BOS Minutes 12/18/17
MINUTES OF THE DECEMBER 18, 2017 BOARD OF SELECTMEN MEETING
MEMBER’S PRESENT: Board Members Bruno Federico, Michael Houghton, Joe Lovejoy and Town Administrator Paul Deschaine.
At 7:30 pm Chairman Federico opened the general meeting of the Board of Selectmen.
MINUTES
Mr. Lovejoy made a motion to approve the 12/11/17 minutes as amended. Mr. Houghton seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
TREASURER’S REPORT
Town Treasurer Deb Bronson stated that the General Fund balance is $11,934,664.63.
PLANNING
Town Planner Tavis Austin reported that at a special Nov. 29th Planning Board meeting they finalized their review of recommended zoning amendments to go before Town Meeting. He gave an update on subdivision applications. The result of a soil analysis done at one of the subdivisions is in dispute and a third party arbitrator must be hired. Because of delays and changes to the subdivision plan, it has just now come before the Planning Board. There is a perception the Town is pushing the Planning Board in a certain direction, however, the Town is adhering to the subdivision regulations. The Planning Board may have to delay a decision until spring because of the frozen ground.
The Heritage Commission is changing the number of days, from 30 to 60, for a demolition permit review. They are also continuing discussions regarding the old town hall. The Technical Review Committee requested an additional $10,000 to the CIP to design a plan for the Rte. 108 Corridor District so that we will be prepared to respond to DOT, if need be. The Rte. 108 Corridor District Committee is continuing their discussions regarding setting up a TIF district.
Mr. Federico asked about the citizens petition to add one more parcel to the Town Center District. Mr. Austin said that they were misinformed, believing they could only sell their home if they had a sidewalk put in.
Mr. Austin is continuing to work with Public Works Director Colin Laverty on road bonds/performance bonds. Breslin Farms (96 Stratham Heights Rd) completed a portion of their improvements that were originally bonded and are requesting a reduction. Mr. Laverty has inspected the project and has no concerns. Mr. Houghton made a motion to permit the reduction and letter of credit for Breslin Farms LLC to the amount of $124,674.50. Mr. Lovejoy seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
Makris has completed a majority of their project and is requesting a release of letter of credit in the $97,332.55. Mr. Houghton made a motion to release the Makris Real Estate Development LLC Letter of Credit 031401 road bond in the amount of $97,332.55. Mr. Federico seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
Mr. Austin continued to review the spreadsheet. A letter has been sent to Golf Club of New England as discussed in a previous meeting. He continues to work on the draft Master Plan with Mr. Deschaine. He is reviewing the applicants for the Land Use assistant position. The GIS software update is complete. He is working with Rockingham Planning Commission on data collection for the infrastructure.
BUILDING INSPECTOR/CODE ENFORCEMENT
Code Enforcement Officer/Building Inspector Mark Morong said Stratham Plaza is going before the Planning Board in January regarding a zoning violation, 110 Grill has a temporary Certificate of Occupancy. He reviewed ongoing construction projects and zoning violations.
Regarding the Special Inspector position, Mr. Morong did not think there would be a cost impact to the Town. It would be an on call position and receive no benefits. Insurance would be the only cost. We would bill the applicant for his inspection. Mr. Deschaine noted the additional cost must be on the fee schedule. Questions arose as to why an applicant would be billed for his services. Mr. Morong explained that it would be mostly for commercial permits, as it requires a special set of skills that go beyond his knowledge. Mr. Houghton made a motion to approve the addition of a part-time resource for the Building Dept. for the purpose of conducting special inspections as needed and would ask that we modify the listing to say “and/or special inspections” to bring more specificity and clarity to the document. Mr. Lovejoy seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
FIRE
Last week Fire Chief Matt Larrabee requested five firefighters be allowed to attend training classes with the money coming from the operating budget. Mr. Lovejoy authorized Chief Larrabee’s request. Mr. Houghton seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
HIGHWAY
Public Works Director Colin Laverty has been working with Fire Chief Matt Larrabee and together they presented the CIP for both of their departments combined. The hope was to better forecast the needs for all town vehicles. He handed out binders containing detailed spreadsheets. All of the plow trucks are more than 10 years old. He said that a new 6 wheel plow truck costs $190,000 and a new 10 wheel truck costs $215,000. Maintenance expenses increase when the vehicles are more than 10 years old. The maintenance expense for these four trucks after 10 years is just under $133,000.
Mr. Laverty went on to compare whether in-house plowing or sub-contracting makes more economical sense. He went over the spread sheet in detail. McDevitt (the company that he purchases trucks from) offers a buyback program that would decrease future costs, create a constant flow of cash that would come back to the town and lower maintenance costs. They’ve offered the program for the past 10 years.
Mr. Laverty went on to discuss new subdivision roads. He reasoned that the increase in roads has brought in an increase in tax revenue. The new roads increase the time it takes to get the roads plowed. He is proposing to add another full-time employee (which he will make a separate presentation) and an additional new 6 wheel plow truck which would allow them to open the roads in a timelier manner increasing safety for the residents. He described the current plow route and the proposed route if a new truck and driver are added.
Next, Mr. Laverty reviewed the highway vehicles and the cost to replace them. He proposes the larger trucks be replaced at 10 years; the others at 20 years. The snow and ice equipment would be swapped from the old trucks to the new trucks, so we wouldn’t pay for the equipment twice. After talking with other towns and doing research, Mr. Laverty discussed the options (capital reserve, leasing, lease to purchase) for funding replacement of the vehicles.
Mr. Laverty reviewed the chart in the handout that details the buyback values. He gave his assessment of the various vehicles and their dependability. He described difficulties he and other towns have experienced with one particular vehicle brand.
Mr. Laverty concluded his presentation and thanked the Board for listening.
Fire Chief Matt Larrabee then addressed the Fire department’s anticipated expenses. He and Mr. Laverty have been working together to get a big picture and do what is best for the Town so that large multiple purchases will not occur at the same time. Chief Larrabee explained how he came up with the projected costs for his department’s vehicles and equipment. He noted that a portion of the Fire Department’s monies come from ambulance billing and donations.
Mr. Federico questioned the replacement cost of the air packs. Chief Larrabee explained that the air packs are expired and it is essential that they be replaced. The cost of $200,000 is for a full replacement of all 25 air packs. He is going to ask his department for a contribution from fundraisers and from ambulance revenue so that it would not add to the taxpayers cost.
Chief Larrabee and Mr. Laverty concluded their presentation asking the board to spend some time reviewing the spreadsheets prior to budget meetings.
Mr. Lovejoy commended both Mr. Laverty and Chief Larrabee on their coordination and the thought and effort they’ve put forth.
OLD BUSINESS
Mr. Federico recognized real estate agent Coleen Lake in attendance regarding the Bartlett Cushman House. He recalled not receiving the final version of Keller Williams’s proposal and, in an effort to proceed, they authorized Mr. Deschaine to finalize the Brick & Barn proposal. Mr. Houghton disagreed saying they authorized Mr. Deschaine to finalize the agreement with both Keller Williams and Brick & Barn. Mr. Lovejoy noted that the compensation fee had changed on the revised Brick & Barn proposal, going from a fixed fee to a fee plus a percentage. The revised Keller Williams’ proposal changed to a fixed fee. Ms. Lake explained that the 5% fee is standard in the industry. The additional fee is compensation for the effort she has put into marketing the house for the past two years, including doing a market analysis. She was of the understanding that they had an agreement in August and she was waiting for the Town Administrator and the Heritage Commission notes to begin the lease. Mr. Houghton commented that he has not seen any effort on her part since August. Mr. Federico said that, by changing her proposal, she negated what they voted on. Ms. Lake emphasized the work she has already done. Mr. Lovejoy said that the compensation fee on the current proposal from Brick & Barn was now contrary to their desire to keep the costs minimal. Ms. Lake described her experience with renovating and marketing older homes. Mr. Federico said that because the proposals had changed, they needed time to review them and could not make a decision tonight. The Selectmen discussed the fees in the various proposals. At 10:15 pm Mr. Houghton motioned to go into a non-public session to discuss an issue that might affect the reputation of another. Mr. Federico seconded the motion which passed unanimously. At 10:28 pm Mr. Houghton motioned to come out of the non-public session. Mr. Lovejoy seconded the motion which passed unanimously. Mr. Lovejoy motioned to table the award of the real estate contract for the potential lease of the Bartlett-Cushman property until January 8, 2018. Mr. Houghton seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
MEETINGS
Mr. Federico said that the next Selectmen meeting will be January 8th due to the holidays falling on Mondays. The rest of the meetings can be found on the agenda.
RESERVATIONS
Greenland Vets requested use of the 4H pavilion on September 8th and 9th for their annual cookout. Mr. Houghton motioned to approve the request and waive the fee. Mr. Federico seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
The New Life Baptist Church requested use of Room A on Sundays for the coming year. Mr. Federico motioned to approve the request under the same terms as in the past. Mr. Houghton seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
NH SPCA requested use of all 3 pavilions on June 3, 2018 for their annual PAWS Walk. Mr. Federico motioned to approve the request and waive the fee. Mr. Houghton seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
ADMINISTRATION
Mr. Deschaine sent an email to Chair Representative Mullen and Senator Innis regarding our representation on House Bill 431 to receive agendas and notices until we fill that position.
The Energy Commission has been investigating ground mounted solar stations and is having a representative from the most favorable proposal do a presentation at their next meeting on January 9th. They’d like a selectman to attend, as this might involve a warrant article in March for an extended lease agreement. The Selectmen will decide who will attend on Jan. 8th.
Referencing an email Mr. Laverty had sent, Mr. Federico said that he would support Ms. Lake’s offer to purchase an Olympic Banner and display it at the Municipal Building provided we have Olympic athlete Eric Flaim’s permission in writing to do so.
Mr. Deschaine asked if the selectmen wanted to support a Keno warrant article this March. It would only affect businesses with a liquor pouring license. The money defrays the cost of a full day of kindergarten. Mr. Deschaine will see if there is an interest from the three businesses that qualify.
Our postage meter’s lease is expiring at the end of the year. Pitney Bowes will no longer be servicing the machine. Executive Assistant Karen Richard investigated alternatives. Mr. Deschaine reviewed the options. Mr. Lovejoy made a motion to authorize the lease to own transaction with Formax. Mr. Houghton seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
Members of the Heritage Commission met with Mark Perlowski, the new owner of the old Town Hall and created a draft agreement that allows the Heritage Commission to use their funds to get an appraisal on the property. Mr. Deschaine inquired who would be the signatory for the Town should Mr. Perlowski agree to the agreement. Mr. Federico authorized the Chairman of the Heritage Commission, Nate Merrill, to be the duly authorized agent to sign the agreement. Mr. Lovejoy seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
NEW BUSINESS
Regarding the Smyk property, Mr. Lovejoy presented a list of residents he thought might be good to have on the committee. Mr. Houghton said he would put the names into a spreadsheet.
At 10:59 Mr. Houghton made a motion to adjourn. Mr. Federico seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Karen Richard
Recording Secretary