Selectboard Meeting Minutes

Minutes of 9/19/2023

September 21st, 2023

Carroll Board of Selectmen
Meeting Minutes
September 19, 2023

“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 Kelly Trammell, Secretary Pro Tem
Board Members: Jules Marquis, John Greer, Bonnie Moroney

Members of the Public: Jeff Warren, Bill Vecchio, Bobbi Amirault, Mike Hogan, Rena Vecchio, Tadd Bailey, Brian Mycko, Imre Szauter, Andy Smith, Annette Marquis, Greg Hogan, Jeff Duncan, Ian MacMillan

The meeting was called to order at 5:00 p.m. by Chairperson Marquis.

Pledge of Allegiance

Selectperson Moroney made a motion to approve the minutes of 9/5/2023 as written. Selectperson Greer seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

Selectperson Moroney made a motion to approve the minutes of 9/7/2023 as written. Selectperson Greer seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

Selectperson Greer stated the ZBA had questions on the use of legal. Selectperson Greer read information that the had obtained by NH Municipal Association which said ZBA is allowed to consult with an attorney as part of their decision-making process. They can charge the cost to the applicant. If the cost is not part of an application, the ZBA would have to ask the Select Board permission to use the legal expenses. The Secretary advised that Land Use Boards have always been able to use legal without question. The process has been to send all questions to the Administrative Assistant who would be the one point of contact to the attorney. She said in the past, each Board had its own legal line but to streamline things, they were removed and everyone uses the same legal line. The point of using the Administrative Assistant is to avoid numerous members of a Board calling the attorney and increasing costs which has happened in the past. Andy Smith asked for clarification as to the NHMA document referencing needing Select Board vote. He sees this as a possible time delay. Selectperson Greer said the process will remain to go through the Administrative Assistant and no vote by the Select Board is needed. The Secretary said the only the process changes is when we run into a case where the Select Board appeals a Land Use Board decision. Then it is the Town of Carroll v. Town of Carroll Land Use. There is a conflict of interest. Each party would have their own attorney and in that case the Land Use Board would go through the Land Use Secretary.

The Board reviewed the MS-1 form. Selectperson Moroney made a motion to approve and sign. Selectperson Greer seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

The Board reviewed a Land Use Change Tax for CMGT Investments. Selectperson Moroney made a motion to approve and sign. Selectperson Greer seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

The Board reviewed a Land Use Change Tax for Larsen. Selectperson Moroney made a motion to approve and sign. Selectperson Greer seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

The Board reviewed a Certificate of Occupancy for Vellucci. The Secretary advised the Board that the Building Inspector had not signed off yet but had called asking the Board to sign and he will sign as soon as he can. He had an item come up and was not able to get to the paperwork ahead of time. Fire Chief Duncan said he had been to the property and the items the Building Inspector was to approve had been completed. Selectperson Moroney made a motion to approve and sign. Selectperson Greer seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

Selectperson Greer said that Melissa Jellison asked to be appointed to the Recreation Committee. Annette Marquis said the Recreation Committee is supposed to be a Committee of three. She said Donna Goettler had been appointed as Director but never came in to sign the oath. She said RSA 35: B recommends staggered appointments and the Board should approve oaths and reference a term. Marquis said that Goettler gave her resignation as Director but said she would stay on the Committee. Marquis said the Select Board should recognize Goettler as a Committee member to clean things up. Annette said she currently has a bill to reimburse but without a Committee, there is an issue. She said a quorum of the Committee needs to meet and approve bills and the Recreation Treasurer should bring them forward for the Town Treasurer to pay. Marquis said there is a Recreation meeting on Monday and maybe Donna could possibly get sworn in with Becki on Monday night prior to the meeting. Annette can bring the bill to the Recreation meeting for their approval to pay the bill she has.

Selectperson Greer made a motion to bring Donna Goettler in as a member of the Recreation Committee.

Mike Hogan asked if there were three groups using the same account. He was advised the three groups are using the same account however their individual money is being tracked separately. Hogan asked who had the checkbook. Annette Marquis said she does as Treasurer and was advised by the State not to let blank checks out. There was a discussion of how to move money from the 250th Anniversary out to potentially go to the Historical Society. The Historical Society needs to complete getting their 501C-3 status and would also require a vote of the Town.

The Secretary advised the Board there was still a motion on the table by Selectperson Greer. Selectperson Moroney seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

Selectperson Moroney made a motion to sign the Recreation Oath of Office for Melissa Jellison. Selectperson Greer seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

Selectperson Greer said he had been speaking with the Water Department as to what may be needed to improve the system. He said grants are coming through and maybe we can figure out how to use a grant to accomplish some items such as getting electricity to the tank on Little River Road or putting a mixer in the tanks to prevent freezing. Selectperson Greer asked Greg Hogan if we need a mixer. Hogan said if the tanks are exercised, we do not need a mixer. Hogan said for those that do not know, a mixer is used in the winter to stop ice from freezing against the wall of the tanks. Discussion was held on ice build up and potential tank damage. Hogan said the tanks are 166,000 gallons and usage helps keep the level going up and down. It has been there a long time and it has not been a problem. Hogan said there are lots of challenges. He said both tanks are on privately owned land. We could bury electric to the tank on Little River Road however there is a high-water table. He said you could try solar but that does not work well here in winter. Jeff Warren asked if the tanks freezing have been a problem. Selectperson Greer said it is a concern. Hogan said it has not been a problem. They do winter maintenance to keep it in check. Hogan asked Jeff Duncan, as one of the land owners, if he would allow electric on the property. Duncan said he does not want poles on the property. He said he did provide Scott Sonia with a location to bring the electric in and back down to the tank.

Selectperson Greer asked the Board to appoint him as a point person to work on water grants. He said this specific grant needs to be done in October. Selectperson Moroney said she thinks the priority should be identifying property and putting in another well. Greg Hogan said he agrees. Selectperson Greer asked about the third well that is inoperative and can it be drilled out. Hogan said he was told that well is done. Can’t be used. Selectperson Greer said both wells we have now are right next to each other.

Greg Hogan said keep in mind, the system works well for domestic use but it’s a whole other situation for fire suppression. He said there are 500,000 gallons available a day for use but that is not good for fire protection. Hogan said he’s happy to see Greer looking at grants but we have to have our ducks in a row. He said water grants have been available yearly. Selectperson Greer asked what the problem is for fire suppression. Pumping or holding capacity? Hogan said the tanks hold 166,000 gallons but that is gone through quickly in a fire. Selectperson Greer asked again about being point person to do research. Selectperson Moroney agreed. Selectperson Greer made a motion to approve himself as point person. Selectperson Moroney seconded and the motion passed unanimously. There was discussion again of power and telemetry to the water tank. Mike Hogan presented the board with an article about Northern Borders who gave money to surrounding Towns for grants and suggested the Town follow up.

Bill Vecchio said he and Imre Szauter had been speaking informally about forming an Energy Commission to be an advisory board to discuss things like energy savings, car charging stations, aggregating energy, street lighting and educating citizens of the Town for energy savings in their homes. Imre Szauter said he and Bill met with Melissa Elander from Clean Energy NH who can assist with grants, grant writing and assist in putting proposals together to bring to the Board. Szauter touched on the differences between Committee and Commission and said a Commission is an entity of the Town and that is how they would like to be recognized. Szauter said on September 25, there would be site visit on the Town Hall for an assessment to see if our buildings are eligible for solar. He said we have a brownfield in Town. If it cannot be used for anything else, maybe it can be used for solar. Selectperson Greer asked if we are spending more for the energy on this campus than we were before. Szauter cautioned Greer about talking about spending in general. He said we are using less per square foot but you can’t make comparisons on spending when the cost of electricity changes. Bill Vecchio said they have an Eversource account executive they could work with for things like the prior example of getting electricity to the water tank. Selectperson Moroney provided a handout from NHSAVES who is teaching residents how to make their homes energy efficient. She told Vecchio and Szauter the woman from the flyer is a good contact as she said this Town has money available to it for things like changing street lighting. There was further discussion about solar on the buildings and if we generate more than we use we could apply the credits to other Town accounts. Szauter asked the Board to please review the information which he and Vecchio had provided and he would like to follow up at the next meeting and after the site assessment on the 25th. Szauter said they would also need one more member. The Commission needs three people and can be up to ten members.

Selectperson Moroney said NHSAVES is putting on an event in Bethlehem tomorrow about energy conservation. She said Joan Karpf is planning on attending and encouraging them to have one in our Town.

FOLLOW UP:

Road Closure – Selectperson Moroney said she saw Greg Hogan and had asked if the barriers on Fieldstone Lane had been removed. Greg said they had not so she asked him to move them. Moroney said she wants to have a meeting with Phil Beaulieu from NHDOT to see how the State sees things and to talk about the process to get a driveway permit to narrow down the road. She would like to be the representative to deal with this. Moroney said the Town should hire an independent surveyor to see where the Town’s road is. She said it should have been completely surveyed prior to the old fire station being sold.

Chairperson Marquis asked Greg Hogan about the right of way for the road. Hogan said it’s a fifty foot right of way, twenty-five feet on either side from center of road. The Chair asked if anyone could put barriers there. Hogan said no. Not in a right of way. Selectperson Moroney said she wants someone unaffiliated and from out of Town who does not already know what is going on as a surveyor. With the Board’s approval she said she would meet with Beaulieu and report back. She will also call a surveyor to see if they are available. Brian Mycko said that when the old fire station building being sold it was made very clear that there was no property in front of that building. Selectperson Greer asked if the signs that are up are on State property and the belief is that it is State property. Greer said if that is the case, the Town does not have jurisdiction. Mycko said he is blocking a Town road. Moroney said Fieldstone goes out in front of both buildings and comes out in front of the Post Office. Mycko questioned putting signs on State property and Moroney said that it up to the State. The State would have to ask to have them removed. Greer asked if we own the road. Moroney said we accepted the road back in 1972 and it did not have to go to the Town for a vote. It only had to go for a vote of the Town if they did not want the road from the State.

Administrative Assistant Vacancy – The Secretary advised the Board that they had two applications to review in non-public and a third had only submitted a resume and did not submit a full application.

Department Head Questionnaire – Board members will review and discuss next meeting.

Employee raises and budget – Board members will review and discuss next meeting.

Other:

Mike Hogan shared an article about Conway and short-term rentals. Chairperson Marquis said something is already being written up and will be presented for an ordinance.

Bobbi Amirault asked to clean out the building at the Recreation Area. She said there are crayons, markers and other items that are going to waste as it has been five years since camp was held. She would like to donate the items to other recreation programs or schools. Selectperson Moroney told Amirault she would have to go to the Recreation meeting on Monday night. She said those items were purchased with the Recreation budget and the items belong to them. Greg Hogan agreed that someone should use the items before they go bad.

At 6:47 p.m. Chairperson Marquis made a motion to go into non-public for personnel. Selectperson Moroney seconded and the motion passed unanimously.

At 7:12 p.m. Selectperson Moroney made a motion to return to public session and seal the minutes. The motion was seconded by Selectperson Greer and all were in favor. Motion passed unanimously.

At 7:13 p.m. Selectperson Moroney made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Selectperson Greer seconded and the motion passed unanimously.