Town of Farmington
Board of Selectmen’s Meeting Minutes
February 27, 2006
Chairman Joan A. Funk called the meeting to order in the Selectmen’s Chambers, 356 Main Street at 6:00pm and asked everyone to join her in the pledge of allegiance.
Present: Board of Selectmen Chairman Joan A. Funk, Vice Chairman Paula Proulx, Paul Parker, Matt Scruton and George Meyer, Town Administrator R. Paul Weston, Water/Wastewater Superintendent Dale Sprague and Selectmen’s Secretary Megan Taylor taking minutes.
Donation: Farmington High School Honor Society representatives Katie Cardinal and Jessica Bowen along with teacher Ruth Ellen Vaughn presented a check to the Board of Selectmen in the amount of $430.00 for the Town Hall Renovation project. The Honor Society raised the money by holding a benefit dance at the high school.
Public Input: Middleton Resident and Farmington property owner Janet Kalar approached the Board joined by Naomi Preble to discuss a letter from the Department of Environmental Services to James Thomas of Collins and Aikman regarding the Cardinal landfill. (Please see copy of this letter attached to the final written copy of these minutes available from the Town Clerks Office). The letter reports that a higher level of TCE was detected in several soil vapor samples within the Peaceful Pines Mobile Home Park. Janet asked the Board to look into this matter and thought the Town could enforce the cleanup by the Mobile Home Park owners. Joan along with other board members assured Ms. Kalar that they would look into the matter and get back to her in approximately 2 weeks.
Approval of Minutes: February 14, 2006. Joan Funk motioned to approve the minutes as corrected. George Meyer seconded the motion, All in favor. February 14, 2006 Non Public Minutes. After one correction, Joan Funk motioned to approve the minutes as amended. Matt Scruton seconded. All in favor.
Location of New Welfare Director: Paul Weston presented several plans drawn by some of the Municipal staff for a location for the new Welfare Director. A plan drawn by Paul Esswein to enclose the current planning secretary’s space also included the walling off of his workspace as well as the Town Clerks office. The cost of that plan was estimated at $3101.00. After review of the plans and discussion, the Selectmen agreed to a plan to enclose a portion of the lobby in the Municipal building with soundproof partitions. This would be a temporary solution until a more permanent location could be established. Currently the new Welfare Director is working in the Selectmen’s Chambers. Joan Funk asked Megan Taylor if the new Welfare Director would be helpful to her now that she would no longer be required
to administer welfare. Megan replied that she would not fully be free of welfare, as the Town Administrator had appointed her Deputy Welfare Director to fill in for emergencies as needed. The Board discussed this with Megan and the Town Administrator. They agreed that the new Welfare Director should work Fridays, as this was a busy day and that her schedule would be based on demand, which would be determined as time went on.
New Business: Discussion on the basis of billing for water at the new 500 Boys and Girls Club fields off Paulson Road. Dale Sprague suggested that the club should be charged a flat rate billing fee until an amount of usage is established. It is estimated it will be about $500-$600 per year usage. Joan asked if it was possible to dig a well and Dale stated that might have to wait a couple of years if possible. Randy Talon could not be present at the meeting so Dale will talk to him in the very near future.
Signature File: Paul Weston reviewed the signature file which included an abatement request for $500.00 for McDoufle, a request for a veterans tax credit which should have been received in 2005, a correction of square footage for Kathy and Mark Seaver’s home and a $220.00 tax abatement, an application for a veterans tax credit, an elderly tax exemption, a land use change tax for 119 Ten Rod Road for $4664.00 coming out of current use.
Correspondence File: Paul then reviewed the correspondence file, which included an e-mail from Moose Mountain Greenways’ Cynthia Belowski regarding the Dubois property stating that the Town will be required by the State to do a survey and an environmental review of the property. Charlie King spoke up to say that if a survey has been recorded at the Strafford County Registry of Deeds it is valid after 7 years if it has not been disputed. A new survey could cost up to $1000.00.
Joan Funk acknowledged that the Boston Post Recipient had passed away.
Paul Weston stated that there was not a quorum at last weeks Public Works Building Committee meeting. Joel Moulton has recommended five area firms to bid on the project. Matt Scruton stated that the bid should be put out for public as stated in the Town Policy and the other Board members agreed. Paul Weston stated that if it was put out bid it might not be ready for Town Meeting. Bud Meader has done the specs already so there is a budgetary estimate, which could be presented at Town Meeting. The majority of the Board of Selectmen agreed that the bid should be advertised. The bids would be sealed and references should be submitted with the bids.
Charlie King stated that the candidates should be pre-qualified to bid.
Paul Weston a stated that the Strafford County Commissioners Office has proposed that the county budget to be raised by taxation will increase from $20,532,004.60 to $21,146,318.00 an increase of 2.99%.
Paul Parker inquired on the progress of the Jones Brook Easement. Paul Weston stated that it was in process of being updated and that further information was needed. Matt Scruton asked Paul Weston if the wording choices in the estimated tax impact document had been approved by the DRA in the latest version. Paul Weston stated that he will have the DRA and Town attorney review the updated version.
Joan Funk asked Paul Weston if there had been any more discussion on the subject of overtime pay versus comp time for the planning board secretary as well as the municipal secretary. The planning board secretary was paid $4,296.00 in overtime from 1-6-05 thru 11-10-05 averaging about $82.00 per week. Paul Weston stated that both he and Paul Esswein agreed that it was beneficial to have the secretaries at the meetings to keep them attuned to what was going on. The disadvantage of the secretaries using comp time is that they will not be in the office Friday afternoons or whenever they use there comp time. The Board will look at this issue after Town Meeting when town employee’s salaries are adjusted.
At 7:25pm Joan Funk called for a brief recess. The Board re-adjourned at 7:40 pm.
Joan Funk motioned to go into Non-Public Session RSA 9-A:3 (a) Personnel Matters. Paua Proulx seconded the motion. A roll call vote was taken. Joan Funk – yes, Paula Proulx – yes, Paul Parker – yes, Matt Scruton – yes, George Meyer – yes.
Personnel issue regarding Fire Department was discussed.
-Town Administrator Paul Weston and Secretary Megan Taylor were excused from the meeting at 8:30 pm.
-Evaluation of Town Administrator by the Board of Selectmen.
At 9:30 Pm, Joan Funk made motion to come out of Non Public Session. Paul Parker seconded the motion. A roll call vote was taken. Joan Funk – yes, Paula Proulx – yes, Paul Parker – yes, Matt Scruton – yes, George Meyer – yes.
The Board voted to ratify the motion taken during Non –Public session to accept the proposal by the Fire Chief.
9:40 pm. Joan Funk motioned to adjourn the meeting. Matt Scruton seconded the motion. All in favor.
Signed this date of ____________, 2006
_____________________________ ____________________________
Chairman Joan A. Funk Vice Chairman Paula Proulx
_____________________ _____________________________
Matt Scruton George Meyer
_______________________
Paul Parker
| 
