SEL20090630

APPROVED

TOWN OF PELHAM

BOARD OF SE= LECTMEN MEETING

MINUTES

June 30, 2009

APPROVED &#= 8211; July 14, 2009

CALL TO ORDER – 6:30pm

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

PRESENT:

Mr. Robert Haverty, Mr.= Douglas Viger, Mr. Harold Lynde, Mr. Edmund Gleason, Town Administrator Tom Gaydo= s

ABSENT:

Mr. William McDevitt

MINUTES REVIEW

June = 2, 2009 – pending further clarification.

June = 16, 2009

MOTION:

(Gleason/Lynde= ) To approve the Selectmen meeting minutes of June 16, 2009 as amended.

VOTE:

(4-0-0) The motion carried.

Amendments to the minutes= were as follows: page 4 under May financial review – the sentence reading = 216;He felt the biggest area that should be discussed was interest income, which was down approximately $65,000.= 217; was amended to read ‘He felt = the biggest area that should be discussed was the Town’s interest income = at Sovereign Bank and the Municipal Bond Bank, which was down approximately $65,000.’

TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S / SELECTMEN’S REPORTS

Because the Selectmen were running ahead of schedule on the agenda, they took the Town Administrator’s and Selectmen’s reports out of order.

Mr. Lynde reported that t= he Pelham High School Study Committee had been chartered to continue an activi= ty to promote the results of their recommendations to the School Board. They met to better understand the direction they were heading. = The committee also participated in a public forum to discuss the issues. He also reported that Tot Soccer h= ad ended.

Mr. Viger and Mr. Gleason= had no reports.

Mr. Gaydos said the Town = had recently been notified of decisions made at the Legislature regarding the state budget. He said it appeared as though the Town would receive approximately $41,000 more in the Highway Blo= ck Grant because of the gasoline tax increase. He said the Town’s shared re= venues would be cut by approximately $95,000 per year for the next two years. Rooms and Meals would remain the same.

Mr. Lynde said there was = an issue about the Retirement Fund; the Municipal Advocacy Committee would be holdin= g a meeting to figure out how to proceed. Mr. Gaydos said there was a number of cost shifting going on and wen= t on to explain actions that were being taken.&= nbsp;

Mr. Gleason said it would= be important to watch the revenues over the next couple months to ascertain wh= at the outcome would be.

PUBLIC HEARING – Proposal to purchase Map 8 Lot 9-64, 96 Windham Road to be acquired for = use as conservation land.

Conservation Commission C= hairman Paul Gagnon and Conservation Commission Secretary Karen MacKay came forward= to discuss the proposal to purchase conservation land. Mr. Gagnon began by describing the proposed parcel, which had approximately 150-ft frontage on Windham Road (Route 111A) and conta= ined twenty-two acres. The Conserv= ation Commission was interested in acquiring the parcel because it abutted Kirby = Town Forest, which was virtually land locked, and they could add trail heads lea= ding into the forest. Having the a= ccess into Kirby would provide the public with access as well as help with timber management. Mr. Gagnon said t= here was a little bit of challenge they faced with the parcel because it contain= ed an existing residence, a dam and a pond.&n= bsp; They went to the Planning Board with a subdivision plan, which had b= een done Pro Bono by Herbert Associates, who did a survey and subdivided off the residence, the pond and the dam (approximately 2.5 acres) that would be sold separately. Mr. Gagnon showed= two possible development layouts for the parcel; one showing a conventional subdivision with twelve house lots and another showing a conservation subdivision with fourteen house lots. The appraiser, being conservative, didn’t feel that the road w= ould be approved based on the grades being in excess of 20%, and appraised the parcel based on the possibility of it having five new lots. The appraisal came in at $340,000.= The Conservation Commission has negotiated a purchase price of $250,000.&n= bsp; The land is largely high and dry and contained only a tiny wetland t= hat cut across the parcel. Mr. Ga= gnon noted that the Selectmen had been provided with booklets that contained the pertinent background information. He reviewed the information that had been provided.

Mr. Gleason complimented = the Conservation Commission for putting together a comprehensive package. He said it was a pleasure to read = the information because it was put together well. He reviewed the sales agreement and questioned if it was typical to state that the parcel wouldn’t be subdivided for a period of twenty years.&n= bsp; Mr. Gagnon said the sellers wanted a provision that stated forever, however it was felt that it would not work. It was felt by Mr. Gagnon, Mr. Gay= dos and Town Counsel that a reasonable amount of time should be indicated in the document. Mr. Gagnon said the intent was put a reasonable timeframe in the document. Mr. Gaydos said they had this issue come up in the past, where the seller wanted the Town to hold the lan= d in perpetuity. He said with Town Meeting, a vote could be taken to sell any Town asset. He said they had put different mechanisms in place giving the seller confidence that the Town didn’t intend on selling the land right away.&nbs= p;

Mr. Gleason asked if the = real estate agent would be paid out of the $250,000, or if there was separate funding. Mr. Gagnon assumed t= hat the agent would be paid out of the $250,000. He said there was no separate funding. Mr. Gleason then dis= cussed the naming of the area. Knowi= ng that other parcels were also being reviewed, Mr. Gleason asked if the propo= sed parcel would maintain a separate identity.= Mr. Gagnon didn’t have an answer for the question. He said they had yet to figure out= how to name parcels that had been put together from multiple purchases. Mr. Gleason commented that the buy= er was to bear all costs from the subdivision and questioned if there was anticipa= ted costs. Mr. Gagnon said they anticipated very minimal costs; the subdivision work was done pro bono by Herbert Associates; all they charged were fees that they had incurred which would not exceed $1000. He al= so commented that they didn’t believe the purchase cost would have to co= me out of the bond.

Mr. Viger stated that the information was laid out well and was easy to follow. His questions had been answered du= ring the discussion. &nb= sp;

Mr. Lynde felt the parcel= would be a good purchase.

Mr. Haverty also felt the= information was put together well and appreciated the work that had been done.

PUBLIC INPUT

Mr. Paul McDonough, 7 Mammoth Road, spoke in favor of the purchase. He believed it was important to conserve land in the Town and appreciated the efforts made.

MOTION:

(Lynde/Gleason= ) To authorize the purchase of twenty one acres off Windham Road identified as tax ma= p 8-9-64 for a p= rice of $250,000.

VOTE:

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

OPEN FORUM

Mr. Paul McDonough, 7 Mammoth Road said if there was any way to allocate funds to Park & Recreation to refurbish the recreation building at Pelham Veteran’s Memorial Park. He described the vandalism that had occurred and suggested that signs be posted indicating the park hours. He also wanted to know if it was possible for people living on Mammoth Road to move their mailboxes off the main road= as long as they had significant sized numbers on their houses. Mr. Haverty believed the mailboxes= might be the purview of the Post Office. Mr. McDonough said he would seek the answer to his question.

APPOINTMENTS

Eagle Scout Project – Harrison DiBonna – Disc Golf Course Sign at Muldoon Park

Boy Scout Harrison DiBonn= a came forward to discuss his proposed Eagle Scout Project. He stated he would be building a k= iosk behind the minor league baseball field at Muldoon Park indicating where the Disc Golf Course was located and explaining the rules = of the game. The discs (and map)= will be available at the Hillside Country Store (across the street).

Mr. Haverty asked if Mr. = DiBonna had coordinated with the Park & Recreation Director. Mr. DiBonna said he had spoken wit= h Park & Recreation Director Brian McCarthy.&= nbsp;

Mr. Gleason complimented = Mr. DiBonna on the package he presented. He felt it was a worth while project. He asked someone wou= ld be with him while he was using the tools indicated on the list of tools. Mr. DiBonna said his father would = assist as well as his Scout Master. Appropriate safety equipment would be used.

Mr. Viger asked if there = were restrictions regarding signage at the park. Mr. Gaydos said the sign would pro= vide directions versus advertisement.

Mr. Lynde clarified where= the sign would be located. Mr. Di= Bonna offered further explanation as to where the kiosk would be located. Mr. Lynde wanted the deed restrict= ions regarding structures to be reviewed. Mr. Gaydos said he would review the deeds.

Mr. Viger asked if there = was trust fund money available for Eagle Scout projects. Mr. Gleason stated that there were= funds available within the Tracy Davis Fund for Troop 610 and 25 to assist with C= ourt of Honor and Eagle Scout Projects. <= /span>

MOTION:

(Viger/Gleason= ) To give Boy Scout Harrison DiBonna permission to pursue/to start and build a kios= k at Muldoon= Park as stated in his plan; subj= ect to Mr. Gaydos checking the deed restrictions on structures.

VOTE:

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

Highway Safety Committee – Recommended Actions<= /u>

Police Chief Joseph Roark= and Fire Chief James Midgley came forward to discuss the latest Highway Safety Committee (‘HSC’) meeting.&nbs= p; The first item was signage for a couple of driveways that would beco= me named driveways because they contained two or more dwellings. Chief Midgley said there was a que= stion as to who would pay for the signs; the approximate cost was $75 per sign excluding labor that would be done by the Highway Department.

Mr. Gleason asked if a pr= ecedent would be set by installing signs on private ways. Mr. Gaydos said the signs would pr= obably be in the Town’s right-of-way. He noted that they were being installed for safety reasons. Mr. Gleason asked if there was a s= ource of revenue to pay for the signs. Mr. Gaydos believed the Highway Department’s budget contained = the funds.

Mr. Haverty asked who wou= ld pay from this point forward for signs to be installed. Mr. Gaydos believed if a subdivisi= on was created where two house lots were serviced by one road the Planning Board w= ould probably make it a condition to put up a sign. He said in this instance they were playing catch up and anything new would be addressed differently.

Mr. Haverty asked for the language in the motion to be as specific as possible as to the request.

MOTION:

(Gleason/Viger= ) To authorize the installation of signs with a cost of approximately $75 per = sign for no more than five signs.

VOTE:

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

Chief Midgley stated ther= e were two streets that needed to be named; the connection from Hobbs to Route 38 and the road within P= elham Terrace (off Windham Road<= /st1:address>). The recommendation of the HSC was = to change Hobbs Road Ext. to = Heath Street and to change Pelham Terrace to Terrace Circle. The proposed names do not conflict= with the E911 road name guidelines. =

MOTION:

(Gleason/Viger= ) To accept the Highway Safety Committee recommendation to name Heath Street and Terrace Circle in concert with th= e E911 project.

VOTE:

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

Chief Midgley said the HS= C had a discussion about the accident that occurred on Route 38 when a vehicle took down a telephone pole. He sai= d the north side of Town was essentially cut off; an arrangement was made with Salem, = NH to cover the north side of Town. He stated there was a potential (after reviewing the tax maps) to push Surrey Lane= through to St. Margaret’s Drive to provide connectivity. They were reviewing the potential = and possibly bringing it forward with other suggestions.

Mr. Lynde asked if there = were any major issues in getting it done. Chief Midgley said the easements would need to be reviewed. He said there was also a small wat= er hole that would need modifications to push the road through. He said the roads were approximate= ly 150ft. from each other. There= was currently a paper road in place.

Mr. Gleason commented tha= t the potential cost would need to be reviewed.&= nbsp; Chief Roark believed additional discussions would need to take place prior to discussing cost. He = said there would need to be an input process involving the neighbors. He believed the Highway Department= would be able to help with the cost.

Mr. Gleason asked if ther= e was anything National Grid could help with, because it seemed like it (the pole) would be a recurring problem. Chief Roark said the pole had been hit it the past. He didn’t think it was reali= stic that National Grid would move all the wire back across the street. He said the pole wasn’t the = only problem, consistently the hill froze up in the winter and vehicles get stuck. The traffic volume is = in the thousands and if it gets bogged down with a stuck vehicle or icy conditions, very quickly the north sector of Town is sealed off. Chief Roark stated that trucks (fr= om Division 5) had to be escorted in from Salem to push the vehicles aside so they could get to the hill to begin to clean = it up. He commented that very qu= ickly when that section gets isolated; there is no Police or Fire accessibility.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> He said it was hyper-critical to h= ave an alternate route in that location. Mr. Gleason said as part of the analysis/review there should probably be a discussion with National Grid to see if they might offer any insight of ite= ms to consider. Chief Roark said= they could be included in the discussions.

Mr. Haverty said general neighborhood notification should also be given as well as bringing them into the conversation and soliciting feedback.&= nbsp; Chief Midgley said they would start with finding out what property w= as owned and what easement (if any) was actually in place. Mr. Haverty asked if there were ot= her options for connectivity to pursue. Chief Midgley said he wouldn’t jump ahead; they would have to = have discussions.

Mr. Lynde believed there = was a requirement for poles to be eight feet back from the edge of pavement and didn’t believe they all were. Chief Roark said some were and noted the pole being discussed was significantly in the shoulder. He said it was a cross-over pole that had a system of guide wires supporting it. He discussed the accident= that was an extremely dangerous situation.

The Selectmen thanked the= HSC for their efforts and will await their review and further comments.

Police Chief Joseph Roark – Police Department Update<= /o:p>

Police Chief Joseph Roark= came forward to provide a departmental update to the Selectmen. He began by reviewing the budget a= nd the status of which year to date. He discussed his staff and informed that three (of nineteen) officers face potential deployment; there may be some overlap, but the details were not k= nown at this time. He continued reviewing the budget and then provided a status update of the department. <= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> The K-9 dog had undergone surgery a= nd was expected to make a full recovery. The traffic patterns for the July 4^th celebration had been posted and was expected to take approximately 20-25 minutes until the last vehicle exited. Chief Roark n= oted that the Town would beta test an anonymous text tip messaging service throu= gh Citizen Observer. He informed= the Selectmen that the funding for OHRV patrols was taken out of the state budg= et and would have to be made up through overtime and would have a presence, but possibly not as much as they had in the past. The department is currently in the middle of a DWI grant, which is fairly prestigious to receive. Funding for the Click It or Ticket program was secured and went very well.&nb= sp; The department will be able to get a burn grant that will go toward equipment and training; they will be looking to have a park ranger program.

Mr. Haverty questioned th= e status of the School Resource Officer (‘SRO’). Chief Roark stated that they will = find out at the end of August, beginning of September whether they will receive a COPS Grant. He was hopeful to= have the SCO be in the budget, but if not, he would bring it back as a warrant article. Mr. Haverty asked if= there was any activity regarding the door to door salesmen. Chief Roark said it was significan= t at first and then spotty activity. He said every call was answered, but not every magazine salesman was checked.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> They had internal remedial trainin= g and put out directives on how the calls would be handled. He said some of the magazine sales= men don’t have positive identification and unless there’s suspicious activity, they don’t have to provide it. In terms of response, the departme= nt was stern and professional and told the salesmen that aggressive soliciting wou= ld not be tolerated.

The Selectmen thanked the= Chief for providing them with an update.

Mr. Haverty stated that d= uring the Fire Chief update the Selectmen were told that the CERT Committee was disorganized and everyone had resigned.&nb= sp; He informed that his brother Don Haverty stepped up and requested to lead CERT; the recommendation was put before the Citizen Core Council and a quorum was found to appoint Don as the Director. Mr. Haverty publicly thanked Mr. D= on Haverty for stepping up into the role.

REQUEST FOR NON-PUBLIC SESSION

MOTION:

(Viger/Gleason) Request for a non-public session per RSA 91-A:3,II, a (personnel – discussion of Union Contrac= ts / Performance Reviews)

ROLL CALL:

Mr. Haverty-Ye= s; Mr. Viger-Yes; Mr. Lynde-Yes; Mr. Gleason-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 8:34 pm.

The Board returned to public session at approximately 9:05 pm.

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 9:05 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