Town Administrator Clears the Air!
I said that I deeply respected Town Administrator Scott Dunn and it’s because he’s a stand up guy. He attempted to post his comment on the Grok but it simply wouldn’t fit so I thought I’d create an entire post of it. It doesn’t moot my point about the fact that island residents are basically getting raped on their taxes but Scott does a really good job of explaining that I shouldn’t blame him for NH law. More importantly he goes on to explain”the rest of the story” on the new Glendale facility parking policy. I’ll let you be the judge of the policy’s intent which is what the Gilfordgrok is all about. I applaud him for taking a position and taking the time to clarify it for all to see. I also agree with his observation and warning about using the printed news media as a source of information to base a negative opinion on. I hope he isn’t too upset with me for posting his entire message but I thought it was incredibly informative.
Here is his message to me completely cut and pasted to this post:
Hi Terry,I could not fit my response in the space allotted on the Grok website page, but wanted to add a little more info to the discussion. Also, as I am sure you are aware, most newspaper articles do not tell the whole story. When you (or anyone else for that matter) form opinions and conclusions based on a newspaper article, you definitely risk promulgating additional misinformation if the published remarks are taken out of context, as was the case in this situation.
So here is my response:
I agree with many of Mr. Stewart's comments regarding the unfair treatment of island property taxpayers. Truly they do not get their money's worth when it comes to services delivered as compared to taxes paid and many do not get an opportunity to vote on budget items. Unfortunately, this is the result of a system created by the State over which the Town has no control. That being said, I think it is important for Mr. Stewart and other readers of the Grok to read the entire contents of my letter, as opposed to just the excerpts that could be construed in an inflammatory manner. This way it is hoped that folks will realize the fee policies at Glendale were designed to ultimately improve access for residents and taxpayers (including island property owners) by eliminating the handout of free guest cards that were being abused and not to punish island residents with fees for the sake of generating additional revenues. And although I admit there may be a zinger or two in the letter, these were direct responses to the original complaint from a person who failed to contact anyone in Town government to inquire about the reasons for the fees, nor did he offer any constructive criticism or alternative solutions to a problem ($25/$50 fees for guest cards) that was blown out of proportion (in my estimation).
Dear Mr. Vaiden:
I am writing on behalf of the Board of Selectmen in response to your letter dated June 8 which was received on June 12 following publication in the local newspapers.
As you aware, the Selectmen recently amended the Glendale Regulations to place limits on the use of this facility by guests. I am sorry this has resulted in additional costs and inconveniences to you, but I would like to explain the reasons behind the new regulations.
The primary objective of the Selectmen was to address the concerns of residents and taxpayers who claimed the facility was over-utilized. Many of these complaints noted that residents and taxpayers had to “compete” with guests for the limited number of parking spaces. And so the Selectmen decided that limitations were needed (and justified) in the allocation of guest card passes. (Please note the key word here is “limitation” as opposed to “elimination”.)
The Selectmen considered two proposals for guest card limitations. The first was to reduce the number of free guest cards from 3 to 1. The second option was to continue to allow up to 3 guest cards, but to do away with making them free. Obviously the first option was ultimately rejected. The reason for this was because it was discovered that many people were collecting their free guest cards and giving them away (or possibly selling them) to people who would not otherwise be eligible to use them. The Board came to the opinion that making people pay for guest cards would result in fewer unwanted cards being handed out to non-residents and the Board also discussed the fact that the fees being charged (an entire season cost of $25 for parking only or $50 to park and launch) were a bargain when compared to the daily fees charged by private launching facilities. The issue of imposing these fees for revenue purposes was never discussed, but it was noted that we were talking about a relatively small fee being charged to people who had the financial means to operate boats and/or purchase island property.
Some of the other reasons that were considered for making Glendale Facility less accessible to guests are as follows:
1) Guests tend not to care as much about taking care of the facility and complying with the rules as residents and taxpayers.
2) Having fewer people use the facility will reduce the strain of over-utilization that tends to accelerate maintenance needs and budgetary impacts.
3) Having fewer people use the facility will reduce the pressure to expand the size of the Town’s boating-related facilities, thereby reducing the necessity for multi-year bond payments (higher taxes) and avoiding the adverse impact of removing valuable waterfront property from the tax rolls.
You should also be aware that the final Glendale Regulations that were made effective for this year were adopted following numerous public meetings, workshops, newspaper stories, and hearings where public input was actively solicited and taken into account; including the opinions of island property owners. Drafts were distributed to dozens of people who expressed an interest and copies were posted on the Town’s website as well. While it is recognized that the end result may not be perfect, the Board has said they will re-evaluate the rules at the end of the season and make amendments as may be necessary. (I encourage you to monitor the Town’s website and local newspapers for information regarding this review, at which time your constructive criticism and helpful suggestions would be very appreciated.)
Another factor that was considered by the Selectmen in the course of developing these rules was an examination of what other Towns on Lake Winnipesaukee do for their boating citizens, including island property owners. This research has convinced us that the Town of Gilford provides more benefits for island property owners (reserved long-term dock space, free trash removal, launch facilities, parking lots, trailer storage, etc.), than any other municipality in the lakes region.
Lastly, one of the major issues of concern expressed by people who use the Glendale facility was the need for strict enforcement of the regulations. Given the fact that rules are worthless without enforcement, the Selectmen wanted to make sure that there were sufficient deterrents (stiff fines) in place for people who ignore the rules.
Regretfully, I am not at liberty to address your claims about discrimination or allegations of preferential treatment or the advantages of property ownership on the mainland or the inherent issues of unfairness that stem from the NH property tax system. I will state, however, the Town of Gilford allocates a great deal of resources to provide the services and facilities that are available at Glendale; and I’m certain that most of the beneficiaries appreciate these efforts and recognize this as a unique asset. I’d also like to mention that under no circumstances has any attempt been made to impose regulations that are intended to harass island property owners – in fact it was hoped the rules would have the exact opposite effect; whereby the use of Glendale would become more pleasant.
It’s truly unfortunate that your threats and insinuations stem from the equivalent cost of a tank of fuel for your boat, while some of the citizens in Gilford who pay taxes for the upkeep of Glendale are struggling to pay for food, medicine and put gas in their cars so they can get to work.
Thank you for your consideration of this response. I hope I have provided some insight to address your concerns.
Sincerely,
Scott J. Dunn, Town Administrator
