Minutes
Town of Greenfield
Greenfield Town Offices, 7 Sawmill Road Greenfield, NH
Selectmen’s Meeting Minutes
Thursday, July 12, 2012 – 4:30 pm
Board of Selectmen: Chairman Robert Wimpory; Selectwoman Karen Day; Selectwoman Debra Davidson
Staff: Town Administrator Patt
Public:
The meeting was called to order at 4:30 PM by Chairman Wimpory.
Documents for Approval/Review/Signature
The Selectmen reviewed and signed the following items:
§ A/P Check Manifest
§ A/P Checks
§ A/P Invoices
§ Cruiser Bid – 5PM opening
§ Boutin Current Use application
§ Town Road inventory sheet
§ Uplift Music Festival – Oak Park rental agreement
§ Timber Tax Warrants
§ Welfare Lien
§ Minutes
§ Transfer Station Ordinance
§ Lifeguard new hire
§ Primex Workers Comp. 2012 premium holiday letter
4:30 PM: Review of Documents and Correspondence
At 4:30 the Board began reviewing documents and correspondence. The accounts payable checks and vouchers were signed. The Boutin current use application was approved, Oak Park rental agreement signed, Timber Tax warrants signed, Review of new lifeguard hire, Welfare Lien was signed.
4:45 PM: Non-Public minutes
The Board voted to enter into a non-public session under RSA 91-A: 3 II b, the hiring of any person as a public employee. The Chairman made a motion to enter non-public session. Selectwoman Davidson seconded the motion. On a roll call vote, each member in the affirmative, the Board entered non-public session.
On a vote of 3-0 the Board of Selectmen exited the non-public session. It was noted that the Board had extended an offer of employment for the Department of Public Works Highway Equipment Operator position.
5:00 PM: Open Police Cruiser Sealed Bids
The Board received two sealed bids. One from Chicago Motors Inc. and one from Grace Quality Used Cars. Chicago Motors bid $1007 each for the 2003 and the 2005 cruisers. GQUC bid $451 for the 2003 and $651 for the 2005. The Board voted to accept the bid from Chicago Motors. Chairman Wimpory made a motion to accept the bid from Chicago Motors for $2014.00, Selectwoman Day seconded and the vote passed unanimously 3-0.
5:05 PM: Diane Boilard – Transfer Station Ordinance Revision
Senator Ken Hawkins called before the meeting started to cancel his appointment. Therefore it was asked if a scheduled meeting could be moved to take advantage of the opening. Diane Boilard agreed to bring her meeting forward to the 5:05 time slot.
At 5:05 Ms. Boilard provided the Board of Selectmen with a revised and updated Recycling Center Ordinance document. The revisions were partly in response to the suggestions by the Selectmen during a previous meeting and also from the Committee’s follow on work. The revisions were discussed and the Board determined that additional review by the Selectmen was in order before a vote could be held. Each of the Board members were supplied a copy of the ordinance for review.
At the conclusion of the discussion of the transfer station ordinance Ms. Boilard stated that she had two additional issues to bring to the Board. The first issue being the roadway to the transfer station, which she described as built with stones that kick up under her car when she drives up the road. The second was a question with respect to Icehouse Lane; the heavy rain earlier this year has caused runoff from Zephyr Lake road. Could the town help with the regarding of Icehouse Lane since it’s the runoff that is causing problems with the result that the road needs regarding.
6:00 PM: Al Burtt – Follow up on Town Lease of Old Office Building
Mr. Burtt came before the Board of Selectmen and outlined his questions regarding the Board’s progress on review of the lease between the Town and Crotched Mountain Rehab Center for the Old Town Office building. The Board and Mr. Burtt discussed the improvements that CMRC has installed at the Old Town Office building, the number of years before the rental payments will resume as revenue to the Town, and the over-improvement of the building by CMRC. The meeting concluded that the Board of Selectmen would have to proceed cautiously should CMRC wish to improve the building any further.
6:45 PM: Donna Smith and Counsel
At 6:45 Attorney Jason Czekalski approached the Board of Selectmen to discuss a letter that had been sent by Code Enforcement Officer (CEO) Peter Hopkins to Donna and Tod Smith regarding possible activities on the Smith’s property that may be outside the scope of allowed activities within the General Residential District of the Zoning Ordinance. Attorney Czekalski outlined his concern with the letter, which he indicated was too vague and caused his client’s anxiety because it appeared threatening to his clients (in the manner of overreaching government actions that people in Russia and Poland encounter). He described his clients as being of modest means and therefore paying rates that he charges ‘the indigent’. Attorney Czekalski went on to list the three items that were before the Board in the
meeting:
1. The private “road” that was a right of way discontinued by vote of Town Meeting
2. The possible zoning violations outlined in the CEO’s letter
3. The building permit, outlined as a barn, is a garage.
Attorney Czekalski said that minutes from the Planning Board show that the Smith property issues were discussed without the Smiths present, creating an impression that the town is going behind their back. He requested that future conversations be put on the Planning Board agenda.
The Chair indicated that the letter from the Code Enforcement Officer was not threatening at all. It was in fact benign, almost cordial, and that in substance it was a simple request for a meeting to determine if the Smith’s activities on their property, which have grown in scope over the years, were in any way a potential violation of the Zoning Ordinance – strictly so the parties could work toward a resolution if that were in fact the case. There was a discussion of the activities on the site and the Chair indicated that it was common knowledge that there is a museum on the site, as its advertised on the side of the vehicle that the Smiths drive around town. Attorney Czekalski suggested that the Ironton Museum is a hobby of the Smiths. Further conversation outlined that the museum has been on TV, been a
destination for school trips, and has had publicity on the Internet. CEO Hopkins asked if there has been any activity with the building under construction, in the last 180 days. Mrs. Smith indicated that nothing had been done with the building for nearly a year. Discussion returned to the issues brought before the Board. Attorney Czekalski and the Chairman agreed that both sides would like to have better communication. The Chair asked Attorney Czekalski if it were possible that the Smiths could work with the Town without the aid of Town Counsel. It was determined that Town Counsel would reach out to Attorney Czekalski for next steps.
7:12 PM: Meridian Invoice
The Board of Selectmen voted on a motion by Chairman Wimpory, and seconded by Selectwoman Day, that the Meridian invoice for the design and layout of the proposed DPW site on Forest Road shall be paid from the DPW budget. The vote being unanimous 3-0.
7:32 PM: Adjournment
There being no further business, Selectman Wimpory moved to adjourn the meeting. Selectwoman Davidson seconded. The motion carried 3-0.
The meeting adjourned at 7:32 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 in the Selectmen’s minutes.
_______________________ _______________________ ______________________
Robert Wimpory, Chairman Karen Day, Selectwoman Debra Davidson, Selectwoman
| 
