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Selectmen’s Board Meeting
November 23, 2015
Present: John Allen, Chairman; Bob Thompson and Bill Lockard, Selectmen
Visitors: Town Office Administrator Julie Atwell, Police Chief Doug Jette, Fire Chief/Road Agent Jay Henry, Bea Davis, Stan Weiss, Michelle Sanborn, Peter Benson
Chairman John Allen called the meeting to order at 4:39 p.m.
- Selectmen’s Meeting – November 12, 2015 The minutes were tabled to the November 23rd meeting.
- Non-Public – November 20, 2015 – sign minutes envelope RSA 91-A:3, II(a) & RSA 91-A:3,II(e) Chairman Allen noted there will be a policy change regarding Non-Public minutes, based on town counsel input. When the minutes are sealed the vote is to be taken in Public Session about Non-Public votes. Selectman Thompson, seconded by Selectman Lockard, made a motion to seal the minutes from November 20, 2015 held in accordance with RSA 91-A:3, II(a) & RSA 91-A:3,II(e). The motion passed unanimously.
- Update on November 12, 2015 Action Items
- Lighting According to electrician Dick Bennett he can add more lights out in the parking lot/Library area. This will be further discussed at a future meeting.
- Upcoming Selectmen’s Meeting Dates The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday December 10th at 4:30 p.m. with Budget Hearing #1 to follow at 5:30, Monday December 21st at 4:30 p.m. with Budget Hearing #2 to follow at 5:30, Thursday January 14th and 28th at 4:30. The final Warrant Article Hearing will be held after February 2nd if anything comes up.
- Police Report Chief Jette noted things are going well; officers executed four arrest warrants last week; two were for the possession of illegal drugs and/or narcotics. He wants folks to know it’s out there and Jackson Police are jumping on it as soon as it’s seen. Andrew Koplin is doing very well; he turned his ankle last week but will be able to finish his training; his graduation is set for December 18th. Andrew will make a good addition to the team.
- New Hampshire Community Rights Network – Michelle Sanborn Michelle noted the NHCRN helps support local community self-government. They work with communities to educate them regarding legislature, worker rights and free elections. They also educate communities regarding resolution language to prevent projects that violate civil rights; worker rights and free elections. Decisions now are made by state agencies, not communities. Local laws need to be put in place to protect a community’s health, safety and welfare; those laws have to be put in place by the Selectmen. The Selectmen will be reviewing the information packet. Chairman Allen wondered if this proposed legislation would prevent eminent domain; Michelle noted the amendment doesn’t change or create law; if the Selectmen
pass a rights-based locally-based community law then the town can establish prohibitions. For example, Alexandria passed a law prohibiting land acquisition for the purpose of an industrial wind project. The Board will review the packet and put it on a future agenda.
- Public Comment There were no comments at this time.
- Building Inspector
- Weekly Report – Kevin Bennett Inspector Bennett isn’t in attendance; Chairman Allen reviewed the permits which have been approved.
- Building Permit 2015-70 Map V05 Lot 01 – (Owner – Garcia – 34 Whitney Hill Loop) – ZBA approved 8’ x 12’ deck
- Building Permit 2015-71 Map R08 Lot 09 – (Owner – Norton – 17UD Dana Place Road) – Repair/rebuild existing second floor decks
- Building Permit 2015-72 Map R18 Lot 12 – (Owner – Stamey – 10 Candy Cane Lane) – Extend permit
- Building Permit 2015-73 Map V10 Lot 01 – (Owner – Stamey – 10 Candy Cane Lane) – Change 3 windows – change lighting in living area
- Building Permit 2015-74 Map V02 Lot 10 – (Owner – Koeppel – 1 Carter Notch Road) – Install 2 car charging stations
- DRA – Municipal Assessment Data Certificate – Signatures Needed Selectman Lockard, seconded by Selectman Thompson, made a motion to sign the Equalization Municipal Data Certificate. The motion passed unanimously.
- Valley Vision – MOU This was returned to Valley Vision as it’s not the corrected version.
- Fire Department In an effort to address the Fire Chief position, Selectman Lockard noted the Board went back to look at the Fire and Highway Department budgets; fuel is a guesstimate but it’s reasonable to say Jackson will have lower gas prices and less maintenance on the truck as its getting a new one. It will cost approximately seven thousand dollars or two cents (per thousand) tax impact to establish the Fire Chief position. Bea asked what the salary is going to be; thirty-nine thousand thirty two thousand will be the salary. Bea wants to know what it is including employee benefits; seventy-seven thousand dollars is the grand total. Bea wants to know if the Board is going to put this on the town warrant; back in ’96 it was on the warrant and when Bartlett did it, they put it on their warrant. Selectman
Lockard is here tonight to propose to make the movement to a full time Fire Chief; the cost is within reason with a net of seven thousand dollars. Bea noted the Selectmen are creating a new position; he is paid by the hour now but this change will make him salaried. Selectman Lockard noted the change is splitting the old position into a new one; they made adjustments in other categories. Fire Inspector Goudreau will be working only per diem once a month. Bea would like to see it all written out; calls are down. Selectman Thompson noted the Selectmen did what they said they were going to do. They got a sense of what it is going to cost; someone at the Highway Department is leaving and the new hire will come in at a lower amount and there will be some savings realized with the new road agent as well plus one Highway person is going from full time to part time. With these adjustments the net increase is sixty five hundred dollars and
some odd cents. This is prudent; with the timing of someone leaving the Garage and Inspector Goudreau changing hours; the Board is fully supportive of it now. Bea is concerned the Board is not putting this on the warrant. Selectman Lockard would like to make the proposal to approve the position of Fire Chief and move ahead with that progression of that job. Selectman Thompson noted the voters will approve the budget or not at the town meeting in March. Chairman Allen would like to see this on the ballot; he wants town input. It is timely and six thousand is not a huge expense for going with a Fire Chief. Bea noted town meeting represents a small sample of the town. Chairman Allen noted this doesn’t have to be done today. The Board can work the numbers and get the new hires in and then the Board would have a better feel of the exact dollars and cents involved. Selectman Thompson noted this is going to be a transition; if
someone wants to reduce the budget by six thousand dollars then the Board will take that from there but in the meantime the Board has to come up with a plan of action to replace Inspector Goudreau’s input; the town can’t have a Department run like this; having one person filling two positions of importance is a matter of life safety. Selectman Lockard noted if people don’t want to do this then they can move to take the money away. The town has things to put together; there is a new structure. Selectman Lockard, seconded by Selectman Thompson, made a motion to proceed with the budget for the Fire Department by budgeting for a full time Fire Chief. The motion passed 2-0-1 (Allen abstains).
- Drainage issue/Conversation with Melissa Currier Selectman Thompson noted Ms Currier has had some issues with drainage and a wet basement. She feels it may be due to an issue caused when the town paved a couple years ago. The Town Engineer, the Road Agent and Selectman Thompson went up to look at the area; they have been monitoring it during weather events and can find no town responsibility for her having basement water. Selectman Thompson has invited her to come in and talk. The town has looked at it; he’d like to see a letter put together to her.
- Public Comment There were none at this time.
- Non-Public Session Selectman Thompson, seconded by Selectman Lockard, made a motion to go into Non-Public Session in accordance with RSA 91-A:3, II(c) at 5:13 p.m. The motion passed unanimously.
- RSA 91-A:3, II(c) Matters which, if discussed in public, would likely affect adversely the reputation of any person, other than a member of the public body itself, unless such person requests an open meeting. This exemption shall extend to any application for assistance or tax abatement or waiver of a fee, fine, or other levy, if based on inability to pay or poverty of the applicant.
The Board returned to Public Session at ****
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at ****
Respectfully submitted by:
Martha D. Tobin
Recording Secretary
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