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PUBLIC
HEARING
FY09
BUDGET & CIP
Staff Present: Chief Garone, Capt. Feole, Mike
Fowler, Beth Thompson,
Larry Budreau, David Gomez, Bob Mackey,
Janice Mobsby, Barbara Ellingwood,
Capt Thomas, Tom Carrier, Eric
Bodenrader, Jill McLaughlin, Kerran Vigroux,
Pat Milone, Doug
Rathburn, Chief Klauber, Lt Gagnon, Lt Scholbe, George Sioras, Linda Merrill, and Cheryl Lynch
Town Administrator Gary Stenhouse and Town Clerk Denise Neale –Recording, Frank
Childs, CFO
Salute to Flag, Warning of Fire
Exits, Handicap Access, Turn off all Cell Phones
and Pagers
Roll Call: Wetherbee, Fairbanks,
Carney, Coyle, Chirichiello, Benson and Chairman
Metts
Chairman
Metts reviewed for the Public each department and the approved budget also
the flagged items still to be resolved.
Frank Childs updated for the Public the
departments that had a reduction due to Insurance reductions and other
changes that needed to be updated.
Chairman
Metts read a letter into the record dated 4/19/08 from Marjorie Palmer
regarding Public Hearing Capital Improvement Projects. (Attached)
Frank Childs reviewed how the budget so far is
projected to affect the Tax Rate based on the Tax Cap.
Provided for the Public were the following documents: Town Administrators
Message, Revenue & Expense Summaries of Departments, Public Notice, the
Six Year Capital Improvement Plan and the Town Administrator’s Recommended
Budget w/ Council Changes through 4/17/08.
Councilor
Benson reviewed FY08 budget total of $36, 619, 791 against the FY09 Budget to
date after the reviews is $1,546,259 less than FY08.
Frank Childs stated that was on the
Expenditure side.
Motion to
Open the Public Hearing Vote: 7-0-0
John
O’Connor, Arrowhead Rd
– Thanked the Town Council, Administrator and Department Heads for putting
together a budget within CPI guidelines as directed by the charter. He has attended the budget review meetings
all the Department Heads are very dedicated to their jobs and have the
interest as well as the Town of Derry
at heart. Some recommendations for the
future would be that the Public be able to see the detail explanation of the
line by line items. One of the main
expense categories is Personnel which is a touchy subject, with its
associated benefits. These benefits
are not what the private sector receives.
There should be a new strategy going forward during future
negotiations. Possibility of
Outsourcing may be needed for some of the functions of Buildings and Grounds
and the Library. Also the possibility of adding Windmills to Transfer
Station, Public Works area to reduce energy costs.
Elizabeth
Ives, Field Rd (DPL Trustee) – Thanked Councilor Benson’s for his offer to
look at the windows that need to be replaced in the DPL. Trustees requested that the Town Council
increase their personnel budget by $12,038.00. This is for a Librarian for the Child’s
room.
Brendan
Walsh, Ryan Ave
(DPL Trustee) – Read a statement regarding the need of the Children’s Librarian. The Children’s Librarians are trained to
understand the needs of the children and motivational learning about all
types of subjects. He is requesting the Town Council reconsider cutting the
Librarian’s position.
Kathryn Prudhomme-O’Brien, Beacon Hill Rd (DPL Trustee) – Spoke on
her experience with the Library as a child.
If the Libraries are something to buy a subscription to that is
something some people would not be able to do. She is a Homeschooler
and hears positive feedback regarding our Library. She gave each Town Councilor a book from
the Library so that they would stop by when they returned their book.
Bruce
Kling, Village Brook Lane
– Questioned the annual restricted Fund Balance and questioned the current
balance of the fund.
Frank Childs replied the balance is currently
$11M since FY07 it sits just under 12% with the mid-point of the recommend
rage by the Government Finance Officers Assoc. being 12.5%.
Bruce
Kling questioned the vertime accounts. He assumed this is to maintain staffing
levels. What are those levels and are
they mandated by contract?
Frank Childs within each and every department
to cover needed vacancies, some of the OT in PD has to do with special detail
by companies.
Town
Administrator Stenhouse added that none of the Collective Bargaining
contracts have minimum mandatory staffing levels.
Bruce
Kling questioned Ambulance Billing Service.
Service fee is 8%. Most towns
around us are 6.5 – 7%. Since we have
paramedics of every engine how often is an engine used to respond to an EMS call and what impact does that have on the lifespan
of an Engine. Also the Revenue from
the dispatch contract reduces our tax rate by $.04. The contracted Towns use about 40% of the
calls but pay about 18% of the dispatch operations.
Maureen
Rose, Windham Rd
– Would like the Town Council to look at the current use tax. Right now 100% goes to Conservation
Commission. She requested that this be
deferred to a separate account. Under
RSA 79:25A allows Town Council to modify the percentage. Also complimented Town Council on their
Budget Review process.
Councilor
Coyle stated he plans on bring this forward within the next month or so. He’s been researching that RSA.
Rebecca Rutter, Lane Rd – Spoke regarding the Taylor Library
building addition being returned to the FY09 CIP. She is a member of the Building Committee
for the Library. She believes this
project is worthy of attention it is necessary to keep the Library
going.
Al Dimmock, High
St – commented on the Town’s fleet of vehicles,
believes they should be monitored, and contain a log for mileage and
fuel. Believes we are wasting money on
fuel. The Health department is
requesting a vehicle and he questions why.
Bonita LaValley, Bypass 28 – Spoke on the Cart program and how
it has assisted the Elderly, Handicapped, physically disabled and ill who
cannot drive to various physicians, rehab and hospitals. They are reliable and timely.
Debbie
Palermo, Goodhue Rd
– Spoke on the Cart program. Her
husband is disabled and she has to work. CART brings him to daycare every day. This is the only benefit they receive.
Mike Scarpone, Rockingham Community Actions Executive Director
– Had put in a request for $41,000 and the allocation recommended by staff $5000. Federal and Government cutbacks are
requiring the agency to decrease budgets on the local level and this is
causing RCA to turn away people for services that are needed. He is
requesting Town Council to increase their allocation to RCA.
Kimberley
Bavarro, Upper Room Director – The Towns portion of
their budget is 8%. Between 60 -85% of
participants are from Derry. This request is
for an increase of $4000.
It is a 10% increase and the reason for that is that they are serving more
families that used in kind support and other resources. They have not asked for an increase in seven
years.
Diane Cassale Upper Room – Diane is the coordinator for the
juvenile diversion program. She
provided examples for the diversion program itself. Total for last year they served 217 Derry youth and families. These youth do a community
service which allows them to get a learning experience from it.
Kathy
Sloan, Outreach Director for RCA - Derry residents represents 12% of the
population of Rockingham
County. The service that RCA provides to Derry residents is a total of 14% of all the services
that are provided in the County. There
are only four other towns that receive more than 10% of RCA Services. The other towns are Hampton,
Portsmouth, Raymond, and Salem.
Derry is the highest.
Kathy gave statics of how much funding and services
went to Derry residents 2006/2007. Derry
residents received $314,000 in fuel assistance funds over the past Fiscal
Year.
Elizabeth
Ives – DPL Trustee – The requested $12,038.00 raised the DPL’s bottom line to
$1,101, 669. This is an increase of
$5,353 over FY08.
Bruce
Kling, Village Brook Lane
– Requested that in future years he would like to see some kind of
performance metric for each department. He listed examples. This would give
citizens a way to see how the departments are performing.
Scott
Vocal, Transportation Planner for the RPC and Member of Board of Directors
for CART – CART has grown dramatically. Derry
residents are the largest users.
Derry’s share of the municipal funding is approximately 26%, Derry riders make up 40% in the system.
Councilor
Benson commented that this line item went up 333% questioned why this is such
a large increase.
Scott
replied they had a start up grant from the Endowment for Health. This year’s request is the final step in
the phase in period. They do not
anticipate further large step increases to the towns. This step is for all of the towns.
Councilor Benson asked if the other towns had the same size increase as
requested for Derry.
Scott answered yes. Salem’s contribution that was approved is
$44,700. Salem
and Derry are the two largest contributors
to the system.
Frank Childs explained to Town Council that in
their package there is a fairly detailed memo from Janice
Mobsby which addresses the history and relationships and where
the approval stands with some of the other communities.
Scott
explained that what was supposed to be Derry’s
second year contribution the Town was split across two years.
Councilor
Carney wanted to clarify the level that is seen in this year’s budget request
that the consistent number that should be expected going forward.
Scott
replied he believes so. There would
not be further significant step increase of this sort to replace the
Endowment for Health funding.
Maureen
Rose, Windham Rd
- spoke in regards to the State of NH
transportation with bus services in the corridor. The State has some funding for other
options of transportation.
Motion to
Close the Public Hearing Vote: 7-0-0
Councilor
Benson – Thanked the Town and Administration for the budget process.
Chairman
Metts – Also thanked the staff. And
thanked the public who showed up at the sessions.
Adjourned
@ 8:20 p.m.
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Town
Clerk Date
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