SelectBoard Minutes - January 20, 2009



SELECTBOARD BUDGET MEETING
JANUARY 20, 2009

Present: Vern Stone, Marc McKee, John Lapierre, Dana Baltz
Guests: Gene Craft, Debra Kingsbury, Rita French, Bob Hodge Mary Martin, Wendall Farrar

The meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm.

Marc McKee attended a meeting with the town's lawyer, Paul Gillies, and Mangala Shri Bhuti (MSB) at Paul Gillies office in Montpelier. Vershire offered 1% as an acceptable annual donation. But MSB refused. Marc will write to MSB's directors in the next 2 weeks.

Marc visited Cody Chevrolet. They are willing to discuss a $7,500 credit toward a truck purchase.

Marc went to Towne and Country Real Estate to discuss the Ricker Property. Marc suggested the town write up an offer subject to the town's approval at the town meeting of $51,200 which is the present town assessed value. Debra will write up a real estate contract for the Selectboard to review and execute.

Bob Hodge asked if he should contact Cody Chevrolet and discuss the revised price. Bob will report back to the Selectboard next meeting.

Mary Martin expressed concern about the audit. She felt it shouldn't take as long to update the books as the auditor says. She said Quick Books can handle fund accounting.

Rita asked what the starting salary would be for the town clerk. There was a discussion about who does the town report. It has been done by the clerk/treasurer in the past. Separating the clerk/treasurer job into two positions was discussed. The job has been combined for many years at least. If 2 jobs are created, the total pay will stay the same with the clerk getting 60% and the treasurer 40%. Rita asked if the treasurer will set his/her own hours as the clerk has set her own hours in the past.

Then the Selectboard began determining the budget numbers as follows:

ITEMS STAYING THE SAME
Calcium chloride, culvert labor, culvert purchase, culvert thawing, ditching, gasoline, general maintenance, grader, grading, trucking purchased, guard rails, holiday pay, lubricants, parts and supplies, plows, rentals, sick leave, truck 2 and vacation, administrative asst, animal control, advertising, assistant clerk, conservation commission, there is no constable, so no money was budgeted this year, copier, development office, health officers, newsletter, retirement, selectboard, selectboard secretary, solid waste, telecommunications, town reports, Vershire Day, and office maintenance.

CATEGORIES WHO'S AMOUNTS CHANGED
Asphalt patching - decreased to $2,000 from $4,000
Brush removal - increased to $3,000 from $1,000. Bob said there was a lot of work to be done in this area.
Computer expenses - $2,000 new category to cover the cost of a new computer for the listers.
Mowing - increased to $35,000 from $11,000 to include the payment on the mower.
Other equipment - increased to $1,000 from $800 because of a need for welding wire and chain saws.
Paving - decreased to $25,000 from $38,000.
Plowing - sanding increased to $30,000 from $26,000 due to increased sand costs.
Salt - increased to $18,000 from $16,000 due to increased salt costs.
Sand - increased to $36,000 from $33,500 due to increased sand costs.
The 'Special Projects' category will be changed to 'Matching Grant Fund' for next year.
Truck 1 - decreased to $2,000 from $4,000.
Truck 3 - increased to $5,000 from $4,000 as it needs chains and bed chains. The warranty runs out in June 2009.
Uniforms - decreased to $3,000 from $4,500. There is a possibility the town will end its contract with Unifirst when the contract ends.
York rake - decreased to $600 from $1,300 as new teeth for the rake weren't purchased.
There was a discussion about the backhoe/loader. A joy stick is more comfortable, but not necessary. A 5 year bumper to bumper warranty is $11,000. Bob says the town uses the backhoe for 'everything'.
Loader/backhoe maintenance - $2,500
Geotextile - increased to $5,000 from $1,500 as several roads need this material to make them passable during mud season.
Gravel road improvement - increased to $25,000 from $20,000 as several roads need a lot of work.
Deducted $40,000 for State Highway Aid. This is an estimate.
'Unbudgeted Expenses' will be changed to 'Other Expenses' next year.
The Cemetery Fund was discussed. Gary Goodrich will be asked about the stocks held for that fund.

End of minutes.

Comment from Naomi.... I did not attend this meeting, but thought I should point out that town auditors were the ones that did the town report in the past. When the town voted to use professional auditors, the duty fell to the selectboard. I put the town report together for 2007 as the Administrative Assistant to the Selectboard. The Selectboard did not have anyone "volunteer" so they asked me to put it together again for 2008. Hopefully, the position of AA will be filled and ready to do the town report for 2009.