Town of New Boston
Selectmen's Meeting
May 30, 2006
6:30 PM Site Walk at Helena Drive-attended by the Selectmen and several abutters to review road conditions.
PRESENT: Gordon Carlstrom Selectman
David Woodbury Selectman
Christine Quirk Selectman
Burton Reynolds Town Administrator
A. CALL TO ORDER: A regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen was called to order by David Woodbury at 7:35PM beginning with the Pledge of Allegiance.
B. PUBLIC COMMENT:
Mark Ciarla, Jeff Hudson (of SBH, who has a proposal before the Planning Board for a development off Pulpit Road) and Connie and Bob Brown were present to discuss their interest in the entrance to Pulpit Road. Mark, Bob and Connie gave the Selectmen a letter stating what they feel comfortable with as abutters. The current Pulpit Road entrance is a class 6 road that is plowed. The abutters are proposing the entrance be turned back to the control of the abutters for maintenance. Mark, Bob and Connie want deeded entrances to Bedford Road via the extension of a current easement. They understand their street addresses will change. It is unknown who owns the small triangle area. Mark, Bob and Connie want the town to turn it over to them. 3 houses are affected by discontinuing the current
entrance. They will have to get driveway permits next year after the town votes to discontinue that portion of Pulpit Road.
Road Agent John Riendeau was present and is in favor of the plan. Mark said he wants to work with the developer to create a safe intersection there. A site walk was done at this area and the developers are returning to the Planning Board at the next meeting. The Planning Board was waiting to hear from the Selectmen about their opinion on the road options. The application is expected to be accepted as complete at the next Planning Board meeting. The developer has planned a new entrance/exit for the development. Jeff said other towns ask for separate driveways with the same curb cut. There is a utility pole and a mature tree in the area, which will probably not be disturbed. Mark said they are proposing 2 driveways opposite the utility pole.
Jeff asked if the letter he sent to the Selectmen was sufficient to request a public hearing. Jeff will contact Burton to set up a public hearing.
C. APPOINTMENTS:
1. 7:00 PM John Riendeau Road Agent
Road Agent John Riendeau was present to meet with the Selectmen to discuss the status of Highway Department projects.
· John is hoping to spread calcium on the gravel roads that have been re-graded Thursday if it doesn’t rain.
· The new crosswalk by the library is still held up by the need to obtain state approval for the curb cut.
· John said Thornton Road was definitely damaged in the rainstorm. He saw the letter from the Humphries and will probably go out to look at it tomorrow. He looked at it with Burton when the water was there and they observed the water wasn’t as high and there wasn’t as much gravel as last time this happened. He said the property is lower than the road but it shouldn’t be getting as much water on it as it is. John said he has worked for the Highway Department for 14 years and there were problems at the area sometimes but nothing like what has been happening since Elizabeth Aksten clearcut. John said there is an old “french
drain” there where water gushes through the stonewall which could be exacerbating the problem. He proposes either building a small berm and installing another basin and a culvert or flatten the area and create a moisture barrier by the “french drain” so water could spread out more and slow down before going into the ditch line. There is already a catch basin and 12” drainpipe with 6” riprap, which works, but sometimes there is too much water for it to be effective. John will discuss the situation again with Brian Dorwart of the Road Committee. Town Attorney Bill Drescher will be contacted about who is responsible for the work. John said the level spreader option might last 25 years without a problem but if there is erosion maintenance will be needed. It will be on Elizabeth’s property and will have to be added to her deed. Options for limiting clearcutting were discussed. John suggested if people
plan to cut more than a certain amount an engineer should be contacted for a water study before cutting is allowed. The Selectmen asked John to prepare a letter stating his position on how clearcutting should be handled when cutting off-site. This has been a problem in several areas of town.
· John met with a Verizon representative at the Bedford/Wilson Hill Road intersection and showed them what the town has decided to do. The representative agreed with the plan and said the utility pole doesn’t need to be secured. Burton will write to the Reeds describing what the town plans to do. The contractor will do the actual work under John’s supervision. The Highway crew will do the brush cutting and put in grade stakes telling the contractor where to do the work.
· The new backhoe is expected to be delivered tomorrow morning.
· Gerry Kennedy has offered to the town a right of way originally set aside should Burnham Road be connected to Joe English (at their subdivision off Joe English). The Selectmen are interested in accepting. A sitewalk may be needed.
· John spoke with Planning Coordinator Nic Strong today about a timeline for inspecting driveways and they decided that there will be another meeting about this between John, Nic and the other Planning Board members when the driveway regulations are closer to completion. John says he did make a mistake by not looking at the Duke driveway in a timely manner but he says the timeline regarding the Gagnon driveway was not accurate. He says he didn’t rush to inspect the Duke driveway because a hearing wasn’t scheduled for a long time. The other driveways he was not aware of.
· John doesn’t agree with the property owner that he approved a circular driveway on Carriage Lane as Mitch Larochelle states in his letter. Gordon asked John to prepare a letter in response explaining that he approved a secondary access, not a circular driveway.
· Thibeault Corp. is buying 2 gravel pits now owned by Aggregate Industries. An addendum to the gravel permit calls for Thibeault to provide the aggregate needed to improve the town road from the pits to Howe Bridge. The aprons will probably need to be 60 feet, be cleaned and rip rap installed.
· John hasn’t noticed any damage to the road from construction vehicles coming onto Bedford Road at the new Rose Meadow building but will take a closer look at it.
· Paving plans may need to be cut back this year due to the cost of paving. The state has asked that Bog Brook Bridge be closed unless it is replaced. John was hoping it would last another year. The Block Grant money planned for paving might have to go toward the bridge instead. John proposes replacing it with a precast rigid frame bridge. This would involve diverting the water through a pipe that is already there and put the precast footings in then convert back to natural river bottom, which is what DES wants. He said the water level of the bog wouldn’t be affected. John expects the project to cost approximately $70,000. The
guardrail is also an issue. John will call DES about the wetland permit needed and might need an emergency wetland permit. The work could be done in Aug/Sept. Until then the road should be posted with a 3-ton weight limit. The roads that were originally planned to be paved this year were Clark Hill, Meadow, Bessie Leavitt, Parker, Pheasant Lane, Bog, portions of Bedford, Highland and Houghton. John also planned to grind Parker. John and Burton will recalculate the numbers and decide which roads will be paved this year.
· John said he needs to appoint a foreman under him when he goes on vacation because he doesn’t feel right about putting someone in charge when they are not getting compensated for that. This will be discussed in non-public session at the next Selectmen’s meeting.
· John said his summer vacation plans have changed. He expects to be on vacation the last week in June and the first week in July.
· John participated in the recent Mountain of Demonstrations Show put on by the New Hampshire Road Agents Association, which went smoother than it has in other years.
D. APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
1. Minutes of May 15, 2006 - The Selectmen reviewed the minutes. Corrections were noted. Christine moved that they be accepted as amended. Gordon seconded the motion. All were in favor.
2. Non-Public Minutes of February 15, 2006 - The Selectmen reviewed both sets of non-public minutes. Gordon moved that they be accepted. Christine seconded the motion. All were in favor.
E. OLD BUSINESS:
1. Planning:
· 3 sitewalks are scheduled for tomorrow night.
· Jack Mum and David Priest Master Plan Revisions-A public hearing is scheduled for August. The natural resources portion needs work. Will review cost impact study and update the wetlands chapter according to the new RSAs.
· Debra Downing 266 Saunders Hill Road Home Daycare-Application was approved. She doesn’t wish to have a sign for her business. Sitewalk scheduled for tomorrow night.
· Private School on River Road-They turned in the outstanding items. The application was approved and accepted.
· Subdivision at McCollum, Meadow and an unnamed class 6 highway-The developer was told to redesign the shared driveway. Brandy Mitroff and Jay Marden were present and requested they put the steep slope area into conservation.
· 7 lots Pulpit/Bedford/Campbell Road-Requested to move driveway at lot 8. The Planning Board was waiting for the Selectmen’s decision as discussed tonight in public comment. Single-family homes are planned.
· Right Way Builders-15 homes with a 2900-foot cul-de-sac are planned. Many abutters were present. Mark Anderson expressed his concern that if the Planning Board approves this they will set the precedent for other 2900-foot cul-de-sacs. The unused land was discussed. Rick Martin said 40 acres were offered to conservation but they weren’t interested in it. Conservation members present had no recollection of this. Rick said if they want it they will have to contact him about it. They plan to follow up with him. Road Committee Chairman Brian Dorwart was present and said Beard Road will be at capacity with this planned development. The Planning Board is in favor of the cul-de-sac.
· A sitewalk is planned for tomorrow night at the Right Way Builders Friendly Haven Farm property. The plan is to convert the barn into condexes.
· Gordon mentioned Acton, MA has implemented the waterfront restrictions that New Boston was considering at one time. The result has been that people can buy houses on the esker but can’t use insecticide or put in lawns.
· Bob Todd wrote advising that now that Right Way Builders plans a cul-de-sac the name “Pasture Road” will have to be changed to “Pasture Lane.”
2. Building Inspector Replacement Process-The Selectmen reviewed the job description, interview questions and resumes received. There are 3 potential candidates. Budget and salary were reviewed briefly. This will probably be a 3 days/week position. Burton will schedule interviews. The interview panel will consist of Nic, Burton and Dave.
3. Approach to Municipal Building Projects-Burton asked if the Selectmen want to set up a committee now. The Selectmen prefer ad hoc committees rather than a standing committee. The Fire Department has an internal committee working on trying to size a safety complex. The Fire Department should be scheduled to come to a Selectmen’s meeting in June. A committee for a library or recreation building should consist of 5-7 members from various areas of expertise including finance, an architect, an engineer, a commercial builder, a planner, representatives from the involved department, a Selectman representative and a community representative.
4. Gravel Pit Permit Transfer: Aggregate Industries/Thibeault Corp.-Thibeault wrote a letter as discussed at the last meeting. He plans to double the bonds once the property is transferred. Kim Burkhamer will forward the permits to Ernie for completion.
F. NEW BUSINESS:
1. Approval of Letters-Several letters about the water drainage issue were reviewed and signed. Gordon suggested consulting Bill Drescher about the water drainage issue. The Selectmen also reviewed a letter Dave drafted to personally thank town employees, contractors and volunteers who helped out after the recent flood. The Selectmen will work on this further.
5. GZA Landfill Repair Proposal-A proposal was received in the amount of $8,200 to include review of the prior repair, assess options, preliminary design and preliminary cost estimate. Burton will find out if the proposal includes bid specs.
G. OTHER:
1. Transfer Station Manager Gerry Cornett has expressed interest in taking on general maintenance tasks and routine inspection of town buildings and equipment. He will be scheduled for a non-public session with the Selectmen. The St. John Construction crew did a good job enclosing the hopper. It is already apparent the enclosure helps keep costs down. The new transformer is almost completely installed.
2. A feedback meeting was held this morning to discuss the rain event and how to handle emergencies in the future. Suggestions included: getting information to residents using the town website, Dodge’s board and telephone (keeping a message on town extensions or using reverse 911), Dan is preparing an article for the New Boston Bulletin. A mailing may go out with suggestions including the house number campaign, dispatch/radios, giving each Selectman a scanner to stay informed during emergencies, John requested the Selectmen be knowledgeable and available during emergencies, paint water levels onto the Gregg Mill, Howe and downtown bridges, take the siren down and switch to 2 phase or single, obtain more signs and cones and store them in trailers around town (Christine
offered some travel trailers she is no longer using but the police chief would prefer snowmobile trailers although those might be too small), tell the media, alert the post office, and coordinate with the school.
H. PUBLIC COMMENT: No comments at this time.
I. ADJOURNMENT: Christine made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 10:40 PM. Gordon seconded the motion. All were in favor.
Prepared by Maralyn Segien
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