Page 7 Town of Plymouth Minutes from the January 25, 2016 Select Board Meeting
Town of Plymouth
Select Board Meeting Minutes
Plymouth Town Hall
Plymouth, NH 03264
January 25, 2016
Members Present: Mr. Mike Conklin Chairperson, Mr. Neil McIver, Mr. John Randlett, Mr. Mike Ahern and Mr. Bill Bolton
Members Absent:
Others Present: Mr. Paul Freitas
6:00 pm. Mr. Mike Conklin called the meeting to order and Mr. Bill Bolton led in the Pledge of Allegiance.
o Approval of Minutes:
v Minutes of January 11, 2016 Non-Public Work Session
· Mr. John Randlett made a motion to approve the minutes; seconded by Mr. Neil McIver. All in favor, with Mr. Mike Ahern abstaining.
v Minutes of January 11, 2016 Regular Meeting
· Mr. McIver made a motion to approve the minutes; seconded by Mr. Bolton. All in favor, with Mr. Ahern abstaining.
Announcements:
The following announcements were made:
· The Select Board will meet on the following dates:
o Regular meetings – 6:00PM: Monday, February 8, and 22, 2016
o 2nd Budget Public Hearing if needed Thursday, February 4, 2016 at 6:00PM and Petitioned Warrant Articles will be read.
All of the above meetings will be held in the Town Hall, unless otherwise posted
· Weather observations for the month of December are available in the Town Hall.
· Citizens wishing to be listed on the Select Board’s Agenda should notify the Town Hall before 12:00 PM the Friday before the scheduled meeting.
Chairman’s Comments:
Appointments:
· Chief Lefebvre introduced new hire to the Plymouth Police Department, Jordan Daigneault. Jordan thanked the Board for the opportunity to work for the Town. Town Clerk, Karen Freitas swore Jordan in as a new officer to the Plymouth Police Department. Mr. Conklin acknowledged the family members that were present to witness Jordan’s swearing in.
Updates and Recommendations:
· Mike Currier - Non-Profit Committee Report(unable to attend)
· Val Scarborough – Budget Committee Report
Mr. Freitas suggested that these reports be given during the Budget Hearing.
Correspondence:
Personnel:
Visitors:
New/ Other Business:
· Peter Grote spoke regarding the Northern Pass. He would like the Town of Plymouth to intervene. (Letter attached). Mr. Conklin has drafted a petition to the Site Evaluation Committee to allow the Town to intervene in regard to the Northern Pass. (Letter and petition attached). The Board agreed to sign the petition, and will notify the Town of any future developments.
6:15 PM PUBLIC HEARING:
· on the FY 16/17 Municipal Budget to include proposed $2,000,000 Bond items
Warrant article will read as follows:
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $2,000,000 (gross budget) for the capital improvements, public works projects and equipment purchases outlined in the materials presented by the Selectmen at the public hearing on the bond; And to authorize the issuance of not more than $2,000,000 of bonds, notes or loans in accordance with the Municipal Finance Act (RSA 33) and to authorize the Board of Selectmen to issue and negotiate such bonds or notes and to determine the rate of interest thereon; And to further raise and appropriate an additional sum of $134,500 for the first year’s payment on the bond or notes.
The Selectmen recommend this appropriation (2/3rds ballot vote required).
o Mr. Conklin opened the Public Hearing. He explained that the Select Board would like to pursue a $2,000,000.00 loan for infrastructure issues that have been deferred. This would be a 10 year fixed rate loan. Copies of the budget were available, and it was explained that the shaded areas of the budget showed the values with and without a bond.
o Mr. Conklin introduced Val Scarborough from the Budget Committee. She explained that after reviewing the budget and information provided, she and the Budget Committee support the bond.
o Mr. Freitas spoke on behalf of Mike Currier for the Non-Profit Committee. He stated that they have remained level funded. The Chamber of Commerce was dropped as they are being re-organized.
A page by page review of the budget was started by Mr. Conklin, starting with page 1.
o Page 1:
o Mr. Bill Houle said that he is in support of a Bond to be used for infrastructure in the Town. Overall, he has some concerns and doesn’t support this Budget. He isn’t sure if the Select Board has taken into account the economic impact this budget will have on the retired, elderly permanent residents of the Town. He feels some restructuring needs to be done, that can affect some savings and can reduce this Budget, to recognize the limitations that the elderly residential community is facing.
o Mr. Paul Sansoucie felt there were a few items that were higher than should be, particularly 4130-120-000 Town Administrator, and 4130-530-04 Plymouth Ch. 3 Payroll. He asked for the rationale behind it.
o Mr. Conklin stated that the first line item he mentioned was the Town Administrator salary and offered to speak on that. For those people that did not have a budget in front of them, he proceeded to clarify:
The Town Administrator salary for FY14-15 was approx. $76,800, the Town Administrator salary for FY15-16 was $79,130, and the proposed budget for FY16-17 is $92,100. This is an increase of approx. $13,000.
o After March meeting last year, Ms. Kathryn Lowe presented the Board with a comparison of Town Administrator salaries from similarly sized towns. The average salary was $95,000. The range was from $83,000-$113,000. It was felt by the Board that the Town Administrator was paid considerably less. Taking out the 53rd week as well as the additional 3% for going from a Fiscal year to a calendar year, as agreed in a contract signed by the Board and Town Administrator. The FY16-17 budget is still $6,000-$7,000 below the average.
o Mr. Conklin stressed that a lot of thought went into this budget and feels that Mr. Freitas needs to be paid a competitive salary. Further discussion ensued, and Mr. Sansoucie felt that it seemed a bit deceiving, if you went strictly by the numbers. Mr. Conklin stated that in essence, the Board gave Mr. Freitas a $7,000 raise.
o Regarding Plymouth Channel 3 Payroll, Mr. Sansoucie commented that there was a 54% increase. Mr. Conklin deferred the explanation of this line item to Mr. Freitas. The increase is due to employment of a part-time employee. The services of Mainstay Technologies have been eliminated. Mrs. Juliet Harvey-Bolia has taken on this work so it can be done in-house. The amount of savings per year is $14,000.
o Mrs. Val Scarborough wanted to make additional points regarding the Town Administrator’s salary. She went on to say that Mr. Freitas always works above and beyond what is expected. She feels that the salary is justified.
o Mr. Houle questioned the contract between the Board and the Town Administrator. Mr. Conklin stated that the contract is a 5 year employment contract for the Town Administrator’s salary which includes a 3% raise for each consecutive year, should he choose to stay that long.
o Mr. Houle believes that Mr. Freitas was hired to serve as Town Administrator, and anything he does above and beyond, what is expected is a choice he is making, and shouldn’t warrant additional compensation. He feels the Town needs to recognize that the elderly residents have difficulty with the income they need to live with. He referred to it as a built-in annuity, which Mr. Conklin disagreed with.
o Mr. Ahern pointed out that if the Town had to hire a new Town Administrator, the Board would have to pay a lot more money for that salary. The Board is very comfortable with their decision.
o Mr. Randlett stated that Mr. Freitas does what is needed for the Town. He is very dedicated and saves the Town a lot of money in other areas. Mr. Brian Murphy concurred. Mr. Freitas spoke up and stated that he plows because he has to not because he likes it. When he needs to, he steps up to the plate. Mrs. Anne Abear made the point that Mr. Freitas works on many grants for the Town, many Town Administrators don’t do this.
o Page 2:
o Mr. Houle inquired as to why the insurance amounts were higher. He was told it is a combination of rates going up and changes in family plans.
o Mr. Sansoucie inquired if the Town has gone from 2 part time positions in the Town Clerk’s office to a full time position with benefits. Town Clerk, Mrs. Karen Freitas, explained what transpired, which caused her to forego the 2 part time employee positions for 1 full time position with benefits. The new employee is fully qualified and can step into the Town Clerk position if needed. The Town Clerk’s budget has remained the same.
o Page 3:
o Mr. Houle asked if the contract services were covered by the University. Mr. Freitas responded that they are.
o Page 4:
o Mr. Houle asked what the Planning Part Time line was for. It covers clerical support from reception and finance departments for the Planner. He mentioned that the Planner salary increased 5%. Mr. Freitas explained that the 53rd week makes the difference in salary. Mr. Randlett asked what the weekly payroll was. It is $75,000-$80,000. Mr. Freitas reminded the audience that this has happened in the past, and is not unusual.
o Page 5:
o Mr. Sansoucie asked who the Administrative/Superintendent was, under Cemeteries. Mr. Freitas responded that he was and he is not taking the pay for it.
o Mr. Houle asked for clarification. Mr. Freitas explained that he is the Sexton, and he has been taking care of the things that have needed to be done. Eventually someone else will take this position and need to be paid that salary.
o Page 6:
o Mr. Houle asked for an explanation for the jump in Workers Compensation. Mrs. Abear explained that in the past the Town was able to get refunds, looking forward, it seems unlikely that the Town will be receiving these payments. As a side note, Mr. Freitas explained that Primex will be taking over all the insurance needs of the Town. LGC will no longer be used.
o Page 7:
o Mr. Houle wanted to address several things. The Police Chief Salary is up10.5%. He said he wasn’t opposed to this increase, but would like to see some changes regarding Emergency Management. He would like the Board to consider taking Emergency Management and moving that responsibility to the Police Department. Discussion ensues involving Jim Hundreiser from the University and Police Chief Lefebvre. It was explained that the Federal Government doesn’t want a Police or Fire Chief as an Emergency Manager. They don’t have the time. It needs to be someone outside those departments that can provide the support and backup necessary to coordinate with Federal and State Agencies. Mr. Freitas has all these qualifications. Mr. Houle addressed the possibility of a joint control center, staffed by people from the University, the Town Administrator, and some support personnel. Seeking grants is part of this job and by Mr. Freitas taking on this role, the Town is reimbursed. Things will remain as they are.
o Page 8:
o Mr. Sansoucie commented that parking wages were up 49%. This is due to the addition of a part time employee.
o Page 9:
o Mr. Houle commented that parking expenses were up. It was explained that this is due to more credit card transactions, which means increased usage. There was a brief discussion. Increased parking fees will be considered.
o Page 10: No Comment
o Page 11:
o Mr. Sansoucie inquired how many towns were under contract for Ambulance Service. There are 4 towns.
o Page 12: No Comment
o Page 13:
o Mr. Sansoucie asked why the Vehicles-Maintenance & Repairs line was so high. It was explained that the highway grader broke down and needed repairs. It was still more cost effective to repair the grader, than to purchase a new one.
o Mr. Houle inquired about the Emergency Management maintenance & repair line. It was explained that older Town vehicles are repaired and used at a different level of use for Emergency Management. The Town gets reimbursed for this. Discussion ensued and Mr. Houle proposed the idea of reimbursing individuals for using their own vehicles instead of trying to keep an older fleet of vehicles. It is not cost effective to do this. Due to the nature of what these vehicles may be used for, this is not a viable option.
o Page 14:
o Mr. Houle inquired why the budget for fuel is so high, with the price of gas being lower. Mr. Freitas stated that gas prices are not guaranteed. Enough money has to be budgeted in the event prices go up again. The Town needs to have a buffer. Any money saved goes back into the General Fund. Mr. Houle felt the residents were being penalized for having a buffer. It was further explained that the Town needs to have significant money budgeted for emergencies. Department heads seek grants and return the money they receive to the General Fund. They do not spend their budgets down. Mr. Houle feels the buffer is too big.