PRESENT:
Rodney Towne, Selectman
Dwight Lovejoy, Selectman
Christine Quirk, Selectman
Burton Reynolds, Town Administrator
New Boston Bulletin Editor Brandy Mitroff, New Boston Energy Commission Chairman Susan Carr, Recreation Director Mike Sindoni, Recreation Commissioner Lee Brown, Architect David Ely, Tom Lapizo from Local Government Center, and residents Glen Dickey and Keith Hannon 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:
None.
C. APPOINTMENTS:
1. 6:00 PM Susan Carr Energy Commission
New Boston Energy Commission Chairman Susan Carr was present to discuss energy issues with the Selectmen.
October 10, 2010 is global awareness of energy issues day. The Commission wishes to erect a sign in this regard on the common and has filed an application for a sign permit. The sign is not yet designed.
The Commission recommends the Selectmen create an energy chapter for the Master Plan to comply with the law. The Energy Commission may need to meet with the Planning Board about this.
The Commission members attended a local energy conference this summer and learned about financing for town energy projects. Burton also noted the Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission is willing to help New Boston work on an ETAP grant.
2. 6:10 PM Tom Lapizo Local Government Center
Tom Lapizo from the Local Government Center was present to distribute some information regarding the Local Government Center’s services to the Selectmen and discuss these services with them. He has been trying to meet with as many Selectboard’s in the state as he can to talk about the services the Local Government Center offers to member towns. The services they provide are lobbying to the legislature, insurance products, legal services and education/training programs and seminars. New Boston is a member and uses the Local Government Center for health and property liability insurance and training seminars. New Boston pays $3800 per year for all programs except insurance. The Local Government Center is the largest non-profit self-insured health insurance program in the United States. The
Local Government Center is completely open to the right to know law. They met last Friday and have several additional meetings scheduled between now and mid-October to set insurance rates for next year. The Selectmen were invited to attend these meetings. Two public hearings will be held on September 30, one in Bedford and one in Plymouth. The towns will then be notified of the insurance premium rate increase. They have voted to increase the property liability insurance premium rate by 4.5%, which will go into effect next July.
3. 6:15 PM David Ely Town Hall Renovations
Architect David Ely was present to meet with the Selectmen to discuss plans for renovations of the Town Hall. He asked the Selectmen if he could move forward on bidding for this project in conjunction with bidding that will take place this month on the Old Engine House renovation project. He reviewed the planned Town Hall renovations with the Selectmen and noted the renovations should last 5-10 years until the second phase of the Town Hall renovations are begun. He noted four feet would be added to the Town Clerk’s office from the tax collector and accountant office, as the accountant office will move upstairs. The Building Department will get a counter for people to work with them instead of having to walk through the conference room to meet with the Building Department. The current storage area will be
renovated and organized to provide for more storage capability. The break room will be smaller to provide for more file storage for the Planning Department. Space will be reserved for a future elevator, which is planned in phase two. File storage will be created behind the stage upstairs, the floor will be reinforced for this purpose. The Police Department will have locked file storage here as well. Twelve feet of the stage will be preserved. The meeting room may be moved upstairs during phase two and the Planning Department would then move to the current meeting room and their files would then be stored in their current office. He estimates approximately $100,000 will be needed to replace the Town Hall windows. An energy retrofit would also help. The Selectmen agreed to send this out for bid in conjunction with the bids for the Old Engine House Renovation. A CIP discussion meeting is scheduled for September and this
project will be discussed during the CIP process to determine if the project should be funded by tax money or the capital reserve fund. They will also consider if more money should be placed in the Town Hall Renovation CRF next March.
4. 6:30 PM Lee Brown Old Engine House Renovation
Recreation Commissioner Lee Brown and Recreation Director Mike Sindoni were present to meet with the Selectmen to discuss the progress the Recreation Department has been making on the Old Engine House renovations. The Selectmen reviewed the architectural plans. Architect David Ely noted a lot of the exterior and interior will remain the same during this phase of the renovations. The electric heat will stay for now; the building will be tied into the Town Hall boiler at a later phase. It was found to be too costly to do during this phase. A trench will be dug between the Town Hall and Old Engine House now to get the alarm system in and heating pipes will probably be placed at the same time. The bathroom will be enlarged, new carpet and tile will be installed on half of the building and concrete floor
will be kept on the half of the building used for storage, display cases will be removed, new windows will be installed and the rear door will be removed. The next step is to get the bids, which are expected to be received within 4-5 weeks. Brandy Mitroff asked how the town could improve the estimate process as some of these items were estimated last year and included in the Warrant Article and has now been discovered to be more expensive than originally estimated and the same items will have to go before voters again. David noted pluming and electric were a priority and some items did not come to light until architectural drawings were done this year. There will still be some structural unknowns at voting time. The Selectmen decided to find ways to get more accurate estimates and add higher contingency amounts early on to prevent this issue in the future.
5. 6:45 PM Chris Krajenka/Lee Brown Video Cameras
Recreation Commissioner Lee Brown was present to meet with the Selectmen to discuss progress he and Police Chief Chris Krajenka have made on obtaining video cameras for various locations around town. Chris was unable to attend tonight’s meeting. Lee said he and Chris have been working with Brendan Daly, Derry’s security equipment vendor, to design a security camera system for New Boston. They have considered systems for the school, police department, recreation facilities and Town Hall. They have chosen the system they would like to install. This will include software and licensing costs and costs for each camera. Outdoor cameras are more expensive. Chris has discussed the system with other departments. Fire Chief Dan MacDonald also asked for a camera to scan the level of the
river. Chris and Lee then reached out to businesses in that corner to see if they would be interested in cameras in that location and both have agreed to meet with Chris and Lee to discuss this eventuality. Transfer Station Manager Gerry Cornett would like a camera at the Transfer Station that will be discussed later. A proposal for the police department was distributed to the Selectmen detailing a new camera in the lobby with audio and video capabilities, three cameras on the exterior and an integrated camera with voice capability and a light indicating whether it is on or off for $8,000-9,000 which the Police Department budget can handle. The data gathered could be stored on a PC costing $1500 or a server costing $2000. This includes installation and all hardware. A camera on the outdoor edge of the Town Hall would cost an additional $5000. The Recreation Department has $2500 to apply to the camera on the Town Hall and could add a camera
to the interior hallway for an additional $300-400. There would probably not be a requirement for an additional server unless more cameras are added. The school would include a camera on their network for the skateboard park. Residents have expressed concern that big brother will be watching once the cameras are installed. These cameras would not be monitored unless there was an incident then the data from the appropriate camera would be reviewed. The security system has not yet gone out to bid.
Glen Dickey was present and said he moved to New Boston to get away from recording of public places by government agencies. He distributed information to the Selectmen with information saying cameras do not deter crime, they could be hacked into, it will run into bandwidth issues and the cost is too high. He also thanked the Selectmen for making the minutes of meetings available to him.
Keith Hannon was present and said he works in the technology field with computers, he sees the pace technology is progressing. He asked if the Selectmen feel people are getting more evil or could it be increasing age making them fear these activities more. Rodney said the number of people in town makes this more necessary. He said he moved here one year ago from an area that is heavily surveilled. He said surveillance is a slippery slope and asked what is the practical level before taking it too far. He said a cost benefit analysis should be done. He agrees with surveillance inside the police department. Rodney said the Selectmen will consider where surveillance would go too far and decide on camera placement.
The Selectmen decided to move forward with the cameras at the police station. Quotes will be obtained then Lee and Chris will meet with Burton and put the information in the Selectmen’s read folder. The Selectmen will consider a camera behind the Town Hall when the quotes are received.
D. APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
1. Minutes of August 30, 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.
2. Non-Public Minutes of August 30, 2010 - The Selectmen reviewed both sets of non-public minutes. Rodney moved that they be accepted as presented. Dwight seconded the motion. All were in favor.
E. OLD BUSINESS:
1. Planning: None.
F. NEW BUSINESS:
1. Finance Committee Schedule-The schedule is not yet ready.
2. Warrant and Budget Master Calendar-This is ready.
3. Overtime Request-Planning Coordinator Nic Strong sent a memo to the Selectmen asking to be paid overtime for the time she spent at a Planning Board meeting while she was using vacation time during the Town Hall asbestos removal. Burton had originally declined this request based on page 3 of section 6 of the personnel manual. Nic then appealed this decision to the Selectmen. Rodney is willing to grant overtime in this case due to the asbestos removal situation and would not consider this decision a precedent. Dwight and Christine are against granting the request. The consensus of the Board was not to grant this request.
G. OTHER:
1. The Selectmen keep the non-public minutes as brief as they are under legal advice. However this does not help the town during legal proceedings. The Selectmen decided that in some cases they need more in the text of the non-public minutes other than just the subject to prove a discussion took place. The same form, which was originally received from Primex, will still be used but where it says “shall minutes be publicly disclosed” will be checked “no” for more detailed minutes.
2. The employee appreciation cookout will take place September 29.
3. Rodney spoke with Planning Coordinator Nic Strong about the gravel permits and agrees with her on the position that the gravel operators need one more public hearing as it is state law and the prior hearings cannot be considered.
4. Oil costs for the coming year were discussed. This year the school will be paying $2.38 per gallon from Fred Fuller. The town paid $2.19 per gallon last year with Putnam and will use Putnam again and pay $2.29 per gallon.
5. Christie Zimmerman on Laurel Lane wants to make changes to her front yard next year and asked a Board member to review the plan with Road Agent John Riendeau and advise what to do. Dwight will meet with John about it.
6. The Selectmen had no additional comments for the Police Chief’s spring review and it will be forwarded to him.
7. The Selectmen signed the MS-1 as prepared by the town’s assessor.
H. PUBLIC COMMENT:
I. ADJOURNMENT: Rodney made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:00 PM. Dwight seconded the motion. All were in favor.
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