Joint Meeting with Select Board
Present: Jen Richardson (Chair), Kimberly Firth (Vice Chair), Justin Dohrn, Tim McKenna, Dawn Gezelman, Beth Downs (Select Board Representative)
Also attending: Mel Pfeifle, Select Board; Marlene Freyler, Select Board; Karen Hambleton, Town Administrator; Fire Chief Bryan Nowell; Police Chief Ed Shaughnessy; Road Agent Steve Hall; Jim Raymond, Deputy Fire Chief
Meeting called to order at 6:05 pm
Review minutes from December 14th meeting:
Motion: Beth Downs moved that the minutes of the December 14, 2023 meeting be approved as written.
Second: Justin Dohrn
Decision: 6-0, all in favor
Town Hall Update Karen Hambleton reported that the Town Hall Project is coming in on budget with little unforeseen expense. Jen asked if the 2024 Town Hall budget will cover incidental expenses. Karen responded that the $30,000 in the budget should cover all necessary items without frills.
Community Center Generator – Chief Nowell. Chief Nowell reported that there is a grant available for up to $75,000 for emergency shelter and services. To apply for the grant an estimate and quote are needed. The consensus of the Committee is to leave funds in the BACC budget to repair the generator.
Vote on the Community Center Operating Budget Line item, not voted on December 14, 2023:
Motion: Justin Dohrn moved to approve $43,800 for the Community Center budget line
Second: Beth Downs
Decision: 6-0, All in favor
Town Budget Presentation: In the interest of Budget Committee transparency and educating the public about the budgetary process, Kim will prepare a slide presentation to be used for the public hearing on February 8 and at Town Meeting on March 13.
Update from Select Board: Beth reported that the Select Board reviewed every warrant article at their January 8, 2024 meeting.
Review and Vote on Department Budgets: Jen remarked that the Committee had reviewed and voted on department budgets on December 14th. Further review and voting were not necessary. Karen commented that the “Legal” budget may need to be revisited. She will know more before the February 8, public hearing.
Calendar Review: On February 8 at 6:00 pm, the Budget Committee will meet for revisions/additions. The public hearing will begin at 6:30 pm.
Warrant Articles: Results of Budget Committee votes on the following warrant articles.
Article: To see if the Town will vote to retain the following town-owned properties, Map 4 Lot 7 and Map 4 Lot 9, for conservation purposes as provided by RSA 80:42-a. Both lots, each of approximately two acres, comprise wetland and are part of the West Branch Brook headwater identified as prime wetland and wildlife habitat. (Majority vote required.)
No funds involved. No vote.
Article: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the total sum of Three Hundred Twenty-Two Thousand Eight Hundred Twenty-Two Dollars $322,822 to fund road maintenance, preservation, and paving. This appropriation will come from the 2019 Roads and Bridges Expendable Trust Fund in the amount of One Hundred Twenty-Nine Thousand Dollars ($129,000.00), with the balance of One Hundred Ninety-Three Thousand Eight Hundred and Twenty-Two Dollars ($193,822.00) to be raised by taxation. Further, this will be a non-lapsing appropriation per RSA 32:7, VI and will continue until the money is spent or December 31, 2029. (Majority vote required).
Karen suggested that the total appropriation be made a less obscure figure and suggested $325,000.
Motion: Justin Dohrn moved to support this article to fund $325,000 for Road Maintenance with $129,000 to come from the 2019 Expendable Trust Fund and $196,000 to come from taxation.
Second: Beth Downs
Decision: 6-0, all in favor
Article: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Six Thousand Dollars ($6,000.00) to fund the 2008 Revaluation Capital Reserve Fund. (Majority vote required.)
Motion: Beth Downs moved to support this article.
Second: Dawn Gezelman
Decision: 6-0, all in favor
Article: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Sixty-Five Thousand Dollars ($65,000.00) to fund the 2019 Road and Bridge Expendable Trust Fund. (Majority vote required.)
Motion: Beth Downs moved to support this article.
Second: Justin Dohrn
Decision: 6-0, all in favor
Article: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Seventy-Five Thousand Dollars ($75,000.00) to fund the 2020 Highway Department Heavy Equipment Capital Reserve Trust Fund. (Majority vote required.)
Motion: Dawn Gezelman moved to support this article.
Second: Justin Dorhn
Decision: 6-0, all in favor
Article: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) to fund the 2003 Fire Department Station Repair Capital Reserve Fund. (Majority vote required.)
Motion: Justin Dohrn moved to support this article.
Second: Beth Downs
Decision: 6-0, all in favor
Article: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00) to fund the 2006 Fire Department Heavy Equipment Capital Reserve Fund. (Majority vote required.)
Motion: Beth Downs moved to support this article.
Second: Justin Dohrn
Decision: 6-0, all in favor
Article: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) to fund the 2020 Fire Equipment Expendable Trust Fund. This appropriation will come from unassigned fund balance. (Majority vote required.)
Motion: Justin Dohrn moved to support this article.
Second: Beth Downs
Decision: 6-0, all in favor
Article: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,00.00) to fund SCBA bottle and apparatus replacement. This will be a non-lapsing appropriation per RSA 32:7, VI and will continue until the money is spent or December 31, 2029. (Majority vote required.)
Motion: Dawn Gezelman moved to support this article.
Second: Beth Downs
Decision: 5-1, Yes: Justin, Dawn, Kim, Beth, Jen. No: Tim
Article: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Thirteen Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($13,500.00) to fund Communications Equipment for the Fire Department. This appropriation will come from the 2020 Fire Equipment Expendable Trust Fund in the amount of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00), with the balance of Three Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($3,500.00) to be raised by taxation. This will be a non-lapsing appropriation per RSA 32:7, VI and will continue until the money is spent or December 31, 2029. (Majority vote required.)
Motion: Beth Downs moved to support this article.
Second: Justin Dohrn
Decision: 6-0, all in favor
Article: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,000.00) to fund the installation of a Heat Pump to provide heating and cooling for the office areas and meeting room at the Fire Station. This appropriation will come from the 2003 Fire Department Repair Capital Reserve Fund in the amount of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), with the balance of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) to be raised by taxation. This will be a non-lapsing appropriation per RSA 32:7, VI and will continue until the money is spent or December 31, 2029. (Majority vote required.)
Motion: Justin Dohrn moved to support this article.
Second: Beth Downs
Decision: 6-0, all in favor
Article: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,00.00) to fund the replacement of hoses and nozzles for the Fire Department. This will be a non-lapsing appropriation per RSA 32:7, VI and will continue until the money is spent or December 31, 2029. (Majority vote required.)
Motion: Justin Dohrn moved to support this article.
Second: Beth Downs
Decision: 6-0, all in favor
Article: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Sixty Thousand Dollars ($60,000.00) to purchase and outfit with equipment a new Police Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV). This appropriation will come from the 2021 Police Vehicle Capital Reserve Trust Fund in the amount of Forty Thousand Dollars ($40,000.00), from unassigned fund balance in the amount of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), with the balance of Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,000.00) to be raised by taxation. This will be a non-lapsing appropriation per RSA 32:7, VI and will continue until the money is spent or December 31, 2029. (Majority vote required.)
Motion: Beth Downs moved to support this article.
Second: Dawn Gezelman
Decision: 6-0, all in favor
Article: To see if the Town will vote to establish a 2024 Police Department Equipment Expendable Trust Fund under the provisions of RSA 31:19-a, for the purpose of funding the purchase, repair and replacement of police equipment. Further to raise and appropriate the sum of Seven Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($7,500.00) to be placed in this fund and to name the Selectmen as agents to expend from this fund. This appropriation will come from unassigned fund balance. (Majority vote required.)
Motion: Beth Downs moved to support this article.
Second: Justin Dohrn
Decision: 6-0, all in favor
Article: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) to fund the 2010 Communication Equipment Capital Reserve Fund (for emergency services). (Majority vote required.)
Motion: Beth Downs moved to support this article.
Second: Justin Dohrn
Decision: 6-0, all in favor
Article: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) to fund the 2015 Town Equipment Repair and Purchase Expendable Trust Fund. (Majority vote required.)
Motion: Dawn Gezelman moved to support this article.
Second: Justin Dohrn
Decision: 6-0, all in favor
Article: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Thirty-Two Thousand One Hundred Dollars ($32,100.00) to fund the 2020 Highway Heavy Equipment Capital Reserve Trust Fund. This appropriation will come from unassigned fund balance and represents the funds received from the sale of the Highway Department’s two graders in 2023. (Majority vote required).
Motion: Dawn Gezelman moved to support this article.
Second: Justin Dohrn
Decision: 6-0, all in favor
Article: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) to be placed in the 2021 Police Vehicle Capital Reserve Trust Fund. (Majority vote required.)
Motion: Justin Dohrn moved to support this article.
Second: Dawn Gezelman
Decision: 5-1, Yes: Justin, Dawn, Beth, Jen, Tim. No: Kim
Article: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) to fund a feasibility study for the use of the Bradford Area Community Center. (Majority vote required.)
Motion: Justin Dohrn moved to support this article.
Second: Beth Downs
Decision: 5-1, Yes: Justin, Dawn, Kim, Beth, Jen. No: Tim
It was noted that the Board would like to insert an article here to see if the town wishes to remove the Masonic Building, thus providing definitive guidance that the town no longer wants the building.
Article: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) to fund the auction of the Masonic Building as recommended by the Masonic Building Committee. Terms and details of the auction shall be negotiated by the Select Board to include removal of the building. (Majority vote required.)
Motion: Beth Downs moved to support this article.
Second: Dawn Gezelman
Decision: 5-1. Yes: Justin, Dawn, Kim, Beth, Jen. No: Tim
Article: To see if the Town will vote to establish a 2024 Bridge and Culvert Expendable Trust Fund under the provisions of RSA 31:19-a, for the purpose of funding repair and replacement of bridges and culverts. Further to raise and appropriate the sum of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) to be placed in this fund and to name the Selectmen as agents to expend from this fund. (Majority vote required.)
Motion: Justin Dohrn moved to support this article.
Second: Beth Downs
Decision: 5-1. Yes: Justin, Dawn, Beth, Jen, Tim. No: Kim
Article: To see if the Town will vote to establish a 2024 Ambulance Contract Overage Expendable Trust Fund under the provisions of RSA 31:19-a, for the purpose of funding unbudgeted overage expenses for the Henniker Ambulance Contract. Further to raise and appropriate the sum of Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,000.00) to be placed in this fund and to name the Selectmen as agents to expend from this fund. This appropriation will come from unassigned fund balance. (Majority vote required.)
Motion: Beth Downs moved to support this article.
Second: Justin Dohrn
Decision: 6-0, all in favor
Article: To see if the Town will vote to establish a Police Detail fund into which fees from the use of police vehicles for detail assignments are placed. The funds and any interest gained are to be used for the purchase of new police vehicles. (who expends?) (Majority vote required.)
The mechanics of accomplishing the intended result of this warrant article need further review with the auditor. The Committee will revisit this after the wording is finalized.
Article: To see if the Town will vote to accept the gift of a framed copy of a 98-year-old poster announcing the Bradford Newbury Fair donated by Bob Wright. (Majority vote required.)
No funds involved. No vote.
Article: To see if the Town will vote to discontinue the Emergency Bridge Repair Capital Reserve Fund created in 2007. Said funds, with accumulated interest to the date of withdrawal, are to be transferred to the municipality’s general fund. (Majority vote required.)
Motion: Dawn Gezelman moved to support this article.
Second: Justin Dohrn
Decision: 6-0, all in favor
Article: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Four Hundred Dollars ($400.00) to fund the 2022 Emergency Road and Bridge Repair Expendable Trust Fund. This appropriation will come from unassigned fund balance. (Majority vote required.)
Motion: Justin Dohrn moved to support this article.
Second: Dawn Gezelman
Decision: 6-0, all in favor
Next meeting:
On February 8 at 6:00 pm, the Budget Committee will meet for revisions/additions. The public hearing will begin at 6:30 pm.
Important Dates:
Target date for Public Hearing on the 2024 Budget was moved from February 1st, 2024 to February 8th, 2024 due to room scheduling conflict. (The hearing must happen by Feb. 16th; noticed by Feb. 9th)
Adjourn Meeting
Motion: Justin Dohrn moved to adjourn the meeting at 8:54 pm.
Second: Dawn Gezelman
Decision: 6-0, all in favor
Respectfully submitted, Kathleen Bigford, Recording Secretary