Select Board Meeting was called to order at 6:02 pm.
Roll Call: Beth Downs (Chair), Marlene Freyler, Chip Meany (arrived at 6:05)
Also attending: Karen Hambleton, Town Administrator; Kathleen Bigford, Recording Secretary
Review Minutes of January 27, 2025 and January 30, 2025 minutes.
Motion: Marlene Freyler moved to approve the January 27, 2025 minutes as written.
Second: Chip Meany
Decision: 3-0, all in favor
Motion: Marlene Freyler moved to approve the January 30, 2025 minutes as written.
Second: Chip Meany
Decision: 3-0, all in favor
Appearances:
Bruce Gezelman – Masonic Building. Bruce appeared to report on a contact he has made for the demolition of the Masonic building. Bruce had a quote for demolition of the building not including lead and asbestos mitigation. Bruce mentioned that there are things in the building that could be sold. Chip asked Bruce to contact Vermont Salvage to see what is salvageable. Bruce will follow up. Karen has two quotes, and this would make the third. Bryan Nowell asked if the quote included filling the hole. Bruce was not sure.
Chris Aiken appeared to ask that a member of the Board take point on the destruction of Masonic Building. Chip said he would take charge and, with Bruce, make sure that the proper steps are followed. Beth mentioned that the project will take time.
Public Input: Pam Bruss appeared and spoke about her disappointment with the process followed by the Select Board and Budget Committee with regard to the paving warrant article. Pam suggested that it would be possible for more items on the warrant to be approved by the voters at Town Meeting if the $500,000 paving proposal was amended to $375,000. She asked the Board to make a new warrant article or amend the present one so that the Budget Committee can vote on it at their meeting on Thursday, February 13th. Chip asked if $375,000 would be enough. Pam replied that it would absolutely not be enough, however, it will give the voters more, less confusing choices. Chip asked if $375,000 would keep the warrant articles under the 10% cap. Pam replied that it would not, but it would give the voters more flexibility to vote on other warrant items. After a discussion of various monetary levels and the consequences of those proposals at the town meeting and the outcomes for paving, the Board continued the meeting.
Regular and Old Business:
2025 Budget and Warrant Articles
Marlene proposed removing the warrant article to transfer the balance for ambulance billing from the warrant.
Motion: Marlene Freyler moved to remove “Article Twenty-Five” that would transfer the balance in the ambulance billing fund to the general fund.
Second: Chip Meany
Decision: 2-1 in favor. Yes, Marlene, Chip. No, Beth.
Karen asked the Board to recommend/not recommend “Article Six”.
Motion: Chip Meany moved to recommend that the Town of Bradford’s Zoning Ordinance reference the New Hampshire State Building Codes instead of the BOCA National Building Code.
Second: Marlene Freyler
Decision: 3-0, all in favor of recommending the warrant article.
“Article Twenty-Eight”: Petitioned Warrant Article – Recommend/not recommend
Motion: Chip Meany moved to not recommend “To see if the Town will vote to create the Efficiency Opportunity Committee for the purpose of identifying strategies to reduce Bradford’s unsustainable property tax growth while continuing to maintain quality services.”
Second: Marlene Freyler
Decision: 2-1 in favor. Chip and Marlene voted not to recommend; Beth voted to recommend.
Select Board does not recommend
“Article Twenty-Nine:” Petitioned Warrant Article – Recommend/not recommend
Motion: Chip Meany made a motion not to recommend: “To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $97,500 for the purpose of asbestos abatement and demolition of the former Masonic Lodge.”
Second: Marlene Freyler
Decision: 3-0, Select Board does not recommend.
Amend “Article Fourteen”
Motion: Chip Meany made a motion to amend the warrant article “To raise and appropriate the sum of $500,000 for road paving” to the amount of $375,000.
Second: Marlene Freyler
Decision: 3-0, all in favor
Beth asked if the Board had other changes to the warrant to be made. Hearing none, the meeting continued.
Cemetery/Landscaping Bid: Following up on a Budget Committee discussion about putting the Town landscaping and cemetery maintenance out to bid together, Marlene emphasized that contracts for landscaping for the Town and cemeteries need to be separate. Marlene said according to the NH Attorney General, the Cemetery Commission operates separately. The consensus of the Board is that contracts for landscaping in the Town and cemeteries will be decided upon separately with the Cemetery Commission choosing the landscaping contractor for the cemeteries.
Marge Cilley asked about the disposition of the dishwasher at the Bradford Area Community Center. Chip said he has this on his list. Marlene asked about the electricity and telephone expense at the Bradford Area Community Center. Karen noted that the electric bill for the Community Center had gone down since the Town Office moved out. She added that the budget is based on TDS billing which includes internet and telephone service.
New Business:
Sign Nick’s Other Band Contract – signed.
Accounts Payable and Payroll Manifest for review and signature – signed.
Adjourn:
Motion: Beth Downs made a motion to adjourn the meeting.
Second: Marlene Freyler
Decision: 3-0, all in favor.
Meeting adjourned at 7:01 pm.
Respectfully submitted, Kathleen Bigford, Recording Secretary
Upcoming meeting: February 24, 2025