BOS Minutes 8/20/18
MINUTES OF THE AUGUST 20, 2018 BOARD OF SELECTMEN MEETING
MEMBER’S PRESENT: Board Members Bob O’Sullivan, Joe Lovejoy, Mike Houghton and Town Administrator Paul Deschaine.
At 7:02 pm Mr. Houghton opened the public meeting of the Board of Selectmen.
MINUTES
Mr. Lovejoy made a motion to approve the minutes of August 6, 2018. Mr. Houghton seconded the motion which passed unanimously. Mr. O’Sullivan abstained, as he was absent from the meeting.
TREASURER
Town Treasurer Deb Bronson stated that the General Fund balance is $9,125,141.41.
NEW BUSINESS
Gayle Vardakis of Dumbarton Oaks requested closing a small portion of the road on Saturday, September 29 from 3:00 – 7:00pm, with a rain date of Sunday, September 30, 2018 for a block party. Information has been disseminated to the neighborhood and there is no opposition. The Police Department has been notified. Mr. Lovejoy made a motion to allow the group from Dumbarton Oaks to close the road from 3:00 – 7:00pm on September 29th, with a rain date of September 30, to conduct a block party. Mr. O’Sullivan seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
Boy Scout Troop 185 is requesting a raffle permit. Mr. Lovejoy made a motion to allow Boy Scout Troop 185 to hold a raffle at Stratham Hill Park on September 30, 2018 at the car show. Mr. Houghton seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
At 7:13pm Mr. Houghton re-opened the public hearing on Georgiana Law’s request for a preservation easement at 61 Frying Pan Lane. Mr. O’Sullivan seconded the motion which passed unanimously. Members of the Heritage Commission, Nate Merrill and Flossie Wiggin, explained to Ms. Law that appearance of the barn is part of the easement. Some suggested repairs have been made recently and more are planned. Mr. Merrill suggested painting the side facing the street. He supports passing of the easement for this property. Mr. Lovejoy made a motion to allow continuation of the easement of 61 Frying Pan Lane for an additional 10 years at 75% of improvements made. Mr. O’Sullivan seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
Representing the Heritage Commission, Dave Canada, expressed concerns about the current proposal to sell the Bartlett Cushman House. He urged the Selectmen to explore alternatives such as moving the well and septic system or renting the house. He believes the community would support keeping and renovating it. Mr. Deschaine talked about the state regulations regarding subdividing the property.
Tony Jalbert, Principal Broker at Tate & Foss, put together a Comparative Market Analysis for the Bartlett Cushman House and presented it to the Board. Given the easement and zoning restrictions on the property and the fact that the house needs extensive, costly renovations, he believes the value is in the land. Although he doesn’t advocate tearing the house down, he thinks it will be difficult to find someone to lease/sell to that would renovate it, as the market holds better, cheaper options for renters/buyers. He suggested a compromise between protecting the exterior of the property with a preservation easement and working with a potential buyer with leniency on the interior. The Selectmen expressed appreciation for the honest input, said they would review the report and make a decision at a later date.
Chief of Police John Scippa received an email from Nate Merrill regarding concerns he has regarding the traffic circle. It is a NH Dept. of Transportation maintained road, therefore they need to be involved in the discussion. Chief Scippa has statistics of accidents at the circle, therefore it was suggested he be the one to contact NH DOT. They discussed the danger of the traffic going around the circle.
FIRE
Fire Chief Matt Larrabee reported losing two day shift employees. They are having difficulty filling the open shifts due to a small resource pool and want to post the positions. This led to a discussion about keeping track of drivers that will indicate when changes will need to be made. Mr. Houghton is looking for hard facts that will enable a good decision. Mr. Deschaine said it would be best to recruit people that already have their certifications. Questions arose concerning giving/receiving mutual aid - are we contributing our fair share? Mr. Houghton advocated talking with other communities, looking into alternatives and moving forward to post the open position.
Chief Larrabee requested being allowed to purchase an Auto Pulse Compressor that performs CPR more efficiently than can be done manually. Although it wasn’t on the list as part of the equipment for the new ambulance, its purchase is still within budget. Mr. O’Sullivan made a motion not to exceed $30,192 in outfitting the new ambulance. Mr. Lovejoy seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
Chief Larrabee questioned the budget process. Mr. Houghton responded that they are looking for a level funding model, one that will project ongoing capital needs. They had previously defined useful life for the vehicles. Forecasting their approximate replacement times will allow for funding to be in place when needed.
Chief Larrabee reported a successful fundraiser for the All-Terrain Vehicle. They are hoping to get corporate sponsors to help fund it. He said that Parks and Recreation are keeping the EMTs busy with their many activities at the park, especially the race series. Assistant Fire Chief Josh Crow said that the vehicle’s total cost will be approximately $16,000.
Upcoming events: Annual pump testing at the circle, Pancake Breakfast on Sun., Oct. 7th.
Chief Larrabee’s full-time job has changed a little and may impact his availability.
It was decided that going forward EMS Captain Peggy Crosby will commence billing of the Details to the vendors, as opposed to Accounting Supervisor Valerie Kemp who currently does it.
Chief Larrabee showed the Board the new SCBA packs. He pointed out the many safety features and answered the Selectmen’s questions about it.
Mr. O’Sullivan asked Chief Larrabee what might be in his upcoming budget request. Chief Larrabee said there would be similar requests as in the past, to continue funding Engine 1, acquire a command vehicle thru state bid, perhaps replace the current police vehicle with a pick-up truck which could potentially double as a plow truck.
Mr. Houghton asked about maintenance of public spaces, as was talked about in a previous meeting. Chief Larrabee reported that it’s been getting done on a daily basis and feels the situation has improved. Assistant Chief Crow said that the Building Maintenance Committee is addressing the roof leaks at the Fire Station.
ADMINISTRATION
Mr. Houghton noted that interviews will be conducted on Tuesday for the CEO/BI position. He read the meetings of the coming and past week.
Mr. O’Sullivan stated that he felt that the Selectmen needed to better coordinate their efforts with the Heritage Commission. This will be discussed further at a later time.
Mr. Deschaine attended the REDC meeting and reported that the CDBG grant is moving forward. He still has some paperwork to submit but we’ve been approved. Mr. Lovejoy reported that there was discussion at the Rt 108 Corridor Study Committee meeting regarding the survey. They’ve gotten a good number returned so far. Mr. Houghton noted that September 11th is Election Day.
Mr. Deschaine said he is working with Mr. Gould of MRI on the ideal candidate profile. The ad has been placed.
Semi-annual Legislative Policy Conference that the NHMA holds on Sept 14th needs an authorized representative present. Mr. Houghton made a motion that Paul Deschaine be the authorized representative. Mr. O’Sullivan seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
The Selectmen decided to hold a special meeting on Wednesday, August 29th to discuss the logistics of Mr. Deschaine’s retirement.
The Route 108 Corridor Study Committee unanimously recommends the Selectmen approve the proposal from Applied Economic Research. It is in response to the community’s request for updated information on the cost of community services. The survey that the Committee put out measures how much more information we need to get to people. In order to get Applied Economic Research’s report prior to Town Meeting, it must be approved quickly. Mr. Houghton made a motion to authorize the economic impact and cost of service model as proposed August 18th by Applied Economic Research at a cost of $22,500. Mr. Lovejoy seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
Mr. Deschaine reported receiving an application from Troy Allen of 2 Birnum Woods Road to participate on a Town committee. Mr. O’Sullivan made a motion to authorize Troy Allen to become a regular member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment contingent on his acceptance. Mr. Lovejoy seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
Mr. Deschaine requested a non-public session to discuss the open positions that we have been advertising and interviewing for. At 9:04 pm Mr. Houghton made a motion to go into a non-public session to discuss a matter that may affect the reputation of another. Mr. O’Sullivan seconded the motion which passed unanimously. At 10:10pm Mr. Houghton made a motion to close the non-public session and seal the minutes. Mr. Lovejoy seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
Mr. Deschaine reported that a performance bond has been requested for approval for the Murphy Lane, subdivision off of Stratham Lane. He presented the pro forma performance agreement to be signed and approved. Mr. Lovejoy made a motion to approve the performance and escrow agreement for Harbor Street LMTD Partnership, Murphy Lane performance bond. Mr. Houghton seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
Next Mr. Deschaine presented the performance and escrow agreement for Phase III of the Rollins Hill Development. Mr. Houghton made a motion to accept the performance bond for Rollins Hill Phase III in the amount of $600,000. Mr. O’Sullivan seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
At 10:16 pm Mr. O’Sullivan made a motion to adjourn. Mr. Houghton seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Karen Richard
Recording Secretary