Select Board Minutes - 2024-02-27

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TOWN OF DURHAM SELECT BOARD

Fire Station 615 Hallowell Road, Durham, ME 04222 02/27/24 6:30 PM

MEETING MINUTES

1. Call to Order & Establishment of Quorum, Pledge of Allegiance

In Attendance: Joe Tomm (Chairman), Rich George (Vice Chair), Josh Klein-Golden, Heather Roy, Joe Roy and Jerry Douglass (Town Manager).

Guest(s): Marc Roy

2. Amendments to Agenda:

Joe Tomm made an amendment to the agenda to add a discussion on additional budget items under New Business ahead of the 2024 warrant articles discussion.

3. Public Comments: Limited to 3 Minutes Per Person –

Officer Ryan McGee (Resident of Durham) – Requesting that the Durham Select Board take a comprehensive look at law enforcement coverage in the Durham community. Officer McGee is asking that the Select Board authorize the Town Manager to look into contracting Androscoggin County Deputies to be assigned to the Town of Durham. Officer McGee believes that this would benefit the safety of our Durham Fire Department which continues to have an increase in calls for service. Currently, Durham only has rural police coverage in this community and our residents deserve to have assigned police coverage protecting their homes and families.

4. Old Business:

§    Discussion of Town Attorney Memo

The attorney stated that the use of public funds needs to be for a public purpose. The Historical Society Chair provided the Board with a packet outlining the public purpose of the Union Church and the Town Planner also provided a letter for public purpose options.

Joe Roy moved that the transfer of the Union Church to the Historical Society and the appropriated funds to help with certain expenses meets the criteria for public purpose. Heather Roy seconded. Motion carried 5 – 0.

§    Discussion on Union Church Warrant Articles

Josh Klein-Golden moved to accept the two (2) warrant articles as written. Rich George seconded. Motion carried 5 – 0.

5. New Business:

§    Additional Budget Items

The county tax number was released this week. In 2023 the county tax was $677,388. The county tax for 2024 is $742,140 which is a 9.6% increase from last year. If the Board wants to keep the tax levy limit at 0%, the Board will need to use $673,000 of the fund balance to cover it.

Select Board                                       page 1                                 February 27, 2024

Heather Roy motioned that the town use $668,000 of the fund balance towards the 2024 budget and lower the Solid Waste line to $389,000. Joe Roy seconded. Motion carried 5 – 0.

§   Workman’s Comp Audit

2023 – The Town owes $5,997 and a $1,000 deductible for damages to one of the fire trucks.

Heather Roy motioned to add the first article example on the Select Board Notes to the 2024 Warrant Article. Josh Klein-Golden seconded. Motion carried 5 – 0.

§   2024 Warrant Article Review and Discussion

Heather Roy motioned that Article 23 with the proposed edit “to include upon the request of the Town Manager” after the word’s appropriate funds, be included in the 2024 Warrant Articles. Josh Klein-Golden seconded. Heather Roy withdrew her motion.

Joe Roy moved to Amend Article 23 to state “to see if the town will authorize the Select Board to appropriate funds upon requests from the town manager from the town reserves as they deem necessary for expenditures in accordance with the purpose of the reserves.” Heather Roy seconded. Motion carried 5 – 0.

Heather Roy moved to accept the Draft 2024 Durham Town Warrant with the edits made tonight. Joe Roy seconded. Motion carried 5 – 0.

6. Manager’s Report:

The Town Manager moved into the meeting room space at the Town Office and the Town Clerk will be moving into the Town Manager’s old office space.

7. Consent Agenda:

§ Approve Minutes from February 13th, 2024 SB Meeting and approve and sign February 22nd, 2024 AP Warrant. § Committee Appointments

o Durham Scholarship Committee (Christine Cormier)

o Deputy Warden (Nancy Swinton)

o Election Warden (Catherine Curtis)

Josh Klein-Golden motioned to accept the consent agenda as presented. Joe Roy seconded; motion carried 5 – 0.

8.   Upcoming Meeting(s) and Town News:

¨ Select Board Meeting 3-5-24 (Workshop) and 3-12-24 @ Fire Station, 6:30 pm ¨ Planning Board Meeting 3-6-24 @ Fire Station, 6:30 pm

9.   Adjourn:

Heather Roy motioned to adjourn the meeting at 8:45 pm, Joe Roy seconded. Motion carried 5 – 0.

Select Board                                      page 2                                 February 27, 2024

Source: sb_meeting_minutes_02_27_24.pdf on durhammaine.gov. Text extracted with pdftotext; no wording has been corrected.