Selectboard Minutes

Meeting date: 
Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Minutes

Town of Greenfield

Greenfield Town Offices, 7 Sawmill Road Greenfield, NH

Selectboard’s Minutes

Tuesday, April 25, 2017 – 5:30 PM

Selectboard: Chair Margaret A. Charig Bliss, Selectman Stephen Atherton Jr., Selectman Robert Marshall

Staff: Aaron Patt, Town Administrator; Neal Beauregard, DPW Road Manager

Public:

Documents for Review/Approval

  1. A/P Check Register “ACH” 4/18/2017
  2. A/P Check Register 4/26/2017
  3. Employee Vacation Request
  4. Minutes of Selectboard Meeting
  5. Oak Park Rental
  6. Welfare Voucher

5:30 PM: Public Forum

At 5:30 pm Chairwoman Charig Bliss opened the meeting. It was noted that no public were present for the public forum. The Chair motioned to accept the Consent Agenda. Selectman Marshall seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously 3-0.

5:45 PM: Matthew Miller, Greenfield Wastewater Superintendant

At 5:45 pm, Matt Miller, Greenfield’s Wastewater Superintendent (P-T) came before the Board to provide a status report on the wastewater facility. In 2016 a number of repairs were made to the electrical panels at the wastewater facility. The panels were completely rebuilt in the process. Mr. Miller outlined that the systems were installed in 2003 and have run 24/7 continuously since. The electrical panels contain a series of timers and switches that run the pumps in the facility. There followed a discussion on the relative health of the facility and a discussion of the rates. It was noted that users do not pay for metered service but instead make quarterly payments based on the total cost that is required to pay for the facility. The Board discussed the amount of funds that are currently in the Waste Water account. Mr. Miller explained that the Board should review the cost to replace the fields and then judge the amount of funds in the waste water accounts accordingly.

6:30 PM: Neal Beauregard, DPW Roads Manager

At 6:30 pm, Neal Beauregard, Greenfield DPW Roads Manager came before the Board with several items to discuss. Mr. Beauregard asked for a non-public session in order to discuss a personnel issue. The Chair made a motion to enter non-public session under RSA 91-A:IIa Personnel. Selectman Marshall seconded the motion. On a roll call vote the Board voted 3-0 to enter non-public session at 6:32 pm. At 7:20 pm Selectman Marshall made a motion to enter into public session. The Chair seconded the motion. On a vote of 3-0 the Board entered public session. It was noted that no votes were taken or decisions made in non-public session and the minutes were sealed.

The Board and Mr. Beauregard discussed the paving of Slip Road and the possibility that the railroad crossing may be replaced during the process. The Chair noted that Peter Leishman, who has leased the rights to the railway from the State would be on the agenda for May 2nd.

Next, Mr. Beauregard outlined several costly repairs to the town’s backhoe. The Vehicle Repairs and Maintenance line in the DPW Roads budget was nearly depleted as a result. A discussion followed about the cost of the repairs, the life expectancy left in the equipment, and the potential need to change the budget for 2018.

Mr. Beauregard discussed a beaver dam that is impacting a culvert on Dunklee Hill Road. The town’s engineer has visited the site and is in the process of providing the town with a letter of recommendation on lowering the water level, in order to decrease the potential for further damage to the road. The town’s engineer has indicated that the culvert has failed and replacement will depend on the recommendation due to the age of the culvert and the fact that it is a stone culvert.

At 8:00 pm the Board entered into a work session.

The Town Administrator reported that the PILOT program with Barbara C. Harris Center has been successfully renewed until 2021.

Selectman Marshall reported on a site walk that he attended at the Proctor Recreation area with members of the Conservation Commission and the Sportsman’s Club. It was noted during the discussion that followed that Janet Renaud has forwarded a request for nomination of a Town Forest committee, which included a person that is not a resident of Greenfield. The Board stated that they would prefer that Greenfield residents be members of the Town Forest committee.

Next, the Selectboard discussed a revised version of St. Jean Auctioneer’s proposal for the auction of two properties. Selectman Atherton made a motion to proceed with the Auctioneer’s recommendations to advertise the properties (R7-4 & R6-23-5) be sold at “absolute auction”. Selectman Marshall seconded the motion. The Board voted 3-0. Selectman Atherton requested that the minutes reflect that his motion was ‘with regret’ given his long standing relationship with the previous owners of the R7-4 property.

Adjournment

The time being 9:00 pm, Selectman Marshall moved to adjourn. The Chair seconded. All were in favor, and the motion carried 3-0. The meeting adjourned at 9:00 PM.

The minutes are final when approved and signed by the Selectboard. A signed copy is on file in the Selectboard’s office.