Present: Selectmen Mishcon, Danforth, Town Administrator (TA) Roy, Road Agent Jon Champagne, John Thompson, Ed Becker, Mark Stetson representing Avitar, and Diane Frechette representing the Department of Revenue Municipal and Property Division. Selectman Coolidge was excused due to illness.
Ed Becker came to the Board to discuss the Board’s decision to move to semi-annual tax billing. He referred to RSA 76:15-b II. TA Roy stated that RSA 76:15-b II discusses quarterly tax billing, and that RSA 76:15-b I discusses semi-annual billing, stating that it is the governing body’s decision to issue tax bills semi-annually. Ed presented a petition warrant article to see what action the town will take.
Assessment Update
Diane Frechette from the Department of Revenue and Mark Stetson from Avitar reviewed the assessing update. The goal of the town-wide revaluation, required every five years by state law, is to bring property values to market value as of April 1, 2014. There is a deadline of October 1, 2014.
The option is there, and the Department recommends the Town ask for a bond; however, having worked for the Town for many years, no bond is required of Avitar. Key personnel working on the update will be identified. Stetson is the supervisor.
Communication utilities have entered into litigation with many towns because they feel their assessments are unreasonable. Utility assessments will be reviewed as part of the town-wide assessment.
TDS is the largest utility in Andover, and they have reached settlement. Settlement has been reached with TDS in the utility abatement appeal that was heard by the Board of Tax and Land Appeals.
Fairpoint has chosen to proceed with the Superior Court process. All towns will be consolidated into one case, for the most part. Electric utilities have always been assessed and probably will continue to be.
Properties being inspected as part of the assessment update are those that have sold this year. These values will be used as the basis for revaluation. Cyclical data verification has been completed.
Once preliminary values have been established, a notice will be sent to all taxpayers. Andover’s equalization rate is 117 % as of April 1, 2013. Bringing assessments to market value does not mean they will be reduced by 17%. The general rule of thumb is one-third of the properties will go up in value, one-third will go down, and one-third will stay the same, as long as municipal and school spending remain level.
RSA 75:8a addresses five-year valuation. Avitar does all of the data entry.
Diane Frechette, Department of Revenue, stated that Avitar’s system does a very good job of keeping the historical data. Some towns don’t have the history and cannot go back when research is necessary.
The Department of Revenue performs residential monitoring of sales report. A yellow post card goes out to property owners who can decide whether or not to participate in the monitoring.
The Selectmen asked Mark Stetson to continue as the Town’s representative at the Concord Regional Solid Waste Cooperative. Mark agreed to be Andover’s voting member for another year. This will be the 19th year Mark has served as Andover’s representative. TA Roy reported that Don Gross has agreed to be the Town’s alternate member, as he has been for the past several years.
Road Agent’s Report
The White Oak Road sandpit is working out well. Some street signs have been damaged, and some bridge signs have disappeared.
Morrill Hill Road Bridge project is still on hold because there is access on both sides. The State only does 10 bridge projects a year, and those with no access are of higher priority.
Selectman Mishcon reported that Andy Prokosh has talked with Hansen Bridges from New London. He invited Hansen to look at the bridges that are scheduled for repair and/or replacement this year.
John Thompson stated that Hansen Bridges was hired to work on the Dyers Crossing Bridge and because of a substantial problem, the company was asked to move on, and the work was finished by another firm. TA Roy will follow up on this.
Selectman Mishcon expressed her desire to be sure that timber bridges be investigated for use in Andover.
Jon reported he has spoken with Ed Constant regarding the drainage ditches on either side of his driveway. He and Ed discussed the fact that nothing can be done until warm weather, and paving decisions will effect what work is done on the ditches.
Warrant Articles
Selectman Mishcon reported that in 1997 the Town voted to retain the two Bradley Lake properties and designate them as a conservation area.
Selectman Danforth said the properties were assigned to the Conservation Commission for monitoring, and the Conservation Commission has never completed an annual report on the properties, as is required by law.
He said the Town owns approximately 13 undeveloped parcels of land, and anything we can do to limit costs and increase revenues should be looked at. He said Town Meeting took action, and Town Meeting should decide whether or not to rescind that decision.
Selectman Mishcon said she was surprised that communication regarding this matter has been via e-mail and no one has come to a Selectmen’s meeting to discuss it.
Danforth said he feels there should be documentation on file for all properties, including those assigned to the Conservation Commission, and Town Meeting decisions should be part of that documentation.
TA Roy will request that one or two members of the Conservation Commission attend the February 18 Board meeting to discuss the two Town-owned properties.
Roads
The Board discussed the need for more comprehensive information on the hired road agent issue. It might be best to revisit this in 2016. Each passing year will be more financially difficult if Andover does not move to the hired road agent plan.
The Board also discussed creating a directive for the Road Committee. Part of the directive should be to create a checklist of routine maintenance and to define the rationale for projects. The Road Committee may need to be chaired by someone who has done road work.
The Committee would make recommendations to the Selectmen, and the Budget Committee would be involved as well. It might be wise to talk with other towns that have already been through this process.
We have really good resources in Andover. People who have expertise should bring their specialties to the committee.
Street Lights
At their February 3 meeting, the Board voted to send a work order to New Hampshire Electric Co-op requesting removal of 12 street lights and the repair and/or upgrade of three others. Since there is a petition warrant article for keeping the street lights on Flaghole Road, the Selectmen decided to let Town Meeting make the decision as to whether or not those five street lights will be removed or left on, and they did not vote on that matter.
TA Roy presented a warrant article that was submitted by petition. This warrant article is titled “Resolution to Get Big Money Out of Politics.”
Selectmen Danforth stated that Town Counsel is not negotiating the TDS proposed franchise but is comparing it to the current Comcast franchise. RSA 53-C:3-bI states that “No municipality shall grant any additional franchises to cable service within its jurisdiction on terms or conditions more favorable or less burdensome than those in any existing franchise within such municipality.”
TA will request coverage maps from Comcast and TDS prior to the public hearing on February 18.
The Board decided to use the traditional format for the 2014 Proposed Budget to be printed in the 2013 Town Report. A summary budget will not be used this year.
TA Roy reported on the property records filing project. She stated that the assessing/property files are the responsibility of the Town Administrator. It is critical that these files be in order for many regulations that will be put in place over the next few years, and this part of the project is the priority. When the files have been vetted and all necessary records have been added, the Planning Board files will be incorporated into the property files.
Pat Moyer is working diligently to accomplish these goals, and she is doing a great job. Pat is very familiar with the Planning Board requirements and will consult with Paul Currier, chair of the Planning Board, when the project reaches that point. Paul has requested that files the Planning Bboard is currently working on be segregated. Pat will be sure that is done.
Priority List for Open Items
Selectman Danforth reported that, after consultation with engineers and contractors, it appears that a pre-fab shed will be the most practical option for creating an enclosed space for Transfer Station employees to supervise the single-stream compactor-hopper. The operator must be able to see the entire single-stream operation and, due to safety requirements, cameras are not recommended. This building must be contiguous with the hopper, on the end of the hopper.
76 Bridge Road asbestos inspection proposal from RFP will be e-mailed to us on February 4.
The Town Administrator will search the 2013 Selectmen’s meeting minutes to check for other open items.