Town of Greenfield
Selectmen’s Meeting Minutes
Tuesday – April 10, 2007 – 6:00 pm
Present: Selectmen - Selectwoman, Karen Day; Chairman, Aaron Kullgren; Selectman, Jarvis Adams, IV
Catherine Shaw taking minutes
Selectman Kullgren called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm
Appointments:
6:15 Chief Plourde, G.F.D. – Budget vs expenses. Chief Plourde stated that the building repairs & maintenance line is already over budget by $1,000. The generator had some problems and a 2006 expense was rolled over to this year. Chief Plourde would also like Aaron to order the computer for $400. A flat panel model.
Selectman Kullgren stated that through his company, Selectman Kullgren can acquire the computer, he gets nothing for this.
In the next week or two Chief Plourde will be purchasing the hoses and pagers. He has paint to mark all of the fire equipment. The new pagers will be distributed to everyone who needs one.
Selectman Kullgren stated they will be meeting throughout the year and will go over budgets and will be prepared.
Selectman Adams asked if he had a copy of the safety issues from the Local Government Center (LGC).
Chief Plourde said he has the list and it is more or less housekeeping. They will possibly be doing something next year. There are a few small items to purchase.
6:30 Peter Hopkins, Building Inspector – To report that the Planning Board (P.B.) would not make a recommendation on the Laguerre’s building permit.
Hopkins first stated as Health Officer, that Al Burtt will be the medical expert. The Board of Selectman (B.O.S.) will sign an appointment to be sent to the State.
Selectman Adams wants it known, that he has resigned from being the Laguerre’s plumber. So he can vote on this issue. Selectman Adams went to the P.B. meeting last night. The P.B. were in a neutral position and wanted to keep it that way. They were split.
Hopkins said it comes down to the B.O.S.’s decision on this. He thinks the board should debate it.
Selectman Adams was there and Myron Steere brought up a case in Swanzey, having the limitations in the deed. They had a problem with a school bus getting to a child. How the original deed was written didn’t carry over to the new owner. The law is pretty clear, no bank would loan on a house like this. Maybe a second house for someone.
Hopkins stated in one of the RSA’s 674:41d private roads… the RSA was read by Hopkins.
Attorney Alec MacMartin was recognized from the audience, he represents Dan Laguerre. Attorney MacMartin had been involved in a past case in another town. All we need to do is set up a declaration to run by our Town Counsel. The client signs it and records it at the registry of deeds. Everyone is protected. His guess would be, there is nothing at the registry now for the existing camps.
Would the board be OK, if they were provided the document?
Hopkins said go ahead and say yes, you can issue the permit once this is recorded.
Are we committing to going through with the permit if we sign the declaration?
The B.O.S. will grant the issuance of the permit contingent upon this being there. It has to satisfy the statute.
Selectwoman Day asked shouldn’t the counsel see it before we make a commitment.
Attorney MacMartin answered that Town Counsel will say that what I prepare meets what is necessary to grant the permit.
What if counsel doesn’t like it?
Attorney MacMartin doesn’t see that as an issue. He will be very surprised if he prepares something that is not approved.
Selectman Kullgren asked Hopkins is there anything that shows this is a pre-existing non-conforming lot before zoning or do we even know.
Hopkins said it was a lot prior to the ordinance that requires a certain lot size. The lot became non-conforming after the Zoning Ordinance requirement. It was created in the 40’s. We have granted permits on non-conforming lots for other reasons, we have issued permits on Class VI roads. The L.G.C. said if you follow the process there is no problem. The decision is with you.
Selectman Kullgren spoke with John Teague Town Counsel today and he talked about being in concert with the P.B. and then he wanted to talk about the master plan.
Hopkins stated that it is on our Town maps. Doesn’t it then become history? He sees that as a reason and that the road has been there for some time.
Selectman Kullgren asked if Mr. Leguerre had any comment. Mr. Leguerre said he is all set.
Selectman Kullgren asked does Mr. Hopkins have any recommendations at this time?
He said “Don’t call me Mr. Hopkins. That’s my dad.” Ha-Ha-Ha. There is a building on either side of this lot. We have been taxing the lot and collected back taxes on a building lot.
Is there any obligation to notify the abutters? Is there any legality in that?
“Peter” stated that some towns post all building permits prior to issuance. There was a lawyer there last night (at the P.B. meeting). One of the abutters does object to a unit going onto that property.
Selectwoman Day asked if there is a house on either side, how did they get their permits?
Peter said it was prior to any ordinance being there. Back 20 years ago we had more houses on less land, but now we have restrictions.
Selectwoman Day asked is it a lot of record?
Peter said, “Yes ma’am”.
As long as the document is in compliance with the provision of sub section d3, that would do it.
Peter said that other town’s selectmen sign permits, in Greenfield they don’t. He will run the permit by the board before it is signed to make sure there is the declaration.
Selectman Adams made a motion: To approve Mr. Laguerre’s building permit contingent upon receiving a Declaration that is in compliance with RSA 674:41d3 and being previously approved by Town Counsel. It will be permit number 12-07-431.
Attorney MacMartin noted that it is actually RSA 674:41 Roman numeral I, d 3.
The motion was seconded by Selectwoman Day and Selectman Kullgren. Selectman Kullgren asked if there was any further discussion. The motion is made subject to the conditions of that paragraph.
Voted: Affirmatively – all in favor
7:00 – Sheldon & Scott Carbee
· Expansion of waste water hook-up for the restaurant.
Selectman Adams informed the B.O.S. that he had talked to Jim Cruthers, Waste Water Operator and he said the design capacity is 12-14,000 gallons per day and we are at one third capacity 3,500 – 5,000 gallons per day. Right now we have been running for 9 months, since June.
The Carbee’s were asked to come into the meeting. Hunter Carbee was introduced to the B.O.S..
The Carbee’s were told that the B.O.S. had done a little research and contacted Mr. Cruthers and they were told that the capacity is adequate to expand the restaurant.
Scott Carbee said he had got that from Keith. It was designed heavy. The B.O.S. has the letter from the Carbee’s engineer, showing meter readings and how they came about. The restaurant got a new dishwashing machine and it only uses a gallon and one half of water. It uses the rinse water again. It is a lot less water. And saved on payroll. Good for him, but bad for the kid. Scott stated that it all started 30 months ago, they made the proposal before they got hooked up. The pre proposal was in June. If they applied to the State for a banquet facility, it is a lot less water. It won’t be full every day. The banquet is for larger groups.
Selectman Adams asked does the kitchen have a grease trap?
Scott replied that it was part of the original system put in years ago. There is a 1,000 gallon tank. The previous B.O.S. felt he who generated it, paid for it. That will be Rick’s burden to address that tank. The other tanks are in tact and they want to keep them for a future sprinkler system. They also have a 1,000 gallon un-pressurized tank that is under the Long Block.
Sheldon Carbee discussed the well drilling. They have good water there, it could have been bottled.
Selectman Kullgren asked has everyone been hooked up? Not Rymes as yet. And the Old Town Office is hooked up, but has not been used. The State has a graph to show the water use.
We need to separate the parcel. Do they need a subdivision? No, it is separately deeded.
They talked about another lot behind Rymes, may become a walkway to the apartment buildings. Sanford Engineering is doing the survey.
What do you need from the B.O.S.?
Scott stated they need permission to go into the municipal system and to expand the restaurant. The tax cards have both buildings on one lot. A previous Tax Collector put it all on one card.
Discussion of the Lien’s owed and how that would be addressed.
Selectman Kullgren asked Catherine Shaw if she had talked to the Department of Revenue (D.R.A.) about this.
Shaw said she had talked to Town Counsel and our Assessor. She was asked were they in agreement. Shaw stated no, they were not. The Assessor does not think we should separate the lots until the Lien’s are all paid. The Town Counsel, John Teague said we could do a partial Lien Release. It would be similar to a condo unit being sold.
Selectman Adams wants this to happen. We should be trying to settle the whole thing. It’s a win win for everyone.
Selectman Kullgren wants to craft a letter to grant permission to expand the restaurant.
Selectwoman Day asked was it the engineer that said to wait one year? No, it was from the previous Board.
They are connected now, since August. Rick will need a letter to give to the State and they will decide on the restaurant stuff. The letter will be addressed to the Carbee’s not Rick.
Selectwoman Day asked what else needs to be done to the waste water system to do this.
Scott said that nothing needs to be done. It will just use more water.
Scott wanted to inform the B.O.S. that there is bottleneck with the piping. Discussion on the pipe that was installed only being a 4” pipe. They might want to upgrade the pipe.
Selectman Kullgren stated that if it was fixed when Francestown Sand & Gravel (FS&G) saw the problem, they would not warrantee the work from the original installation. There is a clean-out.
Scott said that when Rymes hooks up, that would be the time to do the upgrade. It is 20” of pipe, that’s all.
They should be able to sign a letter next Thursday.
“New Board” Business:
o Discuss “completed action(s) list” – No discussion.
o Discuss “to do list (tabled items)” –
o Meet with Library Trustees about town meeting and revised budget
o Positions:
o Full Time Recycling Attendant – Adams feels good after the nonpublic, to go with Frank. Day and Kullgren agree they will keep have meetings and keep moving forward.
o Part Time Recycle Helper – No discussion.
On-going matters:
Minute Taker – Help wanted ad has been posted.
Gen. Gov. Buildings Maintenance - Help wanted ad has been posted.
Church Lease – Pre 3/14/2006 draft – No response from the letter sent to the church.
WW monitoring wells– Selectmen asked that this remain on the agenda until it is resolved – Keith Pratt is going to confirm they have been replaced. Did not see Keith.
Flood Plain Ordinance – Selectmen asked that this remain on the agenda until it is resolved. Dario said this is going to be addressed soon – there needs to be a public hearing on this matter.
Town Trash Pick-up – Selectmen asked that this remain on the agenda until it is resolved – Get an estimate (materials & man hours) of what it would cost the DPW to build the bins. Get a price for Monadnock Disposal from Frank in writing for dumpsters.
· Complaint from Chief Giammarino – G.P.D. stinks from trash in hall. Frank did not pick up the trash last week. Now there is 2 weeks worth to take. Jim Plourde, DPW came in and took the trash to the dump for us.
Didn’t they want someone from the Recycling Center to pick up all the town trash until further notice? Yes. Until we hire someone to do it. Frank or Angelo should pick-up all the trash.
Chief Plourde was asked what the dumpster at the Fire Station is used for. He replied that the debris they throw in the dumpster is product waste. No body has the desire to run up to the recycling center on a certain day. It is mostly corrugated and floor sweepings. The firemen see no need to recycle, unless the Recycling Dept. would like to stop by and pick it up.
Candy Fowler asked if the Recycling Center had a truck. Yes, the Recycling Center has a truck.
They talked about dumpsters at their (Recycle Committee) meeting, but they encouraged recycling too. Maybe the Recycling Committee can look into this. It would save some money to use recycling.
Recycle Brochure – Selectmen asked that this remain on the agenda until it is resolved – The Town Recycle Committee (TRC) is going to work on this and will get back to the Board with a revised brochure.
Candy Fowler was shown the draft brochure. The B.O.S. feels getting pricing on it is necessary and know it is subject to change.
Selectwoman Day said to put a revision date on it. Then people will know which one is new.
The B.O.S. needs to discuss how to buy the tickets. It should be checks only. No cash.
Candy said at the State Park they have a lock box in the ground and you can’t move it.
How can we make it convenient for the people? He (Frank) doesn’t turn them away, they have to come down here and pay after they dump something. We don’t want cash.
Spirit –
· Conflict of interest? Selectwoman Day was going to call the LGC directly to discuss this. Day spoke to the LGC and explained the woman she spoke to said there isn’t anything wrong with it. She said if they were talking about a raise, she would recuse herself. They discussed how they can make an ordinance for the Town for all Town Committees. Put it on the to do list, to establish a Conflict of Interest Ordinance. The full disclosure document would be a good idea.
· Get cost estimate for purchasing (Quark type) software. No discussion.
· Advertising. No discussion.
· Discuss articles for the next issue. No discussion.
Boards/Committee/Deputy Vacancies –
· Deputy Treasurer – Katherine Heck has submitted her application for the position.
· Budget Advisory Committee – John Erdman, CEO at the B.C. Harris Center is interested.
Other Business:
Read Minutes from previous meeting - Review minutes of 3/29/07 & 4/3/07 Selectmen’s meetings and make any amendments, if necessary. Selectmen Kullgren read the 3/29/07 minutes out load. The minutes were edited and revised as noted. Selectmen Kullgren had a printed copy of the 4/3/07 minutes he had edited to give to Debra.
LGC – Review recommendations from the Local Government Center regarding town building concerns. The B.O.S. would like a written response from all departments on what they are doing about these items. What course of action is to be taken. Catherine will send a memo.
LGC – All three selectmen will be signed up to go to the LGC workshops on June 2nd & 9th.
Misc. Incoming Mail – Review
· Approved use of Meeting House parking lot for Girl Scout bus pick-up.
Muzzey Hill Road Escrow – Has the account been set up? Selectman Kullgren will ask the Treasurer tonight.
Review Budgets – No discussion.
Town Commitment to Recycle – All Town buildings need to have recycle bins. No discussion.
Purchase Orders (P.O.) – Selectwoman Day wants the tracking of all purchases. P.O.’s were discussed.
Selectman Kullgren asked Catherine her opinion. She explained that all the departments have P.O. books they can use. Only a few are used and it is usually the vendor that requests it. P.O.’s are good to make sure the vendor charges you the quoted price, but to track the budget they should do requisitions first. Then they are aware of their budget balance and the B.O.S. is giving permission before there is a purchase. P.O.’s have been discussed in previous minutes.
It would be good to talk to the department heads at a staff meeting. No decision was made.
Intent to Cut – Seigars R9-20 (this was not on the Agenda) 6:00 pm Town Forester, Karla Allen came in to address this Intent to Cut. Karla told the B.O.S. her job and how the process works. The cut on the Seigars property has a Cease and Desist Order placed on it. The logger started cutting before the Intent to Cut was approved by the B.O.S. It is not the property owner, but the logger at fault. She explained how she deals with the loggers and land owners. There was a problem with communication with the Town Office. They thought it was “all set.”
Selectwoman Day asked what would she suggest. Karl stated from this point forward there should be a one-week waiting period. She has a letter for us to give to the owners when the Intents are processed. The Town has 30 days to process an Intent to Cut.
Selectman Adams asked who pays the fine, the land owner? It was acknowledged by Karla yes, the land owner. If they followed the rules we wouldn’t have this problem. It is usually signed the next week.
Selectwoman Day likes the letter, but it should be made clear that if something happens, the owner is liable for the fines. Usually the land owner doesn’t see it. The logger should be told as well.
Selectman Adams said “we all know its hard to find honest loggers.” Loggers are just like lawyers.
A little article in the Spirit would be good. Is there any way to punish the logger?
Karla said the only thing you can do is wait to sign it. The roads are posted, but they did seek permission. The Board signed the Intent. And it was given to Kathy Seigars.
American Steel abatement appeal - Selectmen Kullgren reported to the B.O.S. that he was at the American Steel abatement appeal court case today and it was moved until June 28, 2007. The judge wanted a better understanding as to what a statistical update is.
Hazardous-Mitigation Plan meeting – Selectwoman Day reported to the B.O.S. what was discussed today at the meeting. Critical facilities were addressed and will be digitized on our map by Southwest Regional Planning Commission (SWRPC). Different types of facilities and resources were noted. The meeting will be here once a month, on the second Tuesday for the next 6 months. We will have maps and a written plan to know what to do if there is a disaster. It was a good meeting and is a great thing for the Town.
Evaluations – Selectmen Kullgren requested that the former chairman be contacted, to get the B.O.S.’s completed evaluations that the Board comprised. He has the individual ones. He wants them to be put in the personnel files.
Who is our Selectmen’s Advisory Committee contact? Someone needs to find out.
The Board members will be in on Thursday morning between 8:30 and 9:30 to sign checks, approve accounts payable invoices and sign any correspondence.
With no further business Selectmen adjourned the meeting at 9:47 pm. The next scheduled meeting is Tuesday, April 17, 2007 at 6:00 pm.
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