|
Warner Board of Selectmen
Meeting Minutes
Wednesday,
May 12, 2010
Chairman Hartman opened the public session
at
1:07 p.m.
In Attendance:
Selectman David E. Hartman – Chairman, Selectman David Karrick,
Jr., Selectman
Clyde
Carson &
Town Administrator – Laura Buono
Others present: Fire Chief - Richard Brown, Fire Department Clerk –
Richard Stanley, Fire Department member Ed Mical, Marianne Howlett, Mark
Hoar, Martha Mical
1. Ambulance Service
About a year ago the Selectmen’s office
received an ambulance bill from the Town of
Hopkinton
exceeding $80K. The Board of
Selectmen then met with the Hopkinton Selectmen last summer and it
appeared that they were not interested in revising Warner’s services;
at this time there is no written agreement with the Town of
Hopkinton
. The Town Administrator has
completed research on what other town’s have done, such as a
memorandum of agreement.
The Town Administrator asked if this
meeting is about putting information together for a memorandum of
understanding with Hopkinton so that the Town will know what it will be
paying. The Town
Administrator does not believe there will be a change in 2010 and for
the past two years the ambulance billing from the Town of
Hopkinton
has been very high, without a contract, budgeting for the cost is
difficult.
Selectman
Carson
feels there are two things that need to be done.
One is to negotiate a contract with the Town of
Hopkinton
that would be put into effect this year.
And since Hopkinton has doubled their charges it would be
beneficial to look at other options.
Rich Stanley understands that last year
the Town of Hopkinton was looking to do away with their own ambulance
service and join a third party service.
The Town of
Hopkinton
realized that a third party service would not work.
Mr. Stanley believes the price increase was an attempt to recoup
money for Hopkinton.
Rich Stanley said the Hopkinton ambulance
service is now a 24 hour service with a paramedic.
Selectman Karrick asked if Warner should be paying something
extra for that type of service. Mr.
Stanley said he does not know what the going rate is, what he can say is
their service is outstanding.
Selectman
Carson
said
New London
charges half of what Hopkinton charges for their member towns for
ambulance service and he assumes the service is comparable.
Mr. Stanley disagrees, there have been occasions where
New London
and
Bradford
ambulance services have been used and he believes they are not at the
same caliber as Hopkinton plus their response time is not as quick as
Hopkinton. Mr. Stanley said
the Town of Bradford is staffed the same as Warner; when there is a call
the staff has to get to the station and Bradford is not staffed to the
medic level and about 50% of calls a paramedic intercept is called with
Hopkinton or Henniker which adds time to the response time.
Mr. Stanley said
New London
ambulance is affiliated with
New London
Hospital
that’s probably why the cost is lower.
Hopkinton ambulance is affiliated with
Concord
Hospital
but not run by it.
The Town Administrator said again there is
no contract with the Town of
Hopkinton
and over the last couple of years the cost for ambulance service has
jumped dramatically. Chief
Brown said in the beginning the Town was being billed for what was not
collected. Since then the
rates have increased to $500 for an ambulance call.
The Chief recommends contacting area towns and compare the
prices. Selectman
Carson
said Hopkinton started adding their fixed costs to the billing and
Warner had no input. The
Fire Chief said Warner has the best working relationship with Hopkinton;
their service is the quickest and the best.
The Fire Department staff recommends negotiating a contract with
the Town of
Hopkinton
. The Fire Chief asked if
surrounding towns could be contacted for what they pay for ambulance
service. Selectman
Carson
said he has been working on a spreadsheet.
The latest billing indicates that Warner is paying $900 per call
for Hopkinton’s ambulance service, it’s not clear if Hopkinton is
billing in full for non-transports, which could be negotiated in the
contract. The Town
Administrator said Hopkinton has included their short fall in their
budget as well as their capital reserve fund.
In the past the bill included only what was not collected.
Chairman Hartman asked the Town
Administrator to re-focus the meeting.
The Town Administrator said she was under the impression the
meeting would cover what is best for the Town; does the Town stay with
Hopkinton, does the Town look at other services, but for the time being
establish a contract with the Town of
Hopkinton
for budgeting purposes and agree it’s a fair budget for the taxpayers.
Selectman
Carson
has already spoke with
New London
ambulance which would not be able to service Warner in a timely manner.
Chairman Hartman asked the Town
Administrator to create a draft agreement with a per-call charge for
transport and a call charge for a non-transport as a beginning
negotiation. The Fire Chief
recommended $600 per call and using the original agreement from years
ago as a boiler plate. Selectman
Carson
had another suggestion; have an annual contract paying what is
reasonable. The Fire Chief
recommended checking with other towns that do not have an ambulance
service such as Boscawen,
Canterbury
, Sutton, Newbury and Allenstown etc.
The Fire Chief feels a reasonable cost is $575 for a transport
and $150 for a non-transport.
2. Nonpublic Session
Chairman
Hartman moved to enter into Nonpublic Session at
2:06 p.m.
per RSA 91-A:3 II (c), reputation.
The motion was seconded by Selectman Karrick. A roll call vote was
taken. Chairman Hartman – yes; Selectman Karrick – yes; Selectman
Carson – yes. Motion passed unanimously.
In
attendance: Chairman David Hartman., Selectman David Karrick, Selectman
Clyde Carson; Town Administrator Laura Buono, Police Chief William
Chandler, Sargent Scott Leppard
Chairman
Hartman moved to come out of Nonpublic Session at
2:46 p.m.
The motion was seconded by
Selectman Carson. A roll call vote was taken. Chairman Hartman – yes;
Selectman Karrick – yes; Selectman Carson – yes. Motion passed
unanimously.
Chairman
Hartman moved to seal and restrict the nonpublic meeting minutes per RSA
91A:3 III. Motion was seconded by Selectman Karrick. A vote
was taken. Motion passed unanimously.
3.
Deeding – Reversal of Decision
Mark
Hoar met with the Selectmen because he is interested in retaining Map 10
Lot 37. Tax Collector,
Marianne Howlett said the Board could do a right to re-purchase which
includes bringing the property taxes current (2009).
Martha Mical said another requirement of the law for re-purchase
is a 15% penalty on the value of the property which amounts to $9,150.
Ms. Howlett said that the 15% penalty has not been applied to
past properties that were deeded. Chairman
Hartman said a 15% penalty seems to be harsh when the property was
deeded less than 24 hours ago. The
Town Administrator said she has never known that the 15% must be
charged; she said she will check with
Local
Government
Center
, she believes the 15% is a
Selectmen’s decision.
Chairman Hartman recommends reconsidering
the Selectmen’s vote that took place on May 11th.
The Board members agreed because the back taxes have been paid.
Selectman
Carson
moved to reconsider the
Selectmen’s vote made on
May 11, 2010
and reverse the deeding on Map
10
Lot
37 providing the landowner pays
back taxes by the end of
May 12, 2010
. Selectman
Karrick seconded the motion; all were in favor, the motion passed.
4. Other Business
Selectman
Carson
asked the Board members if they could attend the bike rack ceremony on
May 15th at
10:00 a.m.
Chairman Hartman said he
would like to know where the rack will be installed and will be able to
attend.
On
May 18, 2010
during their work session the Board will visit a barn on Map 15 Lot 09
as part of the Barn Preservation Easement process.
On
May 24, 2010
at
2:00 p.m.
the Board will visit a junk yard located on
Couchtown Road
.
5. Adjournment
Selectman
Karrick moved to adjourn at
3:05 p.m.
seconded by Selectman Carson.
A vote was taken. Motion passed unanimously.
Board of Selectmen
David E. Hartman - Chairman
David Karrick, Jr.
Clyde
Carson
Respectfully submitted,
Mary Whalen
Recording Secretary
|