Draft: August 31, 2005
Approved: September 7, 2005
TOWN OF LYME
BOARD OF SELECTMEN
Minutes
August 31, 2005
Present: Pete Bleyler, Dick Jones, Judy Brotman, Carole Bont, Carl Larson, Trustee of the Trust Funds; and Police Chief Field.
Chairman Pete Bleyler opened the meeting at 8:00 am at the Fire House meeting room.
1. Carl Larson appeared before the Selectmen to report on receipt of a copy of the Last Will of Margaret Burdett Wise. (Her parents are buried in Lyme Cemetery. She has made a number of annual contributions for maintenance of the cemetery.) The Will indicates that she will be leaving $30,000 to the “Cemetery Trust Fund. The Selectmen voted to accept the donation, and recommend that a letter be sent thanking the Wise heirs for their past support and asking for direction of the intent of the bequest – to be deposited either in the Gifts and Donations Fund for current use (operating fund) or to the Cemetery Trust Fund (non-expendable fund) with only the income used for current cemetery use.
2. The Minutes of August 3rd at 8 am and the joint meeting with the Budget Committee were approved on August 9th. The Minutes of the August 24th Non-Public Session and Public Session were approved as amended.
3. The Manifest was approved.
4. The Tullars’ situation was discussed. The Selectmen asked that Carole advise the Tullars of the Selectmen’s sympathy for their predicament, and let them know they have several options to resolve the problem.
5. The Selectmen discussed the cost of the driving test (scheduled for September 8th) for Fred’s CDL. The Selectmen voted unanimously to pay for the cost of the driving test.
6. The Selectmen approved the Smarts Mountain Realty Intent-to-Cut, for Map 418/Lot 5.
7. The Selectmen will soon be advertising for the Part Time highway department equipment operator position.
8. The Selectmen will not exercise our prerogative as a property owner to request permission of the Conservation Commission for a water release at Post Pond at this time.
9. The Selectmen signed the MS-1 (the tax base on which the DRA calculates the tax rate). The Town is currently on schedule to be able to issue tax bills with a December 1st due date.
10. Pete gave a Transfer Station update. He recommended the Selectmen appoint Steve Maddock on a temporary basis until a regular person can be hired as a Transfer Station attendant. The committee is developing guidelines for the operation of the transfer station – one recommendation is that the attendants should never be in the containers when the transfer station is open. In addition, Risk Management has visited the site and is writing up a report of their findings.
The Selectmen voted unanimously to hire Steve Maddock as a temporary Transfer Station attendant at $10 per hour.
11. A review of the Town’s employee health insurance coverage has indicated that by eliminating our present choice of three options, and moving to only two options, the town could save up to $10,000 per year. By moving to only one choice, under a Matthew Thornton plan, the Town could save up to $15,000 per year (from our present costs of providing health care). If the Town were to choose the two-option plan, we would need to know if individual policy holders could pay for an upgraded option. We also would need to know if our present employee’s options would be grandfathered to continue. The Selectmen would like to have an advisor meet with the Selectmen to discuss the options.
12. Proposed changes to the Personnel Policy are being reviewed. The Selectmen discussed the alternative of Earned Time Off vs. Vacation, Sick, Personal days. Discussion to continue next week.
13. Chief Field updated the Selectmen on the status of the Edgell Bridge. The Edgell Bridge is still on State list to be repaired. The State has assessed the safety of the bridge, and has declared it safe for continued travel use.
14. The Bookkeeper/Secretary Position Description is ready in draft form. It will be circulated to both Carole and Dina for discussion and follow-up at next week’s Selectmen’s meeting.
15. The Selectmen unanimously approved the Veteran’s Credit for David Washburn, and voted to waive the deadline requirement for making an application for the Veteran’s Credit.
16. Carole updated the Selectmen on the Rufsvold situation. Carole has drafted a letter advising the Rufsvolds of the Selectmen’s denial of their application for a Veteran’s Credit for the house on Pickle Dish Hollow.
17. The Selectmen reviewed the NH Retirement deduction options. Any changes from the present option will have to be made effect as of January 1, 2006. The Selectmen will send a memo outlining the two options concerning retirement deductions and their tax implications to all Town employees, asking that each employee vote for his or her preferred option. The majority vote of the employees will prevail and become the policy.
18. The inspection report of the former Green Mountain Studio’s buildings will be printed and distributed to the Office Committee next week.
The meeting adjourned at 9:55 am.
Respectfully submitted,
Judith Lee Shelnutt Brotman
| 
