Selectboard Minutes
Minutes
Town of Greenfield
Greenfield Town Offices, 7 Sawmill Road Greenfield, NH
Selectboard’s Minutes
Tuesday, December 05, 2017 – 5:30 PM
Selectboard: Chair Margaret A. Charig Bliss, Selectman Stephen Atherton, Selectman Robert Marshall
Staff: Aaron Patt, Town Administrator;
Public: Ken Paulsen
Documents for Review/Approval
- A/P Check Register – 12/06/2017
- Land Use Change Tax (2)
- Announcement of LCHIP Grant Award
- Groundskeeper bids – Review and B&G Recommendation to Re-bid
- Selectboard Minutes – 11/28/2017
Other Items:
1) Right to Know Request – Deb Davidson
2) LCHIP Press Release
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 began working through the Consent Agenda.
5:45 PM: Selectboard Work Session
At 5:45 pm, the Selectboard reviewed several items of business. A Right-to-Know request was received from Deb Davidson, requesting the last three years of deposits and withdrawals from all Capital Reserve Funds. The Selectboard conferred with Ken Paulsen, a member of the public in attendance, and also Chair of the Trustees of the Trust Funds. At the conclusion of the conversation the Selectboard Chair motioned to provide the information requested within the time fame allowed by law, which is five business days; or sooner, after review by the Town Administrator and the Chair of the Trust Fund Trustees. The motion passed 2-0 in favor.
Selectman Atherton arrives at 6:15 pm.
7:00 PM: Selectboard Work Session
The Selectboard voted on the Consent Agenda 3-0 in favor.
The Selectboard took up a conversation about the Groundskeeper bids. Buildings & Grounds Manager has reviewed the bids received and noted that with only two bids received it is difficult to award the bid. Town Administrator Patt suggested that the Selectboard may want to consider re-bidding the contract so that there are at least three bids to consider, which is the policy of the town. After discussion by the Selectboard the Chair made a motion to rebid the Groundskeeper contract due to insufficient number of bids received. The motion was seconded by Selectman Marshall. A discussion followed in which the Selectboard agreed that the current bids could be retained or reworked at the discretion of the company. The motion passed on a vote of 3-0 in favor.
Next the Selectboard discussed the recent award of an LCHIP grant in the amount of $12,000 for a Planning Study of the Meeting House. The Selectboard reviewed, corrected and approved a press release about the award. At the conclusion of a lengthy discussion on how to fund the matching portion of the grant, Selectman Atherton made a motion to encumber funds from 2017 to pay for the contracts (based on the proposals included in the grant application). Selectman Marshall seconded the motion. The motion passed on a vote of 3-0 in favor.
The Selectboard reviewed a request by an employee to roll-over in vacation hours in excess of 40 hours, which is the maximum allowed in the current policy. The Selectboard stated that they instructed employees earlier in the year that they would not be rolling vacation time over into the following year if it was above the 40 hour maximum allowed in the policy. January will start a new year, and employees will not be tracked by the anniversary dates.
Next the Selectboard took up a discussion of the public hearing that was held with residents on Dodge Road, Gulf Road, and Francestown Road. In the public hearing the attending land-owners were clear that they preferred to keep the same road name. They asked the Selectboard to consider the use of East/West and North/South designations to each end of the respective roads. This would create a Dodge Road North, Dodge Road South, Gulf Road East, and Gulf Road West. The Selectboard stated that this was clearly against the recommendations in the 911 guidelines, which they shared with the residents at the public hearing. However, the Selectboard was cognizant that there would be a significant amount of paperwork and expense incurred by the residents if the guidelines were followed exactly. The Selectboard deliberated on this question and concluded that guidelines are promulgated by the agencies in order to provide an overview of accepted best practices. Selectman Marshall reported that he had reached out to the Fire Chief and asked about the use of East/West and North/South designations. He reported that Chief Hall had responded that the designations were a ‘reasonable compromise’ from a public safety standpoint. The Selectboard was swayed by testimony by those present at the public hearing that there are instances of the East/West, North/South designations all over the State. At the conclusion of a lengthy discussion, Selectboard member Robert Marshall made a motion that – “Based on public input and the Fire Chief’s recommendation, that from the intersection of Gulf Road and Russell Station Road to the end of the town maintained section of Gulf Road, the road be re-named Gulf Road East, and from the intersection of Slip Road to the Peterborough Town Line be designation Gulf Road West. For Dodge Road, from the intersection of Francestown Road to Rand Brook, the road shall be named Dodge Road North, and from the intersection of East Road to Rand Brook be named Dodge Road South.
The motion was seconded by Selectman Atherton. The Selectboard voted 3-0 in favor of the motion.
The Selectboard then discussed the warning and caution signage on Dodge Road at the intersection of Rand Brook. The Board requested that the Interim DPW Manager install such caution signs as necessary to make plain to motorists that the road is closed. The signs shall have sufficient size and be placed in such a manner that the intersection is well marked.
The Selectboard reviewed the current budget status including revenues to date. The Selectboard discussed the capital improvements plan for 2018. The status of the F550 was discussed. The Selectboard Chair noted that SB38 funds are available to replace a vehicle that is 100% dedicated to the roads. The F550 is due to be placed on the warrant for Town Meeting in 2018. A discussion followed regarding the question of whether the town should purchase a replacement for the MT trackless sidewalk vehicle in place of the F550, which could be finalized through the use of the DOT SB38 funds. The consensus of the Board was that the F550 should be purchased using SB 38 funds and leftover money encumbered from 2017. The Board was interested to hear feedback from DPW on whether to replace the MT Trackless with a similar machine (used with limited capabilities), or, whether the town should purchase a compact tractor with snow blower, which would be considerably less expensive for a new machine and provide some flexibility for implements that could be used at Oak Park in the summer. A compact tractor could take the place of the F550 on the 2018 Warrant.
Adjournment
The time being 8:55 pm, The Chair moved to adjourn. Selectman Marshall seconded. All were in favor, and the motion carried 3-0. The meeting adjourned at 8:55 PM.
The minutes are final when approved and signed by the Selectboard. A signed copy is on file in the Selectboard’s office.