Proposed Community Center - Article 9 Defeated

RSPT Chair Tom Howard said the estimated operating costs of the center would likely to be around $251,230, with a projected revenue of $42,709, reducing the net operating costs to around $208,521.

Howard made a presentation on the proposed amenities for the center, including an indoor walking track, gymnasium, ball fields, and numerous rooms for various meetings and events.

"Recreation reduces health problems and associated health costs for all age groups," Howard said.

Several people at the meeting showed their support for the center by wearing buttons saying, "Vote Yes on Article 9," with a drawing of the proposed center.

"I think the community center is the best thing for the kids," said Moultonborough Academy senior Nick French, noting that the center was widely supported by students during a mock town meeting.

"We should ask the two cops in the front row if they want the kids at the community center or driving around," French said, noting there are few other places for teenagers to go in town during their off time. "If you're having hard times, the community should get together and the community center would be an awesome place to go."

Opponents expressed their concerns about the costs of the center and the potential impact of the proposed appropriations in both articles.

"What are the priorities?" asked resident Alan Ballard. "I'm very concerned about the timing and the tax implications. With concerns about the economy, the possibility of Moultonborough again being named a donor town in the education funding system, and other factors, is this the time for a huge new project resulting in higher taxes?"

Ballard offered an amendment to the article that would appropriate $75,000 for the costs instead of $375,000, saying if the amendment passed he would make a motion to amend the second article to be for $300,000 and not $100,000. The amendment was defeated by a count of hands, 170-263.

Resident Josh Bartlett recalled the vote during last year's town meeting to purchase the Lion's Club property, the proposed site of the center. "There's really nothing wrong with that building $150,000 wouldn't take care of."

"I'm in favor of a senior center, not this senior center," said resident Charlie Fritz. "I think this is a little bit too grand."

The article was defeated by a ballot vote of 198-256.

The article to create a capital reserve fund to save money for the center was narrowly passed on a ballot vote of 148-137.

Howard said the fund was a possible way to put aside money for the project and possibly examine other sources of funding. He said he has received some offers of private donations and was approached by a professional fundraiser who expressed interest in volunteering services.

Details on whether a capital reserve fund would be able to contain donations and tax dollars was a point of discussion, along with how each set of funds would be recorded and distributed.

Voters also approved an article for $992,000 to reconstruct Ossipee Park Road, $600,000 of which would be from a donation by bottling company C.G. Roxane to the town for the project.

Many residents said C.G. Roxane is the heaviest user of the road and most of the damage is likely done by its trucks, and therefore the company should foot more of the bill for the repairs.

Others suggested posting weight limits on the road during the spring and one suggestion was made to close the road for six weeks.

Resident Eric Taussig offered an amendment to reduce the town's share of the cost from $392,000 to $42,000 to reflect the amount of automobile traffic the road gets from the town in comparison with the truck traffic.

Board Chair Karel Crawford and town attorney Peter Minkow said that amount would not be sufficient to repair the road and could open up the town to liability.

The amendment was defeated by voters but was followed by another amendment by resident Jerry Hopkins to appropriate the money if a $950,000 donation is made by C.G. Roxane, making the town responsible for the previously stated $42,000. That amendment also was defeated.

The original article was approved on a ballot vote, 189-97.

Town meeting was preceeded by the annual school district meeting as part of an experiment aimed at getting more voters to town meeting.

An announcment was made at the end of the school district's meeting that a petition had been filed for a recount of the ballots cast on Tuesday for the Official Ballot Act, commonly known as SB2. The act, which would replace the school district meeting with a deliberative session and ballot voting on warrant articles, failed on a vote of 750- 533, falling short of the required 60 percent majority to pass. The recount will take place on Thursday, March 20, at 6:30 p.m. in the meeting room of SAU 35.