2015/07/29 Special Meeting HIDDEN LAKE ASSOCIATION SPECIAL MEETING
Rossi Hall 6:30 PM – 8 PM
July 29th, 2015
HLA President welcomed everyone and our guest Sheliah Kaufold,Esq. He then turned the meeting over to Dave Furner, Chair of the Meeting.
Dave gave us background as to why a Special Meeting was called. This is strictly an informational meeting for all of us to learn about New Hampshire Village Districts. There are three reasons why the former Board decided to research Village Districts.
1. The Town of Stoddard would collect our assessments with our taxes. They would give HLA all its money and then the Town would go after the nonpayers. We would no longer have to do this.
2. The JLN residents of Hidden Lake do not have an agreement in their DEED that they must pay an assessment to HLA. 16 JLN pay the full assessment. (Thank you!) Several pay a “Road Only” fee. But the others use our roads without contributing anything.
3. In 1990 the HLA BY-Laws were amended with a Clause that “grandfathered” any resident having more than one lot would only pay one assessment.
Here’s what we learned:
· In the State of NH a Village District can only be created for a distinct purpose. Ours would be for the “maintenance of roads”. This means that our roads would stay private. Our pool and docks and beach would be private.
· 10 VOTERS (registered in the Town of Stoddard) petition the Select Board who set the boundary lines of the Village District. The Select Board would also call a meeting. Here’s the part nobody likes: Only Registered voters living within those boundaries would vote whether or not to become a Village District. It would take a Majority vote so we would have to look at the Stoddard Checklist to see just how many Registered Voters there are in Hidden Lake. At the meeting, those voters also elect three Commissioners to oversee the Village District. Voters can also vote on how the assessment will be collected and what amount it will be. Warrants are posted ahead of time just like at Town Meeting. The annual meeting will have a Moderator. (We can vote to hold two meetings as we do now.)
· It seems there is “wiggle room” where we can ALL discuss how we want things done, for example, the pool and docks would be separate HLA entities, but the money for them could be collected at the same time as the road monies and only from HLA people. The tax collector would collect the assessments from EVERYONE living in the Village District and handle collection of nonpayments and liens. That’s a big advantage for us. Assessments can be voted on to be a fixed sum for everyone as they are now OR assessments can be based on property value. (A lot with no structures would pay a lower assessment than a lot with a building, Lakeside would be higher still.) Disadvantage: if based on property value, many of us would see an increase. Advantage: The assessments WOULD BE tax deductible.
· This might be an idea for our future rather than now. As more people build in Hidden Lake, the assessment would decrease – provided we maintain a tight budget – and we would have funds to fix ours roads properly and put in new culverts.
· A Village District is considered a “municipality” and its liability decreases. A Village District, as a municipality, can apply for State & Federal loans and grants.
· Another disadvantage because it’s expensive: an audit would have to be done annually and submitted to the NH Dept. of Revenue Administration.
Sheliah Kaufold never did get to stand and make a presentation because the questions came fast and furious. We did learn that she has set up many Village Districts and lives in a Village District in Milford set up for the purpose of Road Maintenance. She stated that once a Village District is established the residents are able to operate the municipality without legal assistance. Usually it takes a year to get up and running. A “Thank you” to Sheliah for coming all this way to speak to us.
This is a summation of a lot information. For more details go to:
1. NH Statutes Title III: Towns, Cities, Village Districts,…” Chapter 52 Village Districts
2. NH Dept. of Revenue Administration: Village Forms and Reports
Dian Mathews, Recording Secretary
Rossi Hall 6:30 PM – 8 PM
July 29th, 2015
HLA President welcomed everyone and our guest Sheliah Kaufold,Esq. He then turned the meeting over to Dave Furner, Chair of the Meeting.
Dave gave us background as to why a Special Meeting was called. This is strictly an informational meeting for all of us to learn about New Hampshire Village Districts. There are three reasons why the former Board decided to research Village Districts.
1. The Town of Stoddard would collect our assessments with our taxes. They would give HLA all its money and then the Town would go after the nonpayers. We would no longer have to do this.
2. The JLN residents of Hidden Lake do not have an agreement in their DEED that they must pay an assessment to HLA. 16 JLN pay the full assessment. (Thank you!) Several pay a “Road Only” fee. But the others use our roads without contributing anything.
3. In 1990 the HLA BY-Laws were amended with a Clause that “grandfathered” any resident having more than one lot would only pay one assessment.
Here’s what we learned:
· In the State of NH a Village District can only be created for a distinct purpose. Ours would be for the “maintenance of roads”. This means that our roads would stay private. Our pool and docks and beach would be private.
· 10 VOTERS (registered in the Town of Stoddard) petition the Select Board who set the boundary lines of the Village District. The Select Board would also call a meeting. Here’s the part nobody likes: Only Registered voters living within those boundaries would vote whether or not to become a Village District. It would take a Majority vote so we would have to look at the Stoddard Checklist to see just how many Registered Voters there are in Hidden Lake. At the meeting, those voters also elect three Commissioners to oversee the Village District. Voters can also vote on how the assessment will be collected and what amount it will be. Warrants are posted ahead of time just like at Town Meeting. The annual meeting will have a Moderator. (We can vote to hold two meetings as we do now.)
· It seems there is “wiggle room” where we can ALL discuss how we want things done, for example, the pool and docks would be separate HLA entities, but the money for them could be collected at the same time as the road monies and only from HLA people. The tax collector would collect the assessments from EVERYONE living in the Village District and handle collection of nonpayments and liens. That’s a big advantage for us. Assessments can be voted on to be a fixed sum for everyone as they are now OR assessments can be based on property value. (A lot with no structures would pay a lower assessment than a lot with a building, Lakeside would be higher still.) Disadvantage: if based on property value, many of us would see an increase. Advantage: The assessments WOULD BE tax deductible.
· This might be an idea for our future rather than now. As more people build in Hidden Lake, the assessment would decrease – provided we maintain a tight budget – and we would have funds to fix ours roads properly and put in new culverts.
· A Village District is considered a “municipality” and its liability decreases. A Village District, as a municipality, can apply for State & Federal loans and grants.
· Another disadvantage because it’s expensive: an audit would have to be done annually and submitted to the NH Dept. of Revenue Administration.
Sheliah Kaufold never did get to stand and make a presentation because the questions came fast and furious. We did learn that she has set up many Village Districts and lives in a Village District in Milford set up for the purpose of Road Maintenance. She stated that once a Village District is established the residents are able to operate the municipality without legal assistance. Usually it takes a year to get up and running. A “Thank you” to Sheliah for coming all this way to speak to us.
This is a summation of a lot information. For more details go to:
1. NH Statutes Title III: Towns, Cities, Village Districts,…” Chapter 52 Village Districts
2. NH Dept. of Revenue Administration: Village Forms and Reports
Dian Mathews, Recording Secretary