| Questionnaire
directed to ALL candidates for SELECTMAN: |
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1.
Are you for or against the Road Plan (Article 15)? |
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| Blondeau,
Vivian: |
(Submitted
2/11/07) - "I am in favor of Article 15. The Town presented this Article in the past, and the people have spoken. Road maintenance and improvements are a valid and necessary service.
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| Gordon,
Bill: |
(Submitted
2/13/07) - "I represent the Grasmere Water
Precinct on the Goffstown Budget Committee. I feel that
the BC did the right thing considering the 2007 road
plan, the work from 2006 which was put off because of
the floods and the wise placement of the Rosemont
drainage problem in the operating budget. It was a
see-saw between several big ticket items and I feel that
the best result was finally accomplished." |
| Gross,
Scott: |
(Submitted
2/09/07) - "I am in favor of the Road Plan Article. It's very important to our community to have safe and driveable roads. It's quite clear that our townpeople support the road program too ,based on election results over the last several years. However, the level of funding MUST be subject to change based on circumstances." |
| Hunter,
Bruce: |
(Submitted
2/16/07) - "We have a responssibility to
maintain good quality roads in town. There are several
roads that still need major repair. If we gut the road
plan this year, the problem will get worse. Everyone
depends on good roads with proper drainage. In an
emergency, fire, EMS and police all need good roads to
reach our homes in a timely manner. We need to invest in
this vital infrastructure." |
| Wynne,
Tricia: |
(Submitted
2/10/07) - "I'm
for the road program. I do believe however, that we
should look at possible ways to shorten the time frame
to complete the project (should we outsource some of the
work) or look for revenue (are there grants available?),
thereby possibly saving major amounts of money in the
long run." |
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2.
Are you for or against placing the Road Plan in the operating
budget vs. Special Article (Article 16)? |
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| Blondeau,
Vivian: |
(Submitted
2/11/07) - "I am in favor of Article 16. Our roads will always be in need of improvements and rebuilding. If it is included in the budget, the Board of Selectmen and the Budget Committee will scrutinize this expenditure as part of their overall duties." |
| Gordon,
Bill: |
(Submitted
2/13/07) - "In all honestly, maintaining and
rebuilding of the town's road infrastructure is an
onging responsibiliity of the highest order. It deserves
to be in the operating budget to protect if from the
year-to-year potential of voter backlash. Under SB2, as
voters we have access to addressing budget lines at the
deliberative session. The BOS and the BC have a lot of
say over items in the operating budget and such a large
item will not be ignored." |
| Gross,
Scott: |
(Submitted
2/09/07) - "This has been an question long debated by our Town's Budget Committee. I support putting "The Road Program" monies in the operating budget. I do not like the term "road program." We will spend money to rebuild and reclaim roads indefinitely. The Selectman, Budget Committee and ultimately the voters can decide if they believe the road budget is too large or too small based on the circumstances at the time. This year the road budget was reduced by $600,000 to accommodate a major drainage project in
Pinardville. Ultimately, you the voter will decide this question." |
| Hunter,
Bruce: |
(Submitted
2/16/07) - "Both approaches have merit.
Typically, routine ongoing operating expenses have been
placed in the budget. We could create a
"referendum" style of government and put all
items in separate articles. Snow plowing, town hall
operations, trash pickup, police, fire, etc., could all
be voted on separately each year. However, I'm not sure
that would provide for the most stable and efficient
government." |
| Wynne,
Tricia: |
(Submitted
2/10/07) - "I am against making the road plan
part of the operating budget. The road reclamation is
NOT part of the operation of the town. It is a separate
endeavor. Even though it is at risk, the residents have
supported it year after year. I believe it should be
kept separate so that we (the residents) can see the
progress and exactly how much is going to just this
cause." |
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3.
Are you for or against the proposed 24/7 fire protection plan
(Article 21)? |
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| Blondeau,
Vivian: |
(Submitted
2/11/07) - "The need for 24/7 is a realistic one. However, even people who said they are for 24/7, have said this plan does not have everything we need. As a Selectman, I would work to develop a more comprehensive plan. This town has grown tremendously over the past years. Fire and ambulance service is critical for a safe community. If 24/7 is implemented, it would be important to look at a consolidation of the three fire stations, which would produce a cost savings. At this time, none of the three fire stations are equipped to house the apparatus that will be needed in the near future.
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| Gordon,
Bill: |
(Submitted
2/24/07) - "Really there are a lot of questions
unanswered. I am NOT opposed to the concept of 24/7. I
will caution that without a new fire chief in office, we
are putting the cart before the horse here. The amount
of money stated in the article is for only six months,
we don't know what 2008 and onward will really cost, and
(as I understand it) the current faciliities not support
proper sleeping quarters if the new chief chooses to
staff in such a manner. The study committee did a g reat
job with the handicap of a short time to do their work -
they should be commended." |
| Gross,
Scott: |
(Submitted
2/09/07) - "I am in favor of the proposed 24/7 Fire Plan. We are a town of over 18,000 people who need fire protection and ambulance services. This plan calls for having "dual purpose"
firefighter/EMTs that can perform both critical roles. We need to take a closer look at our three fire stations and numerous pieces of apparatus and CONSOLIDATE them. The cost sa vings of consolidation plans will help cover the costs of manpower needed to sustain 24/7. We hardly use the station on Tirrell Hill." |
| Hunter,
Bruce: |
(Submitted
2/16/07) - "I understand that some interest
groups are pushing hard for this. Note, that we have
24-hour coverage now. EMS is in the station 24/7. Fire
losses have not gone up--in fact, the long term trend is
down. I don't think this is fiscally sound." |
| Wynne,
Tricia: |
(Submitted
2/10/07) - "I can't say that I am totally
comfortable with this plan. I am definitely FOR 24/7
coverage. However, I'm not sure that this is the
best solution for everyone involved. We didn't see all
the costs associated with this plan ...i.e., new
station, costs the following year of 10 new full time
positions, training costs, etc. With that said, if the
voters approve this then I wholeheartedly would work to
make it happen. If it doesn't pass, then I, if elected,
would start the process for another solution ASAP and
not wait until the 11th hour." |
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4.
Are you for or against the proposed TIF districts (Articles 22,
23 and 24)? |
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NOTE:
THE
VALIDITY OF THESE ARTICLES WAS RECENTLY CHALLENGED BY THE
GOFFSTOWN SCHOOL DISTRICT AS APPEARING ON THE TOWN WARRANT IN
VIOLATION OF STATE
RSA 162-K:9,
POTENTIALLY RENDERING THEIR SUBSEQUENT PASSAGE OR FAILURE
UNENFORCEABLE. WE ASK THAT YOU PLEASE VOTE ON THESE
ARTICLES NEVERTHELESS ON MARCH 13TH. (Click
here for more information...)
THE CANDIDATE'S RESPONSES BELOW WERE
RECEIVED PRIOR TO KNOWLEDGE OF SAID POTENTIAL UNENFORCEABILITY. |
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| Blondeau,
Vivian: |
(Submitted
2/11/07) - "I am not in favor of the proposed TIF District. A TIF District gives special tax breaks to businesses. While in some places, it makes sense, Goffstown does not have blighted or run down areas that need subsidy for development." |
| Gordon,
Bill: |
(Submitted
2/09/07) - "I am not against the concept of a
TIF;
however, I feel that there are a few critical components
in this specific application of the TIF concept which
leave the taxpayer at risk. Two examples: 1) there is
not stated end date, 2) we, the taxpayers, a obligated
to carry the whole burden of services provided to the
TIF District's development." |
| Gross,
Scott: |
(Submitted
2/22/07) - "Prior
to this week's Candidates Night, I researched the TIF
issue in greater detail. I do not support Articles
22,23,24. Although I am interested to see how other
types of TIFs can benefit a community, the proposed TIF
had too many problems. Both the Town and School would
lose revenues while at the same time the TIF district
could have attracted residential development, thus
creating the need for services. All of this is a moot
issue now." |
| Hunter,
Bruce: |
(Submitted
2/16/07) - "The Planning Board has studied this
concept and recommended it for it for two years now. No
one has come forward to the Planning Board or to the
Selectmen with a better plan. I think that we should
support the Planning Board and vote in favor of these
articles." |
| Wynne,
Tricia: |
(Submitted
2/10/07) - "Totally against. These three
articles do absolutely nothing but keep any additional
revenue from the development of Mast Road from being
used in the operating budget. There are many other
options to achieve what the planning board wants (to
keep the look of Goffstown) without any funds being
diverted - especially when there is no time frame set. I
don't believe passage of this will lure any more
development since it doesn't change zoning....it just
changes where your money is utilized." |
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5.
Are you for or against the Global Warming petition article
(Articles 26)? |
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| Blondeau,
Vivian: |
(Submitted
2/11/07) - "Global warming is a very important issue. I support action by the President and Congress on the issue of climate change. I will support a committee of volunteers to look into local efforts to reduce global warming." |
| Gordon,
Bill: |
(Submitted
2/09/07) - "yes" |
| Gross,
Scott: |
(Submitted
2/14/07) - "I've
done some reading on the internet recently on the topic
of global warming. Recently a group of scientists from
around the world concluded that we are in fact
experiencing global warming. This same group believes
with strong probability that the warming is caused by
humans. I would support the warrant article as written
as it serves to get everyon e more committed to
conservation and reducing energy demands. As a member of
the School Board, I supported energy conservation
measures in our Schools ( Honeywell Project) where we
switched to energy saving lights and increased
insulation of our buildings. I'm also on record as
recently requesting the District review its building
temperature and external lighting protocols to conserve
energy." |
| Hunter,
Bruce: |
(Submitted
2/16/07) - "Global Warming is an issue that we
need to address sooner than later." |
| Wynne,
Tricia: |
(Submitted
2/10/07) - "I'm all for finding ways to help
protect our environment and to save energy." |
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6.
Where do you stand on recording roll-call votes in meeting
minutes (right-to-know petition Article 27)? |
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NOTE:
(22-Feb-07) - SELECTMAN BRUCE HUNTER HAS RECENTLY CLAIMED THAT
PASSAGE OF THIS ARTICLE WOULD NECESSITATE THE RECORDING OF VOTES
BY NAME AT DELIBERATIVE SESSIONS. THE ATTORNEY WHO DRAFTED
THE LANGUAGE OF THIS ARTICLE ASSURES US THAT THIS IS ABSOLUTELY
NOT THE CASE.
(Click
here for more information...) |
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| Blondeau,
Vivian: |
(Submitted
2/11/07) - "It is important that all meetings for elected officials and boards be recorded by name on each vote. If you're going to vote on a subject, you should be willing to have your name on it." |
| Gordon,
Bill: |
(Submitted
2/09/07) - "YES!!! YES!!! YES!!!" |
| Gross,
Scott: |
(Submitted
2/09/07) - "YES, as an elected official my vote MUST be recorded in meeting minutes." |
| Hunter,
Bruce: |
(Submitted
2/16/07) - "It's a fine idea--We also need to be
aware that it will slow down the progress of some
activities on larger Boards like the budget committee
and planning board. It may make a multi-day event of the
deliberative session." |
| Wynne,
Tricia: |
(Submitted
2/10/07) - "Is there really any debate here? Of
course they should be recorded. I'm actually surprised
that this wasn't being done all along. I'd also like to
see the addition of the voted outcome placed on the
ballot under warrant articles. When it says
"recommended by Selectmen" you get an
impression that it is overwhelming. In reality, if you
read the minutes or watch the meeting, sometimes the
vote is 2 for, 1 against, 1 abstain. If under the
article it said ' Recommended by selectmen 2-1-2, or 5-0
I think it would give more insight to the residents
." |
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7.
Where do you stand on the Conservation articles (Articles 29
& 30)? |
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| Blondeau,
Vivian: |
(Submitted
2/11/07) - "I do not support Article 29. I do support Article 30.
Conservation land and easements help to decrease development and lessens the burden on town services. Article 30 raises money in 2007 only to help the Conservation Commission obtain land and easements. Article 29 impacts all future years, and, at this time, with the increase in our taxes, I cannot justify supporting this article.
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| Gordon,
Bill: |
(Submitted
2/09/07) - "Article 30 is a "2007 only deal"
which is too good to turn down because it assures the
citizens of Goffstown for ever land which will not
subject to development. Privately held conservation land
in no way presents an ongoing tax burden on the town as
it generates more revenue than it uses in services.
Aricle 29 is an ongoing plan to continue the effort to
preserve open space anf I have no problem with it." |
| Gross,
Scott: |
(Submitted
2/09/07) - "I do not support Article 29 because I believe the 50% given to our Conservation Commission is adequate. Also, the remaining 50% is used to lower our tax rate. This shouldn't be overlooked. However, I do support Article 30. The Conservation Commission has done a wonderful job securing conservation easements and this money is needed to take advantage of tax breaks available in 2007 only. I believe our town should buy more land for municipal purposes. We must plan ahead for future generations." |
| Hunter,
Bruce: |
(Submitted
2/16/07) - "I support them. However, I also
support curtailing unnecessary expenditure in other
areas in order to control the tax rate." |
| Wynne,
Tricia: |
(Submitted
2/10/07) - "I am for both of these articles. The
amount of money spent on this is well worth the price.
By being able to hold land as "conservation",
it helps us tremendously to decrease
"development". It is one way to control
growth. Conservation land also costs the town less in
services thereby helping to "reduce"
expenses." |
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8.
Where do you stand on "Pay as you throw" (charging residents for trash disposal, usually in the form of a charge per-garbage
bag)? |
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| Blondeau,
Vivian: |
(Submitted
2/11/07) - "I agree we need to recycle more aggressively.
I do not believe Pay as you Throw will help us reach the goals of the Solid Waste Commission.
I believe that we can all work together to increase our recycling efforts without additional fees." |
| Gordon,
Bill: |
(Submitted
2/09/07) - "Carefully study it and specificly detail
the costs, benefits, etc." |
| Gross,
Scott: |
(Submitted
2/09/07) - "I am not in favor of pay as you throw. We all pay taxes for garbage and recycling and I don't like the idea of having to pay more for the bags. Keep educating people about recycling and get the kids involved more at our schools. Offer incentives to students in the form of grants for their schools to purchase equipment, computers etc IF the town's recycling rate increases by 10%. If kids can force their parents to sell candy bars to raise money, they can influence their parent's attitudes towards recycling." |
| Hunter,
Bruce: |
(Submitted
2/16/07) - "Goffstown citizens have historically
expressed the desire to have trash pickup included in
the tax rate. The people should vote on this issue and I
will be happy to support the decision of a majority of
the voters." |
| Wynne,
Tricia: |
(Submitted
2/10/07) - "I think we missed the opportunity to
seriously look at this as a solution, especially since
we have already invested thousands of dollars in bins
and trucks. Other avenues need exploration." |
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9.
Where do you stand on Workforce Housing (housing built specifically for moderate income workers, in a
price range affordable to said workers)? |
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| Blondeau,
Vivian: |
(Submitted
2/11/07) - "Housing is needed for moderate income workers.
This is a Manchester area issue, and we need to work with surrounding communities on how to address this problem." |
| Gordon,
Bill: |
(Submitted
2/09/07) - "A good thing, but where, how, when and
most importantly $. People choose to live where they get
the best bang for their buck and deal with a longer
commute for a variety of reasons (schools, economic
necessarity, views, safety, cultural things, ....) Is
there really a serious lack of housing for moderate
income workers in the greater Goffstown area? For sure,
a moderate income worker cannot afford the median single
family house in Goffstown." |
| Gross,
Scott: |
(Submitted
2/09/07) - "This is both a planning board and selectman issue. Yes we need housing for moderate income workers, b ut when we've had plans before our Town Boards, the development is either too big, OR no one in the neighborhood wants them. The better question is where do Goffstown citizens stand on workforce housing." |
| Hunter,
Bruce: |
(Submitted
2/16/07) - "This question should be addressed to
planning board candidates. It's a noble concept.
Developers seem to find a way to work around most well
intended provisions and charge what the market will
bear." |
| Wynne,
Tricia: |
(Submitted
2/15/07) - "I believe that this is mostly a
planning board issue. With that said, from what I know
about workforce housing, I would be against this. I
don't know of any benefit to the town. The questions
would be: what is "affordable", and since we
have no industry, whose workforce would we be
supporting, how would this workforce travel without
public transportation and what benefit would there be to
the town?" |
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10.
Where did/do you stand on the Charter Commission? In past years (2005, 2006 recently), an article has been put on the
ballot asking approval for Goffstown to change to a different style of government where
the Town Administrator would be the head person with an aldermanic type of board. |
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| Blondeau,
Vivian: |
(Submitted
2/11/07) - "A Town Manager form of government with a Town Council seems like a good system.
I have no problem researching a Charter further. However, it is a costly measure, and should be well thought out." |
| Gordon,
Bill: |
(Submitted
2/09/07) - "I like our present form of governing the
town and I do not think it is flawed badly enough to
throw out. There are examples of "town
government" in population centers larger than us
(Framingham MA comes to mind with over four times our
population) and there are examples of "city
government" in very small population centers (Dundus,
MN, population of less than 700)." |
| Gross,
Scott: |
(Submitted
2/09/07) - "Based on my experience on the School Board, we have a Supt of Schools who oversees the day to day operations . This system works. A town council can focus on policy and oversight and not have to worry about the daily operations. The fear of giving too much power to a Town Manager is simply unfounded. The Town Council would still have jurisdiction over the Town Manager and would review his or her performance. Also, residency is the only criteria to be a selectman. Town Managers would have the necessary managerial skill set to perform the job. And if they don't, they would be removed by the Town Council." |
| Hunter,
Bruce: |
(Submitted
2/16/07) - "It is obviously the voters' choice.
Personally, I'm not sure the benefits are clear." |
| Wynne,
Tricia: |
(Submitted
2/10/07) - "I would have no problem with a new
charter commission once the state has worked out the
bugs of how such a commission works. The way it stands
now is very limiting, both in time constraints that the
committee has to work within and what kind of options
they have in proposals they can make. The style of
government mentioned above, with the Town Administrator,
is not necessarily the only option. I would favor a new
commission studying our form of government." |
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11.
What do you feel is Goffstown's most pressing problem/issue, and
if elected, what steps would you take to correct it? |
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| Blondeau,
Vivian: |
(Submitted
2/11/07) - "The number one problem is our taxes.
We need to keep Goffstown affordable, not only for our elderly, but for our families and future generations. We also need to improve communication with the departments, boards, employees and the voters of our community.
By having public discussions on what services we need, we can work together to maintain the tax rate." |
| Gordon,
Bill: |
(Submitted
2/24/07) - "Taxes and Communication. On taxes
view points and suggested solutions are seen on my
candidate profile. On Communication, I mean exchanges
between the town government and the residents on many
levels - completeness, content, clarity and consistancy.
Completeness do NOT mean long, Content goes to a
town-wide mission statement, Clarity means readable by
the residents (not lawyers, etc.) and Consistancy goes
to a dependible, accurate, and realiable source.
" |
| Gross,
Scott: |
(Submitted
2/09/07) - "The most pressing problem facing our town is increasing taxes. To solve this problem we need everyone's assistance. We accomplish this by: Better communication between town boards and committees. We need to work together, not in our own little worlds. We need more responsible commercial development, but this means we need to create better infrastructure ( water and sewer) to attract companies. We need to think about hiring a grant writer to take advantage of millions of dollars in Federal, State and private grants. Preserving open space is a proven method to save tax dollars. Residential development will often cost more in services ( schools and town) than keeping the land undeveloped. We need to consider bonding on certain projects. Although it's not wise to carry debt, we MUST perform cost analyses to determine if short term borrowing is in our best interest ( example: if the cost of the fire truck increases 10% a year and we can borrow at 5%, deferring the purchase of a fire truck for three years would cost us more money in the long run.) Profitable companies and smart people borrow responsibly when its appropriate." |
| Hunter,
Bruce: |
(Submitted
2/16/07) - "Goffstown does not have a large
Commercial/Industrial tax base. It is an ongoing
challenge to meet the needs of our local government and
maintain a stable tax rate. Careful, involved oversight
by a dedicated Board of Selectmen is necessary to
maintain this delicate balance. I have the experience,
interest, and ability to provide the necessary oversight
to keep our tax rate down." |
| Wynne,
Tricia: |
(Submitted
2/10/07) - "I think the most pressing issue is
lack of information getting out to the residents. This
lack causes many other problems, ....taxes, development,
road changes.....that aren't necessarily what the people
want. We vote on issues and then boards ignore the
voters input. I think many people have great ideas and
could save us money, but we have no effective way of
getting those ideas to elected officials before
decisions are made. We have over 18,000 resources. We
should be using them." |
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12.
Goffstown's government is now a $50M+ enterprise. Would
you support the hiring of an outside commercial accounting firm
to scrutinize the both the school and town operating budgets,
line by line, department by department, to help identify
wasteful, inefficient or unnecessary spending, to make
recommendations on alternative operational practices and
spending habits, and to make the findings available to the
public? |
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| Blondeau,
Vivian: |
(Submitted
2/11/07) - "Great question. I am in favor of accountability.
This is needed for both the town and school. The Budget Committee does a great job of scrutinizing the budget.
However, they are limited to considering the way we currently do business.
I AM WILLING TO LISTEN TO ALL POINTS OF VIEW." |
| Gordon,
Bill: |
(Submitted
2/09/07) - "I will only address the town side;
however, the school side could benefit as well. We
should look from within first to get our own in-house
experts - we have nearly 200 town employees who might
come up with great ideas with little stimulation. We
have a vast wealth of motivated citizens who would love
to get involved. Yes, if we can't get this ball rolling
we should consider professional help. See my candidate
profile for my plans." |
| Gross,
Scott: |
(Submitted
2/09/07) - "Absolutely YES! Our town and schools need this type of review. All organizations need operational reviews that include internal and external audits of finances and business practices. I believe we need BOTH an accounting firm AND a business and /or government consultant to conduct these reviews after internal reviews are performed." |
| Hunter,
Bruce: |
Candidate
has not yet responded to this question. |
| Wynne,
Tricia: |
(Submitted
2/10/07) - "Before I'd hire someone to find
waste and inefficiencies, I would challenge all the
department heads to find ways to do this on their own
and to come back with a budget DECREASE for next year.
Maybe we can utilize brain storming sessions or
volunteer committees to meet with each department to get
more ideas. Sometimes the obvious isn't so obvious when
you've been involved in the department for a long time.
If however, that doesn't work, I would be willing to
look into such a firm to see what benefit they could
provide." |
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13. Would you be in favor of implementing a "zero-base" budget policy for Town and School Budgets?
(This would mean that each year, you would begin budget negotiations based on that year's needs, and not based
on what was asked for in the previous year's budget.) |
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| Blondeau,
Vivian: |
(Submitted 2/11/07) - "Zero base budgeting is a great way of accountability on a year to year basis. It can be used as a tool for the Selectmen in preparation of their budget. They will be better informed with more accurate information in terms of what will be truly needed for the following year. However, it will be a tedious process for all involved." |
| Gordon,
Bill: |
(Submitted 2/13/07) - "I believe this is one tool which can be used to help
with containment of run-away budgets. I do not know if it is completely
necessary to "zero-base" every year and/or on every line - I
am not an accountant. As a member of the Budget Committee, I feel that
there is not enough detail available for such critical decision making
presently. As I understand "zero-base" , the detail would go
along with the bottom line, by line." |
| Gross,
Scott: |
(Submitted 2/14/07) - "Zero based budgeting is a good practice, but it's a
very time consuming endeavor. I would support zero based budgeting
initiatives if they were conducted on a staggered basis. Meaning w e
would use zero based budgeting for one or two departments or schools
every year. Having served on the Budget Committee for a few years, we
don't need more information, we need "better" information.
Better information includes 3 and 5 year trend data on budgets
requested, actuals spent and deviation reports explaining why particular
lines are over or under spent. We need to compare our costs against
other towns and schools for similar trends." |
| Hunter,
Bruce: |
Candidate
has not yet responded to this question. |
| Wynne,
Tricia: |
(Submitted 2/14/07) - "Yes. I see however, the concern of what a
department's "needs" might or might not be. There still would
be no guarantee that this would reduce, or even keep our budget the
same. Along with this starting point, I would still challenge each
department to reduce their budget by eliminating waste and becoming more
efficient in the way they conduct business." |
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14.
From WAYNE PERREAULT, Goffstown: Do you feel that the Town should comply with the American with
Disabilities Act, and the ADA Compliance Committee should be
charged to be active as well as perform a self-evaluation of the
Town at every 3 years? |
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| Blondeau,
Vivian: |
(Submitted 2/22/07) - "Goffstown has been in compliance with the American
with Disabilities Act for a number of years and we do have a Committee.
I was informed that the Committee is active. All a person has to do is
to request a form for their needs, fill it out and a meeting will be set
up with the ADA Committee. They are there to help out and comply with
the American Disabilities Act." |
| Gordon,
Bill: |
(Submitted 2/19/07) - "I must research this issue before submitting a
complete reply. Wayne, you know personally how I feel about this issue
as we have exchanged e-mails on this subject. I wil state that the town
must consider ADA when proposing new infrastructure (it is the law).
Complete ADA compliance for the exisiting infrastructure would be a
significant local tax burden and has to be addressed on a case-by-case
basis unfortunately." |
| Gross,
Scott: |
(Submitted 2/20/07) - "All public and private entities need to comply with
ADA- it's the law. Based on my experience with ADA as a manager, this is
not always a black and white area. That's where an active ADA Committee
can provide the necessary support and guidance to local government
officials and citizens. ( I was unaware that the Town's ADA Committee
was inactive)" |
| Hunter,
Bruce: |
Candidate
has not yet responded to this question. |
| Wynne,
Tricia: |
(Submitted 2/19/07) - "I believe the purpose of a committee is to look at
the issues pertinent to that committee. From there, to make
recommendations for improvements. Yes I believe the town should comply
and that if we have a committee, should be working towards that goal and
making sure that we stay compliant." |
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15.
From WAYNE PERREAULT, Goffstown: Should DPW do away with the sidewalk exceptions list (no longer
maintained) and replace it with a Sidewalk Priority Repair list
(those that need immediate repair)? |
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| Blondeau,
Vivian: |
(Submitted 2/22/07) - "I am aware there is a set budget for sidewalks and
sidewalk repairs. I am not prepared to answer on the (no longer
maintained) sidewalks. We have a lot of sidewalks in this area. Do not
forget Pinardville and Grasmere. To give some credit to Public
Works,there is always much work being done in all areas as far as
sidewalks and repairs. If we do not have a priority repair list, then we
should have. In order to answer you question, this would have to be
investigate further." |
| Gordon,
Bill: |
(Submitted 2/19/07) - "I must research this issue before submitting a
complete reply. Sadly, the roads are used so much more frequently than
the sidewalks off the major arteries. I seldom walk the length of a
block in the village and encounter another person on foot; however,
there is vehicle traffic all t he time. I walk a lot of sidewalks and I
agree they are in tough shape in some areas. Yes, a few people don't use
the sidewalks because of their condition; however, I would argue that
most those people are just too accustomed to getting around in their
cars and would not use the sidewalks even if they were covered and
motorized." |
| Gross,
Scott: |
(Submitted 2/20/07) - "Unless there is a valid reason, I would hope that if
the Town constructed sidewalks for pedestrian use, we would repair them
when necessary. During my tenure on CIP, the amount budgeted for
sidewalk construction and repairs has remained generally level. I don't
know enough about this topic to provide a more detailed response-but I
will learn more." |
| Hunter,
Bruce: |
Candidate
has not yet responded to this question. |
| Wynne,
Tricia: |
(Submitted 2/19/07) - "I don't quite understand why you wouldn't repair
sidewalks. Many of the sidewalks are downtown ( the village) and many
people walk around town. To have sidewalks not being kept up seems very
backwards and not good for the businesses that are there. Yes, I think
we need to prioritize and repair sidewalks." |
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16.
Most of the candidates are against the TIF articles. Do
you have any thoughts on alternative measures to encourage
economic development? |
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| Blondeau,
Vivian: |
"In the past we had opportunities to
welcome commercial/industrial in town. One case I can
give is when we had the opportunity for commercial
development on 114 going out of Goffstown towards New
Boston/Weare. It was denied. Too much opposition. There
is now residential on this highway. My thought
residential abutting a highway, what a decision. There
are other presentations that were made and none were
recognized. We need a new approach on accepting
development in town. We do have another highway coming
in Goffstown. There is no need to invest in creating
roads as we have areas that is suitable for commercial
entities. EDC has opportunity to seek out development.
It is a volunteer committee and their goals cannot be
met overnight. This committee needs support of
departments involved in development . EDC needs more of
a voice on all Commercial/Industrial development that is
presented and the means to help developers accomplish
their goals to set up in this area. In many cases, I
believe the EDC can be a strong arm when developers
present their plans to other committees. EDC can lead
these people in the right direction." |
| Gordon,
Bill: |
"The intersection of St. A's Drive at
114 is ripe for development - a convention center with
hotels would be great - close to the airport and
interstate - feeding current businesses with customers
(think food, catering, supplies, printing, copying,
storage) - traffic would be reversed (coming out to it
in the AM and departing in the PM toward the interstate)
- tradeshow support businesses would follow bring jobs
at many skill levels - a joint project with St. A's
could provide the college with a huge facility for
graduations, etc. Water and sewer are close to that area
already and the potential investors (hotels) have deep
pockets. New Hampshire's largest convention center is
the Center of New Hampshire. It is painfully small, has
very poor service access, and difficult parking. A
facility about the size of what is in Woburn, Mass would
be about right. Since there is little strong labor union
activity in this area, we would in a lot of shows
because locations in Boston are a bear to work with for
that very reason. The variety of tradeshows is endless
and attendees come with money to spend and some free
time to visit the area." |
| Gross,
Scott: |
"I was against these particular TIF
Articles. Howveer, based on what I've learned, there are
different types of TIF districts that should be studied
to determine their merit. We have tried for years to
spur more economic development, but without a great deal
of success. We first need to determine WHY companies are
choosing not to develop in Goffstown and then work
towards removing those barriers. Our town lacks the
infrastructure ( water, sewer, and in some cases roads)
that small to large companies need. In those areas where
we do have the infrastructure ( Mast Rd, RT 114 near St.
A's )we need to market our town better. We have tried to
use an all-volunteer Econonic Development Counsel as a
means to bring in businesses. Perhaps we need to
investigate and run cost benefit analyses to determine
if the services of a professional would yield better
results." |
| Hunter,
Bruce: |
Candidate
has not yet responded to this question. |
| Wynne,
Tricia: |
"I would encourage the Economic
Development Council (EDC) to seek out businesses to fill
the vacant industrial park on the Back Road. This
property has site plan approval and is ready to be
developed. Additionally, when talking with someone about
snowmobiling, we discussed hotels, etc but thought too
big. However, encouraging some home owners or developers
to make Bed and Breakfast Inns - using tourism
(snowmobiling, fishing, leaf peeping) while staying at a
place with country charm and easy access could be
beneficial.. This would also be a way to capitalize on
tourist dollars by opening up a new avenue for retail
businesses. Food, souvenirs, sundries could all take a
boost. Since Goffstown is a "Main Street"
community they, along with the BOS and EDC should work
together to make Goffstown a "destination"
community." |
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