SUNAPEE BOARD OF SELECTMEN
MEETING
7:00 PM Town Office Meeting Room
Monday, July 13, 2009
Present: Stephen White Chairman, William Roach Vice-Chairman, Fred Gallup, Charlotte Brown, Donna Nashawaty Town Manager.
Also Present: Katie Richardson Intertown Record
The meeting was called to order by Stephen White, Chairman at 7:00PM
Selectmen’s Action
•Motion to accept the payment of $3,033.85 from Michael White for the Georges Mills Boat Club, boat slip deeded to the Town for taxes by Selectman Gallup, seconded by Selectman Roach. All in Favor. Unanimous.
•Motion to approved use of Ben Mere bandstand by the Gospel Train Singers on September 5, 2009 by Selectman Gallup, seconded by Selectman Brown. All in Favor. Unanimous.
•Motion to approved use of Dewey Beach by the 1989 Sunapee Class Reunion on September 19, 2009 by Selectman Gallup, seconded by Selectman Brown. All in Favor. Unanimous.
Chairman’s Report
•Chairman White received a brochure from the Local Government Center regarding the Municipal Volunteer Award. Chairman White wanted the Board to think if there was anyone the Board would want to nominate and discuss it at the July 27th meeting.
•Chairman White received a letter from the Local Government Center regarding the State’s contribution to the NH Retirement System and the lawsuit against the state on Article 28-A. ( The state shall not mandate or assign any new, expanded or modified programs or responsibilities to any political subdivision in such a way as to necessitate additional local expenditures by the political subdivision unless such programs or responsibilities are fully funded by the state or unless such programs or responsibilities are approved for funding by a vote of the local legislative body of the political subdivision.) The Local Government Center recommends that local governments pay the amount owed to NH Retirement System, but do so under protest.
•Chairman White received a brochure on the 2009 National Summit on Your City’s Families sponsored by the National League of Cities.
•Chairman White received an email from Scott Blewitt, Recreation Director praising the help he received from Arthur Osborne in the success of the fireworks display in Sunapee harbor on the 4th of July.
Town Manager’s Report
•Donna Nashawaty read a letter from resident Lynn Reinke thanking Scott Blewitt and the Recreation Department for the spectacular 4th of July fireworks display.
•Donna Nashawaty wanted the Board to acknowledge all the volunteers and the efforts that went into making the Sunapee 4th of July events a success.
•Donna Nashawaty received 3 emails from residents expressing their feelings regarding the Summer Town Meeting.
•Donna Nashawaty reminded the Board that the Eagle Times newspaper ran it’s last publication on Friday, July 10th, which was another avenue for communicating with the residents. Our primary paper for public hearing ads is the Intertown Record, the Eagles Times, because it was a daily paper was the back-up paper. Donna Nashawaty thinks this might be the time to send out a survey to residents to get a feel from them on how they would like the Town to communicate to the residents. Donna Nashawaty stated that the Recreation Newsletter reaches and is read by the majority of residents, the Board agreed that it is a popular publication and maybe the survey could be combined and sent out with the next Recreation Newsletter. Donna Nashawaty pointed out that the Town staff has done a tremendous job in
keeping the Town website updated. Donna Nashawaty will get the number of subscribers of the Union Leader and Concord Monitor for the Board by next meeting. Selectman Brown noted that when you publish your ads in “too big” a newspaper, your news gets “buried” from week to week, you never know where to look for it. Chairman White suggested that the Town use the Valley news at this time as the back-up. Chairman White also asked Donna Nashawaty to find out the numbers of subscribers from Sunapee that the Union Leader, Concord Monitor and Intertown Record have now. Donna Nashawaty will also find out who is subscribing to the website news. Donna Nashawaty will find out the cost of hiring Survey Monkey to produce a Town survey. Chairman Roach knows it’s important to effectively communicate with the public and whatever is done will cost the Town money, but his thought is to reduce the number of Town reports that are sent out each year. Chairman Roach
feels a lot of the reports are either left at the post office or throw away in the garbage. Chairman White thinks that a question on the survey should ask taxpayers if they want a copy of the Town report mailed to their home or if they want a copy they would be willing to pick it up at Town Hall, the Library or Transfer Station. This would save the cost of mailing and reduce the number of copies printed from 2600 copies to 1000 copies. Donna Nashawaty commented that the last 2 years the Town report, in its entirety was available on the Town Website.
Miscellaneous
•Selectman Brown bought up the email that was received from the Barbara Vaughn stating that the Board of Selectmen’s September 7th scheduled meeting fell on the Labor Day holiday. The Board decided to change the meeting to Tuesday, September 8th.
•Selectman Brown has had a few people ask to look at the parking ordinance.
Motion to adjourn: Unanimous Meeting adjourned at 8:40PM
Submitted by,
Barbara Vaughn
Administrative Assistant Approved:_____________
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Stephen White, Chairman Charlotte Brown
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William Roach, Vice-Chairman Frederick Gallup
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Emma M. Smith
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