TOWN OF FARMINGTON
BOARD OF SELECTMEN
MEETING MINUTES
8-21-06
Present: Chairman Paula Proulx, Vice Chairman Paul Parker, Selectmen Gerry McCarthy and Marty Gilman
At 6:00PM, Chairman Proulx called the meeting to order and asked everyone to join her the Pledge of Allegiance.
PUBLIC INPUT
-Randy Orvis approached the Board to discuss the current road conditions. He stated that he is not happy with the work being done on the roads. He stated that the gravel roads are not being graded; there are potholes and no crowns in the roads. Paula told Randy that the Public works Director would be here this evening updating us on the roads.
-Jane Wingate came before the Board and stated that she will be selling her photos and CDs at Hayday with the proceeds going to the Interfaith Food Pantry
and Myron Crossley.
-John Fitch approached the Board and presented them with photos of his property, which has partially been washed out by the rain. He asked the Board to approve a letter to DES requesting the removal of rocks from Kicking Horse Brook to reduce the water from flooding his property.
-Charlie King came before the Board to ask when the hydrant fee proposal would be addressed again. Chairman Proulx stated that since there was more information presented at the Public Hearing which needs further review, they are suggesting a workshop with the Planning Board and with Dale Sprague on this subject with a Public Hearing following. They will look at the first Monday after Labor Day weekend.
-Joann Doke approached the Board and stated that she did not see the humor in someone’s loss of a job and was confused by comments made regarding the voting.
-Margaret Russell came before the Board and stated that there was a sign in town, which indicated a crisis and asked the Board if there was a crisis. The Board responded that they were not aware of a crisis. Marty stated that there was a crisis in development and the density issue. Gerry agreed and stated that we can reverse the density ordinance. Paul Parker said that the Planning Board is looking into it.
-Norman Russell approached the Board and spoke regarding the lawsuit against the Town. He said that Paul and Paula joined the lawsuit but did not file it. The lawsuit was filed because they believe the ZBA violated land use law by granting a special exception for the property on Route 11. Norman stated that in an e-mail from Paul Weston dated 7-24-06,he states that Joan Funk and Matt Scruton authorized the expenditures of Town money for defending the Town against the lawsuit.
-Victor LaPierre approached the Board and asked if the zoning ordinances were approved by the voters or were passed under the flood plan. Paul Parker stated that it was passed at Town Meeting, the record is on the town website.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
7-31-06, Non-Public – sealed. Paul Parker made a motion to approve as written. Marty seconded the motion. Gerry McCarthy stated that he had questions on these minutes. Parker withdrew his motion and Gilman withdrew his second.8-7-06, Public: Paul Parker motioned to approve as amended. Gerry seconded the motion. All in favor.8-10-06, Non Public: Paul Parker asked to table these minutes to Non Public Session.8-14-06 Public: Paul Parker motioned to accept as amended Marty seconded the motion. All in favor.8-14-06 Non Public: Paul Parker motioned to accept as written, seconded by Marty Gilman. All in favor.
Paul Parker questioned how information from Non Public Session became available to the Public and newspapers. Mary Barron stood up and stated that information made available to the newspapers regarding Paul Weston’s severance pay and the amount the Town has expended for the lawsuit is public knowledge. The fact that the information is duplicated during Non Public Session does not make it any less available to the Public. Susan Loker stood up to say that the vote regarding Mr. Weston’s performance evaluation was mentioned in the public minutes of July 31.
APPOINTMENT TO THE BOARD:
Paul Parker stated that he would like to have more time to come up with a plan and criteria for this appointment. The other Board members thought this should be dealt with ASAP. Gerry McCarthy motioned to nominate Bill Tsirios for the position on the Board of Selectmen. Marty seconded the motion. Gerry stated that we have some budget issues and need to have someone like Bill who will be an asset during the budget season. Marty stated that it is beneficial to have someone who knows people in Concord when dealing with FEMA. Paul Parker stated that he has reservations about Bill and would like to nominate Charlie King who would be a qualified candidate. The Board discussed the options. Paula stated that she would like to see Charlie put his name on the ballot for next year but would support Bill now. Gerry stated
that the Town comes first and that Bill offers the best service to the town now. A motion was taken. All in favor of appointing Bill Tsirios to fill the vacancy on the Board of Selectmen until March town Meeting. Bill Tsiros approached the Board and thanked them for their confidence and stated he does not have ambition to run for Selectmen in March
ADVERTISEMENT FOR TOWN ADMINISTRATOR
The Board discussed the options for the advertisement for town Administrator. Paula presented a draft for an ad. The Board agreed with most of the ad but decided not to include a salary range but rather to state a salary based on qualifications and experience. They also agreed to include that the candidate should process proficiency on Excel and Word. They agreed that they would advertise the position to be available on November 1. The Board agreed to advertise in the Fosters, Portsmouth Herald, Union Leader, Concord Monitor, Manchester Union, Boston Globe and various websites including NHMA and Primex. The ads will go in for the next three Sundays. The Board will review and clarify the Town Administrator job description at a later date.
PROPOSAL TO WAIVE FEES FOR BUILDING PERMITS FOR ROOFING AND SIDING REPAIR: Paul Parker asked if the building inspectors salary is paid through this line, how would waiving these fees effect this line? Finance Administrator Pam Merrill told the Board that there was currently $36,000 in the line now, which was more than sufficient, and any decision made tonight would not affect the line. Marty Gilman stated that he feels the fees for re-roofing and re-siding should be discontinued; the Town does not furnish much like rubbish removal etc. He stated that he doesn’t want to discourage people from making improvements to their homes. Gerry agreed with Marty and stated that the assessments can be made during reevaluation. Gerry McCarthy motioned to waive the building permit fees for re-roofing and re-siding
of residential homes. Marty seconded the motion. All in favor.
FLAG POLE ISSUE: Steve Dean approached the Board and stated that if it means keeping the flagpole in its present location, when the current flag is worn, he would accept replacing it with a smaller flag. The flagpole has been there since Methuselah. He also said that this flag did not have to be lowered to half-mast, the other two flags in town could be if needed. Chairman Proulx asked the Boards permission to speak with PSNH to come up with a solution to this problem. Gerry suggested insulating or moving the wires.
PUBLIC WORKS UPDATE: Director Joel Moulton came before the Board and began by saying that he met with a FEMA rep and was told that there were no red flags so far. An initial $45,000 will be coming soon. At minimum, the Town will break even. Joel stated that the $108,000 in the budget line for road repair has not been touched and asked permission to dip into it to start repairs to the roads. He explained that he has a priority list of road repairs: Paulson Road, Cross Road, Meeting House Hill Road, and Horntown Road. Joel was under the understanding that the $108,00 was to topcoat to Meadorboro Road. Parker stated that he hoped for a transportation plan but understands that it has taken a backseat for flood repairs. Joel estimates that they have expended $360,000 to date. Marty stated that until they get money
back from FEMA, he would like to stop usage of outside contractors and rental equipment. Joel stated that he has been cautious. Paul Parker asked Joel to come up with a plan and Joel said he would.
-Joel updated the Board on the garage project and stated that everything was on schedule and approximately 97% complete. There is a balance leftover of $31,000 and Joel stated a few possible uses for this money including a furnace system to heat the entire building, a lunch/break room and exterior lighting.
-CMA: They have not received a response to a letter they sent to DES regarding groundwater monitoring. CMA is on schedule with their tasks including excavating tests; topography and complying with permit conditions. They did a feasibility study in June, the integrity of most of the wells is good; 4 need work and locks. Joel stated that he can do the work and just needs to purchase the materials. We have until the end of this year. The next step for CMA is to draft a plan to close the landfill, there is a possibility of an extension beyond 2010 if we continue to do what is needed to comply.
-Landfill Fees: Joel stated that to conserve space in the landfill to keep it open a long as possible and to build revenue for the landfill closure, fees can be instituted. We only have 1/3 of the funds needed to close the landfill at this time. Many contractors are bringing their demo debris to the landfill and they charge their customers. The recycling fees have gone up. We now have to pay to recycle refrigerators, tires and air conditioners. Gerry McCarthy expressed concern that fees will cause rubbish to be discarded on the side of the road. Joel said that happens now even without fees. Paul Parker motioned to accept the Landfill Fee proposal for a 90 trial period to adjust if necessary. Marty seconded the motion. Gerry amended the motion to state that fees for construction debris effective immediately and
household items fees effective October 1, 2006. Paul Parker accepted the amendment and Marty seconded the amendment. All in favor. The Board will review the proposed landfill hour’s changes at a later date.
The Board agreed that the ¾ ton Public Works truck should be brought home only in case of an emergency. Joel Moulton stated that he has been putting in a tank of gas at his own expense weekly. He also stated that he has accumulated over 6 weeks comp time. The Board will look into compensation for Joel’s comp time and asked him to keep track of his hours.
-Theft of gas: Joel reported that a police cruiser caught someone trying to siphon gas from the Town gas pumps. They tried to get away with 2 -50 gallon drums and 2- 5 gallon drums. The pump was not locked but will be from now on. There was a 20 gallon spill so DES had to be called. DES advised the Town to hire an environmental consultant. This incident may cost the Town $8,000-10,000.00. The police are investigating the incident. Property damage is considered a felony. Joel stated that he has filed a claim with the insurance agency.
At 9:25PM, Chairman Proulx called for a 10 minute recess.
The meeting reconvened at 9:35 PM
FIRE DEPARTMENT ISSUES: Chief Richard Fowler came before the Board to discuss several issues. He began by stating that he spoke with Shawn Bergeron and was told that he will attend the August 28th BOS meeting and would like to be placed at the top of the agenda.
-Fowler stated that the ladder truck is at Dover Motor mart and is inoperable. They estimate $15,000 to $22,000 (worst case scenario) for repair. A new ladder truck could cost up to $500,00 and a used one $250,000 to $350,00. To rent one could cost $3,000 per month. The Towns mechanic observed the issues quoted in Dover Marts quote and could do the work but is not really set up for it and does not have all the tools; it would take a lot longer It would be more feasible to have the repairs done elsewhere. The ISO insurance rates would go up for the department without a ladder truck. New Durham and Rochester both have ladder trucks and we are on mutual aid call with these towns. Gerry stated that looking at the budget, he does not see where this money could come from; the Town is over-expended as it is due to the high
cost of fuel, Coast Bus and the Fire Chiefs salary among some of the reasons. We have a lot of deficit and should look at this in March. Paul Parker suggested getting a second estimate but Rich stated that he did not think it was a good idea to transport the truck. The board asked Fowler to look into where he thinks the money could come from.
-Daytime coverage: There are 4 more people added to the current list.
-Dispatch issues: Fowler stated that the current dispatch service is less than desirable. He would like to form a committee to address this issue.
-Volunteers: Rich asked the Board to consider tax deductions for volunteers as an incentive
-Americorps Grant:
-CDL license: the cost is $65.00.
-EMT class: $400 for outside Farmington, $300.00 for Residents
-Pre-employment physical are in place
-Fire alarm regulation: Fowler asked the Board on direction to enforce businesses and the school to switch to the digital system. The school is on an old system, which requires regular repairs, which cost money. There are 7 businesses in town that have switched over. It costs $1,200 to switch to digital. Businesses have a choice to go to a private service. Rich will draft a letter to businesses to convince them to switch and will work with the school on switching.
-Budget: All projects are on hold. Gerry McCarthy stated that all department heads are asked to be cautious.
PURCHASE ORDERS: Pam Merrill stated that former Town Administrator Paul Weston asked Pam to stop the practice of using purchase orders, which she strongly advised him against. This has caused problem with tracking department budget lines. The Board asked Pam to go back to using purchase orders for purchases for large ticket items ($1,000). Gerry asked Pam to send a memo to all department heads to put a hold on spending.
Pam suggested that department heads get a head start on their budgets. She will send them a spreadsheet for them to fill out a preliminary budget.
Updates:
Paula Proulx reported that they firmed a gas price of $2.599 from Union Oil.
Recreation Director Kim Brackett will be attending a conference
The Dubois Land Purchase is expected to go smoothly
At 10:30 PM Paul Parker motioned to go into Non Public Session per RSA 91-A:3 (a) (b) (c) . Gerry McCarthy seconded the motion. A roll call vote was taken: Paula Proulx – yes, Paula Parker – yes, Gerry McCarthy – yes, Marty Gilman – yes.
-Brief updates on legal advise for ongoing investigation.
-Update on abatement request.
-Fire Department Issues.
-Personnel Issues.
-Review of Minutes and Motion to unseal Non Public minutes of 7-31-06 and 8-10-06 part II.
At 11:30PM Paul Parker motioned to come out of Non Public Session seconded by Gerry McCArthy. A roll call vote was taken: Paula Proulx – yes, Paula Parker – yes, Gerry McCarthy – yes, Marty Gilman – yes.11:
At 11:30 PM, Paul Parker motioned to adjourn the meeting seconded by Marty Gilman. All in favor.
Signed this _______ day of __________, 2006
___________________ _____________________
Chairman Paula Proulx Vice Chairman Paul Parker
_______________________ _______________________
Gerry McCarthy ` Marty Gilman
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