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Warner Board of Selectmen Work Session February
9, 2008 Meeting
opened at 9:08 a.m. In
Attendance: Selectman David
E. Hartman – Chairman
Selectman Richard A. Cook
Selectman Wayne Eigabroadt Absent:
None Others
present: Martha
Mical – Assessing Clerk Judith
Rogers – Town Clerk 1.
Submitted Petitions Chairman
Hartman read into the record Petition Article #26. The petition was received with a dollar amount and the Board
is required to recommend or not recommend.
Martha Mical asked if the Selectmen will be recommending the
other submitted petition articles.
Selectman Cook explained the petitions are not appropriations;
therefore it is not required to recommend or not recommend.
Article
26 To see if the Town will vote to raise and
appropriate the sum of no more than $700.00 for the purchase of one
professional grade, real time digital audio recording system (CD burning
capabilities), several wireless microphones (3 or 4), and an appropriate
multi-microphone mixer to properly duplicate and index/archive said CDs
for posterity. CDs require little space, do not degrade, and can be stored
indefinitely. The practice
will allow reference and establish an official, traceable, permanent
historical record of those meetings of boards and/or committees of the
Town of Warner that are required by law or policy to be recorded.
The purpose of this equipment is too digitally and indelibly
record public meetings. At
least one microphone shall be available for the public.
This will capture an immediate, permanent audio record, and
require it to be posted on the town website as a downloadable audio file
within 48 hours of recording. It
will facilitate and authenticate meeting minute’s transcription as
well. Selectmen’s Discussion: Selectman Eigabroadt does not recommend
Article 26 because of the way the article is written; the article
specifies policy, the type of equipment and posting requirements which
are more stringent than what is required by law.
Selectman Eigabroadt said the electronic style of recording and
posting on the web-site is a good idea, but the petition as written is
extremely restrictive. Selectman Cook agrees with Selectman
Eigabroadt and his reasoning is similar in thinking the technology is a
good idea and feels there are problems with this particular petition.
The Board could work with the petitioners in order to obtain a
better solution toward reaching the same goal.
Selectman Eigabroadt believes the petition
should state an amount of money for the purchase of equipment; that
would allow the Selectmen to research the equipment that is available.
Selectman Cook added that through a
discussion with the webmaster the current website would be strained by
adding audio recordings, the site would need to be updated adding an
additional monthly cost. Selectman
Eigabroadt believes the Town could utilize their own servers for the
website. Selectman
Eigabroadt also recommends meeting with the petitioners and asking if
they would consider amending the petition to a dollar amount. Martha Mical stated for the record that
CDs are not accepted by the State as permanent records, meeting minutes
are required to be in a written format. Selectman Cook said the Town Administrator
has been charged with creating a policy about recording meetings. Selectman Eigabroadt said a long time ago the Selectmen
agreed that if a board is working for the Selectmen they would record
the meetings, the tapes would be filed for 6 months after which the
tapes would be recycled. Selectman
Cook said not all committees record their meetings and if the policy
requires all meetings to be recorded a hierarchy will need to be
established for using the equipment.
Selectman Eigabroadt said for the amount of money proposed in the
petition more than one smaller system could be purchased.
The Selectmen agreed more discussion is needed with the
petitioners. Martha Mical added that there have been
times when individuals have problems operating a tape recorder. The system proposed in the petition is even more complex.
Will someone need to be hired to operate the equipment?
Selectman Eigabroadt feels that there is equipment available that
is user friendly. Selectman Eigabroadt made a motion to not recommend Petition Article 26 as written.
Selectman Cook seconded the motion.
Selectman Eigabroadt recommends meeting with the petitioner to
explain their concerns as well an explanation for Town Meeting with a
possible amendment. All
were in favor of not recommending.
The motion passed. Chairman Hartman asked the Board members
if they wish to address the submitted petition articles that do not have
a dollar amount. The
Selectmen agreed to address the petitions. Article 24 Shall we adopt the provisions of RSA 72:66
for a property tax exemption on real property equipped with a wind
powered energy system which exemption shall be in the amount of 100% of
the cost of the wind powered energy system up to $35,000?
Selectmen’s Discussion: Selectman Cook said he would support this
article but Martha Mical brought up a point that the article says
“100% of the cost”; it should say “100% of the assessed value”.
Martha Mical contacted the petitioner and verified that the
Energy Committee wishes the exemption to be 100% of the cost, not the
increase in assessment. But
the petitioner is willing to amend the article from the Town Meeting
floor. Martha Mical stressed to the petitioner that the exemption
also needs a date of expiration, i.e. up to 5 years etc. Selectman Eigabroadt feels the exemption
for the cost should only be for one year. Chairman
Hartman added the reason for the article is to encourage installation of
alternate energy sources and feels a one year exemption could prove
meaningless. Selectman Eigabroadt said there is also an
RSA for an exemption in using wood as an energy source.
The Selectmen should keep in mind that these exemptions should be
designed for all 3 sources, solar, wind and wood. Selectman Eigabroadt recommends spreading the cost over
a 5 or 10 year period. Martha Mical said exemptions are until the
property sells, she feels new owners will apply for the same exemption
because the system will be paid for through the purchase of the
property. Selectman Eigabroadt asked what if the property owner only
recoups 1/8th of the cost, he feels the petition is to
subjective and could be challenged. Selectman Cook recommends the same
position for Article 25, not to recommend as written and amending from
the Town Meeting floor. Article 25 Shall we adopt the provisions of RSA 72:62
for a property tax exemption on real property equipped with solar energy
system which exemption shall be in the amount of 100% of the cost of the
solar powered energy system up to $35,000?
Judith Rogers asked if there would be
problem not recommending the petitions because the committee was
established to do just that. Selectman
Eigabroadt said the wording of the article needs to be amended.
Selectman Cook recommends meeting with the Energy Committee to
discuss an amendment. Martha Mical recommends more information
about the RSA should be supplied in the petition so the voter has a
better understanding. Selectman Cook made a motion
not to recommend Petition Articles 24 & 25 and work with the Energy
Committee to develop amendments that would be within the legal
boundaries of the statutes. Selectman
Eigabroadt seconded the motion. Martha
Mical recommends using RSA explanations.
All were in favor. The
motion passed. 2. General Business Judith Rogers inquired about Article 16
for $25K, Town Hall building improvement which was discussed at the
Budget Committee Public Hearing. Judith
understands the explanation presented to the Budget Committee was to
move the Town Clerk and the Tax Collector to the Selectmen’s office
and for record preservation. Selectman
Cook said the article was presented to provide better record
preservation and moving the offices was an idea that was discussed at
one time during a Selectmen’s meeting as well as other ideas.
Ms. Rogers said she was not aware of the presented article and
that it had anything to do with record preservation or moving her
office. Selectman Cook said
the money is not specifically tied to that project; it was looking at
costs associated with improvements to the Town Hall including the front
granite steps, the roof, an addition to the Town Hall and record
preservation. In order to
flat line the budget out into the future, it was decided to fund $25K
per year later establishing priorities.
Ms. Rogers asked the Selectmen if they are aware that she has a
$10K grant for record preservation.
The Board said that they are aware of the grant.
Ms. Rogers said that she recommends using the grant money for
record preservation first before applying money from a capital reserve. Ms. Rogers also discussed a change in her
budget. From what was
discussed with the Town Administrator to the final budget that was
presented to the Budget Committee, she noticed a change in her budget
that was never discussed with her.
Ms. Rogers has issue with her wages.
It is not clear to her how an extra payroll fits into the Town
(2008 has 27 pay periods instead of 26).
Ms. Rogers is going on record as saying she does not want the
extra two weeks of pay, she understands that hourly people have earned
it because they worked it; the last two weeks in 2007 was paid in
January 2008. Ms. Rogers understands the Town Administrator has spoken
with other Towns that are compensating salaried employees with an extra
two weeks of pay. Ms.
Rogers doesn’t understand the rational because she didn’t work any
extra time to earn two weeks of pay; her salary is from January 1 to
December 31, her W2 at the end of the year should reflect her scheduled
salary. Selectman Cook
explained that this circumstance happens every 7 to 9 years. Martha
Mical added for the salary employees going to 27 pay periods their
paycheck will be less and the Town Administrator by adding $38K to the
budget was avoiding that loss. Ms. Rogers feels her scheduled salary
should be divided into 27 periods knowing that there will be a
difference in her monthly salary. Selectman
Eigabroadt asked if the salary employees would be making more than their
scheduled salary by paying this extra pay period.
Martha Mical said yes. Ms.
Rogers said that’s the change in her budget, the salary line does not
show a 5.8% increase, it shows almost 10%.
Chairman Hartman explained that when he worked for the State, his
salary never changed because of increased by periods, the same for
Selectman Eigabroadt when he worked for the State, if there was a change
it was because of a pay increase. It
was determined that further clarification is needed about the additional
pay period. Motion to adjourn 10:03 a.m.
Respectfully submitted, Mary Whalen Recorder of the minutes
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