Allenstown Budget Committee

Minutes – 11/07/2002

Members Present: David Eaton, Jennifer Morin, Ben Fontaine, Carol Angowski, Tom Irsyk, Gabby Daneault, Don Bergevin, Henriette Girard, Karen Gendreau, Gene Vallee, Mona McCready, Robin McAfee and Carol Merrill

Excused Absent: Colin Egan

Others Present: David Jodoin, Ed Cyr, and Jim Rodger

Dave Eaton called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m.

Dates for the Public Hearings were set. The Town Budget Public hearing is set for January 16, 2003 at 7:00 P.M. at the ARD gym. The School Budget Public Hearing is set for January 18, 2003 at 10:00 A.M. at the ARD gym.

The tape was not started so Karen Gendreau read the voting results that had taken place to this point.

Minutes from the last meeting – motion by Gene, seconded by Tom, the motion passed unanimously.

Patriotic Purposes – Untable the bottom, motion by Gene, seconded by Gabby, the motion passed unanimously.

Patriotic Purposes – Accept the bottom line of $2,800 – motion by Gene, seconded by Mona, the motion passed unanimously.

Town Clerk – Accept the bottom line of $46,722 – motion by Gene, seconded by Gabby, the motion passed with one no vote.

Elections and Registrations – Accept the bottom line of $6,621 – motion by Gene, seconded by Gabby, the motion passed with one abstaining vote.

Zoning – Accept the bottom line of $1,275 – motion by Gene, seconded by Mona, the motion passed unanimously.

Planning

Gene made a motion to accept the bottom line of $12,900, Mona seconded.

Jim Rodger then explained the major changes in the Planning budget. Jim stated that the Planning Board had asked Karen to present the budget. Karen stated that she will abstain from voting on this budget. Dave stated that for this discussion she has removed herself from the Budget Committee and is here as a representative of the Planning Board.

Secretary - $3,900 – this was calculated on having a secretary help Jim. Currently, Jim is the chairperson; he does everything from talking to the legal counsel to mailing out the notices. This number is 15 hours every two weeks at $10 per hour. This includes transcription of the minutes.

Legal - $1,500 – this is one of the lines that money comes in and out of this line. There were a lot more legal expense last year, so the amount was raised. Most of the expenses are reimbursed from the applicants.

Advertising - $200 – this is for posting the public notices in the newspaper.

Dues & Publications - $200 – no change.

Postage remained the same as last year at $600

Training went down to $300 – all of this money was not used last year, so we tried to make it more conservative.

Planning Consultant – down to $1,000 – There was a relatively new board last year so a lot more money was used last year on the consultant.

Computer Maintenance - $200

Planning Engineer - $5,000 – this is the engineer that reviews the plan.

Gene asked what the actual expenditure was for legal last year. David stated that it is currently $2,014. Karen stated that the reason they did not want to increase it is because the board is getting better at tracking the legal expenses and billing them.

Jim stated that in the past the legal line was automatically charged to the Town. Last year we did incur some expenses, this is definitely something different that is being done this year. Any legal expense that the Planning Board incurs is going to be charged to the Planning Board. Some of these expenses will be billed to the applicants.

Jim stated that some of $2,014 has been billed to applicants and these invoices are still outstanding. Carol A. asked if there is a good return on these invoices. David stated that so far the Town has taken in $17,000 so far.

Karen stated that the Planning Board has brought in this money for fees, and a big portion of that is for administrative duties, which Jim is performing. He feels that the secretary line is not enough money to be able to have someone come in a do everything that he is doing. He did not agree with this line. The Planning Board is really bringing in a lot more money than the budget, not that we just want to spend it.

Jim stated that for an example, the Planning Engineer line was budgeted at $5,000, and the sheet shows that so far $5,957 has been spent to far. But all this money will be paid back. Since we have budgeted $5,000 we will be charging the applicant, we may have a final figure where we may receive $12,000 for engineering costs. Although we may spend more than the $5,000, we will receive it all back. Jim’s question, that since some of these figures are not real, (the planning engineer should really be $10,000) because it is possible that we may pay out $10,000 in engineering but that $10,000 will be charged to the applicant.

Tom asked how this income is shown; David stated that it is offset as revenue on the Town’s budget. Jennifer stated that it would be good to have the offset in fees shown. Tom asked why they would have to budget more when they take in more. Jim stated, for example, although he is not 100% sure of the figures, that there is currently a project where the Planning Board has spent $5,500 just on engineering costs, but the applicant has already given us the $5,500. This money has already has been placed in escrow. We took the money from the escrow account and paid the engineering costs. There were extra problems with this project, so Jim called the applicant and told him that another $5,500 would have to be added to the escrow account due to extra review by the engineer.

Tom asked why we should have this money in the budget if the applicant is responsible for paying this fee? Karen stated that they are supposed to budget for any anticipated expenses. Jim stated that the project is on hold now until he receives confirmation on the extra $5,500. Once the money is in the escrow account, Jim will call the engineer and tell him to continue to review the plans.

But, it could cost less than the $5,500, if this happens the money is returned to the applicant with interest.

Gabby asked why the Board of Selectmen only recommended $5,000 and not the $12,900.

Carol A. stated that just like the Building Inspector, they show what is spent, what is received and the balance shows the expense but it also shows the income receives from fees etc. So maybe the Planning Board should do something similar, that would show what the expenses are and what the income that is received and by seeing both lines, the budget would make more sense. So it may be better to show both sides and it would be easier to see everything.

Jim stated that from January to October the Planning Board has taken in $17,746.50. The Planning Board is self-sufficient. Karen stated that this also happen on the Planning Board side, because they had not seen these numbers either, so we did not feel uncomfortable raising those lines. After we found out about all the numbers, we decided to let it be for now.

Robin asked how he knew that something else would not be coming up that will raise this amount more. Tom stated that this amount needs to be raised by taxes, it is a wash at the end, but at the beginning it must be raised by taxes.

Jim stated that as long as everyone understands what is happening because it looks bad on paper. Gabby stated that the Selectmen certainly don’t think so because they only recommended $5,000.

Ben stated that this discussion did not come up to the Selectmen. The Selectmen knew what there was a difference in only one line – the secretary. The Board of Selectmen went along with the recommendation of the majority of the Planning Board and they are the numbers that appear on here. The figures were discussed and agreed to, Ben stated that he is learning something tonight that he did not know.

Jim stated that he is bringing this up only because he is wondering if this follows through the same way as the secretary. The secretary line was budgeted at $1,200 and so far we have spent $810 to cover the minutes.

Dave asked about the special duties for the police officers, they budget approximately $1,000. You have to expend money to pay it, but you have money coming in so, therefore, it offsets. They only place $1,000 in the budget, does that cause problems with the bookkeeping? David stated that this is not done consistently between departments, you have to place in the budget the maximum of what you think will be spent. There is no way to know exactly what they will spend. When the invoices go out, the applicants are charged for administrative fees, legal fees, postage, etc.

This would be like the town clerk, who takes in $550,000 but he has a bottom line budget of $50,000 so does that mean he has a zero budget? Or does he have an actual budget showing the revenue on the other side.

Jim stated that on the Planning Consultant budget last year, there was $4,200, we depended on Central Planning quite a bit last year. Matt Welch was at almost all the meeting and this cost us money. No most of what Matt was doing, Jim has been trying to handle. According to this sheet we spend $480, part of this was also charged to the applicant.

The board then voted on the bottom Planning Board bottom line, the motion passed with 6 yes votes, 5 no votes and one abstaining vote.

Parks and Recreations

Gene made a motion to accept the bottom line of $27,520, Mona seconded. Karen presented the Parks and Recreation budget. Currently the Parks and Recreation department is working with the Boys and Girls Club to have them open up and run the Rec center full time. They would provide two people who would be there at all times. This would be very little cost to the Town. The major cost will be to maintain the building and some program supplies. These details will be discussed on November 14.

The summer program is for Renaissance and this will be the flat $6,000.

Program contracts – the budget also includes some things that were added in to help open up the Rec center if the Boys and Girls Club does not work out. We are also looking into contracting with college students to come down and work at the Rec center to work for $2 to $3 per hour through the federal work-study program. This would cost $1,500.

Building Repairs and Maintenance - $3,000.

Equipment Repairs and Maintenance - $2,000.

Program Supplies – a lot of these figures are recommendations from the Boys and Girls Club. They would have a better idea of the cost because they run programs full time. Therefore, I may not be able to explain all these figures.

Carol A. asked if the Equipment Repairs was a new line item? Karen stated that it is a new item, but it will cover everything from the skateboard park to the computer equipment.

Program Supplies - $1,200.

Office Supplies - $600

Advertising - $200 – this will include advertising if the Boys and Girls Club takes over running the center of if the Town will advertise their own programs.

Transportation - $2,500 – this is one that we will try to negotiate with the Boys and Girls Club, this is for the kids from Allenstown who want to go to any Boys and Girls Club and attend the functions. The Town needs to contribute a certain amount to the transportation. Also, it will be if they have a summer program and they go places. Carol A. asked if this is for a bus, or private car, Jim stated that it is probably for their own vans. Karen stated that a lot of this will be discussed on the 14^th.

Henriette asked why the Board did not wait until the 14^th to discuss this budget. Carol A. asked if it would be better to table this discussion until after this meeting and then when things are finalized present it.

Jim stated that it is not etched in stone with the Boys and Girls Club. There may still be other things that may still be up in the air.

Gene made a motion to table the Parks and Recreation budget, Carol A. seconded. The motion passed unanimously. Dave stated that this budget would be rescheduled in December.

Conservation

Tom made a motion to accept the bottom line of $503, Jennifer seconded. Gene asked if the department was active. Gabby stated that they met only once this year. Gene then asked what the expenditures were, David stated that it was for dues.

Gene made a motion to amend the line to $250, Mona seconded. It was decided that the committee must vote on the original motion before a new motion can be made.

The committee then voted on accepting the bottom line of $503, the motion passed with 7 yes and 6 no votes.

Regional Planning

Carol A. made a motion to accept $4,687, Ben seconded. Jennifer asked what this was for. David stated that it is for the Regional Planning Commission who help out the planning budget and it is for per capita dues which helps out with the master plan. This is always separate, but they help out the Planning Board. If you don’t get in it, you cannot get grant money which helps offset the cost of the master plan.

David stated that this budget is based on population, so every time the population increases, the rate goes up.

The committee then voted on the budget, the motion passed unanimously.

Government Building

Gene made a motion to open up the budget, Mona seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

Gene asked about the salary for the janitor, last year this line item was $6,240, and now they are asking $5,265. David stated that this is a new janitor and he has accepted $10 per hour. Last year the janitor was on a contract basis, and we asked to see proof of insurance and never did.

Dave stated that the Selectmen should be monitoring this issue, Gene stated that it is still a liability issue. Dave then asked if it was part of the budget, Gene stated that it was made part of the budget because the janitor was getting more than a regular janitor. Dave stated we do not need to discuss anything outside the budget line at the meeting.

Jennifer made a motion to accept the bottom line of $23,625, Tom seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

Dave asked if the Selectmen had seen the ambulance budget. David stated that they are coming in December and there may be a potential problem with Hooksett.

Treasurer

Mona made a motion to accept the bottom line of $3,206, Henriette seconded. David stated that the only change was in the treasurer’s salary, which will include a 2.5% salary increase effective July 1, 2003. Everything else is pretty much the same. The motion passed unanimously.

Payroll Processing

Gene made a motion to open up the budget for discussion, Mona seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

David explained that the payroll processing is an invoice to the Town. Currently the computer software programs are run by Business Management Computer and they had a problem with payroll so this was changed this to ADP. They now have an updated payroll package so that may allow us to bring the payroll back in-house. The Town is currently using the DOS version of the software and the company is stopping the support of the DOS version.

So we would like to upgrade what we can this year, along with the sewer department, and start converting next year the tax program, the entire accounting software. The only exception would be the Town Clerk since this software was upgraded last year.

This is the last year of the contract for the audit at $5,500 but there are new guidelines called GASBY 34, no one really knows the effect of these guidelines. It could increase the invoice from 10 to 50%. The City of Manchester is the test guinea pig. They want everything in Town to have a value from the roads, the entire infrastructures, sewer lines, water lines, vehicles, equipment, buildings – everything has to have a dollar value and must be depreciated.

Assessing Contract – currently the same as last year. We must go through the market value updates each year, there are a little over 200 parcels in Town or those 600+ are manufactured housing, which fluctuate currently. Because of the Statewide Property tax which was implemented, the equalization ratio must stay between 90 to 95%. Therefore, the $25,000 includes reviewing abatement requests, they will make a determination for the Selectmen which will ultimately approve or deny the abatements. This fee also includes the market value updates that are done at the end of the year and also includes the preparation of the State form. It does not include the cycle inspections.

Gene asked why the Assessing Clerk was getting such an increase. David stated that because of the updates that are going on right now, someone has to go out to measure any new home, any time someone files for an abatement, if a deck or a shed is added it must be measured, the company is charging us $45 a hour. If it is brought in house, then it can be done for $12 per hour instead which will drive this number down. Gene asked how much had been paid out this year. David stated that the Town is currently over in this line by approximately $7,000.

Gene asked how many hours the Assessing Clerk currently works, David stated it is 25 hours per week. She is currently making $12.04 per hour, and this would bring it to $12.34. Gene asked if this should be a 40-hour per week job. Gene asked if this salary includes benefits, David state no it did not. Gene asked if Ben felt this should be a full time position, yes with proper training she could do most of the fieldwork. She would need 80 hours total to become a certified assessor, currently a lot of her work is not getting done because she does not have enough time.

David stated that the savings will not be evident immediately. But in the long run we will save money. Ben stated that it maybe three year before she could do all the physical part of the assessing. Mona asked if the currently clerk wants to go through this training to become an assessor. Ben stated yes she wants to do this.

David stated that the Town now has two computers that can work on assessing information. Last year the software was only on one, and if the Assessor came to the Town Hall, the clerk could not work on it at the same time.

Gene made a motion to accept the bottom line of $62,642, Carol M. seconded. Karen asked how much the pay raise was, David stated it was .30 per hour, it will be a 2.5% increase as of January 1. The motion passed with one abstaining vote.

Executive

Carol A. made a motion to open the budget for discussion, Gabby seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

Administrative Assistant Salary – this includes a 2.5% increase over last year.

Administrative Secretary line – this includes a .50 increase as of January 1, 2003 then 2.5% as of July 1, 2003.

Administrative Assistant Expenses – this is for training seminars, memorial donations.

Town report printing is the same as last year. This is usually adjusted once the bids are accepted.

Telephone and modem – this is all the telephone lines that come into the Town Hall. They used to be separated by department.

Copier lease – there is a flat fee each month and the Town must pay for toner and if there are more copies made than contracted.

Advertising – this is for public notices, last year we advertised the deliberative session, public hearing, address changes for River Road, etc.

Dues and Subscriptions – this pays the NH Municipal Association a fee each year which gives us free legal advise at times.

Mileage – this is there in case a Town car is not available and someone has to use his or her own car.

Supplies – this is standard operating supplies. This line includes every department in the Town Hall.

Postage – this was increase due the fact that postage rates have gone up.

Computer Training – in case any training in needed when we convert to the new software.

Computer License Fee – this increase is due to the conversion from DOS to windows versions of software.

Computer Equipment and Repairs – this is in case something goes wrong with any of the computer equipment in the Town Hall and we have to call in a contractor to look over things.

Budget Committee expense remains the same as last year.

There is also a line for Assessing Manuals which shows the updated values for everyone.

NH Municipal Salary Survey is a new line. This was discussed before. David stated that he felt it was a worthwhile item to be in the budget. This survey will go through and list a comparative size community, job descriptions will be written, they will show the low and high salary, they will show if someone is underpaid or overpaid or being paid at the right rate.

Gene asked if the Selectmen were going to use there recommendations to set salaries next year, Ben stated he could not answer that questions because he did not know at this time.

Gene asked if they had spoken with any other Town that had used this service. David stated that this is relatively new. Gene asked how long this would take. David stated that it depended on how many other Towns they would talk to and how many positions there would be.

Gene asked if the supply line includes the Police Department. David stated no they have their own supply line. If someone from the Police Department comes up to use the copier, they bring their own paper to use.

Carol A. asked if the fee for the NH Municipal Association Salary Survey is a one-time fee or is it something that will be there every year. David stated no, they may do a five or ten step plan, this will be determined at the meeting with the Board of Selectmen.

Tom asked why the Administrative Secretary is getting two raises, .50 plus the 2.5%. Dave stated that this had been discussed last year that the Town Hall employees salaries would be reviewed this year. Last year the police received a salary increase on January 1, 2002 and we are going through a cycle where we have looked at Highway and the part-time firefighters. So this year we reviewed the full-time firefighters and now the Town hall.

Don asked if the 2.5% is a yearly increase, so far this year the cost of living has only increased 1.4%, so why 2.5%. Carol A. stated that so far everyone else has received a 2.5% increase. Tom asked if the.50 was a comparable salary with other Towns? David stated that is the number that the Selectmen came up with.

Gene asked how many hours the Administrative Secretary worked. David stated she works 25 hours per week. What does the salary break down to hourly? It is $12.04 per hour as of July 1, 2003.

Gene made a motion to accept the bottom line of $117,401, Jennifer seconded. The motion passed with one abstaining vote.

Dave stated that on Thursday, November 21, 2002 we will be meeting at the Armand R. Dupont School so that the School Board can present their budget to the Committee.

On December 5, 2002 the committee will discuss the budget with the School Board.

Tom stated that the School Board does not meet again until December 12. Dave stated that he had attended the School Board meeting on Tuesday. He had mentioned to the school board that if any member of the Budget Committee has any questions after they receive their packet, to let him know and he will e-mail these questions to the School Board. This will help them be more prepared.

Tom stated that the facilities committee has been changed to a building committee and they will be coming to the Town for a building project at the elementary school. There will be notices going home to parents for some public forums. We just wanted all of you to know about this before it becomes public.

This meeting will be tentatively held on December 11 at 7 p.m. and is open to the public.

On December 5 the Committee will meet with the School; December 19 is the next scheduled meeting. We currently still have Highway, Sewer, Health and Welfare, Tax Collector, Ambulance, Library, Parks and Recreation, Capital Outlay, Building Inspector, Cemetery, Personnel and any warrant article.

David stated that everything is ready except Cemetery, Ambulance and Highway is waiting on one line on his budget.

Another meeting could be held on January 2, 2003 if needed. David asked how long the school review would take on December 5, Dave stated that it could take 5 minutes or it could take 5 hours.

Carol A. stated that there could be room after the School budget discussion to talk about more budgets. Tom stated that it took about 2 hours to review the budget. Henriette asked if the Committee was allowed to ask any questions on the night that the School budget is presented. Tom stated he did not see any reason why not.

Dave stated that we could do the Tax, Health and Welfare first, then we could review the School on December 5.

Gene made a motion to recess, Ben seconded. The meeting recessed at 9:10 p.m.