Official Town Meeting Minutes
March 10, 2009
Colebrook, New Hampshire
Moderator Ronald Patterson opened the Annual Town Meeting at 7 pm. The approximate 100 people in attendance stood to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a prayer conducted by Father Craig Cheney.
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:
Are you in favor of the adoption of Amendment #1 as proposed by the Planning Board for the Town of Colebrook Zoning Ordinance as follows:
Amendment #1 to Article IV Section 6.C: If construction has begun, and is not completed after one (1) year, the Board will consider a permit extension for up to one (1) additional year. If an extension is granted, the original Building Permit will become null and void if construction is not completed by the end of the extension. A new application will have to be submitted and heard for consideration by the Board. Building permits are not transferable.
Yes 196 No 54
Article 3
To vote by ballot on the following:
Are you in favor of the adoption of Amendment #2 as proposed by the Planning Board for the Town of Colebrook Zoning Ordinance as follows:
Amendment #2 to Article IV Section 6.D.4: Timely process. All applications for Certificates of Occupancy, once accepted and marked complete by the town’s designated employees shall be processed within thirty-five (35) business days or the application shall be considered as automatically approved. If circumstances require quicker Board action, upon written request, the Planning Board or its designee will consider and process the Certificate of Occupancy within 5 days of request or it shall be considered automatically approved.
Yes 211 No 30
Article 4
Benoit Lamontagne made a motion, seconded by Roland Cotnoir, to raise and appropriate the sum of $1,712,292.00 for General Government.
1) Executive and Elections $ 72,963.00
2) Registration and Vital Statistics $ 28,039.00
3) Financial/Assessing/Tax Collection/
TreasurerSecretary/Data Processing $152,506.00
4) Legal $ 14,025.00
5) Planning & Zoning $ 12,138.00
6) General Buildings $ 51,606.00
7) Advertising & Regional Association $ 2,079.00
8) Police/Fire/Emergency Management $376,079.00
9) Highways & Streets $684,660.00
10) Sanitation & Recycling $179,762.00
11) Health Agencies/Animal Boarding $ 31,725.00
12) General Assistance $ 7,250.00
13) Recreation/Patriotic $ 79,860.00
14) Economic Development $ 11,100.00
15) Debt Service $ 8,500.00
Benoit Lamontagne thanked the town manager and department heads for working with the Selectmen and helping them to bring the budget down 15%. Discussion ensued regarding the $2,000 reduction in Patriotic Services, Fourth of July line item. Rossiter Holt made a motion, seconded by Sandra Riendeau, to amend the article by $2,000 to restore the Fourth of July line item back to the annual requested amount . Rick Tillotson further made a motion to amend the Recreation Department total by $3,500, to add the Healthy Older Adults Program back into the budget. Moderator Patterson called for a vote on the amendment to increase by $3,500. The amendment passed with a voice vote. At this point, Rossiter Holt rescinded his motion to amend the article by $2,000. Sandra Riendeau also rescinded her second.
Benoit Lamontagne informed the townspeople that the $150,000 allocated in the Highway line item for purchase of a new highway truck was to be paid for by monies already in the Highway Equipment Capital Reserve Fund. Camilla Stewart made a motion to amend this article to remove $150,000 from the Heavy Equipment Reserve Fund to purchase plow equipment. Kevin McKinnon seconded the motion. The article as amended to raise and appropriate $1,715,792 passed by voice vote.
Article 5
Roland Cotnoir made a motion to raise and appropriate the sum of $232,064.00 for the purpose of implementing the Pay As You Throw Program. Julie Moran seconded the motion. Roland Cotnoir made a motion, seconded by Benoit Lamontagne, to amend the total amount to be raised and appropriated to $230,509.00. The motion to amend the article passed with a voice vote.
After considerable discussion, John Falconer made a motion, seconded by Rick Tillotson, to move the question. The article as amended to raise and appropriate $230, 509.00 was defeated by a standing vote.
Article 6
Benoit Lamontagne made a motion to raise and appropriate the sum of $234,208.00 for the purpose of running the Colebrook Transfer Station. Roland Cotnoir seconded and motion and it passed with a voice vote.
Article 7
Sandra Riendeau made a motion to raise and appropriate the sum of $72,790.00 for the support of the new 45th Parallel Emergency Medical Services and to permit the Board of Selectmen to enter into a contract with this Service for such purpose. In the event the Towns and the 45th Parallel Emergency Agency come to an agreement for a five year contract the Town’s people gives permission for the Selectmen to sign and enter into the contract without having to come back to a Town meeting as long as an escape clause is included in the contract. Frank Dumaine seconded the motion.
Frank Dumaine stated the amount is double what was raised last year for six months of service, indicating a full year’s service. He further indicated the Selectmen will be signing a one year contract only, as the five-year contract was not completed or reviewed prior to Town Meeting. Jon Frizzell made a motion to strike the second sentence from the article. John Falconer seconded and the amendment passed with a voice vote.
The motion as amended to raise and appropriate the sum of $72,790.00 for the support of the new 45th Parallel Emergency Medical Services and to permit the Board of Selectmen to enter into a contract with this Service for such purpose passed with a voice vote.
Article 8
Benoit Lamontagne made a motion to raise and appropriate the sum of $51,000.00 for the following Capital Reserve Funds:
1) Equipment Purchase (1999) $ 38,250.00
2) Police Cruiser (1999) $ 12,750.00
Frank Dumaine seconded the motion and it passed with a voice vote.
Article 9
Benoit Lamontagne made a motion, seconded by Roland Cotnoir, to raise and appropriate the sum of $ 408,813.00 for the Colebrook Water Works and the Colebrook Sewer Facilities. Said funds to be offset by user fees.
1) Water Department $ 202,278.00
2) Sewer Department $ 206,535.00
The motion passed with a voice vote.
Article 10
Arthur Dodge made a motion to raise and appropriate the sum of $155,014.00 for the support of the Colebrook Public Library. $106,889.00 is to be raised through taxation and $48,125.00 of which is to come from other Library balance on hand January 1, 2008, 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 the motion.
Carroll Jackson questioned the statement in the article regarding “Library balance on hand January 1, 2008, and was advised it was a typographical error. Bud Hulse made a motion to amend the article to read “on hand January 2, 2009.” John Falconer seconded the amendment. The article as amended passed with a voice vote.
Article 11
Benoit Lamontagne made a motion, seconded by Frank Dumaine, to raise and appropriate the sum of $74,172.00 for the operation and maintenance of the Colebrook cemeteries, the sum of $65,172.00 to be raised through taxation and $9,000.00 to be raised from burials, cemetery trust funds and other Colebrook Cemetery revenues. The motion passed with a voice vote.
Article 12
Frank Dumaine made a motion to raise and appropriate the sum of $207,949.00 for the Colebrook Dispatch Center, of which $110,507.26 will be raised through taxation, and the remainder to be offset by revenues from the participating towns. Roland Cotnoir seconded the motion and it passed with a voice vote.
Article 13
Granyvl Hulse made a motion to accept, ratify and confirm the reports of the Agents, Selectmen, Auditors and all other Town Officers. Kevin McKinnon seconded and the motion passed with a voice vote.
Article 14
To transact any other business that may legally come before this meeting:
John Falconer stated he would like to see the affect on the tax rate for what is raised indicated in the town report.
Kevin McKinnon spoke briefly on the income to be generated from the sale of methane gas with the use of a generator at the landfill. He also remarked that the Town of Colebrook is looking at district biomass heating.
Sandra Riendeau asked if it was possible to change the recycling center’s hours of operation so that it would be open later at least one evening.
Benoit Lamontagne presented the Citizen of the Year award to Brad Brooks, along with a commendation from Governor Lynch for Brad’s display of respect, caring and kindness while completing his volunteer work.
Roland Cotnoir presented Benoit Lamontagne a plaque for his service and dedication to the Town of Colebrook.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:30 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Sheila M. Beauchemin
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