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BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Angela Sanborn, Ann Golob, Mike Fitzpatrick (phone), Jeffrey Chevalier, and Katy Johnson-Aplin.
OTHERS PRESENT: Jay Wilson (Road Foreman), Melissa Brown (Treasurer), and Wannetta Powling (Administrative Assistant). Sheriff Mark Anderson (phone)
CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order at 6:02 p.m. by Chair Angela Sanborn.
MEETING WARNING: Powling confirmed that the meeting was properly warned.
ADDITIONS/ AMENDMENTS TO AGENDA:
Golob requested an addition to Old Business – Property Update
NEW BUSINESS:
Budget – Melissa Brown stated that there were only two items that needed to finish in the capital section; the first one is for Law Enforcement (Page 5), and the second one is to move retreatment and sealing from the road maintenance into the capital.
Discussion ensued:
Expenditures
Open Items from the November 28 budget meeting included the amount of funding needed for Law Enforcement.
Discussion ensued:
Sheriff Mark Anderson was contacted by phone to address the question the Selectboard members had regarding the availability of increased patrols for Newfane if the budget was to be increased. Sheriff Anderson implied that the Department was now overstaffed and would be willing to put towns currently under contract on the priority list for those to get increased.
Brown explained that the tax rate for this tax year, 2022-2023, was supposed to have been 0.67 cents per $1,000, but due to the billing error, everyone was billed at 0.55 cents. There was a Special Town meeting vote to use the surplus funds to make up for the shortfall in the tax revenue.
The Selectboard is trying to be conservative as much as possible, taking into consideration the increased cost of expense, not to raise the taxes a lot this year in lieu of the billing error. They are estimating the tax rate to be 0.73 cents) per $1,000, for the 2023-2024 tax year. The final figures will not be completed until the Grand List is lodged. There will be an article to transfer surplus funds into Capital Fund to reduce the amount of taxes that need to be raised.
Social Appropriations
- Anthony Knox – Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire
- TBD – Timson Hill Preschool
The Social Organization requested appropriation funds and has completed its appointments with the Selectboard.
The organizations listed below did not keep their appointment and voluntarily withdrew from appropriations funding for FY 2024.
- Linda J. Meleady- Vermont Center for Independent Living
- Gloria Cristelli – West River Valley Mutual Aid
- TBD – American Red Cross
Powling will contact Moderator and discuss the Town Meeting Warning draft, this will be made available at the January 3rd meeting.
OLD BUSINESS:
Follow-up items
- Johnson-Aplin and Sanborn agreed to work on plans for the celebrations of Newfane’s 250th
Open 11/24/2022 - Annual Reviews Chevalier and Road Commissioner Chris Williams will complete the review for Road Foreman Wilson. Sanborn and Golob will complete the review for Administrative Assistant Powling.
Open 11/14/2022
ADJOURN
Fitzpatrick made a motion to adjourn. Meeting Adjourned at 8:04 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Wannetta Powling
Administrative Assistant