Gilford moves 31 articles to Town Warrant

GILFORD — Aside from two amendments due to clerical errors in wording, all 31 articles presented at the town deliberative session will be placed on the Town Warrant to be voted on in March.

Thirteen warrant articles were moved forward with no discussion, including the operating budget in Article 3. The article is commonly referred to as the sweep article, as it is used to fund town personnel and operating expenses.

Voters will be asked to approve a budget of $22.1 million, which is an increase of $1.1 million, or 5.1%. If it is voted down, the town will adopt the default budget of $22 million, which a difference of $140,432.

The largest line item increase in the budget is $759,540, which comes from the bond for the new public works building, approved last year by voters.

Road improvements are the largest single line in the budget at $2.5 million, with no increase over last year.

Doug Lambert, who has been outspoken about his dislike for using the fund balance at past deliberative sessions and the budget hearing last month, said the town would be hearing a lot from him throughout the night. He stayed true to his word, speaking on eight articles, starting with Article 5.

Article 5 asks voters to approve $96,000 for a fire rescue command vehicle, and Lambert asked why the town is opting for a lease rather than purchase. Town Manager Scott Dunn said it was just to spread out payments, making it about $23,000 per year for a vehicle replacing a 2017 Ford Explorer currently assigned to the deputy fire chief.

Lambert spoke again about Article 6, which asks town voters to approve using $281,000 to replace a dump truck. Lambert inquired why this comes from an unassigned fund balance, and the previous article did not.

Dunn said the town uses a mixture of funding mechanisms — some leases, some purchases, and some use the fund balance. Generally, he said most small vehicles are leased and allocated through the operating budget. Items with a bigger price tag are brought before voters in warrant articles. Dunn said the idea was to spend $1 million on capital needs this year.

“We just try to plan it out so it is the least impact possible on the tax rate every year,” Dunn said. “But it is a juggling act.”

The fund balance refers to money unspent from a previous budget.

Article 7 asks voters to approve $336,000 to buy a new front-end loader for public works. The money comes from the Highway Equipment Capital Reserve Fund, which currently has a balance of $3.5 million.

Article 8 asks voters to approve $10,000 to be added to the Sidewalk Capital Reserve Fund for sidewalk improvements along Potter Hill and Belknap Mountain roads. Bill Rohr spoke against the article, saying he disapproved of using surplus money.

“There are no sidewalks up where I live, so can we please think twice about putting money into that fund?” Rohr asked.

Kathy Dahll, of Sprucewood Drive, countered his comments, saying sidewalks are used by children both before and after school.

“It adds a level of safety to our community.”

Lambert was back at the microphone about Article 9, which asks voters to add $50,000 to the Technology Capital Reserve Fund, with money coming from the fund balance, intended for software and hardware acquisitions.

Lambert said the article, like others using surplus money, is one he doesn’t recommend, because of how the town pays for it. Whether it is called “unencumbered” or “surplus,” he sees it as money that should be going right back to taxpayers.

“This is our money, and if we have extra from getting money from other sources, that extra money either means we were taxed too much, or we budgeted and were unable to spend it,” Lambert said.

Articles 10 and 11 asked for $25,000 to be added to each the Building Repair and Fire Water Supply Maintenance capital reserve funds. Article 10 is intended for major unanticipated maintenance expenses, and Article 11 calls for hydrant repairs at Wild Acres, Watson and Weeks roads, and a new hydrant on Belknap Point Road.

Voters are asked to add $30,000 to the Glendale Boat and Launch Ramp Facilities Maintenance Capital Reserve Fund in Article 12. The intention is for repaving parking lots and maintaining the docks.

Lambert spoke out against this, as well, saying these are the sorts of things that “we as a town are paying for.” He said using the capital reserve accounts artificially inflates the budget, and while it is advertised as not affecting taxes, “it certainly did at some point.”

Kate Flaherty responded to Lambert, saying she doesn’t drive on most roads in Gilford, but recognizes it is her duty to help maintain the roads through taxes. She doesn’t use sidewalks, but her parents do, and she understands it is part of being a taxpayer to help fund their maintenance and upkeep.

“It’s not just about the individual here, it’s about the town,” Flaherty said.

The last article on the warrant garnered some opposition from some members of the public and the selectboard. The petitioned article asks the town to authorize the planning board to release any interest the Town of Gilford may have regarding a restrictive covenant purporting to burden land at 20 Mitchell Road. The covenant asked the area not be subdivided, at the request of the former property owner, now deceased. It was not recommended by the selectboard 3-0.

Attorney Kyle Amell was representing the Sargent Family Trust, and said the rationale for the covenant no longer exists, and it is the family’s wish to be able to subdivide. They asked the selectboard to remove their recommendation against it, but the selectboard declined to change their position.

Selectboard Chair Kevin Hayes felt that would violate what the former owner wanted. Amell said “times have changed,” and this is the wish of the current owners. Selectboard Vice Chair Chan Eddy said having the planning board be able to do away with the covenant is a “dangerous precedent,” and he doesn’t want to open that up. He foresees it being a “legal nightmare” if anything goes awry.

Clerk Gus Benavides was not inclined to change his vote, because nobody ever came to the selectboard about the proposal. He said with more information, and dialogue, it would have helped them understand the family's wishes.

All 31 articles were moved to the warrant, which will be voted on at Town Meeting, 7 a.m.-7 p.m., Tuesday, March 10, at Gilford Youth Center, at 19 Potter Hill Road.