ARTICLE 1 (Results of election of officers held the day prior): Moderator for two years: Daniel Hazelton, Select Board: Aaron Allen, Town Clerk: Michelle Goffreda, Treasurer: Trish Weekes, Tax Collector: Sharon Proulx, Deeding Agent: Sharon Proulx, Road Agent: Scott Sanborn, Budget Committee member for three years: Bob Proulx, Budget Committee for one year: Louis Shelzi, Cemetery Trustee for three years: Tamara Fairbank, Cemetery Trustee for one year: Gulley Dunlap, Trustee of Trust Funds for three years: Pauline Emerson, two Planning Board members for three years: Donald McFarland and Hilary Allen, Planning Board member for one year: Bruce Ells (write-in), Supervisor of the Checklist for six years: Beth DiFrancesco. (All terms one year unless otherwise noted.)
ARTICLE 2: To see if the Town will authorize the Tax Collector to accept the prepayment of taxes pursuant to RSA 80:52-a. Taxpayers shall be allowed to prepay taxes no more than two years in advance of the due date of the taxes. No interest shall accrue to the taxpayer on any prepayment, nor shall any interest be paid to the taxpayer on any prepayment which is later subject to rebate or refund.
Recommended by the Select Board (3-0)
Article passed by voice vote.
ARTICLE 3: To see if the Town will vote to adopt the provisions of RSA 72:28-b, the All Veterans’ Tax Credit. If adopted, the credit will be available to any resident, or the spouse or surviving spouse of any resident, who served not less than 90 days on active service in the armed forces of the United States and was honorably discharged or an officer honorably separated from services and is not eligible for or receiving a credit under RSA 72:28 or RSA 72:35. If adopted, the credit granted will be $200, which is the same amount as the optional veterans’ tax credit voted by the Town of Orange under RSA 72:28.
Recommended by the Select Board (3-0)
Article passed by paper ballot: yes: 31, no: 6.
ARTICLE 4: To see if the Town will vote to adopt, pursuant to RSA 72:62, for persons owning real property, a property tax exemption for solar energy systems as defined by RSA 72:61; such exemption to equal 100% of assessed value of the solar system up to the maximum of $25,000.00.
Recommended by the Select Board (3-0)
Article failed by hand count: yes: 15, no: 17.
(Consideration for amendments to remove cap and increase cap to $50,000 both failed)
ARTICLE 5: To see if the town will vote pursuant to RSA 35:16 to change the purpose and name of the existing Town Road Improvement Capital Reserve Fund established by Article 8 at the 2006 town meeting for the purpose of maintaining town roads, to become the Flood Event of July 11, 2019 Road Repairs Capital Reserve Fund for the purpose of repairing and improving roads damaged by the flood event of July 11, 2019, and to name the Selectmen as the agents to expend. This article requires a 2/3 vote.
Recommended by the Select Board 3-0
Recommend by the Budget Committee 3-0
Article amended:
“To see if the town will vote pursuant to RSA 35:16 to change the purpose and name of the existing Town Road Improvement Capital Reserve Fund established by Article 8 at the 2006 town meeting for the purpose of maintaining town roads, to become the Road Improvement and Repair Capital Reserve Fund for the purpose of improving roads and making repairs to damages caused by catastrophic weather events.”
Amended article passed by voice vote.
ARTICLE 6: To see if the town will spend $1,187,000 on road repairs and receive $890,250 from the federal government if the town is willing, able, and authorized to accept such funds and to pay the balance (up to $296,750), which Mascoma Bank (through its community banking program), will loan to the town at 2 percent interest with a payback time of up to 7 years.
Recommended by the Select Board 3-0
Recommend by the Budget Committee 3-0
Background to Article 6:
Whereas the Town suffered significant damages to its roadways and roadway infrastructure during the flash flood of July 2019 and;
Whereas a Federal Disaster Declaration resulted in the Town’s ability to receive disaster money
from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and;
Whereas the cash available from FEMA is presently estimated to be $890,250 and;
Whereas The Town’s ability to receive monies from FEMA is contingent on paying for 25% of the total cost of restoring, repairing, and improving the roads ($1,187,000);
The town presents this Warrant Article that acknowledges the following:
To facilitate the town’s ability to pay FEMA-approved repairs prior to receipt of FEMA funds for such, the town shall open a bank account with a revolving line of credit (for convenience being called a FEMA reimbursement anticipation note or FRAN). Beginning June 1, 2020, the loan of $900,000 for 1 year, will be used on a revolving basis; funds will be drawn to cover expenditures made to repair and improve roads and then replenished as FEMA funds are received. Interest on that loan is expected to be less than $2,000, payable from town funds. That loan will have a balance (unknown at this time) at its maturity, on June 1, 2021. The Select Board at that time will need to borrow at 2 percent interest the remainder of that FRAN, up to $296,750. This is a special interest rate for disaster-related repair financing. The loan will be repaid over a period of up to 7 years. Funds to repay the loan will be generated from an increase to the tax rate to be determined at town meeting in 2021.
This article was disqualified by the Department of Revenue Administration (DRA) because it requires a special public hearing before the town votes on a long term loan, and even though the budget hearing where the article was discussed and recommended had been legally posted, the DRA said they needed to have a separate hearing. The townspeople voted in favor of holding a special town meeting in the near future to deliberate and vote on the article.
ARTICLE 7: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate eight thousand dollars ($8,000.00) to be paid into the Highway Equipment Capital Reserve Fund.
Recommended by the Select Board (3-0)
Recommended by the Budget Committee (3-0)
Article passed by voice vote.
ARTICLE 8: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate four thousand dollars ($4,000.00) to be paid into the Town House Capital Reserve Fund.
Recommended by the Select Board (3-0)
Recommended by the Budget Committee (3-0)
Article passed by voice vote.
ARTICLE 9: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate four thousand dollars ($4,000.00) to be paid into the Revaluation Capital Reserve Fund for the purpose of revaluation of real estate. Revaluations of all real estate are required by law every five years.
Recommended by the Select Board (3-0)
Recommended by the Budget Committee (3-0)
Article passed by voice vote.
ARTICLE 10: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the Budget Committee’s recommended sum of $228,085.00, not including appropriations by special warrant articles and other appropriations voted separately, for the ensuing year for the Town’s general operations.
Recommended by the Select Board (3-0)
Recommended by the Budget Committee (3-0)
Article passed by voice vote.
ARTICLE 11: To hear the reports of agents, auditors, committees and officers and to transact any other business that may legally come before this meeting.
Reconsideration of Article 4 failed. Limit to restrict reconsideration of Article 4 passed. Artwork by Rosemary Haness presented by Gary Hamel. Several appreciations voiced.