retirement costs for town employees have increased by $14,563, from $40,617 to $55,180. The town's share of retirement costs for police department employees, which is a separate budget line item from other town employees, has gone up by $19,576, from $59,800 to $79,376.
Fuel costs are also a contributing factor, especially in the highway department, where the amount allocated for diesel fuel increased by $13,000, from $30,000 to $43,000.
Other town offices with proposed increases include the fire department, landfill, the police department, property records and welfare, which would see their budgets jump anywhere from $7,304 to $44,090. The town's legal budget is slated to increase by $41,736, from $25,000 to $66,736.
In addition to the budget, voters at the deliberative session will review the 31 warrant articles on the March town meeting ballot.
One of those articles seeks to establish an ordinance making it illegal for animals to run at large on properties that don't belong to their owners. The selectmen have unanimously backed the ordinance.
Fraser said the ordinance is similar to the one in place for dogs found to be running at large, but that regulation can't be applied to livestock.
"There have been issues with livestock getting out quite often," she said.
According to the ordinance, an animal is defined as domestic or wild, and includes, but isn't limited to: cattle, bovines, swine, sheep, goats, domesticated strains of buffalo and bison, llamas, alpacas, emus, ostriches, yaks, elk, fallow deer, red deer, reindeer and equines.
If the ordinance passes, residents who have animals that escape their care could be fined $50 each time the animals get loose. The owners would also be responsible for expenses incurred by the Winchester animal shelter for caring for the animals.
Other warrant articles on the ballot include:

• $1.48 million for the third phase of upgrades to the Winchester wastewater treatment plant, and creating a plan for inspecting the town's sewer collection system.
• Establishing a committee of seven residents to study the effects of consolidating the Thayer and Conant public libraries.
• Changing the number of members-at-large on the budget committee from eight to five.  

The deliberative session will start on Sat., Feb. 2, at 9 a.m. at Winchester Town Hall.

Meghan Foley can be reached at 603-352-1234 ext. 1436 or at mfoley@keenesentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter @MFoleyKS.

Warrant article seeks to form committee to study libraries

Are these people serious? With all of the pressing matters in town, emergency Budget Committee Meetings cause they can't manage money and spending tax money like it's water driving the rates up with spending warrant after spending warrant, these fools now want to abolish a piece of history that cost us a whopping $2,086. in spending on improvements last year. Don't let them pull the wool over your eyes, what's the real motive behind these latest shenanigans?

Posted: Thursday, January 24, 2013 12:00 pm 

By Meghan Foley Sentinel Staff

 

The historic tin ceiling at the Thayer Public Library in Ashuelot is one of the areas of the building that needs to be repaired. In the photo is library volunteer Joan Gratton, left, and trustee Harriet Charland                                          

WINCHESTER — Years of discussion about whether the town can afford two libraries is likely to come to a head at town meeting in March. A warrant article, which selectmen are recommending 4-1, seeks to establish a committee of seven residents to study the effects of consolidating the Thayer and Conant public libraries. If the article passes, the committee would be appointed by the selectmen and consist of one representative each from the Thayer and Conant libraries, and five town residents.
Selectmen Chairwoman Roberta A. Fraser said there has been a lot of interest and questions from residents and town officials about the need for Winchester to have two libraries. There have also been discussions within the town recently about who should be responsible for the care and upkeep of the Thayer Library moving forward, she said.
“It doesn’t hurt to look at the sustainability of having two libraries in town,” she said.
The Thayer Library, which is located on Ashuelot Main Street in the village of Ashuelot, was donated to Winchester by Julia Thayer in 1906, and has historically operated independently with little financial support from the town. Running the Conant Library, which is on Main Street, relies primarily on town funds.
The placement of the warrant article comes after Thayer Library trustees came under fire from the selectmen on Dec. 5 for the way in which they amended the library’s bylaws earlier in 2011. Of the bylaws that were amended, the selectmen took the most issue with the one that shifted the responsibilities of caring for the library away from the library director and trustees.
At the December meeting, Fraser said the original bylaws were intended to not put the burden of caring for the library on the town, and the new bylaws had been amended to completely change that intent without notifying the town.
Selectman Theresa Sepe said the library trustees should have brought the changes to the selectmen before making them, as the town had no funds in its budget to maintain the library.
According to the Winchester town report for fiscal year 2010-11, the Thayer Library’s expenses totaled $2,086, while the Conant Library spent $89,999. Also that year, over 10,000 books were loaned out to people using the Conant Library. In 2012, 236 books were borrowed from the Thayer Library.
The original Thayer Library bylaws, which dated back to when the building was donated to the town, put the responsibility of caring for the library and grounds on the library director. The director would live in the apartment above the library. The library now operates with an all-volunteer staff, and no one is living in the apartment.
It wasn’t until their meeting on Jan. 9 that the selectmen voted to put the warrant article to establish the library study committee on the March 12 ballot.
Julia Ferrari, chairwoman of the Thayer Library trustees, said while it’s likely the warrant article was based on financial reasons, it doesn’t take into account the long-term effect it could have on the quality of education provided to children in the community.
“If we only think about the ground we’re standing on right now, and not the future, we’re being short-sighted,” she said.
Edward Lake, who was the director of the Thayer Library from 1999 until he resigned in 2011, said while the library is an asset to the town and village of Ashuelot, he understands the selectmen’s concerns.
“We, like other towns, are in a financial crisis. Now out of the blue, we have something like the Thayer Library trustees changing things and bringing taxpayers more expenses that they never had before. They don’t want to take on the extra expense,” he said.
For decades, the Thayer Library has been self-sufficient, and what has gotten it in trouble is the trustees changing the bylaws, he said.
Over the years, Ashuelot has lost its school, fire department and mills, and closing the library would take away what makes Ashuelot significant, he said.
Ferrari said she doesn’t know what the future operational setup of the library may be, but the trustees hope to continue to connect with the Conant Library.
“By working hand-in-hand, the two libraries can work together and help each other,” she said.

Meghan Foley can be reached at 603-352 1234 x1436 or at mfoley@keenesentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter @MFoleyKS.

Poor Planning Results In More Money Needed

Better show up at the polls if you don't want your taxes to increase again next year ... Once again, the incompetence of the people voted into the position of Selectman makes the news.

Winchester looking to move forward with third phase of sewer project

 Posted: Wednesday, January 16, 2013 

By Meghan Foley Sentinel Staff

WINCHESTER — Town officials will seek voter approval in March to move forward with the third and final phase of upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant.
A warrant article recommended by selectmen, but not the budget committee, would raise up to $1.48 million for the upgrades and pay for developing a plan to inspect the sewer collection system.

Town Administrator Joan C. Morel said Tuesday the project’s third phase includes some improvements to the plant that weren’t part of the previous two phases because there wasn’t enough money budgeted.
The phase three upgrades include putting a rubber membrane roof on the operations building, upgrading the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, installing a station to receive sludge delivered to the plant, and upgrading the well water system and laboratory equipment.
In addition, it will ensure the town qualifies for federal and state funds for half the cost of the project’s third phase.
The article requires a 60 percent majority to pass.
The budget committee has the final word on the budget plan that goes to voters. It didn’t recommend the article, so there’s also a waiver included.
Voters can’t add more than 10 percent to the budget committee’s recommendation. Since the recommendation was zero dollars, the waiver is needed for voters to exceed the 10 percent if the article is approved. The waiver is allowed by state law.
Selectmen Chairwoman Roberta A. Fraser said the first phase of the project included basic repairs.
“We knew at some point we’d have to do phases two and three,” she said.
Upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant have been ongoing since 2010. In 2008, the town took over management of the roughly 30-year-old plant after the town’s contract with United Water of Auburn expired. At the time, the aging plant was having numerous mechanical breakdowns.
Voters approved a bond for $3.4 million at town meeting in March 2009 to begin making upgrades to the plant. The following year, voters were asked to approve raising another $500,000 for the second phase of the project after town officials learned the $3.4 million wasn’t enough. They did.
Morel said the first phase of the project is nearly done, and the second phase is expected to begin in late summer. Half of the funding for the project’s second phase is coming from a State and Tribal Assistance Grant. The other half will come from the state revolving fund, she said.
If voters approved the third phase of the project, it’s unknown when it would start, Fraser said.

Meghan Foley can be reached at mfoley@keenesentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter @MFoleyKS.

Board of Selectmen Meeting Minutes 12-26-12

Board of Selectmen Meeting Minutes 12-19-12

Board of Selectmen Work Session 12-19-12

Winchester in search of a new leader

WINCHESTER — For the fifth time in eight years, Winchester officials will search for a new town leader.

Town Administrator Joan Morel plans to leave her job in February after submitting a letter of resignation last month. Selectmen accepted the letter with regret at their meeting on Dec. 11.

Selectmen Chairwoman Roberta Fraser said this morning the board plans to advertise the position starting Saturday, with applications due this month.

“We’ll be taking applications, and then going from there with interviews,” she said.

The position will remain the same as it has been for the past four years, with the town administrator also handling town assessor responsibilities, she said.

Selectmen haven’t yet discussed whether to hire an interim town administrator if the position isn’t filled by the time of Morel’s departure, but Morel has agreed to stay on if needed past her scheduled last day of Feb. 8, Fraser said.

Morel was out of the office and unavailable for comment.

In her resignation letter, Morel said she appreciated the opportunities she’d been given, and wished the town well in the future.

“I love the job and everyone I work with, but have reached the point where I need to stop working fulltime,” she wrote.

Morel became Winchester’s town administrator in October 2010, making her the fourth person to be hired to the position since 2004. She replaced Robert N. Gray, who left the job in fall 2010 after deciding to move with his wife to Arizona. He was named town administrator in December 2008, replacing Amy Lewis, who held the position for about three months.

Lewis was hired after voters at town meeting in March 2008 decided to eliminate the town manager position for a town administrator post.

A town administrator works under the direct supervision of the selectmen, while a town manager oversees all town departments, property and business affairs involving the town, and the expenditure of funds from the town budget, according to the Local Government Center, an organization that advises municipalities in the state.

The vote to eliminate the town manager job came during the fourth consecutive year the question had been on the town meeting ballot. At the time, John H. Stetser had been town manager since December 2004. He left the job in April 2008.

Stetser replaced Town Manager Anthony F. Simon, who resigned in January 2004 after six months on the job