PRESENT:
Rodney Towne, Selectman
Dwight Lovejoy Selectman
Christine Quirk, Selectman
Burton Reynolds, Town Administrator
Transfer Station Manager Gerry Cornett, Police Chief Chris Krajenka, state senate candidate Ray White, Brandy Mitroff and Amy and Victor Parrish were also present.
A. CALL TO ORDER: A regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen was called to order by Christine Quirk at 6:00PM beginning with the Pledge of Allegiance.
B. PUBLIC COMMENT:
Ray White introduced himself, as he is a candidate for State Senate District 9. He is running against Dave Danielson who attended a previous Selectmen’s meeting. Ray said he has lived in the Bedford/Merrimack area since 1988, which are the largest towns in the district. He has owned Cornerstone Benefit and Retirement Group for 25 years, which is a business that sells employee benefits. He is running for senate office because a seat is open and he has noticed over the past 3-4 years that the size of the employee groups he is helping through his business are decreasing and he has decided it is time to bring his business sense to help this situation. Another important issue to him is the matter that public pensions are not funded correctly. He is a certified financial planner. He has been
married 22 years and has a 19-year-old autistic son and an 8-year-old son. He can be reached at his website www.raywhiteforsenate.com or 647-9136.
C. APPOINTMENTS:
1. 6:00 PM Gerry Cornett Transfer Station
Transfer Station Manager Gerry Cornett was present to meet with the Selectmen to discuss projects the Transfer Station employees are working on.
The truck for the new school recycling project is 99% complete. The inspection is taking place. He met with the school and janitors today about how the program will be run. The dumpster area at the school has been cleaned up. This is where food that will be recycled to a local farmer will be kept. Fourteen companies have donated time, effort or supplies to the program. Corcoran Environmental donated twelve 96-gallon totes worth over $100 each. A ceremony to present the program to students will be held Thursday at 9:00 AM outside immediately following the fire drills. The Selectmen were invited to attend. NRRA and NH The Beautiful will attend. The student council will run the program. Gerry will be an advisor to the student council. The Transfer
Station is working with the Friendly Beaver Campground to start a recycling program there as well.
Corcoran Environmental has indicated they have full intentions to repay the $12,000 they owe to New Boston. They want New Boston’s recycling business back. Gerry has informed them they need to meet three conditions before this happens. They need to pay the town back, get approval from the Selectmen and make their bids good for thirty days. The Transfer Station has primarily been using the NRRA. NRRA owes the town $5600. The Transfer Station expects to make $80,000 in revenue this year.
The Transfer Station is preparing for winter by rehabbing the sander and scales.
The Transfer Station will mow the old landfill area one more time this year. They do their own mowing. They plan to use the old Highway Department mower by fixing it up during the winter for use at the Transfer Station, as the current mower they have is too small.
The trucking contract expires this year. Trucking companies are calling for business. The Transfer Station has been using Jeff Denning for trucking for 18 years and he has been very good to the town.
Gerry spoke with New Boston Bulletin Editor Brandy Mitroff about an article in the paper saying the Recreation Department will accept donations to cover the remainder of the cost to letter the school’s recycling truck instead of putting the donations into the general fund. This will cost $3300 total coming from different groups.
Gerry thanked the Selectmen for allowing him to speak to each one individually recently.
The Transfer Station Advisory Committee is meeting tonight. They plan to discuss ways to educate the public about paper recycling and set a predictable time of each month for their meetings.
2. 6:30 PM Chief Krajenka Police Department
Police Chief Chris Krajenka was present to meet with the Selectmen to discuss projects the Police Department is working on.
Call volume has increased compared to last year. The types of calls the department is dealing with are very time consuming. Chris reviewed some recent calls with the Selectmen.
Police follow up on dog licenses is an issue. This is very time consuming and costs the town money compared to the revenue received through dog licenses. Chris plans to have police department volunteers review the list of unpaid licenses in advance next year and make phone calls to try to save the town time and money is serving residents who have not paid their yearly dog license fee. Chris has also been speaking with Representative Meade about the issue to find a better way to approach it and maybe change the law. Brandy mentioned an article she saw in the newspaper about the new way the Bedford Town Clerk is handling the matter. Chris will call her.
The retired police vehicle online auction began Sunday. The black car has had over 400 hits and the bids are up to $2,025 and the white car has had over 100 hits and the bids are up to $1,025. Several more offers are expected. There are nine more auction days left.
Letters were received from the state of NH regarding additional funds available from the repeater grants. The battery backup update recently done might qualify under the grant. Chris will also meet with Two-Way Communications to discuss other projects New Boston could do at the Dodge and Ridgeview repeater locations that could qualify under the grant.
The issue of a call for a stray dog was discussed. When a call came in on Old Coach Road the officer told the caller there was nothing the police could do about a stray dog. Chris said there are actually several steps that could have been taken. A memo was issued to the staff regarding this.
The Selectmen authorized Chris to use Prosecutor Rick Bailey to cover some shifts due to one officer away at the academy and other officers taking vacations.
Move to enter Non-Public Session: Rodney made a motion to go into Non-Public session per RSA 91-A:3II(a) at 7:03 PM. Dwight seconded the motion. All were in favor.
Move to exit Non-Public Session: Rodney made a motion to exit Non-Public Session at 7:15 PM. Dwight seconded the motion. All were in favor.
D. APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
1. Minutes of August 16, 2010 - The Selectmen reviewed the minutes. Corrections were noted. Rodney moved that they be accepted as amended. Dwight seconded the motion. All were in favor. The Highway Department was complimented on their recent work on the culvert on Colburn Road.
E. OLD BUSINESS:
1. Planning:
A hearing was held regarding the property on Route 136 3 lots and was approved.
A compliance hearing was held regarding Kenneth and Linda Diaz’s wetland crossing on Arrowwood. A sitewalk was held where it was noted no stabilization was in place. The applicant sent pictures in showing stabilization is now in place and the Planning Board approved it.
Twin Bridge Land Management-underground utilities will be required. They need to apply for another cul-de-sac extension for an additional cul-de-sac they plan that is also beyond the cul-de-sac length requirements. The original long cul-de-sac was approved. Two cisterns were originally planned, Rodney will check on the current plans
.
Lorden 42-lot subdivision between McCurdy Road and Susan Road-A sitewalk is scheduled for September 9 at 5:30.
Susan LeClair Revocable Trust-This plan for two wetland crossings was in effect five years ago, it is now complete but not to specifications. The DES permits expired before the work was done. There has been no report that the problem was corrected. The Planning Board sent a letter to the applicant asking them to prove the crossings are done according to a current DES permit before November 10 or it will be denied.
John Neville plans to remove material at his place of business on Whipplewill Road and erect a building. Extensive blasting will be required. Neighbors are concerned. A sitewalk is scheduled for September 16.
A sitewalk is scheduled for September 11 at 8:30 to review 30 driveways for Emile Bussiere SIB Trust. Christine will attend in Rodney’s place.
The Planning Board has turned over the matter of the Bilodeau firewood business on Joe English Road to the Selectmen for a decision. The Selectmen will ask Attorney Bill Drescher for advice.
Code Enforcement Officer Ed Hunter is working with Bob Waller to get his home business in compliance. Town Attorney Leslie Nixon was called to help on this but couldn’t due to a conflict. Attorney Bill Drescher may be asked to help in this case.
Fred Hayes and Matt Beaulieu were appointed to the CIP Committee by the Planning Board and Alfred Pinault was appointed to the Sign Committee.
A public hearing was held regarding the proposed gravel ordinance. Primary concerns expressed were the volume of the new ordinance and the concern that gravel pit operators with a permit from the Selectmen would be required to go through the hearing process with abutters again and that may not be appropriate. The Selectmen wondered if a technical gravel committee should be formed. Attorney Bill Drescher has reviewed this matter in the past and didn’t see a need for gravel pit operators to have periodic hearings as long as they stayed in compliance. Of they were not in compliance the Code Enforcement Officer would work with them to bring them into compliance and if unsuccessful the court would resolve it. The Selectmen plan to get clarification from Bill. The Selectmen wondered
if the gravel pit operators should be asked for their version of the process. Another public hearing is scheduled.
F. NEW BUSINESS:
1. Open Space Committee Appointment (Alternate)-David Woodbury applied for a position on the Open Space Committee. The Open Space Committee nominated him for the position. Rodney moved to nominate David Woodbury as a member of the Open Space Committee. Dwight seconded the motion. All were in favor.
2. MS-4 (Revenue Estimates For Tax Rate)-The Selectmen reviewed the draft MS-4. It is not yet complete pending receipt of information from the Town Clerk. Burton noted revenues are expected to decrease from last year. The Selectmen could decide to use money from the unreserved fund balance to keep the tax rate down but that could impact next year’s tax rate. Assessor George Hildum needs to file the MS-1. The DRA (Department of Revenue Administration) will use these documents and the documents from the school to set the tax rate. Tax bills are expected to be mailed by November 1.
3. Selectmen Rep to Capital Improvement Plan Committee-Dwight would like to attend regularly. Christine and Rodney will try to attend. The meetings take place on Wednesday nights and Rodney and Christine usually have a conflict that night. The first meeting is scheduled for September 15.
4. Capital Improvement Plan Discussion-The current CIP Plan was reviewed. The forms are due from the Department Managers September 10 and they should meet with the Selectmen if they plan to add any items to the CIP this year. The CIP process can be under the Planning Board as now or changed to be under the authority of the Selectmen via a Warrant Article was discussed. CIP Chairman Brandy Mitroff encouraged the Selectmen to include this Warrant Article on the upcoming ballot. She plans to improve communication between the CIP Committee and the Planning Board this year as they still have authority over the CIP Plan.
5. Hazard Mitigation Plan Worksheet-The Selectmen, Burton and each committee member is required to complete and return a worksheet.
G. OTHER:
1. The Selectmen send condolences to the Elliott family for the loss of Bib Elliott, a public servant to New Boston.
2. The Selectmen did not approve the purchase of a grader at their last meeting but will approve it tonight. Rodney moved to accept the selling price bid of $231,350 from Nortrax for the John Deere 672GP motor grader with a $42,000 trade in of a 1998 john Deere grader bringing the price to $189,350. Dwight seconded the motion. All were in favor. The CRF is supplying $171,000 with the remainder being covered by the Highway Block Grant.
3. The next Selectmen’s meeting will be next Tuesday.
4. Burton will work at home on Fridays in September to complete employee reviews. He will be on vacation the week of September 13.
5. The monthly Department Managers meeting will be Wednesday at 10:00 AM at the library.
H. PUBLIC COMMENT:
Victor Parrish asked for a list of elected positions in town that are paid, their job descriptions, necessary qualifications and authority to each position. The answer was there is one elected part time employee, the Town Clerk 35 hours regulated by an RSA, which he will copy for Victor and Amy. The rest of the elected positions are stipend. Victor also asked how the hours of the Transfer Station could be changed to accommodate residents who work out of town and cannot get to the Transfer Station before it closes at 6:00 PM and was told he could ask the Selectmen or the Transfer Station Advisory Committee.
I. Move to enter Non-Public Session: Rodney made a motion to go into Non-Public session per RSA 91-A:3II(a) at 8:39 PM. Dwight seconded the motion. All were in favor.
J. Move to exit Non-Public Session: Rodney made a motion to exit Non-Public Session at 8:50 PM. Dwight seconded the motion. All were in favor.
K. ADJOURNMENT: Rodney made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:51 PM. Dwight seconded the motion. All were in favor.
Prepared by Maralyn Segien
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