TOWN OF BRADFORD
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
Amendment to Town Meeting Minutes of March 13, 2013
In accordance with NH RSA §33:8-a, the Town Moderator and the Board of Selectmen hereby call for a meeting for a limited purpose, based upon an affirmative vote for reconsideration of Article 4 of the Town’s Warrant at the Town Meeting held on March 13, 2013, to address the following:
To the inhabitants of the Town of Bradford in the County of Merrimack in said State qualified to vote in town affairs;
You are hereby notified to meet at the Kearsarge Regional Elementary School Bradford on Old Warner Road in said Bradford, NH on Thursday, April 11th, at 7:00 o’clock in the evening to reconsider the following articles.
Article 4. To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate One Million Seven Hundred Sixty Seven Thousand Dollars ($ 1,767,000.00) (gross budget) to renovate the Bradford Town Hall at map 16 lot 92 and to authorize the issuance of not more than One Million Seven Hundred Sixty Seven Thousand ($1,767,000.00) of bonds or notes in accordance with the provisions of the Municipal Finance Act (RSA Chapter 33) and to authorize the Selectmen to issue and negotiate such bonds or notes and to determine the rate of interest thereon, the term and other details. Selectmen recommend. Budget Committee recommends. (2/3 ballot vote required)
Moderator Scheffy addressed the situation regarding the room capacity and the fire regulations. Due to the fact that we had already reached the maximum number for room capacity, he requested that non registered voters please defer to registered voters and give up their seats. He explained, that in going over room capacity we would have to reconvene at another time and another location, such as the High School where there was ample accommodations for the number of people we had attending. (464 people were attendance).
Moderator Scheffy explained that the ballot boxes would be left open for two hours and anyone wishing to leave and come back later, was free to do so.
The Moderator, Brackett Scheffy, continued the meeting at 7:00 PM with the Pledge of Allegiance done by Bob Selig. He then gave the details of the bond issue, Article 4, which was discussed at Town Meeting on March 13th, which needed a 2/3 majority vote to pass. The bond did not pass by a 2/3 vote and a motion for reconsider was passed by the majority of voters.
Due to the fact, that Article 4 was a bond issue, the reconsideration could not take place on the night of the first meeting, it had to recessed for at least seven days.
Eileen Kelley took the platform and made clear that this would be a very short presentation. The Selectmen would like to speak to the town beginning with the chair of the select board, Harry Wright, who was asked to speak about the warrant article.
Harry Wright, speaking as a Selectmen, told how this warrant article has become immensely passionate for everyone in town whether you are pro/con, and has raised a lot of angst, anguish among people and it shows that for everyone here, they care. Mr. Wright, then changed hats, from Selectmen to citizen and presented the major details of warrant Article #4, Town Hall Restoration.
Dick Keller, Budget Committee, then spoke regarding the effect this warrant article would have on your tax rate.
John Pfeifle, Selectmen, spoke about the importance of creating jobs and boosting the land value and how the restoration of the town hall building could start us in the right direction.
Moderator Scheffy then opened the mike up for discussion.
Please note: Due to the numerous amount of speakers, these notes have been abridged. A detailed audio account of Town Meeting is available online.
http://www.bradfordnh.org/departments/forms/mp3-files/
A motion was made to amend the wording on the cost of interest to read; the cost of interest on the bonds or notes shall not exceed $350,000 (Three Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars).
Motion To Amend, Did Not Carry
A motion was made to close the debate.
Motion to Close Debate, Carried
The Ballot boxes were opened for two hours at 8:40 PM.
454 Votes Cast – 301 Votes needed to pass
Yes Votes – 228 No Votes – 224
Article Did Not Pass
A motion was made to close the meeting. Motion Carried
The meeting was closed at 10:55 PM on April 11, 2013.
Bradford Board Selectmen:
Harold Wright, Chairman
Sonny Harris, Selectman
John Pfeifle, Selectman
Atrue copy attest:
Official Town Warrant Article #4 Reconsideration minutes as of April 11, 2013.
Erica Gross, Town Clerk/Tax Collector
For More Information on the Voter ID Laws – go to the Secretary of State’s webpage http://sos.nh.gov/Elections.aspx
TOWN ELECTION & TOWN MEETING 2013
The polls were opened on March 12, 2013 at the Kearsarge Regional Elementary School at Bradford 8:00 – 7:00pm. The Town Meeting will be held March 13, 2013 at 7pm at KRES Bradford.
Thank you to all Ballot Clerks and Counters for your tremendous commitment and hard work. Also, Thanks to the Highway Department and Kearsarge Regional Elementary for their continued help and support.
All Town Election Results are listed below:
Selectman – For Three Years (1 Opening):
James V. Bibbo III 86
Marlene Freyler 100
Charles F. Goodale 41
John D. Pfeifle 21
Harold H. Wright 200
Supervisor of the Checklist – For Four Years (1 Opening):
Jacqueline Pehrson 417
Trustee of the Trust Fund – For Three Years (1 Opening):
Dawn Pettiglio 397
Trustee of the Brown Memorial Library – For Three Years (2 Openings):
Nola Jordan 392
Garry Kalajian 367
Scholarship Committee – For Three Years (1 Opening):
Nancy C. McEachern 409
Budget Committee – For Three Years (2 Openings):
George A. Cilley 347
Donald Jackson 373
Planning Board – For One Year (1 Opening):
Mark Keith 402
Planning Board – For Three Years (2 Openings):
Marcia Keller 348
Nicole Dubaere 6
Eric Caron 6 – This tie winner is still to be determined
Zoning Board – For Three Years (2 Openings):
George A. Cilley 338
Brooks McCandlish 365
Cemetery Commission – For Three Years (1 Opening):
James K. Lalla 408
Zoning Ballot:
- To see if the town will vote to modify article III section G of the Bradford Zoning Ordinance by altering the minimum setbacks of junk yards from state highways, so that the last sentence of that section reads as follows: “Motor vehicle junk yards must conform to state regulation RSA Chapter 236, 1981, sections 111-129, except that the applicable setback from the right–of-way lines of a non-interstate Class I, Class II, or Class III-A highway shall be 450 feet. (Planning Board made no recommendation) By Petition Yes No
Yes Votes 253 No Votes 190
School Ballot:
Question 1:
A – 161 Votes
B – 227 Votes
C – 48
Question 2:
Yes – 22
No – 230
Question 3:
Yes – 24 Votes
No – 225 Votes
Moderator:
Brackett Scheffy – 417