Minutes
Town of Greenfield
Greenfield Town Offices, 7 Sawmill Road Greenfield, NH
Selectboard’s Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, June 18, 2014 – 4:30 PM
Selectboard: Chair Debra Davidson, Selectwoman Karen Day, Selectwoman Margaret Charig Bliss
Staff: Administrator Patt,
Public: George Rainier
The meeting was called to order at 4:30 PM by Chairwoman Davidson. Selectwoman Charig Bliss joined the meeting at 4:40 PM.
Documents for Approval/Review/Signature
The Selectboard reviewed and/or signed the following items:
§ A/P Invoices
§ A/P Checks
§ Payroll
§ Vacation Request - Police
§ Vacation Request – DPW
§ Hawkers & Peddler’s License
§ Meeting House Rental – Fire Rescue Training.
§ Oak Park Rental – Boy Scout Barbecue
§ Meeting House Rental – Wedding Reception
§ Oak Park Rental – Wedding Ceremony
§ Intent to Cut – R1-24
§ Supplemental Warrant – R9-67
§ NHMA Municipal Memorandum
§ Primex review of Facilities Rental Agreements
§ Minutes of 6/11
§ Riverside Café – Request for outdoor seating
Chair Debra Davidson opened the meeting at 4:32pm.
4:30 PM: DPW Supervisor, Tim Murray
The Board welcomed Tim Murray, DPW Supervisor to the meeting. Murray presented the Selectboard with a drawing by Sheldon Pennoyer, architect and resident of Greenfield, showing a plan to redo the Meeting House steps and handicap access. The Board reviewed the drawing and asked questions about the layout. Murray indicated that the steps in the drawing provided a much larger platform outside the two entrance doors. The platform could allow wedding rentals to have pictures taken at the entrance. The Board discussed the historic nature of the site, asked questions about the materials contemplated in the drawing, and expressed their appreciation for the Supervisor’s initiative.
Following the discussion of the Meeting House steps, a discussion was held about Francestown Road and Dodge Road. A resident of Francestown Road visited the Town Office on May 27th and again earlier in the day on June 18th. The resident brought samples of stones 3”+ in size, from Francestown Road and complained that DPW was using stones that were too large for mud control and then leaving them on the surface of the road. Murray indicated that the stone used to control mud during mud season were 1 ½” stone. The rock samples received from the resident were native rocks that rise to the surface due to freezing and thawing. The Board and DPW Supervisor Murray discussed the practice by DPW where stones on the surface were graded back into the road to form the structure of the road and
give it strength. Selectwoman Day said that in the past, after winter, DPW would rake the stones on the roads; the rake was used in such a way as to rake the stones to the side of the road. Supervisory Murray said that this practice has been discontinued because it fills up the ditches and causes drainage problems on the roads. Poor drainage contributes to mud formation in spring, and erosion. The current practice keeps the stone product from clogging up the drainage ditches. He further stated that there is no set schedule for grading roads; DPW grades the roads when there is sufficient reason. He said that there are small potholes that occur from time to time in stretches of road, but to grade the entire road to address these small problems is not a good use of resources. He also stated that the gravel roads are now very hard after several applications of calcium chloride. The Selectboard did not request that DPW make any changes to the current practice.
The Administrator then noted that a resident from Dodge Road had requested that DPW grade Dodge Road, which she said had not been done for some time. The Dodge Road resident had said that Francestown Road (used to access Dodge) was in good shape compared to Dodge Road. The Selectboard noted the request and asked the DPW Supervisor to look into it.
The Administrator outlined the request by a resident for information from the Town Office. The Board instructed the Administrator to send a letter to the resident and request that the information request be put in writing.
At 5:10pm the Chair moved to enter into a non-public meeting for the purpose of discussing personnel issues under RSA 91-A: II a, personnel. Selectwoman Karen Day seconded the motion. On a roll call vote the Selectboard voted Chairwoman Davidson, Aye; Selectwoman Day, Aye; Selectwoman Charig Bliss, Aye. At 5:30pm the Selectboard voted to exit non-public session on a vote of 3-0. The Board noted that no decisions had been made and no votes taken in the non-public meeting. The Board voted 3-0 to seal the minutes.
5:30 PM: Review/Approval of Documents
The Board signed Payroll, AP invoices, AP checks, Meeting House rental agreements and two Oak Park rental agreements. The Board signed the minutes from June 11th. The Board signed an Intent to Cut. The Selectboard signed the vacation request forms for the Police Chief and the DPW Supervisor.
The Selectboard reviewed a Hawkers and Peddlers license application – with updated information. It was noted that Selectboard Chair Davidson had received complaints about the applicant because he had been soliciting door to door in Greenfield prior to receiving the local license. The Board voted 3-0 to deny the license to the applicant due to the complaints and his having started soliciting door to door without a license from the Town of Greenfield.
At 5:45 George Rainier visited the meeting. He asked the Selectboard if the clock tower was ready for access so that he could wind the clock. The Chair indicated that Mike Borden had just finished the new stairs to the clock tower and there is now safe access to the clock. The Board appointed George Rainier the Official Clock Winder of the Town of Greenfield. The appointment form was signed and forwarded to the Town Clerk for swearing in.
The Administrator then brought the Selectboard up to speed on the lifeguards for 2014. The older lifeguards had aged out of the program and had recently confirmed that they were not returning. There are three new lifeguards that have applied and passed their background checks, but none with Water Safety Instructor certification, which is required to teach swim lessons. Swim lessons are on hold until W.S.I swim lesson teachers are hired.
Next the Selectmen reviewed a letter from the Riverside Café, asking for the ability to expand their seating to the outdoor patio. The Selectmen reviewed the letter and the current waste water project seating plan and indicated that Riverside Café is allowed up to 60 seats in the restaurant. The applicant shall be advised not to exceed 60 seats for both indoor and outdoor use.
The Selectboard asked the Administrator to follow up with the DPW Supervisor on two questions; on Old Bennington Road – determine if a sign is needed for the low shoulder on the right prior to the Cavender Road turn. The second was to see if it were possible to move the road over, closer to Cavender Road, to provide better visibility on the corner across from the Cavender Road turn.
The Administrator noted that an item regarding the old fire truck was missed in the earlier conversation with DPW Supervisor Murray. DPW has indicated that it has no use for the truck and asks the Selectboard to determine how to dispose of the vehicle. The Board asked if the truck were operable and if not how much value does the vehicle have in its current state.
The Selectboard noted that the Greenfield Congregational Covenant Church (GCCC) is meeting with the Zoning Board at 8pm. On a motion by the Chair and a second by Selectwoman Charig Bliss, the Board voted to send a letter to the Zoning Board of Appeals noting that the Selectboard does not have any objections to the variance request, as long as nothing the church does affects Town property. This letter was typed up by the Administrator and approved by the Board. The Selectboard signed the letter and instructed the Administrator to forward the letter to the ZBA for their meeting later that night.
The Board voted on a motion by the Chair and a second by Selectwoman Day to have the Selectboard’s Review of the Road’s Commission report mailed to each of the members of the Roads Commission.
Adjournment
On a motion by the Chair, and a second by Selectwoman Charig Bliss, the Board voted to adjourn. The motion carried 3-0. The meeting adjourned at 8:30 PM.
The minutes are final when approved and signed by the Selectboard. A signed copy is on file in the Selectboard’s office.
______________________ _____________________ _____________________
Debra Davidson, Chairwoman Karen Day, Selectwoman Margaret Charig Bliss, Selectwoman
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