TOWN OF WALPOLE

MEETING OF THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN

DECEMBER 22, 2005

Selectmen Present:            Sheldon Sawyer, Whitney Aldrich, Charles Miller

Mr. Sawyer called the meeting to order at 7:30 P.M. with three people present in the audience.

PUBLIC BUSINESS:

SNOW PLOWING ACROSS ROADWAYS:  Mr. Sawyer reported that there have been some problems when snow has been plowed into the town’s right-of-ways and then the town was picking it up.  The town has a policy for snowplowing across roadways.  He will review the policy with Jim Terrell, Highway Superintendent.

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE:  Mr. Miller moved to approve the Accounts Payable check register and manifest in the amount of $47,120.63.  Seconded by Mr. Mr. Aldrich.  All in favor, so voted.

PAYROLL:  Mr. Aldrich moved to approve the payroll voucher for the week ending December 17, 2005, for gross wages in the amount of $15,697.89 or net wages in the amount of $8,527.36.  Seconded by Mr. Miller.  All in favor, so voted.

Mr. Aldrich moved to approve the electronic fund transfer for the Withholding, MEDI and FICA taxes in the amount of $4,003.26.  Seconded by Mr. Miller.  All in favor, so voted.

MINUTES –SELECTMEN’S MEETING- DECEMBER 15, 2005:  Mr. Aldrich moved to approve the Minutes of the public Board of Selectmen’s meeting of December 15, 2005, as printed.  Seconded by Mr. Miller.  All in favor, so voted.

DEPARTMENT / COMMITTEE REPORTS: 

The Board of Selectmen received and reviewed the Minutes of the North Walpole Village Board of Commissioners meetings of December 13, 2005, and December 20, 2005.  It was noted that the Commissioners would like Jim Terrell to put up a “No Overnight Parking” sign at the rear of the North Walpole Town Hall.

BUILDING PERMITS:

CAROL DILL – OLD KEENE ROAD:  Mr. Aldrich moved that Building Permit No. 2005-050 for Carol Dill to construct a house on the Old Keene Road was approved at the last meeting but was subject to receipt of the Energy Permit.  The Energy Audit letter from Warren Stevens stating that it meets all of the requirements of the State has now been received and the Building Permit will be signed.  Seconded by Mr. Miller.  All in favor, so voted.

WALPOLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY:  Mr. Aldrich moved to approve Building Permit No. 2005-051 for the Walpole Historical Society for the restoration and inside repairs to the building.  Seconded by Mr. Sawyer.  All in favor, so voted.

OLD BUSINESS:

GRANITE STATE MUNICIPAL ASSESSING & CONSULTING SERVICES, LLC:  The Board of Selectmen reviewed the contract and discussed the details with its owner.  Mr. Sawyer advised that the contract is for doing the assessing up-dates, starting the statistical update and incorporating all of the new buildings and subdivisions into the town’s maps at a price of $9,600.

The estimated time table is 20 days for the general assessing and if they start the statistical up-date it will be $23,200.  If it goes over the 20 days there will be an hourly charge of $60.00 but it could be less days.  Mr. Sawyer read a portion of the Statistical Update Proposal; as follows:  “Per RSA 75:1, the Selectboard is required to maintain all property assessments at their fair and true value.  Therefore, the International Association of Assessing Officials (IAAO) and the Assessing Standards Board (ASB) has established statistical guidelines that are enforced by the Department of Revenue Administration (DRA).  If the results of the Sales Ratio Analysis indicate that the town’s assessments have statistically fallen outside the parameters set-forth by the IAAO and ASB, then a statistical update would be required to resolve any inequities.  The sales analysis completed on 10/20/05 revealed that the assessed values established from the revaluation in 2003 have fallen below the 90% confidence level recommended by the ASB, and the coefficient of dispersion (COD) exceeds the 20% median ratio.  The reason for this drop is because the real estate market is relatively strong in your community and property values are continuing to appreciate, creating greater disparities between selling prices and assessment.  Based on this information, I recommend you consider performing a statistical update during 2006, or wait until 2007 as you have one year to resolve any inequities.”      

Mr. Aldrich moved to accept the contract from Granite State Municipal Assessing & Consulting Services, LLC.  Seconded by Mr. Miller.  All in favor, so voted.

MBIA – LOAN:  There was a consensus of the Board of Selectmen to put this agenda item on-hold until the next meeting.

APPOINTMENT –RICHARD HURLBURT- EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR:  Mr. Aldrich moved to sign the Appointment document to appoint Richard Hurlburt as the Emergency Management Director.  Seconded by Mr. Miller.  All in favor, so voted.

NEW BUSINESS:

TIMBER CUT –JERROLD SWAIN – MAP 011-024-001:  Mr. Aldrich moved to approve the Notice of Intent to Timber Cut for Jerrold Swain. Seconded by Mr. Miller.  All in favor, so voted.

CEMETERY DEED – HARRY AND SHIRLEY REMICK:  Mr. Aldrich moved to approve the Cemetery Deed for Harry and Shirley Remick.  Seconded by Mr. Miller.  All in favor, so voted.

SOUTH SIDE – DOOR REPAIR:  The Board of Selectmen discussed damage to the south side door when it was frozen shut and approved purchasing new hardware to repair it.  There was a consensus that in the future when there is a snow storm on the week-ends and the Town Hall is rented that the custodian will be asked to shovel the walkways. 

USE OF TOWN HALL – TWO HOURS PER WEEK FOR TUTORING PURPOSES:  The Cheshire County Adult Learning Service inquired about renting the Town Hall every Thursday morning at no charge for about 2-to-2-1/2 hours for tutoring purposes.  The Board of Selectmen do not want to heat the hallway so recommended that they check with one of the churches on the Common to see if space is available.

JIM TERRELL – ROAD MASTER SCHOLAR:  Mr. Aldrich moved that the Board of Selectmen write a letter congratulating Jim Terrell on achieving the status of Master Roads Scholar at the University of New Hampshire Technology Transfer Center.  Seconded by Mr. Miller.  All in favor, so voted.

It was noted that the Master Roads Scholar is the 4^th Achievement Level in the Roads Scholar Program.  A copy of this letter will be placed in Mr. Terrell’s personnel file.  Mr. Dill suggested posting a copy of the letter in the Town Garage for the Highway Department employees’ information.

BURDICK’S:  Mr. Sawyer reported that Larry Burdick is trying to buy the small machine building owned by R.N. Johnson.  It is in the Commercial Zone but Mr. Burdick has an Industrial business.  He was too late to be heard for a Variance this month before the Zoning Board of Adjustment but Mr. Burdick would like to close on the property before the end of the year and the bank would like a Variance.  The ZBA scheduled a Public Hearing in January.  There was a consensus of the Board of Selectmen that there are good reasons for recommending this move because it would free up some parking spaces in the Village and would shorten the period of time that the tractor-trailer unit partially blocks the road while delivering supplies. 

Mr. Miller moved that the Chairman be authorized to write a letter, to be signed by the Board of Selectmen, to support the move to allow the Burdick’s Chocolate Industrial business to re-locate in a Commercial Zone.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  All in favor, so voted.     

LETTERS:

DAVID WALKER:  Mr. Aldrich moved to approve and sign the letter to David Walker.  Seconded by Mr. Miller.  All in favor, so voted.

PLANNING BOARD:  Mr. Aldrich moved to approve and sign the letter to the Planning Board to acknowledge receipt of the Petitions from Walpole Tomorrow.   The Petitions were reviewed and are in order; they will be placed on the Warrant.  Seconded by Mr. Miller.  All in favor, so voted.

HARRY BOYNTON:  Mr. Aldrich moved to approve and sign the letter to Harry Boynton thanking him for his many hours of dedication while serving as the Emergency Management Director.  Seconded by Mr. Miller.  All in favor, so voted. 

Respectfully submitted,

Regina Borden                                                  

THESE ARE UNAPPROVED MINUTES.  CORRECTIONS, IF NECESSARY, MAY BE FOUND IN THE MINUTES OF THE DECEMBER 29, 2005, SELECTMEN’S MEETING.