Present: Jen Richardson (Chair), Kim Firth (Vice Chair), Justin Dohrn, Tim McKenna (arrived 7:00), Dawn Gezelman, Laurie Colburn (via ZOOM), Beth Downs (Select Board Representative), Marlene Freyler (Select Board), Chip Meany (Select Board).
Also attending: Karen Hambleton, Town Administrator, Kathleen Bigford, Recording Secretary
Meeting called to order at 6:30 pm.
Review minutes from January 16, 2025 meeting
Discussion: Correct date of second public hearing, if needed, to February 13. Correct spelling of Laurie in Motion to approve interest on TAN notes. Devin Pendleton asked the Committee to state their names when voting on motions.
Motion: Beth Downs made a motion to approve the January 16, 2025 minutes as corrected.
Second: Justin Dohrn
Decision: 6-0, all in favor
Review General Government Buildings line in Operating Budget
Discussion: The Committee discussed the payment of a handyman to perform tasks needed at town buildings and a grant writing expense.
Motion: Laurie Colburn moved to approve the sum of $136,501 for General Government
Buildings, account # 4194.
Second: Justin Dohrn
Decision: 6-0, all in favor
Vote on Warrant Articles
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Eight Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($8,500.00) to be placed in the 2024 Police Department Equipment Expendable Trust Fund.
Motion: Dawn Gezelman made a motion to recommend the above warrant article.
Second: Justin Dohrn
Decision: 6-0, all in favor, Budget Committee recommends.
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Eleven Thousand Seven Hundred and Forty-Five Dollars ($11,745.00) to be placed in the 2021 Police Vehicle Capital Reserve Trust Fund.
Motion: Justin Dohrn made a motion to recommend the above warrant article.
Second: Dawn Gezelman
Decision: 6-0, all in favor, Budget Committee recommends.
7:00 pm Tim McKenna joined the meeting
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00) to be placed in the 2021 Police Vehicle Capital Reserve Trust Fund.
Motion: Justin Dohrn made a motion to recommend the above warrant article.
Second: Dawn Gezelman
Decision: 7-0, all in favor, Budget Committee recommends.
Vote the Operating Budget Total
Motion: Kim Firth moved to approve the operating budget total expense of $2,949,519.
Second: Justin Dohrn
Decision: 7-0, all in favor
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00) to fund the 2006 Fire Department Heavy Equipment Capital Reserve Fund.
Motion: Justin Dohrn made a motion to recommend the above warrant article.
Second: Dawn Gezelman
Decision: 7-0, all in favor, Budget Committee recommends.
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) to fund the 2020 Fire Equipment Expendable Trust Fund.
Motion: Kim Firth made a motion to recommend the above warrant article
Second: Justin Dohrn
Decision: 7-0, all in favor, Budget Committee recommends.
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Seventy-Two Thousand Dollars ($72,00.00) to purchase turnout gear for the Fire Department.
Motion: Kim Firth made a motion to recommend the above warrant article.
Second: Justin Dohrn
Decision: 7-0, all in favor, Budget Committee recommends.
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) to fund SCBA bottle and apparatus replacement,
Motion: Beth Downs made a motion to recommend the above warrant article.
Second: Kim Firth
Decision: 7-0, all in favor, Budget Committee recommends.
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the total sum of Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000.00) to fund road maintenance, preservation and paving.
Motion: Justin Dohrn made a motion NOT to recommend the above warrant article.
Second: Beth Downs
Decision: 5, Voting not to recommend: Justin Dohrn, Kim Firth, Tim McKenna, Beth Downs,
Laurie Colburn. 2, Voting to recommend: Jen Richardson, Dawn Gezelman.
Budget committee does not recommend the above warrant article.
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the total sum of Two Hundred Fifty-Four Thousand Dollars ($254,000.00) to purchase a 2026 International six-wheel dump truck outfitted with equipment. This appropriation will come from the 2020 Highway Heavy Equipment Capital Reserve Fund in the amount of Two Hundred Eighteen Thousand Dollars ($218,000.00) with the balance of Thirty-Six Thousand Dollars ($36,000.00) to be raised by taxation.
Motion: Dawn Gezelman made a motion to recommend the above warrant article. It was not seconded.
Motion: Justin Dohrn made a motion Not to recommend the above article.
Second: Kim Firth
Decision: 6 votes in favor of not recommending: Kim Firth, Tim McKenna, Jen Richardson,
Laurie Colburn, Justin Dohrn, Beth Downs. 1 vote in favor of recommending: Dawn Gezelman.
Budget Committee does not recommend the above warrant article.
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of One Hundred Ten Thousand Dollars ($110,000.00) to fund the 2020 Highway Heavy Equipment Capital Reserve Trust Fund.
Motion: Tim McKenna made a motion to NOT recommend the above article
Second: Justin Dohrn
Decision: 3 votes in favor of not recommending: Justin Dohrn, Kim Firth, Tim McKenna. 4
votes in favor of recommending: Dawn Gezelman, Jen Richardson, Beth Downs, Laurie Colburn.
Budget Committee recommends the above warrant article.
Jen Richardson left the meeting.
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Seventy-Four Thousand Dollars ($74,000.00) to fund the 2020 Highway Heavy Equipment Capital Reserve Trust Fund.
Motion: Justin Dohrn made a motion to NOT recommend the above article.
Second: Dawn Gezelman
Decision: 6-0 all in favor of not recommending
Budget Committee does not recommend the above warrant article.
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) to fund the 2020 Highway Heavy Equipment Capital Reserve Trust Fund.
Motion: Beth Downs made a motion to recommend the above article.
Second: Justin Dohrn
Decision: 5 votes in favor of recommending: Beth Downs, Dawn Gezelman, Laurie Colburn,
Kim Firth, Justin Dohrn, 1 vote in favor of not recommending: Tim McKenna.
Budget Committee recommends the above warrant article.
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00) to fund the 2019 Road and Bridge Expendable Trust Fund.
Motion: Beth Downs made a motion to recommend the above warrant article.
Second: Justin Dohrn
Decision: 5 votes in favor of recommending: Beth Downs, Dawn Gezelman, Laurie Colburn,
Kim Firth, Justin Dohrn. 1 vote in favor of not recommending: Tim McKenna.
Budget Committee recommends the above warrant article.
To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Select Board to enter into a lease purchase agreement to acquire Caterpillar 4WD backhoe and further to authorize the Select Board to issue and negotiate such notes and to determine the rate of interest thereon.
Motion: Laurie Colburn made a motion to NOT recommend this above article.
Second: Justin Dohrn
Decision: 5 votes in favor of not recommending: Justin Dohrn, Kim Firth, Laurie Colburn, Beth
Downs, Tim McKenna. 1 vote recommending: Dawn Gezelman.
Budget Committee does not recommend the above warrant article.
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Eighty Thousand Dollars ($80,000.00) to fund the 2015 Town Equipment Repair and Purchase Expendable Trust Fund.
Motion: Justin Dohrn made a motion to NOT recommend the above article.
Second: Tim McKenna
Decision: 6-0, all in favor of not recommending.
Budget Committee does not recommend the above warrant article.
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Forty-One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($41,500.00) to fund the 2015 Town Equipment Repair and Purchase Expendable Trust Fund.
Motion: Laurie Colburn made a motion to recommend the above article.
Second: Justin Dohrn
Decision: 6-0, all in favor of recommending
Budget Committee recommends the above article.
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) to fund the 2008 Revaluation Capital Reserve Fund.
Motion: Beth Downs made a motion to recommend the above article.
Second: Justin Dohrn
Decision: 6-0, all in favor of recommending
Budget Committee recommends the above warrant article.
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) to fund the demolition and removal of the Masonic Building at 89 West Main Street (Map 16 Lot 87) from Town property.
Motion: Beth Downs made a motion to recommend the above article.
Second: Justin Dohrn
Decision: 6-0, all in favor of recommending
Budget Committee recommends the above warrant article.
To see if the Town will vote to close the Ambulance Billing account at Bar Harbor Bank.
Motion: Beth Downs made a motion to recommend the above article.
Second: Justin Dohrn
Decision: 6-0, all in favor of recommending
Budget Committee recommend the above warrant article.
Finalize Town Meeting Presentation: The Committee discussed the draft presentation prepared by Laurie Colburn, agreed on changes, and decided to present it at the February 6th Public Hearing.
Important Dates:
Public Hearing on the 2025 budget is February 6, 2025 at 7:00 pm, (and February 13th if needed).
Adjourn:
Motion: Beth Downs made a motion to adjourn the meeting.
Second: Justin Dohrn
Decision: 6-0, all in favor
Meeting adjourned at 8:45 pm.
Respectfully submitted, Kathleen Bigford, Recording Secretary