Town of Colebrook, NH - Affirmative Actions

To see if the Town will vote Pursuant to RSA 31:104, to 31:108 to provide Indemnification for Town Officers and Employees and officers and employees of special districts within the Town from personal loss or expense including reasonable legal fees and costs, if any, arising out of any claim, demand, suit or judgment by reason of negligence or other act resulting in accidental damage to property providing the indemnified person was at the time of the accident acting within the scope of his employment or office.

The exemption, based on assessed value, for qualified taxpayers shall be $5,000.00. To qualify, the person must have been a New Hampshire resident for at least 5 years and own and occupy the real estate individually or jointly, or if the real estate is owned by a spouse, they must have been married for at least 5 years. In addition, the taxpayer must have a net income of not more than $5,000.; if single, $6,000.00 if married and own net assets not in excess of $35,000.00 excluding the value of their person’s residence. Per RSA 72:37-b & c.

To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to Accept Gifts of Personal Property which may be offered to the Town for any public purpose, pursuant to RSA 31:95-e? The Selectmen must hold a public hearing before accepting any such gift, and the acceptance shall not bind the Town to raise, appropriate or expend any public funds for the operation, maintenance, repair, or replacement of any such personal property until rescinded.

To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Selectmen to Convey any Real Estate Acquired by the Town by Tax Collector’s Deed. Such conveyance shall be by deed following a public auction, or the property may be sold by advertised sealed bids, or may be otherwise disposed of as justice may require, pursuant to RSA 80:80. Until rescinded.

Shall the Town accept the provisions of RSA 33:7 providing that any Town at an annual meeting may adopt an article authorizing indefinitely, until specific rescission of such authority, the Selectmen to issue Tax Anticipation Notes?

Shall we permit the Public Library to Retain all Money it receives from its income-generating equipment to be used for general repairs and upgrading and for the purchase of books, supplies and income-generating equipment? Until rescinded (RSA 202.A11:11-bl)

To see if the Town will vote to Discontinue absolutely That Portion of Spring Street commencing one hundred and fifty feet (150’) above the present driveway to the residence of Robert and Kelly Lemieux to the intersection of Titus Hill Road. (By Petition)

To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to Apply for, Accept and Expend, without further action by Town meeting, Money from the State, Federal or other Governmental unit or a Private Source, which becomes available during the year in accordance with RSA 31:95-b. Until rescinded.

To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to Accept, on behalf of the Town, Gifts, Legacies, and Devises made to the Town in trust for any public purpose, as permitted by RSA 31:19. Until rescinded.

Shall we Adopt the provisions of RSA 72:28, V and VI for an optional Veteran’s Tax Credit and an expanded qualifying war service for veterans seeking the credit? The optional veterans’ credit is $100.00, rather than $50.00. (By Petition).

To see if the Town will vote to adopt the provisions of RSA 202-A: 4-d, authorizing the Library Trustees to Accept Gifts of Personal Property, other than money, which may be offered to the library for any public purpose, provided, however, that no acceptance of personal property by the library trustees shall be deemed to bind the Town or the Library Trustees to raise, appropriate or expend any public funds for the operation, maintenance, repair or replacement of such personal property.

I Roger C. Lepine of RR 1 Box 142 Munn Road, Colebrook, New Hampshire 03576-9713 hereby PETITION the Town of Colebrook, New Hampshire to Maintain and Plow said road, Munn Road, in which the Town stop 300 feet short of my property. (By Petition).

To see if the Town will adopt the provisions of RSA 31:95-c to Restrict Year-End Surpluses of revenue from the Colebrook Dispatch Center to expenditures for the purpose of Dispatch Center? Such revenues and expenditures shall be accounted for in a special revenue fund to be known as the Colebrook Dispatch Center Reserve Fund, separate from the General Fund. Any surplus in said fund shall not be deemed part of the General Fund accumulated surplus and shall be expended only after a vote by the legislative body for a specific purpose of the fund of source of the revenue.

To see if the Town will vote to clarify the separation of the Special Equipment Capital Reserve Fund, as represented on the Trustees of the Trust Funds 1998 year end report, in the following manner: $18,506.03 of the sums accumulated to be spent toward the Purchase of a Police Cruiser and $27,759.05 of the sums accumulated to be spent toward the Purchase of Highway Equipment.

To see if the Town will vote to Discontinue and Release from public servitude the section of road previously the Old Route 3 from Piper Hill Road, South to the present Route 3.

To see if the Town will vote to Establish a Colebrook Village Cemetery Fence Expendable Trust Fund under the provisions of RSA 31:19a, and designate the Cemetery Trustees as Agents to expend, and to authorize the Selectmen to appropriate $2,000.00 of said funds to be transferred from the December 2000 general fund balance.

To see if the Town will vote to Establish a Main Street (Route 3) Reconstruction Expendable Trust Fund under RSA 31:19-1 and designate the selectmen as agents to expend, and to authorize the Selectmen to raise and appropriate $68,000.00.

To see if the Town will vote to Establish a Hospital Road Sidewalk Expendable Trust Fund under the provisions of RSA 31:19a, for the construction of a sidewalk on Hospital Road, and designate the Selectmen as agents to expend, and to raise and appropriate $2,000.00 for this purpose.

To see if the Town will vote, as allowed under RSA 674:40-a, to Delegate to the Board of Selectmen the authority to Accept Dedicated Streets, until rescinded by a future vote of the Town Meeting. Under this authority, the Selectmen may accept any dedicated street only if the street corresponds in its location lines with a street shown on a subdivision plat or site plan approved by the planning board, or on a street plat made and adopted by the planning board. The Selectmen must first hold a public hearing on every proposed acceptance before taking action.

To see if the Town will vote to Accept the road known as Missing Link Way, as shown on Plan 99-78, prepared by R.W. Cowan & Sons Land Surveyors, as a class VI Town Road that, the Town has no obligation to maintain.

“Are you in favor of changing the term of the Town Clerk from one (1) to Three (3) Years, beginning with the term of the Town Clerk to be elected at next year’s regular Town meeting?”

“Are you in favor of changing the term of the Town Treasurer from one (1) to Three (3) Years, beginning with the term of the Town Treasurer to be elected at next year’s regular Town meeting?”

To see if the Town will vote to Exchange the 50’ wide Right-Of-Way at the South end of Bouchard’s Apparel building (Tax Map U-12 Lot 7) for a right-of-way through a reinforced concrete pipe conduit to be installed, built and located to Town specifications by and at the expense of the owners of the Bouchard property. The exchange will also include a 25’ right-of-way granted to the Town by the owners of the property from the East or Route 3 end of the conduit around the South end of any proposed building to access the West end of the Conduit.

To see if the Town will vote to Accept Bill Bromage Drive, so-called, located in the Colebrook Industrial Park as a Class V highway, as dedicated by the Directors of Colebrook Development Corporation on January 1, 2001.

To see if the Town will vote to Establish a Colebrook Property Reassessment Expendable Trust Fund under the provisions of RSA 31:19-a and designate the selectmen as agents to expend and to raise and appropriate the sum of $100,300.00 for this purpose.

To see if the Town will vote to Discontinue completely Two Triangular shaped Portions of Couture Street, and authorize the Board of Selectmen to convey such title as the Town may have in those triangular portions to the abutting landowners, being Norman & Amy Brooks as to the first portion, and North Country Realty Trust as to the second. These triangular shaped portions of “old” Couture Street are more particularly described as follows:

First Portion – A triangular shaped parcel comprising 2,382 square feet, more or less, abutting land of Norman & Amy Brooks, As shown on a plan dated 10/13/2000 prepared by Underwood Engineers, Inc., copies of which have been made available to the voters;

Second Portion – A triangular shaped parcel comprising 1,720 square feet, more or less, abutting land of North Country Realty Trust, as shown on a plan dated 10/13/2000 prepared by Underwood Engineers, Inc., copies of which have been made available to the voters.

To see if the Town will vote to Authorize the Board of Selectmen to accept Two (2) Triangular shaped land Parcels as shown on a plan of Couture Street dated 10/13/2000 prepared by Underwood Engineers, Inc., copies of which have been made available to the voters, with all interest, rights and privileges the conveying parties may have in them, as follows:

To see if the Town will vote to Charge a Fee for items and/or material disposed of at the Town of Colebrook Transfer Station by any person, company or organization generating such waste as a result of a business or professional activity, excluding recyclable cardboard recyclable newspapers, recyclable magazines and, during the time the burn pit at Skyline Drive is open, unpainted wood and trees or brush not exceeding five (5) inches in diameter. Fee schedule is to be based on the Town’s actual cost, reviewed and finalized at a public hearing with at least fourteen (14) days’ notice. To become effective seven (7) days after conclusion of public hearing.

To see if the Town will vote to Adopt provisions of Senate Bill 76 Chapter 84) authorizing a New Construction Property Tax Exemption for public accommodation and industrial construction for the purpose of fostering the economically depressed municipalities to encourage new construction, rehabilitation, and improvement of property for public accommodation and industrial use through the adoption of tax exemptions subject to all other provisions of said law. This exemption applies to the municipal tax and local school tax only for 100% of the new assessed value for no more than five years upon approved application by a qualified public accommodator.

To see if the Town will vote to Create an Expendable Trust Fund under the provisions of RSA 31:19-a, to be known as the Colebrook Digital Parcel Mapping System, for the purpose of producing an updated property tax map and to raise and appropriate the sum of $20,000.00 towards this purpose, further to name the selectmen as agents to expend from this trust fund.

To see if the Town will vote to list the Selectmen as Agents of the following Trust Funds Bridge Fund, Highway and Police Cruiser Equipment Purchasing Fund. Until rescinded.

To see if the Town will vote to Authorize the Selectmen to begin Negotiations towards the purchase of the Railroad Bed within the geographical confines of the Town of Colebrook, NH.

To see if the Town will vote to Authorize the Selectmen to Convey Ownership of the new Industrial Building located on Colebrook Development Corporation’s property (Tax Map U-7, Lot 20, and subdivision lot #5) to the Colebrook Development Corporation. (This building was built with EDA grant money).

To see if the Town will vote to Authorize the Selectmen to Accept Conveyance of Lot #4A as shown on a plan entitled subdivision for Utility Installation for Town of Colebrook (Sewer pump house), part of Colebrook Industrial Park, Colebrook Development Corporation, Owner. Lot 4A is 50’ x 75’ and is adjacent to the 50’ right of way known as Bill Bromage Drive.

To see if the Town will vote to Authorize the Board of Selectmen to Deed Nugent Spring Street Property (Tax Map U-13 Lot 66) for $1.00 to the Colebrook Downtown Development Association. (Intent: CDDA would apply for grants as a non-profit organization to refurbish the building and when sold repay the Town of Colebrook for property taxes due. If at the end of a five-year period no grants have been received or no progress made, the property will be sold back to the Town for $1.00).

To see if the Town will Authorize the Cemetery Trustees to Apply for, Accept and Expend without further action by Town Meeting, Money from the State, Federal or other Governmental Unit or a Private Source which, becomes available during the year, in accordance with RSA 31:95-b, until rescinded.

To see if the Town will vote to Create an Expendable Cemetery Trust Fund under the provisions of RSA 31:19-a, to be known as the Colebrook Cemetery Fence Maintenance and Repair Fund, for the purpose of repairing and maintaining the Colebrook cemetery Fence and to raise and appropriate the sum of $5,000.00 towards this purpose. Said funds to come from December 21, 2003 Cemetery unreserved fund balance. (Representing excess 2003 cemetery appropriations.) Further to name, the cemetery trustees as agents to expend from this trust fund.

“Shall the Town Accept the Provisions of RSA 202-A:4-c providing that any town at an annual meeting may adopt an article Authorizing Indefinitely, Until Specific Rescission of Such Authority, the Public Library Trustees to Apply for, Accept and Expend, without further action by the Town meeting, Unanticipated Money from a state, federal or other governmental unit or a private source which becomes available during the fiscal year?”

To see if the municipality will vote to Authorize the Selectmen to enter into Five-Year Lease Agreement for $45,000.00 for the purpose of leasing a Plow Truck for the Highway Department, and to raise and appropriate the sum of $9.000.00 for the first year’s payment for that purpose, and to sell the Chevrolet one-ton pickup to the highest bidder. This lease agreement contains an escape clause.

To see if the Town will vote to Authorize the Town Clerk Wages to be paid Through the Towns Weekly Payroll System instead of through fees (per RSA 41:25). All fees will be turned over to the Town to offset the expenditure. (NOTE: The amount of compensation for the Town Clerk is included in the operating budget, in the amount of $15,759.00).

To see if the Town will vote to Establish a Recreation Revolving Fund as authorized by RSA 35-B: 2II. All revenue above the estimated budget revenue received by the town from fees and charges for recreation and park services and facilities may be deposited into this fund. The money in the fund shall be allowed to accumulate from year to year, and shall not be considered part of the Town’s general surplus. The fund shall be held in the custody of the town treasurer, who shall pay out amounts from the funds as ordered by the Board of Selectmen and the Recreation Advisory Board for the provisions of recreation services (no further Town meeting approval required). These funds may be expended only for recreation purposes as stated in RSA 35-B, and no expenditure shall be made in such a way as to require the expenditure of other town funds which have not been appropriated for that purpose.

To see if the Town will vote to Authorize the Selectmen on Behalf of the Colebrook School District to convey a Conservation Easement on thirty (30) acres of Town owned land held by the Colebrook Water Works (Map R-5 Lot 39.) the purpose of this easement is to provide State-required mitigation for the approximately three (3) acres of wetland being disturbed at the Colebrook School Ball Fields.

Authorize the Selectmen to grant a Fifty-Foot Right-Of-Way to Morris Sage across the southeast corner of land owned by the Town known as the “Parsons Lot” (Tax Map #114-16) located off Lynch Road. (By Petition)

To see if the Town will vote to Establish a Capital Reserve Fund for the purpose of the River Retaining Wall Repairs, under the provisions of RSA 35:1, and to raise and appropriate the sum of $118,950.00 to be placed into this fund and to appoint the Board of Selectmen as agents to withdraw from this fund.

To see if the Town will vote to Establish an Expendable Trust Fund for the purpose of Disaster Management and to raise and appropriate the sum of $40,000.00 to be placed in this fund, and to authorize the Board of Selectmen as agents to withdraw from this fund.

To see if the Town will Vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $17,850.00 to be added to the Cemetery Grounds Maintenance and Reclamation Expendable Trust Fund (created 2007) this entire sum is to come from the deposit to the general fund made under Article 18, with no amount to be raised through taxation. (This article to be taken up only if Article 18 passes.)

Shall we Modify the Elderly Exemption from property tax in the Town of Colebrook, based on assessed value, for qualified taxpayers, to be as follows: for a person 65 years of age up to 75 years, $10,000.00; for a person 75years of age to 80 years, $12,500.00; for a person 80 years of age or older $15,000.00. to qualify, the person must have been a New Hampshire resident for at least 3 consecutive years, own the real estate individually or jointly, or if the real estate is owned by such person’s spouse, they must have been married to each other for at least 5 consecutive years. In addition, the taxpayer must have a net income in each applicable age group of not more than $13,000.00 or, if married, a combined net income of less than $20,000.00; and own net assets not in excess of $35,000.00 excluding the value of the person’s residence.

To see if the Town will go on record in Support of Effective Actions by the President and the Congress to address the Issue of Climate Change, which is increasingly harmful to the environment and economy of New Hampshire and to the future well being of the people of Colebrook:

In addition, the Town of Colebrook encourages New Hampshire citizens to work for emission reductions within their communities, and we ask our Selectmen to consider the appointment of a voluntary energy committee to recommend local steps to save energy and reduce emissions.

The record of the vote on this article shall be transmitted to the New Hampshire Congressional Delegation, to the President of the United States, and to declared candidates for those offices. (By Petition.)

To see if the Town will vote to Authorize a Ninety-Nine Year Lease to be given to the Colebrook Development Corp, for the Broadband Antenna building. The lease will be for an easement under the building and 50ft. around the perimeter of the building to allow for maintenance and repairs, this easement will include a 25ft. roadway leading to the antenna.

To see if the Town of Colebrook will Vote to change the Number of persons serving as Library Trustees from seven to five, beginning with the 2009 election. At that time, two persons will be elected for three-year terms, two for two-year terms, and one for a one-year term.

Shall the Town of Colebrook give a Property Tax Incentive in the amount of 100% of the assessed value of a Residential Solar Energy System? To include photovoltaic, solar space heating, solar water heating and passive solar energy systems. (By Petition.)