Selectmen's Minutes
January 28, 2008
Present: Steve Moscicki, Jim Trudell, Elaine Sherry, Donna Clark, Celine Presby, Carol Messner
6:05 pm Chairman Moscicki called the meeting to order.
Manifests & Invoices:
The manifest for Jan 28th was authorized and new invoices for future payment were reviewed and initialed.
Treasurer's Report:
The Treasurer's Report was read showing a balance of $44,455.62 in the checking account, $160,270.94 in the NHDIP fund and $46,175.85 in the Laconia Bank savings account.
Committee Reports & Needs:
Town Clerk Carol Messner spoke to the Board about the possibility of her becoming a limited Municipal Agent which would enable her to do the State portion of many registrations, saving residents from having to go to Twin Mountain, Littleton or North Haverhill for decals. Grants are still available for a short time to cover the cost of the required registration printer. A phone line would be installed at the expense of the State, and there would be minimal additional costs to the Town except for four days of training in Concord. The Selectmen agreed it would be a great benefit to the Town and signed paperwork for her to pursue it.
Permits and Applications:
The following was approved:
- Pistol Permit for Arthur Junge
A letter from the Planning Board to the Board of Selectmen regarding John Marshall's building permit application for a new home off the Brook Road was discussed. It was written in response to correspondence received by the Planning Board from Mr. Marshall's attorney. The lot Mr. Marshall wishes to build on does not have any road frontage on a Class V highway. The Planning Board recommends the building permit be denied until the status of the discontinued road that borders his property is determined. A copy of the letter will be sent to Mr. Marshall, his attorney and Presby Construction.
Meeting Minutes:
Minutes for Jan 21st were reviewed. Trudell motioned to approve the minutes as written, 2nd by Moscicki, so voted all.
Correspondence:
- Legislative Bulletin #6 was distributed to the Board.
- 2008 Report #2 from Councilor Burton was read.
- New correspondence from the Grafton County Commissioners and the Grafton County Coalition was reviewed, along with information from the jail project meetings attended by Sherry and Trudell last week. None of the Selectmen are available to attend the delegation meeting on the morning of Feb 4th, so Sherry will respond with an e-mail to state representatives and the Coalition stating that the Board is not in support of the project as proposed, and recommending that the upcoming bond vote be tabled until such time as the concerns brought forward by the Coalition in recent months are addressed.
Old Business:
- The Selectmen prepared a follow up letter to Todd Rainville.
- Sherry and Trudell reported on the Grants Conference they attended earlier in the day.
- The annual Selectmen's Report was completed.
- The auditors have pushed back the start of the 2007 audit until the week of Feb 11th.
- The Board made final changes to the 2008 proposed budget in preparation for the Feb 5th Budget Hearing.
New Business:
- The IRS business mileage rate changed for 2008. Sherry motioned to increase the Town's reimbursement rate to $.505 per mile, 2nd by Moscicki, so voted all.
- Clark met with DRA field monitor Ron Cote last week to discuss the 2007 equalization statistics. While the median ratio is still within acceptable guidelines, some of the other stats are not. It is Mr. Cote's recommendation that the Town do a statistical update in 2008 to bring the values back into line as this is the town's assessment review year. This would cost $23,000 and would not be a full list and measure of all properties, but only those sold since the 2005 revaluation. Assessor Phil Bodwell believes that the town should not be forced into another update until 2010 and recommends that the Selectmen contact someone higher up in the Dept of Revenue Property Appraisal Division for another opinion.
- Lisbon fire chief G. P. Houston and building inspector Stan Borkowski met with the architects and engineers involved with the Ogontz Hall project on Jan 11th to review fire safety and life safety issues as the building progresses.
Sherry motioned to adjourn the meeting at 8:30 pm, 2nd by Trudell, so voted all.
The next regular meeting is scheduled for Monday, Feb 4th, at 6:00 pm.
The 2008 Annual Budget Hearing will be held Tuesday, Feb 5th, at 7:00 pm.
