BOARD OF ASSESSORS

TOWN OF DUNBARTON

June 15, 2004

 

 

Present:          Timothy Terragni, Chairman

                        John R. Swindlehurst, II

Bryan Clark

 

The Board visited Compton French at his home before the meeting to present him with a gift from the Town in appreciation for his twenty years of service as assessor for the Town of Dunbarton.  Compton was presented with a clock with the inscription “Compton French, 20 years of service, Town of Dunbarton”.   

 

The Board wishes to thank Compton and the French family for many years of dedicated service to our town.   We wish him the best in his retirement and hope that he will always keep in touch with all his friends here at the Dunbarton Town Office.

 

7:45 pm   The Board returned to the town office for their scheduled meeting.  Mail and minutes were reviewed before the meeting was called to order.

 

8:00 pm:  Meeting called to order.

 

The minutes of the May 18, 2004 meeting were reviewed.  Tim Terragni  made one correction to the minutes.  The minutes were accepted and signed with correction made.

 

The Board received a request from Cimray Homes regarding current use penalties.  Gary Chicoine felt that based on the board decision of May 18, 2004 Cimray would be entitled to a rebate of $3,000 on the current use penalty on lot number C6-4-6.  (Agreed on $8,000 penalty and town charged $11,000).  John Swindlehurst made the motion to accept the abatement request of $3,000, the motion was seconded by Bryan Clark and all were in favor.

 

The Board met with Bud Noyes,  Assessor for the town.

 

John stated that he had asked Bud to come in to meet with the board to clear up some concerns that Bud had regarding various assessments. 

 

Bud stated that he felt he was in an awkward position, taking over the pickup work from a  colleague He started in April and came across a lot of errors. These errors have been corrected.  As a result he felt that the town may have some appeals because of these  corrections.   One of his biggest concerns in doing the appraisal work were errors on current use.  He was in the process of  scrutinizing  errors on cards and has been making changes as he goes.  He found buildings erected without permits.  Found driveways paved, decks on houses, a porch on the back of one house,  and an in-ground  swimming pool, with no permit for any of these items.    He also said that one of the problems he had encounter was those current use lots not leaving enough out of Current Use where their buildings were.

 

Bud went on to talk about the Keefe subdivision off Route 77.  They have put in a long paved road with a cul-de-sac and the land is still in current use.  He needs to get information from the building department on the dimensions of the road.  Tim inquired as to how the penalty would be calculated.  Bud said that he would take the frontage on Route 77 and then figure backland values, using equalized ratio and come up with a value.  He will work on this.

 

Bud mentioned that a few lots had left out too little land from current use with their buildings.  He stated that owners with long driveways, were only leaving an acre out.  Driveways were in current use and they cannot be in current use.    Properties were in current use and have house lots in rear acres but there are no maps showing where these acres are.  Tim stated that it was understandable that  the older lots may not have maps but the newer ones are up to date.  Bud agreed, saying that the ones without maps are old properties but that some of the maps are totally different then what is actually there.   Tim mention that some towns require markers to designate the current use areas.

 

Bud went on to say that he had found a house, addition on it, that had never been assessed.   He found several buildings miss-measured and one that showed up on the card as having less square footage then what was actually there so the property had been under-taxed for years.  He has made appropriate changes to these cards.

 

John stated that Bud probably should continue to adjust all errors found and let Vision handle changes that have not been discovered but he stated that the town would have to correct the current use problems ourselves as Vision will use our calculations for acres in and out of current use.

 

Tim spoke about the contract with Bud for this year.  He felt that in the past when the town had a reval the town had an appraiser who worked with the reval company.  The Board would like to have someone who could do that job and inform the board of Vision’s  progress.  The Board asked Bud if he would consider being that person and act as a liaison to the board.  He could  continue under his contract now with the town but keep track of the time he spends with them. 

 

The Board discussed the Wagner vs Dunbarton case that will go before the Board of Tax and Land Appeals on July 29, 2004.  John asked Bud  if he would handle the Wagner case.  Bud stated that he would  rather  have the board handle that one, but later agreed that he would take a look at it.

 

 

 

The Gagne property, lot C3-2-3 was discussed.  Tim stated that the board had decided a while ago to let it go until the reval .  Bud reviewed the assessment card  and found we were not generous at all in the depreciation of the house because of it’s age, so it will all come out even.  

 

The motion was made by John Swindlehurst to have Bud Noyes be the liaison for the Board of Assessors with Vision Appraisal.   The motion was seconded by Bryan Clark,  all members were in favor.

 

Bud agreed stating that he would be glad to be of any assistance to the town.

 

Bud Noyes left the meeting at 8:30 pm.

 

The board approved and signed the following items:

·        Abatement form to correct computer generator errors on tax bills.

·        Warrant to collect taxes relating to errors mentioned above.

·        Timber Tax Certification forms for: Krogman, George, Mattil and Keefe.

·        Timber Tax Warrant for Krogman, George, Mattil and Keefe.

 

 

The board reviewed the bid from George Sansoucy accepted by the Board of Selectmen on June 3, 2004 for the assessment of Utility properties.  The bid was as follows:

·        for pick ups for the year 2004  -  $4500;

·        for the revaluation  in 2005 - $13,000;

·        for the pickups in 2006  -  $4500. 

The Board approved these bid prices and will budget accordingly.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 8:55PM

 

 

                                                            __________________________________

                                                            Timothy Terragni, Chairman

 

 

                                                            __________________________________

                                                            Bryan Clark

 

 

                                                            __________________________________

                                                            John R. Swindlehurst, II

                                                            Dunbarton Board of Assessors

 

 

 

Recorded by:  Janice VandeBogart