Town of Greenfield
Selectmen’s Meeting Minutes
Thursday – April 22, 2010 – 6:00 pm
Present: Chairman, Jarvis Adams, IV; Selectwoman, Karen Day; Selectman, Aaron Kullgren
Minutes: Patricia La Pree
Call to order: Chairman Adams called the meeting to order at 6:00PM.
Appointments:
6:10 – Peter Hopkins, EMD & Loren White, and Fire Chief – EMD Appointment: Motion to appoint John Gryval III as Emergency Management Director and Peter Hopkins the Deputy Director was made by Chairman Adams and seconded by Selectwoman Day. The Board voted unanimously in the affirmative. Mr. Gryval’s appointment will be signed by the Board of Selectmen. Mr. Hopkins also provided the Board with a format for an Emergency Management Plan and an outline of the duties of the Emergency Management Director. Mr. Hopkins will complete the draft and bring it before the Board for approval. Chairman Adams will review it as well. Currently there are memos of understanding on file with the State that cover the town in case of an emergency, and the document that Mr. Hopkins will bring to the board will replace those
memos.
6:15 – Gil Morris, Chairman Planning Board. – 2010 CIP: Mr. Morris reports that the 2010 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) has been finalized. He noted that it is absent of new information about the Department of Public Works (DPW) due to personnel changes in the department in the last year. The information in this year’s document is the same as last year’s for the DPW. Mr. Morris also referred the Select Board to four recommendations: the sequence of vehicle purchases, revisiting DPW priorities, long term needs for the Town buildings, and future needs of the Recreation Department. Mr. Morris recommends that a committee be formed to identify the long term goals for town buildings, and selectman Kullgren volunteered to be on that committee. Selectman Kullgren sits on the Select Board Advisory committee, which is
a regional committee, and states that he hopes that in the future, area towns will collectively share information about their CIP, as has been recommended by that committee. John Halper was also present. He told the Board that the format of this CIP is from the 2009 CIP.
6:30 - Kevin McDonald, Super DPW: Chairman Adams asked Mr. McDonald for an update on East Road. Mr. McDonald reported that he has checked out the resident’s driveway and observed it during a rain storm. He said that the water hits the road surface, follows the street and goes down Mr. Mullins’ driveway. Mr. McDonald thinks there may have been a berm at the driveway that kept this from being problematic, and that berm is no longer high enough, due to frost heaves, to divert the water. Mr. Mullins told Mr. McDonald that former DPW director Fox had removed a catch basin sometime in the past, but Mr. McDonald has not been able to verify that information. Mr. McDonald has spoken to Mr. Mullins and told him that any driveway with a pitch such as his has will have water running into it. The Board agreed that the Town cannot correct the
problem.
Old Lyndeborough Mountain Road: The select board asked for an update on a resident’s concerns about their fire pond on Old Lyndeborough Mountain Road. Mr. McDonald said that the inlet to the pond has a PVC pipe that fills with sand when the water level in the pond gets to a certain level. The Highway department put rip rap there last fall, but it was washed away when the culvert was breeched after a storm last fall. Selectman Kullgren said a dredge and fill permit will be needed to fix the culvert. Mr. McDonald will notify the Department of Environmental Services (DES) and get the needed permits. The owner told Mr. McDonald that they feel the bridge was not properly set when it was put in eighteen years ago .Selectwoman Day asked if there might be another type of bridge that would fix the problem; Mr. McDonald said he doesn’t
think so, due to the lay of the land. The town will need a legal document to address the owner’s concerns. Administrative Assistant Davidson will contact town council to obtain the letter.
Gould Hill: Residents of Gould Hill, Ed Anderson and Greg Austin, expressed concerns about another resident of Gould Hill clear cutting on property that has impacted the flow of water down Gould Hill, destabilizing boulders and not leaving an appropriate basal area between the house and the road. Questions were addresses to Mr. McDonald about how to manage the water flow at the bottom of the hill, and his plans are to enlarge the drainage ditch and replace current drains with hillside drains. Selectman Adams and Kullgren will go to the area on April 24 to observe the concerns expressed by Mr. Anderson and Mr. Austin. Selectman Kullgren will contact town council and town forester for consultation. Selectman Adams noted that the town forester will follow up with the State if it’s appropriate to do so.
Retro-reflectivity of Road Signs: Mr. McDonald also reported that in 2012, there will be a retro reflectivity law going into effect, that will require all road signs to be upgraded.
Gates at Highway Department/Recycle Center: He will have the gates up next week.
Oak Park: The select board requests that the slide be removed form Oak Park, and other ideas were discussed about some other improvements there.
Part –time employee: Mr. McDonald reported that he has a potential part time employee he is interested in hiring and is waiting for a package of the individual’s credentials to move forward. He also asked the board for some direction regarding how the department’s employees take lunch. Chairman Adams and the board will discuss this further and get back to him.
Purchase Order: Mr. McDonald requested a purchase order for fourteen hundred dollars to get a laser shooter to use in the laying of culvert pipe. Chairman Adams requested that Mr. McDonald try a theotilite has and see if it will work. Mr. McDonald said he will take the theotilite to the Manufacturer when he is in Concord and fid out if it will do what the laser will do. The Purchase order was signed by one of the select board, with the other signatures pending information about the viability of the theotilite.
Clifford Russell – Requests regarding appointments for Lenny Weeks and Vincent Anfuso as fire wardens .These were accepted. An application for Al Burt to be appointed deputy fire warden will be forth coming.
Class VI Roads: Mr. Russell also inquired about obtaining a grant to fix up class six roads in town. Selectman Kullgren asked if the work would be considered maintenance of those roads, and Mr. Russell clarified that it would only be for recreational purposes. Chairman Adams said that the Greenfield Trails Association usually does this, and Mr. Russell said that he will work with them on this project.
Approval of Minutes:
April 8, 2010 Selectmen’s Meeting Minutes: will be reviewed by the Select Board at their next meeting on May 6, 2010.
Sign Documents:
Selectmen signed the following documents:
A/P checks
A/P invoices
Abatement R4-74 – Was ”Unknown” property, now p/o R4-67.
Primex – Membership Agreement – Chairman Adams signed.
Intent to Cut Wood or Timber – R4-27-2 & R9-28
Excavation Tax Warrant – R1-1-3-GRVL
Old Business:
Abatement – Plowshare – R9-72-2 (see Avitar letter): Avitar letter recommends that the select board go look at Ploughshare Farm to verify it is being used for its stated non-profit purposes. Selectwoman Day said Ploughshare should come in a discuss the payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) and abatement .Chairman Adams will contact Ploughshare Farms and ask them to meet with the board at their meeting on May 6, 2010. The board will review the history of Ploughshare PILOT payments.
Painting-New laws went into effect on April 22, 2010 that will most likely impact the cost of painting the town buildings. A new request for proposal will be needed. The board will follow up with this at the next meeting.
Perambulation – Reminder – Saturday, April 24, 2010 at 7:00 AM in Lyndeborough. Future perambulations will have all of the board in attendance. Selectman Kullgren and Chairman Adams will attend this one.
Zumba Classes: Zumba exercise classes will begin on June first. It has been requested by the instructor that residents of other towns be allowed to attend. Selectman Kullgren would like preference given to Greenfield residents first. Selectwoman Day will follow up with the instructor.
New business:
Misc. mail review
Town Seal – look into who created it, BOS approved. Town Seal – Selectwoman Day wanted to discuss this further. There is a question about using the town seal and who designed it. Selectman Kullgren will contact Local Government Center about whether the Town owns the seal and Administrative Assistant Davidson will find out who designed it.
Energy Audit of Fire Station: Question whether a free energy audit done by Public Service would reduce energy consumption there. Administrative Assistant Davidson will follow up with this, and with the Dublin Town Administrator about joining an energy cooperative with area town to purchase electricity and fuel in a less expensive way.
Carbee’s Corner/Long Block: Follow up on the status of the completed paperwork for the quiet title in the court will be done by Administrative Assistant Davidson.
Non-Public Decision: On April 13, 2010 at six PM, the select board met in non public session and the decision was made to put the Administrative Assistant on administrative suspension for two weeks, effective April 19, 2010.
Personnel matters: Discussion followed about the need of the board to take a look at employee evaluations, personnel policies, structure of different departments and policy reviews. Selectman Kullgren will contact the Local Government Center about these things.
Adjournment: Motion to adjourn was made at 9:00 PM by Selectman Kullgren, seconded by Chairman Adams. Next meeting is May 6 at 6:00 PM.
| 
