Selectmen’s Board Meeting
April 2, 2015
Present: John Allen, Chairman; Bob Thompson, Selectman
Visitors: Town Office Administrator Julie Atwell, Office Administrative Assistant Julie Hoyt, Police Chief Douglas Jette, Fire Chief/Road Agent Jay Henry, Town Clerk/Tax Collector Karen Burton, Building Inspector Kevin Bennett, Videographer Officer Doug Jette, Bea Davis, Bob Davis, Dean Davis, Nancy Davis, Stan Weiss, George Howard, Andrew Beal, Forest Services Representative Jim ***
Chairman John Allen called the meeting to order at 4:32 p.m.
- Selectmen’s Meeting – March 19, 2015 The minutes were approved as written.
- Non-Public – March 19, 2015 – sign minutes envelope RSA 91-A:3, II(c) The envelope was signed. These minutes were sealed.
- Update on 3.19.15 Action Items
- Stump Dump Selectman Lockard will get to that once it’s spring.
- Parking at Double Head Trail This is agenda item 3, to be discussed next.
- Wood being brought to Conway Selectman Thompson checked into this. The Road crew cuts wood but it is not taken to Conway. It has always gone to Jackson staff or families in Jackson; there may be staff who live in Conway that end up with wood but Jackson does provide wood to needy families when it can; it adds up to about ten cords a year.
- Parking issues in town There is a plan to address this utilizing signage; this will have to wait until the spring.
- Upcoming Selectmen’s meetings The next Selectman’s meetings will be April 16th; then the Board will meet on May 7th but rather than the 21st, Selectman Thompson has asked to change the meetings to the second and fourth Thursdays of each month. The second meeting in May will be on the 28th.
- Double Head Parking Issues Andrew noted he was not prepared for this to be discussed in public session; he thought he’d be meeting in a working session to go over the documents and deeds he has. If this has to be in the public view he’s fine with that however his role will be to listen and then respond at a later time. Chairman Allen noted there are to be no decisions tonight; this is the first discussion the Board has been able to have on this with Andrew and will proceed however he wants to. Today there is a quorum so discussion has to be in public however moving forward there could be a Committee established with one Selectman if Andrew would be more comfortable with that. This is not going to be a matter of “one and done”. Moving forward Andrew does want to continue working on this however he
is walking into a situation he was not prepared for. Ranger Jim is new to the situation as well; for the sake of Jim and Andrew; the situation was reviewed. Parking on the road by Double Head Trail is the issue. The road needs to be passable for safety vehicles which is why this came up. There have been complaints and the Police have been involved. Chairman Allen’s vision would be to see a separate lot for folks using the south trail but he’s open to anything that will fix the problem. Selectman Thompson also noted the owners of the private driveways on Dundee are having difficulty getting out. When asked if this is an issue just this year due to the unusual amount of snow, Fire Chief/Road Agent Henry noted over the last year or two this has particularly become a problem. Double Head is being hit hard as a back country trail; the same is happening at the Black Mountain cabin but there’s plenty of parking there. He
heard four or five guys talking about sleeping up there for three or four days; this area is more popular than it used to be. The Highway Department got involved when there were four cars in the road for the whole weekend; Chief Henry has never seen that all weekend, it may have happened in the past; he doesn’t know.
There’s increased use of alpine terrain; Tuckerman has lots of use and that’s pushing people out. The Forest Service has looked at moving the parking lot up to where the new trail is and rerouting the trail up; the issue is it would make a great hiking trail, but for skiing out it does not provide a good fall line. The Forest Service would like to continue to look for a better fall line down to parking. The other solution would be to expand the current parking lot but the Forest Service doesn’t have an easement; it’s a private parking lot. The Forest Service can’t expend federal dollars on that lot as there’s no easement. The Forest Service could move the lot to land it controls but it would change the character of the trail. Chief Henry noted there’s no parking at the
new trail and that would be a good option to make a new parking lot at the new trail; that is needed no matter what.
Steve Weeder asked about the trail Jim said they flagged; it was flagged to the other trail head. Steve noted the Forest Service owns quite a bit of property down the road; if they were to put the trail on the western side of Forest Service property it would be lower and could be skied to; it would take some fill. Jim asked Steve to show him the area he’s talking about. Selectman Thompson would like to know what level of discussion has taken place at the Forest Service. Jim noted the Service would have to do an environmental analysis; this project has been put on the docket but it’s not going to happen right away. It goes on their list of projects and when funds become available then the Service will get to it. Selectman Thompson asked if there’s a time frame; what does “not
going to happen right away” mean; is it six months; a year; two years. Jim noted it will be more like a year; the Service already has a lot of work out there and things get pushed down the line. Chairman Thompson feels that this being a Health and Safety issue should push this up; Jim noted the Service has to do the analysis first. Selectman Thompson has heard from others there is difficulty there. Jim noted the parking is not ideal; it’s the Forest Service’s trail and their cabin so the Forest Service has a responsibility to solve it.
Selectman Thompson asked if Andrew had anything to add about these options and Andrew noted, as far as the Forest Service’s desire to move the parking lot, he has no say; he has no standing on that issue. He can see the fall of the land; there is no indication of the parking lot here, and no description of parking or easement deed to the lot. When asked how far in Dundee Management owns Steve clarified what he is proposing is a parking lot on Forest Service land right where the new path is. Jim noted the Forest Service has been looking at this for a long time; the more work they have to do the more the expense; Jim has not seen either site so he can’t say. Chief Henry noted if boulders are put in place folks can’t park there but then they will just park in the road. If this isn’t
going to happen for another year then be prepared for fifty to sixty tows. Jim noted the Forest Service needs to do the environmental analysis; this project could become a priority. Selectman Thompson wondered if this needs to be formally requested by the town; Jim noted there are issues where the trails go on to private property and the Forest Service can’t maintain them. Andrew noted there may be no written easement but the Forest Service could claim one as the Forest Service ski trail has been used since 1946. There needs to be a written easement before the Forest Service will spend money on it. There was concern expressed about how much this would be expanded; it’s believed folks will fill whatever space is created.
Selectman Thompson noted this discussion needs to be held in public; not as a conversation at the front of the room. Bea noted the public can’t hear what’s being said. Selectman Thompson noted the Board’s discussion was easily hearable when there were no background discussions going on.
Steve and Bill Woodason are both willing to contribute to a solution. Andrew is not sure where he stands; the Board assured him this is just the start of this conversation. The Board is going to plan in advance a Work Session. It was suggested the Work Session could be held at the sites involved; that would be a great place to talk about it. Andrew will be available via telephone for discussion. Bill Woodason and Jim from the Forest Service will be involved too. Since this project is at least a year away, an easement from Dundee Corp might provide a quick fix. Steve noted signage is the proper quick fix. If the lot is full then the signs need to clearly say, “Parking lot full, no more parking”. Andrew thinks a capacity should be set; what is acceptable there and
the problem is solved. The parking lot could be made as big as a football field and it’d be full. Steve thinks that would be included on the signage. Bill Woodason noted the signs do work; when the No Parking signs went up along the snowbanks that worked. It was noted folks just parked on Dundee after that. Chief Henry wants to know if a lot is built, who is going to maintain it and plow it; former Road Agent Ed Dubie used to do that and now Steve Weeder and Dean Davis do it.
George believes the group gathered right now would be the working group anyway; he thinks the Board should adjourn and have at it. Today’s agenda item was planned for an opening discussion not a final decision.
Road Agent Henry noted if the town plows the two lots that are up there then Jackson Ski Touring (JXC) is going to want to have theirs done as well. Andrew was asked if he’s open to discussing an easement. Andrew is one of four involved in the lot and he doesn’t know where his brothers stand. He’d like to be able to lay out options and proposals and then they’d have something that all four of them can discuss. It was also pointed out that JXC needs to be involved as they are actively planning the use of the area. The group agreed to meet on Thursday April 30th at 9 a.m. and Andrew will try to establish a temperature regarding an easement.
- Police Report Chief Jette noted he has nothing to report; it’s been business as usual; everything is going well and the new officers are being accepted well into the community.
- Public Comment There were none.
- Building Inspector
- Weekly Report Submitted by Kevin Bennett Inspector Bennett reviewed his report and the permits granted and/or discussed this week. The biggest items were that someone was looking at a lot on High Pastures. Inspector Bennett looked into the background and found that in order to be able to issue a building permit the base of the road has to come up to the standard of 1985. Both properties were bank-owned sales; the subdivision had to be brought up to the standards it was approved for. John Fichera bought it and is now selling lots. The Planning Board is going to try to straighten this out. The folder for this subdivision is four inches thick. The other issue involves the Dana Place Inn. The owner came to the Fire Department around Thanksgiving asking them to burn it and then he would build new
one-family cabins or something else. There’s a new plan now as it’s too close to the river to be burned and five miles down from it is the intake for water for the town. The Inn will be taken down but in order to get the demolition permit, the owner has to find a landfill that will accept the items and Inspector Bennett has to see it in writing. There will also be asbestos removal involved. Some of the building goes back to the 1800’s and was added on to; there’s twenty-seven thousand square feet of building. Town Clerk Burton asked about asbestos abatement and lead paint. That’s what Inspector Bennett meant by the demolition product has to go to a landfill that will accept it and the asbestos has to be removed by a licensed person. Someone asked when this will come off the tax rolls as an existing structure.
- Building Permit 2015000003 Map R09 Lot 04 - (Owner – Speirs – 36 Partridge Road) – 10 x 20 kitchen addition
- Building Permit 2015000004 Map R19 Lot 07 - (Owner – Carter Notch Management, LLC – 938 Carter Notch Road) – 10 x 23 x 10 Carport to the back of the existing barn
- Building Permit 2015000005 Map V08 Lot 62 - (Owner – Davis – 4 Juniper Way) – Add 4 x 8 landing to deck; remodel basement as rec room, add partition
- Building Permit 2015000006 Map V10 Lot 33 - (Owner – Holmes – 186 Tin Mine Road) – Extend BP 2014000003~
- Board Appointments Selectman Thompson, seconded by Chairman Allen, made a motion to appoint Brian Byrne and Thomas Sidell to the Conservation Commission for three year terms expiring in 2018. The motion passed unanimously.
Selectman Thompson, seconded by Chairman Allen, made a motion to appoint Dick Bennett and Betsey Harding as regular members and Bea Davis as an alternate to the Planning Board for three year terms expiring in 2018. The motion passed unanimously.
Selectman Thompson, seconded by Chairman Allen, made a motion to appoint Dave Matesky and Huntley Allen as regular members and James Gleason as an alternate to the Zoning Board of Adjustment for three year terms expiring in 2018. The motion passed unanimously.
Selectman Thompson, seconded by Chairman Allen, made a motion to appoint Mary Howe as an alternate to the Jackson Library Trustees for a three year term expiring in 2018. Selectman Thompson wondered if the Board should vote to elect Mary as a regular member; he was informed Mary asked for the alternate seat only. There was no further discussion. The motion passed unanimously.
Selectman Thompson, seconded by Chairman Allen, made a motion to appoint Kathryn Karlsson as a regular member to the Old Library Management Committee for a three year term expiring in 2018. The motion passed unanimously.
- Wentworth – New Liquor License~ Selectman Thompson, seconded by Chairman Allen, made a motion that the Board has no objections to the Wentworth Hotel providing entertainment in the lounge and hall area. The motion passed unanimously. It was noted this is just for the lounge and restaurant, not the tent area.
- Old Business There was none.
- Public Comment There were none.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:21 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by:
Martha D. Tobin
Recording Secretary~
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