SelectBoard Minutes - July 8, 2008



Selectboard Meeting Minutes
July 8, 2008

The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m.
Present: Marc McKee, Vern Stone, Sydney Veysey
Bob Hodge, Naomi LaBarr
Guests: Dana Baltz, Debra Kingsbury, Sue & Bob Eastman, Steve Ward

The following highway business was discussed:
a.. Bob noted that the tractor has been ordered and the first payment will be needed for pick-up. b.. No word has been received on the Eagle Hollow Rd. Class 2 grant application yet. c.. The shed roof should be "do-able" for not much money with some donated materials. d.. Sand bids are due next week.
Sue and Bob spoke about the food baskets that they have been putting together for the holidays to help the elderly and needy in town. They requested $200 to $400 from the town to help with the food purchases this year. Town meeting requests, donation boxes at the town office, the town newsletter, and the food bank were discussed. The Selectboard would like to help out, but did not commit to an appropriation at this time.

The Selectboard thanked Bev Hill for coordinating Vershire Day this year. They also thanked the Vershire Fire & Rescue for putting on the chicken barbeque and helping on the fireworks. All agreed that it was an enjoyable day.

Steve noted that he will move the recycling dumpsters back to the Town Center on Thursday night. He will look into having Vershire Fire & Rescue wash the Town Center parking lot.

Steve noted that he had people willing to volunteer to clear out and clean up the banks at the Town Center. He will get a list of people to the Selectboard. Setting a community day to help with the project was discussed.

Problems with the backhoe were discussed.

The loss control suggestions were reviewed for the town garage.
General policy of grading Class 3 and Class 4 roads was reviewed.

The Selectboard received a request from Pamela Mainville to keep senior lunch at the Town Center. The Selectboard approved the request.

The Selectboard received notes from John Roy about the ECFiberNet project, and items the town must produce for financial disclosure.

Marc reported that he had done the initial walk-through before the summer camp with Kathy Young and noted that there was a little hole by the kickboard in the wall by the bathroom, the towel rack was shaky, and he will replace the missing battery in the smoke alarm. The Town Center windows were discussed. VerShare will be asked to keep the windows closed for safety reasons.

The Selectboard entered executive session at 7:50 to 8:12 p.m. to conduct a job interview; Naomi was asked to join in. The Selectboard appointed Dana Baltz to the positions of Selectboard Secretary and Administrative Assistant to the Selectboard. The pay rate was set at $11.00/hour for the secretary position, and $12.75 for the Administrative Assistant position. Naomi will help out during the transition. Naomi noted that it has been a pleasure to work with the Selectboards over the past 12 years and that at this time she would like more time to focus on the Town Clerk/Treasurer and Collector of Delinquent Tax positions.

Naomi noted that the non-residential education tax rate was set by the state at $1.6340 per hundred dollars of assessed valuation, and the homestead (residential) rate was set at $1.6680 per hundred dollars of assessed valuation.

The following information was reviewed for setting the municipal tax rate:

2008 Municipal Tax Rate Worksheet
Appropriations:
Article 8. Capital Equip. Fund 20,000
Article 10. Service organizations 5,302
Article 15. Highway Fund 323,010
Article 16. General Fund 284,412
Article 17. V F & R 29,870
Total appropriations $662,594

Anticipated Income
Hold harmless (current use) 84,445
General Fund income 21,600
Highway Fund income 50,000
Total anticipated income $ 156,045

Appropriations 662,594
Minus anticipated income - 156,045
Equals funds to be raised $506,549

Divided by grand list � 627,189.40

Municipal tax rate per hundred = $0.8077

Local exemption tax (veteran's exemption voted in 2007):
120,000 � 100 x 1.6680 (homestead education tax rate) = $2001.60 (foregone education taxes due to local veteran's exemption vote; i.e. this is the amount of taxes that need to be "made up" and sent to state for lost education tax revenue); $2001.60 � 627189.40 = $0.0032


The Selectboard voted to set the municipal tax rate at $0.8077 per hundred dollars of assessed value, and the local agreement rate at $0.0032 per hundred dollars of assessed value.

It was noted that no one has applied for the open recycling position yet.

Syd made a motion to sign the orders and approve the minutes from June 10 and 24, 2008.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:50 p.m.