Board of Selectman’s Meeting
Thursday, February 7, 2005
6p.m.
Selectman’s chambers
356 Main Street, Municipal Offices
Minutes
Present: Matt Scruton, Gerald McCarthy, Paula Proulx, Paul Parker and Joan Funk.
The meeting convened at 6:20 p.m. with the pledge of allegiance.
Joan Funk arrived at 7:32 p.m.
1. Pledge of Allegiance
2. Approval of Minutes
a. January 24, 2005
It was pointed out that under item 6. Budget Review, that Article 7 was actually seconded by Paula Proulx. The motion to adjourn was made by Paul Parker. A motion was made by Paul Parker to accept the January 24, 2005 minutes as amended, which was seconded by Paula Proulx. The vote was unanimous.
3. Skipped CMA to wait for Matt.
4. Public Comment: there was no Public Comment.
5. Trustees of the Trust Funds:
Nobody appeared from the Trustees. Town Administrator Ernest Creveling stated that he had not been able to confirm with the Trustees and would try to confirm for the next meeting.
8. Other business to come before the Board.
Dale Sprague informed the board Members about the Waste Water Plant upgrade.
Water rates vs. expenditures – giving to Board of Selectmen for consideration.
He said we need to cut water expenditures or raise rates.
Dale offered two financial reports for Board of Selectmen to review. He will come back to the Board of Selectmen. Dale informed the Board of Selectmen about a wastewater plant breakdown. It is under control for about $3000.00.
Went to item 3 at 6:21 p.m.
Bill Straub of CMA reported on visit to DES representatives from every agency. Engineering site and groundwater quality side. Great attendance.
Laid out concept of working with other communities on inter-municipal basis.
1. Interim operation with plans and closure date.
2. If agreeable, subsequent lined operation.
Favorable
1. Openness towards schedule closure without being eminent.
- The town currently has no established closure schedule (Farmington is 1 of only 2 unlined landfills left in New Hampshire)
- Discussed special circumstances with Cardinal Landfill in Farmington.
- Law and regulation of Federal and State that unlined landfills shall close. Water quality reports are driving factor.
- Water quality results favorable but not pristine. How compelling are they? Not so that closure is imminent.
- DES made it clear that they would listen to proposals and include a expansion of the site.
- In all remarks, they would be amiable to extend the schedule 7 years from today and working with other communities – 6-8 years with plan and establishment of final grading plan.
- Made “this is now, that will be then” statements.
- Walter Mills asked, “What if Farmington does not want to close?” They need a schedule. If push comes to shove, “ you have unlined landfill with water quality issues”.
- Federal law says all unlined landfills must close according to a schedule subject to water quality standards.
- Lined landfill is new approval process – hydro-geological studies – engineering, etc.
- Issues DES raised were:
1) Economic viability – must have 35 – 40 tons of waste.
2) Wellhead protection area – very liberal, includes much of Farmington. Must be dealt with (not a fatal flaw).
3) Loading limits on Cochise river: TMDL (related to Landfill because of groundwater “oozing” to the river impacting TMDL (use that as argument against long interim use).
4) Residential setbacks (Peaceful Pines MHP)
5) Room enough between site and river for monitoring.
2. No fatal flaws for lined expansion. They offered a fair amount of flexibility and are open to good solid creative ideas. There was nothing presented that caused any fatal flows to lined landfill.
Comments by Selectmen as follows:
Jerry McCarthy: What did you get for length of time? (more favorable with other towns? – yes). I heard 10-12 years.
Bill Straub: Shape will govern the time frame, (which got to 10-12 years). They are not looking for a proposal to start at 10-12 years.
Paul Parker: Need to set up schedule for closure then look at lined landfill.
Bill Straub: We suggest looking at it from a different angle – vamp up 10-20tons per year to collect future closure costs. Below 10,000 tons generate revenues. Over 10 tons will. (20 tons is ideal). Must seek a balance to reach economic goals of 15 tons (12-17 tons per year). Yield – service life is between 10-15 years.
Paul Parker: Has anyone talked with other communities?
Bill Straub: Only informally, but at least two neighboring communities are interested in the lined landfill approach.
Jerry : Isn’t 6-8 years too short of a time frame? Why not go for a dozen years?
Bill: You could without being unreasonable - again to support marketability and be competitive.
Matt Scruton: How do we negotiate? Go in at 15 years, and they will say 12?
Bill Straub: I would do a schedule based on financial goals in order for them to allow you to extend, have to show financial assurance for extended life, financial plans must show that long term operations will cover closure costs. If you cant get people, then change it.
Matt Scruton: Will we still be eligible for State funding?
Bill Straub: Who knows? It becomes more risky as time goes by.
Jerry McCarthy: Can’t we get 20% of what we’ve already expended for closure costs?
Bill Straub: First you have to have schedule.
Walter Mills: What is the cost of doing the landfill today? ($2.2 million) and why is the State willing to allow us to put additional waste over a period of 6-15 years, but not allow us to run for an extended period of time?
Bill Straub: If managed properly, DES will allow town to raise money to pay for it.
Walter: I was at the meeting and posed question – if they would allow the town to stay open for 50 years? He looked at paper work and said they would accept it for 100 years depending on water quality.
Theresa Mills: We had a vote that said we did not want trash from other places. Why bother with public hearings, you don’t listen anyhow.
Dale Sprague: A lot of your decision is going to be affected by whether you look at lined landfill; you must build it into your tonnage fees. Is the goal of the town to have that long-term solution?
Jerry McCarthy: Lined landfill is a separate issue.
Walter: 2.2 million dollars plus a quarter of a million dollars for the transfer station.
6. New Dam LLC – request waiver of “current use” penalty. ($500,000 to $600,000)
Paul Parker: The Town might be able to continue negotiations in order to work out details regarding the Town’s infrastructure costs.
Matt Scruton: Should shut the door on this. There are separate issues that can be taken care of at the Planning Board table.
Paula Proulx: Has the conservation commission given anything else with more details?
Jerry McCarthy: No, but most land is not buildable. I agree with Matt, this is part of doing business – it is a penalty, plus money goes to Conservation Commission fund.
Matt Scruton: If he cannot develop anyway why would tax payers want to pay $600,000 for swamp?
Theresa Mills: One of the issues was the comparison of that land to other land in town that would be more beneficial to the town that are in other areas of town.
Matt Scruton made a motion to go along with Conservation Commission’s recommendation to deny the request made by New Dam to abate current use penalty fees, which was seconded by Paula Proulx. Vote was 3 for, Paul Parker against, with Joan funk abstaining from the vote.
8. Other business.
Paula Proulx: Have the Selectmen received all drafts of chapters for the master plan?
Ernie Creveling: Don’t know, Paul just got full disk last week, I’ll check with him tomorrow.
Paul Parker: Questioned lighting for both municipal building parking lots. Ernie responded that he needed to call them.
Paul Parker made a motion to go into Non-Public Session in accordance with RSA 91:A:3 (uncertain of the time).
Roll Call Vote: Gerald McCarthy, yes
Paula Proulx, yes
Paul Parker, yes
Matt Scruton, yes
Joan Funk, yes
Approximately 20 minutes later a motion as made to come out non-public session by Paul Parker, second by Joan Funk. Vote was unanimous.
Coast Bus Transportation:
Paula Proulx asks if operating costs take into account the “free trolly’s”.
Matt Scruton: Based on ridership numbers, I don’t think it matters if we eliminate it.
In original handout distributed by Steve Wells of COAST Bus, they showed Farmington’s costs comprising 4.5% of their total budget, the new e-mail shows that our requested contribution of over $14,000 only accounts for 9.2% of the total cost of Route 6. Paula suggested that the Town leave the proposed appropriation at $7,500.00.
Paul Parker: Expressed concern about the lack of experience on the ZBA. Creveling informed him that an attorney had been hired to assist them on the matter the Town had requested a rehearing on and the Town’s law firm would assist on other cases, as needed.
Paula Proulx: Discussion on Town Meeting format, but the planning consultants are to make a short presentation. Have Ernie show on the screen what changes they make.
A motion by Paul Parker and seconded by Paula Proulx for the Board of Selectmen to request from the moderator some time after announcement of election for planning consultant and presentation by Town Administrator on the budget. The vote was unanimous.
Jerry McCarthy: Suggested that the Board dedicate annual Town Report in memory of Dr. Quinn. The consensus was unanimous.
A motion to adjourn was made by Matthew Scruton and seconded by Joan Funk. The vote was unanimous.
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