Selectboard Minutes

Minutes

Town of Greenfield

Greenfield Town Offices, 7 Sawmill Road Greenfield, NH

Selectboard’s Minutes

Thursday, April 04, 2019 – 5:30 PM

Selectboard: Chair Margaret A. Charig Bliss, Selectman Robert Marshall, Selectwoman Karen Day

Staff: Aaron Patt, Town Administrator

Public:

Documents for Review/Approval:

1. Payroll Check Register – 04/05/2019
2. A/P Register – 4/01/2019
3. Change of Wage Worksheet – (1) Library
4. Appointment – (1) Economic Development Advisory Committee
5. 2019 Groundskeeper Payment Schedule
6. Selectboard Minutes – 03/28/2019
7. Welfare Voucher

Items for Discussion in the Public Session:

1) CVTC – Thank-You letter

2) Monadnock Family Services – Thank-You letter

3) Draft Meeting House Survey

4) NH DMV Letter re: Town Clerk Printer Support Contract – Terminates 6/30/19

5) NH Office of Highway Safety Letter – Police Department Grants

5:30 PM:  Public Forum

At 5:30 pm, Chairwoman Charig Bliss opened the meeting. Seeing there was no-one present for the public forum, the Selectboard began working through the Consent Agenda. The Selectboard voted on a motion by the Chair and a second by Selectwoman Day, 3-0 in favor of the Consent Agenda. 

5:45 PM: Adele Hale, Resident

At 5:45pm Adele Hale met with the Selectboard to discuss a March 911 call to her residence. Fire Chief Rick McQuade and Captain Doug Batty were in attendance. Ms. Hale asked several questions about how the 911 system works, the response time from the Fire Department, and Keene Mutual Aid’s dispatch protocols. Captain Batty explained that dispatch notifications often contain the name and address, but for the call to the Hale residence the notification contained just the street location. This ultimately led to an increased overall response time. Captain Batty then went through the response times associated with each stage of the call – noting that the response time was within acceptable time frames as outlined by the State Fire Marshal. Captain Batty explained that the Department’s staff use three data sets to locate a property address after receiving dispatch notification: personal knowledge of the town, GPS, and the resident’s signage. A discussion followed regarding the possibility of a town-wide signage policy, and whether the town could coordinate a policy and promote a uniform sign program. The Selectboard agreed to look into the question of a uniform signage policy and system.

6:30 PM: Selectboard Work Session

At 6:35pm the Selectboard took up a work session. The Selectboard heard a report on the current copier, which is being repaired by the Konica Minolta Company. The copier has reached its end of lease. A new copier contract has been signed with unlimited copies for a flat monthly fee. In the meantime, while the current copier is down the Greenfield Spirit newsletter has been delayed. The Selectboard discussed whether to have the remainder of the Spirit print job sent out to a copy service. The pricing from several companies was compared. The Selectboard discussed whether the town should change how it handles the newsletter. Selectman Marshall wondered if it would be better to send out the Spirit and offload the staff from having to coordinate the printing and mailing. The Selectboard discussed this question and the potential cost, but did not reach a decision.

Next the Selectboard discussed the ConVal School District’s Selectmen Advisory Committee (SAC) meetings, which are held throughout the year. The meetings have regularly fallen on Thursday nights when the Greenfield Selectboard has their meetings. Currently, the SAC meetings are falling on the 4^th Thursday of the month. In order to facilitate Greenfield’s attendance, the Selectboard agreed to move their meeting time to 4:30 for April 25^th and May 23^rd. In order to continue with a public forum available to the public after work-day hours, the public forum will continue at the normal time of 5:30pm on those dates. The Selectboard stated that they would look to limit these meetings to just the Consent Agenda items, with no meetings scheduled. The Selectboard will adjourn at 6:30pm in order for Selectman Marshall to attend the SAC meetings.

The Selectboard discussed the calendar for the next several months. It was noted that the summer schedule will start in June. The Chair requested that Selectboard members bring their personal calendars to the meeting on April 11^th in order to schedule the summer meeting schedule in advance.

At 7:10 pm Linda Nickerson joined the meeting and requested to speak with the Selectboard regarding the Greenfield Community Gardens. Ms. Nickerson outlined two safety issues; with the gardening hoses at the back of the Town Office building, and with the brush that has grown up along the backside of the dirt parking lot area closest to the gardens. Ms. Nickerson requested that the Selectboard review the agreement by the town with the GIVers regarding the community gardens. The Selectboard suggested that some of the projects at the garden area could be good projects for Student Conservation Association (SCA) participants. The Selectboard agreed to reach out to Roger Lessard and see if the SCA could be scheduled to trim brush and attend to the garden area.

Next the Selectboard discussed a response to Diane Boilard regarding her meeting with the Selectboard about use of town facilities and the requirement to have insurance.

The Selectboard held a discussion about the Meeting House restoration project. The Selectboard would like to coordinate with a group that is currently setting up a private non-profit fundraising group. The Board would like to coordinate with the members of the 501C3 prior to the town-wide community conversation potluck luncheon on May 4^th.

Lastly, the Selectboard discussed the question of whether it is permissible to include town business documents with the tax bills when they are mailed. Specifically the Board discussed whether a survey about the Meeting House would receive a significant response if mailed out with the first tax bill. The Board asked that the Town Administrator research this question and send information to the Board. The Board reviewed a draft survey prepared by the Chair. The Board discussed the questions and whether it is best to have Yes/No questions rather than report on a scale of 1-5. The Board agreed to revamp the questions into Yes/No questions and will finalize the survey at their next few meetings, in advance of the first tax bill.

Adjournment

At 9:27 pm Selectman Marshall made a motion to adjourn the meeting, the motion was seconded by the Selectwoman Day, the motion carried 3-0.