TOWN OF WALPOLE
MEETING OF THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN
JULY 6, 2006
Selectmen Present: Whitney Aldrich, Charles Miller, Sheldon Sawyer
Mr. Aldrich opened the meeting at 7:30 P.M. with three people present in the audience.
PUBLIC BUSINESS:
GARY GRAY – Point of Distribution (POD): Gary Gray, RN, Cheshire Public Health Network Coordinator, referenced the Memorandum of Understanding Between the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, New Hampshire Department of Safety, Town of Marlow, Alstead, Stoddard, Walpole, Surry, Gilsum, Sullivan, Nelson, Westmoreland, Roxbury Harrisville, Chesterfield, Swanzey, Marlborough, Hinsdale, Winchester, Richmond, Fitzwilliam, Troy, The City of Keene and The Cheshire Medical Center as Fiscal Agent that was previously sent to the Walpole Board of Selectmen. The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Department of Safety (DOS) are working together to ensure that government and the public are prepared should a pandemic occur. The State recently received $813,000 from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to strengthen our capacity to prepare for and respond to an influenza pandemic. A high-level Pandemic Preparedness Coordinating Committee (PPCC) has been established to provide oversight to the State’s preparedness activities. The PPCC includes a number of municipal officials and other public and private sector partners. The Committee shall allow for at least one representative from each municipal governmental authority in the identified All Hazards Site region and the designated fiscal agent for the entire region. All Committee members shall have full voting rights. Mr. Gray distributed information on “What Is An Influenza Pandemic?” that included the Greater Keene Regional Towns and the estimated population per area; copies of an article on “When Durham Fought the Flu in 1918; the “Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan” – draft April 28, 2006. We hope that this does not happen but have to be ready if it does. Citizens have to be prepared with food and water. The Board of Selectmen feels that Walpole should be grouped with Charlestown, Alstead, Langdon and Acworth because they are already bound together through the regional school system and might be a better mix than with Westmoreland, Chesterfield and Hinsdale. Mr. Gray will bring this up at the next meeting. Mr. Gray asked that the Town of Walpole agree to participate by signing the Memorandum of Understanding and designating a representative to serve on the Committee. There was a consensus of the Board of Selectmen that they would like to look over the documents before making a decision.
RICK LARSON – MAILBOX PLACEMENT: Rick Larson lives on Black Jack Crossing and explained that last winter his mailbox was hit by the snowplow. He built the mailbox in 1991 and never had a problem until last winter. He talked to Jim Terrell about it and thought it was going to be taken care of, but then the road was repaved and he received the letter with the new regulations that will be effective September 13, 2006, however, his mailbox was pushed over last winter. Mr. Sawyer advised that many mailboxes are in the right-of-ways and he recommended that Rick Larson contact Jim Terrell again to discuss the matter including and to have him mark where the new placement should be.
ROBERT JASSE – JUNKYARDS: The Board of Selectmen gave Robert Jasse the documents they gathered regarding the State RSAs on junk yards.
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE: Mr. Sawyer moved to approve the Accounts Payable check register and manifest in the amount of $79,398.78. Seconded by Mr. Miller. All in favor, so voted.
PAYROLL: Mr. Sawyer moved to approve the payroll voucher for the week ending July 1, 2006, for gross wages in the amount of $23,363.30 or net wages in the amount of $15,193.77. Seconded by Mr. Miller. All in favor, so voted.
Mr. Miller moved to approve the electronic fund transfer for the Withholding, MEDI and FICA taxes in the amount of $5,530.91. Seconded by Mr. Sawyer. All in favor, so voted.
Mr. Miller moved to sign the top sheet for the Hooper Summer Employees payroll. Seconded by Mr. Sawyer. All in favor, so voted.
MINUTES –SELECTMEN’S MEETING- JUNE 29, 2006: Mr. Miller moved to approve the Minutes of the public Board of Selectmen’s meeting of June 29, 2006, as printed. Seconded by Mr. Sawyer. All in favor, so voted.
Mr. Sawyer moved to approve the Minutes of the Non-Public Board of Selectmen’s meeting of June 29, 2006, as printed. The minutes will remain sealed until the Purchase and Sales Agreement is finalized. 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 meeting of June 27, 2006.
REFUNDS:
WASHINGTON MUTUAL –FOR ERIC MERKLIEN- MAP 022-010-001: Mr. Sawyer moved to approve the Refund in the amount of $1,480.00 for Eric Merklien on North Road. Seconded by Mr. Miller. All in favor, so voted.
BUILDING PERMITS:
MARINA AND JOSEPH CONEENY – MAP 019-039-000: Mr. Sawyer moved to approve Building Permit No. 2006-033 for Marina and Joseph Coneeny to take down an existing shed and rebuild another shed on Main Street. Seconded by Mr. Miller. All in favor, so voted.
OLD BUSINESS:
BRIDGE WORK: Mr. Sawyer and Mr. Miller met with the SEA engineer at the Old Keene Road Bridge over Great Brook. The SEA engineer advised that he would have to put in for a Wetlands Permit but easements will be required from the abutting property owners. The Town raised their portion of the funding for construction this year but now the State has moved it out to the year 2010. By doing this the cost will increase by approximately $80,000. The Board of Selectmen discussed putting the Town’s construction portion into the Capital Reserve Fund until needed.
LETTER FROM PETERBOROUGH: A letter was received from the Town of Peterborough relative to the Adelphia Cable Consortium Committee.
Mr. Sawyer moved that the Board of Selectmen send a letter to the Adelphia Cable Consortium Committee to advise that they believed they had previously resigned but, if not, they are resigning now. Seconded by Mr. Miller. All in favor, so voted.
MEETING IN NORTH WALPOLE: The Board of Selectmen acknowledged receipt of a memo from the Office Manager stating that Sam Jacobs reserved the North Walpole School for the Public Hearing to be held on July 20th, 2006, at 7:00 pm. The Public Hearing is for consideration of making Center Street one way and for ideas for development of the new B & M land.
TOWERS: The Board of Selectmen received information relative to State law for the Assessors – RSA 72:23 As Amended – “Taxing the Commercial Entities on Towers” – HB 1679-FN-Local.
NEW BUSINESS:
EAGLE SCOUT – TYLER CHAMBERLIN: Tyler Chamberlin has achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in Walpole Troop 299 of the Boy Scouts of America. Mr. and Mrs. Chamberlin extended an invitation to the Board of Selectmen to attend a reception for Tyler on August 5th at 2:00 pm in their home. The Board of Selectmen will send a letter of congratulations to Tyler Chamberlin that will be signed by the full board.
LETTERS TO BE SIGNED:
ANTHONY PRESUTTI, III – TAXES: Mr. Sawyer moved to approve and sign the letter to Anthony Presutti, III explaining the tax bills for 2005 and 2006. Seconded by Mr. Miller. All in favor, so voted.
ROBERT LANDRY – DOT: Mr. Miller moved to sign the letter to the Department of Transportation regarding the Route 123 Bridge. Seconded by Mr. Sawyer. All in favor, so voted.
The Board of Selectmen recessed their regular meeting at 9:42 P.M. to meet as the Trustees of the Hooper Fund.
TRUSTEES OF THE HOOPER FUND:
BRATTLEBORO PAINTING CONTRACT: Mr. Miller moved that the Chairman be authorized to sign the Brattleboro Painting Contract for the Hooper Mansion. Seconded by Mr. Sawyer. All in favor, so voted.
The Board of Selectmen resumed their regular meeting at 9:46 P.M.
BALLAM PROPERTY: Mr. Sawyer moved to authorize the Chairman, Whitney Aldrich, to sign the loan document to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, and that the Board of Selectmen sign the letter for technical advice and assistance for the Trust for Public Lands and the Certificate for Authorization to File. Seconded by Mr. Miller. All in favor, so voted.
Mr. Sawyer moved to adjourn this meeting. Seconded by Mr. Miller. All in favor, so voted. The time was 9:56 P.M.
Respectfully submitted,
Regina Borden
THESE ARE UNAPPROVED MINUTES. CORRECTIONS, IF NECESSARY, MAY BE FOUND IN THE MINUTES OF THE JULY 13, 2006, SELECTMEN’S MEETING.