By Muriel Bristol | March 15, 2019
The Milton Board of Selectmen (BOS) have posted their agenda for a BOS meeting to be held Monday, March 18.
This meeting is scheduled to begin with a Non-Public session beginning at 5:30 PM. That agenda has two Non-Public items classed as 91-A:3 II (a) and 91-A3 II (b).
91-A:3 II (a) The dismissal, promotion, or compensation of any public employee or the disciplining of such employee, or the investigation of any charges against him or her, unless the employee affected (1) has a right to a meeting and (2) requests that the meeting be open, in which case the request shall be granted.
91-A:3 II (b) The hiring of any person as a public employee.
A new Town year begins with a secret meeting, about raises and hiring. It is like they cannot help themselves. It does beg a question: legally, can Selectman-elect Rawson participate in this prior to being sworn?
The BOS intend to adjourn their Non-Public BOS session at approximately (*) 6:00 PM, when they intend to return to Public session.
The Public portion of the agenda has New Business, Old Business, and some housekeeping items.
Under New Business are scheduled twelve agenda items: 1) Swearing in Newly Elected Officials, Board and Committee Members, 2) Re-Organization of Board of Selectmen, 3) Board of Selectmen Committee/Board Assignments: a. Budget Committee b. Planning Board c. Zoning Board of Adjustment d. Economic Development Committee e. Recreation Commission f. School Board, 4) Board of Selectmen By-Law Discussion, 5) Board of Selectmen Recording Clerk Contractual Agreement Approval (Danielle Marique), 6) 2019 Town Election Results Discussion, 7) Request Approval of Motor Vehicle Registration Fees Abatement, 1 of 2 (M. Beauchamp), 8) Request Approval of Motor Vehicle Registration Fees Abatement, 2 of 2 (M. Beauchamp), 9) Durgin Fund Reimbursement for Veterans’ Park Project (Michelle Beauchamp), 10) Approval of Payment to JS Marine & Vinyl Works (Richard Krauss), 11) Town Ordinance Exception Request (David Paey), and 12) Discussion With Atlantic Broadband Representative Re.: Franchise Renewal (Dave Owen).
Agenda Item #12 has a fixed time of 6:30 PM. The other items will “flow” around this fixed time.
Swearing in Newly Elected Officials, Board and Committee Members; Re-Organization of Board of Selectmen; Board of Selectmen Committee/Board Assignments: a. Budget Committee, b. Planning Board, c. Zoning Board of Adjustment, d. Economic Development Committee, e. Recreation Commission, and f. School Board. All of the newly-elected officials are to be sworn; the BOS will identify their Chairman (or Chairwoman) and Vice-Chairman (or Vice-Chairwoman); and they will decide which selectman or selectwoman will sit on which Town committee.
As there are six committees and three selectmen, an even division would be two committees per selectman. Last year, Selectman Lucier hung back and took only one, while Vice-Chairwoman Hutchings picked up his slack.
Board of Selectmen By-Law Discussion. Will they continue Selectman Thibeault’s meeting by-laws?
Board of Selectmen Recording Clerk Contractual Agreement Approval (Danielle Marique). Renewal of the Recording Clerk’s contract.
2019 Town Election Results Discussion. The Town budget was rejected, 614 (61.6%) to 382 (38.4%). None of last year’s selectmen voted like the (nearly two-thirds) majority of the voters that rejected the increased Town budget. The BOS served again in their accustomed role as rubber stamps for more increases. Might this discussion include their apology, accompanied by a promise to better represent the taxpayers’ interests in the future? We shall see. Wonders never cease.
Request Approval of Motor Vehicle Registration Fees Abatement. Times two. When last this occurred it was an adjustment for a vehicle no longer owned.
Durgin Fund Reimbursement for Veterans’ Park Project. The Ira S. Knox Fund (AKA the Durgin Fund).
Approval of Payment to JS Marine & Vinyl Works. Although the States of New Hampshire and Maine have sole jurisdiction on the ponds, the Milton Police Navy feels a need to be a “presence” there. When last seen, Chief Krauss wanted $40,000 for a “patrol truck” capable of towing their boat. At that time, he mentioned that their boat had been damaged by the ice.
Town Ordinance Exception Request. On February 20, the Milton Planning Board voted 7-0 to “approve the request to renew the existing excavation permit submitted by David Paey Jr. owner / excavator, property located at 76 Piggot Rd.”
Discussion With Atlantic Broadband Representative Re.: Franchise Renewal. Cable TV is on its way out. (They raise prices like selectmen). One hopes at least that the contract term is a short one, allowing for future developments.
Under Old Business are scheduled two items: 13) Follow Up Discussion on Town Owned Properties, and 14) Follow Up Discussion on Town Vehicles / Equipment.
Town-Owned Properties. When last seen, the BOS was inching towards auctioning the three-year tax seizures. Chairman Thibeault would not “support” including the “Blue House,” valued at $168,300, in the list. He preferred giving it away to his favorite private organization. Here is his chance for a recount.
Finally, there will be the approval of prior minutes (from the BOS meeting of March 4, 2019), the expenditure report, Public Comments “Pertaining to Topics Discussed,” Town Administrator comments, and BOS comments.
Mr. S.D. Plissken contributed to this article.
References:
NH Magazine. (2016, January). Losing Your Home. Retrieved from www.nhmagazine.com/January-2016/Losing-Your-Home/
State of New Hampshire. (2016, June 21). RSA Chapter 91-A. Access to Governmental Records and Meetings. Retrieved from www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/VI/91-A/91-A-3.htm
Town of Milton. (2018, March 15). BOS Meeting Agenda, March 18, 2019. Retrieved from www.miltonnh-us.com/sites/miltonnh/files/events/3.18.19_bos_agenda.pdf
Youtube. (1965). Cone of Silence. Retrieved from www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1eUIK9CihA&feature=youtu.be&t=19
Mr. Andrew “Andy” Rawson explained in a statement that he was away on a vacation that he had planned for two years. Okay. The remainder of his statement does not suggest that he has learned anything at all since he was turned out of office last year (by current Vice-Chairwoman Erin Hutchings with a very narrow margin).
Mr. Adam G. Sturtevant went first. He spoke of efficiencies of scale, return on investment (as well as its acronym ROI), brick and mortar, “muh services,” etc. When prodded, he offered this final answer:
[Regarding Milton Town taxation as an “existential threat”:]. Yes, it is. You hear a lot of people say that. Older folks. I don’t want to be eating cat food. But the way the Town is going right now, with the tax increases and things like that, that’s where it’s headed. I am going to do whatever I can, within my capacity, to lower taxes. I mean, that’s the goal. It really is a sinking ship when you look at the amount of people that are trying to possibly move out of Town or find a better place with a lower tax rate. What I really want to do is try to grab a bucket and bail some of the water out of the ship. That’s really my goal. And whatever I need to do to make that happen, that’s what I’m going to do. Within my capacity, because I’m one of three.
Much concern arises from the vast sums of money that have been spent already, such as the exceedingly expensive Fire palazzo, for which Chief Marique claimed the credit and responsibility. I have heard many, including some highly-placed officials, question the basic wisdom of this purchase. Whether it was money well spent is perhaps no longer an issue, but the scale of it hardly whets the appetite for still more. Many are feeling fairly “stuffed” right now, thank you. And engendering that overfed feeling was a part of the station’s cost too.
Mr. Duchesneau, put forward an overall claim that he could run the EMT Department at a lower cost than the incumbent, Chief Marique.
A “concerned” tax cutter is going to need intestinal fortitude as well as technical fortitude in order to choose lower taxes. The usually-proffered third choice also entails a less obvious “sacrifice”: sacrificing the interests of struggling taxpayers and, ultimately, sacrificing those taxpayers entirely.
Milton Observer 