[gview file="http://69.89.31.68/~vdoenhor/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2014-Annual-Meeting-Minutes.pdf"]Village District of Eidelweiss
Madison, NH 03849
Minutes for the Annual Meeting
February 22, 2014
Voting opened at 8 am. Supervisors of the checklist Emily Sheppard, Cheryl Brooks and Jennifer Garside were present.
Prior to the opening of the deliberative session, Nancy Cole is appointed by Moderator Bob Ingram as Clerk Pro-tem. Nancy Cole accepts the appointment.
Deliberative session was called to order by Moderator Bob Ingram at 10:03 am. Moderator Bob Ingram leads those present in the Pledge of Allegiance. A moment of silence for those who have passed in the last year, with special note to Moderator E. Peter Craugh, is held. Elected officials present are introduced as is VDOE Attorney Dan Crean; Moderator Bob Ingram, Commissioners Mark Graffam, Ron Sandstrom and Mike Smith; Treasurer Dinah Reiss and Clerk Nancy Cole. [expand title="More Text"]
Meeting procedures are outlined, including the procedure for reconsideration of an Article.
James (Jay) Buckley makes a motion to allow non-registered voters to speak. Larry Leonard seconds. Motion is voted and the motion passed unanimously.
ARTICLE 1
To choose all necessary officers for the coming year; One Commissioner (three year term), Moderator (two year term), Treasurer (one year term), and Clerk (one year term).
Election results are read upon delivery to the Moderator by the Checklist Supervisors and are as follows: Commissioner Larry Leonard; Moderator Bob Ingram; Treasurer Dinah Reiss; Clerk Jay Buckley.
ARTICLE 2
To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $281,890.00 for the purpose of obtaining a grader for the Highway Department, and to authorize the Commissioners to enter into a ten (10) year lease for this purpose; and to further raise and appropriate the sum of $29,226.00 for the first year's payment. Funds for this appropriation will be raised by trade of the 1982 John Deere Grader with funds for the first year’s lease payment from the Unassigned Fund Balance and future lease payments to be raised by general taxation.
(2/3 Majority Ballot Vote required)
Ron Sandstrom moves Article 2 to the floor. Mike Smith seconds. Discussion on the need for a road grader, condition of existing grader and training of personnel ensues. Moderator Bob Ingram opens the polls for voting on Article 2 at 10:24. At 10:35 the polls are closed on Article 2. Results are announced upon delivery to the Moderator by the Checklist Supervisors.
Article 2 passed with 18 for, 1 against.
ARTICLE 3
To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $93,728.00 for the purchase of a backhoe. Funds for this appropriation are to be raised by trade or sale of the 1999 Caterpillar 416-C backhoe with remaining funds coming from the Unassigned Fund Balance.
Ron Sandstrom moves Article 3 to the floor. Mike Smith seconds. Ron Sandstrom moves to amend Article 3 as follows: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $93,728.00 for the purchase of a backhoe. Funds for this appropriation are to be raised by trade or sale of the 1999 Caterpillar 416-C backhoe, $50,000 from the Unassigned Fund Balance, and remaining funds from general taxation.
The proposed amendment is discussed. Unassigned Fund Balance in discussed. Amendment is called for a vote and the amendment passed.
Article 3, as amended, is called for a vote. Article 3 passed unanimously.
ARTICLE 4
To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $67,000 for the purchase of a 2014 all-wheel drive truck. Funds for this appropriation will be from the Unassigned Fund Balance.
Mike Smith moves Article 4 to the floor. Ron Sandstrom seconds. Discussion ensues. Mike Smith motions to move Article 4 to the table pending results of Article 2. Ron Sandstrom seconds. Article 4 is tabled.
Following reading of results for Article 2, Mark Graffam moves to take Article 4 off the table and bring to the floor. Mike Smith seconds. Equipment needs are outlined and discussed.
Article 4 is called for a vote. Article 4 passed unanimously.
ARTICLE 5
To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $364,805.00 for the general operation of the District. Funds for this appropriation shall be raised by general taxation.
Mike Smith moves Article 5. Ron Sandstrom seconds. Discussion is held on the relationship between equipment and budgetary needs. Mark Graffam motions to move Article 5 to the table pending results of Article 2. Ron Sandstrom seconds. Article 5 tabled.
Following reading of results for Article 2, Mark Graffam moves to take Article 5 off the table and bring to the floor. Mike Smith seconds.
Mark Graffam makes a motion to amend the budget by reducing $8,000 for a total of $356,805. Ralph Lutjen seconds the amendment. Discussion on budgetary needs and levels of spending within the VDOE ensues. Amendment is called for a vote and the amendment passed unanimously.
Ralph Lutjen makes a motion to further amend the budget by an additional $7,500 to $349,305 as a result of the medical insurance increase. Jude Devlin seconds the motion to amend. Discussion ensues on line items with specific focus on the employee benefits line item increase. Amendment is called for a vote and the motion failed with 6 for and 13 against.
Article 5, as amended to $356,805 is called for a vote. Article 5 passed unanimously.
ARTICLE 6
To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $21,000.00 for the purpose of repairing governmental buildings including the cabana, DPW I/office building, and beach outhouses. Funds for this appropriation will be from the Unassigned Fund Balance.
Mike Smith moves Article 6. Ron Sandstrom seconds. Discussion is held on the need to repair the buildings owned and used by the VDOE. Bid process for work outlined; obtaining of estimates for repair and specifications outlined. Use of the Cabana building by the Sheriff’s Department for radio communications is discussed. The need for storage space within the District is outlined and discussed.
Article 6 is called for a vote. Article 6 passed unanimously.
ARTICLE 7
To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $151,300.00 for the general operation of the water system of the District. Funds for this appropriation shall be raised by water user fees.
Mark Graffam moves Article 7. Ron Sandstrom seconds. Change in water operator last year is outlined and discussed. Use of for profit companies as the licensed water operator is discussed. The water system and control of the system are discussed. Mark Graffam outlines an alternative strategy to bring control of the water system back to the VDOE by transitioning to employees as licensed water operators. This transition is supported by NH Department of Environmental Services. The ability to use the backhoe for water projects and control costs for water system projects is discussed. The future benefit to be able to move to a management structure within the VDOE is outlined. The benefit of having experienced, hands on, employees for the water system is discussed. Discussion on the need to control costs and the budget ensues.
Article 7 is called for a vote. Article 7 passed unanimously.
ARTICLE 8
To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $50,000 for the purpose of making and repairing connections to the District water system, extending or repairing water lines and making general improvements to the water system. Funds for this appropriation shall be offset by water connection fees.
Mark Graffam moves Article 8. Ron Sandstrom seconds. Discussion on the appearance of this Article as a standing Article every year is held.
Article 8 is called for a vote. Article 8 passed.
ARTICLE 9
To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $20,000.00 for development of a web based water, road, drainage and utility easement asset management system. Funds for this appropriation will be from the Unassigned Fund Balance.
Mark Graffam moves Article 9. Ron Sandstrom seconds. Discussion on the need for asset management maps and documentation of systems within the VDOE is outlined and discussed. Discussion on the storm water management proposal received and how existence of asset management maps for roads, easements and prescriptive easements will reduce the costs associated with such additional studies is held. Benefit to the water system by having one map available upon which all assets, including valves, water mains, curb stops, etc, are shown is held. A recommendation for homeowners to mark the location of their curb stop valve is made.
Article 9 is called for a vote. Article 9 passed unanimously.
ARTICLE 10
To act upon any other business that may legally come before said meeting.
Nancy Cole makes a motion to see if the District will vote to advise the Commissioners to pursue the alternative strategy outlined for water system operations; move to hire a licensed water operator who is not a for-profit business and stipulate within the contract for this licensed water operator that training of VDOE employees for the field experience needed for licensure is required. Mark Graffam seconds.
Recommendation is called for a vote. Recommendation passed unanimously.
Jay Buckley requests that the Board consider a mailing of all information prior to the Annual Meeting. Jay Buckley thanks Mark Graffam, Dorothy Wondolowski and Bob Ingram for their service to the VDOE as elected officials.
Bob Ingram thanks the Eidelweiss Property Owner’s Association for the refreshments.
Ron Sandstrom states that the District website now has a “stay connected” feature through which persons can sign up to receive an email upon updates to the www.vdoe-nh.org website.
At 12:05 pm Mark Graffam makes a motion to dissolve the VDOE 2014 Annual Meeting. Mike Smith seconds. Motion to dissolve passed unanimously
Respectfully submitted,
Nancy E. Cole
Clerk
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