OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Colma City Council Special Public Meeting - September 2, 2025

City Council — Tuesday, September 2, 2025
BodyClaremont, New Hampshire
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, September 2, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:18:42

Transcript — Verbatim
0:03

Good evening.

0:04

Welcome to the special public meeting tonight for the Colma City Council for September 2nd, 2025.

0:10

Councilor Zuter, would you mind leading us in the punch, please?

0:13

I pledge allegiance with the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God.

0:22

Indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

0:27

Thank you.

0:29

Mr.

0:30

When you have a moment to get a roll call, please.

0:32

Councillor Kalaski.

0:33

Present.

0:34

Councillor Greenrose.

0:35

Councilor Lamoges.

0:36

Here.

0:36

Assistant Mayor Mattow?

0:38

Here.

0:38

Councilor Zuter?

0:39

Here.

0:39

Counselor Hemingway?

0:40

Here.

0:41

Counselor Hayden.

0:43

I'm calling in on the phone.

0:45

From where?

0:47

From where?

0:47

And is anyone else in the room?

0:50

No.

0:51

I'm currently actually in my field.

0:56

Okay.

0:56

In the field.

0:57

Councilor O'Hearn.

0:58

Present.

0:59

Mayor Gerard.

1:00

Here.

1:01

Thank you.

1:05

Next up on our agenda, as most everybody here is well aware, Miss Bates had received a communication with Mr.

1:14

Angel from the school district within the last couple weeks talking about possible the possibility of trying to receive their tax funds on a quicker basis than normal just to try to help them out from a cash flow standpoint.

1:31

At the time Miss Bates came to the council and talked about the good and the bad of uh trying to help out.

1:38

The good is absolutely trying to make sure we keep the schools open, which is the most important thing I think for everybody in this community.

1:44

The bad was the fact that if we were to uh expend the extra five million dollars at this point, that it would be of a cost of in what we normally would receive an interest on the money uh about $37,000.

1:58

So again, I know that there's uh gives and take for everything that we're going on at this point.

2:04

As most people are have been paying attention to the school board along with the administration have been working very diligently trying to come up with a plan uh to try to get through this crisis that we're in.

2:16

And this afternoon I had the pleasure of speaking with Mr.

2:18

Angel and Miss Crawford from the school board.

2:21

Um at this point, they we definitely won't still want to have the discussion, but they feel as though at the moment they are not asking for the funds immediately.

2:31

They want to have the ability if they have a shortfall uh to be able to reach out to Miss Bates and be able to have the conversation at that point.

2:40

So it's not we're not sitting here talking about trying to release five million dollars this evening as much as having the ability for that coming forward.

2:48

That five million dollars would get us to based upon last year's taxes, would be about 57% of last year's taxes, so we'd be have paid out a little bit more, but that's the schedule that was set up by Miss Bates and the business administrator back uh in late June, early July, if I remember correctly.

3:05

Um again, at this point, Miss Bates, would you like to say anything or would you like me to have Mr.

3:10

Angel kind of maybe he'd be willing to speak on if I didn't catch everything that we'd already talked about earlier today, so I apologize.

3:18

So I think you've captured it.

3:20

Um I'm happy to if you want to have Mr.

3:23

Angel speak, but uh I think you've captured what I put in my memo to the council.

3:27

Okay.

3:28

Mr.

3:28

Angel, did you want to s say anything more that maybe I haven't said at this point, or would somebody from the school board like to speak?

3:35

Ms.

3:35

Crawford.

3:37

And again, if you could give your name and your ward number just for records.

3:42

Three minutes, please.

3:43

Oh, geez.

3:44

Oh this might take more than three minutes.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Education Funding██████████████████████████████30%
Budget Equity Analysis███████████████████████23%
Public Engagement████████████████████20%
Public Comment████████████12%
Public Safety███████7%
Parks and Recreation████4%
Procedural███3%
Personnel Matters█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Colma City Council Special Public Meeting - September 2, 2025

This special public meeting of the Colma City Council was convened to discuss a request from the school district for early release of tax funds, as well as related financial matters including audits, a short-term loan, the school resource officer (SRO) agreement, and athletic field fees. The meeting featured presentations from school board representatives and public comment, with the council ultimately tabling the early release request pending a formal financial presentation from the school district.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Rachel Malcolm (Ward 3) expressed frustration over lack of information and asked about oversight for any early fund release. She cited a New Hampshire Journal article detailing federal grant misuse by the school district.
  • James Petron (Ward 2) questioned the school district's starting operating budget and suggested that instead of the school taking a bank loan, the city could advance the $4 million directly.
  • Emily Sand Blade (Ward 3) criticized the school district's grant management, stating that federal grants often cost recipients 1.5 times the revenue. She presented data showing declining median household income and rising per-student costs, and argued that tax increases are no longer viable.
  • Raymond Miner (Ward 3) demanded that the school board provide real numbers before any city funds are released, comparing it to needing documentation for a bank loan.
  • Conrad Farnum (Ward 3) said his taxes are so high he fears losing his house and urged an end to spending increases.
  • Kevin Tyson (Ward 2) called for radical transparency, noting that the public only sees pictures of data, not the actual data.
  • Julie Hilliard (Ward 2) expressed confusion over how mismanagement persisted for years and that misinformation arises from a lack of information.
  • Zach Greenwood (Ward 2) argued that higher taxes are unacceptable given that student proficiency scores are already 20 points below state averages, and worried about falling property values.
  • Joe Osgood (Ward 1) recommended a forensic audit, saying the council should issue an RFP and put it on a warrant article for voters to decide.
  • Karen Leo Hill (Executive Councillor) reported that state legislators and education officials had a briefing with the school district earlier that day, and that a PowerPoint presentation is planned for the school board meeting on September 3. She noted the school district is working to determine the full deficit by the end of the month.

Discussion Items

  • Early Release of Tax Funds: Mayor Gerard explained that the school district had requested early release of approximately $5 million in tax payments (October, November, December) to address cash flow, but now the school board (via Mr. Angel) indicated they do not need it immediately, though they may in the future. City Manager Bates noted that releasing the funds early would cost the city about $37,000 in lost interest, and if combined with proposals to forgive SRO and field fees, could add about 5 cents to the tax rate (roughly $60 per year for a $250,000 home).
  • Audit Status and Timeline: School board member Candace Crawford (Ward 2) presented a detailed timeline of audits since 2016, explaining that audits were deferred when the business manager left in 2016, and that catching up is a sequential process. She noted that the district has updated policies to require annual audits within six months of the fiscal year end.
  • Short-Term Loan (RAN/GAN): Mr. Angel described a $4 million short-term loan from Claremont Savings Bank (2% interest, due April 2026) to provide cash flow while the district works on budget cuts. The loan is guaranteed by the state. Councilor Greenrose clarified that the $4 million is not the total deficit, just a cash flow measure.
  • School Resource Officer (SRO): Chief Wilmont explained that the annual MOU for the SRO (Officer Simons) is typically signed after the city budget passes, but has been delayed due to superintendent turnover. The school district pays 50% of the burdened cost. The chief noted that the SRO is currently in the schools and the district values the program. Council members agreed that the SRO should continue, but a decision on waiving the invoice could wait for better financial information.
  • Athletic Field Fees: Director Martin outlined the typical license agreement for field use at Manadnock, Veterans, and Barnes Parks. He noted that the city maintains the fields regardless, and that he and the athletic director are looking for ways to save costs (e.g., lighting). Councilors agreed that waiving fees is not urgent and should be discussed after the school district provides a financial presentation.

Key Outcomes

  • Motion to table the early release of school tax funds was made by Councilor Kaloski, seconded by Assistant Mayor Mattow, and passed unanimously (9-0). The motion included a condition that the school district (SAU 6) must present a sound financial plan to the City Council and Manager, and that a joint financial oversight committee be established including one city councilor.
  • No action was taken on the SRO invoice or athletic field fee waivers; these items were deferred to a future meeting once the school district provides a financial presentation.
  • The meeting adjourned at approximately 7:00 PM to allow the Zoning Board to use the room.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening. Welcome to the special public meeting tonight for the Colma City Council for September 2nd, 2025. Councilor Zuter, would you mind leading us in the punch, please? I pledge allegiance with the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God. Indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Mr. When you have a moment to get a roll call, please. Councillor Kalaski. Present. Councillor Greenrose. Councilor Lamoges. Here. Assistant Mayor Mattow? Here. Councilor Zuter? Here. Counselor Hemingway? Here. Counselor Hayden. I'm calling in on the phone. From where? From where? And is anyone else in the room? No. I'm currently actually in my field. Okay. In the field. Councilor O'Hearn. Present. Mayor Gerard. Here. Thank you. Next up on our agenda, as most everybody here is well aware, Miss Bates had received a communication with Mr. Angel from the school district within the last couple weeks talking about possible the possibility of trying to receive their tax funds on a quicker basis than normal just to try to help them out from a cash flow standpoint. At the time Miss Bates came to the council and talked about the good and the bad of uh trying to help out. The good is absolutely trying to make sure we keep the schools open, which is the most important thing I think for everybody in this community. The bad was the fact that if we were to uh expend the extra five million dollars at this point, that it would be of a cost of in what we normally would receive an interest on the money uh about $37,000. So again, I know that there's uh gives and take for everything that we're going on at this point. As most people are have been paying attention to the school board along with the administration have been working very diligently trying to come up with a plan uh to try to get through this crisis that we're in. And this afternoon I had the pleasure of speaking with Mr. Angel and Miss Crawford from the school board. Um at this point, they we definitely won't still want to have the discussion, but they feel as though at the moment they are not asking for the funds immediately. They want to have the ability if they have a shortfall uh to be able to reach out to Miss Bates and be able to have the conversation at that point. So it's not we're not sitting here talking about trying to release five million dollars this evening as much as having the ability for that coming forward. That five million dollars would get us to based upon last year's taxes, would be about 57% of last year's taxes, so we'd be have paid out a little bit more, but that's the schedule that was set up by Miss Bates and the business administrator back uh in late June, early July, if I remember correctly. Um again, at this point, Miss Bates, would you like to say anything or would you like me to have Mr. Angel kind of maybe he'd be willing to speak on if I didn't catch everything that we'd already talked about earlier today, so I apologize. So I think you've captured it. Um I'm happy to if you want to have Mr.

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