SUNAPEE BOARD OF SELECTMEN
MEETING
7:00 PM Town Office Meeting Room
Monday, December 28, 2009
Present: Stephen White Chairman, William Roach Vice-Chairman, Charlotte Brown, Frederick Gallup, Emma Smith, Donna Nashawaty, Town Manager
Also Present: Katie Richardson Intertown Record, Chief David Cahill, Betty Ramspott Town Clerk, Charles Smith, Shane Hastings, Peter Urbach, Jon Walden, Spec Bowers.
Chairman White called the meeting to order at 7:00PM.
Selectman Brown made a correction on the December14th minutes: public meeting to public hearing.
Budget Advisory Committee Final Recommendations
Chairman Bowers reviewed the 2 remaining warrant article recommendations from the BAC: $25,000 for the coalition to prevent Sunapee from becoming a donor town-BAC recommended. Sewer treatment plant renovations in the amount of $8 million (approximately)-BAC does not enough data to make recommendation.
Public Comments
Peter Urbach stated that the minutes of December 14th said he was in attendance at the meeting, he was not present and the Zoning Board meeting on January 14th was omitted from the upcoming meeting section of the agenda.
Selectmen Action
•Donna Nashawaty reviewed the 2010 Town Warrant Articles. Chairman White asked the Board for comments or questions regarding the 2010 Budget.
•Chief Cahill corrected the figures on the police cruiser capital reserve article: the sum from $23,700 to $19,852, total remaining $1,852 to come from general taxation.
•Selectman Brown questioned the Police Department overtime line item in the budget, which she considers high because as of October 31st a large amount was unspent. Chief Cahill explained that the overtime line in his budget contains on-call pay (hours between 1:00am-6:00am when there is no officer on-duty), which is paid out the first week of December each year.
•Selectman Brown agreed with the BAC regarding employee step raises, which felt with the economic times these raises could not be justified. Betty Ramspott wanted to make sure that the Board understood that with the employee portion of insurance going up and no step raises given out, employees will be taking home less money in 2010 than in 2009. Selectman Smith thinks the step program has helped set-up a good relationship between the employee and employer and feels if it is removed once the economy gets better the town will lose people to towns who show appreciation to their employees and Selectman Smith supports the step program.
Chief Cahill reminded the Board that when the step program was created the thought was not to be the highest paid town in the state, but not the lowest either, somewhere in between and to stay competitive. Chief Cahill feels that if you start taking benefits away that it will affect the morale of the employees. Chief Cahill said he would take the money out of his budget so that his employees can get their step raises. Selectman Brown wanted to comment that her intention was not to reduce an employee’s “take home pay “, but there are a lot of property owners concerned about their property taxes and their health insurance rates have also increased, it’s not just happening in the Town of Sunapee. Betty Ramspott commented that it took 6 months of training to bring her current assistant Town
clerk/tax collector “up to snuff” and would not blame her if she went to another town if the change in employee benefits happened. Both Betty Ramspott and Chief Cahill agreed that the town has to look at its employees as an investment, which Selectman Smith and Selectman Roach also agreed. Selectman Brown told the Board that she has heard the comments from property owners and felt as a Selectman she needed to address their concerns to the Board. Chief Cahill asked what the effect on the tax rate would be if the employee step raises were kept in the budget and Donna Nashawaty stated that if all the warrant articles passed and the budget remained as presented the total tax rate is 4 cents higher that last year, but that’s using last year’s grand list, which will change and the assumption is that the tax rate will be leveled or less that would it was last year of the town’s portion. Charles Smith of the BAC asked what the step raises were based on,
quality of work of employee or percentage of pay? Donna Nashawaty gave an explanation of the pay raise table that has 10 steps, with the hourly rate, which is two and a half per cent between steps and based on a positive performance review. Selectman Roach also supports the step raises and in Selectman Roach’s opinion, the Town of Sunapee has some of the best employees in the State of NH. Selectman Brown also stated that the town employees do a good job.
•Selectman Brown wanted to know if the HSA (health savings account) would be an option for employees this year. Chairman White stated that it might be to late in the budget process to be considered this year, but suggested that the Board ask Donna Nashawaty to draft a document during this coming year on the benefits to employees and the savings to the town.
•After much discussion, it was decided to keep the town report mailing “as is” for the upcoming year. Motion to reduce the printing cost of the town report by $3,000 with the intention of only mailing a postcard to notify property owners where they can pick up the town report by Selectman Smith, seconded by Selectman Roach. 3 opposed 1 in Favor.
Chairman Report
•Chairman White asked that the Board to think about who they would like to dedicate the 2009 Town Report to this year and make the recommendations at the January 12th meeting.
•Chairman White informed the Board about a complaint that was received regarding the Police Department that will be discussed in non-public executive session at the January 11th meeting.
Motion to adjourn: Meeting adjourned at 8:28PM.
Submitted by,
Barbara Vaughn
Administrative Assistant Approved:_____________
____________________ ______________________
Stephen White, Chairman Charlotte Brown
_________________________ _______________________
William Roach, Vice-Chairman Frederick Gallup
_________________________
Emma M. Smith
| 
