Minutes
Selectmen’s Meeting
February 28, 2005
6:30 PM Chair Caron opened the meeting and asked all those present to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.
Members: Jon Caron, Bill Netishen, Mary Bonser and Charles Brown, Town Administrator.
Guests: Peter Bock, Eugene Reed and Terry Bonser.
Mr. Caron asked for any reports from the departments. Mr. Brown informed the Board of the furnace problem at the firehouse. He is waiting for prices before ordering any work to be done. Mr. Brown then gave the Board copies of the Freeman Hall Bridge Engineering Study for their review.
Minutes of previous meetings were then reviewed.
Motion: Netishen, second Bonser to accept as edited the minutes of January 24, 2005.
Vote: 3-0 in favor.
Motion: Bonser, second Netishen to accept as written the minutes of February 7, 2005.
Vote: 3-0 in favor.
Action item from the February 7, 2005 minutes. Have comments been sent regarding the Seacoast MPO? Not to Mr. Brown’s knowledge.
Motion: Caron, second Bonser to accept as written the minutes of the February 23, 2005 workshop.
Vote: 3-0 in favor.
Mr. Brown informed the Board of a verbal request he received in regard to the use of the multipurpose room by individuals on a random as needed basis. The Board feels that use of the gym by individuals other than during weekly business hours or in conjunction with a specific group is not acceptable.
The bills were then reviewed and Mr. Brown answered questions that arose as the Board looked through the folder.
7:00 PM, The Town Moderator, Terry Bonser reviewed the warrant and the order of presentation with the Board in preparation for Town Meeting. Mr. Brown will get Mr. Bonser a copy of the move and second list. For general information, anyone that wishes to make an announcement or a presentation before Town Meeting needs to contact the moderator ahead of time. It was asked if any articles requiring a ballot vote need verbage other than Yes and No. Mr. Brown will check with DRA on this. Mr. Bonser will call the school about setting up the booths and tables in the gym, possibly on Friday, March 11, the night before Town Meeting.
Mr. Netishen would like department heads and board / committee chairmen to sign off on all invoices before they are presented for payment.
Mr. Brown was asked to provide a figure for the total amount spent on legal fees concerning Conservation issues.
He will also get copies of lease costs for the copy machines to the Board.
The Board would also like the actual costs for the legal and expert advise associated with the Large Groundwater Withdrawal application.
Next on the agenda, Mr. Eugene Reed spoke to the Board about the January 24th, 2005 letter from Avitar to the Board. Mr. Reed said he did not feel the response from Avitar was satisfactory to the January 3, 2005 letter he sent to the Board. There was discussion in that regard. Ms. Bonser stated that the Board must have the information, which Mr. Reed had previously stated he would provide, before the workshop with Avitar. Mr. Reed asked if the 25% appraisal update per year is tracked. He feels that Avitar is not responsive. Mr. Reed says Avitar is not picking up extra features on many properties but he will not provide proof for neighboring properties, only on his own. Mr. Netishen asked about the number of discrepancies that Mr. Reed found and if they were a random sampling across
town. Mr. Reed said he did a review of 29 properties. These properties were all in the same neighborhood and the sample was not random but rather chosen because of a request by the homeowner. Mr. Netishen and Mr. Reed discussed the actual questions that were not answered by Avitar. No consensus was reached. A tentative date has been set for a workshop with Avitar for March 28, 2005 at 8:00 AM at the town offices. Both Ms. Bonser and Mr. Netishen reiterated that any issues to be covered during a workshop must be given to Avitar ahead of time in order for them to be able to respond in an adequate manner. Mr. Brown will confirm this date with Avitar and notify the Board and Mr. Reed.
Mr. Reed read the response from Avitar in their letter concerning mistakes on the property record cards, item (f).
Next, Mr. Reed asked again about the attorney’s opinion concerning the fee schedule for copies at the town office. The Board responded that they will stand firm with the attorney’s opinion. Mr. Reed asked who would be the arbitrator on this issue. Ms. Bonser responded that Mr. Reed already knows the answer to that question. Mr. Netishen asked Mr. Reed if he felt he has been treated any differently than anyone else. Mr. Reed answered no. After a brief give and take, both Mr. Reed and Mr. Netishen stated that they took exception to each other’s statements. This ended the discussion.
7:55 PM Motion: Netishen, second Bonser to enter into non-public session per RSA 91-A:3 II(a) & (c).
Vote: 3-0 in favor.
8:25 PM Motion: Bonser, second Netishen to keep all discussion in non-public session non-public.
Vote: 3-0 in favor.
Having no further business before the Board,
Motion: Caron, second Bonser to adjourn.
Vote: 3-0 in favor.
Respectfully Submitted,
Charles A. Brown
Town Administrator
Approved as written
3/7/05
| 
