City Council Work Session
June 11, 2012
Present: Mayor Grenier, Councilors Otis, Remillard, Ducharme, Morgan Allain, Higbee, Rozek, Nelson, and Théberge
Others present: Rene Boutin, Chris Dwinal, Randy Chichetto, Dan Malone, Michael Perreault, Pat MacQueen, media and public
I & I Review
Chris Dwinal the project engineer for the waste water treatment upgrade and inflow & infiltration (I & I) upgrade, addressed the Council regarding the I & I work that has been ongoing on Riverside Drive. He reported that there has been some dissatisfaction with the contractor and last Wednesday all the parties came together for a monthly meeting. The contractor, engineer, funding agency, city and City Council were represented. Mr. Dwinal made it clear that Wright Pierce has been monitoring the contractor’s work since February and has been assuring that the contractor delivers good work.
The goal of the project is to take clean water out of the sewer system. The contractor’s work appears to be sloppy but the work is not shoddy. There are several safeguards in place with the completed work being tested with a pressure test, lamp test, a test to determine if the pipe is laid straight in the ground and one to be sure it has not sagged.
The contractor, Nelson Communications Inc., has provided a schedule update and paving on Riverside Drive is expected in the next week.
Councilor Remillard commented that her concerns were answered and she is relieved that the job has been done right. She questioned when the homeowners will have the use of their property back and Mr. Perreault noted that the contractor will be landscaping, paving, doing sidewalks, and seeding in the upcoming weeks. Mr. Dwinal stated that the project area has been messy and in disarray but he has the contractor’s promise to work hard to make the second half of the job go more smoothly.
Councilor Rozek gave kudos to Charlie, who is Wright Pierce’s resident inspector of the project. He’s made sure that all the work is done correctly. Councilor Ducharme asked if all of this was caused by taking the contractor with the lowest bid. Mr. Dwinal indicated that references were checked prior to awarding the contract and they were acceptable. Mr. MacQueen added that the funding agencies would not have looked kindly on us throwing out the low bid; there was a $200,000 difference in the next lowest bid.
Mayor Grenier thanked Councilors Rozek and Remillard for bringing the issue forward adding that the contractor still has the opportunity to deliver a good end product.
ATV Festival Information
Randy Chichetto, Rene Boutin and Dan Malone representing the ATV Club, were present to report on the plans for the upcoming ATV Festival. Mr. Chichetto reported that plans for the festival include food vendors, dealers, a poker run with a cash prize; grudge runs and mud pit. New this year will be a Challenge Run where participants will be sent through a challenging course and timed. The group did not have much luck with manufacturers this year; however several dealers are coming to the event.
Mayor Grenier asked for a press release and poster for the City’s web site. Mr. Boutin thanked the Council for the City contribution to the festival. Mayor Grenier acknowledged that ATV’s are destined to be Berlin’s niche. Councilor Nelson also noted that the Chamber of Commerce can market through Facebook.
Mr. Chichetto stressed that the area needs a campground. ATV enthusiasts do not want to trailer their bikes to another location but would rather stay where they ride. Club members noted that the Jericho State Park sign is bland and a more vibrant sign would bring people to the park.
Inter-local Trust Agreement
Mr. MacQueen stated that this is the same agreement as the one with Primex; however Inter-Local Trust will be establishing a new trust as Primex gets out of the health care business.
Councilor Nelson moved to authorize the City Manager to sign the Inter-Local Trust agreement as the duly authorized representative of the Governing Body; Councilor Remillard seconded and the motion carried.
Budget Considerations
Mr. MacQueen reported that the budget is similar to the budget that went for publication with the exception that this one has all the positions reinstated. Changing the amount of personnel affects several accounts. At this time the tax rate would be $32.23 per thousand, up by .53; however this does not account for any assessment changes.
Mayor Grenier discussed badly needed highway work at Twelfth Street Bridge to Page Hill Road and Hutchins Street to the city line. The roadway needs to be ground, paved and shimmed to Napert Village. This area can’t wait until Hutchins Street is realigned. Mayor Grenier suggested appropriating $250,000 to street repair for those projects.
The changes to the budget will be presented as amendments to the resolution. It will need to be removed from the table and amended to show the reductions as presented then amended to show the increases as presented. Councilor Rozek confirmed that the increase in the tax rate would be between .53 and .90.
Non Public Session
Councilor Remillard moved to go into non-public session per RSA 91-a:3 (d) Consideration of the acquisition, sale or lease of real or personal property; Councilor Rozek seconded and the motion carried unanimously by roll call vote.
Councilor Rozek moved with a second from Councilor Remillard to come out of non-public session. So moved, the motion carried unanimously by roll call.
Councilor Rozek moved with a second from Councilor Remillard to seal the minutes until an agreement is fully executed, as releasing them would render the proposed action ineffective. So moved, the motion carried unanimously by roll call vote.
Adjournment
Councilor Rozek moved with a second from Councilor Remillard to adjourn. So moved, the motion carried. The meeting ended at 7:53 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Susan Tremblay
Administrative Assistant
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