Joint Meeting with the Select Board
Meeting brought to order at 6:31 pm
In attendance:
Budget Committee Members – Laurie Colburn (Chair), Justin Dohrn, Jen Richardson, Beth Downs (Select Board Rep), Kimberly Firth
Tim McKenna arrived at 7:48
Select Board Members – Marlene Freyler, Mel Pfeifle
Karen Hambleton, Town Administrator
Kathleen Bigford, Recording Secretary
Old Business:
Minutes from November 17, 2022 were reviewed
Motion: Beth Downs motioned to approve the minutes as written
Second: Jen Richardson
Decision: 5-0 in favor
Review of Budget and Expenditures:
Process review for upcoming Town Meeting with Moderator Bruce Storm. Bruce is not able to attend. Laurie will reach out to schedule with Bruce.
Review remaining budget lines for Highway Department and Fire & Rescue Department
Chief Bryan Nowell appeared for Bradford Fire & Rescue
Overall Fire Dept. budget is increasing 29% year over year. Some concerns about increase.
Line items for general repair and communication equipment were discussed. Chief Nowell emphasized that general repair includes only maintenance, not new purchases. Present communication equipment is outdated with batteries that don’t hold a charge.
Beth Downs spoke to the general budget increase saying she objects to any cut in the Fire Department budget. Forty years of neglect have led to this point and Chief Nowell is having to make up for the neglect while running a department.
Kimberly Firth pointed out that year after year the increases were too much for townspeople and potential townspeople to absorb.
Laurie Colburn asked the Chief if $15,000 could be trimmed from the budget. Chief responded that there are some creative ways to make it work. In 2022 the department was able to secure a grant for $50,000 and had a donation of $48,000 for a total of $98,000 which is half of the budget request for 2023.
There was discussion of the increase in continuing education in the Rescue budget. In 2022 much of the training to increase levels of certification was grant funded. That grant funding is not anticipated for 2023. It was recommended that the training line item from the Fire budget be merged with the continuing education line item to make one training line item for the department.
There was further discussion with creative ways for the police and fire departments to share communication equipment budgets. Karen also mentioned that there was often room in the budget for shifting funds from one line item to another.
Motion: Laurie Colburn moved to recommend the Fire Department budget be funded at $180,000. Finding creative ways to make up the difference.
Second: Kimberly Firth
In favor: Kim Firth, Laurie Colburn
Opposed: Justin Dohrn, Beth Downs
Abstain: Jen Richardson
Decision: Motion Failed
Motion: Jen Richardson moved to recommend a Fire & Rescue general budget of $186,000. Withdrawn
Tim McKenna joined the meeting
Mel Pfeifle suggested that $25,000 be moved from the Capital Improvement Plan, Fire Dept heavy equipment expenditure to the FD budget. This will require a vote. Discussion resulted in the following motion.
Motion: Laurie Colburn moved to recommend the Fire Department budget be funded at $167,000 with the possibility of $25,000 added from the CIP Fire Dept heavy equipment expenditure
Second: Kimberly Firth
Decision: 6-0 in favor
Motion: Jen Richardson moved to accept Rescue Budget request of $10,150
Second: Beth Downs
Decision: 6-0 in favor
Highway Department
Steve Hall appeared for the Highway Department
Laurie Colburn presented a summary of the year over year Highway Department budget. The 2023 request of $708,187 represents an 18.4% increase. Drivers of the increase are labor resources, fuel, supplies, winter salt and spring repairs, road patch supplies, culverts, chains and blades and dust control.
Discussion of gravel: To establish enough gravel the Town needs $80,000/year for three years. $50,000 is in the general budget, $20,000
Tim McKenna asked what the cost of buying gravel would be. The estimate that Steve gave is from Henniker Gravel: 3000 yards is $60K, sand and other material additional. Cost of blasting at the Transfer Station site would be $246,800, or $82,267 per year.
Motion: Laurie Colburn moved to approve the Highway Department budget request of $708,000
Second: Jen Richardson
Decision: 6-0 in favor
Karen Hambleton brought two addition items to add to the budget:
Asset management software: +$1500
Motion: Beth Downs moved to add $1,500 to Gen Govt Buildings budget
Second: Justin Dohrn
In favor: Beth Downs, Kimberly Firth, Jen Richardson, Justin Dohrn, Tim McKenna
Opposed: Laurie Colburn
Decision: Motion passed
Naughton Site testing: + $6000
Motion: Tim McKenna add $6,000 to Other General Govt budget
Second: Jen Richardson
Decision: 6-0 in favor
Review Warrant Articles
The committee and selectmen discussed missing information on some warrant articles. Information will be added before the public meeting on February 9th.
The total ask from warrant articles is $1.3M, $440,000 of which is funding by other sources besides taxation.
Future Business:
Public Hearing to present the General Budget will be held on Thursday, February 9th, 2023
Motion: Jen Richardson moved to adjourn
Second: Beth Downs
Decision: 6-0 in favor
Meeting adjourned at 9:43 pm