Warner approves $2.9 million operating budget, several capital reserve funds; ethics‑committee petition passed over

The Town of Warner approved a $2,896,898 operating budget for 2009 at its annual meeting on March 11, 2009, after a presentation by Budget Committee Chairman Marc Violette and a Capital Improvement explanation by Selectman Richard Cook. The budget measure (Article 9) passed by voice vote.

Voters also approved multiple capital reserve fund appropriations aimed at maintaining town infrastructure and equipment. Those approvals included $200,000 to the Highway Road Construction Capital Reserve Fund (Article 12), $110,000 to the Highway Equipment Capital Reserve Fund (Article 13), $50,000 to the Bridge Replacement & Maintenance Capital Reserve Fund (Article 17), $65,000 to the Transfer Station Acquisition and Improvements Capital Reserve Fund (Article 16), $20,000 to the Property Revaluation Capital Reserve Fund (Article 14), and a new Exit 9 Improvements Capital Reserve Fund funded at $5,000 (Article 15). A motion to reduce Article 16’s amount from $65,000 to $40,000 was made by James Gaffney and failed; Article 16 passed as proposed.

During the meeting Moderator Ray Martin recognized the March 10 election results, recorded at the start of the minutes. Among the reported outcomes, Judith A. Rogers received 647 votes and is recorded for Town Clerk (3 years); Marianne Howlett received 643 votes for Tax Collector (3 years); Maureen E. Hampton received 597 votes for Town Treasurer (3 years); John Warner (594) and Michael Ayotte (580) are recorded among Trustees of the Trust Fund seats. Full vote totals for contested local offices and library and cemetery trustees were published in the March 10 results.

A citizen petition seeking to establish a five‑member Code of Ethics Committee (Article 20) was moved up in the agenda on a motion by Alfred Hanson. That petition, however, was not opened for full debate: a motion to pass over Article 20, made by Joanne Hinnendael and decided by paper ballot, carried 128–103, so the town did not consider the petition’s substance at the meeting.

Article 11, a separate warrant item to add $30,000 to the Conservation Fund under RSA 36‑A:5, III, was decided by paper ballot as required: the measure passed 125–100. Two other warrant items on the March 10 ballot addressed zoning and development standards (Articles 2–8). Notable outcomes from the March 10 ballot recorded in the meeting minutes include approval of Article 2 (Floodplain Development Ordinance amendment, Yes 427–No 222) and Article 3 (definition of “Building,” Yes 329–No 321), and defeats for Articles 4–7 and Article 8 (the comprehensive Building Code revision) as shown in the published tallies.

Procedural motions also occurred: Selectman David Karrick successfully moved to restrict reconsideration on Articles 9, 10 and 20; the Moderator laid out the rules for moving and voting, and routine motions to move the question were used as the meeting proceeded. The meeting adjourned at 9:15 p.m. and the minutes were submitted by Town Clerk Judith A. Rogers.

The measures approved fund ongoing town operations and capital maintenance; several items required or used paper ballots per meeting rules. No ordinance changes were enacted at the March 11 session itself; the zoning and ordinance items cited were ballot items from the March 10 election results read into the March 11 minutes.