PRESENT:
David Woodbury Chairman
Gordon Carlstrom Selectman
Christine Quirk Selectperson
Burton Reynolds Town Administrator
CALL TO ORDER:
A regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen was called to order by David Woodbury at 7:04 PM.
Pledge of Allegiance
PUBLIC COMMENT: None.
APPOINTMENTS:
1. 7:00 PM Bonnie Koch Transfer Station
Bonnie was present to introduce Jeff Lavoie to the Selectmen as the new Full-time employee at the Transfer Station. Jeff is an environmentalist and has lived in New Boston most of his life. He would like to contribute to the town and try to involve more residents of the town in the recycling program. He will work Tuesday through Saturday. Christine Quirk moved to accept Jeff as a full-time employee at the Transfer Station. Gordon seconded the motion. All were in favor.
Household Hazardous Waste Day – Mike Richards is still on the committee as an advisor, but Bonnie and Linda Sizemore will be coordinating the plans. In the past Linda has been the liaison between Mike and the State of New Hampshire, handling the paperwork for grant applications.
Personnel Issue – Jim Hayward has a doctor’s note allowing him to come back to work part time Tuesdays and Saturdays. He has emphysema and is restricted from bending but can do most other jobs. He can only earn a certain amount of wages per month due to his Social Security benefits and would rather take a cut in pay than reduce his hours. Bonnie inquired about the status of Jim’s vacation days for the six month period that he worked full-time. The Selectmen agreed to award him the vacation days, so long as it coincides with the personnel manual.
Fees – Disposal fees are usually reviewed in the spring. Several are candidates for an increase. Bonnie will put together a new schedule for the Selectmen to consider. There will most likely be a ten dollar charge suggested to dispose of televisions and computer monitors.
2. 7:15 PM Lee Murray Highway Department
Lee Murray was present to address two complaints from the public and give the Selectmen an update on the department.
Mr. Parrish of Hopkins Road wrote a letter of complaint regarding the muddy condition at the end of his driveway, supposedly due to the paving process of Hopkins Road last fall.
Michael Pavesi of Clark Hill Road wrote a letter to the Town claiming that a rock from the Highway’s sanding truck broke the windshield of his car. Lee stated that all sand is screened; leaving only stones 3/8ths of an inch or less. He went on to say that this is the first report of this kind in fifteen years.
Road Committee – The committee has classified the roads in town, and is now working on establishing standards for each classification.
Lee reported that one of the plow trucks was pulled from a ditch recently by a wrecker, but that no damage was done to the truck.
Summer Projects – The Tucker Mill Road project will not start until school is out for the summer and will require shutting down the road during certain hours of the day. The paving of Clark Hill Road will probably begin sometime in June, beginning with a layer of crushed stone being applied first.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
The minutes of March 4th were reviewed and minor changes were made. David Woodbury moved to approve the minutes as amended, as he is the only remaining Selectmen on the Board that was present at the meeting. Also reviewed were the revised minutes of the March 7th and March 14th Employees meeting with the Selectmen. Gordon moved to accept the minutes of March 7th. Dave seconded the motion. Christine abstained from voting. Gordon moved to accept the minutes of March 14th. Christine seconded the motion. All were in favor. Gordon also moved to seal that portion of the March 14th minutes pertaining to personnel issues for a period of five years. Christine seconded the motion. All were in
favor.
OLD BUSINESS:
Planning – There have been no meetings for the past two weeks.
NEW BUSINESS:
2002 Appointments – The Selectmen reviewed the applications for the various committees and board positions. Most of the applications were from persons that had been elected on March 12th. Gordon moved to accept the individuals for their perspective positions. Christine Quirk seconded the motion. All were in favor. Burton will send letters to those people who were elected on March 12th, 2002. See the attached list.
Town Hall Office Arrangement Options – The Selectmen discussed with Burton the various options available to better utilize the space in Town Hall for the immediate future. They discussed combining certain departments within Town Hall and the possibility of using part of the Historical Building for office space. Some felt there was a need to move the Recreation Department to the first floor, making it more accessible for senior citizens and less dangerous for small children. The Space Needs Committee’s final recommendation was to move Recreation to the Historical Building and leave the Planning and Building Departments in Town Hall. Members of the Historical Society were present and objected to sharing space with Recreation. The Selectmen elected to honor their request that no town functions
move into the Historical Building at this time. Burton will convey the Selectmen’s suggestions and ideas to the different department heads.
Employee Review Form – Initial Discussion – Burton distributed various forms for the employee review process and job specific questions that he acquired from the conference recently attended. Included were job-specific questions that could be used for the employees. The Selectmen discussed attaching a copy of each employee’s job description to the forms, attaching questions specific to the different departments, and also eliminating the numeric ratings and using generic ratings. The Selectmen will review the materials and give Burton their ideas. Then Burton will meet with the others who attended the conference and discuss the ideas.
Town Copiers Contract – After getting quotes from different companies, Burton has decided to change copy machine vendors. The Town will be leasing a new machine for the Police Department and a refurbished machine for Town Hall at a cost of $170.00 per month from NECS. The price for servicing the machines will be .0084 cents/copy versus a cost of .014 cents/copy under the expiring contract. The company will dispose of the old machines, and there will be one annual bill. The Town will also have the option to buy the machines for one dollar at the end of the contract period.
OTHER:
Selectmen’s Legislative Bulletins – The Selectmen chose to have the Legislative Bulletins come to Town Hall instead of being delivered to their homes.
Gravel Pits – Burton informed the Selectmen that gravel pits need to have bonds for reclamation purposes, however, the amount per acre can be set locally.
PUBLIC COMMENT: Cindy Romano of 609 Lyndeboro Road informed the Selectmen that Granite State’s gravel pit has been operating beyond the operating hours of their permit. Al Romano called the Milford office last week to complain that the front loader was on Hopkins Road at 6:15 AM, clearing snow from the entrance to the pit. Burton said that he would put a call in to the owners.
ADJOURNMENT: Gordon moved to adjourn the meeting at 9:37 PM. Christine seconded the motion. All were in favor.
Prepared by Cindy Romano
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