GRETCHEN ABENDSCHEIN – FOR THREE-YEAR TERM AS SELECTMAN
Each year the town votes to empower the selectmen to serve as fence viewers, although that is not typically one of the current duties held by the office. However, on occasion we still find ourselves in the role of pound keepers when we have to deal with stray animals.
In my first year on the selectboard I worked with members of other town boards and representatives from the fire department and highway department to develop a Hazard Mitigation Plan and an Emergency Operations Plan. I also worked on the original Capital Improvements Program (CIP).
As the ex officio selectman on the Planning Board for the last two years I've worked on revising and updating the CIP, amending the Crescent Lake Zoning Ordinance and updating the Nonresidential Site Plan Review Regulations.
I have taken six classes offered by the Local Government Center in Concord including workshops in municipal budget law, land use regulations and state laws governing municipal welfare administration.
In 2009 the selectmen had 35 meetings in which we heard from 64 visitors on topics ranging from flooded roads, ambulance coverage, improving energy efficiency in municipal buildings, driveway problems, school board issues, inquiries about building permits, and information about the mandatory statewide revaluation scheduled for 2011, to name just a few. We signed 50 pages of bill manifests containing 700 invoices and 108 pages of payroll summaries which included 243 time sheets. We received 175 pieces of correspondence of varying degrees of complexity, not including legal briefs.
The time in selectboard meetings is just a fraction of the time spent on the job. Many hours are consumed outside of meetings reading related material in preparation for meetings, researching information, talking to lawyers at Local Government Center, responding to phone calls and emails, fielding complaints, and reading statutes that govern our decisions as members of the selectboard.
I am asking for your support in the upcoming election.
Please vote on March 9.
Thank you,
Gretchen Abendschein