Bethlehem Board of Selectmen
Meeting Minutes
January 7, 2019
Present: Chairman Moritz, Selectman Moore, Selectman Boisseau, Selectman Glavac, Selectman Ubaldo.
Chairman Moritz opened the meeting at 6:02 and the public hearing for the country club and read the public hearing notice. Selectman Ubaldo said there are supposed to be 2 public hearings. Chairman Moritz said this is the second and Selectman Glavac said the warrant says 2 public meetings not public hearings.
Chairman Moritz read the two warrant options the Board is reviewing for the Country Club.
Shall we vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to investigate, negotiate and execute a long-term lease of the Bethlehem Golf Club property, on terms and conditions to be approved by the Board, which lease shall include the condition that the property shall continue to be operated as a public 18-hole golf course.”
Shall we vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to investigate, negotiate and execute a long-term lease of the Bethlehem Golf Club property, on terms and conditions to be approved by the Board, which lease shall include the condition that the property shall continue to be operated as a public golf course.”
She explained the only difference is whether to include the 18 hole or not.
Selectman Boisseau asked about putting in a minimum lease amount.
Chairman Moritz said she thinks they should leave it high level and leave out specifics.
Selectman Glavac said he doesn’t want to put too many restrictions on the warrant article. He also said the appeal is that is it a Donald Ross course, so he would like to keep it as an 18-hole course and thinks it would add value.
Selectman Boisseau said he has heard 9 holes has become more popular, but he hasn’t looked at the statistics for that. He said he wonders if it would get more usage as a 9 hole.
Selectman Moore said she looked into the Donald Ross guidelines about course restoration and she said you don’t want to mess with them too much. She also said you have to hire an architect. She said you could retain the character if you move one hole.
Selectman Glavac said he prefers 18 holes.
Paul Greenlaw said if you keep it an 18-hole course people can still play 9, 6, or 12-hole game.
Clare Brown said a 9-hole would not work for tournaments plus they would lose the Donald Ross effect. Cheryl Jensen suggested using the warrant article that doesn’t state 18-holes then it doesn’t cut off people who show interest. It may limit interest if it says 18-holes she said.
Chris Jensen said at the budget hearings for all these years it has been said that the country club has been breaking even but it actually has been running up a tab of $450,000 and suggested the Board leave their options open.
Rita Farrell said she is in favor of keeping it town property.
David Wood said in the mid 90’s Natti was the pro and there was an architect that came and walked the course. He said it may only be 9 holes that were Donald Ross. He also said it probably wasn’t Donald Ross’ best work.
Chris McGrath said he would like to leave 18-hole out of the warrant article and have another warrant article with 18-hole.
Chairman Moritz asked Jamie Paine and Dave Garvey from KW about the commission for leasing. She was told it would be 7% of the value of the lease.
Chris Jensen said $25,000-year lease payment will not make a big difference to the town. He said if property were available for sale it would bring more to the town. He said he thinks there should be a warrant article asking that because if the town didn’t restrict it to be a golf course and sold the property for development it would bring in more money. He explained people didn’t realize how little revenue the town would receive for the lease.
Mr. Paine said it would receive the lease payment plus taxes and the taxes would go up as the improvements are made to the property.
Selectman Ubaldo said if the course goes unattended for a month they are at a loss and that is a risk of leasing.
Chairman Moritz said the revenues were down $20,000 to last year and expenditures were up from last year. She said due to the liability to the town it got the ball moving on this and it is in the best interest of the country club. She said it will go into disrepair if we don’t spend the $450,000.
Carol Kerivan said people didn’t realize how little would be paid from it and people voted for it but didn’t realize how little we would get. She said if property were to be developed the town would get more.
Selectman Glavac said development options are around the golf course. He said it is hard to make money on just golf, so they need the development. He wants to add language to warrant article about development.
Selectman Ubaldo said the town should sell the land around the course to develop.
Sandy Laleme said she is against selling the golf course but said she knows about the drainage and other issues. She asked the Board if it is about historic value or the tax dollars. She also said the board needs to be able to negotiate.
Cheryl Jensen asked by not putting the 18-hole language could there be more development and was told yes.
Paul Greenlaw said he spoke last year against limiting ourselves but the vote was about 72% to keep it a golf course so the Board shouldn’t do anything different without another vote. He also said the Board doesn’t have the time to devote to this and the town needs a town manager.
There was discussion about the highway garage remaining where it is, and the possibility of the gas tanks being used for the golf course if there was a legal way.
Mr. Paine said the developable land they factored in is 3 acres by the road and 5 acres in the back.
Selectman Glavac asked about the possibility of the golf course going unattended for months.
Mr. Garvey explained that is addressed in the agreement with monitoring requirements, auditing, and even performance bonds, etc.
Mrs. Laleme said if they start cutting down the course size, they won’t get the tournaments. She said to look at the master plan because it says to maintain small town atmosphere and housing development was not part of that.
David Wood said there are potential real estate development options contiguous to the property not on it due to the wetlands. He said Maplewoods has condo plans that hasn’t happened.
Mary Lou Krambeer said a lease is a good solution because it allows for some development but retains ownership.
Selectman Glavac likes the warrant article that includes 18-hole but would like to add there could be development opportunities to either warrant article option.
Selectman Moore said she is leaning toward 18-hole warrant article.
Selectman Boisseau said he is leaning toward the article that doesn’t include 18-hole. He said he likes the broader option but does see the benefit of keeping it an 18-hole. He said he doesn’t want to lose opportunities to have discussions with people interested.
Chairman Moritz said the 18-hole is more restrictive and thinks the 2nd one is broader.
Steve Dyer asked if they are considering option of selling.
Chairman Moritz said she believes it is more advantageous to lease
Selectman Ubaldo doesn’t want to lease or sell and said he wants to develop it further.
Carol Kerivan said the Donald Ross grants are $125,000 for drainage and they average $10,000 and are matching grants.
Selectman Glavac said it is a hard sell to get the town to invest $450,000 into the course.
Selectman Boisseau asked if we can sell it with a restriction and was told yes.
Ethan Ash from KW said there would be no control about the condition of the course
David Wood asked if the Select Board could still take offers for sale because the other warrant articles haven’t been eliminated and was told yes.
Chairman Moritz closed the public hearing at 7:15pm.
Chairman Moritz said they need to vote to have the attorney continue looking into the pipeline going through the conservation easement. She said the attorney general’s office has given its okay and now it needs to go to probate court and needs a town vote. Selectman Glavac said the town has to request the amendment to the agreement. Chairman Moritz said the process has started so we need to decide tonight if we authorize the attorney to go forward. Selectman Moore said if they (NCES) pay for it. Selectman Glavac said the request should come from the town. Mrs. Jensen said shouldn’t the town vote be first. Selectman Glavac asked if we are in favor of town submitting the request. Chairman Moritz said authorizing Walter to represent town in going forward with this. Selectman Glavac said he wants NCES to cover legal fees. Rita Farrell asked if anyone asked Rebecca Brown about the process.
Chris McGrath asked if this was on tonight’s agenda and was told as other board business to vote authorizing Walter to proceed.
Chris Jensen said the holder of the easement has to ask.
Chairman Moritz moved to authorize Walter to work on behalf of town if NCES follow proper protocol in their seeking of amendment and they pay the bill.
Don Lavoie asked if there is a request from NCES for this and was told yes. He said they came for a waiver restriction for road attempting to increase. He said they are breaching the easement.
Chairman Moritz said there is not a reason why this should be denied at this level and asked if they have the authority to deny at this point.
Selectman Glavac said it takes the methane out of the air, so it does something better.
Chairman Moritz said we don’t have that information yet.
Mrs. Farrell said it would be taken care of whether they get a short cut or not.
Selectman Moore said it could be a turn thing in the pipes and may not just be a cost issue.
Mrs. Jensen said the motion is not worded correctly.
Chairman Moritz withdrew her motion.
PUBLIC INPUT
Don Lavoie said he is concerned about the fund for the Prospect Street dump and that we are tapping into the principal. He said the options would be to add a lump sum to the fund, add some each year or pay for the routine testing out of the operating budget. The Board told him they would look into it. Selectman Ubaldo said there are PFOA’s leaking from the old dump. Dick Robie gave the Board a write up on Ronney Lyster for the town report. Selectman Glavac moved to approve the town report write up. Selectman Ubaldo seconded. Carried 5-0.
The Board reviewed abatement refunds.
Chairman Moritz moved to issue a refund for map/lot 409/047 for $325.49. Selectman Glavac seconded. Carried 5-0.
Chairman Moritz moved to issue a refund for map/lot 205/104 for $1473.02. Selectman Moore seconded. Carried 5-0.
The Board reviewed requests from Eversource for pruning trees on town property. Selectman Glavac moved to approve the pruning request from Eversource. Selectman Ubaldo seconded. Carried 5-0.
Chairman Moritz said the Board previously discussed the hazard mitigation grant to update our hazard mitigation plan and need to vote on that. Chairman Moritz moved to accept the terms of the Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program as presented in the amount of $7,500.00 for the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update. Furthermore, the Board acknowledges that the total cost of this project will be $10,000.00, in which the Town will be responsible for a 25% match ($2,500.00). Selectman Glavac seconded. Carried 5-0.
The Board reviewed the minutes from 12/17/18.
Chairman Moritz moved to approve the minutes. Selectman Moore seconded. Carried 4-0 (Selectman Ubaldo abstained).
The Board discussed questions they have about the pipeline going under the conservation easement. They want to know when it gets voted on – this year or next year. Selectman Moore wants to know if it still has to go through wetlands and Selectman Glavac said it does. Who monitors easement on Trudeau Road.
At 8:20 Chairman Moritz moved to go into non-public session per RSA 91A:3 II for matters of reputation. Selectman Boisseau seconded. Chairman Moritz did roll call with all members agreeing to go into non-public session.
The Board discussed an ambulance write off application. Selectman Ubaldo moved to approve the request. Chairman Moritz seconded. Carried 5-0.
At 8:30 Chairman Moritz moved to adjourn. Selectman Glavac seconded. Carried 5-0.
Respectfully submitted,
April Hibberd
Administrative Assistant
