Board of Selectmen - Regular Meeting

famous last words. Thank you. All right. I'm going to bring to order the board of Suckman meeting for Tuesday, January 27th, 2026, my 29th birthday. [laughter] Um, is anyone from the public here who wants to speak to something that is not on the agenda? If you want to step forward from the microphone, if you could step forward, name and address, Mike, make sure it's green. There you go.

Mike Mayo, 106 South B Road. My question is this. Are you going to call for public public comment after each of the topics are opened? When you say each of the topics, well, as topics are discussed, are you going to ask the public for any comment on what was discussed? We generally are pretty liberal on taking uh comment from the public. We just ask that you keep it succinct. Um so if you can if if you can just raise your hand if you want to have a a say on this topic, that'd be good. That's good. Thank you. Thank you, Mike. All right. We have a public hearing on RSA 3195.

Oh, sorry, Mike. I'll preempt you. We have done nothing on the Bob Bog meeting house. Rolling [laughter] 57. Can I get a copy of your report you got from the attorney? uh communications with our town our town council are privileged uh and protected by client privilege. the report that he gave you about the mobile meeting house is not public know I don't believe it is I think it is advice to the board um on our legal rights on our legal rights was to put in request for right to know

we will respond that it's so I ask you all individually have any of you made any sort of a decision at all about how you feel about whether you planning on selling it or not selling it or you're not going to answer any questions You can't ask me that um because I don't have well one I don't know that that's appropriate but two I don't I don't even know what you're talking about. There's been no motion and no warrant to do any such thing. All right. It's a dead subject. We'll leave it at that.

Thanks Mike. Anyone else from the public here to speak on something not on the agenda? All right. We're going to move on to a public hearing for RSA 3195-B, a milful treatment grant. Um, David, you want to just give us a brief just so the board knows, uh, as part of any motion, we have to include authorization for David to sign necessary documentation here. All right, Sandy.

Yep. Uh, Sandy Crystal, um, V Conservation Commission. Um the uh since 2016, Curry Pond has had mil foil infestation and so we have uh been managing it um uh in concert with the grant process and support and technical expertise of the um New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. and [clears throat] and so we applied for a grant this year um and um last year we treated the pond um and at the end of the season there was actually nothing there but it doesn't mean that it won't grow back this year. So just in case there's um uh we have approval from the the state or or advice from the state that they would approve a grant to do the um diver assisted suction harvesting um if uh no foil is found this summer. So the um funds are um the grant is up to a total of $13,175 and that is actually um I believe 50% of the cost of uh what I don't know whether it was 10 or 15 days worth of um removal. I'm not sure that we would even need that much but that's what we're um allotted. Thank you. I'd like to make a motion to

open the public hearing. I thought that was opening the public hearing. [laughter] I'll open the public hearing. Anyone wish to speak? I'll close the public hearing. Any further discussion from the board? Hearing none, I'll entertain motions. I'd like to make a motion to authorize the acceptance of the New Hampshire dees grant in the amount of 13,175 pursuant to RSA 31 col 95-B and authorize uh town manager David Stack to sign the necessary documents. Second. Any further discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor say I. I. I have a five nothing. Tanya,

great. Good news that there was no milk this year. That's better than the alternative. So, all right, we're going to move on to meetings. We have a community center discussion with uh residents, I would say esteemed residents, Colleen Hunter, Harry Jun, and Glenn Harry Jud and Glenn Dudis. Um and Jeff Knight who is astonishingly on time [laughter] must this must be a very important meeting. [laughter]

They told him it started at 5. [laughter]

Hi, my name is Jeff Knight. I'm from 8 Pasley Road. Um, I have been working with um taxpayers, uh, Glenn, Colleen, Harry, who everyone knows. Um, what we wanted to do at the town meeting um, was just get up and say a couple things about the community building. Uh, we wanted to say something to the effect to the taxpayers that we have not forgotten about the community building. um that we continue to work on the community building and come up with a plan, some kind of solution. Uh we also wanted to thank some people that helped along the way this past year. Chris Andrews, Darcy, Bill Hickey, and Dan Hall. Bill Hickeyi and Dan Hall were from HL Turner. They gave us some free stuff. Um, [snorts] one of the things that we realized was that in order to do something that would probably be palatable to the taxpayers, we have to look at something that's a little smaller and with the size comes expense, less expensive. Um, it may take a year or two. Uh, but the four of us um are committed to try to help resolve this issue. Um, and we want to say thank you to the taxpayers for continuing to put money aside um, in the fund in the capital reserve fund because I think everyone knows that something needs to be done. We just don't know what and when. That's really it. We wanted to also um, you know, include the select board in this and and you know, thank them.

Thank you. We'll take it. I think uh when we put together a group of folks that worked on this project and group that showed up here tonight, I just representative of how many talented people we have a vote and with any luck we'll get through this budget year and have over $2 million put away for this solution.

And just for clarification, it's my understanding that this is its own citizens group that has come together. this is not a select board authorized committee or anything like that. And I just want to say thank you for coming together to find a solution. I think it's great when um people take the initiative to talk to each other and bring us something that maybe we haven't considered. And so thank you for putting that time in and uh coming together as citizens. There'll be at town meeting there'll be warrants about funding this. I think that'd be an appropriate time for you to you guys feel is the most appropriate

whenever and it would be like I just said maybe three minutes, four minutes, not a long period of time. I would encourage you to do that entirely. So just because you know people need to know where it stands and they need to know there's not anything concrete yet but we are aware of a eventual need and we are planning for the future. So I applaud you all four of you and beyond. Good. Okay. Thank you. Thanks. All right. Thank you.

All right, moving on to our town clerk tax collector department update with Mulla. How many cars do we register today? [laughter] No, I'm waiting until I'm waiting till February 1st. Yeah, exactly. [laughter] Does it work like that? What did you say? I went I went to the exp I went to the expert and asked what the best uh policy was that you told me. [laughter] Wait, what?

I'm gonna have him pulled over on his way home. [laughter] Happy birthday.

No, it's good. I I I still have eight days or so. The time is perfect. We had eight days so it he had eight days so it was legal. We only give legal we don't know tell them not to do something. I'm counselor tax collector and I'm here this evening to provide an update on the activity of my department. Thank you for this opportunity. Since um it's sign up time for elections, I'm going to start with elections. The filing period has started um started on Wednesday the 21st, ends uh Friday the 30th. Um our office is open till 5:00 p.m. on Friday. We still have a lot of openings. No one signed up for the budget committee yet. Uh two people signed up for school board today and we received the five LHS poll pads. Uh they've been delivered. The training on the poll pad was on Friday, February 20th at 12:00 p.m. The public is um invited to attend. Voting works election tabulators will be coming in next week and the training for that is on February 5th um at 10:00 a.m. I'm sure the moderator will be forwarding some emails to you guys because he wants some of you all to be there at the training. Uh Secretary of State has certified Democracy Live for the handicap ABS machine um tablets. The state is providing the tablet for the town elections, but we uh have to pay for the programming. We we just got notified that programming is $650 per election. So it'll cost the town about $1,300 to program the mach. And what does that compare to the old

machine? It's the same about this. Last year was the first year that we had to do that. So that's just the handicap U machines. Oh yeah. Yeah. Just uh and for the state elections, the state pays for it.

There have been a lot of changes in the election laws and the registration process. So my goal this year is to keep the people informed to keep updating the elections page. on the website and we'll do email blast so everybody knows what is happening and what the new laws are and what the changes are. Motor vehicles the motor vehicle revenue increased again by 58,175 so far with total collections reaching 1,852,469 as of January 23rd. We are losing one of our big fleets to another state. We um they came in to register. We did do the town portion. The state refused to do finish complete the um IRP um department refused to do their portion. Please complete them. So they have to do it in another state because they didn't have enough miles in New Hampshire. So we'll be refunding we'll have to refund them almost $30,000. U some state fees increased. effective January 1st, 2026. And the DMA did not actively publicize these changes. As a result, our office made a deliberate effort to keep the residents informed by posting updates online, by sending email notifications, and including notices in all of the January renewal mailings. We also informed residents that registrations could be completed up to four months early if they so chose. Lot of people took advantage of that. This proactive outreach led to an unusually high volume of registrations in December. So if you see the December numbers, they're very high. U requiring my staff and me to work extended hours to meet the demand. All January fleet registrations were processed in December because everybody showed up in December. While the workload was intense, we're

pleased to have successfully supported our residents and we are glad December is behind us. It was just crazy with tax bills and motor vehicle registrations in December and the end of the year and people being on vacation. Property taxes as of January 26, we've collected 98.73% of the 2025 property taxes uncollected for 2025 is 525,377 which is much lower than last year. 2024 uncollected is $150,785 and 2023 uncollected is $40,547. Lean notices will be going out March 5th and the lean date is April 14th. Outstanding 2023 taxes will be deed this year. 10 properties are on the deed list. Deed notices will be mailed out March 3rd. The deed date is April 21st. We usually, it's been a few years since we deeded any property. So by April 21st, usually they come in and pay. Dogs, we registered 1,927 dogs in 2025 for a total of $8,212. And then all we end up paying almost 400 or4,000 to the Department of Agriculture because out of the $6.50 for dog, we pay $2.50 to the Department of Agriculture. So there are no unregistered dogs this year, dogs have to be licensed by April 30th. The first email just went out last year and it's been pretty effective. collections for vital records, um, birth, death, divorce certificates, and marriage licenses stayed the same, around the same at $982.

Residents coming in for notary and JP services keep increasing. My employees continue to do an outstanding job providing excellent customer service. We're losing one part-time staff member and the position will be advertised soon. Do you the the loss of the fleet, do you view that as a one-off or is that a canary in a coal mine? It is just one this company as two subsidiaries. It's just one part, one company. Okay.

And they will not be coming back. I don't think so because from what the paperwork because I I contacted the state and the paperwork that we got back and the communication that they had they didn't have enough miles for any uh aortion plates to be registered in any particular state they have to have enough miles in each state. Okay. So that's how they portion it. But so it's not like some bigger trend. It's just this happens

that particular one they were buying companies and they were registering them here all the fleets here because they could they did have uh enough miles the last couple years but this year they did not or last year they did not have enough miles. So they have another company I checked about that and the state said so far they're okay with that. So we can go ahead and register that and they come up for registrations in different times. One is March and one is in June. So, okay, these are those those two are fine. As always, we appreciate the work you and your team do. Great a great great asset for the town. Thank you. Any questions from the board?

No, it just seems funny that the state just gives away money and towns just give away money to go somewhere else. It just seems like I know. I'm I was What are we doing here? Yeah, it's just I know. And and And the thing was the state I mean to be fair to them they didn't know they didn't have enough miles but I'm sure they would have checked on that beforehand. I'm like we did all of those registrations in December because we had so many other fees and we did those too soon. Unfortunate. Yeah it is unfortunate and then we don't get to keep that money so we have to refund it. So because the state is not doing it. Well thank you for all your incredible work and the people you work with are phenomenal.

They are they are really good. So but I'm losing one person. So yeah, be advertising. Thank you so much. Right. Next up is the quarterly financial report from our finance director, Cheryl Lindner.

Hello. Good evening. Thank you for having me tonight. Um my report tonight is our financial um position through December 31st, 2025. So it brings us to the end of the second quarter. Uh property taxes and motor vehicles. Uh Merdoula already spoke about I think we over overlapped this time last year too. So So thank you for that. [laughter] So, uh, motor vehicles we have coming in at $257,000 more than the prior year. So, that has to do with the increase in fees that Merdoula spoke about. So, that that was the volume that came in. So, that will level out over the next couple of months um as the people that were eligible came in early. Uh, let's see. So, right now we should be at 50%. That's our benchmark um for both revenues and expenses. But we um we're doing better on both. Our operating revenues are at 62.6% of estimates and the operating budget is at 44.6%. So just under that 50% benchmark. Interest on deposits are at 54.1%. Our current interest rate is 4% uh which is still high but it is lower. The interest rate is dropping gradually as we go through the year. So we'll have to see what happens with the next uh Fed meeting and see how that um affects our interest rates at the bank, but it is a very good rate um for what is being offered out there right now. Ambulance revenues are currently at 52.1%. Uh expenditures, there's a couple variances there. We are um a little bit high in technology. We've had some extra support. Uh we have a new employee in my department and so some of the extra support hours that we have uh used to help train her and bring her up to speed

on um filings and things like that have added a little bit to that. Um and those are one time. Those will even out over next year. We won't we won't need to use those support hours. Street lighting is is a question mark. This year it's at 63%. So we're a little bit higher than than we should be. and our bond principal uh payments and insurance are um paid out on July uh 1 or middle of July. So, we're above uh the trend on that because those are paid out mostly in the beginning of the year. All the other departments are in line with budgetary um budgetary expectations. I do want to point out a couple of things. Um the sale of town property, this may move to a different line item. It might move to the solid waste line item. The town is part of a co-op. And what happens uh what happened with the co-op was a few years ago they explored a uh uh purchase and sale of a land that uh was next to Wheelerbraider for single stream recycling. And then the co-op board voted that they were not going to do that. So they started to look to sell the property. So Bo got a percentage of the proceeds being part of the co-op. So that was the 60 some thousand dollars that came in. So you're going to see in sale of town property, which is where I I have put it. Um that that's what that big portion is. Uh it's not that we sold anything that the board didn't authorize. It was part of this co-op sale. So, um, so I will be in touch with DRA as we go towards, uh, the end of the year to see if they want to move that into solid waste or see if we keep it as part of, um, town property sales. Meals and rooms came in at $20,000 above expectation and a $17,000 increase over last year's uh, profit sharing that was received. and railroad. We were told not to expect expect

anything this year, but we received $4,422. So, we were very, it was an unexpected surprise. We're very thankful for it. We received nothing from railroad uh last year from railroad taxes. So, um so that's that was great. And I mentioned about the expenditures. Other than that, our cash flow remains strong. Our our financial position remains strong. We are in good shape. Thank you so much. You're welcome. Looks very healthy, which is good. Yeah, thank you for that. Any questions from the board? All right, thanks so much. Thank you so much. Have a wonderful night.

Right, we are moving on to the consent agenda. I would make a motion to remove item five uh from the consent agenda as I am an ab and so I cannot vote on that. So, I make a motion to approve the consent agenda items one through four. Second.

Um, the for the sake of complete transparency because I think that's the hallmark of the board. I do want to raise the item four is Logill Road number 12. I believe that is the KBY property. not related to at all to Select and Colby, but it is the uh the property that has sort of is in the mixeduse district. Um and so there is an intent to cut there and I want people to understand that that is a property of interest to the town as a whole and it looks like it will be logged. So, um I'll vote for it as intend to cut, but I just want to highlight that for everyone else. So we have a motion, a second on items one through four. Any further discussion?

I just it's my understanding that intent to cut as a notice from a property owner and we just accept it as a required receipt of notice. Yes. And if it's not, my understanding is if it happens, it has to be approved within 15 days. So if we don't meet within 15 days after it's submitted, it goes through anyway. This is very much a formality. So through one through four, all those in favor say I. I. I. Eyes have it. Five nothing. Um, I'll step away. I'll make a motion to approve consent agenda item number five. Second. All right. So, I have a motion, a second item number five. I will not vote. All those in favor say I. I.

Eyes have it four nothing. Tanya with me not voting. Town manager report. Uh, yes. We received a response from Marramac Community Power and I believe that was sent out to the board. Yeah. Um, so I just wanted to know if you didn't see it if you could take a look and see it and see if you want to go forward with with that. Is it okay? I think it was an email that was sent out.

Uh, Eversource project. They're gonna start doing a project to replace all wooden transmission poles with new weathered steel structures so they make it look like it's rusty and been there a while. Um this between Garvin's Falls Road in Bow and Garvin's Falls Garvin Falls Road in conquered and then all the buggers will get a notice but if you get a call uh and then just a reminder uh from the public works department they've we put out some notices uh you know with the winter going the way it's going. Just a couple of heads up that on winter parking so everyone's aware that um you can't park in the in the roadway in a in a manner that would hamper the removal of snow. So it's not necessarily a ban, but you can't be in the way of the snow clearing. Um so they can be towed at the discretion of the public works director or the police officer. We really really don't do that. I can't remember the last time, but just if we have to. And then snow removal. Uh there's a ordinance that requires or does not allow uh any individual to uh move to have snow that's removed from their driveway pushed out into the street or across the road. Or you shall not allow we do not allow snow removed from the driveway or other parking lots or um to be deposited on any town property. So just for reminders for those that's my report. Sonia, maybe I believe there is

about that. I just want to put on record that they did for a 24-hour storm and 16 inches of snow. Um, they did a phenomenal job. Phenomenal. And it's hard to appreciate that when you're just in BO when you when you travel outside of them, you realize how much on top of it they were. So to the extent that you have a chance to talk to Tim and his crew, let them know that I appreciate and we appreciate what they did. We did earlier today and unfortunately some of the gentlemen driving the plows had very truncated sleep schedules on Sunday afternoon I believe.

So he was calling people to get them out early. Um maybe just because I believe there's another storm coming Tanya if we could maybe just highlight those rules online on the town page on the Facebook page. just everyone who's not watching this meeting, I assume there's thousands of people on online right now watching this, um can be notified of that. Um all right, so moving on to make a motion to accept the minutes from January 13, 2026. Second. I was I was in and out of that meeting so I am. All right. I have a motion, a second on the minutes. All those in favor say I. I.

I. Eyes have it four nothing. Tanya with abstaining just in the interest I know uh Saku and Brennan has some family duties at seven but is the lead on um the Bo rec center Bo rec center we're going to move discussion item three up to right now so if Chris Andrews could step forward and if uh Angela you could maybe just give us a brief overview of where we stand on this right now.

Yeah. So, at the last meeting, um, we heard from Chris Andrews and, um, parks and recck director Darcy Little that, um, an RFP had gone out to provide us with some information on the projected cost of, um, an addition onto the B rec center to in order to meet the storage and office needs of the rec center. That number came back at 480,000. In part of the discussion, it seemed clear that um that number was a bit higher than any one of us felt comfortable with. So, as a result of that, uh, Kip and I like jumped all over it and trying to start to have more conversations with Chris and with Darcy and, um, and tried to be a little bit more creative about how we solved the issue that Darcy is facing in needing more storage space and needing a private office space. Um especially since this program is a money-making uh venture for the town of Bow. It is self- sustaining and there is a recre revolving fund that allows um you know allows us to make improvements to that program without any taxpayer impact. Um, we've also given all of that and given our board's commitment to put something before the voters um before we were to authorize any kind of uh removal of funds from the rec revolving fund to address these storage and uh classroom needs. Um, we have spent time with the building of facilities committee talking to experts,

really reviewing the RFP, um, with a fine tooth comb and discussing our wants and needs and if we can help Darcy out. Um, I think I I think I can speak for everyone in saying that she runs an incredible program and we really want to make sure that she's supported and all of the community members who make use of the Borex Center um feel that support from us as well. Um as a result of these discussions uh at length um we believe we might have a creative solution and while that is not yet crystal clear of what the solution may be, we feel confident that um we can meet the storage and classroom needs of uh Darcy for less than 200,000. In fact, what I would like to ask the board is if the board would consider having a warrant article drafted that would authorize David to um spend up to $175,000 of the recreing fund to address the storage and office needs of the Bow Rec Center. Um, I think this is a huge change in uh numbers in just two weeks and I'm really thankful for the work um and all of the discussions that have happened to try and get us to a solution that is more palatable for everyone. As a reminder, uh this would be up to 175,000. It has zero taxpayer impact. It would come from the recrevolving fund. it would have no impact on the proposed uh money to that would come out of the recre revolving fund and go into the

savings for the community center whatever that solution may be. Um and so I'm just asking the board to consider that and Chris if you'd like to add anything to that overview please. Great. I ruined what you just said. So that Yeah. Great. So that is I view that as a motion, but then there'll be some discussions. It's a motion to make a motion, but if there's anybody that wants to I took that as a motion. Is there a second?

I have clarification on exactly the motion that you're making. So, the motion is to um draft a warrant article to go before the voters at town meeting to authorize David to expend up to $175,000 of the recreing fund um in order to address the storage and office needs of the Bow Rec Center. And if I need to make a separate motion to indicate the board's support uh in or a separate vote um in favor of that whatever I'm happy to do that as well. I just would ask for all of your support on this.

So I guess I will second the motion for discussion purposes. Do you have Chris do you have a sense you and I I was dropping off my boy at the bow rack and you spoke and so not locking you into a certain plan but do you have a sense of how you would solve the storage and office space problem not you know yeah so without committing to one idea y is keeping in mind that right now we are these are ideas uh and my idea may not match match what the vice chair had just proposed. Y

um as you mentioned, Wednesday morning, Darcy and I met over at the rec center and we started talking about some of the original ideas that we discussed, you know, a year ago. Let me let me just start. Darcy couldn't make it tonight, so she sent her apologies. And we started talking about, okay, um you know, wants versus needs. Um the original proposal was a need. The size of it was a want. So, if we did away with the want, reduce the square footage, what could we reasonably get away with? What we what is critical that we need to get into this space? We have looked uh we've looked at a uh an option of a small addition off the backside which would negate most of the site work. Uh the the uh footprint would be much smaller. The square footage is about about 900 square feet.

And just so the backside might be where I'm it's closer to the road, correct? It's the back side of the of the background. It's not the backside as you drive in. Just for clarification, up top with the where the playground is. Uh, another option is a uh standalone, you know, picture a garage at the end of the parking lot. Um,

both of those options would um you'll recall that Darcy had discussed about taking a room that's currently used for storage and if we had a place to put all that stuff, converting that into a classroom, that was her want. But that may also suffice as a an office for herself and uh her bookkeeper. Um we have uh as the vice chair has mentioned um we have discussed some of these options with her. Uh Mr. Knight was in here earlier. Um I've been consulting with him uh as I often do with some of our projects as well as the building advisory committee. Um, what I don't have right now is time to put a actual proposal in front of the board in time to write a warrant. Um, if you folks were to um approve this, that gives me a little bit of time um to actually have a concrete price on an option or two. Uh, we can either further discuss that with the board or those can both be presented in March at town meeting.

Do for sort of just a Angela raised it. Would the board prefer there be two different votes? One on placing this on the warrant and one either per like as individual board members supporting or not supporting that. Well, I think there will be right there will be one have a warrant and then there'll be our recommendation.

Okay. I just want to make I just want to make super clear how we're going to vote if we do get to that. And so um without advocating for or against this, this is a commitment that this board made to the town last year. Um I don't need to beat a dead horse. People will understand that David is the uh Asian to expend money from revolving fund. We made a commitment as a board even the very earliest stages of a thought of building an addition here that we wouldn't do this without lots of lots of light. Uh and so um I intend to vote in favor of putting the warrant to the town whether or not I am going to be supportive of whatever the solution ultimately is. I think the town will tell us if they want to use $200,000 of the record

175,000 that was a one in front of 175 of the recording fund for this project. Uh but I think this is what we promised and this is what we owe it to the system. So thank you. I I would echo exactly what Chris just said. Um I do have a concern that I I I would want to know that we weren't buying something sight unseen. That's what it feels like, right? Um, so I I would hope that we would be able to present something uh at town meeting, not just say uh can we, you know, without a plan.

It would be my intention to have something for the voters to look at. Um, terrific. [clears throat] I would concur that. I would not want to bring a I don't know what it's going to look like yet. Yeah. Item to the town. Authorize this. That gives us that gives us a little time to uh work on this with some of our local contractors that we work with in the building advis advisory committee again.

Terrific. Yeah. And it's um it's certainly something that we all would want to see what the outcome is and and I've been really impressed with the conversation we had in the building facilities advisory committee. Um some of the ideas that have come out of that discussion and hearing 's willingness, uh, enthusiastic willingness to come up with something, anything that resolves her storage and office needs. Um, but I think we're up against a clock. And because we have committed to putting a warrant to uh the voters for this, I think it's really important that the board supports putting that warrant to the voters. um which is something we need to make a decision on today rather than several weeks from now before it's too late to get it on the board. [clears throat]

Any further discussion with the board? You know, we did promise the public the right to speak. So, Mike, just so yeah, if you just come up and sit there just so uh if you can turn the microphone on just so everyone can there's a record of it and people can hear.

Thank you. and I'm really pleased to hear what I just heard. It's fantastic news and led some creative juices flowing. So, appreciate the word, Chris. Um, when the project was proposed at around a $500,000 expenditure, it really got me worried. I did some analysis on that and then uh later I learned there's going to be some cost reduction on it and I thought that's fantastic. I went back to that analysis and rejiggered the numbers and the numbers I'm referring to speak to a declining net margin for the uh parks and recreation fund subsequently a reduction in the revolving fund and also what I'm predicting is the imposition of contributions that would fund the CIP projects that are now planned out to 2045. When I encapsulate all those things together, my view is even at $200,000 expense for the storage

175,000 up to what it's important to get it right because there's been a lot of discussion I'll adjust the analysis and yeah so I just want to make sure that we're accurate in the numbers I will adjust the analysis I guarantee you that because it's good news yes but I don't think it's good enough right because it may shift the the

the point at which the revolving fund goes red unless other things happen and I'm sure they will but it has to do with when when we sp when we speak about the revolving fund and the uh prospect of having no taxpayer impact, it deserves more analysis. So, I urge the board maybe engage with Darcy and with Cheryl. I'd be happy to share what I've come up with, put that in their hands, and maybe I'm way off base. I'd be happy to it, but I would like a commitment to say yes, we probably should take a look at that because right now the analysis says you go red in 2028. So Mike uh provided me a copy of that as a member of the budget committee because we're both on the budget committee. I tipped him off that this might be coming. It was a helpful analysis uh to to determine what the kind of track has been or what the track appears to be.

Yeah. Uh I have some confidence I have more confidence than than he is kind of portraying for the future because I think we have been taking 150,000 that is not going to happen forever. U the other thing that we haven't done yet is in all of the time that Dar's been rolling I don't think we've had a price adjustment of the services of the bow rack before and after school program. Um and at some point that analysis has to be done. Um but I think if you if you're willing to update that that would be data points that I would certainly use at town meet

help explain the full impact of decision making. I appreciate the invitation. I will update it. To whom shall I pass it off to? You can send it to all of us. All to me or to all of us. Awesome. Thanks, Mike. I'm done. Awesome. Really appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you. Anyone else like to speak on this?

All right. So, we have a motion and a second. The motion is to place on the warrant and I'm summarizing the actual motion to place on the warrant [clears throat] David being given the authorization to spend up to $175,000 um on a solution to the storage and office space need at the BO rec center. That is the motion. Any further discussion? Um just out of curiosity and I guess she's not here but we haven't adjusted the prices for score before and after school and are I guess is there a wait list? Are we at capacity? Do we know where we are?

Um one of the things that we discussed at the building and facilities advisory committee is just that um Darcy was able to attend that meeting and some of the members of that committee would ask you know do we have a wait list? She sometimes does have a wait list. Um I think at the exact moment right now she might not. Um but she has that mid year, right? Wouldn't people have already figured that out, right? So she does often have a wait list whether it is one, two, three, 10. Yeah. I mean bigger picture to me is that if you free up a classroom, you free up seats, right? You see up revenue, right?

And I don't think my review of what I've seen so far, I don't think that is something that has to happen immediately. We've got years of of a transition. Um, but at some point you have to make sure you're at market.

Yeah. And just to inform the board too that as part of the building and facilities committee meeting, we looked at the um the plans of that building, tried to evaluate how we might best use that space to come up with the the um office space she needs. And you know, try to create maybe a flex space that could be used for children. So, there's been a lot of looking at the plans and looking at the square footage, trying to come up with something that works. And I think we just need a little bit more time to find the solution, but I think this is the right path.

Yep. All right. All those in favor say I. I. I. Eyes have it. Five nothing. Do we have to vote on our recommendation for warrant or do we do that when we do all the warrants? Yeah, we'll you'll want to do it the 10th. Okay. Okay. All right. So, Tanya, just make a note that we have to vote on our recommendation on the warrant that we just placed on the article as are going to go to the public hearing. So, this would have to be added for that. But with no recommendation, do they'll do them after the hearing? Perfect. Thank you.

Uh, moving on. After hours permit process, this is more explanatory about uh, cemetery hours. We had asked at the last meeting, I believe it was SE select KBY, but I could be mistaken. Just so we can clarify the process of getting the permit for after hours visitation at uh, the cemeteries in town. David, if you could just brief the board on that.

Yes. So, we have the we have the application and the permit. Um, we discussed within my office, Tanya and I had discussed, you know, should we send them to the police department right up straight up or come in here? I think it would be a lot easier and much more easier for residents to accept, you know, to access the uh our office than police. You know, they're on the road, they have to wait for the box. It could bring the So, basically, um, we'll process the permits. They'll come in um fill it out and then once approved, I'll sign it. Uh we'll then give a a copy of it to the police department so they're aware. Okay. And that is a permit in perpetuity.

Yep. Okay. We don't need a motion on this. This was just a briefing to the board. Is everyone fine with that process? Yes. Moving on to the veterans tax credit. David, if you could brief us on this as well.

The statute uh changed for uh various tax credits for veterans. Um the town currently has for uh tax credit for service connected total disability. Our optional amount you're a you used to be able to choose up to $4,000 and that's what our our credit is. We have 25 people that qualify for that. um prior to this law telling us we need to read um you these people were also able to get a up to oh actually $750 uh veterans tax credit. So if you you'd qualify for both you'd get $4,750. What the law is doing now is you can't have both. You can if your service if you apply for the credit to 4,000 you can't get the 750. So, what communities are doing is they're putting this on the warrant. Um, and at the very least, uh, you know, if you want to keep these the 25 whole, we would increase or request that the credit be increased to 4,750. And that being said, the highest amount that we're a town is allowed to go is 5,000. They increased it from four to five. And I think it was to accommodate something similar to this. So, we'd have to put on the warrant a change that basically we'd be upping the full disability credit to 4,750. It would be my understanding is it all

it's a wash based on last year but it just makes it so those folks get the same credit that they got last year. Any problem with that? We would need a motion to place it on the court. If the legislator clarified that they don't intend people to double dip, I would leave it the way it is and not allow people to double dip and leave it 4,000 and not have the preference would be to do nothing and if we do nothing, it just stays at 4,000, right, David? Yes. But they but those 25 individuals

get two different credits would get a credit one for being totally disabled and for just being one or the other. I would be in favor uh of upping the full I hope I'm using the right term full disability credit to 4750 so that there is effectively no change for those 25 individuals in town. I hope that makes sense. I'll clarify it. I have heard so many bills [laughter] on this topic.

I'll make a motion uh to report what J McDaniel said because it's confusing. The up put on the warrant a change to the veterans tax credit uh from 4,000 to 4750 for fully for the fully disable uh it's called service connected total disability. Service connected total disability. I would like to make a motion for that please. Thank you. We have a motion a second. Any further discussion hearing? None. All those in favor say I. I opposed. I said yes. Okay, I can count to four. I know that I was

Okay. I just I just I want to make sure I wasn't misounting you. You and Angela sound very similar. So, all right. The eyes have it five nothing. Um Angela, when do you need to leave? In five minutes. Let's do set the date for the last meeting before town meeting. March 3rd or March 9th. We do the March 9th. I'm away on March 3rd. Everyone fine with that?

March 3. You know what I'm saying?

It's so so I would prefer that I'm not here on the third. So if we could do the 9th, that would work for Monday the 9th. And if if there wasn't a change, would we cancel that meeting? It's before election. So hopefully it will be an extremely short meeting. So is the election the 10th? Yes. And then town meeting is the 11th. Yes. So uh this the schedule as is town meeting is Tuesday March 10th. Yeah.

That town meeting elections where we vote on the ballot that happens on March 10th. Town meeting business meeting is Wednesday March 11th. That's where we gather and meet together and raise our hands and and all of that, not the ballot process. So, um Oh, so are we fine with the night? Yeah. Okay. Yes, we'll go We don't need a motion there. We'll go with the nine. Um somebody put that in my calendar. [laughter]

Uh we need to So, going to number seven, we need to set a public hearing date for a preservation easement. Basically, the the There is um in town, I'm summarizing here and David can correct me. There is some structures in town that people voluntarily put into a preservation easement and get a slight tax break on it. They have they apply. We have to respond within 60 days. It's a I believe it's a couple who own two of these things. One is a there's some photos in here. One a very nice barn. One's a blacksmith shop. But I believe we need to set a public hearing as part of motion if to accept this. I would suggest we take a public hearing at the next meeting.

Agreed. They are stunning properties. Are we too late?

I'll probably do like a stalking driveby instead of the sidewalk. Sidewalk. You don't need a public hearing. Yeah. I don't think I need to. Yeah. So, our next meeting is when

it's March, January. I would just say the 10th. We have to post. How much time do you how much seven clear days? Okay. So, ju move it to the second meeting in February.

Okay. All right. Uh, Bo Junction Water. Um, so just a reminder, we have an opportunity to receive some grant money as well as for forgivable loan money. Um, this is time sensitive to place on the warrant. There's been, but those two things together don't add up to the money we would need. And so, David will brief us on what we if we wanted to secure that grant money and that for forgivable loan of approximately $300,000, what we would have to do to get that and how we would ensure that we're not building a pipe to nowhere. Um, yeah, we had a a pretty good discussion and meeting with dees and our engineer and a few others. Um, what we're looking at, the current estimate right now for the project is uh 3.6 million 3610 203. What the state has done is awarded us a grant of 1,500,000 uh does not have to be paid back. And then they've tapped uh their typical regular uh revolving loan fund type grant uh for 1.8 billion and they're also doing a loan. they would do a loan for 305101 and that's [snorts] uh from a different pot of money but it's it's a loan like the revolving fund but it's from a certain pot of money for contaminants and so um

and that's forgivable the 305101 the 305 is is 100% principal and that generally would happen I think a year from when the project is done or they retroactive and would charge us some interest still but um and then 10% of the 1.8 would be forgivable. Um let's see the what would happen with this is that the uh annual principal and interest payments would be come from the bow business corridor fund uh which currently has probably uh it says down at the bottom 2.7

2.7 yes. Thank you about 27 and it's income the generating approximately a million dollars of income uh per year. And so what this would do is again we would with the loans they would be spread out. You can have a 15-year term, 20 year but the tax increment funds would cover that. Um the rates for these revolving funds are 3.89 89 for 15 years and for 20 years it's 4.152. Uh the bond bank just did a sale. Their 15-year rate is 3.07%. And the 20-year is 3.43%. So you the board could choose to go either way with this, but um it's kind of a complicated on how how we withdraw these loans as opposed to a bond. we have the funds and um but either way I mean it it the other option would be if you want to put more down up front from the

so we have 2.7 million and correct me if this is dealing with this kind of thing we have 2.7 million in the business cor why would we just use that instead of taking out the New Hampshire drinking water state revolving loan We'd still need some of it. Well, if it's 1.8, we have 2.7. Well, I'll have to check and see if the grant. So, we're hoping we could we would do that and still get the 1.5 million. Great. Yeah, obviously. And that was the question we had had last meeting. I I understand that this is a phenomenal opportunity to get a huge grant if Yes. If conquer agrees.

Yes. Because because of that I think that we would be crazy not to embrace $1.8 million in grants on a project that would connect water um in in that quarter. Um I am not going I don't believe we should borrow 15 or 20 years on a project where we have a tiff that's generating $1 million a year in revenue. Um, if we have to borrow the 1.5 for it to be forgiven, fine. We have to borrow the 305 for it to be given, fine. If we have to borrow the 1.8 to get 180,000 of it forgiven, fine.

But my expectation would be to pay that bond off the year it was there any prepayment penalty on this stuff? No. Right. Is but if we did if we went to bond bank, yes, there would be You would be and so stuck with the term. Correct. I we would be presenting this to the town as if conquered finally woke up and was if conquered [laughter] willing to uh was willing to be a partner this solution. Uh we have we have all the tools we need but I I am not advocating that we borrow any money when we have this kind of money.

So So you're saying I'm just trying to clarify because I think I agree with you is that you How putting on the warrant that we would do what's said here, but then explaining a town meeting that this will be paid back as soon as we can via the tiff and not via raising extra money from the town or bond, right? No long-term, right? We're just trying not to be pennywise pound foolish for the life of the construction. And it's all and it's contingent as I said on we're not going to start construction until we know that it's going to go somewhere and the concrete's agreeing and that

in the interim we'll gain another million into the So in terms of the process of this we can make a vote tonight to put this on the warrant I'm I'll make a motion well I'll make a motion for David to draft the appropriate warrant to allow for this understanding that no long-term bonds will be issued by the town of Bow. Um that our plan will be to use the TIFF funds to pay off the $1.8 million drinking water revolving fund loan at completion project.

And then we have a public hearing if once that warrant is drafted, we have a public hearing on the 10th. U the well because it's not a bond. I talked to bond council. There is a tight frame for any bonds that are going to be issued for over 100,000. There's a tight frame for a a public hearing. Um but we don't know yet if there's going to be a bond. Yeah. I wouldn't know. Wouldn't if if you're sticking with this. Yeah. There's no bond at this point. There would be no bond a bond. Yeah. Is okay. All right. Just making sure. And obviously we have two meetings or three meetings for town meeting and we want people to come and talk about it. But so I have a motion second.

When is this t sunset? Like when's it when's it over? Never sunsets when all our projects are done. We have Okay. So there's no and you can adjust it can be adjusted at some point to 50%'s retained 50 back you know to to general fund. Yeah. Because to me I mean it seems like a big project and eventually want to put that back into the Yeah. Well, that's the thing is you do a project like this and and you spur development co has planned at some point there could be some and we're going to get some we're going to the reason they're giving us 1

$1.8 8 million of free money plus 180 to almost $2 million of grants is because we have a water issue, right? That's what they're able to do. All right. So, Chris made the motion. Elena second it. Any further discussion? All those in favor say I. I. I. Eyes have four nothing with Angela and

um moving on to parking on stack drive updates. So, we obviously have temporary signs up there that were reduced in scope at the request of SL Flanigan last time. Um, we are looking to see tonight if we make those signs permanent with a caveat that no signs are going to be going to the ground next week. Um, I as I promised at the last meeting, I reached out to the facility. Uh, they have not gotten back to me. That was not really regarding the parking signs, but about trying to have an open dialogue with them. So I will continue to try and reach out to them about um the issue larger issues around it beyond parking. So the issue tonight is do we want to make basically no parking here to the corner on both sides of the road on both sides of that L corner permanently. That's what we're looking at tonight. You don't have to make a decision tonight, but I thought we

I don't think there's any reason to make my thought is no reason to make a decision tonight. You know, I was hoping that we would hear from the the property owner managers and that we could come up with an agreement with them. And if that could happen, we might not need a permanent solution. And so, let's see if we can I'll keep I'll keep trying. Um I know David has reached out because there's been some continued issues around his service calls. Um So, I'll keep trying. We don't have to make an issue tonight. Again, no parking. They weren't going to put any parking signs in regardless because the ground is frozen. And so, basically, we'll just keep plugging away at that and snow banks. Yeah,

you can dig out the snow. It's a fluffy snow, so you can dig it out. Um, all right. Board committee reports. Um, I don't think for the for me, it's not any surprise that we've had some contentious stuff at the planning board recently. I would just like to commend the folks on the planning board for sticking to the facts as they're supposed to and efficiently getting stuff done with as little uh emotion as possible. Uh the planning board I think is a very hardworking board in this town.

Um and I really commend people for stepping up because we've had a number of people join our board recently which is phenomenal to see. So that's my committee update. No others.

Uh budget is going pretty well. Uh the town budget budget committee reviewed and adopted the town budget with a few minor changes. We are well into the school budget now. uh budget committee made a bunch of kind of tentative cuts to the school budget 900,000 rangeish that we voted on last night kind of as a sign of our intention to the school board. They're going to come back with some edits to that next week and so hopefully we'll have that wrapped up next week. All right, bottom lines. Um,

uh, as we all have said, we thank the DPW. That's the biggest one. Um, emergency services of any sort are very much appreciated with what they are dealing with right now. Um, and I also wanted to thank uh Peter Imy, our town moderator, um, the school personnel that joined us on a Zoom um, this week to go over the process for elections, uh, town meeting, what it's going to look like at Bow Memorial, uh, moving the elections over there, and just the thoughtful conversation that occurred was very appreciated. And I can't imagine not having this team of people work our elections.

Second plan again. Uh I I don't really no bottom lines. I do actually bottom line. Can we get that fan fixed? It is. It is. We have We have the replacement parts Thursday. It's getting fixed. He was supposed he was going to come yesterday. It's really hard to focus. these tiny little tiny little fans. Bottom lines. Bottom lines. Slack. You made it. Keep it brief. Motion. I rushed back here to get my bottom lines. You probably have already covered it.

Huge thank you to DPW for getting us through the storm and all the good care they gave to our roads. And um thank you. Thank you. Thank you. My bottom line is thank you for keeping the meeting short. my birthday. So, [laughter] we have a motion to adjurnn. I'll make a motion to adjurnn. Flex and Flanigan. Second. Second. All those in favor? Eyes have it. Five. Thanks, everyone. cut that