Town of Bradford
Budget Committee Meeting
February 7th, 2019 Draft Meeting Minutes
Marlene Freyler called the meeting to order at 6:06pm
Pledge of Allegiance
Roll call
Marlene Freyler Chair, Jason Allen Vice Chair, Claire James (arrived at 6:30pm), Cheryl Croto, Mark Fournier, David Nunnally, Michael James (Select Board Representative) arrived at approximately 7:00pm
Selectmen John Pfeifle, Jim Bibbo, Town Administrator Karen Hambleton
Review of Budget & Expenditures:
1. The Budget Committee held a vote on two General Budget items:
Motion: Jason Allen motioned to recommend $25,000 for account 4195 Cemetery budget.
Second: Marc Fournier
Vote: 5-0 in favor
Motion: Dave Nunnally motioned to recommend $10,600 for account 4199 Other General Govt budget.
Second: Mark Fournier
Vote: 5-0 in favor
2. The Budget Committee reviewed the 2019 Warrant Articles:
a. Article Three – Jason Allen motioned to recommend a total General Budget amount of $2,030,018; Dave Nunnally second. Vote 5-0 in favor.
b. Article Four – Mark Fournier motioned to recommend raising $10,000 for a Non-Lapsing Revaluation Fund; Dave Nunnally second; Vote 5-0 in favor.
c. Article Five – Dave Nunnally motioned to recommend revising the purpose of the existing Revaluation Reserve Trust; Jason Allen second. Vote 5-0 in favor.
d. Article Six – Jason Allen motioned to recommend raising $39,600 for Lease/Purchase Payments for the Loader, Dump Truck & Police Utility vehicles; Dave Nunnally second. Vote 5-0 in favor.
e. Article Seven – Dave Nunnally motioned in favor of raising $24,000 to fund the Highway Expendable Trust Fund; Mark Fournier second. Vote 5-0 in favor.
f. Article Eight – Dave Nunnally motioned to recommend establishing a Road and Bridge Expendable Trust and raising $90,000; Mark Fournier second. Vote 3-2 in favor, Jason Allen and Cheryl Croto agreed with the amount but disagreed with the language in the Article authorizing the Select Board the ability to expend the account.
g. Article Nine – The Budget Committee did not recommend raising $11,000 for a New Plow.
h. Article Ten – Mark Fournier motioned to recommend raising $3,500 to remove mold at the Old Highway Garage; Dave Nunnally second. Vote 5-0 in favor.
i. Article Eleven – Dave Nunnally recommended raising $38,000 for culvert and catch basin repair; Mark Fournier second. Vote 5-0 in favor.
Claire James arrived.
j. Article Twelve – Dave Nunnally motioned to recommend raising $45,000 to purchase a new Police Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV); Jason Allen second. Vote 6-0 in favor.
k. Article Thirteen – Jason Allen motioned to recommend raising $2,750 for the Bradford, Newbury, Sutton Youth Sports fund; Mark Fournier second. Vote 6-0 in favor.
l. Article Fourteen – Dave Nunnally motioned to recommend raising $6,000 for the Lake Massasecum Lake Host; Jason Allen second. Vote 6-0 in favor.
m. Article Fifteen – Dave Nunnally motioned to recommend raising $10,000 for Gravestone Repair; Jason Allen second. Vote 6-0 in favor.
n. Article Sixteen – Dave Nunnally motioned to recommend raising $2,700 to install a new well as required by DES; Jason Allen second. Vote 6-0 in favor.
o. Article Seventeen – Dave Nunnally motioned to recommend raising $5,000 for the Communication Equipment Fund; Jason Allen second. Vote 6-0 in favor.
p. Article Eighteen – Jason Allen motioned to recommend raising $10,000 for Exterior Repairs & LED lighting at the Bradford Area Community Center with a revision to the Warrant language to repair external areas to prevent further water damage to the exterior of the Bradford Area Community Center; Mark Fournier second. Vote 6-0 in favor.
q. Article Nineteen – Jason Allen motioned to recommend changing the purpose of the existing Town Hall Repair and Renovation Trust Fund to accept private and municipal funds; Dave Nunnally second. Vote 6-0 in favor.
r. Article Twenty – Dave Nunnally motioned to recommend raising $60,000 to fund the Town Hall Repair and Renovation Fund; Jason Allen second. Vote 6-0 in favor.
s. Article Twenty One – The Budget Committee elected not to recommend the appropriation of $20,000 to purchase St. Peter’s Lodge. This decision was reversed later in the meeting.
t. Article Twenty Two – The Budget Committee elected not to recommend the appropriation of $35,000 to fund the Fire Department Heavy Equipment Capital Reserve account.
u. Article Twenty Three – Mark Fournier motioned to recommend raising $19,000 to fund a position to oversee the Fire & Rescue Departments. Dave Nunnally second. Vote 2-4, does not carry.
v. Article Twenty Four – Mark Fournier motioned to recommend raising $7,500 to fund on-call stipends for the Fire Department. Dave Nunnally second. Vote 2-4, does not carry.
w. Article Twenty Five – Claire James motioned to recommend a Petition Warrant Article to raise $35,000 to hire a part-time Fire Chief and provide pay for Firefighters on a per call basis. Jason Allen second. Vote of 4-2 in favor. Dave Nunnally and Mark Fournier disagreed.
Marlene opened a Public Hearing at 6:54pm. Michael James arrived at approximately 7:00pm.
Mark & Carl Goldberg attended and expressed concern that the Fire & Rescue Department may exceed their recommended budget allocation in 2019 as well as frustration that the Budget Committee did not come to back to him when the Committee recommended reductions to balance the overall General Budget. In the previous few years there had been no fire activity and the department did respond to a fire on January 31st, 2019. The Committee felt that the Select Board would work with all Town Departments to find solutions to cover any shortfalls driven by uncontrollable expenses.
The General Budget total recommended amount is $2,030,018.
Mark also provided feedback on Article Twenty One to purchase the St. Peter’s Lodge property. He felt the land was an appropriate purchase as portions of the Fire Department building and parking lots are located on the property in question.
Jason Allen motioned to hold a revote on Article Twenty One. Dave Nunnally asked the Selectmen for revised language that would allow for the purchase only if clear title and acceptable inspections were required. Karen suggested adding “on such terms and conditions as the Board of Selectmen determines are in the best interest of the Town”. Jason Allen recommended raising $20,000 000 to purchase St. Peter’s Lodge assuming a language change is implemented; Mark Fournier second. Vote 7-0 in favor.
The Public Hearing was closed at 7:48pm.
Correspondence Updates:
1. Review of the minutes from the January 31st meeting were tabled until the next meeting
Future Business:
1. The next Budget Committee meeting will be held March 21st at 6:30pm.
Motion: Mark Fournier motioned to adjourn at 7:50pm.
Second: David Nunnally
Vote: 7-0 in favor
Draft minutes submitted by Laurie Colburn