Minutes
Town of Greenfield
Greenfield Town Offices, 7 Sawmill Road Greenfield, NH
Selectmen’s Meeting Minutes
Thursday, December 15, 2011 – 6:30 pm
Board of Selectmen: Chairman, Aaron Kullgren; Selectwoman, Karen Day; Selectman, Robert Wimpory
Staff: Town Administrator Patt, Fire Chief White
Public: Leigh LeBlanc
The meeting was called to order at 6:30 PM by Chairman Aaron Kullgren.
Documents for Approval/Review/Signature
The Selectmen reviewed and signed the following items:
A/P Invoices / Checks
A/P Check Manifest
Approval of Selectman’s Minutes of December 8, 2011
Petition Zoning Amendment
Exemption Certificate
FSA Group Enrollment Confirmation
2nd Request Current Use Map R7-21-2
Transfer of funds from General Funds to Forest Fire Fighters Savings
Block Grant budgetary update from the State of New Hampshire
Gagnon Grounds-keeping Services bid for Winter Snow Plowing and Shoveling
6:30 PM: 30 Minute Document Signing and Review of Correspondence
The Board of Selectmen reviewed correspondence and signed documents.
Fire Chief Loren White:
Chief Loren White addressed the Board of Selectmen regarding the current 911 Number Ordinance that was adopted in 2000. Chief White has been reviewing the ordinance and has been comparing it to language in another newer 911 ordinance that he has on file. Chief White suggested to the Board that there are differences in language and that he feels our current ordinance could be strengthened with some of the language from the newer ordinance that he received a few months ago. Chief White asked if the Board would be willing to look at changes to the current ordinance if he combines the best language from both ordinance copies. The Board indicated that they would look forward to seeing how the document could be strengthened.
Chief White asked the Board to address the question of establishing Capital Reserve funds (CRF) that departments could use to roll unused operating funds at the end of the year into a savings program using CRFs. The Board indicated that they weren’t ready to vote on this question. A general conversation about the background of this idea was held for the benefit of the Town Administrator. The Board indicated that they would be looking at CRF funding for the 2012 budget. More information on this would come later in the month.
Public Petition Article for Zoning Amendment:
Janet Renaud came before the Board of Selectmen with a petition article for a Zoning Amendment. The Amendment would change Zoning Section V.C.1 Telecommunication/Personal Wireless Service Facilities Ordinance by striking “and the General Residence” from the second sentence of the Ordinance.
The Board reviewed the petition document and discussed their next steps as outlined in statue, which is to copy the Planning Board on the petition. This is covered in RSA 675:4. “The planning board at its first regular meeting following the petition period shall set the date of the public hearing for each petitioned amendment which is received and shall hold a public hearing on each petitioned amendment”
Mrs. Renaud told the Board that she had compared the undersigned to an older voter checklist and is sure that all of the signatures are from residents that are on the voter checklist. A copy of the petition was hand delivered to the Town Clerk to ensure that the delivery was timely.
The Board asked if Mrs. Renaud had any additional comments or concerns. Mrs. Renaud said that she has been meaning to ask if there could be a “no outlet” sign installed at the end of Gould Road.
Avitar – Mark Stetson Presentation on level budgeting
Mr. Mark Stetson, District Manager for Avitar, the assessing firm that the Town of Greenfield contracts with for Assessing Services addressed the Board of Selectmen. Mr. Stetson provided a copy of the current contract between the Town and Avitar and addressed a change that their company’s auditors requested that Avitar make and explained how this would affect the Town. Specifically, Avitar is no longer able to provide for a town to level budget a five-year service contract, which had previously included the annual assessing services and deposit payments toward the five-year assessment review mandated by the State of New Hampshire. The review, or revaluation, is outlined as a $40,000 dollar cost in year five. Mr. Stetson provided background on why Avitar reached the decision to cease providing the
level budget cost approach. This was based on a recommendation of their CPA who suggested that this was not a good business practice for their firm. It was suggested that Avitar should adopt a fee-for-services-rendered model instead. Mr. Stetson also provided detail on services to date, which have been less than the amount that they had previously suggested the Town include for its’ budget. The assessing services budget had been proposed by Avitar at $14,768 annually. In 2011 the actual cost of the service would be somewhere north of $12,000.
The discussion with the Board of Selectmen moved to the question of how the Town should budget for the 5 year revaluation. The Board is uncomfortable with the cost of the revaluation being raised all in one year. The Board recognizes now that Avitar no longer accommodates level budgeting, the board is responsible to set up a plan to set aside money every year for the assessment revaluation. Mr. Stetson provided background on the legislative and legal requirements set in law for the Town to meet the five year revaluation deadline. He suggested that it would not be a good idea to try and extend that out further as the legislature has handed the responsibility for enforcing the law to the Division of Revenue Administration and there are penalties if the revaluation is not done in a timely manner.
The Selectmen discussed the question of the most appropriate vehicle for saving assessment revaluation monies. There are two types of trust funds available, a capital reserve fund and an expendable trust fund, either of which can be used, with the Selectmen as agents to expend. Funds would have to be set aside every year in order to minimize the impact of the revaluation cost on taxpayers, which occurs now every five years. The Town Administrator provided examples of warrant articles to establish an assessing capital reserve fund or an assessing expendable trust fund. The examples are:
Expendable Trust Fund
Article 9.~~ To see if the Town will vote to establish the Assessing Expendable Trust Fund for the purpose of assessing the property values of the town and further to raise and appropriate six thousand dollars five hundred ($6,500) from general taxation to be placed in this fund and to appoint the Board of Selectmen as Agents to expend.
Capital Reserve Fund
Article 9.~~ To see if the Town will vote to establish the Assessing Capital Reserve Fund for the purpose of assessing property values of the town, as required by law, and further to raise and appropriate six thousand dollars five hundred ($6,500) from general taxation to be placed in this fund and to appoint the Board of Selectmen as Agents to expend.
Because the Board and Avitar experienced some transition over this issue in the past, there has been a one year contract and then at the beginning of this year, a four year contract signed. The result of being at the end of year one on a four year contract is that the Town will need to address the revaluation cost with only three years to save. This means that capital reserve savings will have to be increased beyond the amount previously budgeted, over the next three years, to ensure that the revaluation will be accommodated cost effectively. It was discussed that the remainder from the 2011 budget be rolled over into a reserve fund, which would offset some of the increases needed in years 2-4 of the contract. The Board thanked Mr. Stetson for attending the meeting and explaining Avitar’s new policy
in more detail.
Non- Public Meeting to discuss compensation issues
Chairman Kullgren moved to adjourn the meeting to a non-public session under RSA 91-A:3II(a) to discuss personnel compensation for 2012. Wimpory seconded. The motion carried unanimously.
The regular meeting was adjourned to a non-public session at 8:52 PM. A non-public session was held. The meeting reopened at 9:55 PM. No decisions were made in the non-public meeting.
Non- Public Meeting to discuss Welfare Administration
Chairman Kullgren moved to adjourn the meeting to a non-public session under RSA 91-A:3II(a) to discuss Welfare Administration. Wimpory seconded. The motion carried unanimously.
The regular meeting was adjourned to a non-public session at 9:58 PM. A non-public session was held. The meeting reopened at 10:15 PM. It was noted that the Board agreed to request more information about certain vouchers, within the limits of the statute, and asked the Administrator to contact the Welfare Director for this information.
Cell Phone Policy
In advance of the adoption of a new revision to the personnel policy, the Town Administrator (T.A) requested guidance on those employees that the Board felt should be included on a list of employees eligible to receive a cell phone from the town. The Board provided the list of four names and asked the T.A. to check with the fire and rescue departments to see if there was more than one person in those departments that currently has a town cell phone. There was a brief discussion of an alternate to providing a cell phone, and that was to reimburse employees who wish to keep their personal phones for work. The reimbursement was discussed as being the equivalent of one step of the employees plan.
Budget Worksheet Request
The Board requested that the T.A. provide an updated budget year-to-date to the most recent period possible for the next meeting.
Adjournment
Kullgren moved to adjourn the meeting. Wimpory seconded. The motion carried unanimously.
The meeting adjourned at 10:37 PM
Respectfully Submitted:
Aaron Patt
Town Administrator
The minutes are final when approved and signed by the Board of Selectmen. A signed copy is on file.
________________________ ________________________ ______________________
Aaron Kullgren, Chairman Robert Wimpory, Selectman Karen Day, Selectwoman
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