Selectboard Minutes
Minutes
Town of Greenfield
Greenfield Town Offices, 7 Sawmill Road Greenfield, NH
Selectboard’s Minutes
Tuesday, October 31, 2017 – 5:30 PM
Selectboard: Chair Margaret A. Charig Bliss, Selectman Stephen Atherton, Selectman Robert Marshall
Staff: Aaron Patt, Town Administrator;
Public:
Documents for Review/Approval
- Payroll
- Minutes of Selectboard Meeting
- Meeting House Rental
- Welfare (3)
Other items for discussion:
- Superior Court Hearing - Manchester
- Equalization Letter – Selectboard Signatures
- Preliminary/Draft 2018 Budget
5:30 PM: Public Forum
At 5:35 pm Chairwoman Charig Bliss opened the meeting. The Chair noted that there was no public at the public forum session.
The Selectboard begins working through the Consent Agenda.
5:45 PM: Selectboard Work Session
The Selectboard reviewed an updated notification document from DPW to the Conservation Commission (ConComm). The Selectboard revised the document at their last meeting. Selectman Marshall explained that the updates have been shared with the Conservation Commission and after they have reviewed the document and provided feedback the Selectboard can adopt the form. Selectman Marshall said that barring any significant changes from the ConComm, the form could be voted on at the November 7th meeting.
Next the Selectboard discussed the Rymes property that abuts the Harvester Market. A discussion about the use of the wastewater plant field behind the property was taken up. The Selectboard discussed past proposals to put solar panels on the field. The Selectboard discussed the request by members of the public during Town Meeting to research solar installations. It was determined that the Buildings & Grounds Manager could look at previous year’s annual billings and provide annualized usage data for each of the town’s primary municipal buildings. Administrator Patt suggested that once the usage was understood then steps could be taken to lower the cost of energy consumption. This will help when it comes time to look at the cost of solar installations, which are based in part on sizing the installations according to the amount of kilowatts that are used. The larger the overall system, the more expensive the system will be, and the longer the payback period. The Selectboard asked for a 3-month snapshot of the billed usage in order to understand the ballpark consumption of electricity by the municipality.
The Selectboard discussed the upcoming public hearings. There have been some inquiries from users on the wastewater system regarding percent-of-usage statistics, and past expenses associated with the wastewater plant. The Wastewater facility’s Income/Expense report is provided in Town Report every year.
Next the Selectboard discussed the issues with Dodge Road, Gulf Road, and Francestown Road with respect to mutual aide calls, the 911 program’s suggested best practices, and the town’s emergency responders and mutual aid agreements. The Board discussed a need to have a policy on whether the municipality will put up signs at tax payer expense on private lanes and roads.
The Selectboard was informed that the auction of Town Property on Slip Road was cancelled after receipt of a payment by the former owner’s mortgage company. The Police Chief has an officer on duty Saturday morning and the officer will visit the property in the morning to let people know that the auction is cancelled. The auction company will update their website to show the auction as “Cancelled”.
At 7:03PM Police Chief Brian Giammarino stopped in to give a quick update on Trick or Treat activities, and to wish the Board a “Happy Halloween”.
The Selectboard voted on the Consent Agenda 3-0 in favor.
Adjournment
The time being 7:10 pm, The Chair moved to adjourn. Selectman Marshall seconded. All were in favor, and the motion carried 3-0. The meeting adjourned at 7:10 PM.
The minutes are final when approved and signed by the Selectboard. A signed copy is on file in the Selectboard’s office.