Town Meeting Tues Night

So, hopefully if you do vote on Mar. l2th and see a Warrant Article from The Muncipal Electric Dept. requesting 3/4 Million Dollars for Auto Matic Meter Reading, you will think
twice about voting for this want not a need.

They say it can be taken out of Operating for the next 3 years, if this is so wouldn't you think the Electric Dept. is pocketing a lot of our money. Why not rebate this excess profit
to the customers who have taken a huge hit over the last 5 years, due to a very poor contract with The Power Supplier.
The selectmen say it does not affect the tax rate, but it does affect the Rate Payers, who are a bigger base than the tax payer, with businesses and apartment renters, all bearing the high
costs. What about improvements needed such as St. Light that are many out throughout town. This is a poorly thought out idea, so I am asking you to tell your fellow voters
to please vote against this lame idea.

Thanks for that info, WHV. I have heard about those meters and a lot of people hate them. I don't think they should be forced on us. Hopefully this will help get that information out.

This is not the Smart Meters NH Electric Coop has installed, but can be read from the vehicle. If the Electric Dept has surplus funds, why not reduce the excessive rates?
We have control as voters over the rates, and the Electric Dept. needs to be better managed.

Winter Harbor Veteran, I respect your long history in Wolfeboro, but I must respectfully disagree with your assessment of the electric meter warrant article. I refer you to the Budget Committee hearing on this matter on December 13, 2012 which you can pull up from the town website. The electric meter warrant article is for $720 thousand to be spread out over a 5 year period, or $144 thousand per year. The director of the Electric Department, Barry Muccio, originally planned to bond this item, but then decided that it could be paid for from cash receipts coming in to the department. The electric budget for this year is a little over $10.2 million, so $144 thousand would represent 1.4% of the department's budget.
Barry Muccio stated at the meeting that the current meter reading staff is part time and spends 72 hours a week reading the meters, and that would be cut in half with the new meters. He stated that the payback for the project would be at the end of 6 years, with a considerable annual savings each year thereafter. The unkown entity here is the amount of money being lost by the old meters, but the assumption is that old meters slow down with age.
I also disagree with your assessment of the Electric Department. They have their own asset management plan to maintain their infrastructure and vehicles, and this results in very few power outages in Wolfeboro. The electric rate now is about 15.6 cents per KWH, and will be going down by about 3 cents next January. That rate is competitive throughout the region. I see adds for cheaper rates by some providers, but I wonder if the prices stated in those adds includes distribution.
I hope you reconsider your vote on the Electric Meter Warrant Article.

I have heard so many bad things about those meters. I would never vote for them.

I'm unable to find the article right now, but a malfunction with one of these units had the power company legally entering the owner's property, and police were called. (A big confrontation ensued).

Wolfeboro consultant advised the Town and signed a very bad power contract that puts us at the top of the list in Rates in the state.
Luckily the new contract next year will put us back in the running. Our Delivery charge is still right up there
with the investor owned utilities. Littleton Light has a delivery charge of .016 well Wolfeboro is at.0317 double
so we still are not reaping the benefits of a Municipal owned utility but ask for a 3/4 million want not a need
for new auto metering. The Budget Comm and Selectmen all voted in the positive, so it looks like the voters
will go along. Remember you as a rate payer are funding any expenses, of The Electric Dept. so you do
have a say in how the Dept. spends our money. I think it is time to bring back The Commissioners, who may
keep a closer eye on things.

Winter Harbor Veteran wrote:Wolfeboro consultant advised the Town and signed a very bad power contract that puts us at the top of the list in Rates in the state.
Luckily the new contract next year will put us back in the running. Our Delivery charge is still right up there
with the investor owned utilities. Littleton Light has a delivery charge of .016 well Wolfeboro is at.0317 double
so we still are not reaping the benefits of a Municipal owned utility but ask for a 3/4 million want not a need
for new auto metering. The Budget Comm and Selectmen all voted in the positive, so it looks like the voters
will go along. Remember you as a rate payer are funding any expenses, of The Electric Dept. so you do
have a say in how the Dept. spends our money. I think it is time to bring back The Commissioners, who may
keep a closer eye on things.

Since we have been paying too much, it sounds good that we will now pay less? And don't we pay a fortune to hire NHEC ( I think it is) to do our linework, whereas we used to have town employees do that?

The Budget Committee is just a yes man for the selectment. I hardly ever see them reject anything the selectmen want. It is the same with the school board. They don't protect the taxpayer's. And most voters think if the selectmen, planning board, budget committee, school board etc. want it, it must be good. I am afraid in today's world the commissioners would do the same.

I just heard a rumor that if these new smart meters get installed that our minimum charge will be around $25.00 instead of the $5.00 we pay now. Does anyone know if this is true????

What happens to the workers that will lose their jobs?

fshnski wrote:What happens to the workers that will lose their jobs?

They collect unemployment.

Oh yeah. Now I see why we needed work force housing.

fshnski wrote:Oh yeah. Now I see why we needed work force housing.

Yep, you got the picture now. You learn fast!!!!!

They can use the Carroll County Transit to get to the unemployment office. We paid for that too.

Pretty clever thought, fsh! And I bet there is a lot more we do for them, too!