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Warner Board of Selectmen Meeting Minutes February 19, 2008 Meeting opened at 6:00 p.m. In Attendance:
Selectman Richard A. Cook Selectman
Wayne Eigabroadt Absent:
Selectman David E. Hartman Others Present: Laura Buono – Town Administrator
Tom Brennan – KRSD Superintendent Larry LeBoeuf – KRSD Business Administrator
Karen Merrill-Antle – Warner Representative to KRSD Frederick Mow – Intertown Record
Marianne Howlett – Tax Collector Jeanne Hand – Resident
Jim Hand – Resident Richard Senor - Resident Selectman Cook opened the meeting 1. Tom Brennan – Kearsarge Regional School District Superintendent
- 2008/2009 Budget Mr. Brennan introduced Larry LeBoeuf as
the new KRSD Business Administrator.
Mr. LeBoeuf passed out information from the KRSD January 12
Annual Meeting. Page 3
shows a pie chart for Warrant Article 1 amounting to $33,938,535.
The majority is wages and benefits amounting to $19,017,933. The
budget increased by $2,789,295 from last year.
A second pie chart shows a break down of the budget increase.
Selectman Eigabroadt asked if the bond is typically listed with
the utilities. Mr. LeBoeuf
listed the bond with the utilities because he considers it a fixed cost. Article 2 is to see if the District will
vote to raise up to $50K for the Capital Reserve Fund for the purpose of
reconstructing or adding to existing schools. Article 3 is to see if the District will
vote to establish an Expendable Trust Fund for the purpose of emergency
funding of unanticipated Special Education and to raise and appropriate
$75K to be placed in this fund. Article 4 is to see if the District will
vote to raise and appropriate $482K to place a bedrock well online for
Kearsarge High School and to develop a water and wastewater master plan
for the District. Mr.
Brennan explained that the Department of Environmental Services has been
concerned about the water at the High School. The current well is a single gravel packed well with a depth
of 29’ and unknown yield in a static water level of approximately
6’. This is considered a
shallow well and is susceptible to runoff from rain and snow events. If approved by the voters an RFP will be sent out. Also, the
article is asking for a water and wastewater 5 year plan which would
include storm water. Selectman
Cook asked if there is a current storage capacity for the well. Mr. Brennan said yes, it is located underground across from
the softball field with a 10,000 gallon tank.
Selectman Cook asked if a new storage tank would be needed.
Mr. Brennan said yes. Out
of the $482K, 90K is projected for the waste water management plan.
Article 5 is to see if the District will
vote to raise and appropriate a supplemental appropriation of $665K for
unforeseen Special Education costs for the current school year
(2007-2008). This amount
would be funded from existing revenues such as the interest from the
bond. Selectman Eigabroadt
asked why the $665 is unanticipated.
Mr. Brennan explained that 5 students were identified as needing
out of District placement; there are also cases in litigation.
Selectman Cook asked if the District is anticipating additional
costs for special education to continue into the future.
Mr. Brennan said the District has planned on the litigation cases
as being potential extra costs and feels the cost will continue to
increase. Currently
there is $360K in the Expendable Trust Fund for Special Education.
Mr. Brennan explained the District will draw down the $360K
Expendable Trust and replace with Article 5.
The District learned of the short fall in September, any
expenditure must be approved by Mr. Brennan or Mr. LeBoeuf. Public Questions: Jeanne Hand began with Special Education.
There are 14 KRSD students being transported out of the District
for $124K, and there are 14 students from out of KRSD being transported
to the District for $304K. Ms.
Hand feels this cost is ridiculous and asked what the District is doing
with these students. Mr.
Brennan explained that the students are sent to institutions that meet
the needs of the students. Ms.
Hand asked who judges the needs. Mr.
Brennan explained the District has a team that determines the needs.
This program is also funded through Federal Grants; the amount in
the budget is listed under grants for $756K.
Ms. Hand asked what the true figure is for Special Education. Mr. LeBoeuf explained the general fund supports $904,755 for
next year; the amount used from the Federal Grant for special education
was not available. Ms. Hand
asked how much the District receives from State and Federal for Special
Education. Mr. Brennan did
not have that amount on hand. Mr.
LeBoeuf explained the total Special Education budget amounts to $5.8
million for 340 students. Ms.
Hand believes this cost is absurd and does not see any areas where the
budget has been reduced in order to deal with escalating Special
Education costs. Mr.
Brennan feels the there would be a strong outcry by reducing the budget
by $5million to cover Special Education.
Mr. Brennan encourages Ms. Hand to attend the next budget
discussion in October. Ms.
Hand closed by saying she does not see where Mr. Brennan has taken the
fiscal responsibility of not passing more money onto the taxpayers, and
why hasn’t the school budget been reduced to cover it.
Richard Senor asked what school the
unexpected special education student came from.
Mr. Brennan’s answer was not audible.
Karen Merrill-Antle recommended to those
that are passionate about how the budget is created and spent should
become involved in the process in October.
The fiscal responsibility was taken very seriously in order to
present an operating budget that was flat funded. 2. SWOT Analysis – Strengths, Weakness Opportunities and Threats Ms. Antle explained that Mr. Brennan and
she have been charged by the School Board to work together toward
putting together a strategic plan to be used as a living document and as
a tool to identify the internal and external factors that may have a
positive or negative impact on the organizations (KRSD) ability to
achieve goals or objectives. The
process used is called SWOT Analysis, which is used to evaluate the
Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities or Threats.
Mr. Brennan has met with 143 participants that work within the
District. Each was provided
with a SWOT Analysis worksheet. Ms.
Antle then took the information and tallied it into prioritized
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.
From that information a “Vision Statement” was created with
core beliefs. At this time
Ms. Antle is taking this SWOT information to the Selectmen to gather
their feedback on what they feel is missing or unclear; Ms. Antle is
looking for feedback by March 1. Richard Senor asked for the total amount
of employees in the District. Mr.
Brennan said 417. Ms. Hand asked if the District will be
notifying the public on what the Vision Statement is and what is the
main point. Ms. Antle
explained the intent in clear language is to have a vision for the
direction the school wants to go as well as goals on how to achieve
those bench marks. Selectman Eigabroadt recommended
identifying the core competencies to get where the District wants to go.
In using the SWOT Analysis
does the staff have the competencies to achieve the determined goals?
Ms. Antle believes that will happen under the bench marks, the
methods on how to get there. 3. Bartlett Fund Request Ms. Buono spoke with Simonds School and
learned that the school contacted the Hampstead players themselves and
is not aware of any other school doing the same.
Ms. Buono also learned from the Bartlett Fund history that in
1993 a warrant article was passed saying the interest from the Bartlett
Fund would be transferred to the KRSD on an annual basis.
Selectman Cook recalls that the fund began to come before the
Board of Selectmen because there was concern that the fund would be
expended to pay for things at Simonds
School that were being paid for at other school out of the general fund.
Selectman Eigabroadt made the motion
to approve the Bartlett Fund request in the amount of $515 for the
Hampstead Players to perform the Legend of King Arthur at Simonds School.
Selectman Cook seconded the motion.
All were in favor. The motion passed. 4. Town Administrator’s Report Town Report – The Town Report is at the printer and will be
here at the end of next week for distribution. Town Audit - The 2006 audit was received a couple weeks ago
and has been reviewed by Ms. Buono and the Bookkeeper.
Copies have been given to the Selectmen along with the Management
Letter and Report on Internal Controls.
The majority of the items mentioned had already been rectified as
noted in the memorandum to the Selectmen.
The audit will be placed on the next agenda for the Selectmen to
have discussion on any questions and/or concerns.
The 2007 audit is scheduled to begin in April and since the asset
list and acquaintance process has already taken place, the audit should
be done sooner. Marianne
Howlett requested a copy of the audit. Stage Electrical – The electrical work on the stage has
begun. The majority of the
funds for this project are a combination of donations from the Fall
Foliage Festival, Nancy Sibley Wilkins Fund and the Warner Men’s Club.
Selectman Eigabroadt asked if the work entailed the lighting
controls, Ms. Buono said yes. Town Warrant & Budget – The Town Warrant & Budget
have been completed and are awaiting signatures so that they can both be
posted by February 25th. Sign Permit – Harold French has responded with regard to
operating a business out of his residence with respect to his request
for a sign permit. The sign
is merely advertising his business however; he does not actually conduct
business at that location. Selectman
Eigabroadt recommended reviewing the Zoning Ordinance on the definition
of “Home Occupation”. EMD Base Station Radio – A grant application has been
received and completed and is ready for a Selectman signature. Selectman Eigabroadt said it has been asked in the past
to have a radio installed in the Selectmen’s office so it could be
used to contact the Town crew in emergency situations.
Ms. Buono will speak to the Emergency Management Director about
the radio for the Selectmen’s office.
Selectman Eigabroadt made the motion
to approve the signing of the grant application for an emergency center
base station radio in the amount of $6,600.
Selectman Cook seconded the motion.
All were in favor. The
motion passed. Selectman
Eigabroadt requested a copy of the grant application and provided
information. 5. Manifest Selectman Eigabroadt made a motion
to authorize the Selectmen to sign the manifest and order the Treasurer
to sign accounts payable check numbers 41005 - 41048 dated 02/19/2008
totaling $30,024.02. Selectman
Cook seconded the motion. All
were in favor. The motion passed. Ms.
Hand asked for clarification on the manifest. 6. Meeting Minutes Approval tabled until there is a full
Board. 7. Other Business Selectman Eigabroadt spoke about the
submitted petition articles for solar and wind energy; there is new law
coming into affect that will allow the Planning Board or municipalities
to regulate through zoning the installation alternate energy i.e.
regulations for cell towers. Selectman
Eigabroadt recommends including the establishment of regulations as one
of the reasons for not recommending the petitions.
Selectman Cook recommends meeting with the petitioners as was
discussed at an earlier work session.
Ms. Buono will contact and arrange during the March 4 meeting.
Selectman Cook asked for questions from
the public: Mr. Hand informed the Selectmen that he is
willing to be a write-in candidate as the Warner representative to the
KRSD Municipal Budget Committee. Selectman
Cook recommended contacting the prior member for information about the
committee process. Motion to adjourn 7:30 p.m. Board of Selectmen David E. Hartman – Chairman Respectfully submitted, Mary Whalen Recorder of the minutes
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