05/09/2022 SB Minutes

Bethlehem Board of Selectmen

Meeting Minutes

March 09, 2022

 

In person – Vice Chairman Hibberd, Selectman Jensen, Selectman Morris – absent: Chairman Caplain and Selectman Queiroga

Vice Chairman Hibberd 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

 

Cleaning services for town offices:

Selectman Morris motion to use Nahart Cleaning services for town hall cleaning – Selectman Jensen seconded – roll call – Selectman Jensen, Morris, and Vice Chairman Hibberd – Selectmen Caplain and Queiroga absent – motion passed 3-2.

 

Data breach – Comstar – ambulance billing company

Vice Chairman Hibberd – received notification that there was data breach – need letter from board authorizing them to reach out to affected parties – Selectman Jensen – parties that used ambulance service? – Vice Chairman Hibberd – yes – Selectman Morris – town will not know who is affected – options available to exposed residents –

Selectman Jensen made a motion to submit a letter to Comstar authorizing them to contact affected residents. – Selectman Morris seconded – roll call – Selectman Jensen, Morris, and Vice Chairman Hibberd – Selectmen Caplain and Queiroga absent – motion passed 3-0.

 

Gas/diesel price increase

Vice Chairman Hibberd – Brett Jackson brought concerns to the board about fuel line item – used 50% of budget currently – board can move money to line item or wait until end of year to move funds – be mindful and keep an eye on it – transfer funds at end of year as needed, we don’t have to do it now – Selectman Morris – comfortable with letting Brett know when it gets to 25% and revisit moving funds then – other departments effected too – Vice Chairman Hibberd – comfortable with moving funds later – Selectman Morris – let other departments keep an eye on fuel lines as well

 

Bretzfelder Committee – member renewal and new member appointment

Selectman Morris – the Bretzfelder Committee would like to reappoint one member and add new member – reappoint Sue Greenlaw and appoint Bryan Smith based on Sue Greenlaw’s recommendation – Vice Chairman Hibberd – Bryan Smith is not a resident – Selectman Morris – close reading of 1980’s warrant article establishing committee – wiggle room on non-resident committee members – not a lot of volunteers for committees – has been hard to find members – don’t want it to be all non-residents but Mr. Smith is a highly qualified individual – Vice Chairman Hibberd – may check with DRA as they are the ones that interpret warrant articles – Vice Chairman Hibberd – only hesitation is setting precedent – thinks individual is a great fit for board –  Selectman Morris – checked with NHMA – can go either way – Selectman Jensen – can always expressed preference for residents but need to fill positions – Vice Chairman Hibberd – concerned it will open up all boards to non-residents – Selectman Morris – all other boards are covered by residents only – Selectman Jensen – transfer station committee – Vice Chairman Hibberd make vote contingent on DRA approval?

Selectman Morris made a motion to reappoint sue Greenlaw to Bretzfelder committee – Vice Chairman Hibberd seconded – roll call Selectman Jensen, Morris, and Vice Chairman Hibberd – Selectmen Caplain and Queiroga absent – motion passed 3-0.

Selectman Morris motion to appoint Bryan Smith to Bretzfelder Committee pending inquiry from DRA – Vice Chairman Hibberd seconded – roll call – Selectman Jensen, Morris, and Vice Chairman Hibberd – Selectmen Caplain and Queiroga absent – motion passed 3-0.

 

Consolidated Communications/Eversource license renewal for poles

Vice Chairman Hibberd – poles replaced on Trudeau road need to license.

Selectman Morris made a motion to issue permit renewals for new poles in question – Selectman Jensen seconded – roll call – Selectman Jensen, Morris, and Vice Chairman Hibberd – Selectmen Caplain and Queiroga absent – motion passed 3-0.

 

Police radio – purchase from capital reserve fund

Vice Chairman Hibberd – Chief DeMoranville sent a letter to the board to purchase one portable radio to replace a damaged unit at a cost of $1,691.89.  Funds to come from the Police Equipment Capital Reserve Fund.

Selectman Jensen made a motion to authorize purchase of new radio to replace damaged radio from capital funds – Selectman Morris seconded – roll call – Selectman Jensen, Morris, and Vice Chairman Hibberd – Selectmen Caplain and Queiroga absent – motion passed 3-0.

 

 

Juneteenth – town holiday

Vice Chairman Hibberd – Tim Fleury sent an email to the board what the town should do for the Juneteenth holiday – recognized state holiday but state workers do not get it off – recently made a federal holiday – will need to change personnel policy to reflect moving forward – Selectman Morris if feds believe it’s a holiday, believe it should be.

Selectman Morris made a motion to add Juneteenth to day off in town policy. – Vice Chairman Hibberd seconded – roll call – Selectman Jensen, Morris, and Vice Chairman Hibberd – Selectmen Caplain and Queiroga absent – motion passed 3-0.

Selectman Morris – would need to change department head holiday items as well.

 

Select Board procedures

Vice Chairman Hibberd – would like the board to be on the same page for communications and expectations – other towns have select board procedures – would like to see board have written procedures – Vice Chairman Hibberd is currently doing research from other towns’ procedures – can look at all procedures and send to all board members to discuss at future meeting.

 

PMR Site Plan review resubmittal discussion

Selectman Jensen – addition added to recreation building at the Presidential Mountain Resort – unclear if it needs site plan approval – little over 600 sq feet – may need change of use for summer use – prudent to answer those questions – would like PMR to go to planning board to clear up items – can be done as conceptual initially – no cost, no plans needed – planning board would decide if site plan review is needed at that point – Selectman Morris – the addition to community building is important because it’s a commercial property – not concerned about other use – Vice Chairman Hibberd – initial approval is important – size of addition is important – Selectman Morris – size isn’t issue because it’s all a commercial property and needs to go before planning board regardless of size – simple to have them go before planning board initially – Selectman Jensen – can ask Jack Anderson to instruct PMR to go to planning for conceptual on 5/25 – Selectman Morris – restaurant change is a change of use and should go back to planning board for change of use – select board should let planning board do their job – Selectman Jensen – it’s their job and area of expertise and allow them to do the job.

Selectman Jensen made a motion to instruct Jack Anderson to inform PMR that they should go to planning board for 5/25 meeting for conceptual – discussion: – Vice Chairman Hibberd – should they continue work? – Selectman Morris – permit already issued – good item to add to select board procedures to clarify building process and select board involvement – Vice Chairman Hibberd – good to send to planning board to have them make the decision to change or ratify use – Selectman Jensen – restaurant is another issue to be looked at another time – Selectman Morris – would like to have planning decide – Selectman Morris – seconded motion – roll call – Selectman Jensen, Morris, and Vice Chairman Hibberd – Selectmen Caplain and Queiroga absent – motion passed 3-0.

Selectman Morris made a motion to decline request by PMR to bypass site plan approval for former restaurant – Vice Chairman Hibberd second – roll call – Selectman Jensen, Morris, and Vice Chairman Hibberd – Selectmen Caplain and Queiroga absent – motion passed 3-0.

 

Current use application – 404-13-1, 404 20-1

Vice Chairman Hibberd – assessor recommendation – reviewed application – all information in line and recommended granted application.

Selectman Morris motion to approve 404-13-1 and 404-20-1 – additional acreage in current use – Selectman Jensen seconded – roll call – Selectman Jensen, Morris, and Vice Chairman Hibberd – Selectmen Caplain and Queiroga absent – motion passed 3-0.

 

Minutes – 04/25/2022

Selectman Morris motion to approve minutes from 4/25/2022 – Selectman Jensen seconded – roll call – Selectman Jensen, Morris, and Vice Chairman Hibberd – Selectmen Caplain and Queiroga absent – motion passed 3-0.

 

Other

Selectman Morris – Conservation Commission cleanup Saturday at 10am until noon – bags picked up after noon – please stop at noon so bags aren’t left – Gazebo meeting place.

Vice Chairman Hibberd – library healthcare – other libraries in state looking at similar experiences – other towns not in compliance – option is adding librarian to town payroll – Vice Chairman Hibberd – confirming if we must do payroll do they have to conform to town’s personnel policies – Selectman Morris – established court case that libraries are not town employees – Vice Chairman Hibberd – do they have own EIN and was it established by town warrant? – Selectman Morris – don’t know info on case file – shouldn’t have own EIN number – letters of agreement exist between towns and libraries – can add admin services of payroll to town services provided to library – town has no control on library employees – Vice Chairman Hibberd – want to make sure they don’t have to give up EIN and it has to go to town vote – Vice Chairman Hibberd – currently don’t plow or cut grass at library – Selectman Morris – can enter into broad or narrow agreement – have found few drafts of agreements – can have conference call between select board and library trustees and trustee’s association to clarify issues – Vice Chairman Hibberd – maybe by next meeting we are able to act on new information – next meeting on 5/24 – Selectman Morris will work with library to fix issue.

 

Vice Chairman Hibberd made a motion @ 6:48 to go into Non-public Session per RSA 91A-3 II (personnel, reputation) Selectman Jensen seconded – Selectman Jensen, Morris, and Vice Chairman Hibberd – Selectmen Caplain and Queiroga absent – motion passed 3-0.

 

Selectman Morris made a motion to hire Bob Francis as the building inspector/code officer @ $22/hr– Selectman Jensen seconded – Selectman Jensen, Morris, and Vice Chairman Hibberd – Selectmen Caplain and Queiroga absent – motion passed 3-0.

Selectman Morris made a motion to hire  RP for summer recreation at $15/hr – Selectman Jensen seconded – roll call – Selectman Jensen, Morris, and Vice Chairman Hibberd – Selectmen Caplain and Queiroga absent – motion passed 3-0.

Selectman Morris made a motion to rehire lifeguards from last season – Selectman Jensen – seconded – roll call – Selectman Jensen, Morris, and Vice Chairman Hibberd – Selectmen Caplain and Queiroga absent – motion passed 3-0.

Board discussed legal advice –

@ 7:05 Selectman Morris made a motion to come out of non-public to answer public question by resident – Selectman Jensen seconded – roll call – Selectman Jensen, Morris, and Vice Chairman Hibberd – Selectmen Caplain and Queiroga absent – motion passed 3-0.

Board went back into public session to answer resident question.

Nancy Strand – banners attached to utility poles do they have permission to attach? – Vice Chairman Hibberd – permission from Eversource – Nancy Strand – according to Eversource they are Consolidated Communications poles – fees waived by company if town is asking permission – board discussed old approvals and research needed.

Nancy Strand – does town own right hand side sidewalk on rise – grass slope down into road? – town property or town? – Vice Chairman Hibberd – believe it’s state property because it’s on route 302 – Nancy Strand – looking for permission to add trees – Selectman Morris – interfere with plowing maybe – board discussed parking and ownership of land discussed – board discussed sidewalks in town.

Vice Chairman Hibberd made a motion to adjourn @ 7:24 – Selectman Jensen seconded – roll call – Selectman Jensen, Morris, and Vice Chairman Hibberd – Selectmen Caplain and Queiroga absent – motion passed 3-0.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Tim Fleury

Administrative assistant