DUNBARTON BOARD OF SELECTMEN
MINUTES OF MEETING
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2004
TOWN OFFICES – 7:00 P.M.
The regularly scheduled weekly meeting of the Dunbarton Board of Selectmen was held at the above time, date and place with Chairman J. R. Swindlehurst presiding. It was noted that the meeting was called to order at 7:07 p.m. The following were present:
J. R. Swindlehurst, Chairman
Charles (Chuck) Graybill
Mert Mann
Janice VandeBogart, Town
Administrator
The
Selectmen signed checks.
GENERAL
BUSINESS:
Fred Dion and his wife appeared before the Board of
Selectmen. They stated they had
purchased property in Dunbarton at Tucker Hill in June 2004. They have children ages 6 and 9 years of
age. In July we contacted the School
Board and asked if there was anything else we had to do. We didn’t have a house
built yet and wrote a letter to the School Board. Went to the School Board meeting on September 1. The School Board came up with a figure of
$33.00/per child per day to attend Dunbarton Elementary School. We wanted to get our girls into school at
the start of the school year so we decided to do it. We came back to the Board in three months, and we paid the $33.00/day
per child. On December 1, we went back
to the meeting and told them we had an issue with the well. We thought the Zoning Board should not be an
issue. Went to the December 1 School
Board Meeting and told them we would be two weeks out. We left the meeting. Stated we
were told to continue to pay the $66.00/per day for the two
children. Based on a school year of 180
days, this amounts to $11,880.
Mrs. Dion stated that by just having two additional
children in the school does not add $33/day per child to the school costs. This doesn’t make any sense.
Mr. Dion stated there are two issues here:
1.
Some
of the same people sat on both Boards.
The well is 12 feet closer to the road than it should be. Stated he would be willing to sign a release
to the Town. This should be a “no
brainer”. We were denied the Equitable
Waiver and are in the process of appealing the decision. Now the house is completely built. If you go over all the criteria for the
Equitable Waiver, we meet every single one of them. We shouldn’t have to pay $5,000
- $7,000 for a new well and incur this expense to move the well 12
feet.
2.
Mrs.
Dion stated that drilling a new well close to the present well will increase
the chances of contamination. We are
trying to be a part of this community.
The message we are getting is that “you are outsiders and you are going
to jump through the hoops.” As far as
the School Board is concerned, you are better off to lie. They set the fee very high. I know of another family in town with the
same problem, and they have pitched a tent to live in, etc. This is how we are seeing Dunbarton. We want to move into our house. We are trying to be part of this
community. We appreciate your time.
The
Selectmen noted they had no jurisdiction over the School Board and their
decisions.
Alison Vallieres presented the Board of Selectmen with the proposed non-conforming lot zoning amendments. She requested permission to forward them to Town Counsel for review.
The Selectmen approved the
request to forward the amendments to Town Counsel.
Janice
VandeBogart, Town Administrator
1. Reported that the Mason & Rich Audit Balance of $12,452 needs to be carried forward into the next year.
MOTION:
J. R. Swindlehurst made a motion that the Dunbarton Board of Selectmen authorize the $12,452 for GASB be carried forward to the next year. Mert Mann seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
2.
Janice
VandeBogart reported there was $2,000 left in Office Equipment for this
year. Asked if this could be used
towards the new telephone system.
Selectmen agreed that the $2,000 could not be used
towards the new telephone system. The
new system will have to go to bid. The
$2,000 should go back into the General Fund.
3.
Requested
permission to carry forward $5,098 for payment to Harlan Noyes into the new
year. Harlan Noyes has requested that
he not be paid this amount until 2005.
Selectmen agreed that the $5,098 amount should be paid in this calendar year.
4. Regarding the contract with Guy Ducet for cutting trees for the Highway Department, he cannot do it before the end of the year. The amount is $1,000.
Selectmen agreed to wait until next year for the
tree cutting.
MOTION:
Mert Mann made a motion that the Dunbarton Board of
Selectmen go into non-public session in accordance with RSA 91-A:3 at 7:37 p.m.
to discuss welfare and personnel issues.
The motion was seconded by Charles Graybill. The motion passed with a roll call vote as follows:
Graybill
– Yes
Mann
– Yes
Swindlehurst
– Yes
NO DECISIONS OR MOTIONS WERE MADE DURING THE
NON-PUBLIC SESSION.
MOTION:
Mert Mann made a motion that the Dunbarton Board of
Selectmen adjourn the non-public session at 8:27 p.m. in accordance with RSA 91-A:3.
The motion was seconded by Charles Graybill. The motion passed unanimously with the following vote:
Mann
– Yes
Swindlehurst
– Yes
Graybill
– Yes
MOTION:
Mert Mann made a motion that the Dunbarton Board of Selectmen refer a complaint by Gary Chicoine relative to unfair treatment and defamatory remarks made by John Herlihy at the December 13, 2004 Dunbarton Zoning Board of Adjustment Meeting to the Dunbarton Ethics Committee. Charles Graybill seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
OTHER BUSINESS:
Ron Slocum:
1. Ron Slocum reported that he had requested a check be forwarded to the Central New Hampshire Regional Planning Commission for work on the Master Plan. He stated that some of the funds were for work that will not be completed until January and February of 2005. Wanted to verify with the Board of Selectmen that this was appropriate.
It was noted that this work had been contracted for
with Central New Hampshire Regional Planning.
If the funds are allowed to lapse at the end of the year, there will be
no funds to pay for the services done in January and February. The Master Plan final review is scheduled
for January 19, 2005.
Selectmen agreed that this is alright because there
is already a contract in place for the services. Ron Slocum stated he wanted to make sure that they were aware that
we are paying for services that have not been done.
2.
Ron
Slocum asked about the CIP, Build Out Study, etc. and other warrant items. What is our liability for the Build Out
Study and the CIP?
Selectmen stated that the cost for these items would have to be on a Warrant Article at Town Meeting in March for funding. Planning Board should obtain estimates for the cost of these before writing the Warrant Article.
Members
of the Public:
Lori Davis stated the following:
1.
She
stated she noticed when the Selectmen are signing checks, there is no one
stating the amount of the checks, to whom they are written and what they are
for. She stated that according the RSA
91:A, the Public Right to Know Law, this should be happening.
She stated she had given the Town Administrator a
copy of an Attorney General Administrative Ruling in March of 2003 regarding
this issue.
2. Stated she was concerned about the number of Non-Public Sessions that the Board of Selectmen has had over the past two years.
Charles (Chuck) Graybill stated that most of the
meetings were concerning Welfare issues.
Obviously, the Town’s Welfare budget has increased considerably from
$5,000 to over $35,000. This is the
reason for the number of non-public sessions.
3.
Stated
that last night at the Transfer Station there were some difficulties. Holidays fall on days when the Transfer
Station is usually open. They move
their schedules around. People have not
been able to empty their dump. The
Transfer Station will be closed on both Holiday Saturdays. We had a big problem last night. Some way the schedule should be shifted.
Selectmen noted
the Transfer Station opened up on Tuesday, from 10-3 for any public that
wants to take advantage of it, and
Wednesday night between 4 and 8.
Last night the trash was being put on the ground.
J. R. Swindlehurst stated he was there and the box
filled up fast. Woody is on vacation.
Allen, Town Employee, was not working the whole night. We were loaded with trash all night. Apparently the box was full. I was in line and saw Allen driving in. I stayed for two hours. Allen pulled the box and we got the machine
running again and trash was being in
the hopper and all the trash was put in the box. Woody should put another open container out and leave it
there. It is a lot better now and it
was all cleaned up by 10:00 am this morning.
Was all in the hopper last night.
There was no trash left on the ground.
Lori Davis asked if we went into a lot of overtime
because of this.
4.
Asked
why Steve Duggan, Town Legal Counsel, was present at this meeting. Stated she would like to see the Legal Bill
for the whole John Herlihy Zoning Board of Adjustment issue when it comes
in.
Steve
Duggan stated he was asked by the Selectmen to stay until the end of the
Selectmen’s
Meeting.
A
motion was made to adjourn the meeting at 8:50 p.m. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
Respectfully
submitted,
Alison
R. Vallieres
Recording Secretary
________________________________________
J.
R. Swindlehurst, Chairman, Board of Selectmen
_______________________________________
Charles
(Chuck) Graybill, Selectman
_______________________________________
Mert
Mann, Selectman