City Council Work Session
May 11, 2015
Present were Mayor Grenier, Councilors Otis, Remillard, Gentili, Morgan-Allain, Higbee, Rozek, Nelson and Theberge
Others present included City Manager James Wheeler, Finance Director Patty Chase and Barbara Tetreault, Berlin Daily Sun
Mayor Grenier opened the meeting at 6:30 p.m. He reported that the Council decision to publish the budget has to be made; however the revaluation figures are still unknown.
Council Decision to Publish the Budget
Mr. Wheeler explained that he highlighted changes to the budget in a handout and those changes are mostly in capital improvements with the exception of the schools. He asked if there were any questions on the proposed cuts.
Councilor Nelson questioned cutting $17,000 from the PD for the purchase of a utv rescue vehicle. Neither the police nor fire has an adequate rescue vehicle for rescue on the local ATV trails. There is a vehicle that the City cannot use because we are not a member of Northpac. Mayor Grenier suggested that for this year’s festival, the Northpac vehicle could be used with County deputiesoperting the vehicle. This would not take care of the overall need but it would work for this year’s festival.
Councilor Otis noted that the City invested in an emergency extraction vehicle and we were told it would be at our disposal. Councilor Remillard agreed that we should get through this year and then figure out how to get our own vehicle.
Mr. Wheeler reviewed the proposed cuts to the capital improvements including reducing Retaining Wall Repair to $25,000 and Street Rehabilitation to $60,000. Cuts were made to the Police Department Monitoring System reduced to 0 and Leather Gear was reduced by half to $4,500. The Fire Department Repair Program for replacement windows was reduced to 0. Public Work Equipment Replacement was reduced to $25,000. Mr. Wheeler said that there may be funds left from the Gilbert Street Recreation Building but there will not be enough for a skate park. Councilor Remillard suggested that money left over can be allocated to a rescue vehicle.
Under this proposed budget, taxes would go up by $1.62 per thousand. Councilor Rozek made it clear that this is a preliminary budget and he will accept it as such; however there is no way that he will accept $1.62 as a final increase. Councilors voted to publish the following amounts for the May 27 public hearing:
01-401 Mayor and City Council
Councilor Higbee moved to approve $64,748 for Mayor and City Council; Councilor Otis seconded and the motion carried.
01-402 Administration
Councilor Nelson moved to approve $1,098,855.67 for Administration; Councilor Rozek seconded and the motion carried.
01-403 Elections
Councilor Remillard moved to approve $16,912. for Elections; Councilor Otis seconded and the motion carried. Councilor Nelson confirmed that $2,000 to $3,000 would be saved by having three voting locations instead of four.
01-404 City Hall and Other Buildings
Councilor Higbee moved with a second from Councilor Otis to approve $56,863.56 for City Hall and Other Buildings. So moved, the motion carried.
01-405 Special Funds
Councilor Higbee moved with a second from Councilor Otis to approve $260 for Special Funds (Courthouse Utilities). So moved, the motion carried.
01-406 Property Liability Insurance
Councilor Nelson moved with a second from Councilor Otis to approve $134,516.38 for Property Liability Insurance. So moved, the motion carried.
01-407 County Tax
Councilor Rozek moved with a second from Councilor Otis to approve $$1,819,241 for County Tax.
In discussion Councilor Higbee asked how the County budget is set and Mayor Grenier replied that it goes by value. In the vote that followed, the motion carried.
01-408 Central services
Councilor Rozek moved with a second from Councilor Otis to approve $265,000 for Central Services. So moved, the motion carried.
01-410 Personnel Benefits
Councilor Rozek moved with a second from Councilor Nelson to approve $349,022 for Personnel Benefits. So moved, the motion carried.
01-411 Contingency
Councilor Rozek moved with a second from Councilor Higbee to approve $9,600 for Contingency. So moved, the motion carried.
01-412 Outside Agencies
Councilor Rozek moved with a second from Councilor Higbee to approve $67,166.31 for Outside Agencies. So moved, the motion carried.
01-413 Cemeteries
Councilor Rozek moved with a second from Councilor Higbee to approve $12,711.20 for Cemeteries. So moved, the motion carried.
01-414 Transfer Out
Councilor Rozek moved with a second from Councilor Nelson moved to approve $37,851.35 for Transfer to airport. So moved, the motion carried.
01-416 IT
Councilor Nelson moved with a second from Councilor Rozek to approve $131,850 for IT. So moved, the motion carried.
01-420 Police Department
Councilor Remillard moved with a second from Councilor Rozek to approve $2,998,370 for the Police Department. So moved, the motion carried.
01-421 Fire Department
Councilor Rozek moved with a second from Councilor Higbee to approve $2,039,437.75 for the Fire Department. So moved, the motion carried.
01-422 Street Lighting
Councilor Rozek moved with a second from Councilor Higbee to approve $145,200 for street lighting. So moved, the motion carried.
01-423 Ambulance
Councilor Rozek moved with a second from Councilor Gentili to approve $322,999.92 for ambulance. So moved, the motion carried.
01-424 Public Safety
Councilor Rozek moved with a second from Councilor Morgan Allain to approve $90,800 for Special Public Safety. So moved, the motion carried.
01-425 Housing
Councilor Morgan Allain moved with a second from Councilor Remillard to approve $93,696.34 for Housing. So moved, the motion carried.
01-430 PWD
Councilor Rozek moved with a second from Councilor Morgan Allain to approve $1,875,726.19 for Public Works. So moved, the motion carried.
01-436 Solid Waste
Councilor Rozek moved with a second from Councilor Higbee to approve $838,185.89 for Solid Waste. So moved, the motion carried.
01-440 Health
Councilor Rozek moved with a second from Councilor Higbee to approve $533,441.95 for the Health Department. So moved, the motion carried.
01-441 Welfare
Councilor Rozek moved with a second from Councilor Higbee to approve $116,463. for Welfare. So moved, the motion carried.
01-449 Parks Maintenance
Councilor Higbee moved with a second from Councilor Rozek to approve $310,590.30 for Parks Maintenance. So moved, the motion carried.
01-450 Recreation
Councilor Higbee moved with a second from Councilor Rozek to approve $128,057.54 for Recreation. So moved, the motion carried.
01-451 Library
Councilor Rozek moved with a second from Councilor Morgan Allain to approve $187,756.38 for the Library. So moved, the motion carried.
01-460 School
Councilor Rozek moved with a second from Councilor Higbee to approve $17,919,717.54 for the Schools. So moved, the motion carried.
01-461 School Capital
Councilor Rozek moved with a second from Councilor Higbee to approve $308,200 for School Capital. So moved, the motion carried.
01-470 Debt Service
Councilor Higbee moved with a second from Councilor Rozek to approve $783,084.89 for Debt Service. So moved, the motion carried.
01-480 Capital Improvements
Councilor Rozek moved with a second from Councilor Nelson to approve $527,900 for Capital Improvements. So moved, the motion carried.
10-483 School Education Grants
Councilor Rozek moved with a second from Councilor Higbee to approve $2,452,389 for School Education Grants. So moved, the motion carried.
11-464 School Food Services
Councilor Rozek moved with a second from Councilor Higbee to approve $661,990 for School Food Services. So moved, the motion carried.
60-432 Sewer User
Councilor Rozek moved with a second from Councilor Higbee to approve $1,456,146.54 for Sewer User. So moved, the motion carried.
60-470 Sewer Debt
Councilor Higbee moved with a second from Councilor Theberge to approve $1,035,904 for Sewer Debt. So moved, the motion carried.
60-480 Sewer Capital Improvements
Councilor Theberge moved with a second from Councilor Rozek to approve $598,000 for Sewer Capital. So moved, the motion carried.
63-437 Cates Hill Landfill
Councilor Rozek moved with a second from Councilor Higbee to approve $7,189 for the Cates Hill Landfill. So moved, the motion carried
65-434 Airport
Councilor Rozek moved with a second from Councilor Higbee to approve $185,674.63 for the Berlin Airport. So moved, the motion carried.
Other - Tax Deed Issue
Mr. Wheeler reported that one property on the tax deed list is a tower on Cates Hill owned by Shaw Communications. The tower is on property owned by someone else. If the City acquired the tower by tax deed, we would also get the lease. The request is to hold and preserve the lien and allow some time to review potential liability if the City goes forward with tax deed.
Councilor Rozek moved to authorize the Tax Collector to withhold execution of a tax deed on a tower on Cates Hill owned by Shaw Communication on Map 19/Lot 406 also preserving the lien and reserving the right to tax deed; Councilor Higbee seconded and the motion carried.
Non-Public Session
Councilor Higbee moved with a second from Councilor Morgan-Allain to go into non-public session per RSA 91-A:3 II(a) the dismissal, promotion, or compensation of any public employee or the disciplining of such employee, or the investigation of any charges against him or her, unless the employee affected [1] has a right to a meeting and [2] requests that the meeting be open, in which case the request shall be granted. So moved, the motion carried unanimously by roll call.
Councilor Rozek moved with a second by Councilor Morgan-Allain to seal the minutes as releasing them would render the proposed action ineffective. So moved, the motion carried unanimously
Councilor Rozek moved with a second by Councilor Higbee to come out of non-public session. So moved, the motion carried unanimously by roll call.
Councilor Rozek moved with a second by Councilor Higbee to adjourn. So moved, the motion carried. The meeting ended at 8:33 PM
Respectfully Submitted,
Susan Tremblay
Administrative Assistant
| 
