DUNBARTON BOARD OF SELECTMEN
MINUTES OF MEETING
THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 2005
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 7:03 p.m. The following were present:
J. R. Swindlehurst, Chairman
Charles (Chuck) Graybill
Mert Mann
Janice VandeBogart, Town
Administrator
The
Selectmen signed checks prior to the Public Meeting was called to order.
TRANSFER
STATION POLICY REGARDING CHILDREN:
The Selectmen reviewed a proposed policy submitted
by Patrick Bowne, Transfer Station, regarding children at the Transfer
Station. The proposed policy read as
follows:
“No child shall be left unattended in any part of
the Transfer Station. No child is permitted to walk along any of the concrete
barriers that are in place at the Transfer Station. No child is allowed to climb in or on any of
the containers. No child is allowed in
the compactor building while the hopper gate is open. Children must either stay in the vehicle or
be within arms reach of their parent.”
The Selectmen reviewed the policy and agreed that it
should read as follows: This policy will
go into effect on January 17, 2005.
No child under the age of 12 (twelve) shall be left unattended in any part of the Transfer Station. Children must either stay in the vehicle or be within arms reach of their parent.
Jon Wiggin, Fire Chief, appeared before the Board to
present his 2005 budget. He noted the
following increases and decreases in his budget. All other items remained the same as the
previous year.
1.
Administration – Part-time - is
up by $500 (Due to the fact that the Selectmen set the Fire Chief at $10,000
last year. Was previously $9,500)
2.
Mutual Aid Compact - Increased
because of the Compact hired two more dispatchers. Jon Wiggin voted against the hiring of the
two additional dispatchers but it was approved anyway. The City of Concord told them to hire two
more dispatchers. Hazmat charges are
also included in the changes.
3.
Gas and Diesel increased slightly because of increase in fuel costs.
4.
Office Supplies are down by $100.
5.
Fire Station Supplies are up by $100.
6.
Radio Repair is down by $200.
7.
Pagers – Chuck Graybill recommended dropping this item back to $2,000
from $3,000.
8.
Protective Equipment – J. Wiggin noted that the new truck will need new
equipment. There will be two foam tanks,
one for Class A Foam (used in forest fires and combustion) and the other for
Class B Foam (used for petroleum based fires).
Foam cost is $10/gallon.
9.
Dry Hydrant Repair – Carry over from last year. Ken Alton gave permission for the Fire Department
to put in a dry hydrant. Property has
changed hands since. Where the dry
hydrant is going to be is on the Town right of way. Possibility of having developer pay for the
dry hydrant. Town of Chichester has just
put one in. Will check to see how it
works.
10. Truck Lease for $54,000 will
be a Warrant Article to be taken out of surplus.
Total Budget increase (not counting the truck) is $8,750 after the $1,000 reduction in pagers made by Selectmen.
Other Items from Fire Chief:
1.
Concord Hospital has donated a defibrilator to the Town of Dunbarton. There were four towns that applied and there
were only three defibrilators. This is a
$15,000 piece of equipment. The only
drawback presently is that you need a paramedic to operate it. The ones we have now are automatic. There is a software program that can upgrade
the machine so EMT’s can use it. I am
proposing taking $3,000 out of the ambulance fund for this expense. Will be a Warrant Article.
2.
Just received notification by the State that we will be receiving a
grant for $43,950 for six more pagers, imaging camera and hydraulic rescue
tool. We have to match 10%/$4,395.
3.
Money was just released from Homeland Security. Came in Friday and put in all new digital
radios. Every radio we have now is brand
new. Next step will be portable
radios. In the past two years at a cost
of $8,200, we have gotten $100,000 worth of equipment.
4.
Building Maintenance Budget – Still did not get all the painting done
at the Fire House. All the trim needs to
be done. Will have to hire someone. Would like to buy another door opener. It is wired for every bay. Opener is $500 plus fees for hooking up for a
total of $750.
Proposed 2005 Emergency Management Budget:
1.
Same as previous year.
2.
Should be expending money for the Natural Disaster Mitigation if we
have to open a shelter. Should consider
purchasing a generator. Best place to
put a generator because of wiring, etc. would be out in front of the
building.
3.
Seeing an increase in alarm activations. Not seeing a lot of false alarms. Having Ken charge for the inspection of
sprinkler systems. Cost included within
the Building Permit.
Ken Swayze, Building
Department, appeared before the Board and noted the following:
1.
Largest increase in cost is labor.
Staff hourly rate has been increased. Hourly rate previously was
Administrative Assistant $10.35/hour and Assistant Building Inspectors
$18.00/hour. Has been the same for 4-6 years.
Basically, we need to attract qualified help. Building Inspecting is getting more and more
complicated. Buildings are now built
with trusses and a lot of responsibility is put on the department.
The Building Department relies on part-time people
with no benefits. Work load is extremely
sporadic.
Enforcement issues take a certain amount of talent,
demeanor and tact.
Building Department needs to be more
stratified. Need to have merit pay.
2.
Dues – The Building Department gets no training at this time. Ken stated that he holds several licenses
i.e. plumbing and electrical, etc. which he uses when inspecting. Sometimes you need to be certified. We are one of the few Towns that don’t have Certified
Building Inspectors. I have to go get a
Code Update yearly. Have to go take 15
hours of training. - $750 is low.
3.
Code Books, Form and ICC Membership - $450
4.
Inspectors’ tools and instruments.
The Department needs certain tools, etc.
- $300
5.
Office Supplies and Equipment – Includes office files, cabinets and
other materials. - $800
6.
Would like to have Cell Phones.
There are times when it would be convenient to be able to contact us by
phone. Some places I have gone have not
been good places to be. I actually feel it would be a money saver.
Ken Swayze stated that the Department is doing a
great job. Cooperating on billing for
the building permits. 137 building
permits were issued last year, with 38 being for new homes.
Noted that Code Enforcement is getting out of
hand. Would like to see the Police
Department more involved. There is
nothing reimbursed for enforcement. 30%
of our work is enforcement issues. I
attended one hundred meetings last year.
This is too many. I cannot
continue to do it.
At
this point in the meeting, the Board of Selectmen adjourned at 8:07 p.m. to
allow time for the Secretary to sign subdivision plans. The Board of Selectmen reconvened at 8:17
p.m.
BUDGET
REVIEW: Larry Cook, Conservation
Commission:
Larry Cook and Brett St. Clair, Dunbarton Conservation Commission, appeared before the Board with their proposed 2005 budget figures. They explained them as follows:
1.
Stated all items are the same as the previous year with the exception
of $4,000 ($2,000 each) for gates at
Legache Hill Road and Whipple Road. Want
to turn them into a Class A Trail.
Obtained estimates from Tom’s Welding Shop in Concord. These are large metal gates similar to what
is on the trail at Bear Brook State Park, etc.
There is a possibility we can get them cheaper. Possibly get some used gates from DOT. Will need reflective material to put on the
gates also. These gates are like the
Forest Service would use.
Chuck Graybill verified that these are the two gates
that we agreed to pay for.
2.
Larry and Brett noted the Conservation Commission will be submitting
four Warrant Articles as follows:
A. To see if the Town will vote
to change the status of Whipple Road from a Class VI Town Road to a Class A
Trail. Whipple Road is a two-rod road
established in 1826 which begins at the northernmost intersection of Robert
Rogers and County Road, bordering the LaBranche and Amarosa properties, and
runs through the Kimball Pond Conservation Area to Kimball Pond Road. A Class A
Trail is a full public right-of-way subject to public trail use restrictions. Abutting landowners are exempt from public
trail use restrictions and may use the right-of-way for agriculture, forestry
or to access buildings or structures existing prior to its designation as a
trail, per N. H. R. S. A. 231-A:1.
B. To see if the town will vote
to approve the lease of the house and outbuildings acquired as a result of the
Town’s purchase of the N. J. Nassikas lands to add to the Kimball Pond
Conservation Area. The property includes
a small house and two outbuildings.
It is proposed that:
The Dunbarton Conservation Commission will manage
the lease of the property under the supervision of the Dunbarton Board of
Selectmen.
Revenue from the lease will be deposited into the
Dunbarton Conservation Fund.
The property will be leased to the existing tenant
for the sum of $475 per month. The
tenant agrees to fully maintain and insure the property at his own expense and
pay for heat and electricity. Rent will
increase 5% every two years.
C. To see if the Town will vote
to raze the buildings acquired as a result of the Town’s purchase of the N. J.
Nassikas lands and fold the surrounding property into the Kimball Pond
Conservation Area, when the Conservation Commission determines it is no longer
in the best interest of the Town to rent the buildings.
D. To see if the Town will vote
to appropriate from surplus, the sum of $11,625 for milfoil control at Gorham
Pond, $4,068.75 of which will be from a milfoil control grant from the State of
New Hampshire and $7,556.25 from surplus funds.
The
Chairman asked for comments from the general public. There were no comments from the general
public.
The
meeting adjourned at 8:52 p.m.
_________________________________________
John
R. Swindlehurst, III, Chairman
_________________________________________
Charles
Graybill
_________________________________________
Merton
Mann
Dunbarton
Board of Selectmen
Respectfully
submitted,
Alison
R. Vallieres
Recording
Secretary