This week at the meeting there were some six to eight residents at the meeting and much discussion on issues. It was good to see the involvement and discussion that occurred particularly after the selectman’s evening agenda was completed. Official attendees were Jason Cole, Jane Gerrish, Robert Frizzell, Judy Churchard, Laura Bragg and Sue Collins.
The meeting tonight during regular session covered many areas…without trying to write a book I can try to give you highlights.
- A Trust Fund was found during the Town Hall move that showed some 15k available in annual interest left for services for the elderly and poor of our town. A visiting nurses company from away is pressing for these funds stating they do health clinics at the fire house. It is unclear what this group really is doing and who of our elderly and poor are participating. The selectmen are having council look into the situation and determine exactly what is what. If hearing aids – eye glasses and the like are available to our people then we want to be sure they receive them and get the care available.
- Rodent Problem at the Old Town Hall – One of the back rooms of the old town hall is having trouble with squirrels and bats. The holes in the building are being repaired and the room closed until the bat guano can be cleaned. Room is being closed off temporarily.
- Liability is being checked on the town providing electric heaters to people in need this winter.
- Tax abatement’s were reviewed and signed.
- FEMA will be here this week to review work.
- Public auction for foreclosures likely will be in spring, tentative target is March.
- A resident spoke regarding confusion on a discontinued road and it’s maintenance and upkeep. It would appear the town needs to review the discontinue the road law.
- Selectmen Churchard is starting / has started a” Comprehensive Plan” committee for proposal and vote next year. contact her here
After the standard agenda…
Chris Gilpatrick came forward with a binder of the budget workbook from the last budget session and asked who put this binder together? In summary and round figures the information he had shared showed ten million of revenue coming into the town, with six million in expenses leaving a four million surplus. “How can this be he asked? This is the approved budget, but then we (the town) needed to raise taxes?”
It was explained that what has been occurring is the town treasurer was using an unfamiliar accounting package and basically made some mistakes with the system. Ever make a mistake? Bet you have, it happens to me…. anyway the numbers and methods used for the budget were invalid. This resulted in some training for the treasurer and things getting worked out. Selectmen Churchard assured everyone at the meeting everything has being corrected.
It must be extremely frustrating to participate in a budget committee, meeting on you’re own time, haggling on who needs what, only to have it all be invalid, unused and wasted.
I believe there must be accountability to the Budget. Budgets by department need to be based on facts and best case projections for the coming year. Budgets are the spending plan and the plan that residents vote on and these monies must be controlled vigorously. One idea might be using a simple report that could be generated monthly showing the Budget Vs Actual expenditure year-to-date. Department heads could use this to manage their respective areas and the selectmen could incorporate a standing five minute review the first meeting of the month to be sure things are in check. If changes do arise handle them at the weekly meeting.
The Timber Project status was reviewed. Selectmen Frizzell shared scale slips which indicated what sounded like half loads reaching the mill, loads of around 8000 pounds, where a large truck typically holds 15,000. I may be way off on that figure, but discussion was indicating the scale slips could be light. The contract for the project showed that the town was being paid $4 per cord with an estimated harvest total value with pulp and chipping around $26,000. I’m not a logger but it appears that the cord price is a steal based upon the way Chris Gilpatrick spoke who was intimate with the logging trade and practices. Eastman the logger also had a few thousand held back for road improvements to access the area. According to some the road improvement wasn’t much more than cutting back trees to get the trucks and equipment through. So in effect the net price per cord paid by Eastman would look to be even less than $4.
It was learned the forester named Timber Resource Group, has been used by the town before and was the selector of the logging company, and the selectmen not knowing the logging business assumed $4 per cord in February of 2008 (when the contract was signed) was the standard and customary price. Based upon discussion by those in attendance, it would appear the logger is getting a deal.
I am sure I missed something because things were happening quite fast. It will be good when we can have the official minutes available via the town website. The best thing of course is for you to come to the meetings and participate and get information first hand.