Selectboard Minutes

Minutes

Town of Greenfield

Greenfield Town Offices, 7 Sawmill Road Greenfield, NH

Selectboard’s Minutes

Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017 – 5:30 PM

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

Staff: Aaron Patt, Town Administrator

Public: Ken Paulsen

5:30 p.m. The meeting was opened by Chairwoman Charig Bliss.

Documents for Review/Approval

1. A/P Check Register
2. Payroll
3. Selectboard meeting schedule -3/14 reschedule

4.   Minutes of Selectboard Meeting

5.   New Hire Worksheet & PILOI worksheet – Library Director

6.   Veteran’s War Service Exemption Credit Applications (4)

7.   Emergency Management Grant

8.   Town Report Proof

5:30 PM: Selectboard Work Session – Consent Agenda

At 5:30 pm the Chair opened the meeting. Selectman Marshall, after review of the consent agenda items, made a motion to accept the consent agenda. On a second by the Chair, the Board voted 3-0 to accept the consent agenda.

Next the Selectboard reviewed the Town Report Proof that was mailed from the printers. The Board approved the proof, which will be printed and made available prior to Town Meeting 2017.

5:45 PM: Fire Chief David Hall

At 5:45 pm the Chair welcomed Fire Chief David Hall and Emergency Management Director David Martin to the meeting. Chief Hall provided some remarks about the status of the New Boston Ambulance bid process. A discussion followed regarding the town’s interest in acquiring the vehicle in order to fast track a cascading upgrade that will replace the current ambulance with the proposed New Boston ambulance; convert the current ambulance into a utility vehicle; and convert the current utility vehicle into a brush truck by replacing the worn-out box on the utility vehicle with the platform bed that is currently on a 1979 Dodge brush truck. Once the conversions are complete the Dodge truck would go back to the State Auction program. After some discussion, the Chair, citing the need to determine the best bid and noting that RSA 91-A provides for the ability of a non-public session on the matter, made a motion to enter into non-public session under RSA 91-A:IIc the acquisition of property. A roll call vote was held with each Selectboard member voting Aye; the Board entered into non-public session at 6:15pm. At 6:35 pm the Board exited non-public session and noted that no votes were taken, but that the Board had reached a consensus with the Fire Chief on a bid amount.  The minutes were sealed.

Next Chief Hall outlined a significant issue. The front line tanker failed on the way back from a Mutual Aid call in a neighboring town. The tank ruptured and will no longer hold water. Chief Hall advised that the tanker is not repairable given the value of the equipment versus the repair costs. He then explained to the Board that the tanker grant application, which had looked very promising during the second application process, was unsuccessful for reasons that are unclear; the grant program had specifically encouraged the Greenfield Fire Department to reapply, however, it appears that changes in the requirements were not communicated along with the encouragement. Chief Hall noted that the town would not have the ability to apply for a new grant until 2018 and that this is too long a time to go without a tanker vehicle to haul water.

There followed a lengthy discussion about the cost of replacing the tanker. It was noted that with the Quint (ladder truck purchased by the town in 2015) there are 1500 gallons of water available to deliver to the site of a fire. The Selectboard noted that although some in the community had been critical of the purchase at the time, on reflection, the purchase was proving to have significant value to the community.

Chief Hall noted that the tanker held 2500 gallons of water so it was impactful to lose that capacity. “I don’t know where we would be at this point if it weren’t for our ability to haul water with the ladder truck”, said Chief Hall. At the conclusion of the conversation, the Board asked Chief Hall his best guess at the price of a replacement tanker. Chief Hall said that he was very open to possibilities but that he expected that the cost will run $50-80k for a 2007, or similar time-frame, vintage tanker. New tankers cost in excess of $400,000.

Chief Hall provided an update on the bunk-in program and said that the department was contemplating a partnership with Lakes Region Community College, which has a significant fire program. The current bunk-in participants are all enrollees and are working out very well. He said that the current participants have been a big support to the community. He then outlined a new organizational change; explaining briefly that he is assigning responsibility for specific duiteis within the fire house to officers based on their seniority and the skill sets they bring from life and their occupations. He said that this was working out very well.

David Martin, EMD provided grant paperwork to the Board for the Emergency Management Grant Program (EMPG) to update the Local Emergency Operations Plan using a soft-match grant to fund a professional plan writer. The Board had voted to adopt the resolution for this grant in their meeting of 2/14. The EMPG grant program is based on non-cash contributions totaling $4000 of in-kind volunteer meeting time. The Selectboard signed and initialed the EMPG grant contract.

Selectboard Chair Charig Bliss moved the meeting to a discussion of a recent email from the Fire Chief outlining an issue with Dodge Road, Gulf Road, and Francestown Road. The middle sections of Dodge and Gulf Road are both closed and the roads are not traversable end-to-end; to reach certain residences on these roads requires that you know which end of the road to come in on. This complicates matters for emergency responders because dispatch services are not able to provide sufficient information to the responders enroute to a call. There can also be confusion where South Francestown Road diverges from Francestown Road. There was a discussion about the best approach for the town, with recognition that one end of Dodge or Gulf roads could be renamed. The Chair requested that the process for renaming roads be provided at an upcoming meeting.

7:55 PM: Selectboard Work Session – Contd.

The Selectboard reviewed the Consent Agenda and Old Business items. The Board took up a discussion about providing town meeting participants with a “fast facts” document, giving shortcuts for some of the information in the Town Report. The items they requested are the Capital Reserve balances; the amount and term dates for town bonds; the Tax Chart showing historical tax rate data; and ballpark equipment costs for some new equipment so that residents can compare these costs with the amount in the capital reserve accounts.

At 8:25 the Chair made a motion to enter into non-public session for the purposes in RSA 91-A:IIa personnel. The Board voted on a roll-call vote to enter non-public session. At 8:45pm the Board voted to exit non-public session and noted that no votes were taken or decisions made and that the minutes were sealed.

The Chair raised the question of the Selectboard’s March 14^th meeting date falling on the Town Meeting voting day. The Board unanimously agreed to reschedule the March 14^th meeting to Thursday, March 16^th as the board members will be in attendance at the polls.

Lastly, the Chair took up a conversation about communicating with Department Heads prior to Town Meeting. The Board agreed to provide some communication about the market adjustment to wages along with the Board’s interest in completing a wage and benefit study in 2017 to all of the town’s employees. The Chair said that she would make personal phone calls to Department Heads prior to Town Meeting. Selectmen Marshall and Atherton were in agreement with this action by the Chair.

Adjournment

The time being 9:15 pm, Selectman Marshall moved to adjourn. Selectman Atherton seconded. All were in favor, and the motion carried 3-0. The meeting adjourned at 9:15 PM.

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