BOS Minutes 3/26/18
MINUTES OF THE MARCH 26, 2018 BOARD OF SELECTMEN MEETING
MEMBER’S PRESENT: Board Members Mike Houghton, Bob O’Sullivan and Town Administrator Paul Deschaine.
At 7:34 pm Mr. Houghton opened the general meeting of the Board of Selectmen.
Mr. O’Sullivan stated that the Rules of Procedure for the Board of Selectmen haven’t been updated since Nov. 17, 2008 and feels the rules need to be updated to properly define a quorum. He would also like to see a statement regarding spending. Mr. O’Sullivan made a motion to amend Rule No. 7 under Quorum to be “two Selectmen shall constitute a quorum for the conduct of Town business”. Mr. Houghton seconded the motion which passed unanimously. They discussed instituting a spending policy.
MINUTES
Mr. Houghton made a motion to approve the minutes of 3/19/18 as written. Mr. O’Sullivan seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
TREASURER
Town Treasurer Deb Bronson stated the general fund balance is $7,304,877.89. Mr. Houghton asked about the status of the bond. Ms. Bronson stated that we received the approval from the law firm. Mr. Deschaine is working on the Notice.
FIRE
Fire Chief Matt Larrabee reported on the progress of the SCBA equipment and new ambulance that was approved at Town Meeting. The quote for the air packs is $192,393 which is under the approved $200,000. The Ladies Auxiliary has made a donation towards the cost. He emailed the Purchase & Sales Agreement to the Board for their review. Mr. O’Sullivan made a motion to accept the quotation as presented and authorize Chief Larrabee to sign the agreement. Mr. Houghton seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
Next, Chief Larrabee reported the cost of the new ambulance is $271,508 including trade in of 2003 ambulance. Mr. O’Sullivan made a motion to allow the acquisition not to exceed $300,000 of an ambulance and authorize Chief Larrabee to sign the paperwork. Mr. Houghton seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
RESERVATIONS
Easter Seals is requesting use of Room A for multiple dates. Mr. Houghton made a motion to approve the use of Room A for the Easter Seals Art Class for the dates requested and to waive the fee. Mr. O’Sullivan seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
The Acorn School is requesting use of the Scamman Pavilion on April 16, 2018 for their annual Earth Day celebration. Mr. O’Sullivan made a motion to approve the use of the Scamman Pavilion on the date requested and to waive the fee. Mr. Houghton seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
NEW BUSINESS
Mr. Deschaine presented the flyer Town Planner Tavis Austin developed regarding the April 19th TIF District meeting. Mr. Houghton said to distribute it as widely as possible. He would like to see a large attendance at the meeting.
Mr. Deschaine also reported that the flyer for the Steering Committee for the Master Plan has been posted to the website. The Board authorized him to send both flyers in an email blast.
Mr. Deschaine is updating his list of appointments to committees and will email the Selectmen when it is complete. He noted that they had to wait until after Town Meeting to appoint the alternate for the Planning Board. Mr. O’Sullivan made a motion to appoint Deidre Lawrence to the Planning Board. Mr. Houghton seconded the motion which passed unanimously. Mr. O’Sullivan made a motion to accept Tammy Hathaway as a full member and Wallace Stuart as an alternate on the Heritage Commission. Mr. Houghton seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
Mr. Deschaine said that the Maintenance Supervisor John Campbell has tendered his resignation. Mr. Houghton made a motion to accept John Campbell’s resignation from the Public Works Department. Mr. O’Sullivan seconded the motion which passed unanimously. Mr. Laverty is reviewing the job description. The position will be posted when he completes that task.
Fiscal year 2017 audit has begun. The auditors will be here all week. Mr. Deschaine complimented the auditors, Vachon Clukay & Co., on their excellent work these past few years. Mr. O’Sullivan asked about putting the audit out to bid. Mr. Deschaine said we have put it out to bid in the past and may do so again.
Mr. Deschaine reminded the Board about his upcoming vacation time.
Mr. Deschaine submitted the letter to Governor Sununu to complete the directive under Article 23 of this year’s Town Warrant regarding Offshore Wind Power.
Lastly, Mr. Deschaine presented the Proclamation regarding the International Code Council’s Building Safety month in May. Mr. O’Sullivan made a motion to support the proclamation regarding building safety month. Mr. Houghton seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
The Greenland Veteran’s would like to donate a Christmas tree to the municipal center in appreciation for allowing them use of the pavilion at Stratham Hill Park. Mr. O’Sullivan made a motion to accept the Christmas tree donation. Mr. Houghton seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
MEETINGS
Mr. Houghton reviewed the meetings for the coming week. Mr. Houghton confirmed that Bruno Federico will continue on the Board of Adjustment and noted that that board will need a new Chair. On April 4th Mr. O’Sullivan will attend the federally run Emergency Drill. Mr. Houghton noted the waiver for the Whittaker subdivision was voted down at last week’s Planning Board meeting. At the Smyk Committee meeting, the Attorney General confirmed that the conditions on the Smyk property are highly restrictive. The Committee is planning to hold a public forum regarding their findings. Three RFQs are being reviewed for the Safe Routes to Schools grant. The group is making good progress.
PARKS & RECREATION
Parks & Recreation Director Seth Hickey would like to hold a 3 day disc golf tournament in September. It could be a good fundraiser and would be a good way to maximize use of the park at a time when it is generally slower. Josh Cilley of Flyby Disc Golf gave an overview of how the tournament would go. He answered the Selectmen’s questions regarding the game and how it would work at the park. Police Chief John Scippa noted there may be some traffic concerns. He will coordinate details for the event with Mr. Hickey.
Mr. Hickey said he has reviewed the Ordinances with Chief Scippa. Chief Scippa responded to Mr. O’Sullivan’s questions about the Hawkers/Peddlers Ordinance and permits. Mr. Deschaine explained that vendors may obtain a State license and/or a Town permit. That license/permit gives you permission to sell items. What many people misunderstand, however, is that vendors still need to obtain the permission of the landowner on which they wish to sell their goods. The revised ordinance should codify this issue. Mr. Hickey stated the need for the Ordinance. Mr. Houghton suggested that this move forward to a public hearing. Mr. Deschaine asked if Town counsel needed to review the revised ordinances. It was agreed they should.
Continuing his report, Mr. Hickey raised the growing issue with dogs at the park. He has been reviewing the Animal Control ordinance with Chief Scippa. Chief Scippa detailed past incidents involving dogs at the park and cited discrepancies between the Town ordinance and each individual parks ordinance. Mr. Houghton suggested Mr. Hickey have the Parks & Recreation Commission give comments on the revised ordinance. Once it is complete, the public hearing will be held.
Springtime work at the Park (all work has been allowed for in the budget): finishing bathroom renovations, painting the exterior of the pavilions and refinishing the floors, digitized remapping trail map using GPS. Boy Scouts want to hold an overnight jamboree at the park. Mr. Hickey said they will be restricted to the back fields. It would be a good opportunity for boys to learn about the Scouts and perhaps get involved with them. Mr. O’Sullivan made a motion to approve the BSA request for the dates Mr. Hickey authorizes. Mr. Houghton seconded the motion which passed unanimously. Youth sports are going smoothly. Because of the low enrollment numbers in softball, he is thinking about working with Exeter on that sport. Trends in youth sports were discussed.
Mr. Hickey has reached out to the business in the community and has received some interest in sponsorship for the Trail Race Series and possibly for fireworks for Family Fun Day.
They discussed registration and payment issues they encountered regarding the Coyote Club.
Mr. Hickey reported the basketball program is expanding. He’d like to add a Nordic walking program and expend $600 from Rec. Revolving to buy the necessary equipment. He gave an update on the skate park. Initial evaluation of possible sites revealed Stevens Park as being the most likely site. He’s been working with Mr. Austin to ensure adherence to the site plan review checklist as they go forward. The Skate Park Committee is working on fundraising ideas and a project timeline. Mr. Hickey has been working with Mr. Laverty regarding the two biggest concerns, drainage and parking, to building the skate park at the Stevens park site.
Mr. Hickey talked about the importance of enforcement to back up decisions that are made. For example, when a parking lot or field is clearly marked as closed and people ignore the posted signs, there should be an ordinance so that the police can take action.
Mr. Houghton stated he would like to make changes to Board of Selectmen procedures beginning May 1st. Changes to be incorporated would be holding formal meetings on the 2 & 4th Mondays of the month and have a start time of 7:00 pm. If something urgent should arise, they would hold a special meeting. Department heads would be scheduled to report in person quarterly and submit a monthly written report, with the treasurer giving a weekly written report. He described what he’d like contained in the reports but wants it to be a collaborative effort. The reports should keep them informed and be forward focused. His intention is to delineate and streamline the process, with the Board providing leadership and guidance. The Town Administrators role is to maintain the Board’s awareness of important issues from a municipal standpoint. All employee meetings are to be held twice a year. Mr. Houghton promised to attend one department head meeting per quarter. Mr. O’Sullivan brought up legal issues surrounding emailing should a department head have an issue or concern. Mr. O’Sullivan expressed confidence in the people and practices and supports Mr. Houghton’s vision. Mr. Houghton emphasized that he wants the department heads to be engaged and involved in designing the reports and what they perceive as their functional responsibilities, including what they are accountable for.
At 10:01 Mr. O’Sullivan made a motion to adjourn. Mr. Houghton seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Karen Richard
Recording Secretary