2016 Annual Report Swanzey, New Hampshire Whitcomb Hall 100 Year Anniversary Ties to the past - forming our future Edwin C. Hopkins U.S. Navy 3rd Class Fireman Edwin C. Hopkins of Swanzey died Dec. 7, 1941, on board the USS Ok- lahoma in the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Over the past decade his family fought the U.S. Navy to bring his remains to his home. On Oc- tober 15, 2016 Edwin Hopkins was brought home and buried with his family in Woodland Cemetery in Keene. This event was commemorated with a cer- emony at the Dillant-Hopkins Airport in Swanzey, which bears his name. Rest in peace Petty Officer Michael Moore / Sentinel Staff Hopkins. Michael Moore / Sentinel Staff Contact and Meeting Information www.town.swanzey.nh.us Town Hall Contact Information Regular Monthly Meetings All meetings are held at Town Hall, unless otherwise 620 Old Homestead Highway posted. PO Box 10009 Swanzey, New Hampshire 03446-0009 Consult the town calendar at www.town.swanzey.nh.us for the most up-to-date (603) 352-7411 meeting information. (603) 352-6250 (fax) NH Relay TDD 1(800) 735-2964 Board of Selectmen Wednesday Evenings, 6 p.m. x101 Town Clerk W.William Hutwelker III: 313-3948 (cell) x105 Code Enforcement Officer Kenneth P. Colby Jr: 357-3499 (home) x108 Town Planner Sylvester Karasinski: 209-1776 (cell) x109 Tax Collector x110 General Assistance Coordinator Planning Board x111 Finance Office 2nd & 4th Thursday, 6 p.m. x114 Assessing Coordinator x115 Town Administrator’s Office / Zoning Board of Adjustment General Inquiries 3rd Monday (Except Jan & Feb), 7 p.m. Hours Open Space Committee Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 2nd Wednesday, 5 p.m. Conservation Commission Emergency 911 1st Monday, 4 p.m. Police Department: 352-2869 Fire Department: 358-6455 Sewer Commission Emergency Management: 355-8852 1st & 3rd Wednesday, 4:30 p.m. Public Works: 352-7116 Recycling Center: 357-3808 Economic Dev. Advisory Committee 2nd Monday, 5 p.m. In Memoriam Arthur B. Whipple June Fuerderer 1933-2016 1931-2016 Town of Swanzey Planning Board employee Conservation Public Works Commission Recycling Center (photo courtesy of UNH) (photo courtesy of Keene Sentinel) Arthur Boufford Chuck Beauregard 1930-2016 1952-2016 Library Trustee Selectman Economic Development Advi- Zoning Board of sory Committee Adjustment Brown Field (photo courtesy of Fletcher Funeral Home) Recognition of Outstanding Volunteers Don Skiba and Beverly Bernard moved to Swanzey in 2008 and since then have become fixtures across Swanzey Town government. Beverly began taking minutes in 2012 for the Selectmen and several other com- mittees and has also served on a number of committees herself, includ- ing Open Space, Conservation Commission, the Aquifer Protection, and as an alternate for the Trustees of Trust Funds. Don has also served on and chaired a number of Town committees, including Munici- pal Facilities Review (Chair) Water Study (Chair), Planning Board, and Capital Improvement Program. They both also serve together on the Economic Development Advisory Committee. Thank you Don and Bev- erly for your service and hard work over the years! Don Skiba Beverly Bernard In 1999, Victoria Reck Ames moved to Swanzey. Almost immediately she immersed herself in the Town, including serving on many committees, most notably as the long time Chair (and champion) of the Open Space Committee. Victoria also worked for the Town for many years, serving as an election worker, minute taker, and the Town’s As- sessing Coordinator (among the many other duties that came with the job). Victoria’s service extends beyond Swanzey’s borders and includes volunteer work for the Monad- nock Conservancy. Her contributions to the community were acknowledged and hon- ored with a 2016 Extraordinary Women award from the Keene Sentinel. From day one, Victoria gave her heart and soul to this community and we want to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU! Your dedication to the town has made it a better place. Victoria Reck Ames Table of Contents 2017 Warrant & Budget Elected Town Officials/Appointed Town Boards and Committees 1 Report of the Board of Selectmen 2 2017 Town Meeting Warrant 4 2017 Recommended Town Budget, Appropriations & Estimated Revenues Summary 8 2017 Default Budget 11 Town Government Economic Development Administration 12 Economic Development Advisory Committee 27 Police Department 13 Capital Improvements Program Committee 28 Emergency Management Department 14 Culture, Conservation & Recreation Fire Department 15 Ashuelot River Local Advisory Committee 29 Public Works Department 18 Swanzey Conservation Commission 30 Recycling Center 19 Open Space Committee 31 Planning Board 20 Recreation Department 32 Planning & Community Development 21 Swanzey Historical Museum 33 Zoning Board of Adjustment 22 Old Home Day Committee 34 Sewer Commission 23 Stratton Free Library 35 Trustees of Trust Funds 24 Mount Caesar Union Library 36 Carpenter Home 25 West Swanzey Sidewalk Committee 37 North Swanzey Water & Fire Precinct 26 Whitcomb Hall Committee 38 2016 Financial Reports Treasurer's Report 39 Summary of Tax Collector Activity 43 Financial Report of the Town Clerk 45 General Fund Detailed Statement of Receipts 46 Detailed Statement of Payments, All Funds 47 Trustees of Trust Funds Financial Reports for Town & Monadnock Regional School District 54 Summary of Assessed Valuation 60 Tax Rate Information (2016 & Previous Years) 61 Police Special Details Revolving Fund 62 Public Safety Detail Revolving Fund 62 Recycling Center Revolving Fund 63 Swanzey Revenue Development District 63 Long & Short Term General Obligation Debt Issued 64 2015 Independent Auditor's Report 65 Minutes & Vital Statistics 2016 Minutes of Deliberative Session 67 2016 Results of Official Ballot Voting 71 2016 Births 74 2016 Marriages 75 2016 Deaths 76 2016 Brought in for Burial 78 2016 Elected Town Officials Moderator Trustees of Trust Funds Sewer Commission Bruce Tatro 2018 Steven Bittel, Chair 2017 Glenn Page, Chair 2017 Selectmen Ed Morenz 2018 William Snyder 2018 Bill Hutwelker, Chair 2017 Richard Scaramelli 2019 Larry Crowder 2019 Kenneth P. Colby Jr. 2018 Alternates Planning Board Sylvester Karasinkski 2019 Beverly Bernard 2017 Glenn Page, Chair 2017 Town Clerk Zoning Board of Adjustment Scott Self, V. Chair 2019 Ronald Fontaine 2017 Bill Hutwelker, Chair 2019 June Fuerderer (deceased) 2017 Library Trustees Keith Thibault, V. Chair 2018 Don Skiba (filled Fuerderer seat)2017 Robert Kenney 2017 Robert Mitchell 2017 Jane Johnson 2018 Arthur Boufford 2018 Bryan Rudgers 2017 Joseph Smith 2018 Hazel Balch 2019 Sarah Tatro 2018 Richard Sainsbury 2019 Supervisors of the Checklist Alternates Selectmen Rep. (alternating) Ruth Snyder 2018 Charles Beauregard Sr. 2017 Alternates Eileen Thompson 2020 Martin Geheren 2017 James McConnell 2017 Lynda Faulkner 2022 Adam Mulhearn 2019 Elizabeth Traynor 2018 Eric Kallio 2018 Shane Bryant 2019 2016 Appointed Town Boards and Committees Conservation Commission Economic Development Advisory Capital Improvement Program Wallace Smith, Chair 2016 Committee Committee Stephen Stepenuck, V. Chair 2017 Steven Bittel, Chair 2017 Steven Bittel, Chair 2019 Robert Goodrich 2018 Beverly Bernard 2017 Bruce Bohannon 2017 Jane Johnson 2018 Guy Pronesti 2017 David Osgood (resigned) 2017 Beverly Bernard 2018 Don Skiba 2017 Robert Smith 2017 Michael Morrison 2019 Lynn Rust 2018 Don Skiba 2018 Open Space Committee Jerry Gomarlo 2019 Francis Faulkner 2019 Victoria Reck Ames, Chair 2018 H. Gregory Johnson 2019 Deborah Davis 2019 Sharon Greatbatch 2017 Alternates Planning Board Rep. Theresa DiLuzio 2019 Bill Hutwelker 2017 Selectmen Rep. Jeanne Thieme Old Home Day Committee Whitcomb Hall Committee Ken Colby Donna Bell Pete Johnson, Chair Revenue Development District Ridgely Brown Lee Dunham Advisory Board Jack Bys Mike Gomarlo Gail Wood Glenn Page 2017 Bill Carson Sharon Greatbatch Steven Bittel 2017 Carol Faulkner Ann Bedaw Gary Davis 2019 Jane Johnson Ellen Edson Recreation Advisory Committee Rose Kowaliw Marion Bedard Judy Bohannon 2018 Walt Kowaliw Judy Bohannon Gerald Bussiere Thomas Little 2019 Renee Morrison West Swanzey Sidewalk Committee Polly Seymour 2020 Norm Skantze Gordon Ayotte, Chair Swanzey Historical Committee Joanne Stroshine Marion Beard Jo Gregory Judy Wilder Pauline Cheney Mary Faulkner Rita Wirth Michael Gomarlo Ernest Perry Ernest Perry Ruth Snyder Marjorie Read Lee Dunham Lena Whipple 1 Report of the Selectmen Town Hall 2016 was a year where the Town continued to make progress in a number of areas and also 620 Old Homestead Hwy began working in a few new areas. (Route 32) The Selectmen made a few changes to how and when they meet to try to better connect W. William Hutwelker III with you. To try to reach citizens in other parts of Town, the Board of Selectmen took their Chair meetings “on the road” by periodically meeting in locations other than the Town Hall. So far, meetings have taken place at the fire stations in the east and west Swanzey villages and in Kenneth P. Colby Jr. Whitcomb Hall. Additional meetings “on the road” will be posted on the website and bulletin Vice Chair boards. The Selectmen also moved their regular meeting night to Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m., in part to avoid conflicting with the Monadnock Regional School Board meetings. In Sylvester Karasinski addition, on a monthly basis the Board of Selectmen began hosting Coffee and Conversa- Secretary tion with the Selectmen. The goal is to give residents and taxpayers an opportunity to have discussions with the Selectmen in a less formal atmosphere than a typical Board meeting. Regular meetings Keep an eye on the website for upcoming dates and please come join us. Wednesday at 6 p.m. As seems to usually be the case, 2016 saw a few new department heads and a few chang- Minutes es at Town Hall. Posted at Town Hall and Solid Waste Manager Bob Osterhout resigned from his position at the end of March to www.town.swanzey.nh.us move to a new position in South Carolina and his assistant Josh Whipple was promoted to Interim Manager.