Table Of Content

2001 ANNUAL REPORT ViewofConnecticut Riverfrom Patch Park. CHARLESTOWN NEW HAMPSHIRE MEMORIAM IN The Charlestown Selectboard wishes to dedicate its 2001 Annual Reportto a most faithful employee and friend, OlgaDavis. Olga's tenure withthe town started in 1972. Over the twenty-two years she dispatched for the Police Department, she was "Gal Friday" for four Police Chiefs. She was a true personification of law and order in her crisp, uniform and shining name badge, ready to greet each and every individual with a quick smile and genuine concern forallthose sheencountered. In 1994 upon Olga's retirement fromthe police department, she was hired as a clerk for the Town Clerk-Tax Collector. Again her pleasant attitude and attention to detail always made thepublic feel welcome. Whether atwork or tending the flowers on Main Street, Olga greeted friends with an earnest inquiry as to their well being with a sympathetic ear for any and all problems. Townspeoplejoin Olga's children and grandchildren in mourning the loss of such a valued woman. We admire the strength, determination and fun- lovingnaturewithwhichshemeteachday. .CV ANNUAL REPORTS Of the Selectboard And Other Town Officers CHARLESTOWN, N.H. For the Year Ending December 31, 2001 INDEX Abatements 33 Ambulance 63 AnimalControl 70 Auditor'sReport 28 Births 79 Budget2002 13 BuildingInspector 64 CemeteryAccounts(new) 48 CemeteryTrustees 65 CharlestownMedicalBuilding 71 ComparativeStatementofAppropriations&Expenditures 23 ConservationCommission 62 Deaths 80 DepartmentofRevenueAdministration-2001 TaxRate 22 DetailedStatementofExpenditures 40 ExecutiveCouncilor-RaymondS. Burton 78 FireDepartment 66 GeneralFundBalanceSheet 25 Health&HumanServices 67 HomeHealthCareHospice&CommunityServices 74 Librarian 61 LibraryTreasurer 57 LibraryTrustees 60 Marriages 82 MountAscutneyRegionRiverSubcommittee 75 OfficeHours/MeetingDates 3 PlanningBoard 68 PoliceDepartment 70 RecreationCommittee 71 ScheduleofTownOwnedProperty 27 SchoolStudyCommittee 72 Selectboard 1 SolidWasteCommittee 73 StatementofDebt 26 SummaryInventoryofValuation 16 TaxCollector 30 TownClerk 29 TownMeeting2001 Minutes 17 TownMeeting2002DeliberativeSession 11 TownOfficers&Committees 4 TownWarrant-2002 7 Treasurer 36 TrusteesofTrustFunds 48 WaterDepartment 50 Water&SewerFundBalanceSheet 54 WastewaterDepartment 52 Water/WastewaterBondProject 55 Water/WastewaterDepartmentReport 56 UpperValleyLakeSunapeeRegionalPlanningCommission 76 REPORT OF THE SELECTBOARD Several major construction projects have taken up much ofthe Selectboard's time over the past year. Foremost ofthese is the Water & Sewer Project that the town embarked on several years ago. The first phase ofthe project was the structural rehabilitation of the Wastewater Treatment Plant on Lower Landing Road. This phase ofthe project was completed last summer by West State Construction, Inc. and the Board is very pleased with the result. The contractor did an excellentjob withtheproject, which was actuallycompletedunderbudget. Phase Two ofthis extensive project is the upgradeoftheNorth Charlestown Water System, involving the installation ofapproximately 12,000 feet ofnew watermain and the construction ofa new 250,000 gallon underground storage tank providing increased water pressure and emergency fire flows. This phase ofthe project is nearing completion and is expected to be substantially finished by early March. The next major phase ofthe project will include the replacement and extension of water and sewer lines in the Charlestown village and Old Claremont Road areas. This phase is scheduled for construction beginning in the spring of2002 and will continue through most ofthe summer and fall. The long awaited reconstruction and rehabilitation ofOld Claremont Road will finally be accomplished as part of this project. The Selectboard urges the support ofvoters on this year's Warrant Article that authorizes the final $150,000 that will be necessary to complete the job. The riverbank stabilization project at Patch Park was also completed this past fall. Stone rip-rap was placed along the riverbank to supplement and strengthen the existing stone. We feel that the contractor did a fine job, on time and within budget. Unfortunately, the bridge replacement project on Old Claremont Road has not gone as smoothly as these other projects. Unforeseen conditions discovered only after the project had begun resulted in significant delays and additional costs. Even after these conditions were addressed, progress on the actual construction work was disappointing, resulting in the bridge being closed far longer than expected. The Selectboard realizes that these construction projects can sometimes be disruptive and annoying to nearby residents and the traveling public. However, in the long run they are a major benefit to the Town and we thank all residents for theirpatience, cooperationandunderstandingastheseprojectsprogress. On the non-construction side, the Selectboard is hopeful that the school flinding issue may finally be resolved with this year's proposed amendment to the school district's Articles ofAgreement. We wish to extend our thanks to the Charlestown School Study Committee for their tireless efforts in pursuing this matter, and to Bill Sullivan who represented Charlestown on the committee established by the school district to review the revised fimding formula. We urge all Charlestown residents to get out and vote on this important matter. More infonnation on the revised fonnula and its effects on Charlestown will no doubt be made available as thevote approaches. We would also take this opportunity to note that we sympathize with all those taxpayers who endured a major increase in the tax rate last year. We would point out however that the Town's portion ofthe tax rate did not increase at all from the previous year. In fact, the increase in the tax rate was entirely attributable to school district and county budget increases. The Selectboard, Finance Committee and Town staff have worked very hard to keep Town budget increases to a minimum while maintaining municipal services at acceptable levels. We urge those taxpayers who are concerned about rising property taxes to contact your schoolboardandcountyofficialstoexpressyourconcerns. Wliile this year's proposed General Fund budget represents an increase of approximately 10% over last year's budget we also anticipate a significant increase inrevenue to offset much ofthe increase. Much ofthe increase can be attributed to rising health insurance costs and modest pay raises for Town employees. Another factor in the increase is the recommendation from the Solid Waste Committee that the Town purchase a tnick to do its own trash hauling. The Committee has detennined that such an investment made now will save the Town considerable money in the fliture, as opposedto hiring outside haulers. In fact it is expected that this investment will pay for itself in cost savings over a period ofless that three years. The Selectboard therefore urges the support ofthe voters on the proposed budget. Respectfully submitted, Charlestown Selectboard StevenA. Neill, Chainnan BrendaL. Ferland JonB. LeClair 1 OFFICIAL OFFICE HOURS/MEETING DATES SELECTMEN'SOFFICE Weekdays: 8:00 A.M. to4:00 P.M., exceptholidays Tel. 826-4400 MEETINGS: firstandthird Wednesday, 7:00 P.M. Fax826-5181 TOWN CLERK/TAX COLLECTOR'S OFFICE Monday: 8:00A.M. to 1:00P.M. and 1:30to 6:00 P.M. Tel. 826-5821 Tuesdaythrough Friday: 8:00A.M. to 1:00 P.M. and 1:30to4:00 P.M., exceptholidays BUILDING DEPARTMENT MondayandWednesday: 4:30to 6:00 P.M. Tel. 826-4400 HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES TuesdayandThursday: 8:30A.M. to 1:00 P.M. Tel. 826-5266 Otherdayson-call: 1-800-894-8400 PLANNING BOARD OFFICE (Bakery Building, downstairs) Mondaythrough Friday-8:00A.M. to4:00 P.M. Tel. 826-5368 MEETINGS: firstandthirdTuesday, 7:00P.M. Fax826-3709 TRANSFER STATION Tuesday& Friday: 7:00A.M. to5:00 P.M. Tel. 826-3201 Wednesday: 7:00A.M. to6: 00P.M. Saturday: 7:00A.M. to4:00 P.M. CONSERVATION COMMISSION ThirdMondayofeachmonth: 7:00P.M. RECREATION COMMITTEE FirstTuesdayofeachmonth: 7:00 P.M., Town Hall All meetingsare held in the Community Room, unlessotherwisestated EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS Police,Ambulanceand Fire-91 (PoliceDepartment-non-emergency-826-5747 TOWN OFFICERS Selectmen SteveNeill 2002 BrendaFerland 2003 Jon LeClair 2004 Health & Human Services CommunityAlliance ChiefofPolice Michael S. Bumham Appointed AnimalControlOfficer PoliceDepartment Treasurer Joan Kuncik 2003 TownClerk DebraJ. Clark 2002 Tax Collector DebraJ. Clark 2002 Health Officer/ BuildingInspector RobertRivard Appointed Moderator AlbertSt. Pierre 2002 SupervisorsofChecklist BarbaraRyan 2002 Doris Blodgett 2004 Joan Kuncik 2006 AdministrativeAssistantto Selectboard/ Planning& ZoningAdministrator David M. Edkins Appointed TrusteesofTrust Funds BarbaraJones 2002 Margaret Spaulding 2003 DavidT. Henry 2004 Cemetery Trustees DonaMates 2002 MaryR. Gray 2003 VictoriaSargent 2004 Librarian Recreation Committee BarbaraRowe - Secretary