Selectboard Minutes
Minutes
Town of Greenfield
Greenfield Town Offices, 7 Sawmill Road Greenfield, NH
Selectboard’s Minutes
Thursday, April 25, 2019 – 4:30 PM
Selectboard: Chair Margaret A. Charig Bliss, Selectman Robert Marshall, Selectwoman Karen Day
Staff: Aaron Patt, Town Administrator; Katherine Heck, Treasurer
Public:
Documents for Review/Approval:
- A/P Check Register – 04/24/2019
- Greenfield State Park – GPD Patrol Grant
- Selectboard Minutes – 04/18/19
- Tax Deferral Application – (1)
Items for Discussion in the Public Session:
1) Meeting House EDDM
2) NHDOT 2019 Resurfacing Schedule
3) Hillsborough County Budget letter
4:30 PM: Selectboard Work Session
At 4:30 pm, Chairwoman Charig Bliss opened the meeting. The Selectboard discussed the Every Door Direct Mailer (EDDM) of the Meeting House Restoration Kick-off flyer. The EDDM mailing will go to every mailing address in Greenfield. The mailer includes a letter to residents from the Selectboard and the Friends of the Meeting House. The Selectboard reviewed the letter and held a discussion. At the conclusion of the discussion, the Board agreed that the mailing was ready for review by the Friends of the Meeting House (the Friends). The Board reviewed and approved an email with the draft EDDM mailing, to the Friends. The Board discussed next steps depending on feedback from the Friends. The Selectboard received an update on the LCHIP building assessment progress. The Board concluded the discussion with an update from the Chair on the ongoing efforts to secure a facilitator for the kick-off meeting.
The Selectboard voted on a motion by the Chair and a second by Selectwoman Day, 3-0 in favor of the Consent Agenda.
5:30 PM: Public Forum
At 5:30pm the Selectboard Chair, seeing that no-one was present for the public forum, asked the Selectboard members whether or not they could move Katherine Heck up several minutes.
5:45 PM: Katherine Heck, Treasurer
At 5:35pm the Selectboard welcomed the Treasurer. Treasurer Heck outlined the Year-to-Date cash-flow for town government. Interest revenues are off to a strong start, with year-to-date interest income stronger than last year’s revenue by this time. Mrs. Heck stated that based on this year’s cash-flow that she is in favor of a May 1st mailing of the tax bills, which was also the timeframe in 2018. Treasurer Heck next outlined that fund balance, as support for cash-flow, has been improving in recent years. However, she stated that she believes the town should be targeting 12% fund balance retention instead of 9-10%. The increase in fund balance retention will reduce uncertainties, which we face each year as we head into June, in advance of the first tax bill. Mrs. Heck cited several areas of concern, which are areas of the budget which have grown over the past decade. Expansion of the number of full-time employees increases the cost of health insurance and retirement benefits. The town’s welfare budget has increased 52.4% over the past decade, while inflation has increased only 19.5% in the same time frame. These costs increase the amount of cash flow necessary to pay the bills each month. Selectman Marshall asked a question about the State contribution and a Bill that is in the legislature to have the State contribute again to retirement benefits (the State withdrew its subsidy of retirement for local governments after 2012). There followed a discussion on past State contributions, including the revenue contribution, retirement contribution, and Medicaid at the County level (which ended in 2008). It was noted during the conversation that resumption of State contribution toward retirement is likely nominal, compared to the amount of total contribution that has been dropped in the past decade; however, any help that stabilizes the trajectory of increasing costs is welcome.
The Chair asked about Mrs. Heck’s role with the Friends of the Meeting House. Mrs. Heck stated that she does not have a role with the Friends; however, as she has a lot of experience in fund raising and setting up non-profits for fund raising she is helping the group file their paperwork with the State and the IRS. There followed a conversation about the role of fund raising non-profits and how the municipality works with a number of 501(C)(3) organizations. Mrs. Heck pointed to several other groups that the Selectboard works with regularly: the Firefighter’s Association, the Greenfield PTO, the GIVers, and a number of other non-profits that interface with the municipality. Mrs. Heck outlined some of the ways in which 501(C)(3)s operate, citing examples of how the booster clubs work with ConVal. A brief discussion on how the 501(C)(3) is set-up with the Meeting House as the beneficiary was held. Mrs. Heck stated that the Selectboard as the governing body will be responsible for the overall municipal process for the restoration, in the same way that it always is for municipal projects. The Friends are there as a support similar to how the firefighter’s association helps the fire department.
Selectman Marshall left at 6:30pm to attend a ConVal Selectmen’s Advisory Committee (SAC) meeting.
The Board discussed the funding components necessary to fund the restoration of the Meeting House. The Selectboard is waiting on the LCHIP building assessment, which covers the restoration phases and the costs associated with each phase. Selectwoman Day stated that this outline is needed so the Selectboard can identify the steps needed. Selectwoman Day stated that the residents of Greenfield need a chance to dream a little about how the Meeting House should look and not just react to the price tag. She stated that she hoped that the residents would have a chance to engage in building a vision for their meeting house.
A discussion on a recent class that Treasurer Heck attended with the New Hampshire Government Finance Officers was held. Mrs. Heck is attending a two-year certification course for which she applied and received a scholarship.
At 7:22 the meeting ended.
Adjournment
At 7:25 pm Selectman Marshall made a motion to adjourn the meeting, the motion was seconded by the Selectwoman Day, the motion carried 3-0.