TOWN VOTE
MARCH 9, 2010
8:00AM-7:00PM
TOWN CLERK'S OFFICE WILL
REOPEN 9:00AM
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 2010
INFORMATION ON WARRANT ARTICLES-NEWSLETTER TO BE MAILED TO ALL RESIDENTS
Dear Winchester and Ashuelot Voters:
The Board of Selectmen encourages you to come to the Town Hall and cast your vote on all of the issues on this year’s ballot. Sample ballots are available at the Town Hall and you may obtain one from the Clerk. Many voters do not fully understand the warrant articles on the ballot. Some warrant articles appear each year and are fairly clear, such as an annual payment on a vehicle purchase or the transfer of funds from the trust to operate the cemetery. This year we wanted to send this mailing to help explain some of the less familiar monied warrant articles so you are able to make a more informed decision when you vote. Please feel free to call the Town Hall to ask questions about any of the 2010 Warrant Articles. Remember voting day is Tuesday, March 9 and the polls are open from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Sincerely,
The Winchester Board of Selectmen
Warrant Article Information
Article 2. [Matching Funds for State Tribal Aid Grant (STAG)]
In addition to the stimulus funds we received for the Wastewater Plant upgrade, the Federal government has awarded Winchester an additional $300,000 through the State Tribal Aid Grant (STAG). This money will be used for upgrades and work needed in addition to the planned upgrade the people approved in 2009. In order to obtain this grant, the Town must provide a “match” in the amount of $245,500. If approved, we will be able to do $545,500 worth of additional upgrades during the project, essentially for “half price”. These upgrades may include, but are not limited to, clarifier covers, lining out the oxidation ditches, an odor control system, septage pretreatment system, etc. This article will not affect taxation because the sewer users will pay for this note as part of their quarterly billing. A 3/5 majority vote is required to pass this article.
A Yes vote (3/5 majority required) means we will provide our matching dollar amount to be eligible for this grant.
A No means we will lose the $300,000 grant.
Article 3. [Additional Funds needed to complete upgrade to the WWTF]
Last year the people approved a $3.4 million dollar upgrade to Winchester’s aging Wastewater Treatment Plant. The Town did receive $1.7 million in “stimulus” funds as 50% forgiveness; however, additional requirements placed on the Town by the DES and federal government, as well as rising costs, will prevent us from doing some critical portions of the work needed at the plant: work to reduce inflow and infiltration, the new headworks unit, and a new sludge tank cover had to be removed from the scope of the project. Due to changes required by the NHDES, record keeping, and compliance requirements imposed by the federal government for the ARRA (stimulus) funds, and higher than expected plant construction contractor quotations, the Town is seeking to appropriate an additional $500,000 to complete the upgrade to the
wastewater treatment facility. The DES plans to apply 50% forgiveness to this amount, which will mean only $250,000 will be borrowed. This will be added to our existing $1,700,000 SRF loan for the plant upgrade.
A Yes vote (3/5 majority required) means we will be able to complete the needed work on the sewer plant upgrade.
A No means some items planned for the plant upgrade will not be done this summer during the construction phase of the project.
If Articles 2 & 3 are passed, in essence, the Town will be getting
$4.4M worth of work done at a cost of $1.9M.
Article 4. [Matching Funds for a Grant for New Sidewalks]
The Town applied for a Transportation Enhancement grant through the NH Department of Transportation. The grant will provide for the replacement of the sidewalks on the west side of Main Street from the traffic lights to where the sidewalk ends, plus the construction of new sidewalks from downtown to Kulick’s shopping plaza, including a new and separate footbridge over Mirey Brook on Route 10. The entire project will cost $317,400. The NHDOT will give us $253,920 once the project is completed. The Town’s “share” will be a total of $63,480, which will come from taxation. Winchester has already been awarded this highly competitive grant, subject to voter approval of the Town’s share of the funding. A 3/5 majority vote is required to pass this article.
A Yes vote (3/5 majority required) provides Winchester’s share of funding and allow these new sidewalks to be built.
A No vote means we will not get the grant or have these sidewalks built.
Article 5. [Town Budget for 2010-2011]
The Board of Selectmen and the Budget Committee worked hard to produce the lower operating budget for the Town this year. The proposed Budget is $3,464,356. The Default Budget is higher at $3,600,975.
A Yes vote means the 2010 tax rate will be based on the lower budget amount.
A No vote means the Town will have the higher default dollar amount.
Article 6. [Funds to Replace Closed Bridge on Old Westport Road]
This bridge was closed last summer and it needs to be replaced. The cost to replace it is $500,000. The NH Department of Transportation will reimburse the Town $400,000 for the project (80%). Our share of 20% is $100,000, which we already have in our bridge capital reserve account. Passage of this article will not affect taxation, but the people are required by the State to vote on the appropriation in order for the Town to expend the funds.
A Yes vote means the closed bridge on Old Westport Road will be repaired.
A No vote means this bridge will remain closed.
Article 7. [Lease-Purchase of a new 1-Ton Truck]
The existing 1999 1-ton flat bed dump body truck, also used for snow plowing, is worn out, needs continuous repair, and has significant rust-through on parts of the chassis and body. A new 2011 replacement will cost $64,996, to be paid for in three payments of $23,174 per year, through a 3-year lease purchase program.
A Yes vote means the Town will purchase this new truck.
A No vote means we will not be able to purchase this new truck. If the people do not support and vote no, the Town will be affected as a whole. Services (especially on smaller, side streets) will decrease-less plowing, sanding, etc., but costs for manpower and equipment for winter maintenance will increase to compensate the loss of the 1-ton.
Article 8. [Town Beach Retaining Wall]
The concrete retaining wall at the Town Beach needs repair and resurfacing to maintain its integrity and appearance. This will cost $25,000.
A Yes vote means this work will be done in 2010.
A No vote means the retaining wall will not be repaired and resurfaced next year.
Article 11. [Route 119 Transit]
Southwest Region Planning Commission (SWRPC) has been working on a public transportation program that will provide bus transit between Brattleboro, VT, Hinsdale and Winchester. There will be stops at critical points such as the new Super Wal-Mart, Plumb Pak, and other destinations. SWRPC anticipates the annual operating cost to be about $60,000 with half of this amount to come from a Federal grant. To get the project started, Hinsdale and Winchester will need to contribute $15,500 each and the plan is for the bus route to become self-supporting.
A Yes vote means Winchester will contribute its share, and show a commitment to the project.
A No vote means Winchester will not support this public transportation project.
Article 12. [Bridge Work Capital Reserve Account]
Each year we vote to put money aside to fix our bridges. The State pays 80% of the cost of this work, and we pay 20%. Monies saved up from previous years will be used for the work on the closed bridge on Old Westport Road. The Board is asking that the people approve $10,000 to be placed in this savings account for the work that will be needed on the next bridge to be replaced—the bridge on Broad Brook Road. Our share for this next project will be at least $100,000.
A Yes vote means we place $10,000 this coming year into the Bridge Capital Reserve account to begin saving for our share to replace the Broad Brook Road bridge.
A No vote means we do not put any money aside in 2010 for bridge repair.
Understanding Zoning Ordinance Amendments
Article 24. [Amend Article III, S – Dumpster Ordinance]
The existing dumpster ordinance was unclear, vague, and difficult to enforce. The amendment adds the definition of a dumpster, where they may or may not be placed, defines “screening from public view”, setbacks, and enforcement.
Article 25. [Amend Article III, add in – Site Plans/Subdivisions]
This article adds a section to the zoning ordinance to clarify the requirement that other regulations also need to be complied with, in addition to the zoning ordinance.
Article 26. [Amend Article VIII-A]
This article makes changes to the performance standards for commercial/industrial use, making changes to buffer and landscape requirements, and deleting language in this sub-section about signs.
Article 27. [Amend Article XV – Code Enforcement Penalties]
This article adopts the procedures allowed under the law RSA 31:39-c and will allow code enforcement to issue violation citations with monetary penalties before having to retain attorneys and go to court to enforce code on these violations. The changes to the ordinance and the full procedure and steps for this will be written in the Zoning Ordinance if approved.
Article 28. [Amend Article XVI – Special Exceptions]
Language is added to this ordinance to accommodate requests for “Senior Housing” and the word “elderly” will be changed to “senior”.
The full text of the articles and changes are available for review at the Town Hall.
WINCHESTER ASSESSING NEWS
Winter-Spring 2010
- Bob Gray is pleased to announce that Avitar Associates of New England will continue to provide Winchester with assessing services for the next 5 years. The Board of Selectmen signed another 5-year contract with Avitar at a significantly lower cost than the first 5 years now that Avitar has worked with our properties and corrected many of the issues that existed from the previous firm’s work and the 2005 revaluation. Avitar provides general assessing, data verification, and update / revaluation services to the Town.
- Data verification from 2009 has concluded. Approximately 435 homes were measured. Winchester conducts data verification on 20-25% of the buildings in town each year to ensure that the physical data for each 5-year update / revaluation is correct. Avitar has mailed letters to those properties that the assessor did not get to enter inviting the owners to make an appointment with the assessor if they choose…it is not required. Allowing the assessor to enter the building gives us the opportunity to check the interior data and find out from the owner about issues that may not be easily observed otherwise. Appointments will be taken 2/1, 2/2, and 2/3 for future visit dates.
- 2010 is Winchester’s revaluation year. This is required every 5 years by the Department of Revenue. Over the next 6 months, the assessors will be in town at various times to check the properties that will be used as sales comparables, to check all of the land parcels, and to do calculations. Avitar will extend the sales monitoring period to go through the summer to obtain as many qualified sales as possible in this low sales volume poor real estate market. When Avitar is finished, letters will be mailed to all property owners with the new values and there will be opportunities to attend hearings with Avitar on these new values.
- Reminder…applications for exemptions, credits, and for current use must be received by April 15th. Also, abatement applications for the tax year 2009 must be received by March 1st.
- The Selectmen’s Office will be recertifying all Elderly Exemptions that were filed during the year 2005. The Department of Revenue requires us to verify and refresh the Elderly Exemptions every 5 years, so we do this on a “rolling” basis 5 years out from the date of the last filing.
Healthy Kids
Healthy Future
Discussions on
April 7, May 5
& June 2, 2010
For more information on this
and Kids Bowling League,
Cub Scouts and becoming
a Volunteer go to
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