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Topics - JLB
1
« on: June 03, 2012, 09:53:46 AM »
Might any one know of a safe place to rent a room in Fairfax? Apartment share possible?
Young mature woman looking to rent in Fairfax.
2
« on: October 30, 2011, 05:13:42 PM »
I saw a sign on the Fletcher Rd saying "save BFA school buses" call the school board.
Any one know what this might be about? Thanks,
3
« on: June 18, 2011, 07:46:41 PM »
A 15' by 48" above ground pool. Intex' Easy Set pool. Comes with large filter, ladder, some chemicals. Pool has some discoloration on the top blue inflatable ring. Otherwise works great. Just need a level spot and add water.
On the Fletcher Road in Fairfax. Ph 849-2423
4
« on: April 03, 2011, 07:44:04 PM »
Anyone else having a hard time with the speed of Fairpoint's DSL service. It seems on the weekends, especially in the afternoons, the service slows down to a snails pace. Fairpoint tech support says not much they can do. We are at the end of the line and not capable of signing up for a higher speed. Kind of crazy excuse I think. We are 2 miles from the village, on the Fletcher Road.
What are the alternatives? Globalnet, Comcast?
Anyone have SoVerNet? How has the experience been?
Thanks!!!
5
« on: April 05, 2009, 07:32:27 AM »
Fundraiser for Hyde Park Veteran.
A community fundraiser is ongoing for Andrew Parker, a disabled veteran. Born and raised in Hyde Park, Andrew graduated from Lamoille Union in 2007 and joined the Army. During his service in Iraq, an unfortunate incident occurred that left him a quadriplegic. Andrew is unable to return home until his parents' house is retrofitted to accommodate his disability.
The entire Lamoille community is pitching in trying to raise funds to assist in the retrofit. Are you able to help? A tax-deductible contribution to help paralyzed Army Pfc. Andrew Parker may be mailed to The Andrew Parker Fund, c/o Hyde Park VFW, Post 7779, P.O. Box 237, Hyde Park, VT 05655.
6
« on: November 10, 2006, 06:05:20 PM »
At the November 6, 2006 meeting, the Selectboard signed a contract with A.M. Peisch, a Certified Public Accounting firm, located in St. Albans.
The contract is for $13,500 to peform the audit for the 2006 Town Report.
7
« on: March 13, 2006, 09:22:02 AM »
There is an important question that should get an answer.
Can a CPA firm get the audit done in time for the annual town report?
14 months ago, the Audit Committee asked the Town Officials if any consideration had been given to have A CPA audit done. The response was several phone calls were made to CPA firms mainly in the St Albans area. The CPA firms responded to the inquiries by indicating that the timeframe for completing an audit and preparing the accompanying financial statements was "impossible". The town's books close Dec. 31st. and the Town Report goes to the commerical printer around Feb. 1st. Leaving approximately 22 business days. It appeared the Town Officials were resolved to the fact that unless the fiscal year is changed, the town has to continue to employ locally elected auditors.
4 months ago, Nov. 2005. The Audit Committee followed up to see if any further discussion had taken to atleast have a single audit performed even if it was not done in time for the Annual Town Report. Meaning for example during 2006, a CPA firm would come in an audit 2005 records.
The response indicated was: 1. It is not practical to pay the Town Auditors and a CPA firm. 2. The CPA firms did not seem interested or willing to contract for this job. Meaning they are too busy with established clients.
In January 2006 there seemed to be no indication that a CPA had been located who was able and/or willing to complete an audit. Yet the Warning was approved and put forth.
The whole thing is perplexing. It seems that the Town could be in vulnerable position when an audit whether local or professional is not done on time for the Town Report. 
8
« on: March 10, 2006, 09:31:18 AM »
Hello,
I have heard through the grapevine that some folks appreciated the extra effort that went into improving the Town Report. Thank you !
The Town Report needs to continue to be the basis for the electorate's decision. I encourage residents to contact the Selectboard with specific comments in regards to which pages you feel should continue to be printed in future Town Reports and which pages you feel are not warranted.
I believe the Selectboard wants to hear from the constituents. If attending Monday nights meetings is not feasible, consider sending email. The Selectboard Assistant has an email address and has always presented my notes to the Board.
Below is an article which was going to be printed in the March issue of the Fairfax News. Due to techinical issues it was not printed.
Town Report – From The Town Audit Committee
Understandably there has been some concern over the cost of printing a thicker town report. We want you to know we do not take spending your taxes lightly.
The cost of printing this year’s 1,600 town reports was $3,212.00 The printing costs were the about the same as last year even though the report is thicker. We switched to a new commercial printing firm, Galaxy Printing.
Postage however did go up significantly. A total of $1,072 was spent to mail 1,530 reports. Rates did go up. We also mailed an additional 200 reports this year because statue says ALL residents should receive a town report. The mailing list is not based on registered voters or those who own property. Basically it implies that residents who rent should also receive a report. This was not done in years past.
Postage was also affected by the inclusion of the Recreation Dept. Handbook. This insert was a one time occurrence. To reduce postage for next year, we will try to use a lighter weight paper.
The Audit Committee felt it important to include extra information this year. Last year we heard complaints about folks not being able to hear at Town Meeting or just not being able to attend Town Meeting. Many folks travel due to the school recess and a number of residents spend the winter down south. To improve the Town Report, we obtained 18 town reports from towns throughout Vermont that are the roughly the same size as Fairfax. Most of the new additions to the Fairfax report were obtained by reviewing the 18 reports. In comparison, the 2005 Fairfax Town Report is the same size as other towns whose population is roughly the same.
The new additions to the report are as follows:
Senator and District Representative Reports,
Sheriff and Emergency Manager Reports,
DRB Report,
School Board of Directors Report,
Impact Fee Schedule,
Town Organizational Chart,
Town and School Salary Charts,
Informational flyers: Hazardous Waste, Recycling, Preschool Development.
According to statute the impact fee schedule needs to be provided annually.
The Town Audit Committee also prepared several pie charts and line graphs to give residents some HISTORICAL Financial Data. [/color] Using these charts, readers can quickly assess trends in budget categories. All of this was a result of adhering to the Handbook for Locally Elected Auditors. The Handbook states Town Auditors should take the writing of the Town Report seriously as if forms the basis of the electorate’s decision.
We encourage residents to contact us with comments, concerns, suggestion. We are here to serve you ! Our email address is: fairfaxauditors@yahoo.com. Regular mail can be sent to the Town Office, PO Box 27.
For ongoing discussion regarding Article 8 – Eliminating Local Audit Office, please visit www.vtgrandpa.com/forums, click on Current News.
9
« on: February 21, 2006, 10:19:37 AM »
I made a few notes on the Town Budget and thought to pass them along.
1. Why the increase in Town Salaries, see page 27 Town Report?
2. Why the increase in Other Town Expense, page 27?
I believe the answer is $29,798 for Recreation Park and $3450 for Emergency Management, detailed on page 24 and page 61.
3. Increases in Community Library, page 28.
Budget has doubled from $30,000 to almost $60,000 from 2004.
4. Impact fees, page 48. It states $15,615 is available to the Recreation Dept. Can we use this money to offset the cost of the proposed basketball court on the Park?
Impact Fees, page 48, states $11,934 for sidewalks, road resurfacing. Will the Town be tapping into this money this year?
5. Rescue Squad financial needs to seem fluctuate signifcantly. Page 26.
In 2004 the Town spent $70,000, 2005 $7,786 for 2006 $19,928 is requested?
Can this need be more stabilized and consistent from year to year?
6. Page 26, Attorney Fees have jumped significantly in the last 2 years.
7. Reappraisal. A number of homes have been sold in recent months for significantly more than the recent appraised value. Will the Town need to reappraise in a few years?
The District Representatives should also address this.
8. Article 8: Locally Elected Town Auditors Office. What would happen if the local office is eliminated and a CPA can not finish the audit in time for the annual town report?
10
« on: January 29, 2006, 10:26:00 AM »
The School Board is holding a Budget Informational meeting on Feb. 20, 2006 at 7:00 pm. All the school articles and the general budget will be presented. Followed by a question and answer time from the public.
In the meantime, as the Community Representative on the Technology Committee, I thought to send along a brief note giving some details on Article 4. This way folks have some time to think it over before the 20th.
There are 293 computers throughout the school, including 11 in the Community Library. Of the 293, 75 are more than 8 years old and are running on Windows 95 with processors as slow as 133 MHZ. The hope is to use $60,000 from the Budget surplus to replace these computers.
There are a number of reasons why it would be best to replace these computers at this time.
1. They are too costly to maintain. A lot of time is being spent on troubleshooting and fixing these PC's. Video cards and other internal hardware components are breaking down. Replacing them is not always feasible.
2. Often one of these PC's needs a new printer. The new printers are not compatible with Windows 95.
3. These PC's can only handle old antivirus software, which leaves the school vulnerable.
4. Some safety software and a Groupwise Email will not install.
5. Many high school students are bringing their own Flash Drives/Stick Drives for homework projects. These too will not work on Windows 95.
The hardware on these systems is not capable of handling an Upgrade to Windows XP.
I know folks are understandably concerned about the surpluses from the last 3 years. The Board has indicated that current projections are that there will not be a surplus next year.
My hope is folks will understand this dire need and not allow the idea of surpluses to prevent them from voting in favor of Article 4.
I have been attending School Board Meetings. In my opinion the Board and the Administration is very responsible in spending. They receive numerous requests for funding. They only approve those requests which are very warranted. The surpluses are more a result of income coming in more than what was projected. Mainly an increase in the number of students attending BFA from surrounding towns. These towns pay BFA tuition.
11
« on: January 27, 2006, 02:56:38 PM »
Article to Eliminate Locally Elected Auditors’ Office
The Fairfax Selectboard has decided to put forth a warned article to be voted on at Town Meeting to eliminate the office of locally elected auditors. The intent is to hire a Certified Public Accountant to perform the annual audit. The action of contracting with a CPA for an audit is a valid and timely decision. It is wise for the Town to periodically have a professional audit performed. While on the surface it may seem logical to eliminate the local office and incur the expense of a professional audit each year, residents should be cautioned against permanently eliminating the office of locally elected auditors. There are pros and cons to each side of such a decision.
The citizens should be aware that it need not be one or the other. Fairfax is in a difficult situation because the Town’s “books” close December 31st, which leaves roughly 22 business day to perform the audit and issue a report with accompanying financial statements in time for publication of the Annual Town Report. Most CPA’s are not able or willing to commit to such a tight deadline. Most CPA firms are very busy this time of year preparing taxes for established clients. Some say the time frame for a professional audit in Fairfax is nearly impossible. There are 14 cash accounts. Of these the most extensive audit is that of the General Operating account. My concern is that a CPA firm can not be located or may not be able to finish an audit in time for the publication of the Town Report.
For a few reasons I recommend maintaining the Local Office of Auditors in Fairfax and contracting with a CPA firm to perform a periodic audit.
1. The local auditors can perform sufficient work to “sign off” on the bank account balances in time for publication of the Town Report when a CPA firm can come in later in the year when it is feasible and perform a thorough audit to ensure all transactions were recorded in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and Governmental Accounting Standards. Eventually hopefully the Town can, like most towns have done, change its fiscal year to end June 30th rather than December 31st. At that point it would be much more feasible for a professional audit to be done in time for the Town Report which must be distributed 10 days prior to Town Meeting.
2. If the Local Office is eliminated, the writing and assembling of the Town Report becomes the responsibility of the Selectboard. The annual town report would thus in essence be filtered through the lens of those governing. The annual report is considered to be an important document as it should form the basis of electorate’s decision. It is the job of the local auditor’s office to be independent and objective in assembling the report in the format that is easily understood, is in layman’s terms and provides sufficient information to voters. The local auditors work with both the School and Town officials to compile a comprehensive and historical report.
In preparation for this year’s Town Report, I have done extensive research on the functions of municipal auditors in Vermont. 18 towns were identified in Vermont that are approximately the same size as Fairfax. While most of these towns are employing a CPA to perform the annual audit, not all towns have eliminated the Locally Elected Auditor’s Office. In some towns the Audit Committee is considered to be an active part of the local government including giving a short presentation at Town Meeting and attending Selectboard meeting. In some cases it is viewed as a joint effort with the auditors conferring with various town departments, with each seeking input and feedback from the other.
Lastly for informational purposes I noticed the cost of a CPA firm ranges between $5,000 and $8,000 for Towns whose population is between 3,000 and 5,000. If a Town has implemented a full accrual accounting system, including the capitalization and depreciation of fixed assets as required by Governmental Accounting Standards #34, a CPA firm is then required to perform a Management’s Discussion and Analysis. The MD&A can be a very useful tool. It requires another level of service and thus added costs. For the local Fairfax auditors to perform sufficient work to “sign off” on account balances, the cost is about $2,500. Last year the town spent $2,732.00 for the Local Auditors Office.
Respectfully, Jackie Bruning
12
« on: November 02, 2005, 03:34:37 PM »
If any one should want to contact the Town Elected Auditors, we can be reached at: fairfaxauditors@yahoo.com
13
« on: October 30, 2005, 06:43:39 PM »
I attended the School Board Meeting on October 24, 2005. The Board was seeking community input on how to handle another surplus.
I am reporting the facts as presented at the meeting. Please note these are my notes. It is best to confirm these notes with the official minutes before discussing with other individuals. I try hard to get the facts straight but you never know. Mistakes happen.
The School Board Reported on how the 2004 surplus was expended. This surplus totaled $478,000. The voters approved the following:
Article III: $68,000 School Bus (The Bus came in under budget, $62,239)
Article IV: $80,000 Technology Equipment (Mobile computer lab, etc.)
Article V: $330,000 Capital Improvement
High School Roof, Security, New Middle School Windows, High School Gym Floor. These came in under budget at around $305,000.
School Budget Year Ending June 30, 2005, realized an approximate surplus of $313,000.
The key contributors to this year's surpluses are:
1. More students "Tuitioned In" than anticipated (means more revenue/income) $112,000
2. More money received from the State for Transportation Reimbursment than was anticipated/budgetted. $32,000
3. More money earned on investments, ie interest income, than was anticipated/budgetted. $28,000
4. More cost savings than anticipated/budgetted for Faculty Professional Development -
Tuition Reimbursement for courses teachers taken. $ 62,000
5. Less money need for debt servicing, ie interest expense on outstanding loans. The bus garage loan was paid off early using the surplus for 2004. But since voting was not until March 1st, Interest expense was budgetted at the full amount. Savings realized $58,000.
The above 5 factors plus a few smaller items add up to the total surplus of $313,000.
The Board had presented several ideas for using these funds for one time expenditures. They are as follows:
1. New School Bus to address aging fleet. approx. $68,000
2. Upgrades to Security
3. Arts Auditorium
4. New Recreational Fields assistance. This is in regards to the new Park fields down by the river.
5. Modifying Soccer Varsity Field for better drainage and extending JV field so it is a full JV field.
6. The Town Selectboard submitted a letter requesting those present to consider using the surplus to pay for the community library programmer position of $10,300.
Community Input:
1. Replace old computers in Library. These computers are very very slow and hard to service.
2. Use some of the surplus to offset the unanticipated rise in fuel and heating costs.
3. Apply the surplus to the next buget, there by reducing the tax burden
4. Use the surplus to create an "Opportunity Room & Full Day Kindergarten"
5. Use the surplus to buy a new bus, upgrade Security, and meet the significant needs of the Technology Curriculum. The Technology Curriculum is sited in the School's Action Plan.
6. One other suggestion was made but my notes are unclear. Sorry.
Note the 2005 Surplus is the third surplus in recent years for BFA.
The 2003 surplus was $ 262,136 of which $111,447 was applied to following year's budget to reduce taxes. The remaining funds were approved by the voters to:
1. Payoff the Bus Garage Loan, $100,689
2. $50,000 for Capital Improvement: Repair bleachers in Gym, Renovate Locker rooms and safety locks on basketball apparatus, replace floor in Library, Electrical repairs.
It was stated that prior to 2003, BFA recognized 3 consecutive deficits. 2002, 2001, and 2000.
14
« on: October 03, 2005, 06:24:10 PM »
October 11, 2005 at 7:00 pm will be a public hearing to present the proposed amendments to the Fairfax Zoning Bylaws and Subdivision Regulations.
The full text as well as an outline of the proposed amendments may be reviewed or obtained at the Fairfax Town Office.
Comments regarding the proposed Amendments to the Town of Fairfax Zoning Bylaws and Subdivisions Regulations are welcomed and may be sent to: Fairfax Selectboard, PO Box 27, Fairfax, VT 05454
15
« on: August 03, 2005, 09:43:40 AM »
Per the Selectboard minutes from the July 25th meeting, the residential tax rate will be $1.4737 and the non residential rate, $ 1.5946.
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