Budget Committee Minutes 02.19.08

DRAFT DRAFT
TOWN OF BRADFORD
BUDGET COMMITTEE SPECIAL MEETING
FEBRUARY 19, 2008
6:00PM

Call to Order and Roll Call:

Robert Stewart, Chair called the Feb. 19, 2008 special meeting to order at 6:00pm with Gary Wall, Marlene Freyler, Jack Meaney, George Morse, Jane Lucas and Peter Fenton, Selectman present.

Robert Stewart, Chair advised this special meeting was by the request of Andrew Pinard, who is not present, to reconsider Article 9 of which is the purchase of a piece of land from the State of New Hampshire. Robert Stewart, Chair read the Article.

Article 9: To see if the town will vote to purchase road access from the State of NH for map #3 lot 110 and to raise and appropriate the sum of Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.) for that purpose. This will be a non lapsing appropriation and will continue until the funds are expended or December 31, 2013. Selectmen recommend. Budget Committee did not recommend.

Robert Stewart, Chair advised the reason the Budget Committee did not recommend was they had no information on the width, length or what was going on with the access. Mr. Stewart read a letter from Phillip Miles dated Tuesday, February 12, 2008 to the Town of Bradford regarding “Value for the access point in Bradford.” (Letter attached) Also, Peter Fenton, Selectman read from the same letter under Underlying Assumptions and Limiting Conditions: “There are no hidden or unapparent conditions on the property, in the subsoil (including hazardous waste or ground water contamination), or within any of the structures that would render the property more or less valuable. I assume no responsibility for any of these conditions or the engineering that may be required to discover or correct them. If any contamination is found on the subject, this report becomes null and void.”

Peter Fenton, Selectmen read into the minutes the following letter from Andrew Pinard to the Budget Committee, dated February 19, 2008.

Dear Members of the Budget Committee:

Thank you for reconsidering your recommendation on the proposed Route 103 access road. More detailed information has been provided to the Town from the Department of Transportation which merits further consideration.

According to information provided in the letter from Phillip Miles and the DOT Assessment Report, the right of way would be 50 foot wide and development would be unrestricted (although the State retains jurisdictional rights over any driveway installed over the right of way). Pending approval by the Long Range Legislative Committee, the proposed cost would be $15,000.00 (plus an additional $1,100 application fee). The Long Range Utilization Committee would likely approve at their meeting in mid-March (following Town Meeting) and final approval of the sale could be as early as June.

The lower section of this lot is currently used by the Highway Department for gravel storage and for access to the rear lot. Approving this request would enable the Town of Bradford to continue use of this access and is in the best interest of the Town.

The Board of Selectmen have repeatedly voted to support a permanent ROW easement and it is my hope that the Budget Committee will join with the Board of Selectmen to recommend that the voters of the Town of Bradford appropriate funds to obtain this permanent Right of Way easement. Thank you for your consideration.

Motion was made by Gary Wall to recommend the Budget Committee votes in favor of Article 9, and accept the recommendation to purchase a piece of land off Route 103 The Selectmen do recommend it. Peter Fenton seconded. Motion and second was withdrawn.

George Morse questioned if the vote on the original Article 9 needs to be rescinded.

Motion was made by George Morse to rescind Article 9 and recommended the Budget Committee votes in favor of Article 9 and accept the recommendation to purchase a piece of land off Route 103 for $20,000. Seconded by Peter Fenton.

Marlene Freyler, Jane Lucas, Jack Meaney voted Nay. Motion carried 4-3.

Motion made and seconded to Adjourn at 6:13pm

Respectfully submitted

Marjorie R. Cilley

Secretary