Town of New Boston
Selectmen's Meeting
June 16, 2008
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 Gordon Carlstrom at 7:00PM beginning with the Pledge of Allegiance.
B. PUBLIC COMMENT: Brandy Mitroff asked the Selectmen to get the word out that she is looking for personal remembrances of David Cramb who passed away Saturday to include in the next issue of the New Boston Bulletin. He did so much for the town in different ways and touched the lives of many residents.
C. APPOINTMENTS:
1. 7:00 PM Chris Krajenka Police Department
Police Chief Chris Krajenka was present to update the Selectmen on issues at the Police Department.
· Chris received correspondence from the State Police regarding the J-ONE
Project grant. The program would allow invaluable information sharing between individual police departments. It costs $7,000 total. There is no cost to the town to start up but after the first year the town would have to pay $4500 for the phone line at $370 per month. The Selectmen decided to get it for one year and then decide if the town should continue with the program. Chris will ask why the phone line is so expensive at the next meeting regarding the system.
· Expected vehicle rotation was discussed. Car 2 is the Expedition. Cars 3 and 4 are the Crown Victorias. All are on 48-month leases. Ford Motor Credit says the leases are paid in full. They will cost the town $1 to buy them at the end of the lease. Chris is concerned about the cost of gas on the Expedition and it is too big for effective use in town. However this vehicle has to be on the road due to the number of vehicles and police officers the town has. The usual turnover of police vehicles is at 80,000 miles due to maintenance issues. The cars have around 40,000 miles on them now. They are expected to reach 80,000 miles in
2011. A new vehicle and a replacement vehicle are scheduled for 2009. 2010 and 2011 replacement vehicles are planned. Chris recommends the town switch the Expedition to a smaller more fuel-efficient vehicle. The town plans to buy it at the end of the lease and considered selling it or using it in a different town department. Fire Chief Dan MacDonald said the Fire Department was interested in the Expedition for use as an operations vehicle when the police were done with it. Chris is researching hybrids for the Police Department that get 35-37 miles per gallon such as the Ford Escape, Toyota Highlander or Saturn Vue. He recommends that the Crown Victorias also be replaced with 4-wheel drive/SUVs. He recommends continuing using lease programs. The Selectmen asked him to compare buying v. leasing for a future meeting.
· Repeater grant-Chris has been writing to AT&T for 1.5 years without any response until last Friday. The town will lose this grant in 6 months if it doesn’t do anything regarding communications. Chris wishes to use the grant to erect a tower at Jim Dodge’s property. It is already there, it will cost $1,500 for a crane and Rodney Towne has volunteered to climb the tower. Chris will contact AT&T one more time this week and will decide what action to take by the next Selectmen’s meeting. Jim Dodge was present and warned that even if AT&T says yes they could change their minds in the next couple of months as they are in the
process of getting rid of all their towers. If it is erected it will be owned by the town.
Move to enter Non-Public Session: David made a motion to go into Non-Public session per RSA 91-A:3II(c) at 7:23 PM. Christine seconded the motion. All were in favor.
Move to exit Non-Public Session: Gordon made a motion to exit Non-Public Session at 7:40 PM. Christine seconded the motion. All were in favor.
2. 7:20 PM Betsey Dodge Conservation Commission
Betsey Dodge and Kim Burkhamer were present to meet with the Selectmen to discuss the timber trespass on the town’s property near the old RR bed adjacent to the Garretson property off Beard Road. The Conservation Commission hired forester Dan Cyr to evaluate the damage. He did a report that the Conservation Commission reviewed and commented on it and also prepared a report. Copies of the reports were given to the Selectmen. The trespasser (logger MBC Timber, Inc.) was working on an adjacent property and knocked down the fence between the properties and removed some trees on the town’s property. The Conservation Commission plans to have volunteers spend a couple days there planting seeds and blueberry bushes to remediate and prevent erosion. They will hire someone other than the logger to
remediate. A barrier might need to be planted on the Garretson’s’ side of the property to protect the town land from erosion. The Selectmen asked them to keep track of all the costs. The Garretsons will be contacted to see how they are planning to remediate their land. Willard Dodge was present and said he feels the damage was deliberate and the town should punish the trespasser as much as they can under the law. If a voluntary agreement with the trespasser cannot be reached the town will consider court action.
3. 7:30 PM Twin Bridge Management Public Hearing
a) earth removal exception
b) continuation of 4/14 request for permit to remove gravel
The public hearing was opened at 8:09PM. Twin Bridge Land Management has applied for a commercial gravel pit extension of 1.9 acres to the existing 8.1-acre permit. The cease and desist will be discussed at the July 14 hearing under the motion for rehearing filed by Twin Bridge Land Management. The definition of incidental under 155-e was read aloud. A notice of intent to excavate at lot 262 was received on April 1, 2008. The exception box was checked as “no” and that seems to be incorrect as they do desire to use the material from this spot for use on their subdivision lots and for the road. 5,000 yards of gravel removal at lot 262-22 will be discussed tonight (the old Clifton Wilson permit). 15,000 yards of sand is desired to be taken from lot 2-62 for the building lots under
an “exception.” Lots 262-11 and 262-16 have been sold and might need incidental gravel. Building permits have been issued for lots 262-10 and 262-15. Twin Bridge Attorney Charles Cleary said use of material incidental to construction of the subdivision is an exception to the 155-e gravel permitting process and no permit is needed. They received a request for information from the town on June 10 and they reviewed their answer packet at the hearing. D&S Excavating is doing the excavation. The answer packet lists the amounts of material to be used on each lot and the road and what the material will be used for on each lot. None of the 15,000 yards will be leaving the site; it is all being used for the subdivision. There is now a deed of record showing the easement from Clifton Wilson for the right of way. The Selectmen were concerned about groundwater coming to the surface but Charlie and Bob Huetner from Twin
Bridge Land Management said that should not happen. The hours of 8-noon on Saturday for local hauling only were an issue for Twin Bridge and D&S Excavating. D&S feels the hour restriction is irrelevant to this situation because it is a construction site. The Selectmen feel it is more of a gravel operation than a construction operation and they should be doing what a gravel operation would be doing from 8-noon on Saturdays and they can do the construction work in the afternoon on Saturdays. They feel they are being limited more than other developers in town. Dave Elliot compared the work he is doing here to the work he will be doing on a Saturday at the grandstand downtown. The Selectmen pointed out that is a one weekend small job not a job that will be going on for years such as the subdivision work at Twin Bridge Road. Dave Elliot expressed concern about this issue. He estimated approximately 4,000 yards have been taken since April
1, 2008. 5,000 yards will be taken from 262-22 and go out the existing haul road. Jay Marden of Gregg Mill Road asked if Twin Bridge Management is ok with the hours of operation and Bob and Tris answered yes. Christine Hebert of 199 Twin Bridge Road said she was concerned about dust control and asked if the calcium will keep the dust down. The Selectmen answered yes, that is what the town uses on their gravel roads as well. She said machinery is dropped off earlier than 7:00AM at times and asked if this can be done later than 7:00AM. Tris said no one should be there before 7:00AM and if this happens she can call him directly. Matt Conway of 189 Twin Bridge Road asked how many houses would be built at the site, as he is concerned about landscape changes and traffic and was told 23 houses were approved with the Planning Board. This project is expected to take 2-3 years and after that Twin Bridge Land Management plans to continue as a
commercial gravel operation. The pre-existing pit has been in operation for 30-50 years. Twin Bridge Land Management said the town has defined an area of 8.1 acres for them to gravel, their application says 10 acres and there is a disagreement over a 1.9 acre area. They plan to take 5,000 yards from the allowed 8.1-acre area and 15,000 yards from the disputed 1.9-acre area. The Selectmen plan to accept the conditions Twin Bridge Land Management has given in their summary document and those will be the conditions of the excavation exception. Bill Drescher recommended the Selectmen take this under advisement tonight and his office will prepare the appropriate document tomorrow. Dave Elliot said the approval is past due and this has created extra expense to the project. The intent to excavate will be amended so the “exception” box is marked yes. Kim will call Mary Pinkham-Langer at DES to make sure there will not be an
additional fee for the amendment to the “intent.” Charlie and Bill will discuss the 8.1 v. 10-acre issue before the July 14 hearing and Charlie asked the Selectmen to consider allowing 10 acres.
D. APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
1. Minutes of June 2, 2008 - The Selectmen reviewed the minutes. Corrections were noted. David moved that they be accepted as amended. Christine seconded the motion. All were in favor.
2. Non-Public Minutes of June 2, 2008 - The Selectmen reviewed the non-public minutes. David moved that they be accepted as presented. Christine seconded the motion. All were in favor.
E. OLD BUSINESS:
1. Planning: A sitewalk took place at a large barn being built on Bunker Hill Road. This matter will be continued, as it wasn’t ready for sitewalk.
2. Survey-
· The retirement committee will meet June 19.
· The benefits committee is done.
· The Selectmen reviewed the last chapters of the manual. Burton will finish it up.
· Aflac is coming Wednesday to meet with the employees.
· Burton prepared a packet for the Selectmen to review in follow up to the meeting with Primex.
3. Update: Footbridge-Burton is advertising for engineers. The ad was in today’s paper. 4 inquiries have been received. The due date for inquiries is July 18. The Selectmen will then determine the short list and begin interviewing engineers. The Selectmen discussed who would be on the interview board. Sandi Van Scoyoc from the footbridge committee will be on the board. The Selectmen would also like Tom Miller or Brian Dorwart and a member of the Planning Board to be on the interview board. Bid specs will be issued in the early winter. Construction cannot begin until October 2009 when the funds are expected to come in. The engineering funds are available now. Dave met with Attorney Dwight Sowerby from
Bill Drescher’s office, the Eggers and their son who is also an attorney about the easement. Dwight prepared a proposed easement deed and sent it to the Eggers’ attorney. They have not yet responded. One issue with the easement is trying to protect the Eggers from people on their property if something happens to the footbridge and it is no longer there or falls into disuse. The exact location of the footbridge is still in question.
4. Update: Bog Brook Road-The Highway Department expects to install the culvert tomorrow. Paving is tentatively scheduled for the last week of June.
5. Update: Tucker Mill Bridge-The Highway Department is still waiting to receive the permit from DES. DES sent a letter saying it is administratively complete but it could be 90 days before the permit is received which would be late summer.
6. Maintenance-Gerry Cornett is still willing to continue doing maintenance if he is asked to do things. The Selectmen still like the program but need to determine a policy and maintenance schedule the town departments can agree with.
F. NEW BUSINESS:
1. Tracking Station Debris Removal Plan-Tim Brecheen from the Tracking Station met with Burton today and gave the presentation that they will give to the Selectmen at their next meeting. Fire Chief Dan MacDonald and Police Chief Chris Krajenka were notified of the meeting. The Conservation Commission will be notified. The Tracking Station is also willing to meet with them separately if necessary. The presentation will also be given to abutters June 25 at the Tracking Station.
2. Review of New Policies (at request of auditors)-Deferred to the next meeting.
G. OTHER:
1. Dave spoke to Chris about the adequacy of the emergency response Saturday afternoon. In the future Chris will be in charge of crowd control in this type of situation. A dfib device was considered for Chris’ police car.
2. Gordon asked for instruction on how to get into the historical building and the library when alarms go off as he is often in the area and available to shut them off.
H.PUBLIC COMMENT:
· Willard Dodge expressed concern that the pick up truck for use at the Transfer Station has often been going home with Gerry Cornett at night and on weekends. He has also heard Gerry has large yard sales and takes items from the Transfer Station home to sell. Resident Mr. Belanger told Willard he once tried to take some metal from the pile and Gerry told him he couldn’t have it and yet Gerry takes items for himself. Willard wants these actions stopped. Burton mentioned Gerry told him the truck had to go to Manchester Wednesday night for an appointment for front-end maintenance in Manchester the next morning.
· The Highway Department is waiting for permits from DES for phase II of the Bedford Road project and hope to install the pipes this summer. Burton will make sure the permits were applied for.
· Willard, Road Agent John Riendeau and Tom Miller have been investigating the culverts downtown. They have determined where the ones on the town side of the river go by opening them and plotting where they go. They plan to open the ones on the Clark Hill Road side of the river this month. Paperwork has also been researched. The culvert at issue on Clark Hill Road probably just needs a grate over the entrance to the pipe. The paperwork shows the Palmers were aware of the culvert when they built the house over it. The investigating team will get a copy of the state map for the town’s files and will formally report to the Selectmen
soon.
I. ADJOURNMENT: David made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 10:17 PM. Christine seconded the motion. All were in favor.
Prepared by Maralyn Segien
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