The Dan Cole Memorial Scholarship

                                

The Dan Cole Memorial Scholarship
Cole Bowl 2013 Fundraiser
 

 
The Dan Cole Memorial Scholarship was founded in 2010 to honor
the life of Daniel Thomas Cole (April 10, 1973-November 2q, 2007),
a loving husband, father, son, brother and friend who lived in
Winchesterfor all of his life.
The scholarship is awarded annually to one student from
Winchester who shares the same career interests and embodies the
same positive spirit and love of life as Dan.
He was an exceptional athlete and motocross racer. He attended
Colby-Sawyer College and Keene State College, but ultimately
pursued his love of mechanics.
Dan was a Harley-Davidson. Ph.D.-certified  mechanic; he and his
brother Nat opened CFR Cycles, a motorcycle repair shop in
Winchester.
Dan was a mentor and instructor to many young motocross riders
in the area,and was a valued member of the Winchester community.
The Cole Bowl 2013 fundraiser will take place on Saturday, April 20
at the E.L.M.M.Community Center in Winchester. The 64-person
single-elimination candlepin bowling tournament promises to be a fun
filled memorial event.
While bowlers are facing off in the bowling alley, volunteers will be
raising funds in the main hall with Chinese auctions.
.
The Scholarship Committee is seeking gift card donations from local
businesses for the Chinese auction table. Gift cards in any denomination
any denomination. are appreciated

If you require more information about the scholarship fund or the Cole
Bowl funraiser, please contact committee member Christy Frazier
 @ 485-4700,
staff@infinite-energy.com.

Thank you for your consideration!

Invasive Emerald ash borer found in New Hampshire

The emerald ash borer, an invasive species of beetle that attacks and kills ash trees, was spotted in New Hampshire for the first time last month, officials from the N.H. Department of Resources and Economic Development said Friday.
Insect specimens were collected from “a suspect tree” found in Concord March 28 and sent to scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine, all of whom confirmed the insect’s identity, state officials said in a news release.
Lorraine Merrill, the New Hampshire commissioner of agriculture, said the insect’s arrival was not unexpected.
“We have been monitoring the emerald ash borer’s eastward march and preparing for its arrival here,” she said in a news release.
The beetle’s presence has now been recorded in 19 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces, state officials said.
Brad Simpkins, state forester with the N.H. Division of Forests and Lands, said state agencies have implemented an action plan that’s been in place in anticipation of the insect’s arrival, with the first step being to determine how widespread its presence is.
The emerald ash borer attacks and kills North American species of true ash, with tree deaths occurring three to five years following initial infestation, state officials said.
For more information about the emerald ash borer, contact the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension Forestry Information Center hotline at 1-800-444-8978, or visit www.nhbugs.org to learn the signs and symptoms associated with the ash borer or to report a suspect ash tree.

Winchester to move forward with wastewater treatment plant upgrades

By Meghan Foley Sentinel Staff

WINCHESTER — Town officials still plan to move forward with some upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant, despite voters’ rejection of a bond last month to complete repairs.
Wastewater Superintendent Richard Meleski said last week his department is looking into using some of its capital reserve money to fund a few of the smaller projects included in the third and final phase of upgrades. Those projects include cleaning and filming the sewer collection system on the north end of town, having a comprehensive report done on that system, and possibly having a new rubber membrane roof put on the building housing the facility’s main operations center and offices, he said.
“We’re going to try to follow through with a few projects ourselves,” he said. “We’re currently looking into getting some prices, and we’ll see how it goes from there.”
Meanwhile the rest of the upgrades will remain on hold until next year, said Selectmen Chairman Kenneth Gardner.
“At that point, we’ll see if we still have the funding through the federal government, and we’ll make a determination then,” he said.
That federal funding, which is a low-interest loan, comes with a smaller state match, and is distributed through the N.H. Department of Environmental Services’ Clean Water State Revolving Fund to communities with eligible projects.
Work included in the third phase of the project was part of the original design to upgrade the 30-year-old plant, and it needs to be done at some point, Gardner said.
“Is it required by the state? No, but it is part of the original design, which makes the plant more efficient,” he said.
Besides the roof replacement and sewer collection system inspection, the third phase also included improvements to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, installing a station to receive sludge delivered to the plant, upgrading the well water system and laboratory equipment, and getting covers for the clarifiers that treat wastewater coming into the plant.
A warrant article seeking approval for the $1.48 million project failed to get the 60 percent majority it needed to pass on March 12. If the article was approved, selectmen would have been allowed to borrow the money, and the town would have applied for state and federal funding, which would forgive half of the loan.
Meleski said with selectmen’s approval, his department hopes to have the warrant article placed on the ballot again next year.
Many of the projects listed in the third and final phase were included in the first two upgrades, but were only to be done if funds were available, which they weren’t, Meleski said. Completing those projects would help prolong the life of the repairs already made to the plant, and help it run more efficiently, he said.
The first phase of upgrades, approved by voters in March 2009 with a $3.4 million bond, are wrapping up, he said. The second phase is expected to begin in late summer, he said. Voters approved $500,000 in March 2010 after town officials learned the $3.4 million wasn’t enough.

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

Special education funding topic of proposed bill

A new bill gets the nod from legislators.
The bill would require the state to pay at least 80 percent of the catastrophic aid for eligible special education costs that districts are entitled to through a longstanding formula. State money to support educating students with a high level of special needs has dropped to about 70 percent of what districts are entitled to in the past two years.

But while the N.H. House’s education committee unanimously backs House Bill 344, which goes before the full House on Wednesday, the finance committee recommended killing the bill.
Under the formula, districts should be reimbursed for 80 percent of a student’s special education costs that total more than 3.5 times the state average cost per pupil. Special education costs that exceed 10 times the state average cost per pupil should be fully reimbursed by the state.
For the 2013 fiscal year, the state average cost per pupil is $13,217.
Winchester taxpayers pay much much more per student than this .. 
But when the state budget doesn’t have enough money to cover all catastrophic aid costs, the law allows the state to prorate, or adjust, the payments proportionately. And that’s been the case more often than not in recent years, local school district business administrators say.
Catastrophic aid funding is based on the preceding year’s costs. For the current school year, catastrophic aid for 1,052 students will total about $79.5 million statewide, according to the N.H. Department of Education. Of those costs, nearly $30 million is eligible to be reimbursed under the catastrophic aid formula. Yet the state will pay about 71.8 percent of those costs, or $21.5 million.
In 2011-12, the state paid 69 percent of the aid districts were entitled to, 77 percent in 2010-11 and 85 percent in 2009-10.
If the law had been in place this year, the state’s catastrophic aid payments would have increased by nearly $2.5 million.
In addition to the 80 percent requirement, the bill also would remove the provision that allows catastrophic aid be prorated.
The bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Rick M. Ladd, R-Haverhill, said in a committee hearing last month that with shrinking funding from the state and payment based on the previous year, districts might be forced to borrow, transfer money from other budget accounts or rely on reserve funds to meet special education costs that the districts are legally mandated to provide.
The purpose of catastrophic aid is to pay special education costs for the state’s most vulnerable students, but each year that the state’s portion is decreased, the financial burden is increasingly transferred to the local taxpayer, he said.
Yet the finance committee does not support the bill, according to a report from last week, because the committee believes that catastrophic aid will be addressed in the House budget, which committee members are working on now before an early April deadline.
State Rep. Susan M. Ford, D-Easton, who spoke for the finance committee last week, said it’s not uncommon for the committee to rule out allocation bills if that money is already included in the budget. If a representative wants to increase that budget line, he or she would have to come to the finance committee and work on the issue, she said.
The House budget, which is still under work, lists catastrophic aid at $21,537,308 for 2014 and $23,537,308 for 2015.
N.H. School Administrative Unit 29 Business Administrator John R. Harper said reliability for school districts is the important issue here. If the state can’t fund catastrophic aid under the current formula, then perhaps the formula should be changed into something the state can afford to pay in full, he said. That way, districts could count on a predictable number each year.
N.H. School Administrative Unit 29 provides top-level administration to the Chesterfield, Harrisville, Marlborough, Marlow, Keene, Nelson and Westmoreland districts.
One special education case could cost more than $300,000, and for a small district with a $2 million budget, that’d be disastrous without state help, said Timothy L. Ruehr, business administrator for the Unit 29 towns.
Being able to count on at least 80 percent of the catastrophic aid districts are entitled to would be significant, and it would reduce some of the guesswork involved in estimating what percentage the state will pay out each year, he said. But what Ruehr would really like to see is the state fully fund catastrophic aid.
“It’s frustrating because the law hasn’t changed, they just prorate and say, ‘This is what we can afford to give you.’ “

Kaitlin Mulhere can be reached at 352-1234, extension 1439, or kmulhere@keenesentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter @KMulhereKS.

Judge weighs Dunkin Donuts' future

By Meghan Foley Sentinel Staff

Whether there will be more coffee and doughnuts in Winchester’s future should be known soon.
After a court hearing Monday, a judge is weighing whether to uphold the town planning board’s denial of a proposed combination gas station, convenience store and Dunkin’ Donuts, reverse it or send the matter back to the board.
S.S. Baker’s Realty Co., which has proposed the development at the northeast corner of routes 10 and 78, filed the lawsuit in August, after the Winchester board rejected the plan in July. The company is proposing a roughly 3,600-square-foot, single-story building on about 1.19 acres at 4 Warwick Road (Route 78). The building would include a drive-through for Dunkin’ Donuts.
In its denial of the project, the planning board cited concerns about traffic flow at the intersection if the business were to move in, and that the project would overwhelm the site.
Attorneys for all parties involved in the case advocated that Cheshire County Superior Court Judge John C. Kissinger Jr. make a decision and not remand the case back to the planning board.
Attorney Gary J. Kinyon of Keene, representing S.S. Baker’s Realty, said his client submitted ample evidence to support the approval of the plan, and the board’s denial was improper.
“We ask the court approve the site plan rather than consider a remand to the board. I don’t think it’s necessary because the evidence in support of approval is so overwhelming,” he said.
Attorney Matthew R. Serge of Concord, representing the Winchester Planning Board, disagreed, saying there were competing expert reports about the effect the project would have on safety at the intersection of routes 10, 78 and 119.
One of the reports was a traffic impact study done by Laurie M. Rauseo, a professional traffic engineer, for S.S. Baker’s Realty, which found the new business wouldn’t adversely affect the intersection. The other was a peer review of that study done for Kulick’s Inc., a nearby market and gas station, which questioned some of Rauseo’s findings. The owner of Kulick’s, Stanley S. Plifka Jr., opposes the project.
“In this situation, it’s the plantiff’s burden to offer sufficient evidence that this will be safe. Here the board had a legitimate credible expert report that called that into question, and the board was entitled to rely on that,” Serge said.
He and Attorney Kelly E. Dowd, who represented Kulick’s Inc., asked Kissinger to affirm the planning board’s decision.
“I think you will find the board tried to be very fair and patient throughout the process. There were lots of questions, and lots of information to deal with, as well as personal observations of board members, which they’re allowed to consider in making their decision,” Serge said.
Throughout Monday’s hearing, Kinyon, Serge and Dowd battled over methodology and conclusions of the traffic impact study, the validity of the peer review report of the study, the content of the minutes from the planning board hearings, and the powers of a planning board.
Kinyon said the meeting minutes must be examined carefully to see if there was any adequate basis for the planning board to deny the plan.
“I would suggest to the court there is simply no basis. There are simply vague statements, opinions and unsupported statements peppered throughout the minutes of the meetings that simply say, ‘We think there should be no left turn onto Route 10 south,’” he said.
Dowd said the planning board’s reasoning in rejecting the plan wasn’t vague.
Another area of contention during the hearing was the two driveway permits granted to S.S. Baker’s Realty by the N.H. Department of Transportation. The permits allow for an entrance and an exit to the property from Warwick Road and Route 10.
While Kinyon argued that those permits couldn’t be ignored, Serge and Dowd said the planning board can deny applications based on traffic safety even if the access is to a state highway.
“There is no statement anywhere in (the town’s) regulations that basically says if you get a DOT permit, you’re safe and you’re fine,” Serge said.
Kissinger did not give a time frame for his decision.

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

Winchester residents vote down sewage plant upgrades

By Meghan Foley Sentinel Staff

WINCHESTER — Local officials will have to find another way to move forward with a $1.48 million project to complete upgrades to the town’s sewage treatment plant.
Although a majority voted in favor, voters didn’t give the project’s third and final phase, which also included developing a plan to inspect the sewer collection system, the 60 percent majority it needed to pass. The vote at the polls Tuesday was 284-270.
Upgrades to the roughly 30-year-old plant started in 2010, with the second phase expected to begin in late summer, town officials have said.
The town took over managing the facility in 2008, after its contract with United Water of Auburn expired. At the time, the plant was having numerous mechanical breakdowns.
The first phase of the project included basic repairs to the facility. The second phase was approved at town meeting in March 2009, and required an additional $500,000 after town officials learned the original $3.4 million bond approved at town meeting the year before wasn’t enough.
While the warrant article for the third phase of the project received support from the majority of voters attending the town’s deliberative session on Feb. 2, residents had many questions, including whether the $1.48 million was enough to fund all the work.
Selectmen and the budget committee were also divided over the article, with the selectmen unanimously recommending it, and the budget committee not recommending it by a 6-2 vote.
An article generating controversy at the deliberative session involving the Conant and Thayer public libraries passed at the polls.
Voters decided, 356-197, to establish a committee of seven residents to study the effects of consolidating the libraries. The committee, which will be appointed by the selectmen, will also include a representative from each library.
The article followed years of discussion about whether the town could afford two libraries. Thayer Library trustees came under fire from the selectmen in December for the way in which they amended the library’s bylaws earlier in 2011. Selectmen were especially concerned with one that shifted the responsibilities of caring for the library away from the library director and trustees.
Also at the polls, residents got behind an article establishing an ordinance to make it illegal for animals to run at-large on properties that don’t belong to their owners, by a vote of 358-194.
The selectmen unanimously backed the ordinance, which applies to all domestic animals.
According to the ordinance, residents whose domestic or wild animals escape their care could be fined $50 each time the animals get loose. The owners would also be responsible for expenses for caring for the animals.
The town already has a similar law in place for dogs.
An article to reduce the number of budget committee members at-large from seven to five, plus a representative each from the selectmen and school board, passed, 322-214. A similar proposal to reduce the number to seven, plus a representative each from the selectmen and school board, passed last year.
Residents approved the town’s operating budget of $3,417,661 by a vote of 322-245. The budget is an increase of 11 percent, or $346,074, from the current budget of $3,071,587.
They also backed the sewer department’s budget of $318,361 by a vote of 428-144, and the water department’s budget of $240,042 by a vote of 424-148.
A total of 607 people, or 24 percent of the town’s 2,493 registered voters, cast ballots.
Elections
In a five-way race for two, three-year seats on the board of selectmen, incumbent Theresa G. Sepe won re-election with 384 votes, followed by Herbert “Chan” Stephens, with 305 votes. Falling short were Brian Moser, 153 votes, Jennifer M. Bellan, 128 votes, and John Pasquarelli, 72 votes.
In the three-way race for two, three-year seats on the planning board, Michael Doherty was the top vote-getter with 345 votes, followed by Gustave “Gus” Ruth, with 271. Out of the running was Arthur Charland, with 257 votes.
Elected without opposition: James Tetreault, town clerk/tax collector, three years; Frank J. Amarosa 3rd, Thayer Public Library trustee, one year; Dianne Skawski-Pride and Joan Gratton, Thayer Public Library trustees, three years; Barbara Kelley, Marilyn Baker and Bonnie Leveille, Conant Public Library trustees, three years; Harvey Sieran, Kathleen Hebert and Margaret Curtis, budget committee, three years; Bonnie Leveille, supervisor of the checklist, one year; Theodore Whippie, trustee of trust funds, three years; Thomas MacQuarrie, Musterfield Cemetery Committee, three years.

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

Winchester school warrant survives close vote

by Kaitlin Mulhere

Editor's note: Due to an error, this article did not appear in Wednesday's print edition of The Sentinel. It will be in Thursday.


WINCHESTER — An $11 million budget and one-year staff contract squeaked by in the Winchester School District elections Tuesday.
Roughly 600 people, or 24 percent, of the town's 2,493 registered voters cast ballots.
About 52 percent of voters supported the $11,086,540 budget, which is up 2.3 percent from this year’s $10,835,480 budget.
The budget covers the expenses of the kindergarten through 8th-grade Winchester School, and tuition to send older students to Keene High School.
School board Chairman Trevor S. Croteau said previously that the $251,060 increase includes some new positions in special education at Winchester School and an additional kindergarten teacher.
Unlike last year, when the school board and budget committee butted heads over the budget, both groups supported the $11 million figure this year.
Voters also approved a one-year collective bargaining agreement with the Winchester Support Staff Association that will cost an additional $22,887 in 2013-14.
A similar article failed in last year's elections, and this year only 54 percent of voters gave their support.
Yet the closest vote on the warrant came from an article asking for up to $100,000 of surplus money to be placed in a special education expendable trust fund.
At the deliberative session in February, administrators said the special education fund is empty, which means there’s no contingency money if the district runs into unforeseen special education costs.
That article passed with just over 50 percent support, 279-271.
Voters also approved putting $25,000 of any surplus money in the building improvements reserve fund. The school board plans to use that money for projects such as finishing an upgrade of the school sprinkler system and installing a new lock system for some of the school’s entrances to enhance security, Croteau said.
Elections
Elected without opposition: Jason Cardinale to a three-year term on the school board; Bill McGrath to a one-year term on the school board; James Tetreault as district clerk and Henry A.L. Parkhurst as school district moderator.

Kaitlin Mulhere can be reached at 352-1234, extension 1439, or kmulhere@keenesentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter @KMulhereKS.

Some Election Results

SPENDING ON SCHOOLS IN WINCHESTER:
Winchester School District voters passed all the articles on the ballot, but barely. The school’s $11 million budget passed with 52.5 percent of the vote, and 54 percent of voters agreed to a one-year contract with the Winchester Support Staff Association that will cost an additional $22,887 next year.
An article to put up to $100,000 of surplus money in a special education trust fund squeaked by with 50.7 percent support.

---

VOTING FOR OFFICE IN WINCHESTER: 
Incumbent Theresa Sepe (384 votes) and Herbert “Chan” Stephens (305 votes) win election to the board of selectmen.

---

NO TO A SEWER UPGRADE IN WINCHESTER:
Winchester officials will have to find another way to move forward with a $1.48 million project to complete upgrades to the town's sewage treatment plant. By a 284 -270 vote, residents rejected the project's third and final phase, which also included developing a plan to inspect the sewer collection system. It failed to get the 60 percent majority it needed to pass.

more to come

EXPLAIN THE BALLOT

 

 

 

Just a reminder that today at 5 pm
BRIAN MOSER
will be giving an EXPLAIN THE BALLOT
at The Thayer Public Library in Ashuelot
Everyone is WELCOME!

PLEASE Vote on Tuesday (March 12th)!

Home News Local News Winchester tries operating without a town administrator

Posted: Sunday, March 10, 2013 8:00 am | Updated: 8:14 am, Sun Mar 10, 2013.

By Meghan Foley Sentinel Staff 

WINCHESTER — Selectmen have decided to not fill the position of town administrator until at least July.
Selectmen Chairwoman Roberta A. Fraser said the move to eliminate the full-time job, at least for the short-term, was made to save money. According to the 2011-12 town report, $55,000 was budgeted for the administrator position for the year.
In the meantime, the town administrator duties were given last month to executive assistant Shelly Walker, Fraser said.
Walker, who will receive about an extra $1.50 per hour, was among a number of candidates who applied for the full-time position, she said.
( so how do you apply for a position that was never advertised and why is Margaret Sharra sitting at Shelly's desk all day long ?)
Joan C. Morel, who had been town administrator since October 2010, submitted a letter of resignation to selectmen in December. Her last day was supposed to be Feb. 8, but she had agreed to stay on the job until March 12, before that changed last month.
The town administrator position also included assessing office responsibilities, and those have been given to Land Use Administrator Margaret Sharra for now, Fraser said. Sharra will receive roughly an extra $1 per hour, Fraser said. ( when was this position advertised? )
“We’re doing everything we can to have the town run efficiently with what we can afford. When we looked at the (town administrator) position, and compared it to what we needed in the office, we decided to give this a try,” she said.
By saving money between now and the end of the fiscal year in June, it will help with the inevitable cash flow issues that crop up when the town’s coffers run down as the budget year comes to a close, she said. Compounding this is the fact that the Winchester School District is also on a fiscal year for its budget, with the same money issues, Fraser said. The school district is now independent, where it used to be part of N.H. School Administrative Unit 38, and that means there’s no leeway in when payments are due, she said.
In prior years, the town has had to borrow money to pay bills, especially at the end of the year, Fraser said.
“It really comes down to timing,” she said.
The changes to the town administrator position were announced at a selectmen’s work session on Feb. 19 following a nonpublic session. According to minutes from the meeting, Morel’s official last day was Feb. 21.
“Joan had agreed to stay on (until March), and then we decided to go with the new plan,” Fraser said.
After seeing how much voters appropriate for the town on Tuesday, selectmen will discuss whether to keep the town administrator job as is, or move the job’s responsibilities to other positions.
If selectmen decide to keep the job intact, the position will be reinstated in July.

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

Town of Winchester, NH Budget Committee Meeting December 18, 2012

Members Present:  Kathy Hebert (Vice Chairman), Jacqui Beaman
(Chairman),Bill McGrath, Jack Marsh, Hubie Crowell, Ken Cole,
Harvey Sieran, BrianMoser, Elisha Jackson (School Board Rep.),
 Ken Gardner (Selectmen's Rep.)

Members Absent:  Sue LaPoint
Others Present:  Roberta Fraiser (Selectman)

-Jacqui makes a motion to approve the minutes from the
Dec. 11th meeting,
Bill seconds
-Motion carries 7-1 with 2 abstentions

-Jacqui makes a motion to approve the minutes of the Dec. 13th
meeting with the correction that it should be 4 full-time and 2 part
-time positions with the addition of a custodian in the building
maintenance section, Ken G. seconds
-Motion carries 6-1 with 3 abstentions

-16 Warrant Articles are discussed and voted on to recommend
or not recommend by the Budget Committee. The votes and
motions, along with the Warrant Articles, are attached.

-Discussion of 1st Warrant Article concerning third phase of up
grades to the Wastewater Treatment Plant. The 50% from the
Federal and State funds is for this year and cannot be guaranteed
for next year.

-Discussion of 2nd and 3rd Warrant Articles concerning Sewer
and Water Departments respectively. Questions arise as to what
happens if the Warrant Articles do not pass and they are not in the
 towns' operating budget. Questions as to whether, if the Budget
Committee does not recommend these Warrant Articles, does it
need to be put into the operating budget? Jack will look into this.

-Discussion of 4th Warrant Article concerning funding the
Transportation Enhancement sidewalk project. Concern over the
fact that money is added each year and seems like a never-ending
project.
-Brian makes a motion to adjourn, Hubie seconds
-Motion fails 2-8

-Jacqui questions whether the board, as a majority, still wants the
lines involving the Red Cross, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the
Brattleboro Drop-In, in the Health Agencies budget, to be zeroed out
as, if this is the case, Joan will need to send letters to these agencies
letting them know that it has been voted on not to help fund these
 agencies.

-Bill makes a motion to revisit the Warrant Article involving the
Water Department, Ken G. seconds
-Motion carries 7-3

  -Discussion regarding having it as a Warrant Article rather than
in the operating budget. Jack explains that having it as a Warrant Article,
it takes control away from the Budget Committee in determining their
budget.

  -Ken G. explains that it was always done as a Warrant Article in the
past  and had been put into the budget so that, if necessary, as the
budget is a  bottom line budget, monies can be moved aroundto help
fund if necessary, this is no longer needed. He also explains that their
budget doesn't affect taxes as it is funded by user fees so only those
who use it are paying for it.
  -A new vote is not called for; original vote stands

-Bill makes a motion to revisit Thayer Library, Ken C. seconds

-Motion carries 9-1

-Discussion regarding necessity of Library and looking forward in its
necessities.
-A new vote is not called for; original vote stands

-Ken C. makes a motion to revisit Personnel Administration, Ken G.
seconds

-Motion carries 9-1

 -Ken C. questions the Land Use Administrator that was part-time and
was budgeted to be full-time for next year. He did some research and
saw that that position had become full-time this year. He questions
 how they were able to fit that extra cost in this year's budget and still
stay within the budget yet they are asking for more money to pay for
 that extra cost for next year.

  -Ken G. defers to Roberta who explains that there was a full-time
position that was budgeted for in the police department's budget that
they knew they weren't filling and, as the operating budget is a bottom
line budget, they used that money to fund the full-time position change.

-Ken C. Makes a motion to reduce the budget by $27,000
 (the additional costs of making this a full-time position)to $597,115,
Brian seconds
 -Motion fails 5-5



-Jacqui goes over the agenda for the next meeting
-Jack makes a motion to adjourn, Hubie seconds
-Motion carries 9-1

-Meeting adjourned at 9:30pm
Respectfully Submitted,

Rikki Bolewski, Secretary

Selectmen candidate not fazed by legal, financial issues

Posted: Sunday, February 24, 2013 8:00 am By Meghan Foley Sentinel Staff

WINCHESTER — A local man isn’t letting legal and financial issues get in the way of his quest to become a town selectman in March.
John E. Pasquarelli, a 35-year resident of the town and owner of P-Square’s Country Store, is involved in civil litigation brought against him and his wife, Regina, by the town. He recently filed for bankruptcy and owes the town more than $11,000 in local property taxes.
Despite these issues, Pasquarelli said Saturday they won’t get in the way of his ability to represent the townspeople.
“Whatever personal issues I have, I certainly won’t drag them into the governing body,” he said.
He is very proud of the fact that during the time he has served on other town boards and committees, he has recused himself from decisions when personal feelings were involved, he said.
“A lot of people try painting black labels on me that don’t exist. I have heritage in this town. I have reasoning. I have all the good qualities you would need for this,” he said. “All I need is opportunity.”
Pasquarelli is one of five people seeking election to two, three-year terms on Board of Selectmen. The other candidates include Brian Moser, Herbert “Chan” Stephens, Jennifer M. Bellan and incumbent Theresa G. Sepe. Selectman Gustave “Gus” Ruth isn’t seeking re-election.
The only other contested race on the March 12 ballot is for two, three-year terms on the Planning Board. Vying for the seats are Ruth, Arthur Charland and Michael Doherty.
James Tetreault, Winchester town clerk and tax collector, confirmed Thursday Pasquarelli is behind in his taxes. He said Pasquarelli owes the town $11,091.87, for 2011 and 2012.
Pasquarelli said he is no different than any other citizen who is struggling financially. In 2004 and 2005, he and his wife invested heavily in the Keene Road property where P-Square’s is located, but the business has lost money every year, he said.
His January bankruptcy filing was a last resort, he said.
“The bankruptcy is for the loss of eight years of money I was never able to recoup,” he said.
Besides his financial situation, Pasquarelli and his wife have been involved in litigation since August 2009 centered on what activities are permitted at his business according to town regulations. While the matter was resolved in December 2009, the town of Winchester filed a motion for contempt in November 2012. A contempt hearing scheduled for Feb. 8 in Cheshire Superior Court in Keene was postponed.
David M. Scanlan, N.H. deputy secretary of state, said Friday he isn’t aware of any state laws preventing someone involved in litigation with a town, or being behind on their taxes, from running for selectman.
“It becomes a political issue, but there is nothing that says because you don’t pay your taxes, you can’t run for selectman,” he said.

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

Years later, SB2 still spurs debate

Nearly 20 years after legislators permitted towns to let residents make major town decisions by paper ballot, officials still are trying to tweak the law that sparks debate over its fairness every year.

Rep. Frederick Rice, R-Hampton, has submitted a bill this year to protect warrant articles submitted by residents from being amended during deliberative sessions to prevent "shenanigans and tomfoolery" of past years from squashing the article's original purpose.

About a third of the state's residents and more than half its student population live under Senate Bill 2 rule, where warrant articles dealing with budgets, town purchases and zoning articles are discussed - and potentially amended - at a deliberative session required in early February before the final articles get voted on at the polls on the second Tuesday in March.

"There is more legislation filed every year to change or alter parts of Senate Bill 2 than almost any statute that we would follow over at the State House," said Judy Silva, deputy director for legal, advocacy & communications services at the New Hampshire Municipal Association.

Next month, Temple for the ninth straight year will vote on whether to adopt SB2, in an effort for voters to have a say in town affairs without sitting through a multihour meeting with their neighbors.

"The core group in town believes in a town meeting where you deliberate and also vote on it," Town Clerk Wendy Drouin said. Last year's warrant article to adopt SB2 received 48 percent support, shy of the 60 percent needed.

Temple, a town of 981 registered voters located between Nashua and Keene, sends its children to the ConVal School District, which follows SB2. "Unfortunately at the polls, uneducated voters show up," Drouin said.

But others, including Jim Adams, chairman of the Granite State Taxpayers, said the SB2 method has "proven to be a very good way of governance" to allow greater participation.

"This is an excellent vehicle, so everyone who votes in the election has a say in their ... taxes in their community," Adams said.

Ken Grant, who heads the Barrington Taxpayers Association, saw his submitted warrant article about voting on who pays for roads and sewers amended at the deliberative session in 2007, stripping everything but the article's first two words, "To see."

After the state Supreme Court in 2008 sided with the town, the Legislature in 2011 changed the SB2 law to better protect petition warrant articles, according to Silva. Added in the law: "No warrant article shall be amended to eliminate the subject matter of the article. An amendment that changes the dollar amount of an appropriation in a warrant article shall not be deemed to violate this sub-paragraph."

Grant said he thinks the town "took away the rights of the voters who were working hard for this petitioned warrant article" to get before voters.

He backs Price's attempt to change the law but he also likes that SB2 gets more people voting on town issues than under the old town meeting format. He acknowledged there is a cost to that.

"I think the low-information voter speaks for the country," he said. "They go from watching game shows down to the ballot box."

The state municipal association examined 27 towns and found that an average of 2.4 percent of registered voters attended the deliberative sessions in 2010 and 25.5 percent of registered voters voted on the budget at the polls.

Silva said many voters in SB2 towns don't recognize their full responsibilities.

"One of the things I always say to people, I think that to the extent that people feel under the SB2 form of government they only have to show up and vote, they don't have to go to the deliberative session, I think they're missing out on half the meeting and a critical step of the process," she said.

"It really is much the same process you have at a traditional town meeting, but you put off the final vote," Silva said. "If you want a say in the final question that gets voted on, you have to come to the deliberative session."

More than 65 towns and around 80 school districts operate under SB2. It requires 60 percent support to adopt or repeal the SB2 official ballot format.

"It's still a very popular form of government and it remains popular," said economist Dennis Delay, who has done research on the topic for the New Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies in Concord.

"Some towns, it becomes very argumentative on whether it's a good idea or not," he said.

The Legislature passed SB2 in 1995, towns began adopting it the following year and the first towns started using the ballot format in 1997.

More than 40 towns that have tried to adopt SB2 have failed. And more than 30 towns have failed in their attempts to repeal it, according to the state Department of Revenue Administration.

Between 1996 and 2006, three communities repealed SB2 - Enfield, Dorchester and Orange, according to a report by the New Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies. No school districts repealed the measure during that time.

About a third of New Hampshire residents live in a town with a traditional town meeting, another third under SB2 rule and the remaining third in communities with a city council, according to Delay. He also analyzed the per-person spending for town expenses among SB2 and non-SB2 communities.

"I couldn't find any data that says SB2 towns spend more or less," he said.

SB2 towns and school districts "tend to be larger, they tend to have more people in them than the traditional town meeting towns and school districts," Delay said. "I think that speaks to again, as the town grows, there is a form of government that works better than the traditional town meeting."

Winchester School Board

The Winchester School Board is currently accepting letters of interest to sit on the Planning Committee.
The Committee is being formed to study the withdrawal from Keene High School as voted on last March 12, 2012.
All interested persons should send a letter of interest to:
Winchester School Board
Attn:  Jim Lewis
85 Parker Street
Winchester, NH 03470
If you have any questions please call (603) 239-8061 x552
Deadline is March 1, 2013

Winchester warrant heads to March vote unchanged

By KAITLIN MULHERE 
Sentinel Staff

WINCHESTER — Voters gave their stamp of approval to the school district’s proposed budget Tuesday, less than 10 minutes after the meeting was called to order.
About 40 residents, or about 1.5 percent of registered voters, showed up for the school district’s deliberative session to discuss the warrant prior to March’s vote.
The proposed budget is $11,086,540, up 2.3 percent from this year’s $10,835,480 budget. Should voters turn down the budget at the polls, a default budget of $11,030,349 will take effect.
The $251,060 budget increase is due in part to decreased revenue from the state and increased costs for items such as retirement payments. But the budget also includes a couple of new positions in special education and an additional kindergarten teacher at Winchester School, according to board Chairman Trevor S. Croteau.
After no questions or comments on the budget, voters unanimously agreed in a standing vote to move on to the rest of the warrant.
And discussion on the other articles followed the same trajectory — quick and agreeable.
Gustave A. Ruth, a selectman, did question an article that would give the school board the power to call a special district meeting if a collective bargaining agreement fails at the polls in March. Ruth said it costs several thousand dollars to host a meeting, and spending the money might not be worth it if residents had already turned down the contract.
The collective bargaining agreement is a one-year contract for the Winchester Support Staff Association that will cost an additional $22,887 for the 2013-14 school year.
A similar article regarding a one-year contract with the support staff association failed last March.
School board Vice Chairman Kevan D. Whippie said it was his understanding that the school board would judge the need for a special meeting based on whether the contract failed by a wide margin — in which case it would be clear voters won’t support it — or a narrow margin.
The warrant also includes an article asking to add $100,000 from any surplus money to the special education expendable trust fund and another to raise $25,000 for the building improvements reserve fund.
Business Administrator Lori Schmidt said the special education expendable trust fund has no money in it this year, which means there’s no buffer if the district runs into any unforeseen special education costs.
As for capital improvements, Croteau said the school board wants to change the water faucets in school bathrooms, finish upgrading the sprinkler system and install a key fob system for some of the school’s entrances that limits access to certain people.
Voters will weigh in at the polls at Winchester Town Hall March 12.