NEWTON BOARD OF SELECTMEN
DATE: TUESDAY, April 5, 2016
TIME: 6:00PM
LOCATION: NEWTON TOWN HALL, 2 TOWN HALL ROAD
PUBLIC MEETING MINUTES
- Call to Order, Roll Call Vote
Chairman Doggett opened the meeting at 6:04. In attendance were Selectmen James L.
Doggett, Chairman; Lawrence B. Foote; Lisa Gonyer, and Town Administrator Nancy J. Wrigley. Selectman Burrill and Selectman Donovan are excused from this meeting. The Public Meeting was recorded; minutes were transcribed and typed by Barbara White. The Non-Public Minutes were transcribed and typed by Town Administrator Nancy J. Wrigley.
Nonpublic Session under RSA 91-A:3 II (a-c) HR Matters
Selectman Gonyer stated the Board just came out of a non-public session under RSA 91-A:3 II (a-c) and moved that the Board keeps things that were discussed confidential until in the opinion of the majority of the Board the circumstances no longer apply. Selectman Foote seconded with a unanimous role call vote. Doggett - aye; Foote - aye; Gonyer - aye.
Chairman Doggett opened the Public Session at 7:14 pm.
II. Pledge of Allegiance
III. Introduction of Guests
IV. Approval of Minutes (this will be addressed at the next meeting)
Selectman Gonyer moved to approve Leanne Wancheck’s request to use her banked PTO during her time off per Chief Streeter’s request; second by Selectman Foote with a unanimous vote.
The Selectmen postponed acceptance of Public and Non-Public Minutes of the March 9 and March 15 meetings until the April 19 meeting. Chairman Doggett stated the minutes need to be reviewed on a timelier basis.
- Open bids for Insurance Coverage
Chairman Doggett stated the Town of Newton requested sealed bids for Property & Liability coverage, Workman’s Compensation and Unemployment Compensation coverage with coverage to commence on July 1, 2016.
The Selectmen opened sealed bids that were submitted to the Selectmen’s Office at 2 Town Hall Road prior to 4pm on April 5, 2016. There was one bid received from Foy Insurance from Exeter, NH and one bid received from Primex Insurance from Concord, NH.
The Board agreed to have Office Manager Mary Winglass input the information on a spreadsheet and have an analysis ready for review by the Board at the April 19th meeting.
- Per RSA 31:95-b to accept and expend unanticipated funds to the Newton Food Pantry as follows: $27.16 not $217.16 (as listed incorrectly on the March 15, 2016 Agenda) from Planet Aid on behalf of Newton Learning Center.
Selectman Gonyer moved to correct the amount of the check voted at the March 15, 2016 meeting from $217.16 to $27.16; second by Selectman Foote with a unanimous vote.
- Planning Board: Peaslee Hills Road Bond. Chairman Doggett explained to the members of the Board that at one time, there was a development names Peaslee Hills Road that was never built and the town still had possession of the road bond for that development. Chairman Doggett asked for a motion to release the bond plus accrued interest to the remaining partner of the company who originally posted the bond.
Selectman Gonyer moved to release the $5,718.79 plus accrued interest from the Peaslee Hill Road to Robert Villella; second by Selectman Foote with a unanimous vote.
The Board agreed to review item E. Budget Review next.
The Board reviewed the 2016 3% budget reduction. The budgets were discussed individually at the last meeting as the Town needed to meet the Default Budget operating number of $3,108,696.00. Budget cuts totaling $72,652 were necessary to meet the Default Budget number.
Selectman Gonyer stated that although smaller amounts cut from the individual budgets helped in making up the deficit amount needed, there were two larger amounts cut from the Police Department and Solid Waste budgets to help meet the town building repair issues that were outside of the Default Budget number.
Mrs. Wrigley stated all departments will receive a copy of their adjusted budget spreadsheet denoting individual line items and will need to stay within those budget figures.
Chairman Doggett stated along with the spreadsheets, a reminder should be included to the Department Heads that the pay raise freeze has not been lifted.
Selectman Foote asked if the $500 spending freeze would be lifted; Chairman Doggett suggested the Board not lift the freeze at this time. Selectman Gonyer stated now that the Department Budgets were set, they should lift the freeze as the Department Heads know they cannot go over their budget numbers.
Selectman Gonyer moved to adopt the individual department budget amendments as shown on the spreadsheet; Selectman Foote seconded with a unanimous vote.
Selectman Foote moved to suspend the $500 spending freeze; Selectman Gonyer seconded with a unanimous vote.
Chairman Doggett reiterated the Selectmen were still keeping the freeze on pay raises (which do not apply to contractual contracts).
- Cont. Review of the Central Fire Station
The Selectmen has received an email regarding needed fire station repairs to the floor, the catch basin and the driveway. The Selectmen had come to a consensus to approve these repairs but need a formal vote to approve them.
Selectman Gonyer stated necessary repairs to the Fire Station included repair of the garage bay floor, the driveway and the catch basin before the new tanker was delivered so there would not be damage incurred to either the tanker or the building.
Selectman Gonyer moved to approve expending the following for repairs to the Central Fire Station: $3,500 for repair of the garage bay floor, $16,000 for repair of the driveway, and $3,000 for repair of the catch basin for an approximate total of up to $22,500; second by Selectman Foote with a unanimous vote.
- Town Buildings Access Policy
Chairman Doggett stated he and Selectman Gonyer had worked on Policies over the weekend and will now discuss the proposed changes.
Selectman Gonyer discussed the keyless, electronic door locks on Town buildings and read the Town of Newton Building Access Policy. A copy of this Policy is attached to these minutes. When the policy is approved, it will be available on the Town website.
Emergency access by the Police or Fire Departments will have a one-time code which will be erased and reset after each emergency response.
Civic group access will be addressed at a future date, as procedures and ramifications have yet to be addressed.
Chairman Doggett stated a lock on the door from the front entry to the Town office area needs to be utilized to deter entrance when functions are held upstairs in the big hall.
Selectman Gonyer moved to adopt the Town of Newton Building Access Policy as written; second by Selectman Foote with a unanimous vote.
Selectman Gonyer stated the subcommittee has made several amendments to the Personnel Policy in the form of additions and updates, and a copy of the Policy has been distributed to the Board members.
Mrs. Wrigley stated she and the Payroll Administrator had reviewed the Health Insurance changes and questioned what the sentence referring to the payment for Insurance Buyout meant for the employee? Selectman Gonyer stated that sentence was previously in the policy and was to alert the employee that taxes would be due on that payout amount.
Mrs. Wrigley also asked for clarification regarding the last line of the last paragraph under Compensatory Time, as it could be constructed as redundant. Selectman Gonyer explained it meant any assumed compensatory time by the employee would not be awarded unless it was listed on the timesheet and counter-signed by their supervisor. The typographical error in the last line will be corrected from employer to employee.
Chairman Doggett stated the sub-committee had added a new category “On-Call Employees” as those employees did not fall into one of the three already existing categories, and read the policy.
Chairman Gonyer stated they had added a sentence to the “Holiday” section of the Policies and Procedures to cover employees whose regularly scheduled work days included weekend hours. It details in that case, if the actual holiday falls on a weekend day, that is the day they would have off and not the day before, as observed by the State of New Hampshire.
The sub-committee also eliminated the term “floating holidays” and designated specific days to be awarded as holiday compensation.
Selectman Gonyer stated they would amend the Personnel Policies and Procedures with the strikeout the word “Regular” on the titles Full Time Employee (page 1), Part Time Employee (page 2), and the word “Permanent” on Permanent Part-Time Employees Holiday & PTO Benefits (page 6) and anywhere else in the policy those words appeared.
Selectman Foote stated it should be up to the Planning Board to set the hours their employee works without having to go to the Selectmen for permission each time there needed to be a change. Chairman Doggett stated only hours worked were paid for.
After much discussion, the agreement was that the Policy Committee would address employee’s hours who work under the direction of elected officials.
When hiring, the words “not to exceed” the number of hours for the position will be stipulated.
Selectman Foote moved to adopt the Town of Newton Personnel Policies and Procedures as presented with the changes discussed; second by Selectman Gonyer with a unanimous vote.
A copy of the changes to the Policies and Procedures will be attached to the April 5 minutes.
V. Announcements
RFP for Computer Support and Managed Information Technology Services.
Chairman Doggett stated the RFP had gone to the newspaper asking for sealed bids to be returned to the Selectmen’s Office by 4pm on Tuesday, May 3.
VI. Other Business, Sign Manifests, Requisitions, Abatements, Tax Credits, Correspondence and Appointments.
Selectman Foote moved to sign the Vender Manifest dated April 5, 2016 in the amount of $55,812.74; second by Selectman Gonyer with a unanimous vote.
Selectman Foote moved to approve the Tax Abatement for PID #6-5-5- as recommended by Town Assessor Andrea Lewy; second by Selectman Gonyer with a unanimous vote.
Selectman Foote moved to sign the Payroll Manifest for the pay period of 03/20/16 – 04/02/16 with a pay date of 04/08/16; second by Selectman Gonyer with a unanimous vote.
Chairman Gonyer moved to sign and confirm the re-appointment for Bradley Cardoso to the Zoning Board of Appeals with an expiration date of March 31, 2019; second by Selectman Foote with a unanimous vote.
Chairman Gonyer moved to sign and confirm the re-appointment for Jack Kozec to the Zoning Board of Appeals with an expiration date of March 31, 2019; second by Selectman Foote with a unanimous vote.
Chairman Gonyer moved to sign and confirm the re-appointment for Kenneth Pelletier as an alternate to the Zoning Board of Appeals with an expiration date of March 31, 2019; second by Selectman Foote with a unanimous vote.
Chairman Doggett questioned that it was the responsibility of the Town Moderator to appoint these positions; Mrs. Wrigley stated these positions were appointed by the Moderator and the Board now was to sign and confirm those appointments.
VI. Adjourn
Selectman Gonyer moved to adjourn at 8:42 pm; second by Selectman Foote with a unanimous vote.
Respectfully,
Barbara White
| 
