Selectmen Minutes 01.13.09

TOWN OF BRADFORD

SELECTMEN’S MEETING

JANUARY 13, 2009

6:00PM

Call to Order and Roll Call:

Peter Fenton, Chair called the January 13, 2009 meeting to order with Andrew Pinard, Cheryl Behr, Administrator and Marge Cilley, Secretary present. Charles Meany was absent.

No Appearances:

Regular Business:

Accounts Payable and payroll was signed.

An intent to cut was signed.

Ausbon Sargent Land Trust signed.

The new Highway Garage doors were discussed, with four across the front, and one on the end with three exterior doors on the building.

Budget Reviews:

4130                Executive

            Cheryl Behr, Administrator suggested cutting back on: “No news letters,

            Postage, Advertising, supplies, mileage and conferences, as well as part

            Time wages, reducing the amount by eleven hundred dollars ($1,100.00)

            Motion was made by Andrew Pinard to reduce the Executive Budget by

            Eleven hundred dollars, leaving a balance of $107,833.00 and forward to

the Budget Committee to revisit with the Administrator to adjust the

individual line items. Motion was seconded and carried.

4153                Legal

            Suggestion to drop Town Counsel, #3201 in the amount of $1,000.00

            and Damages/Accidents, #3202 in the amount of $1,000.00.

            Motion was made by Andrew Pinard to reduce #4153 by a total of

$2,000.00, including line item #3201, $1,000.00 and #3202, $1,000.00.

            Motion seconded and carried.

 

Peter Fenton, Chair suggested making just one motion for all at the end of the meeting.

4140                Elections

            Only one election this year.

            Consensus was to pass on this.

4150                Financial Administration

            Suggested reducing Line item #2400, #3010, #3901 for a total of

between $2000 and $2300.

            Consensus was to pass over this item until next week.

4191                Planning and Zoning

            Budget Committee has already taken off $4000 for the Circuit

            Rider, line item #3901.

            Decision is to wait for full Selectmen Board to be present.

4194                General Government Buildings

            Discussion ensued regarding a generator for the town hall, reconfiguration

            of the police department and front door, making it handicap accessible.

            Decision was made to reduce line item #4300 by $5,000 for a new

            Amended Grand total of $44,732.00.

4199                Other General Government

            Have to wait for testing bill to come in (which will be on last years

budget) to see what next years amount will be, as it will be the same.

4210                Police

            Conversation ensued.

            Decision was to hold this until full Board of Selectmen is present.

4220                Fire Department

            Conversation ensued,

            Andrew Pinard advised he feels strongly that if

            an item is budgeted; the money should be spent for that item and not

            put in the budget to use elsewhere. If it is not going to be used for

            specified item, then that amount should be cut from the budget. This

            is not specific to the Fire Department, but any department. This would

            be appropriate budgeting. Decision was to hold this until a full Board

            of Selectmen is present. It was pointed out that the State reimburses

            for Forest Fires.

4225                Rescue Squad

            A projected wage coverage is $55,000.00 per Cheryl Behr, Administrator,

            based on this year, including training. Any revenue received from billing

            could be available to use for excess wages, if it were over the estimated

            $55,000. It was suggested that the line items should be broken down

further.

Motion was made by Andrew Pinard that the line item #1200 under #4225

be reduced by $10,000 to $55,000, with the provision that the special

revenue fund will be expended to cover any overages there. Total budget

will be $79,320. Peter Fenton, Chair will contact Rich Branch.

4290                Emergency Management

            Leave as is.

4240                Building Department

            Leave as is.

4312                Highway Department

            Steve Lucier, Road Agent was present.

            Following are the suggested reductions of line items.

            Line Item                                  Reduction         New Amt.

            #3901 Contract Services          500.00             5500.00

            #3912  Blasting                       500.00             3500.00

            #4300  Tires                            500.00 4,500.00

            #6005 Uniforms                       700.00 4,000.00

            #6007  Salt                 6,000.00 10,500.00

            #6011 Road Patch       3,000.00         15,000.00

The Salt and Road Patch reduction will be put in Expendable Trust, for a total of $9,000.00. The new grand total for Highway budget is $373,495.00.

Motion was made by Andrew Pinard to approve #4312, Highway Department with a revised budget of $373,495.00. Seconded and Carried.                          

Equipment Rental, Line Item #4400 needs to be discussed with Charles Meany.

4323                Solid Waste Collection

            Motion was made by Andrew Pinard to approve #4323 Solid Waste

            Collection at $50,877.00 by reducing line item # 1200 to $13,000.00 and

#3410 to $450.00, and pass on to the Budget Committee. Motion seconded and carried.

4324                Solid Waste Disposal

            Leave for Budget Committee to revisit.

4415                Inoculations

            Recommend reduce line item #4415 to $800.00 and pass on to the Budget

            Committee.

4520                Parks and Rec.

            Decision to leave as is.

4550                Library

            Motion was made by Peter Fenton, Chair to reduce the Library Budget by

            1% as a bottom line cut. Final decision is to wait for a full Board of

            Selectmen.

4583                Patriotic Purposes

            Andrew Pinard suggested breaking out the Fireworks from the

Parade. Consensus was to leave as is.

4589                Community Center Budget

            Discussion ensued regarding the Summer Camp program at length.

            Peter Fenton, Chair suggested cutting total budget by 1%.

            Decision was to wait for a full Board of Selectmen.

4619                Other Conservation

            Consensus was to leave as is.

4915                Capital Projects

            Decision was to drop budget by $1,500 to $18,500 total.

New Total Budget is one million, eight hundred sixty one thousand three hundred and ninety nine dollars ($1,861,399.00)

Fencing for Fire Pond discussed for $8,800.00 quote. Andrew Pinard suggested another quote be procured.

Decision was to go over Warrant Articles when there is a full Board of Selectmen.

Discussion regarding the showers at the Community Center for Emergency Management and whether the state had been contacted regarding the septic for same.

Mention was made of the School Meeting and the idea of not appointing anyone from the town of Bradford on the School Board which has been vacant for 3.5 months, since Jon Steiner resigned, and three people have shown interest.

Cheryl Behr, Administrator advised the Board of Selectmen needs to support her with the budget as proposed.

Meeting Adjoined 9:40PM

Respectfully Submitted

Marjorie R. Cilley

Secretary