Selectboard Warns Special Meeting for Monday to Consider Using Conservation Funds to Pay for LeBoeuf Purchase
February 14, 2010 alert...

On Friday the Charlotte Selectboard warned a special meeting for Monday, February 15, at 5 p.m. at the Town Hall. The one agenda item is “Consideration of adjusting the annual contribution to the Conservation Fund to defray future bond costs associated with the purchase of the LeBoeuf property, and/or using some portion of the Conservation Fund towards the purchase of the LeBoeuf property.”

Chair Charles Russell said that the issue had been raised at the information session that the Selectboard held at the Senior Center Wednesday night, February 10. He said there had been a lot of discussion since then by e-mail and telephone, between board members and residents involved in the Charlotte Land Trust, and others, and that he felt it should take place in public. He said he is committed to open meetings, and wants open discussions rather than by e-mail.

Russell said that it would increase the chances for passage of the purchase of LeBoeuf’s 51 acres in the village if there were a funding source that did not increase taxes. However, he has decided that he does not think it would be a good idea to use conservation funds for the purchase because that would reduce the available density and development potential of the property. The Selectboard has said that future uses of the property will be decided through a planning process by town residents, and that it could involve a combination of uses, including residential, commercial, recreation, town facilities and preservation of natural areas.

There is currently $678,000 in the Conservation Reserve Fund, and in 2010-2011 it will increase to about $865,000 with the addition of approximately $185,000 which will be generated by the expected 2 cents on the tax rate for FY2011. Russell said that the Selectboard is responsible for final decisions on the use of the conservation funds, but indicated that there are communications issues. He said that the delay in the Board’s decision on the Ravens Ridge project was because it came to the Board “at the last minute,” and that the Land Trust was “not helpful in explaining what’s in the works.”

Russell said that the voters, assuming they support the purchase of the LeBoeuf property on March 2, have a whole year to decide if they want to pay the bonds with money that otherwise would go to the Conservation Fund rather than by increasing taxes. There could be a vote at next year’s Town Meeting. The first partial bond payment of about $25,000 would not be due until May of 2011, and the largest payment of $150,000 would come due in 2012.

The Town is in the 4th year of the second ten year commitment to contribute up to 2 cents on the tax rate annually to the fund. It is up to the Selectboard whether to propose all or a portion of the 2 cents. The full 2 cents is included in the property tax estimate for 2010-2011 that the Selectboard approved to be in this year’s Town Report; there is no article on the Warning for the March 2 Town Meeting dealing specifically with the contribution.

The Grange-sponsored “Meet the Candidates” event is at 7 p.m. in the Senior Center right after the Selectboard’s 5 p.m. meeting Monday. The Selectboard is also holding special information meetings on the LeBoeuf purchase on Wednesday, February 17, at 7 p.m. in the Senior Center, and on Monday, March 1, at 7:30 p.m. in the CCS Multi-purpose room, following the CCS budget hearing at 7 p.m. in the same location.