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and all corrections to the following minutes will be made at the 02/06/03
Board of Selectmen's meeting and are considered unapproved until then.
Corrections will be noted in the minutes of that meeting.
MINUTES - SPECIAL MEETING - BOARD OF SELECTMEN
JANUARY 23rd, 2003
NEWFANE TOWN OFFICE
PRESENT:
Selectmen:
Piet van Loon, Jesse Anderson, Gorty Baldwin, Lynn Bedell, and Gary Katz.
Also Present:
Doris Knechtel as Administrative Assistant.
G. Gorton Baldwin, III took the oath of office of Selectman earlier in
the day by Notary Public, Doris A. Knechtel. (12 VSA S 5852)
1. CALL TO ORDER
The regular meeting was called to order by Chairman Piet van Loon at 8:11
p.m.
2. FINAL BUDGET APPROVAL
A. EXPENSES
Board members reviewed the expenses as proposed for the Fiscal Year 2004
as presented and explained by D. Knechtel. The amount for the Windham
County Tax has been reduced by a few hundred dollars. The question was
raised about the possibility of adding additional funds for more gravel
to be placed on the gravel roads. J. Anderson indicated that the town
appears to be gaining with the program that the highway department is
currently using and no additional funds need to be added. The total proposed
expenditures for the town to be presented at town meeting is $854,133,
an increase of 2.41% above the amount approved for Fiscal Year 2003.
B. REVENUES
The anticipated revenues, other than the amount to be received from taxes
and from the State Land Use Taxes is $205,200, which is less that the
previous year. It is not known if there will be any funds from the state
for bridges and/or paving grants.
C. CAPITAL
D. Knechtel explained the Capital Budget and Plan to be voted on at the
upcoming town meeting. The equipment costs have been updated by J. Gray
from a previous board meeting. What is to be voted on at the meeting is
the amount to be raised in taxes to be put into the capital reserve fund
($70,000), the amount to be expensed for the projects ($185,419) along
with the amount of reserve funds to be used ($121,419), and the amount
to be borrowed ($60,000).
Board members discussed whether or not to use some of the undesignated
funds from FY 2002 to add to the Capital Reserve Funds. The total amount
of the undesignated funds for FY 2002 is $89,651 of which $10,000 is to
be put into a special Capital reserve fund for the Village Sidewalk project
leaving $24,000 of undesignated funds to be used for any shortfalls in
FY 2003. The remaining $55,651 could be used to reduce taxes for FY 2004.
Motion was made by G. Katz and seconded by P. van Loon to use the $55,651
to reduce the amount to be raised for the FY 2004 taxes. Discussion: G.
Katz felt that the full amount should be used to reduce taxes. Other Board
members felt that $10,000 should be put into the Town's Capital Reserve
Fund to help for the years when the amount raised was reduced to keep
taxes lower. Vote: In favor: G. Katz. Opposed: J. Anderson, G. Baldwin
and L. Bedell. Motion fails.
2. C. CAPITAL - (cont.)
Motion was made by J. Anderson and seconded by L. Bedell to designate
$10,000 from the undesignated surplus from FY 2002 to the Town's Capital
Reserve Fund with $45,651 to be designated for the amount to be used to
reduce taxes for FY 2004. In favor: J. Anderson, G. Baldwin and L. Bedell.
Opposed: G. Katz. Motion passes.
3. FINAL ARTICLES OF WARNING
The Board reviewed the articles as presented. Today at 5:00 p.m. was the
final date and time for petitions to be filed for articles to be placed
on the warning. Nothing new has been received since the last draft articles
of warning had been presented to the Board. L. Bedell expressed some concern
about having SEVCA presented as a separate article on the warning and
not being listed as a budget itembeing in the budget as the other articles
that are more than $2,000. It was agreed by the Board at a previous meeting
to have SEVCA presented as a separate article as they had asked to be
increased from $400 to $1,600. Let the voters decide on the amount rather
than having the Board reduce the request. The Board will wait until after
further discussion at the end of the meeting to vote on the entire budget
and articles.
4. TO TRANSACT ANY OTHER BUSINESS THAT MAY COME BEFORE THE NEWFANE BOARD
OF SELECTMEN
A. Board members were given the calculations for an estimated tax rate
using the budget numbers discussed earlier in the meeting along with the
education budgets and the estimated education property tax liabilities
from the state. The current tax rate for this year is $2.35, $0.46 for
the town and $1.89 for the schools. The proposed rate may be $2.55, $0.46
for the town and $2.09 for the schools. The difference for the schools
comes from the estimated education property tax liabilities prepared by
the state. The proposed total school budgets have not increased by much.
B. Correction to the Grand List - Motion was made by L. Bedell and seconded
by J. Anderson to approve of the correction in value on the Grand List
for Bradley Cassella and Darlene Ballantine from $9,000 to $2,500 due
to the removal of a mobile home and contiguous credit for parcel added.
Unanimous. The issue of tax abatement will be taken up at the Board of
Abatement meeting on 01/27/03.
C. Correction to the Grand List - Motion was made by L. Bedell and seconded
by G. Baldwin to approve of the correction in value to the Grand List
for Stephen Sargent and Patricia Sargent from $161,900 to $160,500 due
to the removal of a mobile home from the property. Unanimous. The issue
of tax abatement will be taken up at the Board of Abatement meeting on
01/27/03.
D. Board members discussed who would be speaking for the Board at Town
Meeting as the current Chairman of the Board is the Moderator. They will
discuss the matter at a future Board meeting. They may divide up the responsibilities.
E. There was discussion of an additional page to be added to the Town
Report in memoriam of a departed Newfane resident who served the town
for many years in various capacities.
Administrative Assistant, D. Knechtel, left the meeting at 9:55 p.m.
2. FINAL BUDGET APPROVAL
A. EXPENSES - (cont.)
The Board reviewed the draft expense budget with emphasis on salary adjustments.
Motion was made by G. Katz and seconded by J. Anderson to approve the
budget as presented. In favor: P. van Loon, J. Anderson, G. Baldwin and
G. Katz. Opposed: L. Bedell. Motion passes.
3. FINAL ARTICLES OF WARNING - (cont.)
Motion was made by G. Katz and seconded by G. Baldwin to approve the articles
of warning for the March 4, 2003 town meeting as presented. Unanimous.
4. TO TRANSACT ANY
OTHER BUSINESS THAT MAY COME BEFORE THE NEWFANE BOARD OF SELECTMEN - (cont.)
F. The Board discussed potential review for the Administrative Assistant.
The Chairman will conduct the review with the Board's guidance, in the
near future.
5. ADJOURNMENT
Motion was made by P. van Loon and seconded by G. Katz to adjourn the
Special Meeting of the Board at 10:25 p.m. Unanimous.
Doris A. Knechtel
Administrative Assistant
Newfane Board of Selectmen
Posted: Town Clerk's Office, Newfane Store, Williamsville General Store,
and South Newfane General Store & Deli. www.newfanevt.com
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