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Selectmen’s Board Meeting
January 8, 2015
Present: Bob Thompson, Chairman; John Allen and Bill Lockard, Selectmen
Visitors: Town Office Administrator Julie Atwell, Police Chief Doug Jette, Treasurer Kathleen Dougherty, Bea Davis, Dean Davis, Stan Weiss, Jerry Dougherty
Chairman Bob Thompson called the meeting to order at 4:31 p.m.
- Selectmen’s Meeting – December 18, 2014 The minutes were approved with a correction to the spelling of Breanne’s name.
- Non-Public – date here – sign minutes envelope RSA 91-A:3, II(a) The envelope was signed.
- Update on 12.18.14 Action Items
- Building Inspector Review Selectman Lockard met with Inspector Bennett for a three month review; he’s getting ready to take his commercial test; he is comfortable he can be successful. Currently, Inspector Goudreau has been working with Inspector Bennett on Wednesdays and Thursdays. From now on Inspector Goudreau will go back to working Thursdays and Inspector Bennett will work Wednesday and Thursday; he’s doing fine.
- Parking lot at Doublehead There is nothing new on this.
- Key Policy for Prospect Farm Chairman Thompson noted the Policy was done and signed at the last meeting but since he’ll review for those who were not at that meeting. The Board looked at all the meeting minutes from that year and beyond that, the Board looked at the motion made at the June meeting regarding the sign prohibiting motor vehicle use. In July the Board had a discussion and decided to amend the sign so it said Jackson Residents Only. That is different than changing the use policy. The Selectmen didn’t feel like they could insert something into the Key Policy and interpret that as a land use policy. There is motor vehicle use going on there for non-recreational purposes and there is no reason to change that. Arthur had lobbied for getting up there to do work with a
motor vehicle; that use was never restricted and won’t be now.
- Snow Removal from Sidewalks The town does not have a contract; it has been paying a flat rate to a contractor since 2008 or 2009 to remove the snow from the sidewalks with his machine. The town doesn’t have one of those machines. The rate was thirty-seven-fifty and is now at forty-two-fifty and that’s the rate no matter how many storms. If the town contracted the work then it would pay more and could expect the contractor to get there quicker. The guy the town works with comes in, if not the next day, then no later than eighteen hours later. The work has been great so far this season; the sidewalks have been clean. The town went around and put sand down. Stan Weiss wants to know if the contractor doesn’t come within eighteen hours if the town calls him. Chairman
Thompson noted this hasn’t been an issue in the past but the Office staff know the contractor and keep in touch with him.
- Selectmen’s Meeting Dates The Selectmen’s Meeting dates will be January 22nd and February 5th and 19th beginning at 4:30. The first Budget Hearing will be January 22nd at 6 p.m. and the second Budget Hearing will be February 5th at 6 p.m.
- Public Comment Dean Davis asked what is up with the Prospect Farm stump dump; it’s reported by the Conservation Commission to be officially closed but there is an RSA that requires the town to provide one. He urged the Board to get going on this now before the spring comes and folks need to use it. The stump dump was closed all fall and everybody agreed it was full. The Board will review this again in two weeks.
Jerry would like to discuss the condition of Jackson’s roads during storms. Currently the Highway Department removes the stuff real quick and the roads are excellent. He’d like to have a conversation about not using so much salt and not getting good conditions so quickly. Chairman Thompson noted the town is heavily dependent on tourists and has to make sure the roads are user-friendly. Jerry noted if there is a safety concern then maybe it’s time to acknowledge that there are some conditions when people shouldn’t drive; the town needs to be sensible about its water supply. Selectman Lockard has experience as a water engineer; he wouldn’t allow salt in the town anywhere, period. Selectman Lockard will form a committee to look into this; Jerry suggested that the state could be
part of this, too.
Treasurer Kathleen Dougherty would like to congratulation Chief Doug Jette on becoming the town’s new police chief.
- Police Report Police Chief Jette noted the holiday weeks were relatively quiet; there are a lot more folks using alternative transportation when they go to functions. Chief Jette has a couple of things to discuss; he was approached by ACO Orsini regarding issues with the town’s dog tags; dogs are getting hung up on jewelry, furniture and Christmas trees. He’d like to know if it would be okay for folks to self-pay for a tag that has all the information required by the RSA. This is a perfectly acceptable way to resolve a safety concern. There have been a number of alarms; most are second homes; folks need to recalibrate their low temperature alarms. As a matter of safety, the locks at the Department will be changed; the current officers will get the new ones. There was a young kid who drove to the
parking area on Carter Notch Road; his GPS told him he could go farther and he ended up on a Class VI road and then turned onto a ski trail. He went out two miles then got stuck; JXC, the Forest Service and Jackson Police all worked on this one. The kid drove on a ski trail and that upsets some people but it is a Class VI road; it is posted “drive at your own risk”. The National Forest officer issued a complaint. The guy went to sleep, got up the next day and went to climb Wildcat. No one knew if they were searching for a body for seven hours; it was very taxing. Chief Jette had a conversation with JXC; they may or may not decide to put up signage stating “No vehicles beyond this point”; they’d have to come to the town for permission to do that as it’s still a Class VI road; people can drive there until they can’t. As far as Police personnel goes, the Department is looking really good. The four top candidates were given
the physical agility test; thirty-five percent is a good finish; three of the applicants finished well above fifty percent. Chief Jette has the list down to one and is going to schedule an interview which Selectman Lockard will sit in on.
- Building Inspector
- Weekly Report(s) Submitted by Robert Goudreau & Kevin Bennett Selectman Lockard has already given the report.
- Building Permit 2014000073 Map V09, Lot 15 – (Owner – Frost – 24 snowplow Turn Road) – Extend Building Permit 2013000042
- Building Permit 2014000074 Map V09, Lot 15 – (Owner – Frost – 24 Snowplow Turn Road ) – Extend Building Permit 2013000052
- Building Permit 2014000075 Map V08, Lot 210 – (Owner – McDevitt – 45 Middle Mountain Trail) – Install solar photo voltaic on garage roof
- Jackson Police – Oath of Office – Signatures Required The Selectmen signed the document; Douglas Jette was officially declared the Chief of Police of Jackson.
- Trustee of Trust Funds – Signature Required Selectman Allen, seconded by Selectman Lockard, made a motion to withdraw twenty-thousand dollars from the Revaluation Property – Town Capital Reserve Fund. The motion passed unanimously.
Selectman Allen, seconded by Selectman Lockard, made a motion to withdraw fifty-three thousand, two-hundred-fifty-one dollars and seventy-five cents from the Old Library Building Fund. The motion passed unanimously. This will go to Pope Security (Invoice 15914 for $249); Time Warner (Service Order November 12, 2014 for the $100 set-up fee) with the balance being monies due to Tamarack Construction Services (Invoice 755).
- Intent to Cut (added) Selectman Allen, seconded by Selectman Lockard, made a motion to approve the Intent to cut for Map R30, Lots 6 and 15A (Owner – Dinsmore). The motion passed unanimously.
- Timber Tax Warrants – Signatures Required This is the list generated by the Town Clerk/Tax Collector for tax to be collected. The Selectmen signed the Timber Tax Warrants.
- 2015 Education Tax Warrant – FYI Chairman Thompson reviewed the Education Warrant.
- Deputy Health Officer Kevin Bennett has consented to serve as Deputy Health Officer. The Selectmen will sign-off on this after Kevin is sworn in.
- 2015 Groundwater Monitoring Agreement – Signatures Required This is the annual contract for continued monitoring of the Melloon Road dump site. When HEB was asked how long monitoring would continue, the response was “for some time”. Bea noted HEB changed the end date two years ago; monitoring was going to end in 2012. Chairman Thompson agrees that Road Agent Henry had an end date different from “for some time”. The sitting Selectmen had thought monitoring was done when those wells were capped. The Board can’t wait to find out about the previously reported end date; this is a continued obligation. Selectman Lockard, seconded by Selectman Allen, made a motion to enter into the letter of agreement with HEB to continue monitoring the wells at the Melloon Road dump site. The motion passed unanimously.
- MS-60 Auditor Option This discussion started at the last meeting; Selectman Allen has no strong feelings about this, he thought things were okay the way they were. Selectman Lockard still thinks the town needs a qualified auditor; an elected auditor is not the way to go. Chairman Thompson noted the issue was the town voted to dissolve the position and it was reinstated by the town. If the town wants to reinstate it then that elected position would start in March 2016. The Selectmen don’t have the authority to submit that position back on the town warrant. This may come up again when the Board is discussing warrant articles. Chairman Thompson doesn’t support putting this on the ballot as an elected position; neither of the other Selectmen want to make that motion. Lacking a motion for the
Auditor position to be elected, the form offers two other options; the options are to either hire an independent public accountant or to use an alternative option. No alternative has been approved; that leaves hiring an independent public accountant. Selectman Lockard, seconded by Selectman Allen, made a motion to check off that the audit will be done through an independent public accountant. The motion passed unanimously.
- Public Comment Bea asked why Jackson needs a Deputy Health Officer; Chairman Thompson knows of no reason other than “we always had one”. Bea noted the town has always had a Health Officer, not a deputy. HO/EMD Grieg may have recommended having a back-up. Bea noted there are not a thousand people in this town; Jackson is getting to be like Washington; she’s concerned with the costs involved. Chairman Thompson noted this is not a paid position. Bea noted nothing’s for free. The Board noted if HO/EMD Grieg was out of town; it would be nice to have someone to call. The Board will get a report in writing on this.
Selectman Allen, seconded by Selectman Lockard, made a motion to go into Non-Public Session in accordance with RSA 91-A:3, II(a) at 5:17 p.m. The motion passed unanimously.
- RSA 91-A:3, II(a) The dismissal, promotion, or compensation of any public employee or the disciplining of such employee, or the investigation of any charges against him or her, unless the employee affected (1) has a right to a public meeting, and (2) requests that the meeting be open, in which case the request shall be granted.
The Board returned to Public Session at ***
[any public business following nonpublic goes here]
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at ****
Respectfully submitted by:
Martha D. Tobin
Recording Secretary
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