Voters approve Town Hall repairs

Friday, March 12, 2010

HOLLIS – Town Meeting voters on Wednesday night approved repairs to Town Hall and some cleanup around Flints Pond, but rejected a collective bargaining agreement with police, fire and communications employees.

Those were only three out of 10 warrant articles, and by the time they were dealt with, it was 11:35 p.m. As a result, Moderator Jim Squires recessed the meeting until Thursday night. Still on the agenda were the town’s operating budget and petition articles involving gay marriage and the government’s role in the Sept. 11 tragedy.

Selectman Peter Band urged voters to approve the Town Hall repairs.

“The roof is in terrible condition; it’s leaking and could collapse under a snow load,” he said, and the clock tower is filled with rot, and could collapse in a the wind.

The special warrant article asked taxpayers to approve $400,000 worth of work, which would be a one-time, one-year increase, rather than a bond that would have included interest and other costs. Using ballots, residents approved it with a vote of 279-79.

The expense will add 32 cents per thousand dollars of property valuation; for a home valued at $300,000, this means an additional $96 in taxes in the town portion of the tax bill.

Neither selectmen nor the budget committee had liked a fact-finders recommendation for members of AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees), and in a ballot vote residents agreed, rejecting the pact by a vote of 281-42.

“This is our own little microcosm of a national issue,” resident John Ferlins said. “Pay for public employees at the state and local level climbed one-third higher than that of private employees, and benefits are higher by about two-thirds.”

Town officials were particularly concerned that New Hampshire’s new “evergreen” law would mean aspects of the contract would go on forever.

“We try to bring some parity between taxpayers and union workers,” said selectmen’s Chairman Mark LeDoux, and the health plan in the contract is far better than workers in the private sector could expect anymore.

The rejected contract means selectmen must negotiate with the union from scratch, he said.

In another warrant article, voters said “yes” to cleaning up the weeds that cover Flints Pond, using $106,000 kept in a capital reserve fund for that purpose.

Budget Committee Chairman Christopher Hyde gave a detailed presentation about the shallow pond’s many problems – how it has been damaged by septic systems, dug wells, water fowl and poor outflow.

The plan to use some hydro raking, herbicides and divers to pluck new growth “is not a viable, sustainable plan,” he said, because the pond is too shallow, weeds will grow back and there will be “constant, expensive maintenance.”

The town Conservation Commission also does not support the plan, but three representatives from the state Department of Environmental Services spoke in favor, saying hydro raking will remove floating islands of native plants and herbicides will reduce the milfoil.

“We want to give people access to the pond,” said Jody Connor of the DES. “It’s a public water body.”

Residents approved it with a show of cards.

The meeting was moderator Dr. James Squire’s last in a role he has filled for nearly a quarter-century, and local and state officials marked this milestone with speeches and residents gave him a standing ovation.

Steve Simons was the recipient of the Hollis VFW’s Citizen of the Year award for his “countless hours of volunteer work” at the cooperative school and his “passion for education and conservation.”

Next week, voters decide the Hollis School District and Cooperative School District proposed budgets.

Kathy Cleveland can be reached at 673-3100, ext. 21, or kcleveland@cabinet.com.