TOWN OF WALPOLE

MEETING OF THE SELECT BOARD

MARCH 5, 2009

 

Select Board Present:   Sheldon Sawyer, Whitney Aldrich, Jamie Teague

 

Mr. Aldrich called the meeting to order at 7:30 PM with five people present in the audience.

 

PUBLIC BUSINESS:

FIRE CHIEF RICHARD HURLBURT:  Fire Chief Richard Hurlburt discussed the Emergency Management (FEMA) reimbursement for manpower during the ice storm in December.   FEMA has the paper work therefore will forward the 75% reimbursement soon.  Originally there was some confusion over whether the Fire District or Town would issue these employees checks.  The Select Board agreed that in the future the Town will issue one check to the Fire District to cover the payroll.  Chief Hurlburt will meet with Teresa Kissell, bookkeeper, to work on a policy for reimbursements from the State for Forest Fires.  

 

MATT SUCHODOLSKI –Phone Call- BTLA Appeal:  The Select Board and Loren Martin from Avitar had a conference call with Matt Suchodolski relative to his BTLA Appeal.  Following a discussion Mrs. Teague felt the Select Board was not prepared to make an adjustment at this time.  Mr. Suchodolski will email copies of an appraisal made on the property in February 2009.  It was agreed that he would contact Ms. Martin directly to talk about several issues, including the comparables he submitted, in connection with the BTLA Appeal.       

 

PAUL COLBURN:  Paul Colburn, Solid Waste Facility, explained some inconsistencies with weight and payments in connection with shipments of cardboard to the NRA.  He would like to set up a meeting with an NRA representative to work out an agreement.  Mr. Aldrich is the liaison to the Solid Waste Facility therefore volunteered to attend this meeting.           

 

ERNIE VOSE - Update Town Meeting:  Ernie Vose checked-in with the Select Board for any updates in preparation of Town Meeting.  

 

BRIAN McMASTER – Southwest Region Planning Commission –Grant Funds:  Brian McMaster submitted a letter and documents to request that the Select Board sign Requisition #4 in the amount of $16,500 relative to the MEDC/Andrus Associates, LLC, CDBG #08-050-CDED.

Mr. Sawyer moved to sign the two copies of Requisition #4, in the amount of $16,500.00, to the NH Community Development Finance Authority, for the Monadnock Economic Development Corporation /Andrus Associates, LLC.  Seconded by Mrs. Teague.  Motion passed unanimously.  

 

WALPOLE FOREST ACCOUNT:  The Select Board advised that the Walpole Forest account was erroneously omitted from inclusion in the Town Report.  Myra Mansouri, Treasurer, noted that the Mason Forest and Hooper Forest are not included in this account.  Copies will be handed out at the Town Meeting.  

 

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE:  Mr. Sawyer moved to approve the Accounts Payable check register and manifest in the amount of $491,443.87.  Seconded by Mrs. Teague.  Motion passed unanimously.

The above amount includes a monthly payment in the amount of $472,979.46 to the Fall Mountain Region School District. 

 

 

Select Board Meeting – March 5, 2009 – Page 2

 

PAYROLL:  Mr. Sawyer moved to approve the payroll voucher for the week ending February 28, 2009, for gross wages in the amount of $18,934.12 or net wages in the amount of $9,982.72.  Seconded by Mrs. Teague.  Motion passed unanimously.

 

Mr. Sawyer moved to approve the electronic fund transfer for the 941 Employer Taxes for Withholding, MEDI and FICA taxes in the amount of $4,355.98.  Seconded by Mrs. Teague.  Motion passed unanimously.

  

MINUTES:

SELECT BOARD MEETING – February 26, 2009:  Mr. Sawyer moved to approve the Minutes of the regular Select Board meeting of February 26, 2009, as printed.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  Mrs. Teague abstained as she was not present.  Motion passed.

 

DEPARTMENT / COMMITTEE REPORTS:

The Select Board received and reviewed the minutes of the following North Walpole Village Board of Commissioners meetings:  February 03, 2009, February 24, 2009 and the Budget Hearing on February 03, 2009.

 

ABATEMENT:

AMY PINKERTON (Continued From Last Weeks Meeting):  Mrs. Teague moved to table this Abatement for Amy Pinkerton to allow time to do more research on the Sewer Policy.  Seconded by Mr. Sawyer.  Motion passed unanimously.

 

OLD BUSINESS:

WARRANT ARTICLES 7 and 8:  Mr. Sawyer consulted with the Local Government Center and Attorney Jeremy Hockensmith relative to the new Amendment for Article 8 which proposes that any Current Use Change funding that comes in during the year will be put into a separate fund and then the following year during Town Meeting in March the voters can decide what they want to use the money for. 

Mr. Sawyer moved to approve this Amendment to Article 8.  Seconded by Mrs. Teague.  Motion passed unanimously.

 

IRVING OIL:  Mrs. Teague advised that the current contract with Irving Oil expires in May. 

Mr. Sawyer moved to have Mrs. Teague draft a letter to Irving Oil outlining their errors in deliveries therefore the Town wants to break the contract.  Seconded by Mrs. Teague.  Motion passed unanimously.

 

OFFICE CLOSURE WEDNESDAYS (Continued From Last Weeks Meeting):  Mr. Sawyer explained that the original suggestion was to close the office on Fridays because the Town Clerk’s office is closed on that day however the Local Government Center is not in favor of closing on that day.

Mr. Sawyer moved to close the office to the general public on Wednesdays beginning on Wednesday, March 18th, 2009.  Seconded by Mrs. Teague.  Motion passed unanimously.

This effective date will allow time to publish this change in the newspaper, to post it and have it put on the web site and the Walpolean.             

 

 

 

 

Select Board Meeting – March 5, 2009 – Page 3

 

NEW BUSINESS:

MS-5 FINANCIAL REPORT (To Be Signed): Mrs. Teague moved to approve and sign the MS-5 Financial Report as requested by the Auditor.  Seconded by Mr. Sawyer.  Motion passed unanimously.

 

JOHN FAULKNER LETTER – Ref: Merriam Farms:  The Select Board acknowledged receipt of the letter from John Faulkner and will take it under advisement.

 

HIGHWAY DEPT. SUMMER HOURS:  There was a consensus of the Select Board to ask Jim Terrell to attend the next meeting to discuss his memo requesting summer hours of 6:00 am to 4:30 pm beginning March 28th for the Highway Department. 

 

BENEFITS ADMINISTRATOR WORKSHOP:  Mr. Sawyer moved to allow Teresa Kissell to attend a Benefits Administrator Workshop on Thursday, April 30th, 2009.  Seconded by Mrs. Teague.  Motion passed unanimously.

 

NON-PUBLIC SESSION:

Mrs. Teague moved to enter into a Non-Public Session pursuant to RSA 91-A:3 II to discuss (a) Personnel.  Mr. Sawyer seconded the motion and, on a roll call vote with all in favor, the motion was approved.  The time was 8:55 pm. 

 

The regular meeting resumed at 9:00 pm.  There were no announcements.

 

Mrs. Teague moved to adjourn this meeting.  Seconded by Mr. Sawyer.  Motion passed unanimously.  The time was 9:01 PM.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Regina Borden, Recording Secretary

                                                                                    _____________________

                                                                                    Sheldon S. Sawyer

 

                                                                                    _____________________

                                                                                    Whitney R. Aldrich

 

                                                                                    _____________________

                                                                                     Jamie J. Teague

 

(Note:  These are unapproved minutes.  Corrections, if necessary, may be found in the minutes of the March 12, 2009, Select Board meeting.)