SUNAPEE BOARD OF SELECTMEN
6:30PM Town Office Meeting Room
Monday, April 7, 2014
Present: Frederick Gallup, Chairman and Suzanne Gottling, Vice-Chairman, Shane Hastings, Joshua Trow, Emma Smith and Donna Nashawaty, Town Manager
Also Present: See Sign-in Sheet
Chairman Gallup opened the meeting at 6:30PM.
REVIEW OF ITEMS FOR SIGNATURE:
Motion to approve the following CZC’s:
Parcel ID: 0203-0002-0000 161 Prospect Hill Rd. Sandy Hatchett
Parcel ID: 0103-0010-0000 72 Oak Ridge Rd. Patricia Freeman
Parcel ID: 0124-0003-0000 39 Ryder Corner Rd. Martin Meyer
by Selectman Gottling seconded by Selectman Hastings Unanimous.
Motion to approve the following Land Use Change Tax Application:
Parcel ID: 0218-0076-0000 155A Avery Rd. Richard & Susan Webb
by Selectman Hastings, seconded by Selectman Trow. Unanimous.
7:10PM Russ Holden, School Connector Road
Russ Holden gave the Board a rough engineer’s draft of the proposed school connector road plan. Russ Holden presented a plan to the Town Department Heads, who approved the proposed plan. Russ Holden would like the Board to grant permission to continue their proposal from Route 11 between the Safety Services Building and the fence for Veterans Field to the Sunapee Central Elementary School. After some discussion, the Board will allow the School District to move forward. Motion to give the school district permission to move forward with the conceptual plan as presented to the Board and allow the Town Manager to sign the Site Plan Review Application by Chairman Gallup, seconded by Selectman Gottling. Unanimous.
7:20PM Peter Fenton
•The Fentons really appreciated the amazing support they received from the Town and residents after the MV Kearsarge sunk. Donna Nashawaty summarized that this is the final year on the three (3) year MV Kearsarge lease. The MV Sunapee is an annual lease. The Fentons have checked into a couple of different lease locations and lease amount had not increased this year. Therefore, the Fentons would like to maintain the current lease agreement rates. After some discussion, the Board agreed to hold the both boats to the current lease rate. Motion to leave the rates for the MV Kearsarge and MV Mt. Sunapee as they were in 2013 and reauthorize the contracts by Selectman Hastings, seconded by Selectman Gottling. Unanimous. Chairman Gallup wanted to express his thanks to the Fentons and the Appleseed Restaurant
for the contribution they made last week to help local firefighters attend the wakes of two (2) Boston Firefighters. There was a donated bus, fuel and the Appleseed donated lunch.
•The Fentons also wanted to discuss the sand build-up at the bow of the Kearsarge. The Fentons are looking for support from the Town on the removal of this sand. There is a drain located in the front of where the Kearsarge is docked, which seems to have pull the sand under the bow of the boat. The Fentons asked for some assistant from the Town. Chairman Gallup stated that the Highway Director informed the Board of some drainage issues there in the parking area. Scott Hazelton stated the Town does not have the equipment necessary, but did offered the use of the town trucks or labor to help with the problem.
7:40PM Scott Hazelton-Misc. Highway
•Scott Hazelton asked for the Board’s approval to put the used equipment that is stored at the Transfer Station “out to bid”, if he does not get any response he will sell the used equipment for scrap metal. The money would go towards the purchase of a box plow, which the School has agreed to pay half of the $18,000 to $20,000 purchase price. Donna Nashawaty stated that the proceeds would be tracked separately and before buying the box plow a public hearing would have to take place because of the amount of the box plow. Motion to authorize Scott Hazelton to sell the used equipment that is stored at the Transfer Station and the money would be tracked separately by Selectman Trow, seconded by Selectman Gottling. Unanimous.
•Scott Hazelton just wanted to inform the Board that the Highway Department would be going to a four (4) day workweek. The department will be working ten (10) hour days Monday –Thursday from 6:00am to 4:30pm. The department will go back to a five (5) day workweek in September.
•Scott Hazelton stated that with the approval additional money to be put into the paving program Scott Hazelton’s plan is to implement the fifteen (15) year pavement management plan that he presented to the Board.
7:45PM Chief Dan Ruggles-Detail Rate
Chief Dan Ruggles stated that since there are some events that are not town organized, such as the Yacht Club fireworks and various road races, he has established a new detail rate for the Fire Dept. Donna Nashawaty stated that this is the rate charged for the detail work, so the Town would be reimburse for the money it put out for the detail. There will be two (2) separate detail rate. One for the rescue truck for $46.59, which will include the truck $15, two (2) men $20 per hour and $11.59 per hour for administrative fees. The other for the fireboat for $56.59, which will include the boat $25, two (2) $20 per hour and $11.59 per hour for administrative fees. Motion to establish a detail fee of $46.59 for the rescue truck and $56.59 for the fireboat, an hourly rate of $10 for each additional man by Selectman Gottling,
seconded by Selectman Hastings. Unanimous
•Chief Ruggles wanted the Board to know that Warner Fire Dept. is letting the Town of Sunapee borrow a tanker that they took out of service last year until Sunapee gets its new tanker. Chief Ruggles would like permission to put their old tanker out to bid. Motion to go allow the Chief to go out to bid to sell the tanker by Selectman Hastings, seconded by Selectman Smith. Unanimous.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
•Peter Urbach wanted to make the Board aware of an article that appeared in the Valley News describing a project of the NH State Historical Society to digitize 2 million pages of documents and 250,000 photographs, including materials from 209 local historical societies in NH. The idea is to make all this information available via the internet.
•John Augustine stated that part of the same article was that they want to get away from people handling the original documents for fear they will be destroyed. John Augustine also asked if the Board would commit to a 0 percent increase for the tax rate next year.
Chairman Gallup answered that the Board needs to continue to maintain the town services and infrastructure, which is their primary focus. John Augustine asks since some articles did not pass, is there a new predicted tax rate. Donna Nashawaty replied she had not done one.
SELECTMEN ACTION
•Motion to approve the use of facilities form from the Lake Sunapee Rowing Club
to use Georges Mills Harbor for the 2014 season by Selectman Trow, seconded by Selectman Smith. Unanimous
•Motion to approve the use of facilities from the Sunapee Fire Association for the Annual Firemen Supper to be held on Saturday, April 12th at the Safety Services Building by Selectman Hastings, seconded by Selectman Gottling Unanimous.
•Motion to approve the use of facilities from the Sunapee Middle High School for the Pavement, Path & Pebbles 6 K Run to be held on Saturday, May 17th in the forest between the schools by Selectman Gottling, seconded by Selectman Trow Unanimous.
•Motion to approve the use of facilities from the Friends of Abbott Library for the annual pancake breakfast to be held on Saturday, July 12th at the Safety Services Building by Selectman Trow, seconded by Selectman Hastings Unanimous
•Motion to approve the use of facilities from Project Sunapee for the Flash Bash Photo Show for Sunapee Students to be held on Saturday, May 17th and Sunday, May 18th at the Harbor House Livery Building by Selectman Hastings, seconded by Selectman Trow Unanimous
•Motion to reappoint Rem Mastin to the Conservation Commission by Selectman Gottling, seconded by Selectman Hastings Unanimous
•The Board opened the discussion on what the next step is relative to the old Abbott Library. Selectman Gottling asked if we knew how many people attended the visioning session. Donna Nashawaty stated that 83 tabulators were handed out, but a visual head count totaled 103. Chairman Gallup stated that looking over the voting tabulations; the majority of the voters who attended the session want to preserve the old library. In Chairman Gallup’s opinion, the Board needs to see what has to be done to satisfy the Trust so that the building ends up as a full town building. Chairman Gallup said that the first step would be to get an accurate land survey, then look for an appraisal to get fair market value. Chairman Gallup feels that the Board should have another visioning session possibly in June. Selectman
Hastings suggested after school was out to get the “summer people’s opinion.
The Board should work on the questions to make them more specific, to get a better indication of how the voters feel. Chairman Gallup asked if the Board would like the Town Manager to secure a land survey of the property.
The Board replied that they would. Donna Nashawaty stated that she would have to find a line item to spent from because she does not have money if the budget for the survey or appraisal. Chairman Gallup asked if the Board had any more comments. Selectman Hastings said the Board needs to find out the size of the property and the value. Peter Urbach wanted to make a comment regarding the calendar and the timing. The Town Attorney believes; the Town will have to go thru the court and go thru the cy-pres process before you can submit a warrant article to the voters. Peter Urbach went on to say, that the Town would need a warrant article by December or January, the process of going to the court is likely to take at least three (3) months. The library has done it twice in the past, once it took approximately six (6) months,
the other time it took the better part of a year because of reorganization at the Attorney General’s office. Chairman Gallup stated that was why the Board is having this discussion about the next step. Peter Urbach urged the Board to move forward quickly or they will face a very tight time schedule on the other end. Charlie Smith asked if we had a Town Assessor that could do the appraisal. Chairman Gallup stated that because of the circumstances with the court, he thinks the Town should have an outside objective appraisal. John Augustine stated that everything that’s happening in 2014, could have happened in 2013. He will never understand why these things did not happen last year. Don Bettencourt thought the format with the slides and tabulators was great, but said it would have been helpful if some “cost numbers” would have accompanied the questions. After some more discussion, the Board decided to have a second visioning session on June 30th, with Michael Marquise moderating.
Peter Urbach wondered if in order to make the March warrant would’t it make sense to start the cy-pres process now. Selectman Gottling suggested that if this is going to be a warrant article, as much as she would like to see 100% go to the library, it would be very wise to do the 72%, Peter Urbach stated he agreed. Donna Nashawaty stated that the Town Attorney said there was no harm in filing two (2) cy-pres motions, one that would indicate 100% and the other would indicate a percentage of value based the appraisal. The Town Manager will get the survey and appraisal done, and the Town Attorney will start formulating two (2) cy-pres motions with X as the number.
•Donna Nashawaty received an email from the New London Town Administrator stating that the New London Selectmen would like to have a meeting with the Select Boards from the dispatching towns to get input and further the discussion of the future of the New London Dispatching Center. It will be a public meeting so public safety personnel are welcome to attend, but the goal will be to hear from the governing body members during this meeting. After some discussion, Chairman Gallup and Selectman Gottling, Trow and Hastings were interested in attending the meeting. Donna Nashawaty will tell New London that the Sunapee Selectmen are interesting in attending the meeting and ask for possible dates.
TOWN MANAGER REPORTS
•The Town has the following job openings: Truck Driver, Payroll Clerk, Two Seasonal Information Booth Attendants, and a Seasonal Transfer Station Attendant.
•The use of facilities for the Firefighter Day, which included the raffle and Chinese auction, was the Fire Dept. Association, not the Fire Dept. as stated on the agenda.
•New Hampshire Municipal Association 2015-2016 Legislative Policy Process is underway. Anyone have ideas please submit.
•The Dept. of Labor will be conducting a Safety Inspection on all town buildings on Thursday, May 1st.
•The fire truck was sold this morning for $3,000.
•The Board received the Monthly Budget Report.
Meeting adjourned at 9:43PM
Submitted by,
Barbara Vaughn
Administrative Assistant
Approved: _____________
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Frederick Gallup, Chairman Suzanne Gottling, Vice Chairman
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Shane Hastings Joshua Trow
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Emma Smith
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