MINUTES OF THE MARCH 9,2010 TOWN MEETING HELD IN MONROE TOWN HALL, MONROE, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AT 8:55 P.M. BY MODERATOR DENIS WARD.

ARTICLE     1:  To choose all necessary Town Officers for the year ensuing.  (By Ballot)

 OFFICE                                             TERM                                  VOTES                      

SELECTMAN                                      THREE YEAR TERM           BRUCE FRAZER                     120 

TAX COLLECTOR                              THREE YEAR TERM           KEITH MERCHAND              129

TOWN CLERK                                   THREE YEAR TERM           MARILYN BEDELL                 131                                                    

TREASURER                                      ONE YEAR TERM               MONICA JAYNES                  131

TRUSTEE OF TRUST FUNDS          THREE YEAR TERM           LEONARD BONOSEVICH   111

LIBRARY TRUSTEE                           THREE YEAR TERM           PAULA GEIL                           121

SEXTON-MONROE VILLAGE        ONE YEAR TERM               LARRY THOMAS                   134

SEXTON-NORTH MONROE          ONE YEAR TERM               PAUL REGIS                           133 

PLANNING BOARD                         THREE YEAR TERM           GLENN FEARON                   131

BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT             FIVE YEAR TERM               WRITE-IN  JOHN LANG          8

BUDGET COMMITTEE                   THREE YEAR TERM           JOYCE CATE                           123                                     

                       DONNA MITTON                118                                     

                       LOTHAR RIBA                        74                                                                            

                       WRITE-IN :

                       LINDA WARD CLARK              8                                                           

                       Linda Clark cannot hold this office because she is on school board      

                        o position goes to 2nd   Highest write-in candidate

                       WRITE-IN:

                                                                                                           MIKE MONAGHAN                 7                                                                     

CLINIC COMMITTEE                       FIVE YEAR TERM               MARILYN BEDELL                 12   

Moderator Denis Ward read results of ballot voting and declared the winners.

ARTICLE     2.   To see if the Town will raise and appropriate the sum of $10,000.00 to be added to the Fire Truck Capital Reserve Fund previously established. (The Selectmen Recommend This Article)   Motion made by Gerry LaFlamme, seconded by Bruce Frazer

Discussion.  Vickie Giella asked about the large surplus, Bob Wormer explained why we carry such a high surplus.  Voice vote in the affirmative, motion passes, article passes.

ARTICLE     3.To see if the Town will raise and appropriate the sum of $10,000.00 to be added to the Highway Department Capital Reserve Fund previously established. (The Selectmen Recommend This Article)

Motion made by Gerry LaFlamme, seconded by Bob Wormer.  No Discussion.  Voice vote in the affirmative, motion passes, article passes.

ARTICLE     4.  To see if the Town will raise and appropriate the sum of $10,000.00 to be added to the Highway Department Loader Capital Reserve Fund previously established. (The Selectmen Recommend this article)

Motion made by Gerry LaFlamme, seconded by Bruce Frazer.  No discussion.  Voice vote in the affirmative, motion passes, article passes.

ARTICLE     5.  To see if the Town will vote to discontinue the Town Hall Paving Fund with said funds in the amount of $7,202.00 plus accumulated interest to date to be placed in the town’s general Fund. 

Motion made by Bruce Frazer, seconded by Joyce Cate.  Gerry explained that we did not spend as much on the town hall paving as anticipated and this was the money saved.  Voice vote in the affirmative, motion passes, article passes.

ARTICLE     6.   To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $7,202.00 to be added to the Town Building’s Maintenance Capital Reserve Fund, with said funds to come from surplus (this amount represents the funds from the discontinuation of the Town Hall Paving Fund in Article 5) (The Selectmen Recommend This Article). 

Motion made by Gerry LaFlamme, seconded by Bruce Frazer.  Explanation from Bruce Frazer that this money would be used for all the town buildings, for things like a roof for the town hall.  Any possible repairs that may come up.   Voice vote in the affirmative, motion passes, article passes.

ARTICLE     7.   To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $500.00 into the Cemetery Maintenance Fund previously established with said funds to come from surplus.(The Selectmen Recommend This Article) 

Motion made by Bruce Frazer, seconded by Bob Wormer.  Sandy Lang asked “What is this for?”  It was explained that when someone from out of town purchases a cemetery plot, the money goes into the general fund; this is to have it go into a special trust fund just for use in the cemeteries for upkeep and repairs.  Bettie Ward made an amendment to the motion that the word Trust be inserted after the word maintenance to make this legally correct.  Cindy Frazer explained that if someone from out of town purchases more grave sites this year, that money would be put into this trust fund next year.  Voice vote in the affirmative, amendment passes.   Voice vote in the affirmative, motion passes, article passes.

ARTICLE     8.  To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $5,000.00 to be added to the Monroe Clinic Trust Fund already previously established.(The Selectmen Recommend This article) 

Motion made by Marilyn Bedell, seconded by Bettie Ward.  No discussion.  Voice vote in the affirmative, motion passes, article passes.

ARTICLE     9.   To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $30,000.00 to be placed in the Assessing Expendable Trust Fund previously established with said funds to come from surplus. (The Selectmen Recommend This Article) 

Motion made by Gerry LaFlamme, seconded by Bob Wormer.  No discussion.  Voice vote in the affirmative, motion passes, article passes.

ARTICLE    10.  To see if the Town will vote to put a streetlight by Earl and Barbara Frost’s Driveway.

Motion made by Bettie Ward, seconded by Cindy Frazer.  Voice vote in the affirmative, motion passes, article passes.

ARTICLE    11.  To see if the Town will vote to modify the Elderly Exemption in accordance with RSA 72:39 –a to adopt the following exemptions $30,000.00 for ages 65 and older; with income levels of $25,000.00 for a single person and $30,000.00 for a married person and asset limits of $50,000.00 for a single or married person. 

Motion made by Gerry LaFlamme, seconded by Bob Wormer.   Gerry gave an explanation that this is to help seniors that own property in Monroe.  Joyce Cate asked if the property values would be the market value or the town’s assessor’s values.  The answer was that the town’s assessment would be used.  Any person 65 or older is welcome to come in and fill out the State paperwork and see if they qualify.  Voice vote in the affirmative, motion passes, article passes.

ARTICLE    12.  To see if the Town will vote to establish an Expendable Trust Fund for the Post Office Building and to raise and appropriate $6,790.00 to be placed in this fund with said funds to come from surplus; furthermore to appoint the Selectmen as agents. (The Selectmen Recommend This Article)   Motion made by Bettie Ward, seconded by Cindy Frazer

Merle Jones asked why this separate fund, Bob Wormer answered that this was the Post Office rental/lease money.  It is easier to keep this separate, so that the money can be used to do repairs and upkeep on this building.  Gerry LaFlamme mentioned the need for siding, a new chimney, and other repairs.  They would like to see this building self-supporting.  Discussion held about the improvements that have been done at the Post Office and the additional rent we are now receiving for it.  Voice vote in the affirmative, motion passes, article passes.

ARTICLE    13.   To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $8,800.00 to be placed in the Buildings Maintenance Capital Reserve Fund with such funds to come from surplus.(The Selectmen Recommend This Article)

Motion made by Bob Wormer, seconded by Bettie Ward.    No discussion.  Voice vote in the affirmative, motion passes, article passes.

ARTICLE    14.  To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate up to $25,000.00 to cover the initial startup costs and the first years operating costs for a Recycling Operation for the Town of Monroe. By Petition (The Selectmen Recommend This Article)  

Motion made by Bruce Frazer to raise $10,420.00 instead of the $25,000.00, seconded by Robin Nason. Question asked if we could lower this amount more by using town crew to do the work or even use volunteers.  Who is responsible if someone is hurt while working here?  The answer was , probably the Town of Monroe.  Another person asked if this meant we would lose our regular garbage pickup?  The answer was NO.    Rob Martin made the statement “that re-cycling was the way to go”.  “Can we keep it simple” was asked.  Merle Jones moved the question.  Voice vote in the affirmative, motion passes, article passes.

ARTICLE    15.    To see if the Town will raise and appropriate $18,200.00 to build a vault in the Old Fire Station for Town Records.( The Selectmen Recommend This Article) 

Motion made by Gerry LaFlamme, seconded by Bettie Ward.  Questions about what the vault would be used for?  Will it be big enough for future needs?  More discussion.  Voice vote in the affirmative, motion passes, article passes.

ARTICLE    16.  To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate $765,567.00 (operating budget only) for general operations. This article does not include special or individual articles addressed. 

Motion made by Bruce Frazer, seconded by Bob Wormer.    VanGeorge Belanger asked what would the total budget be if all the money raised was added in to this total? The answer was $866,477.00.  Voice vote in the affirmative, motion passes, article passes.

ARTICLE    17.    To see if the Town will approve the following resolution to be forwarded to our State Representative (s), our State senator, the Speaker of the House, and the senate president. Resolved: The citizens of New Hampshire should be allowed to vote on an amendment to the New Hampshire Constitution that defines “marriage”. By Petition. 

Motion made by Bettie Ward, seconded by Bob Wormer.  Lots of discussion.  Voice vote in the negative,  motion fails, article fails.

ARTICLE    18.   To hear all reports of committees and officers heretofore chosen and pass any vote related thereto. 

Bob Wormer, Selectmen’s Representative to the Planning Board announced that on April 12th there will be an informational meeting here at the Town Hall held by the Planning Board.

Bettie Ward asked why the Town Reports were not mailed this year as they had been done in the past.  Cindy Frazer explained that it saved the town quite a bit of money to have the residents come and pick them up.  Bettie asked if a motion could be made to have them mailed next year, Moderator Denis Ward told her she could not make a motion at this time, Gail Miller asked if a “Straw Vote" could be taken.  A voice vote in the affirmative that people would prefer to have them mailed as in the past.

Priscilla Powers was presented with a bouquet of yellow roses on the event of her retiring as a ballot clerk for the Town.  She has been a ballot clerk for over 40 years.  She was given a standing ovation.

To transact any other business that may legally come before said meeting.

Motion made by Merle Jones to adjourn this meeting, seconded by Cindy Frazer.  Voice vote in the affirmative, motion passes, meeting adjourned at 10:35 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted,

Marilyn S. Bedell, C.T.C.

Monroe Town Clerk