NEWTON BOARD OF SELECTMEN
DATE: TUESDAY, AUGUST 21, 2012
TIME: 4:30PM
LOCATION: NEWTON TOWN HALL, 2 TOWN HALL ROAD
PUBLIC MEETING MINUTES
- Call to Order, Roll Call Vote
Chairman McCarthy opened the public meeting at 4:35PM. In attendance were Chairman Trisha J. McCarthy, Selectman Raymond D. Thayer, Selectman Charles R. Melvin, Sr., Town Administrator Nancy J. Wrigley and Office Manager Mary B. Winglass. The meeting was audio taped; minutes were transcribed and typed by Office Manager Winglass.
Chairman McCarthy motioned to go into Nonpublic Session under RSA 91-A:3 II - (c) review July 17, 2012 Nonpublic Meeting minutes; (b) - Highway Laborer; (a) - Transfer Station. Second by Selectman Melvin. Motion passed with a unanimous roll call vote.
Chairman McCarthy motioned to close the nonpublic meeting at 5:58pm. Second by Selectman Melvin. Per a unanimous roll call vote, the minutes of the meeting will remain confidential until in the opinion of the majority of the members the circumstances no longer apply except to announce the following;
- The Board unanimously approved hiring Mark Kerns as a Permanent Part Time Highway Laborer/Operator at a Grade XIII, Step 1 as a Highway Operator Laborer to start September 3rd on a 90 day probationary period and a review in six months.
- Pledge of Allegiance
- Introduction of Guests
- Approval of Minutes (Review prior to meeting)
- Selectmen’s Public Meeting and Public Hearing minutes dated
August 7, 2012
Chairman McCarthy motioned to accept the Selectmen’s Public Meeting minutes and the Public Hearing Meeting minutes dated August 7th with the amendments concerning the merit increase for Permit Clerk Barbara White. Second by Selectman Melvin. Motion passed with a unanimous vote.
- Selectmen’s Nonpublic Meeting minutes dated July 17, 2012 and
August 7, 2012
The Board reviewed the July 17, 2012 nonpublic meeting minutes and decided to amend them; Winglass will update the minutes for the Board to review at their next meeting.
- Scheduled Business
- Letter from East Kingston Re: Perambulate the town bounds
The Board reviewed a memo from the Town of East Kingston requesting to schedule a date to perform a perambulation of the town bounds. Per RSA 51:2 & 4 each town is required to perambulate the town bounds once every seven years. A perambulation has not been performed between the Town of East Kingston and Newton since 2005.
The Board asked to respond by letter to the Town of East Kingston with a date of Saturday, October 6th at 9am to hold the perambulation.
- New Hires and Payroll Adjustments announced on August 7, 2012
Chairman McCarthy explained that at the August 7th meeting the Board decided to hire and give merit increases to employees but inadvertently did not make motions. Therefore tonight the Board will make the motions for the auditors and per the town’s policy for hiring.
Chairman McCarthy motioned to bring Peter Gagnon from Grade VII, Step 9 to Grade VII, step 10 retroactive to July 29, 2012. Second by Melvin. Motion passed with a unanimous vote.
Selectman Melvin motioned to bring Thomas DiFalco from Grade VII, step 10 to Grade IX, step 7 retroactive to July 7, 2012. Second by McCarthy. Motion passed with a unanimous vote.
Selectman Melvin motioned to bring Jeannette Clark, ZBA Secretary from Grade IX, step 7 to Grade IX, step 8 retroactive to June 30, 2012. Second by McCarthy. Motion passed with a unanimous vote.
Selectman Melvin motioned to bring Barbara White, Permit Clerk from Grade VI, step 2 to Grade VI, Step 3 retroactive to February 29, 2012; 2.5% as of February 29th, the other 2.5% starts on August 26, 2012. Second by McCarthy. Motion passed with a unanimous vote.
Selectman Thayer motioned to hire Leanne Wancheck as a new part time Police Officer effective August 7, 2012 at Grade XII, step 5. Second by McCarthy. Motion passed with a unanimous vote.
- Per RSA 31:95-b to accept and expend unanticipated funds to the Newton Food Pantry in the amount of $105.00 from the First Congregational Church and $32.70 from Planet Aid on behalf of the Newton Learning Center
Chairman McCarthy motioned per RSA 31:95-b to accept and expend unanticipated funds to the Newton Food Pantry in the amount of $105.00 from the First Congregational Church and $32.70 from Planet Aid on behalf of the Newton Learning Center. Second by Thayer. Motion passed with a unanimous vote.
The Board thanked them for their donation.
- Sign Volunteer Service Agreement between the Town of Newton and Michael Pramberg
The Board signed a Volunteer Service Agreement between the Town of Newton and Michael Pramberg for volunteer work as a Cable Operator.
The Board asked Transfer Station Manager Kevin Jolicoeur if he is available to set up the voting booths for the September 11th election. Jolicoeur responded that he does not have the time this year.
The Board decided to have a Police Officer from 8am to 8pm at the September 11th polls at the Town Hall.
Chairman McCarthy will contact Mello Disposal to remove the dumpster off the hot top at the back of Town Hall due to handicap accessibility.
The Board reviewed an email from Moderator Robert Dezmelyk informing the Board of the NH State Constitution, Section II, Article 32 which states the Selectmen should be present at the polls based upon the phrase “in the presence of the selectmen (whose duty it shall be to attend)”. All members of the Board stated that they would be present; Chairman McCarthy added that the Board will be paid for their time at the polls.
- IT Consultant Re: Bonding
Chairman McCarthy read a memo from Sylvania Maddock, IT Consultant asking to exempt her from obtaining insurance or a surety bond that would guarantee her performance. Per the Board’s request Maddock investigated various types of bonds and learned that a Surety Bond is a type of insurance that guarantees performance of a contract. It also states that contracts to the federal government running over $25,000 require the purchase of a Surety Bond. Maddock’s contract with the town falls below the $25,000 standard.
Selectman Thayer questioned when the contract expires; the contract expires at the end of the year. Both Chairman McCarthy and Selectman Thayer were in favor of waiting for the next contract due to the fact that Maddock has been with the town for 26 years.
Selectman Melvin disagreed.
Road Agent Mike Pivero was present and presented the 2012 paving bids with a breakdown of the pricing received from five companies.
The low bidders were Brox @ $74.30 per ton and Fitzgerald Grading @ $1.67sy
Work areas are as follows;
1260’ on Heath Street
800’ on Crane Crossing Road
1000’ on Maple Avenue
Total Reclaim/Fine Grade for the three roads is 7,601 sy for a total of $12,693.67
Total paving for the three roads is 1,490 ton for a total of $110,707.00
Pivero added that he wanted to include 910’ on Hadley Road this year but will have to pass due to cost. Pivero stated that he plans to include Hadley Road next year.
Pivero explained the pricing for this work is driven by the price of fuel and since this is not an exact science there may be adjustment so he asked the Board to approve the total cost for this year’s work at $130,000.
Chairman McCarthy reminded Pivero to check with Conservation regarding scenic roads. Pivero responded that he will check with Conservation Commission Chairman Peter Mears.
Payment for this work will come from the 2012 Highway Budget, 2009 and 2010 Highway Block Grant Funds.
Selectmen Melvin questioned the work to be done on Maple Avenue due to the Gavin Subdivision. A discussion ensued regarding the subdivision is an old one and if it happens it happens. The developer will have to put up a road bond and if they damage the road then they will have to fix it.
The plan is to do the work sometime in September.
Selectman Melvin motioned to go with Brox Industries and Fitzgerald Grading for reclaiming and paving of Heath Street for 1260’, Crane Crossing for 800’, Maple Avenue for 1000’ with an amount not to exceed $130,000. Second by Selectman Thayer. Motion passed with a unanimous vote.
- Transfer Station Re: Hiring Replacement Employees
Transfer Station Manager Kevin Jolicoeur was present to discuss staffing at the Transfer Station. Jolicoeur stated that he is running short staffed on a regular basis. He is down by three employees due to medical reasons, another graduated college and the last one left on his own. Jolicoeur added that it is going on four months being short staffed which is unsafe and a liability to the town. Three of the employees were floaters and two were permanent part time employees.
Town Administrator Wrigley added that the employee that is on FMLA expires on September 6, 2012. The Board signed a letter to a Transfer Station employee informing him that the town will no longer hold his position as “Floater” at the Transfer Station.
Chairman McCarthy added that the situation is that Jolicoeur is going to need surgery soon and one employee is working extremely limited hours. Jolicoeur added that he is relying heavily on volunteers. Jolicoeur added that Justin Windspur has been working as a community service worker; he is days shy of his 15th birthday and would like to continue to work at the Transfer Station. He is dependable, works hard and Jolicoeur would like to hire him. Due to his age the Board decided to ask Justin to start procuring the paperwork to hire him, which we can do at our next meeting. In the meantime, we can prepare a volunteer agreement.
Chairman McCarthy motioned for Justin Windspur to continue volunteering at the Transfer Station and we will sign outside a meeting the Volunteer Agreement. Second by Selectman Thayer. Motion passed with a unanimous vote.
- 74 Smith Corner Road Re: Hazardous Waste Soil Scientist
Chairman McCarthy explained that she spoke with a Hazardous Waste Soil Scientist who took a look at the property. Based upon the information received from the Soil Scientist the amount of work is over the bid price which will make it difficult for there are not many Hazardous Waste Soil Scientists. The Board decided to try to get at least three quotes through the RFP process. Road Agent Mike Pivero was present and a discussion ensued regarding the work to be completed. Pivero offered an overview advice on this project and will help to get quotes from LSP’s (Licensed Site Professional) for this work.
- Announcements
- Other Business, Sign Manifests, Requisitions, Abatements, Tax Credits, Correspondence and Appointments
- EMD Larry Foote mentioned the Safety Meeting scheduled for September 19, 2012 .
- EMD Larry Foote stated that he heard that he could not apply for grants unless we are sure that we get the money. Selectman Melvin responded that he would not sign any grant paperwork unless we are sure we are going to get the funding. McCarthy, Thayer and Foote explained to Melvin the process for applying for grants. Once Melvin understood that the funding received is put back into the budget per RSA 31:95-b his concerns were no longer an issue.
- Selectman Melvin motioned to sign the Vendor Manifest in the amount of $34,008.29 dated August 20, 2012. Second by Thayer. Motion passed with a unanimous vote.
- The Board signed vacation time for Richard Milner and Mary Winglass.
- The Board reviewed their meeting schedule for September; the Board made a change to the schedule as follows; September 4th meeting is rescheduled to Wednesday, September 12th.
- The Board reviewed the quote from T&M Maintenance regarding the repairs at Greenie Park. Recreation Commission asked if it was possible to do the repairs to the irrigation system next year but Tim Hajjar of T&M Maintenance told Winglass that the work needs to be done now for the field has already sustained damage due to the sprinklers not working correctly. Recreation offered to pay for ½ of the repairs. The Selectmen decided to purchase locks for the fields to keep vehicles out and to pay for the other half of the repairs to be paid out of the General Government Buildings budget.
- The Board discussed that the next Regional Selectmen’s Meeting is on September 19th ; Winglass suggested adding to the agenda the perambulation of town bounds. Winglass will put together a packet of information for the Board to bring to the meeting.
- The Board signed the MS-1 Extension per the recommendation of Town Assessor Andrea Lewy.
- Adjourn
Chairman McCarthy motioned to adjourn at 7:52pm. Second by Thayer. Motion passed with a unanimous vote.
Respectfully Submitted,
Mary B. Winglass, Office Manager
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