Minutes
Town of Greenfield
Greenfield Town Offices, 7 Sawmill Road Greenfield, NH
Selectboard’s Minutes
Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016 – 5:30 PM
Selectboard: Chairwoman Margaret A. Charig Bliss, Selectman Stephen Atherton Jr., Selectman Robert Marshall
Staff: Aaron Patt, Town Administrator;
Public: Abby Kessler, Ledger Transcript Reporter, Linnea Stevenson
5:30 p.m. The meeting was opened by Chairwoman Charig Bliss.
Documents for Review/Approval
- A/P Check Register
- Wastewater Check Register
- Selectboard Minutes
- Meeting House Rentals - (5)
- Deeds – R6-30-5, R3-46, R4-64, R3-47, R4-23-2
- Abatement for Waste Water bill – V3-10
- 2016 Equalization Municipal Assessment Data Certificate
- Employee Vacation Requests(2)
5:30 PM: Public Forum
At 5:45 Linnea Stevenson attended the Public Forum. Mrs. Stevenson asked the Board to receive a letter regarding the fire department. The Board received the letter and took a few minutes to review. The letter shared some concerns about the Fire Department budget, which Mrs. Stevenson said may be of interest during the 2017 budget season. The Chair asked if Mrs. Stevenson expected a response. Mrs. Stevenson said she was not expecting a response; the letter was more to share her concerns and was not a request for information.
5:45 PM: Selectboard Work Session
At 5:50 pm the Selectboard Chair reviewed the Consent Agenda. The Board signed 5 deeds that stemmed from the public auction on October 1st. The Board reviewed the AP check register and noted a letter from the Welfare Director. The Chair asked that the Welfare Director clarify a letter regarding a welfare case. Substantiating documentation was provided to outline a correction on a voucher. The Board signed the 2016 Equalization Municipal Assessment Data Certificate. The Board voted to accept the Consent Agenda as presented. It was noted that the Selectboard minutes were ready at the time of the meeting. The Consent Agenda items were completed at 6:08 pm.
The Board took a up a discussion on the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regarding changes to the Federal Department of Labor (DOL) laws, which will go into effect on December 1st, 2016. The changes to the law mandate that salaries for exempt workers meet a new threshold of $913.00 per week, compared to the earlier threshold of $433.00 a week. This equates to a salary change from a minimum salary of $22,516 to $47,456. Greenfield has two positions that are salaried exempt positions that do not meet the new minimum threshold; the Library Director and the DPW Buildings & Grounds Manager position. The Library Trustees have already voted to extend a salary to the Library Director in accordance with the new DOL law, which will go into effect on Dec. 1. The Selectboard discussed the DPW Buildings and Grounds
Manager position. It was noted that the current manager was hired mid-year at a salary greater than the current annual budget line. As a result, the 2017 line item for this DPW position will be noticeably greater than the current year’s line item. The Board reviewed calculations for the 2017 budget based on the current hourly rate equivalent. There was a discussion regarding the work to date and the potential need for a wage adjustment. It was noted that if the position were not considered salaried then the town would have to include an Overtime line item in the budget. The Board noted that the Buildings & Grounds Manager was averaging approximately 43 hours a week in 2016 to date, according to Mr. McQuade in his recent 90-day review. Mr. Mcquade indicated in a recent presentation to the Town Administrator that the position would average 45 hours a week for 2017 when taking into consideration winter snow events and busy summer event weeks. At the end of the discussion the
Board found that the position’s wage being very close to the new threshold, the addition of overtime was potentially more expensive to the town than a change to the newly established FLSA salaried rate. The Board agreed that the DPW Buildings & Grounds Manager position should be compensated at the FLSA rate starting on December 1st per the Federal Department of Labor Law.
The Chair took up a discussion regarding the Town of Greenfield Personnel Policy Employee Handbook vacation policy. There was a discussion about the current policy, with notes provided by the Administrator outlining several problems that were associated with a straight accrual method for vacation hours. According to NHMA legal counsel, Vacation is not a mandatory benefit according to Federal or State law so the policies around vacation benefits are at the discretion of the employer. At the conclusion of the discussion, Selectman Marshall stated that he would prefer that the Board make some changes based on the discussion and have the changes brought to the Selectboard at their next meeting. The Selectboard reached a consensus on the following items:
- Continue to use accrual for accounting purposes
- Provide Vacation availability according to the policy’s step on January 1.
- Amend the language of the current policy so that if an employee is terminated for cause no vacation time will be provided.
- Provide a cap on payments for any outstanding vacation time at separation or retirement equal to the maximum annual accrual rate – not counting rolled over hours. A requirement of a minimum notice equal to the annual accrual rate for vacation is required for this payment.
- Create a form that outlines that if vacation is taken beyond the amount accrued at the time of the use, the town will be compensated at separation or termination from any final paycheck owed to the employee.
The Board then reviewed two property cards recently taken by tax deed by the Tax Collector. These are R6-23-5 and R7-04. On a motion by the Chair and a second by Selectman Marshall, the Selectboard voted 3-0 in favor of selling the properties at the earliest allowed by law, in a manner that is commercially reasonable per Town Counsel.
Lastly, the Board reviewed several documents dropped off by the Sportsmen’s Club pertaining to the club and its interest in improving the Class VI road access to the Savage Road property.
Adjournment
The time being 9:40 pm the Chair moved to adjourn. Selectman Marshall seconded. All were in favor, and the motion carried 3-0.
The meeting adjourned at 9:40 PM.
The minutes are final when approved and signed by the Selectboard. A signed copy is on file in the Selectboard’s office.
_________________ _______________________ _______________________
Chair, Margaret Charig Bliss, Selectman, Stephen Atherton Jr. Selectman, Robert Marshall
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