BC20120924

APPROVED

TOWN OF PELHAM

BUDGET COMM= ITTEE - MEETING MINUTES

Monday, Sep= tember 24, 2012

APPROVED – = October 4, 2012

CALL TO ORDER – approximately 7:30pm

PRESENT:

Mr. Larry Hall, Mr. Daniel Guimond, M= r. Bob Sherman, Mr. David Cate,

Ms. Daryle Hillsgrove, Mr. Greg Smith= , Mr. Dave Cronin, Mr. Ken Dunne, Selectmen

Representative Doug Viger,

ABSENT:

Mr. Greg Farris, School Board Representative Megan Larson

Also Present: Planning Director Jeff Gowan, Town Administrator Tom Gaydos, Finance Director Cindy =

Kelley

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

MINUTES REVIEW<= /p>

September 13, 2012

MOTION:

(Sherman/Guimo= nd)To approve the September 13, 2012 meeting minutes as amended.

VOTE:

(9-0-0) The motion carried.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

September 17, 2012

MOTION:

(Guimond/Sherm= an)To approve the September 17, 2012 meeting minutes as written.

VOTE:

(9-0-0) The motion carried.

2013 TOWN BUDGET REVIEW=

The Budget Committee then reviewed the proposed 2013 budget requests for the following departments:

Planning Department: Planning Dir= ector Jeff Gowan forward and provided an overview of the department’s responsibilities and the services provided. Currently they were advertising for a Code Enforcement Officer. He explained that the person hired for the position was offered a full-time position with benefits elsewhere. The ad for the position was re-run; applicants will go through an interview process shortly.

Mr. Sherman asked how the CIP Recording Secretary salary was calculated. Mr. Gowan explained the CIP met on an abbreviated process, but the process would be continuing; the figure in the budget was an estimate. In speakin= g with the CIP Chair, the committee would meet once/twice per month to get the document running. The goal was to = have a complete CIP submitted to the Selectmen and Budget Committee earlier than t= hey did the past year.

Mr. Gowan told the Board that the budget predicted a new code enforcement vehic= le, therefore lines for gasoline and repairs were reduced. The new vehicle was expected to get bet= ter gasoline mileage than the present vehicle (12-14mpg). He said if the vehicle didn’t stay in t= he budget those lines would need to be adjusted. Mr. Gowan discussed the proposed new vehicle 3yr. lease noting it ha= d a $1 purchase at the end.

Mr. Sherman asked if there was a maximum amount of miles that could be put on t= he car per year. Mr. Gowan believed t= hey could put approximately seven thousand miles, but he didn’t expect to put t= hat amount.

Mr. Cate asked for the approximate savings from the existing vehicle to the new vehicle. Mr. Gowan said the repair= costs were unknown for the existing car. He believed the leased vehicle would have the pay back in the fourth and fifth year given the low mileage. He exp= ected to use the vehicle for 10-12 years. The vehicle would be used by the Code Officer; Mr. Gowan would use the vehicle to attend conferences if it didn’t conflict with the Code Officer’s use.

Mr. Dunne asked if the Selectmen agreed to put the proposed vehicle in the budget. Mr. Viger replied the vehi= cle wouldn’t have been shown in the budget if the Selectmen didn’t approve it.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> There was a tentative agreement and loc= ked in purchase price should the Town move forward with the purchase. Mr. Sherman commented historically, the Board had taken the position that a= ny new vehicle (as opposed to a replacement vehicle) should go before the voters first. He said in this case there = was some debate since the department had always had a used vehicle. Mr. Gowan replied if the Board removed = the vehicle, the budget would be adjusted accordingly.

Under Expenses, Mr. Gowan noted there was an increase in MuniSmart based on the number of modules the department used. He then explained the services provided by the Nashua Regional Plann= ing Commission. They provide all of the Town’s mapping and GPS. They assis= t in planning projects for the Town and with the Town together with other communities. Mr. Gowan discussed t= he increase to the Engineering Consulting Fee to Keach Nordstrom. Most of the time consulting fees are pa= id by applicants, but occasionally the Town is involved in a project that requires review.

Mr. Guimond asked how much the engineers had been paid in the past. Mr. Gowan believed in the past costs we= re taken out of the Selectmen’s budget; he believed on occasion he may have pa= id $600-$700 getting the money from another line item. Mr. Guimond asked that the payment hist= ory be provided to the Board. Mr. Dunne a= sked if the proposed amount was in addition the oversight amount discussed by Mr. Gaydos for overseeing Town buildings, such as the new fire station. Mr. Gowan said that fee was separate fr= om the budget request he proposed.

Mr. Cronin asked for further explanation of the MuniSmart system. Mr. Gowan explained that much of the To= wn Hall ran on the MuniSmart system which allowed for an electronic interface between departments. He discussed = the functions used by his department and the benefits of the reports generated.

Mr. Sherman wanted to know if the sewer line could be extended from Dracut, MA = up Route 38 into Pelham or if there were any potential projects planned for the route. Mr. Gowan stated that Dracu= t’s pipes weren’t sized to hook up to another community, nor was there any extra capacity where the sewage was sent. He said they reviewed Salem’s capacity, but they hooked up through Lawrence, MA. He said there wasn’t an obvious place that had capacity or the infrastructure to handle the sewage going up= and down Route 38. He said that type o= f plan would be most likely to happen when a major company came to Town. He said there would be many changes if a large company moved to Town including traffic patterns. Mr. Sherman said there was a possibilit= y for gambling to come into the area (Salem) and wanted to know if plans were bei= ng developed in the event that happened. Mr. Gowan said there were no specific plans, but if gaming happened = in Salem, the traffic count in Pelham would increase. He discussed the role the Economic Development Committee and how they outreach to new businesses interested in coming to Pelham. Also, by conduct= ing multi-Board review it sent the message that the Town was open to new business.

Mr. Sherman questioned if the Beaver Brook study would have a spill over in the Planning budget. Mr. Gowan said pl= anning would be involved. The RFQ will eventually result in proposals from companies to do the flood study. He didn’t know if the study would have economic development outcome since it dealt with the causes of flooding (ma= inly Beaver Brook) to residents and businesses. Any information learned will be used to build on for planning purpos= es.

Mr. Gowan discussed the important roles of the CIP and Master Plan for the Plan= ning Board, Zoning and the Town. The Na= shua Regional Planning Commission will assist with those plans. The Impact Fee review will be done by a= nother individual, Mark Fougere who assisted the Town with the fee structure in the past.

Mr. Dunne asked how often the Master Plan should be updated. Mr. Gowan referenc= ed the Statutes, which indicates it should be done every five to ten years. The Statutes don’t give a specific time= that updates must be done. It was noted= that the current Master Plan was approximately 12 years old.

Mr. Guimond asked if the requested funds for the Plan NH, Town Center Charrette were related to the roundabout project. <= /span>Mr. Gowan pointed out that the Selectmen didn’t support the funding for the Charrette. A design Charrette is w= hen professionals come in and set up a community outreach event; this serves as= an informative piece for the Master Plan and was done during the last update process. The program listed in the budget was aimed at town centers. = Mr. Guimond wanted to know why the Selectmen didn’t support the request. Mr. Viger believed the Selectmen felt t= here were a lot of things going on during the next year with the fire station and the roundabouts. They would possib= ly look at the request in the upcoming year.

Ms. Hillsgrove asked if Plan NH was a non-profit organization. Mr. Gowan said Plan NH was a non-profit organization made up of professionals, engineers and people focused on plan= ning. Ms. Hillsgrove stated she participated = in the Envision Pelham process and questioned if Antioch and UNH were not performi= ng that function. Mr. Gowan said UNH = may still be involved, but Antioch had their own planning facilitators. Mr. Gowan said the Economic Development Committee may do the outreach the next time around.

Mr. Hall questioned if any impact fees were being collected at present. Mr. Gowan said the only two current imp= act fees still being collected were for the fire station and for senior recreation. He mentioned that the building permits for single-family homes had doubled from last year (up fro= m 9 permits to 20) and expected several more before the season closed. He will e-mail information to the Board= .

Mr. Dunne asked if there were any developments regarding the legal action invol= ving impact fees and the fire station. = Mr. Gowan was not at liberty to comment and directed questions to the Town Administrator or the Selectmen.

Mr. Sherman questioned if the longevity was contractual. Mr. Gowan said it was out with the exis= ting contracts.

Mr. Smith asked if it was more cost effective to have a vehicle for the code inspections/Planning Department versus reimbursing someone for mileage. Mr. Gowan discussed the way the departm= ent was set up with the inspectors, who didn’t keep typical hours. The inspectors each were working professionals. Mr. Smith was tryin= g to understand the need for a new vehicle, and asked if mileage reimbursement w= ould be an option. Mr. Gowan explained = that the code official position was hard to fill as is, without trying to find someo= ne that would use their own vehicle. = He said the position had no benefits, worked 20 hours per week and was not a competitive position. During the l= ast interview process, people were not willing to use their own vehicle. Ms. Hillsgrove asked how many miles wou= ld be put on the proposed vehicle each year. Mr. Gowan said the current vehicle was being driven approximately 7,000-8,000 miles each year. He no= ted they kept a driving log so they could accurately determine associated costs= for the vehicle.

Transfer Station – Mr. Gaydos pre= sented the proposed budget. He started by explaining how the facility operated and the benefits of recycling. He noted that the revenues were highly dependent on what was received for metals and provided figures from the past few years. In 2012 a decision was = made (by the former Director) to go with a company that was market based taking = the revenues and applying it against the expenses; the estimated expenses was on target, but the revenue was very under target. Currently the metals market = had gone through the floor. Mr. Gaydos= said they were now trying to have a more transparent picture of expenses and revenues.

The Salary line for the Superintendent will remain as proposed. If needed, that line will be adjusted at reconsideration.

Mr. Gaydos noted that safety equipment was increased; items will be reviewed to ensure they are up to date. Back up information was included with proposed budget information. Employees will receive training and wor= k with the Fire Department to maintain their Operator’s Certification. It was noted that the gasoline price wo= uld be set in November.

Mr. Gaydos discussed the remainder of the budget. He summarized the items in Expenses. He noted that they were no longer in the demolition debris business,= but the line is staying open with $1 placeholder in the event there is severe flooding and the facility needed to accept debris from residents.

Mr. Sherman asked for an explanation of the hauling process being used. Mr. Gaydos said originally when handling metals it was believed that using Schnitzer would be the best solution; and= at that time revenues increased. A de= cision was later made to move the metals to the company handling the Town’s single stream. They were giving the Town a rebate on the cost and the same revenue numbers weren’t being seen. Now, a decision has been made to go bac= k to using Schnitzer.

Mr. Dunne questioned if the Town had a contract with Schnitzer to use them for a certain amount of time. Mr. Gaydos= said the Town didn’t have a contract because the prices varied (being a market price), but in working with Schnitzer it eliminated the ’middle man’. Mr. Dunne saw a rental fee for a trailer and wanted to know if it would be bett= er to keep renting it, or to buy a trailer outright. Mr. Gaydos said with a trailer’s use and wear, it was better not to own it. Mr. Hall noted that the line showed a $1200 decrease, the rental cost was $50/month.

Ms. Hillsgrove asked if the single stream costs were being reviewed to see if t= he Town could get competitive prices. Mr. Gaydos said they were having negotiations to see if they could do better th= an the current number or improve the expenses of the department.

Town Buildings – Mr. Gaydos revie= wed the budget. He noted if specific departments wanted to make changes (specific to them), they were expected t= o be able to budget those changes within their department budget. General repairs, rewiring etc. was paid= from the Town Building budget. The Town= has subcontracted as much as they could for cleaning and repair. It was not found to be feasible to hire someone and pay benefits because the Town has 24hr. coverage with subcontractors. At times the Town = hires a part time person for maintenance, so the salary line contains $1 placeholder. Mr. Gaydos spoke the contract with CCS and noted that supplies were purchased through that contr= act, with the exception of those supplies purchased from Park & Recreation.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> He said the Town couldn’t hire a full t= ime person for the money paid to the cleaning company. He said they did routine cleaning durin= g the night and remained on-call for any emergencies that come up. He stated the cost of the service provi= ded to the Town was extremely reasonable for the work being done and at times didn= ’t charge the Town.

There was an increase in Utilities-Electricity in anticipation that the new compa= ny will increase charges for poles and wires and there will be an increase in = the electricity for the fire station. = A new contract will need to be done with the new company.

Mr. Gaydos discussed the repairs that were conducted and those that would be conducted. Mr. Hall asked what was serviced by Pennichuck Water. Mr. = Gaydos replied the Police Station and Library were serviced by Pennichuck Water and the new Fire Station would be. The Village Green was not serviced by Pennichuck and the irrigation for the new Fire Station and roundabouts also would not be.

Mr. Dunne asked if the water damage to the Town Hall Annex was being covered by insurance. Mr. Gaydos said he woul= d try to get some insurance, but the current question was how much of the roof ne= eded to be redone and what the costs would be. He will try to get the roof done = this year and believed the interior may be done through donations of those invol= ved with CERT.

There was a discussion about the Transfer Station building. Mr. Gaydos indicated the corrective mea= sures that could be taken until the building (skin) was redone in another year. He believed the pumps could be fixed th= is year.

Mr. Gaydos discussed the status of the existing telephone system, which was purchased used twenty-seven years ago. He discussed the benefits of the new system, which would have the ab= ility to be upgraded.

Mr. Guimond understood that certain equipment would be moved from the existing = Fire Station to the new Fire Station and questioned if the cost of such was incl= uded in the price of the new station. M= r. Gaydos answered yes. He said they = would be hiring a rigging company to move the compressor; the pad to accommodate = it is presently being built.

Mr. Hall asked what was happening to the generator at the Fire Station. Mr. Gaydos said he had considered sendi= ng it to the Senior Center, although it wasn’t certain that it was big enough to handle the entire building. He bel= ieved it would be useful for them.

Mr. Sherman questioned what water source would be used for the roundabouts. Mr. Gaydos stated the roundabout by the= Town Hall would receive water from the present well located by the new Fire Station. There is planned to be a = large green area at the location of the existing station, which would have a well located on it. Conduit will be run= when the roundabout is being built, so piping can be installed at a later time.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Mr. Sherman wanted to know what would h= appen to the (Butler) monument currently in the Town Center. Mr. Gaydos said the monument wouldn’t be affected.

Mr. Dunne said he had been asked the purpose of knocking down the existing Fire Station versus saving it for another purpose, such as an SAU (school) building. Mr. Gaydos replied that = the building was full of asbestos and mold; it wouldn’t be cost effective to gut the building out and put a new roof on the building.

Mr. Gaydos told the Board that the price for the propane and heating fuel had b= een fixed.

Mr. Smith confirmed that the cost for the new telephone system would be a one-t= ime purchase. Mr. Gaydos answered yes.= Presently it was narrowed down to two manufacturers and would go out to bid. It was Selectmen Haverty’s project to oversee and make recommendatio= ns to the other Selectmen, given his technical knowledge in that area.

ADJOURNMENT

MOTION:

(Sherman/Guimo= nd)To adjourn the meeting.

VOTE:

(9-0-0) The motion carried.

The meeting was adjourned at approximately9:15 pm.

= Respectfully submitted,

= Charity A. Landry

= Recording Secretary