Selectboard Minutes
Town of Greenfield
7 Sawmill Road, Greenfield, NH 03047
Selectboard Minutes
Thursday, December 3, 2020 – 5:30 PM
Selectboard: Chairwoman Margaret Charig Bliss, Selectwoman Karen Day, Selectman Robert Marshall
Staff: Aaron Patt, Town Administrator; David Martin, EMD
Public:
5:30 PM: Virtual Meeting Open – Dial In 1+717-275-8940
The meeting was called to order at 5:30pm. Chairwoman Charig Bliss welcomed everyone to the virtual Selectboard meeting. Chairwoman Charig Bliss 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 9th 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. EMD David Martin is home 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: David Martin, EMD
The Chair welcomed Mr. Martin to the meeting. Mr. Martin provided a brief update regarding recent changes to quarantine time frames by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). The CDC is reducing the requirement from 14 days to ten days, or seven days with a negative test. A discussion followed. The discussion included the fact that the Federal Coronavirus Cares Act, which requires the employer to provide two weeks of covered quarantine under certain conditions, will expire at the end of the year. At the conclusion of the discussion, Selectwoman Day stated that the Selectboard should continue the town’s Pay-to-Stay policy. She cited the low utilization and the fact that the policy continues the Employer’s practice of providing as much flexibility as possible to employees during the pandemic. Selectman Marshall stated that he agreed with Selectwoman Day’s suggestion and assessment. The consensus of the Board is that the town will continue the Pay-to-Stay policy into 2021. The Chair requested that the Town Administrator provide a memo to employees that the policy accommodation will continue. Selectman Marshall stated that the memo should include the Selectboard’s appreciation for the employees’ restraint with their budgets during the spending freeze.
Selectwoman Day made a motion to have the town adopt a policy that requires 10 days of quarantine, with a negative test, and 14 days of quarantine without a test. Selectwoman Day stated that the intent of the motion is to ensure as much as possible that employees have a healthy workplace. The motion is for a more conservative approach to quarantine than the new regulations from CDC. Selectman Marshall seconded the motion. A brief discussion followed. At the conclusion of the discussion the motion was clarified to include “on exposure to a COVID-19 case”. The Chair called for a roll-call vote and the motion passed 3-0 in favor.
The Selectboard discussed Winter Hours of the DPW and requested that DPW Manager Mason continue attempts to find back-up workers for the plow season.
The Chair outlined the Consent Agenda items. These include:
- A/P Check Register dated December 2nd in the amount of $596,746.20 that includes a ConVal School District Payment of $251,334.03; a payment to Hillsborough County in the amount of $180,671.00 for annual taxes due; a payment to the Trustees of Trust Funds for Capital Reserve Funds in the amount of $107,000.00; $14,449.49 to the Wilton Ambulance program; $10,962.00 to SWNH Fire Mutual Aid; and $10,000.00 to Jarvis Adams V, owner of the Greenfield Inn for the purpose of purchasing property next to the Stephenson Memorial Library parking lot.
- Payroll Check Register from the week of the Thanksgiving Holiday, dated November 27, 2020 in the amount of $29,963.24.
- A New Hire worksheet for PT help at the Library
- An A/P Check Manifest dated November 24, 2020 in the amount of $1,238.18
- An application for Current Use for R9-29, R9-30, R9-36, and R9-36-7
- A Transfer Funds request form to move $5,000 from the General Fund to the Conservation Fund per RSA 79-A:25,III
Selectman Marshall moved the Consent Agenda, and each item individually. The motion was seconded by Selectwoman Day. On a roll-call vote the motion passed 3-0 in favor for each item.
Next, the Selectboard heard a brief outline of a new Inter-Municipal Agreement from the Wilton Ambulance program. Town Administrator Patt outlined that the new version is a much cleaner version of the original agreement that the town entered into and the legal language and formatting is much better in the new version. At issue for Lyndeborough and Greenfield, however, is that the agreement has been tailored to reflect a contract for services rather than an intermunicipal agreement. In addition, the schedule for operational guidelines has been removed and a guarantee for a much lower level of service has been substituted. Addendum C, having been removed, the Wilton Ambulance program is now only willing to guarantee that the first ambulance will be available. As such, for simultaneous calls, or for calls when the first ambulance is already responding, the fall-back in the program is Mutual Aid. Schedule C had required that Wilton Ambulance tone back EMTs to the ambulance building whenever the first ambulance left to cover a call. Lyndeborough’s Town Administrator has stated to Greenfield that the Selectmen in Lyndeborough are concerned that the building ownership has been left out of the agreement. Rather than continue to work through the new IMA, Lyndeborough feels more comfortable revising the current agreement. The edits required from all parties include dropping a reference to the Town of Temple, who left the program last year. The Greenfield Selectboard agreed to wait until Lyndeborough has an edited version before taking up discussions on the new IMA.
There followed a discussion on the Friends of the Meeting House. The Board discussed meeting with the Friends and concluded that the leadership team of the Friends could meet with the Selectboard in the Meeting House and keep socially distanced in order to discuss fund raising efforts for the restoration project. Selectman Marshall agreed to try to schedule a couple of potential dates in January with the Friends for this discussion.
At the conclusion of the discussion, the Chair, noting the time is now 7pm, outlined the need to enter into Non-Public Session under RSA 91-A:II, a and c. Selectman Marshall made a motion under the RSA to enter into non-public session. The motion was seconded by the Chair. On a roll-call vote, the Board entered into non-public session at 7pm.
At 9:03 pm the Chair made a motion to enter into the public session. The motion was seconded by Selectman Marshall. The motion passed 3-0 in favor.
While in the public session, the Chair made a motion to seal the minutes under RSA 91-A:III due to privacy concerns. The motion was seconded by Selectwoman Day. The motion passed on a roll-call vote of 3-0 in favor.
There followed a brief discussion on upcoming meetings.
There being no further business the Board voted to adjourn.
Adjournment
At 9:07 pm, Selectman Marshall made a motion to adjourn the meeting; the motion was seconded by Selectwoman Day. The motion carried 3-0 in a roll-call vote.