Town of New Boston
Selectmen's Meeting
March 2, 2009
PRESENT: Gordon Carlstrom Selectman
David Woodbury Selectman
Christine Quirk Selectman Absent
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: (Dave=Dave Rugg, David=David Woodbury) Dave Rugg of Joe English Road was present to meet with the Selectmen to discuss the survey the Police Department is conducting. He said his wife received a phone call from the Police Department asking her survey questions and he has since spoken to other residents who have also received calls. Dave became concerned and tried to reach Gordon who was not available but then he reached David Woodbury who didn’t have a lot of information about the survey. Dave Rugg said the townspeople should have been notified about the survey and he is concerned about the way it is being done by the Police Department by an intern, cadet or officer as opposed to the usual way surveys are conducted. He said his wife was asked for by name and
was asked if their children (by name) each still lived there and then asked her opinion of the Police Department. She didn’t hold back and is now concerned about retribution because the Police Department now knows who she is, where she lives and what she said. She has had dealings with the Police Chief as have the other residents Dave has spoken to about the survey. Dave asked if the Police Department is calling only people they have had specific dealings with? Police Chief Chris Krajenka answered they are calling every number in town. The officers and an intern at the Department are conducting the survey. What is being done with the information? The Police Department plans to use the information they gather through the survey to learn ways to better serve the community, learn how they are lacking and how they can improve. Why are they asking for specific people by name? Chris was not sure and would have to look into who
called the Ruggs. Why were the Ruggs’ children named and asked if they still lived there? Chris said he is not sure that happened. This is a scripted survey the residents are allowed to view at the Police Department and the town will consider posting it on the town’s website. An article was published in the New Boston Bulletin notifying residents of the survey. Dave expressed his concern about retribution after answering survey questions and Chris said the Police Department won’t use survey answers for retribution. Why isn’t the survey being conducted by a non-biased entity? Chris said because the purpose of the survey is to better serve the community, they don’t have funds to hire an outside entity to conduct it. The Department wants to try to improve and will compile a report on their findings when the survey is complete. They expect to make their conclusions by May and the report will be a public
document. Brandy Mitroff was present and said some people have expressed concern about the tone of the person conducting the interview and didn’t have a good feeling when they got off the phone. She also said it might not be a good idea to start the survey right before town voting day. Chris will consider putting the phone calls on hold until after voting. Dave also suggested that because it is the Police Department calling residents might be holding back with their answers wondering what would happen to them and suggested doing the survey through the town website or another way to configure the survey for one response per household. He also suggested making the answers anonymous and using some certification people to get them more training. Dave also suggested the questions should be asked in a format he has had experience with where residents could rate their satisfaction on different areas of the Police Department’s work in a range
such as 1 being the worst and 5 being the best option and then ask if the resident has an additional comment on that area. Chris said the purpose of the survey is not to target citizens it is to improve the Police Department and they have received some candid answers so far. Dave asked what the source of the survey was and Chris said most accredited agencies do a survey and he tailored questions from Goffstown and Nashua’s surveys to come up with the questions for New Boston. He said names would be redacted from the surveys. The Selectmen noted this is a small town and there is not much value to put names on a set of survey comments.
C. APPOINTMENTS:
1. 7:00 PM Chris Krajenka Police Department
Police Chief Chris Krajenka was present to meet with the Selectmen to discuss his monthly Department report.
The Police Department has been in the process of potentially hiring two additional officers. The Chief recently held oral boards with several potential candidates and told them he was looking for two officers. He then learned through another town employee that because of the state’s budget shortfall the state might not provide $250,000 in revenue to the town that could affect the amount of officers the Department can hire this year. This caused Chris some embarrassment and concern that the potential candidates will not take his employment offer seriously. He stated to the Selectmen that it would have helped him in the hiring process if they and the Town Administrator had been up front with him about the situation instead of waiting to tell him. He is under a
deadline to get the candidates into the Police Academy and that is why he needed to know sooner rather than later that there was a potential problem affecting hiring in his Department. The Selectmen said they didn’t know how time sensitive the information was to Chris; they were trying to get the information to the Department Managers in an orderly manner. Burton said he was told not to say anything about how the budget problem would affect hiring in the Police Department until the decision was finalized through a memo from the Selectmen. The Selectmen said the final decision on the hiring still has not been made but it is likely the Police Department will be asked to hire only one additional officer this year instead of two. Chris said communication is not coming down to the Department Managers the way it should and he can’t run his department this way. The Selectmen said the situation with the state revenues is sensitive and they wanted
to finalize things and put definite facts on paper because communication by word of mouth is not precise enough. They agreed telling Chris of the situation ahead of time probably would have benefited him but the Selectmen are trying to work on communication with Department Managers, were told a specific process to follow and were trying to follow it. There has been a lot of discussion about if information given to Department Managers should come from the Selectmen or the Town Administrator. It was decided at this meeting that timeliness would be helped by allowing the Town Administrator to give information to Department Managers followed up by a memo from the Selectmen. The Selectmen suggested Burton might have held off in this case because he has received complaints that he is too up front with the Department Managers, on the other hand he is in the town offices all day every day when the Selectmen are not in the town offices as often. They also
suggested Chris and Burton should speak more often as other Department Managers do with Burton.
- The Chief asked if the Selectmen want to be present at the Oral Boards. The next one will go from 8am to 3pm. The Selectmen want to try to be there and feel they should be involved.
- The Chief noted there is one potential candidate who seems outstanding with a great background. All the candidates will need the Academy. He said he received 31 responses to the employment ad, out of which 15 did the written test, 20 did the physical test. After the tests 10 candidates were left. Two candidates were certified but one certified candidate opted out of the Oral Boards. There were 4 really good candidates after the Oral Boards and one in particular stands out. Chris is getting ready to offer one candidate a conditional letter and will report back to the Selectmen with that after doing a couple more things in the hiring process.
- The Chief reviewed a situation the Department had with Rose Meadow Garden where the Department was called to help with a patient twice. He noted Rose Meadow Garden should have a medical protocol to deal with that type of situation. The Police Department has documented the incident well and Rose Meadow Garden told Chris they would do the same. Chris plans to get ace bandage wraps to use in this type of situation in the future. They are also required to transport a patient to the hospital in the ambulance in this situation. This involves even more town personnel. It was decided at this meeting that a police cruiser with the lights on would always follow the ambulance in this type of situation. The town also needs to find a location to always transport the patient to in this type of situation. Chris and
Fire Chief Dan MacDonald plan to meet with Mr. Donovan at Rose Meadow Garden about their medical protocol in this type of situation. They are not presently concerned that the facility is not adequately staffed or supervised. However, police don’t belong there and these situations should be handled medically using appropriate patient care standards by the facility.
- Officer Kochanek is doing the DARE program.
- Several recent crimes in town were discussed.
- The Special Olympics were today. Chris was unable to attend due to the snowstorm and a meeting in Concord regarding the law he is working on with state officials regarding substances that would cause impairment.
D. APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
1. Minutes of February 17, 2009 - The Selectmen reviewed the minutes. Corrections were noted. David moved that they be accepted as amended. Gordon seconded the motion. All were in favor.
E. OLD BUSINESS:
1. Planning:
Gordon presented the following:
· The Planning Board discussed driveway regulations in follow up to Attorney Dwight Sowerby’s presentation at a recent meeting. The Planning Board will send him a letter with additional questions they have.
· The Planning Board discussed the AT&T telecommunications facility on Wilson Hill Road at a Vista Road LLC property. A tower is proposed for the clearing.
· The Bedford Road traffic study and traffic studies in general were discussed. The Planning Board decided they still want a road to Bedford Road from the Susan Road/McCurdy Road area but the town might have to share costs with the developer.
· Tim White and Cheryl Christener sold some land that was combined with another lot. The Planning Board recently granted a subdivision there then learned of a “no further subdivision” condition on the deed. The new owner was then told he cannot subdivide.
· The Comprehensive Shoreline Protection Act information packet was distributed.
David presented the following:
· The Planning Board will work on driveway regulations at their next meeting.
· The McCurdy developer has had trouble with their engineer and are withdrawing their application for now.
· Beard Road subdivision-The Garretsons asked via letter if conditions precedent would be continued again but without a representative present at the meeting the Planning Board decided not to continue the conditions precedent.
· Scott and Robin Elliott met with the Planning Board for a minor subdivision of their home lot to create two additional lots and keep a lot for their home. There was an issue of wetlands on the lot. The subdivision was approved on the condition that Bob Todd’s plan would confirm the acreage and move a lot line.
· Trussell subdivision Clark Hill Road-There is an issue that the lot has to handle a lot of water and require an elaborate drainage system the landowner would be responsible to maintain. There was also discussion recommending a communal lot be included in the plan. The Trussells will work with their engineer to come up with a plan to make the drainage system easier to maintain.
· An AT&T cell tower was proposed on land belonging to Lorden. This is land locked land with a right of way over land owned by the Society for Protection of New Hampshire Forests who is willing to allow access to and from the cell tower on the easement.
2. Survey-Burton is working on the final draft of the personnel manual and will discuss it with the Selectmen at the next meeting, then give it back to the committee to compile. The Selectmen need to decide who will review the manual to make sure it is legal. A lot of language was taken straight from the Local Government Center samples that were already reviewed by LGC’s counsel. Burton will speak to Attorney Schwartz about how it should be reviewed.
3. Potential Land For Town Use-David attended the sitewalk at the land Ernie Thibeault wants to sell including the Bud Scott gravel pit piece and the Roger Noonan field piece. The building was looked at and the people in attendance decided it would be useful for a maintenance garage but not good for conversion to basketball courts for the Recreation Department. The town is hindered by not knowing the asking price for the land. All parties agreed the Bud Scott gravel piece (approximately 150 acres) was of interest to all departments for different reasons and the property is contiguous to the lot Roger Noonan raises his vegetables on. They decided to commission an appraisal of the properties from a commercial appraisal company. The Conservation Commission is also interested in the
other two lots and they will also be appraised. The Department Heads will meet to discuss how each can use the land and how each purpose would fit on the lot. The Selectmen also discussed the option of trying to buy the Tingley Pit for town use. Brandy Mitroff suggested the town try to talk to Skip about it as he is running the pit for Sue Tingley.
F. NEW BUSINESS:
1. Web Site Comments-Heidi Reisman Jones wrote to the Selectmen asking to add her daycare to the town website. Burton reviewed case law and found a court case that ruled it is ok to keep a municipal website government related only and not advertise town businesses on the sites. The Selectmen considered adding a link to a website the town businesses could set up. It was noted the website currently links to other area schools and these links might be removed and the town would instead list the schools with their phone numbers only to not be associated with the content of the school websites. If they try to list all the schools that list would have to be maintained by a town employee which would be time consuming and if all stores and services want to be listed the employee would have
to spend a lot of time dealing with the community information as well as the municipal information. On the other hand, if the town decides not to list this information the website becomes less useful to the people using it. The Selectmen will research what other towns are listing with their websites.
2. Voting Day Coverage-A Selectmen is required to be present at the election site. Gordon is running for re-election so cannot be too visible but may be available to be there in the morning. Dave is available in the afternoon. Christine will be returning from vacation Sunday or Monday and Burton is not sure if she will be available to attend.
3. Audit Schedule-Plodzick and Sanderson will be coming to town in April.
4. FEMA Submission-Ice Storm-Burton plans to submit the information to FEMA this week. The spring cleanup portion will be submitted separately.
G. OTHER:
1. The NHMA meeting today was cancelled and rescheduled for March 11 at 9:30. Dave is available if necessary.
2. The Selectmen reviewed the draft of an article for Assessor George Hildum to review when he comes in that explains the property assessments process. The New Boston Bulletin will publish it in April.
H. PUBLIC COMMENT: Brandy Mitroff asked if New Boston has any projects that qualify for some stimulus money but Burton said New Boston doesn’t have any big projects the federal government would be interested in.
I. ADJOURNMENT: David made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 9:15 PM. Gordon seconded the motion. All were in favor.
Prepared by Maralyn Segien
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