TOWN OF WALPOLE

MEETING OF THE SELECT BOARD

APRIL 9, 2009

 

Select Board Present:   Whitney Aldrich (Chair), Jamie Teague, Sheldon Sawyer

 

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

 

PUBLIC BUSINESS:

HODGKINS PROPERTY:  John and Suzanne Hodgkins submitted a Sale Agreement and Deposit Receipt to the Select Board for their review.

Mr. Sawyer moved to approve and sign the Sale Agreement and Deposit Receipt for 650 Bellows Road.  Seconded by Mrs. Teague.  Motion passed unanimously.

 

AMERICAN HERITAGE TOUR:  Following a request from Ernie Vose, the Select Board authorized the Cheshire YMCA, American Heritage Tour, to do a clean-up in the Town Hall and $100.00 will be donated toward this world service project.

 

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE:  Mr. Sawyer moved to approve the Accounts Payable check register and manifest in the amount of $486,770.11.  Seconded by Mrs. Teague.  Motion passed unanimously. 

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

 

PAYROLL:  Mr. Sawyer moved to approve the payroll voucher for the week ending April 04, 2009, for gross wages in the amount of $14,679.99 or net wages in the amount of $6,792.84.  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 $3,232.39.  Seconded by Mrs. Teague.  Motion passed unanimously.

 

MINUTES:

SELECT BOARD MEETING – April 02, 2009:  Mr. Sawyer moved to approve the Minutes of the regular Select Board and Hooper Trustees meeting of April 02, 2009, with the following clarification:  Page 2 -2008 Tax Ratio- delete “Town’s 2008 Tax Ratio is still at 100%”. The Department of Revenue Administration made the following determination – “they have determined the overall weighted mean assessment-sales ratio for the land, buildings, and manufactured housing in Walpole for Tax Year 2008 to be 100%” but they also “determined a median ratio for the land, buildings, and manufactured housing in Walpole for Tax Year 2008 to be 98%”.  Seconded by Mrs. Teague.  Motion passed unanimously.

 

SELECT BOARD PUBLIC HEARING – April 02, 2009:  Mr. Sawyer moved to approve the Minutes of the Public Hearing of April 02, 2009, as printed.  Seconded by Mrs. Teague.  Motion passed unanimously.

 

SELECT BOARD NON-PUBLIC MEETING – April 02, 2009:  Mrs. Teague moved to approve the Minutes of the Select Board Non-Public meeting of April 02, 2009, as printed.  Seconded by Mr. Sawyer.  Motion passed unanimously.

 

 

Select Board Meeting – April 09, 2009 – Page 2

 

DEPARTMENT / COMMITTEE REPORTS:  The Select Board advised that the North Walpole Village Annual Precinct meeting was held last night.

 

ABATEMENTS:

NORTH WALPOLE REALTY TRUST – Property Tax 2008 – Map 030-045-000:  Mrs. Teague moved to approve the Abatement for Property Taxes for the Year 2008 in the amount of $2,377.00 plus all interest for North Walpole Realty Trust.  Seconded by Mr. Sawyer.  Motion passed unanimously.        

 

TERESA WOOLBERT – Map 027-001-001:  Mr. Sawyer moved to approve the Abatement for Property Taxes for the Year 2008 in the amount of $8.61 Interest Only for Teresa Woolbert.  Seconded by Mrs. Teague.  Motion passed unanimously.

 

FINLEY GREATHEAD REALTY TRUST – Map 028-019-000:  Mrs. Teague moved to approve the Abatement for Property Taxes for the Year 2008 in the amount of $18.00 for Finley Greathead Realty Trust.  Seconded by Mr. Sawyer.  Motion passed unanimously.

 

REFUNDS:

TIMOTHY & ANNA BLANC –Property Taxes Year 2008- Map 011-043-003:  Mr. Sawyer moved to grant the Refund for 2008 Property Taxes in the amount of $1,013.00 for Timothy and Anna Blanc.  Seconded by Mrs. Teague.  Motion passed unanimously.

 

KASPER REAL ESTATE –Property Taxes Year 2008- Map 021-040-000:  Mrs. Teague moved to grant the Refund for 2008 Property Taxes in the amount of $1,038.00 plus $24.00 Interest for Kasper Real Estate.  Seconded by Mr. Sawyer.  Motion passed unanimously.

 

JEANNE McALLISTER –Property Year 2008 –Map 008-056-000:  Mr. Sawyer moved to grant the Refund for 2008 Property Taxes in the amount of $233.00 plus $5.00 Interest for Jeanne McAllister.  Seconded by Mrs. Teague.  Motion passed unanimously.

 

RICHARD FRANCIS III –Property Year 2008- Map 011-007-001:  Mrs. Teague moved to grant the Refund for 2008 Property Taxes in the amount of $548.00 plus $12.00 Interest for Richard Francis III.  Seconded by Mr. Sawyer.  Motion passed unanimously.

 

DERMONT & PHYLISS DALEY –Property Year 2008- Map 028-129-000:  Mr. Sawyer moved to grant the Refund for 2008 Property Taxes in the amount of $99.00 plus $1.00 Interest for Dermont and Phyliss Daley.  Seconded by Mrs. Teague.  Motion passed unanimously.

 

PAUL & ELIZABETH MERCER –Water/Sewer- Map 017-025-000:  Mr. Sawyer moved to grant the Refund for Water in the amount of $327.68 and Sewer in the amount of $230.01 plus all interest for Paul and Elizabeth Mercer.  Seconded by Mrs. Teague.  Motion passed unanimously.

 

WARRANT:

EXCAVATION –George Graves- Map 001-016-000:  Mr. Sawyer moved to approve the Collection of Gravel Tax Fees for gravel removed on the Wentworth Road in the amount of $419.86 for George Graves.  Seconded by Mrs. Teague.  Motion passed unanimously.

 

 

 

Select Board Meeting – April 09, 2009 – Page 3

 

OLD BUSINESS:

RESIGNATION – Conservation Commission:  Mr. Sawyer announced that the Select Board has accepted the resignation of Brad Fletcher from the Conservation Commission.

 

APPOINTMENTS –Conservation Commission:  Mr. Sawyer moved to appoint Mary Lou Montgomery to a three year term on the Conservation Commission.  Seconded by Mrs. Teague.  Motion passed unanimously.

 

Mr. Sawyer moved to appoint Jan Galloway-Leclerc to a three year term on the Conservation Commission.  Seconded by Mrs. Teague.  Motion passed unanimously.

 

Mr. Sawyer moved to pass over the appointments for Alternates on the Conservation Commission for now.  Seconded by Mrs. Teague.  Motion passed unanimously.

           

SEWER CREDIT METERS:  Mrs. Teague moved to grandfather in the sewer credit meters that are now installed but from this point in time no new sewer credit meters will be installed as we are not able to credit them easily.  Seconded by Mr. Sawyer.  Motion passed unanimously. 

 

ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION TAX CREDITS:  Pam Aslinger, Secretary to the Planning Board, will be notified that Michael Bergeron and/or James Robb from the NH Department of Resources and Economical Development are planning to attend the next Planning Board meeting to explain Economic Revitalization Tax Credits.

 

PLAYGROUND GRANT:  Mrs. Teague would like to contact Mrs. Ken Burns to discuss the new playground equipment as she has completed two grant applications but needs the back-up documents to go with them  Anyone interested in working on this project should contact Mrs. Teague at 445-5193.

 

NEW BUSINESS:

VETERAN EXEMPTION –Paul Mercier- Map 017-025-000:  Mr. Sawyer moved to pass-over this agenda item to allow time to obtain additional information.  Seconded by Mrs. Teague.  Motion passed unanimously.

 

USE OF TOWN HALL FEE:  Mr. Sawyer moved to exempt the Walpole Leadership Academy from paying the rental fee for use of the Town Hall for an event on April 22, 2009.  Seconded by Mrs. Teague.  Motion passed unanimously.

 

COMMON USE REQUEST –Christine Prentiss- September 27, 2009:  Mr. Sawyer moved to grant Christine Prentiss permission to use the Common and Bandstand for a wedding on Sunday, September 27, 2009.  Seconded by Mrs. Teague.  Motion passed unanimously.

 

COPS GRANT:  Mrs. Teague attended an Economical Stimulus meeting on Tuesday afternoon at UNH.  The Police Department would like to put in a COPS Grant application for an additional full-time officer.   If the Town is eligible the State of NH is waiving the requirements for a special meeting.  The application is complete; it has to be in by April 15th.  The Grant application is for $213,848.00.  The additional full-time officer would be paid for three years by the Grant but the Town has to make a commitment to employ that officer for the fourth year. 

 

 

Select Board Meeting – April 09, 2009 – Page 4

 

Mrs. Teague moved to allow the Walpole Police Department to apply for the COPS Grant.  Seconded by Mr. Sawyer.  With Mrs. Teague and Mr. Aldrich in favor the motion was approved by a 2-to-1 vote.  Mr. Sawyer was opposed.

 

COPIER DOWNSTAIRS:  A memo was received from Pam Aslinger advising that the copier that is downstairs was left so jammed up that she had to call in a repair person.  She does not feel that the Planning Board should pay the bill since the Conservation Commission and Trustees of Trust Funds also use it.  There was a consensus of the Select Board to bill the Trustees of Trust Funds and to attach a copy of the sheet of paper that was found jammed in the copier.

 

PERSONAL TIME –Afternoon- April 14, 2009 – Elaine Moore:  Mrs. Teague moved to grant permission for Elaine Moore to take off the afternoon of April 14, 2009, as personal time.  Seconded by Mr. Sawyer.  Motion passed unanimously.

 

LETTERS TO BE SIGNED:

VACHON & CLUKAY & CO., PC:  Mrs. Teague moved to authorize the Chairman to sign the standard audit letter for the year 2007 to Vachon & Clukay & Company, PC.  Seconded by Mr. Sawyer.  Motion passed unanimously.

 

MS. ELLEN NOTT – Re: High Street One Way:  Mr. Sawyer moved to sign the letter to Ms. Ellen Nott acknowledging that the Select Board received her letter regarding the proposal to make High Street One Way.  Seconded by Mrs. Teague.  Motion passed unanimously.

 

GRIFFIN & ANDRA SIVRET –Map 018-018-000– 2008 Abatement Request – Denied:  Mr. Sawyer moved to approve and sign the letter to Griffin & Andra Sivret regarding the denial of their 2008 Abatement request.  Seconded by Mrs. Teague.  Motion passed unanimously.

 

PUBLIC BUSINESS (Continued):

MARK HOUGHTON:  Mr. Houghton discussed the Stimulus package application submitted to the State.  Originally the program was introduced as 80/20% funding but then was changed to 50/50%.  He recommended that they postpone having an engineering study done unless the Town moves up on the State’s priority list.  After a discussion the Select Board agreed to wait before moving forward on the project. 

 

Mr. Houghton requested that the Select Board allow him one more week to gather additional figures and then revisit the water rates.

 

Mr. Aldrich moved to adjourn this meeting.  The Select Board will enter into a meeting as the Hooper Trustees. Seconded by Mrs. Teague. Motion passed unanimously. The time was 9:45 PM.

 

MEETING OF THE HOOPER TRUSTEES

 

Mr. Aldrich called the meeting of the Hooper Trustees to order at 9:47 PM.

 

E.E. HOUGHTON BILL For Work at Hooper Institute:  Mr. Sawyer moved to authorize the Trustees of Trust Funds to pay the bill from E.E. Houghton in the amount of $154.92 for repairs at the Hooper Institute.  Seconded by Mrs. Teague.  Motion passed unanimously.

 

 

Select Board Meeting – April 09, 2009 – Page 5

 

 

Adjournment:

Mr. Sawyer moved to adjourn this meeting.  Seconded by Mrs. Teague.  Motion passed unanimously.  The time was 9:52 PM.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Regina Borden, Recording Secretary

                                                                        _______________________

                                                                        Whitney R. Aldrich, Chair

 

                                                                        _______________________

                                                                        Jamie J. Teague

 

                                                                        _______________________

                                                                        Sheldon S. Sawyer

 

 

(Note:  These are unapproved minutes.  Corrections, if necessary, may be found in the minutes of the April 16, 2009, Select Board meeting.)