|
Board members present: Frank W. Reinhold, Jr., Chairman; Joseph P. Ford and W. James Griswold. Others present: Diane L. Guimond, Town Administrator; Advisory Budget Committee Chairman Scott Bugbee; Advisory Budget Committee members James Stewart, Winfield Bassage, Benjamin Genes, Alice MacKinnon and Amos Townsend; Henry Brackett, School Committee member; Laurel Cox, Land Protection Administrator; Michael Blake, Fire Chief; Roger Rice, Transfer Station Manager; Mary Cobb; Erick Sawtelle, Agriculture Committee Chairman; Chet Murch, Police Chief and Donna F. Eisenhard, Town Secretary. 1. Chairman Reinhold called the meeting to
order at 6:30 p.m. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ At this point, the Board met with the
Advisory Budget Committee in relation to the 2008/2009 Budget. Chairman Reinhold asked ABC Chairman Scott
Bugbee how the Board could help him.
Mr. Bugbee replied to have Town Administrator Guimond continue her
help. The Board scheduled
the Budget Public Hearing for Monday, February 11, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. Mr. Bugbee also asked that if a Petitioned
Warrant Article was received, the ABC would like to know about it so they could
offer input. He said it would
also be nice to know about anything considered after the Public Hearing. Town Administrator Guimond pointed out everything
has to at least be mentioned at the Public Hearing or it cannot be considered after. Mr. Bugbee said the ABC also, traditionally,
gives you a spread sheet with items and then a detailed list and he asked if
that was all right. Selectman Ford said
it was and to list all items so any increases could be determined. Chairman Reinhold asked if COLA’s and merits
will be considered. Town administrator
Guimond stated that some Department Heads have already asked for merits for
their employees. Mr. Bugbee said that
the ABC recommends COLA’s and does do a salary study every two years. Chairman Reinhold asked Mr. Bugbee if he was
aware the Local Government Center was doing a salary study and the information
provided may recommend more than we are currently paying so, how do we implement this. He further stated we are starting with job
descriptions, then a comparison of pay and then recommendations of what the pay
should be. Benjamin Genes asked if
there were any expectations from the Board of Selectmen to drive costs or
efficiencies a certain way, such as actuals, which we don’t actually
concentrate on. He said he feels the ABC could do more there, such as saving 2%
of the budget or such. Chairman
Reinhold said the Board has not discussed or agreed on anything. He said the budget always goes up and we are
always over-budgeted as we have a lot left over. Town Administrator Guimond said, also, by law, we cannot have a
Contingency Fund. Alice MacKinnon said
RSA32 allows this. Town Administrator
Guimond went on to explain why Contingency Funds are not allowed and what
is. She also said we are only allowed
5% of the budget for surplus. A discussion followed regarding spending. Selectman Griswold said what came out of the
Capital Improvements Plan was, for the
last ten years, we have seen a 9% increase per year. Alice MacKinnon said Conservation Easements may explain it. So, Selectman Griswold continued, the CIP
looked at where we could schedule things to eliminate high rises certain years
and keep a steady 6% increase. He said
a lot of infrastructure is involved.
Chairman Reinhold said if we see it going over 6%, then we need to work
harder. He said he feels a lot of
infrastructure was neglected over the years and a lot of money went to
conservation at the expense of other things.
Mr. Bugbee asked when the Board wanted their recommendations. Chairman Reinhold said he promised Department
Heads they would get to see the budget, especially in relation to their own,
prior to the Public Hearing. He said
the Board will shoot for February 5th and asked him to present their
recommendations to the Board and to the Department Heads. Mr. Bugbee said they would present their recommendations
on February 4th. Selectman
Griswold said just the operating budget, correct. Mr. Bugbee said yes.
Further discussion followed on changes and line items. Ms. MacKinnon said when we first got into
the initial budget, we were not using a Chart of Accounts and she then learned
the town uses Quicken. She asked if the
Selectmen were leaning towards using municipal software specifically for
municipal accounting. Chairman Reinhold
stated that, for now, Quicken is adequate but, with the town growing, it may
become inadequate. He said municipal
accounting is on the list but is very complicated to set up. He said it is easier to teach a person
QuickBooks than the other. He agreed
the Board would visit this idea sometime this year. Ms. MacKinnon said it would make accounting more efficient. Chairman Reinhold said that the current
infrastructure does not exist to support the data. Ms. MacKinnon asked if the town has been putting money
aside. Chairman Reinhold said it may take
a couple of years to implement. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. Manifests presented were reviewed and authorized for payment. Manifest #23 for 12/22/07 totaled $71,255.17, Manifest #24 for 12/29/07 totaled $51,493.09 and Manifest #25 for 1/5/08 totaled $692,335.87. 3. Approval of Minutes: Selectman Griswold made a motion to
accept minutes from the December 10, 2007 Regular Session and December 17, 2007
Regular Session. Selectman Ford seconded. Chairman Reinhold called for a discussion.
There being none, Chairman Reinhold called for a vote. Motion passes. 4. Correspondence: A. Chittenden Bank, dated December 7, 2007, re: collateralization agreement. File: With Town Bookkeeper. B. Town of Durham, Town Administrator Todd I. Selig, dated December 5, 2007, re: copy of letter from him re: 2008 budget presentation for McGregor Memorial Ambulance EMS on December 6, 2007. File: General File – McGregor Memorial Ambulance. C. Local Government Center, Operations Manager Richard C. Dwyer, dated December 5, 2007, re: domestic partner coverage/civil union legislation. File: General File – General File - Local Government Center. D. Comcast, Sr. Manager of Government & Community Relations Jay Somers, dated December 17, 2007, re: franchise fee in the amount of $11,711.09. File: General File – General file – Comcast. E. Comcast, Sr. Manager of Government & Community Relations Jay Somers, dated December 20, 2007, re: notification of important pricing changes. File: General File – Comcast. 5. Department Head Reports: A. Police Chief Chet Murch met with the Board and presented a handout entitled Lee Police Department – January 7, 2008. Chief Murch said he prepared an updated Snow Casting Ordinance for the Board’s review stating the change is mainly making the homeowner, landowner or lessee also being responsible (and not just the person) for depositing snow or ice into or upon any street. He went on to explain the reasoning behind this new Ordinance. He requested the Board allow the change. After review, Selectman Ford made a motion to adopt the new Snow Casting Ordinance, as written by Chief Murch. Selectman Griswold seconded. Chairman Reinhold called for a discussion. There being none, Chairman Reinhold called for a vote. Motion passes. Chief Murch informed the Board that on December 19th he completed Level II, Applications of Local Government Leadership at the Local Government center. He stated he completed Level I last year and feels it was a long two years but well worth it. Chief Murch stated this past weekend he began to advertise for another Police Officer to fill the vacancy created by Officer Houle’s leaving and also said, that while not official, Officer Scott Flanagan would we resigning to join the Somersworth Police Department, which is in the City were he lives. He said Officer Flanagan has been with the department for two years and will be missed. Chief Murch informed the Board a timeline has been set for the Lee Police department to become CALEA (Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies) recognized. He said in June of 2008 a “mock” on-site will be conducted and then a full on-site will occur in September. In December, the department will accept their Recognition Certification. Chief Murch stated this has been a goal of his since taking over the agency. Chief Murch reported the upstairs construction on the Public Safety complex is nearly complete and the heat will be working on Wednesday. Next week, carpet and the drop ceiling will be going in. He presented bid proposals for the carpeting and said that $500 remains from the construction project and this will be applied towards the cost of the carpet. The bid proposal for $2,254 was chosen by the Board. Chairman Reinhold noted that in the original construction bid, carpet was not included, however, he felt the Board would be remiss in not completely finishing the project. The Board agreed and asked that the Town Administrator find funds from some source to do this. A copy of Chief Murch’s handout, which also included statistics for 2006 and 2007, becomes a permanent part of these minutes. B. Town Administrator Diane Guimond noted a hand-delivered letter received from Sally Barney to the Board in opposition of expansion of the commercial zone from Steppingstones Road north to the Route 152/125 intersection. She stated the hearing is this Wednesday night. After a brief discussion, the Board agreed to not look at hiring any additional people until the budget is examined. Ms. Guimond informed the Board that this Thursday she is meeting with Nextel about having everyone on one bill. She said Nextel stated prices are pretty much set so they may not be able to offer any discounts for multiple users. Chairman Reinhold again reaffirmed the need to standardize the town’s cell phone system and get all users on board. Ms. Guimond provided copies of an article about USA Springs in the Manchester Union Leader for the Board’s information. Ms. Guimond stated the Library asked to use the town’s Federal ID number for their checking account and were told they have to have their own ID number in order to retain custody of their own funds. Ms. Guimond read a letter from Conservation Commission Chairman William Humm noting voters support land conservation and urging the Board to consider annually setting aside $100,000 for the Capital Reserve Fund and not lowering it to $75,000 (which is inadequate) as is proposed for this year. Chairman Reinhold said he felt the letter was a bit premature as the Board has not reviewed or considered the budget for this year thus far. Ms. Guimond stated, in regards to the request by Representative Carol Shea-Porter for permission to insert an article in this year’s Town report, that she felt this would set a precedent. Selectman Ford commented the Board is trying to reduce the size of the report. Selectman Griswold said he agreed this would set a precedent for all our other representatives to insert items. After a brief discussion, the Board concurred that her request will be denied. Ms. Guimond noted that Librarian Lisa Morin is taking two days vacation. Ms. Guimond informed the Board that Highway supervisor Randy Stevens asked about the Board requesting Department Head reports monthly and that he noted no memorandum has been forthcoming regarding this matter. She stated he did provide a report which she then distributed to the Board. Ms. Guimond noted a letter from resident Diane Gallant on Toon Lane asking that more trees be trimmed from the storm. She said Ms. Gallant said snow needs to be on the limbs so you know which ones to trim and that while waiting for the bus with her children, one snow-bent limb nearby collapsed and took out a transformer. When informed that these trees were along a power line, Chairman Reinhold stated it was not the town’s job to trim power lines but can assist with some trimming if in town’s right-of-way. He said he did not want townspeople to think we are inadequate when it is not our job. The Board approved an Elderly Exemption. Ms. Guimond said she spoke with Moderator Dale Swanson about moving town voting to the Public Safety Complex and he wants a meeting with all election personnel and himself and the Board about this matter. Chairman Reinhold noted that all election equipment is portable except for the phone line for the handicap booth which only the State of New Hampshire can install and they have agreed to do so. He also mentioned he thought it was the responsibility of the Town Clerk for setup. Ms. Guimond said it is not; it is the responsibility of the Selectmen. Ms. Guimond said you also need a fire plan and an exit plan as well as an entrance and an egress. Chairman Reinhold stated the fire department is already working on a plan and he would like her to schedule a meeting with all players for the week of January 21st , to include Moderator Swanson, so that the March election can be held at the Safety Complex. Ms. Guimond agreed to schedule the meeting. Upon learning two Police Officers would be stationed at the school during election day, Mrs. Cobb said this was very comforting to parents of the children who are there. Ms. Guimond presented copies of a Timeline for Traditional Annual Town Meeting for the Board’s review, a copy of which becomes a permanent part of these minutes. C. Newly-elected Fire Chief Michael Blake met with the Board and asked for confirmation of his election as Chief by the Board. Selectman Griswold made a motion to appoint Michael Blake as Fire chief. Selectman Ford seconded. Chairman Reinhold called for a discussion. There being none, chairman Reinhold called for a vote. Motion passes. The Board signed an Appointment Slip for Michael Blake as Fire Chief. A copy of the Appointment Slip becomes a permanent part of these minutes. Chairman Reinhold asked that within the next 60 days that Chief Blake meet with the Board to determine where he wants to go. Chief Blake stated he is pretty flexible regarding dates. Chief Blake stated he has three bid proposals for a mobile radio for the old police cruiser, which his department will be using, with the low bidder coming in at $3,500 with free installation. Chairman Reinhold asked if this cost is in his budget. Chief Blake stated no, it is coming from the Fire Equipment Fund, established for the Fire Department, which has money. Chairman Reinhold stated he would like a copy of the radio specifications for the record and to ensure Board approval. Town Administrator Diane Guimond stated if an item is under $1000, then there is no need to come to the Board however, if it is over that amount then you must present your request to the selectmen. Chief Blake said the Fire Department is moving forward in looking at all assets and equipment. Selectman Griswold asked if he had looked at the Capital Improvement items. Chief Blake responded that he had not but would.. 6. Selectmen’s Report on Planning Board
Meeting: None. 7. Old Business: A. School Committee member Henry Brackett met with the Board to report things he felt the Selectmen should be aware of. He noted, regarding the School Budget, Special Education went down $500,000 and Debt Service is down $211,000 but the overall budget is going up 6%. He said they have not gotten rid of any Administrators and it is a false thing regarding saving in the Special Ed and Debt Service because they are spending everything they saved on the other side of the budget. He said they are trying to change the grading system to a 10-point (and that’s a good thing) because of pressure on the School Board from parents. He said there will be a Petitioned Warrant Article for establishment of a Municipal Budget Committee which he thinks has a good chance of passing. He said they are going to allow 10 Barrington students to attend ORHS at a cost of $11,400 per student which is less than what it costs us for students. He said the School Board is saying this is all right because they are bringing revenue into the district but, he said, the cost per student is $310.00 more than they are charging Barrington. Also, he said, enrollments are going down but staff still remains the same as when enrollments were higher. He asked that the Board send a letter to the School Board asking them to hold their budget. Chairman Reinhold asked that Mr. Brackett draft such a letter and e-mail it to the Board and Town Administrator for signatures before Friday. B. Chairman Reinhold noted that the town still does not have an Assessor as Mr. Dix’s lawyer did not like the latest contract submitted from the town. Town Administrator Guimond informed the Board that Durham Town Administrator Todd Selig contacted her and told her they made some language changes per Mr. Dix request. Chairman Reinhold asked if this new contract was adequate. Selectman Griswold stated it is “half a loaf” but adequate. Selectman Ford noted that all three Selectman interviewed Mr. Dix. A brief discussion followed on costs involved. Alice MacKinnon stated she felt the dollar amount for Mr. Dix was too much for a town with only 1900 parcels and it should not cost $55,000 a year. Selectman Ford stated that Lee is paying two thirds of his salary plus benefits and he would be in Lee two days per week. Further discussion followed regarding a conflict of interest as Mr. Dix is also Durham’s Assessor. Chairman Reinhold asked about the changes in the new contract. Selectman Griswold stated it was somewhere in the middle of the motion to approve Mr. Dix as Assessor under the contract proposed for one year. Following this, Selectman Griswold made a motion to approve the new contract. Selectman Ford seconded. Chairman Reinhold called for a discussion. There being none, Chairman Reinhold called for a vote. Motion passes. Selectman Griswold was asked to provide a copy of the new contract to Town Administrator Guimond. Town Administrator Guimond was directed to contact Mr. Selig and have him sign the new contract and then it to the Board of Selectmen for their signatures.
8. New Business: A. The Board opened the bid proposals for pest control services. Proposals were as follows: Dependable $175.00 per month Elite Pest Management $195.00 per month Tucker $225 per month Haydee $3,200 per month Town Administrator Guimond was asked to do a spread sheet of bid comparisons for the Board’s review. B. The Board opened the bid proposals for painting of exterior of town complex buildings. Proposals were as follows: Noonan Brothers, LLC $ 9,960 JT’s Coastal Coatings $10,500 Blanchette’s Fine Painting $10,960 Scott Pressey Painting $15,100 Barrons-Bean $16,540 Caprioli Painting $16,850 Painting by Northeast $18,500 M & L Maintenance $22,091 F. A. Gray, Inc. $22,580 plus $640 for paint G. W. Trull Painting $26,900 P. M. MacKay $79,895 Town Administrator Guimond was asked to do a spread sheet of bid comparisons for the Board’s review. C. Mary Cobb from Thurston Drive met with the Board and informed them that on Sunday, December 16 around 5:30 p.m. her son swallowed a toy and she called 911. While she was doing the Heimlich her son, fortunately, started to cry but she did not process that he did not spit out the toy at that time. After a few seconds, he did and it was the foam top from one of his brother’s toys. She stated a Lee Police Officer arrived first but felt it was not timely. She said there was a snowstorm and he trudged to the house, managing to go through the driveway even though it was not plowed. She had also told 911, when she called, the driveway was not plowed. The Police Officer asked what happened and she told him the toy came out but she was upset to learn no “first response” was coming. She said she asked the Officer why no one was here and he explained. Eighteen minutes later, the ambulance arrived and its personnel checked her son and said he was all right. She said she talked with McGregor Ambulance about why there was so much delay and it was explained to her about 2-tone calling. She said the reason she was here is she felt the system did not work the night she called. After speaking with Chief Blake, he informed her the system had been changed to a 1-tone system with everyone called. She said something could happen again and she would like to have people available and not just on call. She said she needed to know there is coverage so when you call 911, they come. Literally, she said, she got no one. She said just because Lee has EMT’s, it does not mean they are accessible. She said she wanted the Board to b e aware of the need for a “first responder” to be there. She said if she had not known the Heimlich, her son could have died. A brief discussion followed regarding this matter and how it did and did not work. Chairman Reinhold stated the Board would investigate and address any holes in the system. Selectman Griswold said one of the problems is that Lee does not have the funds for full-time personnel in this area and that is where its volunteers come in. He said if people say we have a gap, then we will fill it. He said the police and ambulance did come; the problem seems to be the EMT did not. So, he said, raising a concern at Town Meeting, telling what happened and asking for support for funds to accommodate full-time EMT’s would be a very good way to go about it. He said the expense of an EMT may be difficult to fund but health and safety is always a priority. He said the town may need 24-hour EMT’s and fund $175,000 to do so. Mrs. Cobb presented a picture of her son, reaffirmed the fact he could have died, stressed the importance of this matter and thanked the Board for their support stating she would be speaking at Town Meeting. D. Erick Sawtelle, Chairman of the Agriculture Committee, met with the Board and presented a handout which stated “The following is a proposal to draft a Warrant Article to establish a Lee Agricultural Commission at the 2008 Lee Town Meeting.” He said these Commissions would not have regulatory or enforcement powers but would advise municipalities about ways to positively address agricultural issues and strengthen the vitality and sustainability of local agriculture. A brief discussion followed regarding funds belonging to the Commission and how they would be handled. Selectman Griswold asked if you have to require that members “must be in agricultural pursuits”. Mr. Sawtelle said it behooves the Commission function if members actively support agriculture by being actually involved in it. Chairman Reinhold asked if Mr. Sawtelle was seeking Board approval. Mr. Sawtelle replied that he was. Chairman Reinhold stated he would like to add that the Board of Selectmen appoint the Chair of the Agriculture Commission. Selectman Ford said he was opposed to that. Chairman Reinhold said it was not a significant issue and, unless he had unanimous support of the Board for appointment of the Chairman, he would withdraw concerns. Following this, Selectman Griswold made a motion to approve establishment of a Lee Agricultural Commission as stated in RSA 674.44e. Selectman Ford seconded. Chairman Reinhold called for a discussion. There being none, Chairman Reinhold called for a vote. Motion passes. A copy of Mr. Sawtelle’s handout becomes a permanent part of these minutes. E. After a brief discussion, the Board agreed Town Administrator Guimond could start advertising for a Secretary to fill the position to be vacated by retiring Town Secretary Donna Eisenhard. F. Chairman Reinhold informed the Board the 7-member Town Center Committee finished most of their work and now need to hire conceptual engineers to design the Town Center Project. He said the estimate received for this work is $13,000 plus expenses. He stated the money is in the budget and the goal is to have a presentation at Town Meeting. He said he needs the Board’s permission to expend this money, which has been approved by the town, and he will need that approval by Friday. Selectman Griswold asked if he would have more detailed numbers as a result of this. Chairman Reinhold said he would. Following this, the Board granted approval to expend the money. G. The Board signed Appointment Slips for Joseph P. Ford as Lamprey Regional Solid Waste Cooperative Director and Roger Rice as Lamprey Regional Solid Waste Cooperative Alternate Director. Copies of the Appointment Slips become a permanent part of these minutes. H. The Board signed an Appointment Slip for Sidney White Jr. as a member of the Energy Committee. A copy of the Appointment Slip becomes a permanent part of these minutes. I. The Board signed a Notice of Intent to Cut wood or Timber for PID#04-04-0000 – Katholiki Realty Trust. A copy of the Notice becomes a permanent part of these minutes. 9. Non-Public Session: Selectman Griswold made a motion to enter into Non-Public Session. Selectman Ford seconded. Chairman Reinhold polled for a vote: Griswold-aye; Ford-aye; Reinhold-aye. Motion passes. The Board entered into Non-Public Session at 9:50 p.m. The Board exited Non-Public Session at 10:15 p.m. and re-entered the Regular Session. 10. There being no further business, meeting was
adjourned at 10:16 p.m. Minutes
recorded by: ______________________________ Donna F.
Eisenhard, Town Secretary Minutes
accepted by: __________________________________ Frank W.
Reinhold, Jr., Chairman _________________________________ Joseph
P. Ford ________________________________ W. James
Griswold Lee
Board of Selectmen |
|
This site is created and maintained by leenh.org. All rights reserved. © 2007, leenh.org. |