Town of Nottingham
Selectmen’s Meeting
November 9, 2009
6:30 PM Chair Bonser opened the meeting and asked all those present to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.
Members Present: Mary Bonser, Peter Bock, Gary Anderson
Guests: Brian Stucker and Hal Rafter, Communications Policy Committee; Jim Hadley, Chair, Neighborhood Guardians
Others: Charlie Brown, Town Administrator; Traci Chauvey, Recording Secretary; Gail Mills, Chris Mills; Judy Doughty,
ADMINISTRATIVE BUSINESS
Mr. Brown reported that Lt. English was doing well at the fire department in his new position. The department expects to take delivery of the new truck in early December.
The police department is having trouble obtaining ammunition. They have an order in.
Mr. Fernald, Nottingham’s Road Agent, contacted the paving company. They were here last Thursday and paved a good portion of Deerfield Road. Mr. Brown believes they will start setting poles next week.???
Mr. Brown has been working on the budget. He will get books to the Budget Committee on Thursday.
Chair Bonser inquired about a back-up for Mr. Witham, Nottingham’s Animal Control Officer (ACO). There was discussion around liability and available people. The Selectmen asked Mr. Brown to see if Mr. Colby, Nottingham’s Building Inspector/Code Enforcement Officer, would be available to respond to calls when Mr. Witham is not. The Selectmen agreed that Mr. Colby would only be able to witness events. He would then have to report the events to Mr. Witham for action.
The Selectmen asked Mr. Brown to prepare the letter they are sending to the Attorney General’s Office for signature.
Ms. Chauvey informed Chair Bonser that she needs Chair’s signature for the Perambulation Report of Nottingham and Lee. There was discussion around what towns have / have not been done. Still to do is Northwood, Raymond, and Deerfield. Ms. Chauvey informed the Selectmen that Mr. Skip Seaverns is willing to help with the perambulation, as well as Mr. Peter Landry. Perambulation will be addressed at another time.
The Selectmen addressed the signature and mail files.
Motion: Anderson, second Bock to sign a replacement quitclaim deed for Jim and Doreen Leonard. The original quitclaim deed dated 1993 was never recorded.
Vote: All in favor. Motion passed 3-0.
Chair Bonser noted that there was an appointment form in the signature file to appoint Therese Thompson to the Southeast Watershed Alliance (SWA). She informed the other Selectmen that she had had a bad morning in Concord with the Department of Environmental Services (DES) and was not prepared to vote on joining the SWA. She noted that DES will head up the SWA and feels that joining will give them more authority over the town. Mr. Brown voiced concern of having no say if Nottingham does not join. There was discussion around whether or not there was any benefit to joining. Mr. Bock concurred with Mr. Brown noting that he was going to vote to join but acknowledged that Chair Bonser’s observations may be correct. He feels that if nothing more comes from the SWA, then at least
Nottingham will have other towns to band together with to complain. Chair Bonser feels that the Large Groundwater Commission, which was put in place by DES six years ago, has accomplished nothing other than to further empower DES to regulate the groundwater within the state, she sees the SWA as more of the same only this time she feels they will be seeking money from the towns for a fund, and she feels that Nottingham should not join until municipalities are given the right to have input on groundwater withdrawals. She asked the other Selectmen to delay a vote on joining until they had time to read the legislation.
Mr. Brown will copy the legislation to Mr. Anderson and Mr. Bock. The Selectmen will revisit joining the SWA at their meeting on November 23.
APPOINTMENTS:
7:00 PM – Communications Policy Committee – Public Access Policy
At 6:58 PM, Chair Bonser acknowledged Brian Stucker and Hal Rafter and invited them to the mic.
Note: See the official file for a copy of the policy.
Mr. Bock noted that he was absent during the committee’s previous presentation and apologized for any rehashing that may take place. Chair Bonser commended the committee for their work and inquired about corrections to sections 3.5.1 and 3.5.2. Mr. Stucker reported that the corrections had been made and read the sections out loud.
Mr. Bock inquired about the last bulleted item under 2.5.0 on page six. Mr. Stucker explained that this item was a carryover from the interim policy. The intent is that candidates will not be able to broadcast the same material on Channel 22 that they will or can broadcast on regular stations.
Mr. Bock inquired about item A) on page 14 (Statement of Compliance). There was discussion around who will make a determination if a problem arises and there being no precedent. Mr. Stucker explained that the Town Administrator will be the first point of contact. Until time passes and there is more use of this facility, there will be no community standards.
Mr. Bock inquired about 3.1.9, noting that Mr. Brown may not be available to inspect the equipment. Mr. Stucker explained that the caveat for a NCTV staff member had been added for this reason.
Mr. Bock asked for clarification of the diamond on page 18, which reads “See Town Administrator for training.” Mr. Stucker explained that currently the only training needed is to show someone where the DVD/VCR player is located and how it is operated.
That being the end of the comments on the policy, Mr. Rafter inquired about the future of the committee. There was discussion around this document being a living document, the need for revisions, the new cable contract, and the expertise of the committee. The Selectmen decided they will disolve the committee at this time, noting that they will contact the members in the future when there is a need.
Motion: Bock, second Anderson to accept the Nottingham Community Television Policies and Procedures Manual as corrected.
Discussion: Mr. Stucker informed the Selectmen that the Cable Franchise Renewal Advisory Committee is very close to finishing the boilerplate contract. By December 1 they should have a good idea of what the town wants and what the committee is looking at offering Comcast for a contract. He inquired as to whether the Selectmen want a document that is ready for negotiations, a document that is ready for review by the attorney, or a document that is ready for signature. Chair Bonser and Mr. Bock agreed that the contract should be reviewed by the attorney before negotiations begin. Mr. Stucker informed the Selectmen that the only outstanding issue is Stevens Hill Road. Comcast will not correct this as it is not cost efficient to service the five homes currently not receiving service.
The committee is not sure how to handle this.
Vote: All in favor. Motion passed 3-0.
Mr. Stucker and Mr. Rafter stepped down.
7:15 PM – Neighborhood Guardians – Petition Zoning Amendment
At 7:16 PM Chair Bonser acknowledged Mr. Hadley and invited him to the mic.
Mr. Hadley introduced himself and provided the Selectmen with a handout. He referred to highlighted areas and the special exception granted to USA Springs on May 4, 2001. He talked about new legislation that says if big changes are made between a ZBA approval of a special exception and the Planning Board approval of a plan, the ZBA should review the application once again to determine if its findings still hold.
Mr. Hadley explained that he was here to put forth a petition zoning article to amend Article XII of the Building Code and Zoning Ordinance. The petition is to add a section C which will require all projects carrying a special exception to be completed within two years. There was discussion around the process for submitting a petition. Ms. Chauvey inquired as to why the Neighborhood Guardians had decided to move forward with a petition instead of addressing the Planning Board with the change. Mr. Hadley meets with the Planning Board on the 18th and is hopeful that they will support the petition.
Mr. Hadley updated all on the bankruptcy hearings, noting that USA Springs is claiming to have ten new supporters. He informed everyone that Senator Barnes has put forth a bill on his behalf which will terminate large groundwater withdrawal permits when the building permit expires or becomes null and void. There was more discussion about the Large Groundwater Withdrawal Commission.
Mr. Hadley stepped down at 7:35PM.
GENERAL BUSINESS:
Chair Bonser reported that she was not happy with the representation provided by LGC on the water commission and asked the other Selectmen to consider sending a letter.
Mr. Brown reported that he had amended the recycling center policy for clarification on bulky waste.
Motion: Bock, second Anderson to approve the clarification for the recycling center policy.
Discussion: Mr. Bock asked Mr. Brown to be sure the new policy is clearly posted in large letters.
Vote: All in favor. Motion passed 3-0.
Mr. Brown informed the Selectmen that he is waiting on advice from the attorney regarding uniform contracts. He has signed a contract with a new company; however, the contract that he signed with another company five years ago had a renewal clause.
Chair Bonser addressed LGC’s representation on the groundwater subcommittee, again noting that she was not at all happy. Mr. Bock recommended sending a letter requesting the representative to come to Nottingham to explain his position. The Selectmen agreed that Mr. Brown will write and sign a letter to LGC requesting a meeting with Cordel Johnston, LGC’s representative on the subcommittee.
MINUTES:
September 14, 2009 (Non Public Session)
Motion: Bock, second Anderson to approve the minutes of the September 14, 2009 non-public session as written.
Vote: All in favor. Motion passed 3-0.
September 28, 2009 (Non-Public Session)
Line 33: Mr. Brown wanted it noted that the veteran’s tax credit is $500 and the disability exemption is $1,400.
Motion: Bock, second Anderson to approve the minutes of the September 28, 2009 non-public session as written.
Vote: Bock and Anderson voted in favor, Bonser abstained. Motion passed 2-0-1.
October 29, 2009 (Workshop)
Line 38: Mr. Anderson asked that this be clarified to say that large loads or loads of large items should not be put in with household trash; they have associated fees.
Line 41: Change squash to restrict.
Motion: Bock, second Anderson to approve the minutes of the October 29, 2009 workshop as amended.
Vote: All in favor. Motion passed 3-0.
October 29, 2009 (Non Public Session #1)
Motion: Bonser, second Bock to approve the minutes of the October 29, 2009 non-public session #1 as written.
Vote: All in favor. Motion passed 3-0.
October 29, 2009 (Non Public Session #2)
Motion: Anderson, second Bock to approve the minutes of the October 29, 2009 non-public session #2 as written.
Vote: All in favor. Motion passed 3-0.
BUDGET:
Mr. Brown acknowledged that the Selectmen are behind on the budget. Mr. Brown meets with the Budget Committee this coming Thursday. There is no time for a workshop between now and then, given the holiday. He wanted to know if the Selectmen have any issue with anything they had seen in the budget before he met with the Budget Committee. The budget worksheets that have been provided to the Selectmen are pretty much what departments submitted.
Mr. Brown noted that the Planning Board has requested that $25,000 be put back in for the planner. Mr. Bock is strongly opposed to funding this line. He believes that the Planning Board should use Strafford Regional Planning Commission (SRPC) for whatever specific assistance is needed. Chair Bonser noted that it is time to take advantage of the agencies we pay membership to such as SRPC and LGC. She noted that the Selectmen will be seriously cutting the budget in this economy. Noting that the Selectmen cut this line last year, Mr. Bock inquired if Chair Bonser, as the Planning Board representative, felt the Planning Board was struggling with no planner. Chair Bonser informed him that the Planning Board is currently working with Mr. Mettee (Mettee Planning Consultants) and are very
pleased with his work. Mr. Brown does not disagree that assistance is needed but would like to know if the Planning Board has an idea of what will get accomplished and at what cost.
Chair Bonser inquired about new CIP requests. Ms. Chauvey informed her that one had been received from the library.
Mr. Bock inquired about the differences he was seeing in mileage accounts. Mr. Brown reported that mileage is reimbursed at .55¢ per mile town-wide.
Mr. Brown informed the Selectmen that he may be changing the amount in the telephone lines. He is trying to fund them at actual usage.
Noting the $29K increase in the police department budget, Mr. Bock raised the issue of putting the police cruiser in the budget or as a warrant article. Mr. Brown informed Mr. Bock that he believes it belongs in the budget and had fought for years to accomplish this. Chair Bonser agreed that it belongs in the budget but voiced concern over the appearance of such a substantial increase. There was discussion over the cruiser. Chair Bonser informed the other Selectmen that she is fully in favor of funding the cruiser. Mr. Brown noted that police salaries were not funded for the entire year last year, which adds to the appearance of a large increase in the budget.
Mr. Brown reported that the town’s net appropriations increased by $885K, noting that $660K was two bridges. There was discussion around money coming back to the town for these two bridges.
Mr. Brown informed the Selectmen that he may need to increase the highway engineering line, noting that engineering costs for Back Creek Bridge had been higher than expected. He plans to add a new line for the sand and salt sheds, also.
No recommended increase in staff salaries. Mr. Bock informed the television listeners that more and more communities are flat funding this cost.
Mr. Bock addressed the assessing budget questioning whether there would be a problem with DRA if no data verification took place. Mr. Brown informed him that he had spoken with DRA just this week and there would not be a problem. Mr. Bock inquired about the difference in account numbers between the narrative and the budget worksheet (398 vs. 400) in the assessing budget. Mr. Brown believes there is an error on the narrative. He will get this corrected prior to the next review.
Chair Bonser inquired about the increase in the recreation department salaries. Increase is due to increased hours for the assistant and funding of a life guard for the entire summer.
Mr. Bock inquired about the building maintenance line for the old town hall under General Government Buildings. Mr. Brown reported that he is waiting on hard numbers for the sill work.
There was discussion around the highway narrative. Mr. Brown informed Mr. Bock that he was looking at the supplemental narrative. Highway department information from the supplemental narrative has been removed at this time.
NON-PUBLIC:
Motion: Bonser, second Bock to enter non-public under RSA 91-A:3 II (c).
Vote: Anderson – yea, Bock – yea, Bonser – yea. Passed by roll call: 3-0.
The Selectmen entered a non-public session at 8:19 PM.
Motion: Bonser, second Anderson to exit non-public.
Vote: Bock – yea, Anderson – yea, Bonser – yea. Passed by roll call: 3-0.
The Selectmen exited the non-public session at 8:48 PM.
Motion: Bonser, second Anderson to seal the minutes of the non-public session.
Vote: Bock – yea, Anderson – yea, Bonser – yea. Passed by roll call: 3-0
Motion: Bonser, second Anderson to enter non-public under RSA 91-A:3 II (e).
Vote: Anderson – yea, Bock – yea, Bonser – yea. Passed by roll call: 3-0.
The Selectmen entered a non-public session at 8:50 PM.
Motion: Bonser, second Anderson to exit non-public.
Vote: Bock – yea, Anderson – yea, Bonser – yea. Passed by roll call: 3-0.
The Selectmen exited the non-public session at 9:00 PM.
Motion: Bock, second Anderson to seal the minutes of the non-public session.
Vote: Anderson – yea, Bock – yea, Bonser – yea. Passed by roll call: 3-0
BUDGET Cont:
Time was spent comparing the budget worksheet to the narrative for discrepancies. Mr. Brown will have discrepancies corrected prior to next distribution.
Having no further business,
Motion: Bonser, second Bock to adjourn the meeting.
Vote: All in favor. Motion passed 2-0.
Meeting adjourned at 9:22 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Traci Chauvey
Recording Secretary
Approved as written at the February 1, 2010 meeting.
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