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Minutes of 12/19/2016

December 23rd, 2016

Carroll Board of Selectmen
Meeting Minutes
December 19, 2016


“These minutes of the Town of Carroll Select board have been recorded by its Secretary. Though believed to be accurate and correct they are subject to additions, deletions and corrections by the Select Board at its next meeting when the Board votes its final approval of the minutes. They are being made available at this time to conform to the requirements of New Hampshire RSA 91-A:2.”

Minutes recorded by Maryclare H. Quigley, Secretary

Board members present: Paul Bussiere, David Scalley, Brian Mycko

The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Chairman Bussiere.

Members of the public present: Dianne Hogan, Michael Hogan, Imre Szauter, Jeremy Oleson, Greg Hogan, Sue Kraabel, Bobbi Amirault, Ron Wareing, Sherri Wareing, Ben Jellison

Pledge of Allegiance

The Board announced the approval of bills and signing of manifests.

Selectman Scalley made a Motion to: Approve the minutes of 12/05//2016 as written. Selectman Mycko seconded and the Motion passed unanimously.

First on the agenda was discussion of the future use of the gym. Chairman Bussiere said it is not safe and will need a lot of money to bring it up to code. Selectman Scalley said the State Fire Marshall inspected it and found numerous violations which would have to be brought into compliance. These include painting the entire gym with fire-rated paint with the paint costing about $34,800, replacing the entire alarm system at about $15,190 and electrical work at about $15,000. These numbers do not include replacing/updating the big old boiler for about $19,500. It was reiterated that using the gym at all is a violation, and if we do not address these items, it must be closed.

Fire Chief, Jeremy Oleson, said we must give a plan in writing about what we're doing to the Fire Marshall's Office; in accordance with the letter we received a couple of months ago. It was noted it would be about $85,000 to bring to minimum standard. Discussion took place regarding who uses it and if it makes any money. It was stated the majority of events/uses are by Parks and Recreation and that the Town does not make any money on it. It was also noted that there has not been an Assembly Permit for the Town Hall for a very long time and this is of importance to address as well. This Permit is not as important to the rest of the building as it is not being used for more than 99 people. Sherri Wareing spoke about "band aid" fixes and said they just don't work.

Imre Szauter, Chairman of the Building Committee, spoke for that group and said a number of the members visited Franconia to see their new Fire/Police station. He said the architect for that project came to talk to the Committee about options to accomplish the same thing, and perhaps with the addition of Town Administrative Offices, as he said a lot of people were looking at a new building/complex from that angle. The Committee is working on getting a proposal to put together a warrant article for money to cover the first step which would be planning, etc. Mr. Szauter said it would be the 2018 Warrant before they could have an article ready for a complex that would address the needs of the Town. When asked, he and other members of the Committee responded that the land which is being considered is already owned by the Town and would be straight back from the current parking lot. He further stated that all buildings are in need and the potential savings on fuel, energy, etc., could be very great. When asked about why articles failed in the past, it was noted there were several reasons, not the least of which was emotions.

Sue Kraabel said she feels people don't realize the cost of operating and maintaining the Town Hall. She said she signs the checks and sees the costs – we’ve been told that when the big boiler runs, it uses 6 to 7 gallons of oil per hour. It was stated that we'll look at the second boiler to see if it can also cover the kitchen area. Selectman Scalley said we need to make a decision. If we start anything with it being an old building and as is usually the case with old buildings, the issues will only compound themselves as we get further into it.

Dianne Hogan said she feels not enough people or the right people come to Deliberative Session to hear debate on the various matters, so when they see the high cost to do something, they just vote no. Bobbi Amirault asked if it would be cost effective to put a list together and mail to all the residents.

Mr. Szauter spoke of the Town’s liability. He said if there is an awareness of an issue and it is not addressed, should anything happen, the liability would be huge. He said the personal safety issue is too great. Chief Oleson stated the Fire Detail and crowd control can help mitigate the issues, but they are not the answer. Mrs. Kraabel said she believes there's not a lot of choice with the safety issues and also agrees that it's too costly for a band aid.

Discussion turned to timing, and Mr. Szauter said if everything goes right, it would be a minimum of three years before there could be a new building. Chairman Bussiere said they need to try to find middle ground given the timeline, so they can still have events here, i.e. Deliberative Session, voting, etc. Ron Wareing said that sounds good, but if we keep finding solutions, even though short-term, people will keep looking for solutions and will not look at the future, so they will not approve anything.

Mr. Szauter said Bonnie Moroney had put a spreadsheet on expenses together for a previous building committee which she recently updated. Renting the Police Station has been just under $180,000, not including the loss of tax revenue for the property, since 2007. In addition, heat and electricity expenses for the three buildings are about $40,000 times six years, or about $240,000, with the PD fuel and electric at $54,000.

Ben Jellison asked if they could come up with a mitigation plan to keep the building open for the three events already planned, i.e. the Snowmobile Club Dance, Deliberative Session and Voting. Mr. Szauter said he believes any plan puts a large responsibility on the Fire Department and their ability/capacity to provide the people to do it. After a bit more discussion and when asked, Chief Oleson said the Training Room at the Fire Station could be used for committee meetings, such as Selectmen meetings, Planning Board, Zoning Board, etc. It was noted that the Treasurer’s Office and the Food Pantry would also be affected by the closing and they would have to be relocated.

Greg Hogan said he was thinking about the cost associated with closing which lead to what actually will be closed, if just the gym, all but the kitchen, or the entire side of the building including the kitchen, the gym and the downstairs bathrooms. The Chairman asked Mr. Jellison, who is the Town Moderator, if Deliberative Session could be held elsewhere to which Mr. Jellison answered that if the gym is closed an alternative solution would be found.

Selectman Scalley made a Motion to: Eliminate the use of the gym and close as of December 20, 2016, with appropriate signage. Chairman Bussiere seconded and the Motion passed with 2 yeas and 1 nay. In discussion that followed, Selectman Mycko said he believes if they are closing anything they close it all, that was why he voted against the Motion. Mrs. Kraabel said she feels anything less than 100% support on the Select Board is sending the wrong message, and Selectman Mycko reiterated he is not against closing – but feels it should be the entire area, not just the gym.

Discussion followed about a plan or Motion that all members could support and Selectman Mycko made a Motion that would allow 21 days for getting costs and completing work to close and/or reconfigure heat to keep the kitchen open, or relocating workplaces, food pantry, etc. With discussion taking place about what should be included and becoming much too cumbersome, Selectman Mycko withdrew his Motion for another one.

Selectman Mycko then made a Motion To: Close the kitchen area in 21 days. Selectman Scalley seconded and this passed by 2 yeas and 1 nay. Chairman Bussiere said he voted against the Motion because he wants the ability to check on the cost of keeping it open with closing the gym and the downstairs bathrooms. He is not opposed to the closing but wants the time necessary for getting the answers being sought.

Mr. Szauter asked if this plan will mitigate the Fire Marshall’s violations – will closing answer the questions. Chief Oleson said he feels with the line by line answers in writing it will, and if we can’t have it done in time, we certainly would be able to ask for an extension. The Board will work on the letter.

Mr. and Mrs. Wareing attended the meeting to ask about getting a Certificate of Occupancy for their newly renovated building. The current Inspector is ill and in the hospital and they need the C.O. for the Twin Mountain Cottages and cannot get it signed. They had to cancel numerous reservations and don’t want to have to do so again. The lack of the C.O. is costing them a lot of money and affecting their ability to pay their bills, such as their taxes, said Mr. Wareing. They said the Building Inspector had been in several times and that the Fire Chief also inspects and had been in a number of times. It was suggested signing a temporary C.O. until the Building Inspector is back and able to take care of it. Chief Oleson said he has been in extensively and would be willing to sign off. He does not feel the Board is going out on a limb by signing temporarily so the business can start. Chairman Bussiere asked if this is something they can do, and Chief Oleson said he was not sure, but believed they can.
The Wareings said all work had been done by licensed people. Michael Hogan asked about a Building Inspector from a nearby town. It was stated this would be the same issue as another inspector hasn’t seen the ongoing project. It was reiterated that they believe Chief Oleson is more than qualified as he’s seen the project from start to finish. Further discussion took place and Selectman Scalley made a Motion that: the Selectmen the Certificate of Occupancy for the Twin Mountain Cottages Bunkhouse and that he will sign as Building Inspector. Selectman Mycko seconded and the Motion passed with 2 yeas and 1 nay.

Discussion followed about whether or not a temporary C.O. would be accepted by the insurance company and the Wareings were concerned it would it would not. Most agreed with them and after more debate, Selectman Scalley made a Motion that: He is the Building Inspector until Stan is back from his illness. Chairman Bussiere seconded and the Motion passed with 2 yeas and 1 nay. Selectman Scalley’s qualifications were asked and he said while he is a licensed builder in Massachusetts he takes certification courses on a regular basis among other things.

Michael Hogan updated the Board on the Ski Program. He said because people have expressed concern in the past about paying for out-of-town children, they wanted the Board to know how they have addressed an issue. They knew that the Whitefield program was not paying for a bus this year and had made provisions for that when they had the ski sign-up, as well as having received donations to help cover the cost. But they discovered they were short on money for the ski bus because they were just told that the price had increased. Rather than asking to increase their budget, they will pay the difference with money from their revolving fund, where the donations had also been deposited. Mr. Hogan said people from surrounding towns have always been very supportive of their events and they feel this is the right way to take care of this. Roughly $800 will come from the Revolving Fund and taxes will pay only for students from the Town of Carroll.

Warrant articles were next and the Secretary said she was hoping to have the wording for the Waste Disposal article by the next meeting. All Veterans’ Tax Credit followed. This addition to the State RSA was approved in August and provides that Title 10 training for active duty by a member of a national guard or reserve shall be included as service once other qualifications are met. Selectman Scalley made a Motion to: Approve RSA 72:28-b and Selectman Mycko seconded. The Motion was approved unanimously. The Secretary will get the wording for the required Warrant Article. Lastly, the Tax Collector requested that the following article for selling tax deeded property be approved as it's been a long time since it’s been approved and will serve to update as well.

“To see if the Town will vote to authorize indefinitely, until specific rescission of such authority, the Board of Selectmen, pursuant to RSA 80:80, to sell tax deeded property, as justice may require, after collection of all back taxes, back to the owner of record at the time of the Tax Collector’s Deed and to further authorize the Selectmen to sell any other personal property owned by the Town which is no longer used for municipal purposes. In every instance, sale shall be held by public auction or advertised sealed bids.” Selectman Mycko made a Motion To: Accept the article to sell tax deeded property. Selectman Scalley seconded and it passed unanimously.

The following were approved and signed:

Letter of Engagement-Donahue, Tucker & Ciandella, PLLC
Cable Television Franchise Agreement Extension
Water Warrant – Late Fees
Water Warrant – 4th Quarter Billing
Water Warrant – Two Veterans, LLC; Dyson
Liquor License Expansion – Omni/Mt. Washington Resort, Bretton Woods Ski Area

It was noted the Letter of Engagement is for the Legal Counsel working on behalf of the Cable Television consortium to which the Town belongs with other area towns as they work on Franchise Agreement which expired in 2016. The Extension is for the purpose of negotiating the new Agreement.

Follow-Up Items:

Building Inspector/Code Enforcement Officer – Addressed
Report of Safety Issues to be Addressed – Addressed
Town Hall Assembly Permit -- Addressed
Town Hall Permit Application – Addressed
Water Policy Revision – In process. Chairman Bussiere said they are nearly finished and are meeting again on Wednesday, December 21, at 9 a.m.
Employee Manual – Selectman Mycko made a Motion to sign the new Employee Manual.
Selectman Scalley seconded and it passed unanimously. The Secretary was asked to copy and
distribute the Manual with paychecks on Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Other:

The Secretary brought forth an email just received from North Country Council about our commissioner on that Board. It was asking if Evan Karpf was still our commissioner and also pointed out that we are entitled to two. After brief discussion, Selectman Scalley made a Motion To: Appoint Michael Hogan as Carroll’s Commissioner with the North Country Council. Chairman Bussiere seconded and the Motion passed unanimously. It was stated that Mr. Hogan would make a very good commissioner. The Secretary was asked to notify Mr. Hogan of this appointment as he had already left the meeting.

The Secretary said the Board needed to meet again next week. There are several items to be addressed before the end of the year, including encumbering funds for paying December invoices in January. They set the meeting for Tuesday, December 27, 2016.

Selectman Scalley brought an estimate of $2,200 from Kellogg Surveying and Mapping, Inc. for a survey for site plan with the topographic plan for the proposed new building/complex on the land surrounding the Town Hall. He said they need this before they can make any further decisions on the land. After brief discussion, Selectman Scalley made a Motion To: Accept the quote from Kellogg Surveying. Selectman Mycko seconded and it passed unanimously. The

Secretary was asked to find out if this could come from the Land and Building Capital Reserve Fund.

Imrie Szauter said he wanted to follow up on the closing of the gym and thanked the Board for taking action on the building and other things in town. He said he knows these are very hard decisions and they take time, which he appreciates.

Greg Hogan said they hadn’t talked money before and asked if he should put more money in his budget for next year, for the closing, etc. The Board concurred it would be a good idea to do that and have it ready for the next meeting.

The Secretary was asked to check the Building Permit for a phone number to contact the owner of 118 Mt. Adams Lane for entry to do the inspections for their Certificate of Occupancy. Selectman Scalley and Chief Oleson said they would try to do that either this Friday or next Tuesday. This discussion also brought up the Certificate of Occupancy application submitted by Hunt Properties. The Secretary went to the office and brought it to the table for the Fire Chief and temporary Building Inspector sign. Chairman Bussiere then made a Motion To: Approve the C.O. and for the Board to sign off. Selectman Scalley seconded and the Motion passed unanimously.

As there was no further business, the Board was polled: Chairman Bussiere, yes; Selectman Scalley, yes; Selectman Mycko, yes; and went into non-public session, per RSA 91-A-3 for personnel at 9:45 p.m.

At the close of non-public session at 10:35 p.m., Chairman Bussiere moved to return to public session and seal the minutes from non-public session. Selectman Mycko seconded and the Motion passed unanimously.

There being no further discussion, Selectman Scalley made a Motion to adjourn the meeting. Selectman Mycko seconded and the Motion passed unanimously. Chairman Bussiere declared the meeting ended at 10:36 p.m. The next meeting will be Tuesday, December 27, 2016.

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