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Minutes of 10/26/2009

November 2nd, 2009

Carroll Board of Selectmen
Meeting Minutes
October 26, 2009

"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 Quigley, Secretary

Board members present: Chris Hancock, Bonnie Moroney, Ken Mills

The Board went into Non-Public Session at 6:43 p.m. for Town Aid. At the close of Non-Public Session, Chairman Hancock moved to go into Public Session and seal the minutes. Selectman Moroney seconded and the Motion passed unanimously.

The Public meeting was called to order at 7:04 PM by Chairman Hancock.

Members of the public present: Roberta McGee, Ann Fabrizio, Carmine Fabrizio, Jennifer Power, Susan Alling, John Trammell, Bill Smalley, Jeremy Oleson, Donna Foster, Joan Karpf, Evan Karpf, Leslie Bergum

Pledge of Allegiance

The board announced the approval of bills and signing of checks.

Chairman Hancock made a Motion to: Accept the minutes for October 19, 2009 as written. Selectman Moroney seconded and the Motion passed unanimously.

The following items were approved and signed:

Memorandum of Understanding for Police Dept. Radios
Water Warrant – Colaluca Management, LLC; Gilman; Powell

It was noted the MOU for the Police Department radios is a mandatory update for the State, and the same as was signed at the last meeting for the Fire Department.

A contract for $3,085 from Vermont Tennis Courts to coat and stripe the basketball court had been received for signing by the Selectmen. After brief discussion, Selectman Moroney made a Motion to: Contact the Recreation Department and find out how much money they will need from their budget between now and the end of the year. Chairman Hancock seconded and the Motion passed unanimously. Mrs. Moroney explained after we know this the Selectmen will sign the contract and we will then be able to encumber funds from this year’s budget and add them to the line item in next year’s budget to cover this cost.

Selectman Mills referred to the meeting on October 5, when he attended electronically as he was in Atlanta, GA, attending training for his work. He had done the research and knew his attendance was legitimate according to RSA 91-A. However, he chose to change any votes he had made to abstentions, as he believed it would be better for the Board to adopt a policy before he actively participates in a meeting. Thus, he brought forth the “Policy for the Conduct of Public Board and/or Committee Meetings by Electronic Means”(attached). Selectman Mills noted it still requires a quorum to actually be in attendance, and that audio quality must be clear and understandable, along with any visual means that may be available. It also requires that any documents to be addressed should be forwarded in PDF form prior to the meeting. The question was asked if there is a limit to the percentage of meetings that may be attended in this way. It was noted that it does not, but if the question is because of abuse of the privilege, there is a checklist to go through when holding a meeting in this manner, and also members of the Board would address it if that appeared to be the case. When asked how to choose if a Board has alternates, Selectman Mills stated the policy is available to other Boards but this does not necessarily apply to them. Chairman Hancock made a Motion to: Adopt the “Policy for the Conduct of Public Board Meetings by Electronic Means.” Selectman Moroney seconded and the Motion passed unanimously. The Board Members each signed the copy for the manual.

Chairman Hancock said the Board had heard from members of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service regarding their intention to acquire land in the Town of Carroll for the Pondicherry Division of the Silvio O. Conte National Fish & Wildlife Refuge in Jefferson and Whitefield. Mr. Hancock went on to say the Board had requested the Conservation Commission to look into this proposed acquisition and to report back to this Board. Leslie Bergum, a member of the Commission, read a letter to the Board with their recommendation to support it (copy attached). Joan Karpf, Chairman, and Mrs. Bergum briefly explained their research. They also said they had met with the Conservation Chairmen from Jefferson and Whitefield who told of their experiences working on these projects. Chairman Hancock made a Motion to: Go with the recommendation of the Conservation Commission to support the project. Selectman Moroney seconded and the Motion passed unanimously.

It was noted that a False Alarm Policy is being worked on and that a Warrant Article will be done as there will be a charge for numerous false alarm calls. There was a brief discussion of the drain on manpower and the potential dangerous situations these can cause. The suggestion was made that the fine be increased as the number of false alarms increase. It was also asked if the Board can institute this policy without a Warrant Article, as this could be a lot of work for nothing if it is not approved. It was also asked if the policy goes into effect, that the various homeowner associations in Bretton Woods be notified, which was agreed on. The Board asked the Secretary to call Town Counsel and ask about the need for a Warrant Article.

Selectman Moroney said the Building Committee had put work on a future Police Department on hold in deference to the need for a new well. It was discovered during the water emergency in June that the current wells are too close to each other to use one as the backup if something happens to the one in use. Mrs. Moroney said the Committee has been working with Provan & Lorber and they have given a price of $39,790 to do an engineering study for the wells. The Board will work up a Warrant Article for this. Mrs. Moroney added that they are looking at the Route 115 area for the location of the new well, and they also hope to be able to add new customers, which will help to lower the cost overall. It was noted that the cost will go to the whole town, but usage will be paid only by those on the system. Selectman Moroney made a Motion to: Put a Warrant Article together to move forward with the well. Chairman Hancock seconded and the Motion passed unanimously.

Under Other Business:

The Board received a letter from the residents of Blueberry Hill Road asking for help getting the road fixed. There are potholes and rough areas that had been patched but there are many more that need repair. Chairman Hancock said they would look into the condition of it. The Selectmen explained to Jennifer Power, a resident of the Road, the order of work in that the Highway Department and the Water Department are currently one entity and they have been dealing with water leaks for some time now. Water mains are old and have deteriorated to the extent that there are a number of big leaks that need repair right away. As the two departments are comprised of three men, it is an issue of manpower, and depending on the extent of the condition of the road, it could also be an issue of money. It was also noted that roads are deteriorating because money was not put aside over the years to take care of them. The Board reiterated they will follow up to find out what is happening with the road.

Selectman Moroney said Bill Dowling, Transfer Station Superintendent, had spoken about pay-per-bag at an earlier meeting, and he said if it is instituted, his budget can be reduced. She also said there had been a Warrant Article a few years ago that had been voted down, but she and the Board feel it is time to bring it up again. Therefore, Selectman Moroney made a Motion to: Contact Bill Dowling and ask him to go forward with the Pay-Per-Bag plan for the Transfer Station. Chairman Hancock seconded and the Motion passed unanimously.

Joan Karpf, Chairman of the Conservation Commission, had several items. The first was the yearly inspection by the Commission of the land on the flats, which is in a conservation easement. This was done and she presented the report to the Board. There was discussion of what this entails i.e. making sure the plan drawn up between the owner and the easement is maintained, boundary lines are maintained, etc. Mention was made of the water in the low land, and Mrs. Karpf said that is natural and is not to be disturbed. Note was made of the roadside mowing, which must be done to maintain views. Mrs. Karpf said the landowners are doing a very good job with it.

Mrs. Karpf’s other items were a request for money for three members of the Commission to attend the annual meeting of the New Hampshire Association of Conservation Commissions at $40 each; to request the change of the November meeting date to be on the website, as the fourth Thursday of the month will be Thanksgiving; and to request that their Mission Statement be on the website. These will all be taken care of.

Evan Karpf, volunteered to continue his appointment as Health Officer. He will pick up the form and complete it so the Selectmen may sign it at their next meeting. The Board thanked Dr. Karpf for his generosity. Dr. Karpf also spoke of having attended a conference on H1N1, Swine Flu. He gave an update on it and said it is no worse than the normal seasonal influenza but what is unusual about this one is that it is those age 24 and under who are most vulnerable. Dr. Karpf said that by declaring an epidemic, it is in terms of numbers of cases, not severity of the illness.

The Secretary noted there were a few changes to budgets based on research she had been asked to do. One was with the Conservation Commission, membership is at $175 rather than $150 as recorded. Mrs. Karpf asked that the amount be changed, but to leave the total budget the same, $500. Another was to add a line to General Government Buildings for Alarm System. That line will now be 01-4194.10-700 with $1,300. Previously the alarm charges had been allocated to Miscellaneous, but the amount is such that it should have its own line. Also, it was suggested that an additional line be put in the Water Budget for Training, as there is ongoing training that will have to be undertaken. This new line is 04-4332.10-901 with $500. Adding a line for water line repairs was discussed but it was decided to leave it as it is currently allocated in the various lines with contract labor, water expansion, etc. Selectman Moroney made a Motion to: Accept the budget changes as noted. Selectman Mills seconded and the Motion passed unanimously.

The Secretary advised the Board the bill had been received today for the County taxes, and the amount is $1,376,548, due on or before December 17, 2009. Dr. Karpf asked if someone from the Board attends the County meetings. No one from the current Board has attended any, but it was noted that a previous Selectman had. A brief discussion took place as to the merits of doing so; whether it would make any difference or not – taxes are based on the assessed value of the Town.

There being no further discussion, Selectman Mills made a Motion to: adjourn the meeting. Selectman Moroney seconded and the Motion passed unanimously. Chairman Hancock declared the meeting ended at 8:32 p.m. The next meeting will be Monday, November 2.

Town of Carroll, New Hampshire ®2024