Selectmen's Minutes
January 18, 2010
Present: Jim Trudell, Elaine Sherry, Steve Moscicki, Donna Clark, Celine Presby
Other Attendees: Lisa Linowes
6:05 pm Chairman Trudell called the meeting to order.
Manifests & Invoices:
The manifest for Jan 18th 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 $58,332.44 in the WGSB checking account, $179,231.87 in the NHPDIP fund, and $6,294.51 in the Laconia Bank savings account. Moscicki motioned to approve the Treasurer's report as written, 2nd by Sherry, so voted all.
- Treasurer Presby provided tentative amortization schedules from WGSB for the proposed land purchase financing.
Committee Reports & Needs:
The Board reviewed Tax Collector Carol Messner's Report of Unpaid Taxes as of Dec 31, 2009.
Meeting Minutes:
Minutes for Jan 11th were reviewed. Moscicki motioned to approve the minutes as written, 2nd by Trudell, so voted all.
Correspondence:
- Legislative Bulletin #4 and 2010 LGC Program Calendars were distributed to the Board.
- The Jan 2010 Municipal EcoLink newsletter and Ray Burton's Executive Council Report #1 were reviewed.
- North Country Council is hosting an Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant informational meeting Jan 20th at 6:00 pm. NCC also sent minutes from the Dec 16th Transportation Advisory Committee meeting and a notice for the Feb 17th TAC meeting.
- A copy of a letter from Sellers & Co Architects to John Dawson, the new project manager on the Ogontz Hall project, was read.
- The Way Home, a company funded through the NH Housing Finance Authority Lead Based Paint Hazard Control Program, is offering informational workshops on lead poisoning prevention.
- The Lincoln-Woodstock Chamber of Commerce announced their first NH Maple Festival Mar 26th - 28th.
Old Business:
- The Board will meet with Lisbon and Landaff Selectmen on Jan 25th at 6:00 pm to discuss the 2010 fire support and recycling agreements. Lyman's Selectmen's meeting will be held from 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm to address regular business, then move to Lisbon for the joint meeting.
- Emergency Management Director Sherry received the final copies of Lyman's Emergency Operations Plan 2009. Signatures from all individuals involved in the plan are required before it is adopted by the Selectmen and distributed.
- Trudell, who is also a School Board member, explained that the school made an error in the number of Lyman students attending Lisbon Regional School in 2009-2010 which resulted in Lyman paying approximately $41,000 less in school tax than it should have in 2009. The correct student count will be used in the formula going forward which will mean a significant increase in the 2010 school tax rate.
- Clark advised the Board that the Town has incorrectly been allowing voters to vote on articles at the Budget Hearing for many years. Per RSA 32:5 and Town Counsel, the purpose of the Budget Hearing is to disclose and discuss all purposes and amounts of appropriations to be included in the budget and warrant articles. No one from the public gets to vote at the hearing on whether certain items should go in the budget or the amount of each budget item. That decision rests solely with the Selectmen, who are required to finalize the budget after the hearing, but who should consider all input received at the public hearing in making their decision. The same applies to the upcoming Bond Hearing.
- The Selectmen continued work on the 2010 budget and warrant articles.
- Lisa Linowes met with the Board to finalize the information that will be presented at the Jan 19th Land Purchase Information Meeting.
Guest:
Andrea Fitzgerald, President of the Lisbon Area Historical Society presented the Selectmen with information on the three painted curtains located in the Lyman Grange Hall. Mrs. Fitzgerald had worked on a project to preserve a painted curtain in Landaff with Chris Hadsel, Director of Curtains Without Borders, who is currently working on an inventory of painted curtains in NH. Back in the fall, Andrea, Chris, Carol Messner and Donna Clark viewed Lyman's curtains, which were still hanging and in jeopardy of being ruined, and rolled up each curtain to keep them from deteriorating further. The Lisbon Area Historical Society is asking the Town of Lyman to donate the curtain that advertises 20 Lisbon businesses to them so they can apply for a grant to have this historically significant curtain conserved and properly stored away until its future safe display. The Board was in favor of granting this request, as long as the Town of Lyman could borrow the painted curtain back from time to time to display at the Town Hall. The Selectmen will prepare a warrant article asking the voters if they will allow this curtain to be donated for the purpose of preservation and safe-keeping.
New Business:
- Representatives from Plodzik & Sanderson will conduct the onsite portion of the 2009 annual audit Feb 15th and 16th.
- Clark responded to a property owner's request for information about his assessment and sent an abatement application.
Trudell motioned to adjourn the meeting at 7:50 pm, 2nd by Sherry, so voted all.
The next regular meeting is scheduled for Monday, Jan 25th, at 4:30 pm.
