SEL20090519

APPROVED

TOWN OF PELHAM

BOARD OF SE= LECTMEN MEETING

MINUTES

May 19, 2009

CALL TO ORDER – 6:30pm

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

PRESENT:

Mr. Robert Haverty, Mr.= Douglas Viger, Mr. William McDevitt, Mr. Harold Lynde, Town Administrator Tom Gay= dos

Also present:

ABSENT:

Police Chief Joseph Roa= rk, Fire Chief James Midgley, Highway Road Agent Don Foss, Planning Director Jeff Gowan, members of the press and general public.

Mr. Edmund Gleason

MINUTES REVIEW

May 5= , 2009

MOTION:

(Lynde/McDevit= t) To approve the May= 5, 2009 Selectmen meeting minutes as amended.

VOTE:

(4-0-0) The motion carried.

The amendments to the min= utes were as follows: page 1, unde= r Open Forum – 3^rd paragraph, 3^rd sentence – the portion of the sentence reading “…and the policy came out from = that which was then adopted.” Was amended to read: “… and the policy that was then adopt= ed came out from that (investigation).”; page 3, under Sherburne Hall use – references made to “Village Green” were amended to read “Sherburne Hall”.

OPEN FORUM

None.

APPOINTMENTS

Board/Committee Appointments

Conservation Commission – Lisa Loosigian – Ms. Loosigian came forward to discuss her application. She was interested in being reappo= inted to a two year term. She discu= ssed her reasons for wanting to be reappointed to the Board and stated that she = was presently working in the environmental consulting field and had passion for= the outdoors and believed in the Conservation Commission’s mission. Mr. Viger asked what Ms. Loosigian= would like to accomplish. Ms. Loosi= gian stated that her number one concern was clean water and water resources. She felt the way to clean water up= was through land acquisition and reducing impervious surfaces. Mr. McDevitt said he reads the Conservation Commission’s minutes and appreciated the work she had do= ne on the board.

MOTION:

(Lynde/McDevit= t) To appoint Lisa Loosigian to a t= wo year term on the Conservation Commission effective April 1, 2009 and endi= ng March 31, 2011.

VOTE:

(4-0-0) The motion carried.

It was noted that there w= as still an open for a one year term available to the Conservation Commission.

Council on Aging – Robert Carr - Mr. Gaydos stated that the appointm= ent request was made through Mr. Gleason from the Council on Aging. He understood that Mr. Gleason wou= ld make the discussion. The item= was postponed to the next meeting.

New Ambulance/EMS Purchasing Discussion

Fire Chief James Midgley = came forward to lead the discussion. He stated during his last discussion with the Selectmen he provided an overvie= w of what they were looking at. He= said they were looking to install a mobile data terminal inside the ambulance, similar to what the Police Department use, and set up the infrastructure to support it. At this time the request would only cover the ambulance. Chief Midgley stated if the Selectm= en approved the ambulance terminal, he’s written a grant request for $42= ,000 that would be submitted by tomorrow afternoon that would outfit all the fro= nt line apparatus. He stated that Lieutenant Atwood was well versed in the technology and Victor Danevich had reviewed the plan and felt it was the best direction for the department. He said the cost to build the infrastructure and one unit would be $15,837. Chief Midgley reviewed/summarized = the cost information given to the Selectmen which was for equipping the ambulance.

Mr. Viger said this was t= he second time add-ons were being requested.&= nbsp; He said it seemed that the ambulance came in at less than expected a= nd items were being added to get to the amount of money. He questioned why the items brought forward weren’t included in the specs. Chief Midgley said the original sp= ec was just for the ambulance and the equipping; they were trying to be as kind to= the tax payers as possible. He sa= id the requests would bring them in the direction they wanted to go in the future. He said to get the infrastructure done and set up would look good on the grant and would lay t= he ground work for installing one data terminal in each of the trucks over the= next several years.

Mr. Haverty asked if the = money being discussed were excess funds left over from the warrant. Chief Midgley said that was correct. Mr. Haverty question= ed whether the money could be spent on the medical equipment because the warra= nt was to raise and appropriate money for an ambulance. Chief Midgley stated that the warr= ant article was written to purchase and equip the vehicle. Mr. Gaydos believed it was okay, b= ecause it was equipment specific to that unit and wasn’t supplies.

Mr. Lynde felt it would h= ave been helpful to have the items being identified as being needed for the ambulanc= e at the time the request was put together.&nbs= p; He asked for further explanation of the data terminal (MDT). Lieutenant Atwood stated that the = mobile data terminal would provide them with access to their in-house software thr= ough a laptop computer. He explain= ed the type of information that would be able to be accessed and how it would bene= fit the emergency responders.

Mr. McDevitt discussed his interpretation of equipping the ambulance.= He said it was difficult to say no to life safety. He said he wished there was a more comprehensive plan laid out in terms of what they wanted to do with the pie= ces of equipment in the vehicles. He believed the arguments set forth were well thought out and he would support them.

Mr. Lynde asked how appro= ving the expenditure would impact the grant. Chief Midgley stated that he had written a grant that would essentia= lly outfit six vehicles with MDT’s; in order to do that they would need to have the infrastructure in place.

Mr. Viger stated that he = planned on supporting the request. He= said the items seemed like they should have been supported by the budget in addi= tion to purchase of an ambulance. = He believed they were doing a disservice to the tax payers by placing the items under the ambulance purchase price because the items were more like supply items. Chief Midgley said the Ambulance Committee’s intent was not to list out every item that woul= d be purchased so they left the wording as ‘purchase and equip’ the ambulance. Mr. Viger said the medical equipment supplies would have been needed whether the ambulance was approved or not and therefore addressed in the budget. Chief Midgley stated that the futu= re for the second ambulance would be addressed in the budget.

Mr. Haverty asked if the = grant was for an additional six units making it a total of seven to be equipped.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Chief Midgley said it would be sev= en units total. Mr. Haverty aske= d what the monthly access charge would be. Chief Midgley said the total monthly access charge for the seven uni= ts would be $3000 per year, which would be incorporated into the budget.

Mr. Lynde commented on th= e term ‘and equip’. It w= as his view when an ambulance was purchased, to be of use, it had to be equipped a= nd fully stocked with the necessary medical supplies, some of which would come from existing inventory.

Mr. Haverty said the poin= t he was stuck on was if the items being discussed were part of ‘equippingR= 17; and ambulance, why were the Selectmen discussing it. Mr. Gaydos said there were several questions that came up when the Selectmen initially discussed purchasing the ambulance and additional equipment. He said the Selectmen wanted to know everything that would be bought; the Chief was asked to put together a comprehensive list so they wouldnR= 17;t have to keep coming back to the Board.&nbs= p; Mr. Haverty said the MDT fell under a different category than the medical equipment.

Mr. McDevitt asked for fu= rther explanation of the on-going maintenance costs for the data terminals. Chief Midgley said he couldn’= ;t project if they were going to receive the grant. He said if they didn’t, only= one unit would be maintained. He = said if they received the grant for the units the condition was that they had to maintain them. Lieutenant Atw= ood said the only other additional maintenance would be from IMC who supplied t= he software. Mr. McDevitt was concerned because Department Heads were being asked to come in with a zero increase budget and now they were reviewing items which would add costs that weren’t in the 2008-2009 budget.&nbs= p;

Mr. Viger asked how the p= urchases added up to the total warrant cost. Chief Midgley stated they came up to approximately $1000 less than t= he warrant’s amount.

MOTION:

(Lynde/McDevit= t) To approve the expenditure of $19,643 from the remaining balance of the 2009 Ambulance Warrant Article for the equipment list provided by the Fire Department.

VOTE:

(4-0-0) The motion carried.

The Selectmen appreciated= the Fire Chief applying for the grant. <= /span>

Chief Midgley provided the Selectmen with an update regarding the Homeland Security Grant and the new = fire station. He had been tracking= the website, which stated they would put a list out soon. He said they have stressed that th= ey want ‘shovel ready’ projects.&= nbsp; Mr. Gaydos said it was possible they would be in the bid process whe= n it came along.

Board of Selectmen Vote – Renumbering of Mammoth, Sherburn= e, Windham and Hobbs Roads

MOTION:

(Lynde/McDevit= t) To proceed with the renumbering (of Mammoth, Sherburne, Windham and Hobbs Roads).

VOTE:

(4-0-0) The motion carried.

OTHER BUSINESS

Priority List Updates

The Selectmen reviewed the priority list. Mr. Gaydos upd= ated the Selectmen with the following: 1) Fire Chief had just provided an update regarding the Fire Station; 2) the E911 project could be dropped until next year since they just made a vote regarding the renumbering; 3) Town Center traffic had several issues pending (public meeting June 4, 2009); 4) Second egress at Muldoon – unsure of action; 5) report received from PERC commi= ttee for Selectmen review- (PERC and Bruce Mason to meet prior to discussing with Selectmen); 6) Police Chief Roark working on parameters for Raymond Park oversight- presentation to be made to Selectmen; 7) contract negotiations t= o be discussed during a future non-public session.

Mr. Gaydos stated that th= e Budget Committee requested that the Selectmen more clearly define the Town Building maintenance program. Mr. Lynd= e felt something should be done in the near future to prevent more significant dam= age to the Historical Society’s building. Mr. Haverty understood that Mr. Bi= ll Scanzani would be obtaining estimates.&nbs= p; Mr. Gaydos asked if there was a reason why the Selectmen wouldn̵= 7;t want to obtain their own estimates. He said he had not received communication on the issue. Mr. Haverty felt it was a valid idea. He wanted to see what t= he Historical Society felt the emergent issues were.

Mr. Gaydos stated that th= ey were working at a snail’s pace with Pennichuck Water being acquired by Nashua. He said Pennichuck recently had an= open discussion with their shareholders about selling as a whole the Pittsfield Aqueduct, Pennichuck East along with Pennichuck to <= st1:City w:st=3D"on">Nashua. He said Nashua didn’t want to own all of the pieces. Pennichuck has submitted a request= to the Public Utilities Commission to restructure their customer base to provi= de better service. Mr. Gaydos was unsure what the movement meant; it was going to the State Supreme Court for= a decision. He said the Town sh= ould be prepared, if Nashua took it over, that Pelham’s interest was taken= care of even if they looked at controlling the portion of Pennichuck East that serviced the Town.

Mr. McDevitt noted (as he= had done at previous meetings) that he was a customer of Pennichuck East. He said as a customer, he had rece= ived a letter from Pennichuck that was difficult to decipher. He said he would provide a copy fo= r Mr. Gaydos to review. Mr. Gaydos = stated his biggest concern was the water supply and noted that there was some recognition there would be difficulty because in the agreement made by the Public Utilities Commission money was set aside (for Pennichuck East) for m= itigation of that difficulty. Mr. McDev= itt asked if at some point it would become necessary for the Selectmen to hire someone to look out for the Town’s interest. Mr. Gaydos said at this point it w= as not anybody’s intent (in the group) to be predatory on anyone else, but a= t a certain point the Town would have to be careful.

Sherburne Hall Use Procedure – Discussion & Public Inp= ut

Mr. McDevitt stated that = there had been a disconnect regarding the draft copy of the procedure given to the Selectmen. He provided the Selectmen with the lasted draft noting that it was identical to the previous draft with the exception of his suggestion based on input he had received regarding extended uses of the hall. The revision was to have a $150 fee for the first day of hall rental= and drop the $150 fee for the second day of use. The new fee schedule would be $150= for the first day’s rental and $50 per day for additional days.

Mr. Haverty stated the in= tent of the Sherburne Hall Use Procedure was to have something in place and modify = it as needed; at some point in the future ratify it as a policy. Mr. Gaydos recommended adding the = words ‘up to’ when referencing use of the hall after the first day; $= 150 for the first day and up to $150 per day thereafter depending on the hall’s use. He said the= key thing was to pin point/classify the activity to try and anticipate the use costs. He said one of the difficulties was to have groups state exactly what they intended to do beca= use at this point it’s all new.

Mr. Lynde believed the pr= ocedure should include language that the Town reserves the right to require some ki= nd of a deposit for expenses over and above what might normally be intended. Mr. Gaydos said the Town should be protected. Mr. McDevitt asked= if the Board could agree in principle that the current draft was the procedure= for use of the hall in the event someone came forward with a request. He and Mr. Gaydos would work langu= age out and come back to the Selectmen. There were no objections.

Mr. Gaydos stated that he= had a conversation with Fire Chief Midgley who was not in favor of having Sterno = in the hall. He said they discus= sed alternatives such as electric hot plates.&= nbsp; Mr. McDevitt said the reference to Sterno would be taken out and they would make sure they had a sentence in the document that was approved by the Fire Chief. Mr. Gaydos said t= he point was to have hot plates at the hall for use.

Memorial Day Plans

Mr. Gaydos reviewed the a= genda for the Memorial Day plans being held Monday, May 25, 2009. Mr. Haverty felt something should be posted informing people that th= e parade route had been changed. Mr. G= aydos said signage could be reviewed. Mr. Lynde discussed the parking situation.&nbs= p; Mr. Gaydos said the Police had spoken about how they would manage the traffic. He gave special than= ks to the Fire Fighter’s Union for insta= lling the flags this year.

TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT / SELECTMEN’S REPORT

Mr. Gaydos asked the Sele= ctmen to recall a gentleman from the Long Pond Clean Water Committee who came before= the Board interested in controlling some vegetation that was growing in the pon= d. He said they had discussed the per= mit process and shortly after his visit the Selectmen indicated their support a= nd signed the permit. He said he received correspondence (in April, 2009) indicating that the permit= had been approved and treatment was scheduled for May 19, 2009 and went on to summarize the temporary restrictions. Anyone having questions should contact 508-765-0101. Mr. Gaydos then provided an update regarding the beaver situation near Sherburne Road, a number of which had been trapped. He spoke with the state who indica= ted they would like to install a pump and pump a small amount of water into the culvert/drain pipe over a continuous amount of time. The water being pumped wouldn̵= 7;t be enough to flood the neighbors, but would be enough to lower the water level. The pump may cause some noise. If the neighbors are bothered by it they should contact the Selectmen’s office and in turn would be given contact information to the state.

Mr. Haverty questioned wh= at recourse the abutter would have in the event the beaver dam collapsed and m= ore water came through. Mr. Gaydos stated they had contacts at the state and it would be a matter between the abutters and the state. He sa= id the Town was the mouthpiece to get information out to people. Mr. Haverty asked if there was a w= ay for the Town to reach out to the abutters and let them know the work would begin. Mr. Gaydos believed wh= en the pumps were set up the state would knock on doors to let people know.

Mr. Viger had no report.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>

Mr. McDevitt reported tha= t the Garden Club plant sale would be held Saturday at 9am on the Village Green. The Garden Club was thanked for th= eir clean up and planting at the Historical Society.

Mr. Lynde stated he atten= ded a Municipal Advocacy Committee meeting in Concord and reviewed current legislation. He said public hearings would be held in the next several days regar= ding the Senate version of the budget. His understanding was the Town would not be immune from receiving drastic cuts from the state. = He also stated that the Senate didn’t pass the House version of a bill on retirement that would have helped to reduce costs. Mr. Lynde reported that the Pelham= High School Study Committee was reaching the end of what it intended to do. They took a vote (7-0-2) on the recommended approach and will give a presentation to the School Board on Wednesday, May 27, 2009.

Mr. Haverty reported that= the Planning Board had discussed the responses to the RFQ process for engineeri= ng services. The process would b= e to reduce the list at the next meeting.

REQUEST FOR NON-PUBLIC SESSION

MOTION:

(Lynde/Viger) = Request for a non-public session per RSA 91-A:3,II, a (personnel)

ROLL CALL:

Mr. Haverty-Ye= s; Mr. Viger-Yes; Mr. McDevitt-Yes= ; Mr. Lynde-Yes

It was noted tha= t when the Board returned, after the non-public session, the Board would not take = any other action publicly, except to possibly seal the minutes of the non-public session and to adjourn the meeting. The Board entered into a non-public session at approximately 8:00 pm.

The Board returned to public session at approximately 8:55pm.

MOTION:

(Viger/Lynde) = To seal the minutes of the non-public session indefinitely.

VOTE:

(4-0-0) The mo= tion carried.

ADJOURNMENT

MOTION:

(Viger/Lynde) = To adjourn the meeting.

VOTE:

(4-0-0) The motion carried.

The meeting was adjourned at approximately 8:55 pm.

= &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = Respectfully submitted,

= &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = Charity A. L. Willis

= &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = Recording Secretary

&nb= sp;

Non-Public Session RSA 91-A: 3, II (a) <= /b>

&nb= sp;

If requested, Non-public = session per RSA 91-A: 3, II (a) Personnel<= u>