Minutes of Budget Committee (BC) meeting 11 December 2007, Tuftonboro Town Office

Chairman Wood called the meeting to order at 6:02 pm and a quorum was declared.

Attendance: Black (arrived 6:30), Cook, Eaton, Ewing, Theve, Wood.

BOS: Duffy, Stockman, Weeks

Others: Forrester, Kowalski, Pounder

Public: 3

Wood made opening remarks as the BC Chairman and set an agenda.

The minutes of the BC meeting of 04 December 2007 were reviewed and corrected. A motion was made by Weeks to accept the minutes as corrected. Passed 6-0.

Old business:

Wood opened discussion of the Solid Waste Budget #4324.

Weeks – The employees get a COLA adjustment and Scott will also get a step increase. The budget includes funding for more part-time hours for recycling assistant. MSW Disposal and Electronics disposal costs are increased. Cook – Inquired about the recycling awareness program. Kowalski - There are plans to have more signage to encourage recycling. Cook – Pay as you throw is an issue the Town should address. Wood – What income is derived from recycling? Kowalski – The Town receives about $20,000 in credits used for disposal expenses. There was a general discussion about recycling cost, pay as you throw and mandatory versus voluntary recycling.

Eaton - Moved to approve the Solid Waste Budget #4324 in the amount of $315,069.29

Week - Second. The vote was called. Vote7-0 for the motion, the motion passed.

Wood opened discussion of the Conservation Budget #4612.

Weeks – Recapped last week’s discussion. Should environmental study of 19 Mile Brook be in the budget versus a warrant article? Cook – The environmental study should be removed from the budget and presented to the Town as a Warrant article. There was a general discussion of this issue. Weeks – Indicated that the State is responsible for any environmental impact on 19 Mile Brook as Wolfeboro is abiding by the rules set by the State.

Cook - Moved to approve the Conservation Budget #4612 in the amount of $7,300.

Theve - Second. The vote was called. Vote 3-4 for the motion, the motion failed.

Eaton - Moved to approve the Conservation Budget #4612 in the amount of $36,300.

Weeks - Second. The vote was called. Vote 4-3 for the motion, the motion passed.

New business:

Wood opened discussion of the Police Department Budget #4210.

Weeks – The budget is increased to cover increases in officers salaries, uniforms, new flack jackets, new pistols and conference & training. It also has an increase for hiring one new officer. There was a general discussion with Chief Shagoury about the cost of hiring and training a new officer, officers salaries and department expenses. Chief Shagoury also explained the need for new body armor for officers and the need for flack jackets. Theve – Inquired about the purchase of new larger caliber pistols. Chief Shagoury – Pistols have an average life of about 9 years and the most of the departments pistols are that old. They get worn from the number of training rounds fired each year. The change in caliber will make it easier to buy the necessary ammunition and give officers a better weapon to carry.

Cook - Moved to approve the Police Department Budget #4210 in the amount of $ 291,942.

Black -Second. The vote was called. Vote 7-0 for the motion, the motion passed.

Wood opened discussion of the Highways & Streets Budget #4312.

Weeks – The road agent asked for a 10% increase for road maintenance and construction due to cost of fuel and increase in labor. BOS reclassified a portion of County Road from Prospect Hill to Sodom Road as a seasonal road and remove improvements to that road from the budget and will offer a warrant article to improve it. The changes in the budget were discussed by the BC. Wood – The road agent has a good record of coming in under budget. Cook – Questioned the need for road striping on the side of certain roads.

Ewing - Moved to approve the Highways & Streets Budget #4312 in the amount of $362,425.

Black - Second . The vote was called. Vote 6-1 for the motion, the motion passed.

Wood opened discussion of the Emergency Management Budget #4290.

Weeks – The BOS recommended removing the purchase of a new water tank for the forestry truck from the approved budget.

Ewing - Moved to approve the Emergency Management Budget #4290 in the amount of $ 12,500.

Weeks - Second. The vote was called. Vote 7-0 for the motion, the motion passed.

Wood opened discussion of a request for the Town to budget scholarship fund.

Weeks – The BOS disapproved the request to budget $5,000 for a scholarship fund.

Ewing - Moved to disapprove the request for the Town to budget scholarship fund.

Weeks - Second. The vote was called. Vote 5-1-1 for the motion, the motion passed.

Wood - Any further discussion or public comments. There was none.

The next BC meeting was called for 18 December 2007 at 6pm.

Ewing - Move to adjourn the meeting. The BC meeting was adjourned 7:50 PM.

Joe W. Ewing, Secretary

Budget Committee