TOWN OF BRADFORD
TOWN HALL RESTORATION COMMITTEE
DECEMBER 19, 2011
7:00PM
Call to Order and Roll Call:
The meeting opened at 7:00pm with Audrey Sylvester, John Greenwood, Cheryl Behr, Administrator, Tim Rodd, Sandy Wright, Michele Halsted, Carol Walker, Marcia Keller, Dick Keller, Eileen Kelly, Beth Rodd, George Cilley and Marge Cilley, Secretary.
Guests at the meeting included: Mr. & Mrs. Wendell Phillips, Jim Bruss, Randy Guay, V.P. Merrimack County Savings Bank. And Jeff Taylor, Jeff Taylor & Associates.
John Greenwood introduced Randy Guay who gave some ideas for structuring the Town Hall Renovations and ways it could be paid for.
Structures – Grant Writing which helps with a lot of soft costs, moving forward to the construction budget that will be developed for the total needs for about $1.3. This could be done in two phases, one for $800,000. and phase two for $500,000. A scope of work for each of these phases, getting a time frame for how long each phase would take, and structuring the financing accordingly. This would be almost like a line of credit. Not a revolving kind, but a line of credit where as work gets done, progress payments get made. As you draw down on the amount available from the bank, you’d pay interest only on that time frame. Mr. Guay picked a ten year time frame for payment, thinking that five could be a little aggressive and twenty could be too long. Mr. Guay suggested a loan for ten years would probably be at 3% interest, a rate for a municipality, and would get set at the time of closure for the loan.
The Bradford Attorney would work with the Bank Attorney who would do the wording for the Warrant Article that would be required for Town Meeting.
Question was asked if we should fail at Town Meeting, and had to try again would the interest rate stay the same. Mr. Guay advised it is anyone’s guess, however the Fed’s have publically announced that they are attempting to keep rate at this level for some time, into 2012.
Another question was what would happen if we were to get Grants and only required half of the anticipated loan. Randy Guay advised it probably would not do anything, but, the amount borrowed does affect the rate. The more you borrow, the less the interest rate, but a little bit, such as .15 %. Whatever the amount borrowed, the legal cost would probably be about the same. It was stated again that a two thirds vote at Town Meeting would be required if it were for $100,000 or more, and beyond a year.
John Greenwood commented about what this would cost in regard to what is being spent a year for maintenance on the Town Hall, fit up cost elsewhere for relocation of town employees, Police Department, all of that off setting, it might be a good idea to discuss something for an extended period of time to allow us to renovate it in a historical fashion.
Cheryl Behr, Administrator handed out sheets showing what has been spent on maintenance for the Town Hall on an Annual Basis. These amounts did not include oil or electricity, and by renovating would be a reduction in consumption. The total amount spent in six years was $213,096.22.
Randy Gay was thanked for coming to the meeting and explaining financing to the group.
Cheryl Behr, Administrator advised she has checked with USRDA and we would not qualify for a grant but would go for a 30 year note and the interest could be for 3.7%. Local banks do not require a Bond Council.
Jeff Taylor advised he left the meeting two weeks ago confused. There are two planning groups and questions, should the police station go in the town hall, can the police station go in the town hall? Trying to resolve the current crisis as quickly as possible by getting back into the configuration we are in now.
Jeff Taylor discussed the population in the town of Bradford. In 1980 there were 1100 and in 2011, there are 1650 or 50% growth in 30 years. What is being proposed now should be for another 30 years.
Jeff Taylor suggested the questions that should be asked are; how can we restore this building, how can it become a useful investment, not just to release the tension of the current situation, but how can we make this a long term investment?
Discussion ensued regarding what should be discussed at the January 14 Forum, including the issues to be resolved, Police, Community Center, and would we be preparing for 1650 residents or 2000?
Jeff’s advise is to think long and hard about going for construction funds at this town meeting. The best approach would be to use the 14th to identify questions, what issues would you want to have resolved before you could even think about voting in improvements at town hall? Is the Police Station there a good idea? Why can’t we use the Community Center? Are we preparing for one thousand six hundred people or for two thousand six hundred people? How much space are we going to need?
If these questions are asked this year, then two years have been lost. It was suggested by Jeff that perhaps the route to go would ask for a small amount of money and hire someone to try to come up with some concrete answers, so in 2013, we heard these six questions to major things, why can’t the town offices live in the Community Center? Why can’t we just rent space for the Police Dept.? Is it a good idea to combine the police? It is a hard job to get a two thirds vote between here and March. Jeff advised his recommendation would be to try to resolve as many issues as we can surface in January.
George Cilley stated that not in opposition to what Jeff Taylor is saying, but a lot of people are disturbed about the town moving into the Community Center. George also stated that they tried to move the Police Station tot the Town landfill, which they did not want. Organizations never came to the meetings.
Audrey Sylvester questioned what are we doing, we need to have people help us plan.
Also, if we do not have money from the town, we cannot even apply for Grants because there is no commitment on the part of the town. How can we figure that out?
Cheryl Behr, Administrator advised there are eight more years for the Community Center Grant, and if we should purchase the entire Grant back, it would cost approximately $100,000. Jeff Taylor questioned Cheryl how tolerant it would be of an interim arrangement of being in the Community Center? Cheryl Behr explained that initially they thought the Town was taking the whole bottom floor on an interim basis and there was no talk about the close out cost. The second group does not want it to come up every year, and that you are not doing what the Grant says. Cheryl also stated that if they pay CDFA back then they can do what ever they want with the Community Center. It was suggested by Jeff Taylor that if we have a plan to move forward to get back into the Town Hall, CDFA would probably write a letter exempting the Town from any action for eighteen months.
John Greenwood questioned even if the Town Offices took over the down stairs of the Community Building, would it be a thirty year solution based on our 50% growth. Then there would still be the Police Department with no place to go. And, the Community Center lower level has almost the same issues as the Town Hall.
Jeff Taylor recommended the group come up with questions for the Forum to include:
Further Lay Out of Town Hall, Good Design solution to put in Town Offices? Think about a larger Bradford. How many square feet of offices is needed to serve that level of population? Where should the Police Dept. go is a good question.
Michele Halsted stated that she cannot write Grants or ask the town for money dedicated to the preservation of the Town Hall or moving back there unless there is some commitment from the town. Jeff suggested the Town be asked for thirty to forty thousand dollars to hire people to help inform the committees and then community with answers to the following questions.
- What size office complex should you have for a town of at least 2000 people?
- What are the up-sides and down-sides of having the Police Dept. and Town offices co-located?
George Cilley suggested we would be more successful getting the two thirds vote then we would a majority vote for the $30.000. This town does not want any more planning, if the $30,000 is incorporated into the bond you could get it for the planning. We have planned for this building for five years, and nothing has been done yet.
Discussion ensued.
Several of the Town Hall Restoration Committee will be present at the Dec. 20, 2011 Selectmen’s Meeting for further discussion regarding money required for Jeff Taylor to attend the Forum on January 14th at the Kearsarge Elementary School from 10:00am to 12:00noon, as well as money for advertising for RFP’s.
Next Meeting is scheduled for: Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 7:00pm.
Meeting Adjourned 9:30pm
Respectfully submitted,
Marjorie R. Cilley
Secretary