TOWN OF BENNINGTON 2008 ANNUAL TOWN MEETING BENNINGTON FIRE FACILITY MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM - 3RD FLOOR 130 RIVER STREET BENNINGTON, VERMONT 05201 MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2008 MINUTES MODERATOR: James Colvin. BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Lodie Colvin-Chair; John Zink-Vice-Chair; Sharyn Brush; Matt Maroney; James Gulley; Chris Oldham and Jason Morrissey. ALSO PRESENT: Stuart Hurd-Town Manager; Timothy Corcoran-Town Clerk; Joseph Krawczyk; Justine Scanlon; Charles Kozlosky; Bob Matteson; Anita Bellin; Nathan Wallace-Senft; Amelia Silver; Kendy Skidmore; Harvey Yorke; Mary Morrissey; the Mt. Anthony Union High School wrestling team and coaches; +/- 60 other citizens and Nancy Lively-Recording Secretary. At 7:00 P.M., Moderator James Colvin called the meeting to order. A moment of silence was observed in the memory of all members of our community who had passed in 2007. Mr. Colvin read the Warning: "The residents of the Town of Bennington qualified by law to vote in Town Meeting are hereby notified and warned to meet at the Bennington Fire Facility on River Street (Lincoln Street entrance) in said Town on Monday, March 3, 2008, at 7:00 p.m., or immediately following the Bennington School District's Annual meeting should that run over, to transact the business specified to be done from the floor. If you are a resident of the Town of Bennington, intend to be present at the meeting and are hearing impaired, arrangements will be made for a sign interpreter to be present at this meeting. For necessary arrangements, please contact Stuart A. Hurd, Town Manager at the Bennington Town Offices, 205 South Street, P.O. Box 469, Bennington, VT - (802) 442-1037 no later than Friday, February 22, 2008. Following the completion of such business, the Meeting will stand adjourned to Tuesday, March 4, 2008, at The Bennington Fire Facility on River Street (Lincoln Street entrance). The Polls are open from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. for the election of officers and voting on all ballot articles specified. However, those on the checklist to vote in the Village of North Bennington shall vote for the election of officers and on all ballot articles at the North Bennington Firehouse in that Village. The Bennington Fire Facility above mentioned, is hereby established as the central polling place for those on the checklist to vote in said Bennington. The deadline for registering to vote is February 27, 2008 at 5:00 P.M. at the Bennington Town Clerk's Office." BUSINESS TO BE TRANSACTED FROM THE FLOOR SELECT BOARD ELECTION. Two Select Board Members residing in the Town shall be elected for terms of three (3) years. ARTICLE 1. TOWN REPORT: To hear the report of Town Officers and to take appropriate action thereon. It was moved and seconded to accept the Town Report as presented. The motion carried unanimously. ARTICLE 2. SELECT BOARD MEMBERS COMPENSATION: To determine what compensation shall be paid the Town Select Board Members. It was moved and seconded to have the Town Select Board Members compensation remain the same. The motion carried unanimously. ARTICLE 3. OTHER BUSINESS: To transact such other proper business when met. ARTICLE 1. Shall the Town appropriate for the next fiscal year, July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009, the total sum of $10,131,630. consisting of the following: $2,887,900. for the laying out, maintaining, and repairing of the highways and bridges of the Town; and $7,243,730. for the payment of the following: Any indebtedness not otherwise specifically provided for, interest on indebtedness, legally authorized State and County taxes, the prosecution and defense of the common rights and interests of the inhabitants of the Town, and for other necessary incidental expenses? The proposed budget includes $30,000. for Fire Equipment, $20,000. for parking improvements, and $148,940. for healthcare deductibles and workers compensation insurance, any unexpended portion of which will be reserved to subsequent years for that purpose. Charles Kozlosky noted the difficulty in reading the budget and that budget overruns happen consistently every year without any accountability. The elected officials and the Town Manager must be held accountable. The FY09 budget is over the FY07 budget by 11%. Stuart Hurd added that the budget proposal is the "budget that is projected for expenditures" without taking into consideration grant funds, reserve funds or other sources of revenue that may be utilized during the current fiscal year. The availability of these other revenue sources allows the amount raised by taxes to remain consistent with decreased tax rates the past four years. ARTICLE 2. Shall the voters of the Town of Bennington increase the General Fund by the sum of $50,000, as a reserve to support improvements to the Leonard J. Black Memorial Park? Jason Morrissey stated that all budget meetings are open to the public and understands that even small tax increases impact the people as much as the large ones. Given that, the Town already has three playgrounds and the Leonard J. Black Park is in walking distance of a very small population of children. The Park proposal presented to the Board was for a $1.1M project with a $100,000/year annual upkeep expense. Even though both figures can potentially be reduced if built in phases, Mr. Morrissey feels that expanding our existing playgrounds is the path to take instead of building a new one. Justine Scanlon noted that previous generations have provided recreational opportunities for their children and now "it's our turn" to do the same for the young people that cannot vote for it themselves. ARTICLE 3. Shall the voters of the Town of Bennington increase the Highway Fund by the sum of $240,000. as a reserve to support additional road and sidewalk repair? No comments. ARTICLE 4. Shall the voters of the Town of Bennington increase the General Fund by the sum of $25,000. to support the Bennington Coalition for the Homeless? Jason Morrissey noted that the Bennington Coalition for the Homeless has requested a 1,000% increase in funding from the Town and feels that they should fund raise for this additional revenue instead of soliciting the Town for it. Joseph Krawczyk clarified that Article 4. for the Bennington Coalition for the Homeless was put on the ballot by petition. Amelia Silver and Anita Bellin shared that the Homeless Shelter turns lives around for those who are in need. Kendy Skidmore stated the statistics for the Homeless Shelter highlighting that they have doubled the people they have served in the past six months by providing thousands of beds and have had to turn away 123 more. It is a Town concern if these people do not have a place to go. OTHER BUSINESS: Nathan Wallace-Senft invited everyone to the "Politics of Food Intervention" on March 17, 2008 at the Universal Unitarian Fellowship Hall at 6:00 P.M. on School Street. Bob Matteson reiterated the importance of the Town Meeting and didn't feel that it had been well publicized. Harvey Yorke explained that, over the past 15 years, the State has raised its money for Medicaid by reducing the payments to doctors and hospitals. Hospitals have always paid a $16M tax that has always been paid back to them. This year, the Governor has said that the hospitals will not get it back, and Mr. Yorke has appealed to the voters to not support this decision. Mary Morrissey is "appalled that we don't look at the overall improvement of health care" when the cost of the Catamount Health Care program is $4.3M and just serves as "a band aid" to the real issue. This has been an ongoing problem of cost shifting over the past 12 years. Lodie Colvin recognized the several Mt. Anthony Union High School team accomplishments with special mention to the wrestling teams that have taken the State Championships over the past 20 years - a national record. A special presentation was made to the wrestling team from the Town. Anita Bellin appealed to the public to sign up for saving WBTN. At 8:02 P.M, it was moved and seconded to adjourn the meeting. The motion carried unanimously. Respectfully submitted, Nancy H. Lively Secretary