Selectboard Minutes
Town of Greenfield
7 Sawmill Road, Greenfield, NH 03047
Selectboard’s Minutes
Thursday, February 11, 2021 – 5:30 PM
Selectboard: Chairman Robert Marshall, Selectwoman Karen Day, Selectman Michael Borden
Staff: Aaron Patt, Town Administrator; Richard McQuade, Fire Chief; Brian Giammarino, Police Chief
Public: Kent Vincent
5:30 PM: Virtual Meeting Open – Dial In 1+717-275-8940
The meeting was called to order at 5:30pm. Chairman Marshall welcomed everyone to the virtual Selectboard meeting. Chairman Marshall opened the meeting and read a statement provided by the Attorney General’s office regarding virtual meetings. “As Chair of the Selectboard, I find that due to the State of Emergency declared by the Governor as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and in accordance with the Governor’s Emergency Order #12 pursuant to Executive Order 2020-04, which has been extended for the 14th time, this public body is authorized to meet virtually.
Please note that there is no physical location to observe and listen contemporaneously to this meeting, which was authorized pursuant to the Governor’s Emergency Order. However, in accordance with the Emergency Order, I am confirming that we are providing public access to the meeting by telephone. We are currently working on providing additional access possibilities by video or other electronic means, however, we are a small town and that is not feasible for tonight’s call.
We are utilizing Freeconference.com for this electronic meeting. All members of the Board have the ability to communicate contemporaneously during this meeting through this platform, and the public has access to contemporaneously listen and, if necessary, participate in this meeting through dialing the access number posted online or by following the directions on the Meeting Instructions link from the Selectboard’s page on the website. The Website address is greenfield-nh.gov.
We previously gave notice to the public of the necessary information for accessing the meeting, including how to access the meeting telephonically. If there are problems with access, please email the Town Administrator and he will attempt to help you in real time. In the event the public is unable to access the meeting, the meeting will be adjourned and rescheduled.
Please note that all votes that are taken during this meeting shall be done by roll-call vote.
Let’s start the meeting by taking a roll-call attendance. When each member states their presence, please also state whether there is anyone in the room with you during this meeting, which is required under the Right-to-Know law.
Each selectperson noted that they were alone. The Selectboard members are each home and alone, the Town Administrator is in his office at home and is alone. Mr. Borden is in his home and is alone. Rick McQuade is in his home office alone.
The Chair stated: “at this point I would ask that everyone mute their phones by pressing * (star) 6 (six). If there isn’t time for your questions tonight, you can email the Town Administrator and request to be on the agenda during the next meeting. If you have technical difficulties on your end with your computer, laptop, or other electronic device email the Town Administrator if you having trouble connecting in real-time and we’ll try to be of help.
Gov. Sununu’s Emergency Order #16 has been lifted however, given the headlines where other States are pulling back from re-opening and the virus appears to be surging in many areas, there is a risk that the Selectboard cannot ignore. For the foreseeable future the Board will continue to meet by conference call as a result. We'll ask that - to the extent possible - you submit your questions/concerns/comments to the Town Administrator via email in advance so we can have answers ready. Remember to charge whatever device you are using in advance of the meeting. I can assure you everyone in your town government is doing everything in their capacity to ensure your safety, their safety and Greenfield's future. With that said, I would invite participants to bring issues before the Board.”
5:30 PM: Resident Meeting; Kent Vincent
The Chair opened the meeting. At 5:35, Kent Vincent joined the meeting and took up a conversation about several issues; gravel fill alongside Zephyr Lake road that he believes was placed in the wetlands by DPW; signage for parking issues at Zephyr Lake; parking issues alongside of Zephyr Lake Road near the railroad tracks; and after hours use of Zephyr Lake and the parking area at the beach. Selectman Borden asked several questions to help clarify the location of the issues outlined in the conversation. The Chair provided some background on the Board’s recent meeting schedule and stated that the Board would look into the issues discussed. The Chair stated he was also aware of a past issue raised by Mr. Vincent regarding the beaver dam and the culverts that were installed to control the water levels. Mr. Vincent stated that he has provided background on these issues and asked the Board to review prior email correspondence with the town.
Following the conversation with Mr. Vincent, the Selectboard held a brief discussion about having the Fire Chief look into opportunities to host an ambulance service at the Greenfield Fire Department building.
6:00 PM: Brian Giammarino, Police Chief
The Chair welcomed Chief Giammarino. Chief Giammarino stated that he would like to discuss the wages at the Police Department and outlined several concerns. The Chair stated that the public budget hearing has been concluded so the timing is not ideal to address budget issues. Selectman Borden stated that the police budget can’t change at this date, but he would be open to having the Chief submit change-of-wage paperwork after Town Meeting so long as it comes from within the budget. The Selectboard reached a consensus that this was an acceptable way to move forward.
6:15 PM: Tom Bascom, Broadband Volunteer Group Chair
The Chair welcomed Mr. Bascom to the meeting. Mr. Bascom explained that as the town has accepted the proposal from Mission Broadband, he would like to see the town start working on the Consolidated Communications (CCI) contract in order to elicit guidance from the consultant. Completing, or making progress on, the Broadband contract would help keep the town’s proposal in front of CCI and shorten the runway once Town Meeting is completed. The Chair asked if there were any concern with starting a contract when the final vote is still pending at Town Meeting, which isn’t until May 1st. A discussion followed. The Board and Mr. Bascom reached the conclusion that the pandemic has highlighted the necessity of having Broadband for a variety of uses; from children participating in remote schooling; to tele-health for all ages; to work-at-home. As a result, the overriding consideration is to bring the project to a vote and the likelihood is that the voters will support the initiative – because so many lives have been impacted. The Board reached the conclusion that with the funds already encumbered from last year, the town would benefit from the use of time until Town Meeting to advance the project. The Board reached a consensus to move forward and directed the Town Administrator to engage Mission Broadband to begin review of the CCI contract.
Next the Chair stated that he would like to deal with the Consent Agenda items prior to the business meeting. Selectman Borden moved the Consent Agenda and the motion was seconded by Selectwoman Day. On a roll call vote the Board voted 3-0 in favor of accepting the Consent Agenda: M. Borden – Aye, K. Day – Aye, Chairman Marshall – Aye.
The Chair stated that the Consent Agenda includes an Accounts Payable Check Manifest in the amount of $271,373.62. The Chair read those items that were larger than the $1,500 departmental limit imposed by the Board as part of the Purchasing Policy for Department Heads. At the conclusion of the outline the Chair asked for a motion. Selectwoman Day made a motion to accept the A/P check manifest and to release the funds therein. Selectman Borden seconded the motion. On a roll-call vote, the Board voted 3-0 in favor: M. Borden – Aye, K. Day – Aye, B. Marshall – Aye.
Next the Chair noted that the Board has a Payroll manifest of $13,503.57. Selectwoman Day made a motion to accept the payroll manifest and to release the funds. The motion was seconded by the Selectman Borden. On a roll-call vote the Board voted 3-0 in favor of the 2021 pay change: K.Day – Aye, M. Borden – Aye, B Marshall - Aye.
Next the Selectboard reviewed an abatement request that covers three years of court-ordered refunds to PSNH/Eversource as part of a court case. The towns involved in the court case won their case but Greenfield’s assessment of the Eversource valuation was higher during 2014, 2105, and 2016 than the assessment included in the court case by the independent appraiser. As a result, the conclusion of the case holds a requirement that Greenfield provide refunds to PSNH/Eversource. The court ordered refunds are mandatory and include 6% interest. The total of the refunds and interest for the three years is $26,387.61. Selectman Borden asked for an overview of the court case. Town Administrator Patt stated he would try to explain subject to correction by Town Counsel if needed. Eversource (PSNH dba Eversource Energy) has sued most if not all of the towns in the State of NH. The objective of Eversource is to enable the company to depreciate its assets in line with the most aggressive depreciation schedule recognized by the IRS. The result, called Net-Book value would enable the company to write down its assets over time until the asset value held very little taxable value. In contrast, the assessors across the State of NH, with five different assessment methodologies available to them, have held that the company is a going concern and makes its revenue from the network of poles, utility, and Municipal (real estate) right-of-ways. As such there is continued real value in the network. The initial appeal to the Board of Tax and Land Appeals resulted in a loss for the power company and subsequently the court cases that were appealed reached a conclusion on how the assets would be assessed. The towns prevailed; however, the assessments may change, going forward, depending on the assessment method used by a particular town prior to the court case. In Greenfield’s case the court-ordered payment is a requirement but will not come out of the legal line in the budget, instead it will come from the Overlay in the Tax Rate Setting program, which will be updated with the Department of Revenue at the time the tax rate is set in October.
Next, the Selectboard reviewed the Minutes of 2/04/21, which includes the minutes of the 2021 Public Budget Hearing. Selectwoman Day made a motion to accept the minutes as presented. The motion was seconded by Selectman Borden. On a roll-call vote, the Board voted 3-0 in favor of accepting the minutes: M. Borden – Aye, K. Day – Aye, B. Marshall – Aye.
The Selectboard reviewed the Minutes of 2/03/21, which includes the minutes of the 2021 Public Broadband Hearing. Selectman Borden made a motion to accept the minutes as presented. The motion was seconded by Selectwoman Day. On a roll-call vote, the Board voted 3-0 in favor of accepting the minutes: M. Borden – Aye, K. Day – Aye, B. Marshall – Aye.
The Selectboard reviewed the Draft Town Report. The Chair made a motion to accept the report and to send it to the printers in advance of Town Meeting. The motion was seconded by Selectwoman Day. On a roll-call vote, the Board voted 3-0 in favor of accepting the minutes: M. Borden – Aye, K. Day – Aye, B. Marshall – Aye.
Next the Chair brought forward a report delivered by Municipal Resources Inc., which is an organizational study of the Greenfield Department of Public Works that was commissioned by the Selectboard. Chairman Marshall invited comments from the Board members. Selectman Borden stated that “this is an extensive report”. He said that there a number of recommendations throughout the report, the biggest of which is the recommendation to the town to create a Director of Public Works position.
Selectwoman Day stated that she has two issues with the report. The first is the concern that the town cannot afford the position. The second issue is that the report suggests that the Recycling Center be rolled up under the Public Works department and she feels that the department is better off as a stand-alone department.
The Chair stated that he thought it was an outstanding report. He said that the report is comprehensive and that it correctly identifies several areas where the town is not providing accountability. Evaluations are not capturing performance effectively, and the result is a lack of accountability, which weighs heavily on his mind. There are a lot of very positive things that could happen with the adoption of the report’s recommendations. He stated that the report clearly states that the town needs at least one more person in the department as well as the Director position. He wondered if it were possible to hire a retired professional, or if there were anyone in town that might be interested in helping restructure the department.
Selectman Borden stated that a retired or Part-Time Director is a great idea. He stated that the town needs a worker immediately and suggested that the Board post a position. The Chair stated that he would like to bring this to the next meeting.
Next the Selectboard took up a conversation about the Wilton Ambulance Service. The Selectboard is scheduled to meet with the town of Wilton via Zoom on Wednesday, February 17th at 5:30 pm. Selectman Borden stated that the issue at hand has to do with service and not money (the cost of the service). The Selectboard is in agreement with this statement. A discussion followed. The Chair provided an overview of the relationship to date, noting that the first year there were a number of really positive aspects to the engagement with the Wilton Ambulance service. The first year was outstanding; the Greenfield Fire Department was impressed with the service and the people. In the second year, the town of Temple had some issues and their representative felt that they were subsidizing the town of Greenfield. As a result Temple chose to work with the Peterborough ambulance program. Since that time there have been a number of budgeting issues that involved the Wilton Budget Advisory Committee and the Wilton Selectboard. Today, Greenfield’s call volume is down; at 125 calls compared to the 140 calls from the year before. The cost has spiked by more than 65% and the relationship has had some issues, including the interest by Wilton to substitute a new contract and then a new Addendum C. At some point the increase in cost and the questions about the contract no longer make sense. The Chair asked the other Board members what they thought the next steps should be.
Selectwoman Day stated that the Board should attend the meeting on Wednesday and have Wilton explain what they are trying to do. It was also agreed that the Board should explain the difference between the original service requirement (addendum C) and the language in the new addendum in case anyone confuses Greenfield’s intent (as outlined in the letter that was sent by Town Counsel to the Wilton Selectboard).
Chief McQuade stated that he would like to see a weekly schedule from the Wilton Ambulance Service Director so that the Fire Chiefs know what to expect for staffing of calls during the week. At the conclusion of a brief discussion with the Fire Chief, the Board was of a consensus that they are ready to attend the meeting in Wilton.
Next the Selectboard heard a vacation request from Mr. McQuade. The vacation request was outlined as an interest in taking vacation days individually, and for the Board to waive the requirement to have advance notice as outlined in the Personnel Policy. Mr. McQuade stated he would like to put the vacation time on his time card rather than turn in a permission form. Mr. McQuade stated that when his work is caught up, he would like the opportunity to take a vacation day that could extend a weekend for example. The Board discussed the policy and it was suggested that Mr. McQuade turn in a permission form that requests the ability to use vacation days as the opportunity arises, so that there is a record of the permission. The individual days will be recorded on the time card and can be tracked when payroll is created.
The Chair brought forward a request from Eversource to make the Emergency Management Director the point of contact for upcoming Eversource Emergency Planning and communication to municipalities. The request was approved by the Board and David Martin will be the contact to interface with Eversource for expanded emergency planning communications to municipalities.
There being no further business the Board voted to adjourn.
Adjournment
At 7:55 pm, Selectwoman Day made a motion to adjourn the meeting; the motion was seconded by the Chair. The motion carried 3-0 in a roll-call vote: M. Borden – Aye, K. Day – Aye, B. Marshall - Aye.