04/11/2022 SB Minutes

Bethlehem Board of Selectmen

Meeting Minutes

April 11, 2022

 

In person – Selectman Caplain, Selectman Jensen, Selectman Morris, Selectman Hibberd, and Selectman Queiroga

Chairman Caplain opened the meeting at 6:00pm and reminded zoom participants to keep their microphones on mute and in-person public members to use podium to speak.

 

Public Input: None

 

Tree Cutting – Highway Department

Chairman Caplain – solar project in field – moved further north and need a few trees removed – no tree cutting costs in budget from solar company – highway garage looking for select board approval to do work – David van Houten – spoke with Brett Jackson almost a year ago to find site for project, walked sites – originally at tennis courts with small trees – new location involves larger trees 4 large trees – money in solar budget to hire outside contractor for large trees – Warren’s Tree Removal – gave quote on large trees – roughly $7,600 – Selectman Jensen – highway department is busy, not a lot of down time – risky job taking down big trees – Selectman Queiroga – is Brett Jackson comfortable cutting down those trees? – Selectman Jensen – he contacted the board for approval before moving forward – Selectman Morris – big trees come with big risk – no problem hiring out for large trees – highway garage gets volunteered a lot – Selectman Jensen – job should come out of solar budget – Brett Jackson will bend over backwards to help town, they’re not professional loggers – Selectman Hibberd – agree – worried about risk – Selectman Morris – talked about hiring outside help for cemetery expansion – Chairman Caplain – sooner is better – David van Houten – if garage wants to do it, good, if they want to hire out, good – either option works – Chairman Caplain – preference to give Brett Jackson the option first – board discussed – Barry Zitser – option in between – ask if he would have workers available for overtime hours to come out of solar budget.

Chairman Caplain made a motion to give Brett Jackson option to do project based on time and risk with viable options to proceed without his work – Selectman Queiroga second – roll call – Chairman Caplain, Selectman Queiroga, Selectman Morris yes – Selectman Hibberd, Selectman Jensen – nay – motion passed 3/2

 

Follow up – select board office hours, availability

Selectman Morris – like hour before board meeting – allows items to be brought up in meeting if needed – Selectman Queiroga – Selectman Jensen suggested a zoom later in evening – good idea for late workers – Chairman Caplain – off meting weeks do zoom option – meeting weeks do hour early idea – Selectman Morris – 7pm good time for zoom – Selectman Jensen – confirm meeting days at 5 pm and non-meeting weeks at 7pm on Mondays – Selectman Queiroga – will have to evaluate as they go.

 

Pool rates 2022 –

Chairman Caplain – went over 2021 rates for non-residents – board discussed raising rates for non-residents – residents are complimentary for 2022 – Chairman Caplain – spoke with Tim Fleury – many day passes, few season passes for non-residents – Selectman Morris – don’t want it too high for visiting guests – Selectman Queiroga – couple dollars up

Selectman Queiroga made a motion to raise non-residents rates to $8 adults, $5 juniors, $5 seniors, – leaving season passes same as 2021 rates. – Selectman Hibberd seconded – roll call – all – motion passed.

Selectman Morris – motion to make residents complimentary in 2022 – Chairman Caplain seconded – roll call – all – motion passed

Nancy Strand – questions missed on select board office hours discussion – opportunity for private discussion with SB members – is it all public? – Chairman Caplain – private sessions available – Selectman Queiroga – if during “office hours” it’s still private – breakout session in Zoom if needed – Selectman Morris – or waiting room option

 

Building inspector ad

Chairman Caplain – ad for new building inspector – Selectman Morris – how many hours a year? – Jack Anderson – roughly 20 hours a week but was health inspector and building inspector – Selectman Morris – do we put pay and hours in ad or leave it out? – anything else in ad needed? – Selectman Queiroga – would vote not to have hours and pay in ad, personal opinion – Chairman Caplain – range of hours 0-20 – Selectman Queiroga – up to $ per hour based on exp and credentials – range – Selectman Morris – $15-20? Chairman Caplain – $15-22? Selectman Hibberd – $15 low – $18-22 – board discussed variable hours

Selectman Morris – motion to post edited building inspector ad on the three job sites with Indeed budget up to $50 – Selectman Hibberd seconded – roll call – all – motion passed

Selectman Morris will send Tim Fleury update – Tim Fleury will post –

 

Minutes – 03/28/2022

Selectman Queiroga motion to approve 3/28/2022 – Chairman Caplain second – roll call all – motion passed

 

Other –

Selectman Morris – Conservation Commission met Saturday regarding Adair project – member expired end of march – appoint Vivian Winterhoft to board –

Chairman Caplain motion to keep Vivian Winterhoff on board – Selectman Hibberd – second – roll call – all – motion passed.

 

Chairman Caplain – letters of support – Representative Kuster sent an email with requests for letters  to submit projects for funding – tiny home project been working on – new ones – Angela McShane – working to submit project on safe route to schools – needs letter of support – Selectman Morris – already support project – easy – Chairman Caplain – second one – energy commission talking with village district on possible solar project on district land – approved for earmark to pay for entire project – letter of support from board for quick turn around in 4 days – Selectman Morris – lots of open room in district – Chairman Caplain – talking with village district tomorrow seeking interest – earmark would pay for it all – Selectman Queiroga – earmark doesn’t make it official – Selectman Jensen – happy to write letter of support for Angela

Selectman Morris – motion to offer letters of support for safe route to school project and solar project for village district pending approval from village district – Selectman Hibberd – second – roll call – all – motion passed

Jack Anderson – provided raise to fire and ambulance pay raise with budget – told employees effective on January 1^st, not voting date – Jack Anderson – wants to give bonus equal to $5/hr. – Selectman Hibberd move to nonpublic for personnel reasons

 

At 6:48:pm Chairman Caplain made a motion to go into non-public session per RSA 91A-3 II (personnel, legal, reputation) – Selectman Hibberd seconded – roll call – all – motion passed.  

Board discussed nuisance property with health inspector and minimum standards for habitable building – recommendation from health inspector – need to see inside home to asses conditions – need occupant approval or administrative warrant – NHHHS involved with occupant – will go over with fire chief as well to check fire safety –

Board continued discussion on fire department wages from public session –

Board discussed building permit issues with PMR restaurant with interim building inspector – timing of permit issues by town and shoreline permit from state – discussed prior permits issued – board discussed process in depth.

Board discussed interest on property taxes being waived

Selectman Jensen made a motion to refund $127 – Selectman Queiroga seconded – roll call – Chairman Caplain, Selectman Queiroga, and Selectman Jensen – yay – Selectman Morris Selectman Hibberd – nay – motion passed 3/2

Board discussed repayment options for town owned property. Discussed an eviction date and left option open for Chief DeMoranville to work with occupants.

Selectman Caplain made a motion to adjourn @8:33 Selectman Hibberd seconded – roll call – all – motion passed.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Tim Fleury

Administrative assistant