M'boro voters change trust fund- will DRA approve?

SARAH SCHMIDT

SSCHMIDT@SALMONPRESS.COM

The Meredith News Marfch 19, 2009

MOULTONBORO —

Moultonboro residents voted in favor of creating a new playing field and beginning repairs on an old one, after an amendment shifted the majority of the tax appropriation to a reserve fund. “This is going to allow us to fix the existing field and continue to meet the recreational needs of the community,” said Parks and Recreation Director Donna Kuethe. “I’m happy.” The article called for $337,500 for field improvements, drainage design, and associated design costs for the construction of a playing field on the former Lions Club land.The total sum of the article will come from three places, and originally in these amounts - $87,500 from the Community Center Trust Fund established last year, $137,500 from general taxation, and $107,500 from the Municipal Buildings reserve fund. Selectmen voted 3-2 to recommend the article last month. The first obstacle to passage of the article was in the article preceding it, asking for a rewording of the Municipal Buildings reserve fund. The change expanded the usage of the fund from constructing a building to using it to also design, engineer and equip a building. This article, created in 1993, and carrying a balance of $972,975.10, came with a bit of disagreement of its own, as selectmen voted 4-1 in favor of it. “Changing this fund is not in accordance with what people voted for in the past,” said Selectman Ed Charest. “If there is a new need, get

a new fund.” Selectman Joel Mudgett disagreed, however, asking residents to approve the article to clear the way for its use for other actions besides construction of a building. “We’ve got $972,975 in the fund, and no future plans for it,” said Selectman Chair Karel Crawford. The article passed by secret ballot, in a vote of 212- 78, attaining more than the necessary 60 percent to pass at 74 percent. In the next article, voters debated the issue of constructing a new playing field and repairing the old one on Playground Drive, funded in

part by the Municipal Buildings reserve fund. Of the $337,500, $300,000 would go for field construction, drainage design, and design costs, and $37,500 for construction of a pathway. One resident asked how funds from the Municipal Building reserve fund could be used for construction and repair of a playing field – not technically thought of as a building. Town Administrator Carter Terenzini said that since the fields were associated with a building, the Moultonboro Community Center, the Department of Revenue Administration would allow it. “Thefield needs to be rebuilt – the Master Plan back in 1991s aid that it needed repair,” said Tom Howard, speaking for the article. “During construction,  it will be out of commission, and at best, the school fields could handle only 20 percent of our time slots. No reasonable patchwork of other fields can be used to fill this need.”

Selectmen Charest and Betsey Patten voted against recommending the article earlier in the year. Both selectmen spoke of the uncertain economic outlook, and of future expenses to the

town, questioning whether the field repair and construction could wait a bit longer. “I did not support this as a state representative and a selectman,” said Patten. “If you look at what’s going on at the state level. We’re working hard not to spend so much, and put down as low a percentage as possible. I felt this was something we could put off - there are other factors involved in what we want here in Moultonboro.” Ken Tatro, who coached soccer in Moultonboro last year, called the Playground Field Drive “basically a swamp” and a liability for injuries. In order to negate the economic impact that Patten and Charest had expressed concern over, Tatro offered an amendment that would appropriate an additional $137,500 from the Municipal Buildings reserve fund, instead of raising it through additional taxationin 2009. Terenzini told him that only another $107,500 could be appropriated from the fund for this article, since the pathway phasing could not be associated with a town-owned building. Tatro duly reworked his amendment down to drawing $245,000 in total from the reserve fund. “I know we’re all concerned about our pocketbooks, but we have to help the kids, too,” said Cindy Seaward-Salvati. “This is about them and giving them something to do.” A voice vote approved the amendment, and a ballot vote gave final approval to the article, 246-77. The next article asked the town for $132,500 to re-roof the Moultonboro Muncipal Building, with funds drawn from the Muncipal Buildings reserve fund. Because of improper ventilation, due to a design flaw, the building’s roof continues to leak, according to Mudgett. As part of the work on the roof, Mudgett said an engineer would be looking at improving the building’s ventilation, and the entire roof would be covered in ice and water stripping. He also noted that the town would be going out to bid for a new engineer. “I will be stopping by personally to watch over it,” said Mudgett. “I will guarantee that the person who designed it will not be back to work on it.” Residents approved the article in a voice vote.