Minutes
Town of Greenfield
Greenfield Town Offices, 7 Sawmill Road Greenfield, NH
Selectmen’s Meeting Minutes
Thursday, December 08, 2011 – 6:30 pm
Board of Selectmen: Chairman, Aaron Kullgren; Selectwoman, Karen Day; Selectman, Robert Wimpory
Staff: Town Administrator Patt, Planning Board Chairman Marshall, Mary Ann Grant
Public: Jeremy Gagnon
The meeting was called to order at 6:30 PM by Chairman Aaron Kullgren.
Documents for Approval/Signature
The Selectmen reviewed and signed the following items:
A/P Invoices / Checks
A/P Check Manifest
Payroll Manifest
Approval of Selectman’s Minutes of December 1, 2011
Employee Vacation Approval
Intent to Cut R5-20
FSA Group Questionnaire – LGC update
2nd Request Current Use Map R7-21-2
Re-Adoption of Investment Policy
Transfer of Funds to General Fund from Recreation Revolving Account
Transfer of Funds to General Fund from Oak Park Fund
6:30 PM: 30 Minute Document Signing and Review of Correspondence
The Board of Selectmen reviewed correspondence and signed documents.
Grounds and Gardening Budget:
Mary Ann Grant presented an overview of the Town’s gardening budget. Some time ago the budget was reduced by Mary Ann from $3500 a year to $150 a year, with Mary Ann donating her time and most of the flowers. She travels to four different nurseries for supplies, including one in Henniker. She also does the watering of flowers at the welcome signs at each end of town. She has been donating her time and funding for the Town’s gardens for the past couple of years (it may be as many as three years – she wasn’t sure of when she started exactly) and noted that the Town has a lot of gardens. This year she has come before the Selectmen to request some additional funding in order to offset some of the costs she incurs and to expand the purchase of flowers and shrubs. Mary Ann loves gardening
and has done the work long enough to know what is required. This past year 4 hanging plants were stolen within a couple of days of being hung. Last year two hanging plants were stolen. Mary Ann outlined a need to add $225 for hanging plants, and another $125 for shrubs, bringing the total budget to $500. The Selectmen inquired as to the costs of the shrubs. The answer was that the cost ranges from $35 -$125 dollars. The Board deliberated and suggested that her proposed budget was not enough to accomplish the purchase of shrubs she presented. Selectmen Wimpory made a motion to increase the budget to $600. Selectwoman Day seconded. The motion was discussed and voted 3-0. It was unanimously decided to set the Gardening budget at $600.
Mr. Jeremy Gagnon of Gagnon Grounds-keeping Services explained to the Selectmen that there are enough perennials already in place that the town could use them to save money by propagating and dividing them. With respect to perennials around town, the expenses for those would come from Mary Ann’s budget. The Board thanked Mr. Gagnon for coming to the meeting and indicated that they were ready to revisit the conversation about the grounds-keeping bid that Mr. Gagnon submitted some months ago. There was some discussion about the proposal and also whether Mr. Gagnon had the resources to cover some snow removal around town buildings if necessary during the winter. It was agreed that the winter snow shoveling and removal discussion would be separate from the grounds-keeping proposal. Selectwoman Day made a
motion to accept the proposal provided by Gagnon for the grounds keeping on Town properties. Wimpory seconded. On a roll call vote by the Chairman the vote was unanimous to accept the proposal. Mr. Gagnon thanked the Board for their continued interest and said he would provide a snow plowing and shoveling estimate in the near future.
Planning Board - Master Plan Schedule:
Bob Marshall opened the discussion with some remarks about his interest in convening an annual meeting between the Selectmen and the Planning Board to discuss the Master Plan including what has happened in the past year and what the goals are for the current year. Mr. Marshall suggested that this meeting could be held after town meeting has been held “and the dust settles” …and that late March may be an ideal time. The Selectmen thought this approach was a good idea. Chairman Kullgren said that this sounded like a steering meeting. Mr. Marshall reported to the Board “much has been accomplished” in the past 10 years. He feels that the Master Plan provides a broad framework for community goals and prompts discussions about what residents are willing to commit to and support in
their community. Going forward he feels that it is important to reach out to young people and elderly residents as these are two groups that he wants to touch base with in order to ensure the Master Plan has input from residents across a spectrum of age groups and reflects everyone’s ideas and interests.
Mr. Marshall indicated that the Master Plan as a living document has been addressed by recent legislative activity. He indicated that he believes that the plan must be updated every five years now, as opposed to every ten years previously required. Mr. Marshall said that new requirements have been added and, as a result, the Town of Greenfield’s plan is no longer in compliance with the Master Plan requirements set forth by the State. The plan needs to be updated to include a Vision section. As a result of this he has been actively talking to Southwest Regional Planning Commission and has a proposal from them to provide an update of the plan and to provide a Vision Section and a Land Use section, which dovetails with some of the recent issues that have occurred in town. The cost of the proposal is
$5800 and Mr. Marshall indicated that there is approximately $6700 dollars left in the Legal/Consulting line item of the Planning Board budget. Mr. Marshall asked the Board for approval to expend the $5800 dollars to bring the Master Plan into compliance by contracting with Southwest for the two section updates. A discussion about the sections of the plan was held. Selectwoman Day asked if the plan covered economic development. Mr. Marshall indicated that Economic Development is a huge part of the Master Plan but that it has not been stressed to the degree needed in the Town of Greenfield. Day suggested that there could be a “vision day” to gather public input and further suggested that the use of visual references, maps and the like would help people make the most of the meeting. Further discussion about the goals and objectives in the Master Plan took place.
The Board deliberated on the request to contract with Southwest. The question was asked, “if Southwest did not complete the services prior to the end of the year”…could the town pay the balance of a contract in full using the 2011 funds, or did Southwest have to complete the services before a final billing could take place, which would mean they would invoice the town in 2012 and the balance of their contract would require 2012 funds. The Board asked the Administrator to contact LGC and ask this question. If the Town were able to contract with Southwest using 2011 funding that would be the preference of the Planning Board Chairman and the Board of Selectmen. If this were not possible then the Administrator was asked to provide an alternative at the next Board meeting on the
15th of December. Mr. Marshall thanked the Board for their time. Selectman Wimpory made a motion to contract with SWRPC for the Master Plan update in order to bring the plan into compliance and to update the plan with a Land use section and a Vision section, conditional on the ability to contract for the full amount of $5800 to be paid out of the Legal and Consulting line item in the Planning Board budget and to use funds from the 2011 budget to pay for the entirety of the Southwest Regional Planning Commission contract. Day seconded. A vote was held and the conditional motion was unanimously approved.
Non-Public Session – Personnel Compensation
Chairman Kullgren moved to adjourn the meeting to a non-public session under RSA 91-A:3II(a) to discuss personnel compensation for 2012. Wimpory seconded. The motion carried unanimously.
The regular meeting was adjourned to a non-public session at 8:52 PM. A non-public session was held. The meeting reopened at 10:35 PM. No decisions were made in the non-public meeting.
December Schedule:
There was a general discussion about the December meeting schedule. This included the dates for a holiday party. There are only two dates at the Meeting House available in December: the 16th, a Friday and Saturday the 17th. The Selectmen compared calendars and wondered if the party could be postponed until January. Alternately they could ask people to join them on the 15th after a brief Selectmen’s meeting and host the holiday party at the Town Office building. The Selectmen thought it might be short notice but asked if employees could be consulted and this finalized early in week of the 16th.
Adjournment
Kullgren moved to adjourn the meeting. Wimpory seconded. The motion carried unanimously.
The meeting adjourned at 10:50 PM
Respectfully Submitted:
Aaron Patt
Town Administrator
The minutes are final when approved and signed by the Board of Selectmen. A signed copy is on file at the Town Offices.
________________________ ________________________ ______________________
Aaron Kullgren, Chairman Robert Wimpory, Selectman Karen Day, Selectwoman
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