TOWN OF BRADFORD
PUBLIC HEARING ON BOND ISSUES
FEBRUARY 18, 2013
7:00PM
The Bond Hearing was opened by Harry Wright, Selectmen Chair at 7:00pm who read the following:
Article Four:
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 Dollars ($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). (passage of this article will not impact the tax rate until 2014)
Public Input:
Question was how will the town raise and appropriate the interest on this bond as well as the duration of said payments? The taxpayers deserve to be told what the total cost will be, and over how many years this will be. It was explained this does not belong in the actual Warrant was stated by Harry Wright, Chair. Much discussion ensued and it was stated that this will be brought out at town meeting. It was stated that there should be some sort of “not to exceed” in place. Eileen Kelly stated that is why the Town Hall Restoration Committee did provide a Construction Manager, which guarantees the maximum cost of the project. The DRA advised the impact of this bond on the tax rate will be $ .63 per $1,000 appraised valuation.
Discussion regarding an extended year for the bond ensued.
Another question was what kind of money does the committee feel will be available to help off-set the total bond? It was reiterated that money cannot be gone after until the project has been voted in at town meeting, and after that, multiple Grants and other methods of bringing in income will be sought after.
Marcia Keller stated The Rural Heritage Connection is a tax exempt organization which has been accepting donations already in the amount of over twenty thousand dollars when we needed to come up with a match for the LCHIP Grant, which we did not receive.
Harry Wright stated the benefit to the town for the town hall to be renovated is real economic value, to the town. Property values would go up as a result of having a facility and having cultural activities, and this would be a good start for a Main Street reclamation committee to make Bradford more attractive.
The Presentation of Plans for Restoring Bradford’s Town Hall to be held on Saturday, February 23, 2013 from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon was mentioned.
Article Five:
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate Two Hundred fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00) (gross budget) to repair and rebuild asphalt roads in Bradford and to authorize the issuance of not more than Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00) 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 theron, the term and other details. The roads to be repaired include Rowe Mountain Road and Sunset Hill Road. Selectmen recommend. Budget Committee does not recommend. (2/3 ballot vote required) (passage of this article will not impact the tax rate until 2014)
Cheryl Behr advised the 10% rule will not be impacted.
John Pfeifle advised this is an unusual situation, as the Selectmen recommended this Article at $250,000.00, but the Budget Committee did not recommend it as they want to amend it to increase it to $300,000.00.
One comment was made that a Road Committee needs to be rejuvenated and to continue improvements in town.
Meeting adjourned at 7:50.
Respectfully submitted,
Marjorie R. Cilley
Secretary