Official Town Meeting Minutes
March 13, 2007
Colebrook, New Hampshire
Moderator pro-tem Ronald Patterson declared the Annual Town Meeting open at 7 p.m. All in attendance stood to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a prayer conducted by Reverend Granvyl Hulse.
Article 1
To bring in your ballots for the selection of Town Officers to be elected by ballot for the Town of Colebrook for the ensuing year.
Article 2
To vote by ballot on the following amendments to the Town of Colebrook Zoning Ordinance and Floodplain Ordinance. The following questions will appear on the official ballot, and are not open to further amendment.
Amendment #1:
Are you in favor of the adoption of Amendment #1 to Section 6 of the Zoning Ordinance for the Town of Colebrook, proposed by the Planning Board as follows: (Placement will be Section 6 between the existing B and C with re-lettering of current C to D.)
If construction is not begun within one year from the date of issuance of a Building permit, then the Building Permit shall become void, in the absence of further action by the Planning Board; provided, however, that this one-year period shall not be deemed to alter or supersede any other time period imposed by the Planning Board or Zoning Board of Adjustment. In case of conflict, the more stringent time limitation shall control.
Yes 236
No 77
Amendment #2:
Are you in favor of the adoption of Amendment #2 to the definitions in the Town of Colebrook Floodplain Ordinance, proposed by the Planning Board as follows:
“Manufactured Home Park or Subdivision,” means a parcel (or contiguous parcels) of land divided into two or more manufactured home lots for rent or sale.
Yes 259
No 78
Amendment #3:
Are you in favor of the adoption of Amendment #3 to the definitions in the Town of Colebrook Floodplain Ordinance, proposed by the Planning Board as follows:
“New construction” means, for the purposes of determining insurance rates, structures for which the start of construction commenced on or after the effective date of an initial FIRM or after December 31, 1974, whichever is later, and includes any subsequent improvements to such structures. For floodplain management purposes, new construction means structures for which the start of construction commenced on or after the effective date of a floodplain management regulation adopted by a community and includes any subsequent improvements to such structures.
Yes 263
No 68
Amendment #4:
Are you in favor of the adoption of Amendment #4 to the definitions in the Town of Colebrook Floodplain Ordinance, proposed by the Planning Board as follows:
“Violation” means the failure of a structure or other development to be fully compliant with the community’s floodplain management regulations. A structure or other development without the elevation certificate, other certifications, or other evidence of compliance required in 44CFR 60.3(b) (5), (c) (4), (c) (10), (d) (3), (e) (2), (e) (4), or (e) (5) is presumed to be in violation until such time as that documentation is provided.
Yes 259
No 71
Amendment #5:
Are you in favor of the adoption of Amendment #5, an addition (in italics) to the definition of “Development” in the Town of Colebrook Floodplain Ordinance, proposed by the Planning Board as follows:
“Development” means any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate, including but not limited to building or other structures, mining, filling, grading, paving excavation, drilling operations or storage of equipment or materials.”
Yes 251
No 99
Amendment #6:
Are you in favor of the adoption of Amendment #6 to the definition of “Manufactured Home” in the Town of Colebrook Floodplain Ordinance, proposed by the Planning Board as follows:
“This includes manufactured homes located in a manufactured home park or subdivision.” (This is to be added to the end of the definition.)
Yes 272
No 74
Amendment #7:
Are you in favor of the adoption of Amendment #7 to Item VII. Section 1 in the Town of Colebrook Floodplain Ordinance as follows:
Replace “Wetlands Board of the New Hampshire Environmental Services Department” with “Wetlands Bureau of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.”
Yes 289
No 56
Amendment #8:
Are you in favor of the adoption of Amendment #8 to Item VII. Section 2 in the Town of Colebrook Floodplain Ordinance as follows:
Replace “Wetlands Board” with “Wetlands Bureau”.
Yes 299
No 52
Amendment #9:
Are you in favor of the adoption of Amendment #9 to Item VIII. Section 1(c) and Section 2 (f) in the Town of Colebrook Floodplain Ordinance as follows:
Remove Section 1(c) and Section 2 (f) under Item VIII as there is no Zone AO or Zone AH located in the Town of Colebrook; therefore, it is not applicable.
Yes 292
No 48
Article 3
Frank Dumaine made a motion, seconded by Larry Rappaport, to raise and appropriate the sum of $1,955,395.00 for General Government, as follows:
1) Executive - $82,829.00
2) Election, Registration and Vital Statistics - $46,337.00
3) Financial/Assessing/Tax Collection/Treasurer/Secretary - $156,035.00
4) Legal and Data Processing - $35,650.00
5) Planning & Zoning - $16,484.00
6) General Buildings - $55,158.00
7) Advertising & Regional Association - $2,118.00
8) Police/Fire/Ambulance/Emergency Management - $415,363.00
9) Highways & Streets - $696,140.00
10) Sanitation, Landfill & Recycling - $301,754.00
11) Health Agencies/Animal Boarding - $32,380.00
12) General Assistance - $7,750.00
13) Recreation/Patriotic - $82,757.00
14) Economic Development - $11,640.00
15) Debt Service - $13,000.00
The motion passed with a voice vote.
Article 4
Benoit Lamontagne made a motion to raise and appropriate the sum of $70,000.00 for the purpose of Digital Tax Mapping, $5,000.00 to be raised through taxation; $65,000.00 will be withdrawn from the Digital Mapping Expendable Trust Fund (created 2005). Frank Dumaine seconded and the motion passed with a voice vote.
Article 5
Larry Rappaport made a motion to raise and appropriate the sum of $110,000.00 for repairs to Roaring Brook Road, with this entire sum to be offset by grant funds, and no amount to be raised by taxation. Benoit Lamontagne seconded the motion and it passed with a voice vote.
Article 6
Frank Dumaine made a motion, seconded by Benoit Lamontagne, to raise and appropriate the sum of $100,000.00 for the purchase of a new Plow Truck, and to authorize the withdrawal of this entire sum from the Highway Capital Reserve Equipment Fund (created 1999), with no amount to be raised by taxation; and further, to authorize the Selectmen to sell the existing Ford F-450. In answer to David Hodge’s inquiry, Mr. Dumaine stated that a six-wheeler with plow would be purchased with the hope that less trips back to the shed for sand and gravel would be necessary, along with being able to plow streets with one pass. The motion passed with a voice vote.
Article 7
Benoit Lamontagne made a motion to raise and appropriate the sum of $40,000.00 for an Engineering Study to be done on the retaining wall near the Academy. If this study is not completed, the Town will not qualify for further grants from the State. Frank Dumaine seconded the motion and it passed with a voice vote.
Article 8
Larry Rappaport made a motion to raise and appropriate the sum of $87,535.00 for the following Capital Reserve Funds and to appoint the Board of Selectmen as agents to expend from these trust funds until rescinded.
Equipment Purchase (1999) - $45,000.00
Police Cruiser (1999) - $15,000.00
Re-evaluation Monies (2002) - $17,535.00
Communication Enhancements (2005) - $10,000.00
Benoit Lamontagne seconded the motion and it passed with a voice vote.
Article 9
Benoit Lamontagne made a motion 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. Larry Rappaport seconded the motion and it passed with a voice vote.
Article 10
Benoit Lamontagne made a motion, seconded by Frank Dumaine, to raise and appropriate the sum of $50,000.00 for the Main Street Reconstruction Expendable Trust Fund (2000) and to authorize the Selectmen as agents to expend from these trust funds until rescinded. The motion passed with a voice vote.
Article 11
Larry Rappaport made a motion, seconded by Frank Dumaine, 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. Larry Rappaport then made a motion to amend this article to raise and appropriate the sum of $20,000.00 Frank Dumaine seconded the motion to amend. Mr. Rappaport explained the Selectboard felt, after the costs incurred by the Town due to the rainstorm this past spring, it would be prudent to establish a fund to deal with emergencies, including a pandemic. The sum had been amended before the Public Hearing but not changed in the warrant. The motion to amend the article passed with a voice vote.
The article as amended to establish an Expendable Trust fund for the purpose of Disaster Management and to raise and appropriate the sum of $20,000.00 to be placed in this fund and to authorize the Board of Selectmen as agents to withdraw from this fund passed with a voice vote.
Article 12
Larry Rappaport made a motion, seconded by Benoit Lamontagne, to raise and appropriate the sum of $ 297,264.00 for the Colebrook Water Works and the Colebrook Sewer Facilities. Said funds to be offset by user fees.
Water Department - $107,398.00
Sewer Department - $189,866.00
It was explained that the large amount for abatement was due to an error in billing. The motion passed with a voice vote.
Article 13
Frank Dumaine made a motion to raise and appropriate the sum of $250,000.00 for the purpose of repairing Water Crossing Mains, this entire sum is to come from grants, with no amount to be raised by taxation. Larry Rappaport seconded the motion and it passed with a voice vote.
Article 14
Frank Dumaine made a motion, seconded by Larry Rappaport, to raise and appropriate the sum of $204,000.00 for the purpose of Water Wells, this entire sum is to come from grants, with no amount to be raised by taxation. The motion passed with a voice vote.
Article 15
Benoit Lamontagne made a motion to raise and appropriate the sum of $106,230.00 for the support of the Colebrook Public Library, $94,880.00 of which to be raised through taxation and $11,350.00 of which is to come from other Library balance on hand January 1, 2007, book sales, donations, trust funds, non-resident fees, other communities, over due fines, book resale’s, copying fees etc., such funds to be expended under the direction of the Board of Library Trustees. Frank Dumaine seconded and the motion passed with a voice vote.
Article 16
Larry Rappaport made a motion to raise and appropriate the sum of $66,562.00 for the operation and maintenance of the Colebrook Cemeteries, the sum of $54,562.00 to be raised through taxation and $12,000.00 to be raised from burials, cemetery trust funds and other Colebrook Cemetery revenues. Frank Dumaine seconded the motion and it passed with a voice vote.
Article 17
Larry Rappaport made a motion, seconded by Frank Dumaine, to raise and appropriate the sum of $5,000.00 to be added to the Colebrook Cemetery Grounds Maintenance and Reclamation Fund Expendable Trust (2005), and to authorize the Board of Cemetery Trustees as agents to expend from this fund. The motion passed with a voice vote.
Article 18
Frank Dumaine made a motion to discontinue the Cemetery Fence Expendable Trust Fund created in 2000. Said funds, with accumulated interest to date of the withdrawal in the amount of $17,850.00 are to be transferred to the municipality’s general fund. Benoit Lamontagne seconded the motion and it passed with a voice vote.
Article 19
Benoit Lamontagne made a motion, seconded by Frank Dumaine, 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. The motion passed with a voice vote. The motion passed with a voice vote.
Article 20
Frank Dumaine made a motion to raise and appropriate the sum of $205,081.00 for the Colebrook Dispatch Center, of which $112,808.43 will be raised through taxation, $11,500.00 will be withdrawn from the Colebrook Dispatch Savings Equipment Fund and the remainder to be offset by revenues raised from the participating towns. Benoit Lamontagne seconded and the motion passed with a voice vote.
Article 21
Benoit Lamontagne made a motion, seconded by Frank Dumaine, to 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 75 years 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 $13,400.00 or, if married, a combined net income of less than $20,400.00; and own net assets not in excess of $35,000.00 excluding the value of the person’s residence. The motion passed with a voice vote.
Article 22
Frank Dumaine made a motion, seconded by Larry Rappaport, to modify the Veterans Credit (RSA 72:28) from $100.00 to $125.00. This amount will be deducted from the year-end total property tax bill. Frank Dumaine then made a motion to amend the article to modify the Veterans Credit to $150.00. Larry Rappaport seconded. It was explained, because this is a credit and not an appropriation, it was legal to increase the amount. The motion to amend the article passed with a voice vote.
The article as amended to modify the Veterans’ Credit from $100.00 to $150.00 passed with a voice vote.
Article 23
Frank Dumaine made a motion for the Town to 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.
These actions include:
1) Establishment of a national program requiring reductions of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions while protecting the U.S. economy.
2) Creation of a major national research initiative to foster rapid development of sustainable energy technologies thereby stimulating new jobs and investment.
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. Larry Rappaport seconded the motion and it passed with a voice vote.
Article 24
Granvyl Hulse made a motion, seconded by James Daugherty, to vote to accept, ratify and confirm the reports of the Agents, Selectmen, Auditors and all other Town Officers. The motion passed with a voice vote.
Article 25
To transact any other business that may legally come before this meeting.
In answer to David Hodge’s question as to the status of the landfill project, engineer Rick Barthelmes explained that the source wells along the perimeter have shown no increase in contamination concentration, with levels of most chemicals actually dropping. The first phase of capping should begin late summer 2007, with the final capping completed by 2009. A remediation system will be in place for two years after the cap is completed. An annual inspection will be conducted thereafter.
Benoit Lamontagne presented Donald Dickson with the 2007 Citizen of the Year Award, along with a citation from Governor Lynch, for his outstanding leadership and volunteerism. Mr. Lamontagne remarked that the Selectmen hope to make this an annual event.
In answer to Pam Frizzell’s question regarding why there appeared to be no allocation for the skating rink, it was explained that Recreation Director Melissa Shaw is looking for the townspeople input as to whether two skating rinks should be maintained if one is established at the Community Pool.
Ron Hughes listed three concerns regarding Park Street: (1) the sidewalk being impassable for more than three days after a storm; (2) vehicles parking on the sidewalk; and (3) vehicles traveling well over the speed limit.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Sheila M. Beauchemin
Town Clerk
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