Deliberative Session Minutes
Thursday, February 8, 2007
The annual School District Deliberative session was called to order at 6:36 P.M. on Thursday, February 8, 2007. The moderator opened the session with the Pledge of Allegiance.
Introductions of the Budget Committee were made. Those members include Larry Yeaton, Don Harty, Carole Brown,
Brad Keyes, Joyce Heck, Steve Warner Chairperson, Gary Kitson,
Marylou Keane and Betsy Bosiak
as Secretary.
Barbara Doughty, member of Epsom School Board then introduces the School Board.
Those members include Dave Goulet, Gordon Ellis,
Tracey Miner, Barbara Doughty Chairperson, Bill Yeaton,
Tom Haley, Superintendent, Aaron Pope, Vice Principal, Patrick Connors,
Principal, Gary Matteson as Moderator and Trish McDonald School District Clerk.
The Moderator reviewed the rules of conduct for the session. The Moderator
instructed that all articles presented could be discussed and amended but that
no vote would be taken. Voting on warrant articles will be conducted by
official ballot at the second session scheduled for March 13, 2007 at the
The purpose of the deliberative session was reviewed; for voters to become more
informed and to amend, in writing, any articles as needed, following
discussion. Articles will be placed on the ballot as amended.
Articles submitted are to be read by the Moderator, and addressed by the
Chairperson of the School Board or his designee, school personnel, or school
district Superintendent for discussion purposes. If no amendments are made, to
be declared by the Moderator to be placed on the ballot as presented by the
School Board.
Article 1. Shall the District vote to raise and
appropriate as an operating budget, not including appropriations by special
warrant articles and other appropriations voted separately, the amounts set
forth on the budget posted with the warrant or as amended by vote of the first
session, for the purposes se forth therein, totaling $7,359,125. Should
this article be defeated, the operating budget shall be $7,136,645 which is the
same as last year, with certain adjustments required by previous action of the
school district, or by law, or the governing body may hold one special meeting
in accordance with RSA 40:13, X and XVI, to take up the issue of a revised
operating budget only.
[Approval of the proposed
School Board
Recommends Approval
Budget Committee Recommends Approval
(Note: Warrant Article #1 (operating budget article) does not include separate
warrant articles #2, #3 and #4).
Moderator calls upon Chair of School Board, Barbara Doughty to present specific
budget line items. Questions were posed by citizens and addressed by the School
Board. Moderator called for further discussion or questions. There being no further
discussion or amendments to the Article, Article 1 will appear on the ballot as
presented.
Article 2: Shall the District to raise and appropriate the cost items set forth
in the collective bargaining agreement reached between the Epsom School Board
and the Epsom Teacher’s Association for the 2007/08, 2008/09, 2009/10 and
2010/11 fiscal years which calls for the following increase in salaries and
benefits:
Year 2007/08 $233,199
Year 2008/09 $129,493
Year 2009/10
$115,432
Year 2010/11
$132,901
And further to raise and appropriate this sum of $233,199 for the 2007/08
fiscal year, such sum Representing the additional costs attributable to the
increase in salaries and benefits agreed to by the Epsom School Board and the
Epsom Teacher’s Association.
[Approval of the collective bargaining agreement will result
in a $0.52 per $1,000 increase in the 2007/08 tax rate].
School Board
Recommends Approval
Budget Committee Recommends Approval
Moderator calls upon Chair of School Board, Barbara Doughty to explain in
detail Article 2. Questions were posed by citizens and addressed by the School
Board. Moderator called for further discussion or questions. There being no
further discussion or amendments to the Article, Article 2 will appear on the
ballot as presented.
Article 3: Shall the District vote to create an expendable general trust fund
under the provisions of RSA 198:20-c, to be known as the Building Maintenance
and Repair Trust Fund, for the purpose of maintaining and/or repairing district
facilities, and further raise and appropriate the sum of up to $25,000 (from
surplus) to be placed in the fund, and authorize the use of up to $25,000 from
the June 30, 2007 unreserved fund balance (surplus) available for transfer on
June 30, 2007, and further designate the School Board as agents to expend.
[From currently appropriated funds, which may remain at the end of the
2006/07-year].
School Board Recommends Approval
Budget Committee Recommends Approval
Moderator calls upon Dave Goulet to explain in detail Article 3. Questions were posed by citizens and addressed by the School Board and Superintendent. Moderator called for further discussion or questions. There being no further discussion or amendments to the Article, Article 3 will appear on the ballot as presented.
Article 4: Shall the District vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $67,320
for the 2007/08 school year for the purpose of providing bus transportation to
Epsom students attending
[Approval of this article will result in a $0.15 per $1,000 increase in the tax
rate].
School Board
Recommends Approval
Budget Committee Recommends Approval
Moderator calls upon Gordon Ellis to explain in detail Article 4. Questions were posed by citizens and addressed by the School Board. Moderator called for further discussion or questions. There being no further discussion or amendments to the Article, Article 4 will appear on the ballot as presented.
School Board and Budget Committee will meet after deliberative session to
clarify vote on article 4.
(Budget Committee made amendment to official Article 4 to read: Budget
Committee
Recommends Approval. The previous article stated Budget Committee Does Not
Recommend Approval and that this in fact was a clerical error).
Moderator adjourned deliberative session at 7:27 P.M.