TOWN OF WALPOLE

MEETING OF THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN

MARCH 6, 2008

Selectmen Present:            Charles Miller, Sheldon Sawyer, Whitney Aldrich

Mr. Miller called the meeting to order at 7:35 PM with six people present in the audience.

PUBLIC BUSINESS:

JACK DUGAN AND MATT SUCHODOLSKI – REF: DERRY HILL PARTNERS (Dunning Building):  Jack Dugan, Monadnock Economic Development Corporation, and Matt Suchodolski, Southwest Region Planning Commission, asked the Board of Selectmen if they would give consideration to setting up a Public Hearing for a Community Development Block Grant for Matt and Karen Andrus who would like to locate a business in the Dunning Building in North Walpole.  Mr. and Mrs. Andrus are buying a business and want to move it into the Dunning Building.

Mr. Sawyer moved to set the CDGB Public Hearing date for March 27, 2008, at 6:30 PM for the Andrus Associates.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  All in favor, so voted.

JOSH KELLY:  Mr. Kelly continues to work toward acquisition of the Ballam Farm.  All the funding has been raised.  Mr. Sawyer advised that the Town of Walpole, rather than the Water Department, will be the owner of the eight acres for the wellhead protection area.  Mr. Kelly reported that the Town of Walpole will be the easement holder in place of the Monadnock Conservancy on the Cooperative Agreement.

Mr. Aldrich moved that the Chairman be authorized to sign the “Amendment No. 1 Cooperative Agreement Between the United States of America Commodity Credit Corporation and the Trust for Public Land – the Town of Walpole, NH – and the Monadnock Conservancy for the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program” document.  Seconded by Mr. Sawyer.  All in favor, so voted.   

Non-Public Meeting:

Mr. Aldrich moved to enter into a Non-Public Meeting pursuant to RSA 91-A:3 II to discuss (a) Personnel.  Seconded by Mr. Sawyer and, on a roll call with all in favor, the motion was approved.  The time was 8:06 PM.

The regular meeting resumed at 9:14 PM.

Mr. Sawyer moved to schedule a Special Board of Selectmen meeting with the Highway Superintendent for Friday, March 7th, 2008, at 6:30 PM.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  All in favor, so voted.

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE:  Mr. Sawyer moved to approve the Accounts Payable check register and manifest in the amount of $429,203.81.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  All in favor, so voted.

It was noted that the above amount includes a monthly payment to the Fall Mountain Region School District in the amount of $390,125.37.

PAYROLL:  Mr. Sawyer moved to approve the payroll voucher for the week ending March 1, 2008, for gross wages in the amount of $20,337.39 or net wages in the amount of $11,112.07.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  All in favor, so voted.

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Mr. Aldrich moved to approve the electronic fund transfer for the Withholding, MEDI and FICA taxes in the amount of $5,265.89.  Seconded by Mr. Sawyer.  All in favor, so voted.

TAX ANTICIPATION NOTE:  Mr. Sawyer moved to approve and sign the document to pay back the $1,000,000 TAN from the Town of Walpole to the MBIA that was previously borrowed and that the Chairman is authorized to sign the NH Public Entity Contribution form.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  All in favor, so voted.

Mr. Aldrich moved that the Board of Selectmen approve and sign the Tax Anticipation Note for the amount of $1,500,000 at 2.5% interest and to deposit it into the MBIA.  Seconded by Mr. Sawyer.  All in favor, so voted.

MINUTES –SELECTMEN’S MEETING- February 28, 2008:  Mr. Sawyer moved to approve the Minutes of the Board of Selectmen’s meeting of February 28, 2008, as printed.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  All in favor, so voted. 

MINUTES –SELECTMEN’S PUBLIC HEARING- FEBRUARY 21, 2008:  Mr. Aldrich moved to approve the Minutes of the Board of Selectmen’s Public Hearing on Warrant Article 8.  Seconded by Mr. Sawyer.  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 March 4, 2008.

REFUNDS:

ROBERT AND ROBIN BICKFORD –MAP 004-001-001 – PROPERTY TAX:  Mr. Aldrich moved to approve the Refund for Property Taxes in the amount of $771.00 Principal and $14.06 Interest for Robert and Robin Bickford.  Seconded by Mr. Sawyer.  All in favor, so voted.

JOHN LAZZARO –MAP 007-026-000- PROPERTY TAX:  Mr. Sawyer moved to approve the Refund for Property Taxes in the amount of $434.00 Principal and $7.34 Interest for John Lazzaro.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  All in favor, so voted.

VIOLA O’BRIEN –MAP 030-063-000- PROPERTY TAX:  Mr. Aldrich moved to approve the Refund for Property Taxes in the amount of $662.50 Principal and $11.00 Interest for Viola O’Brien.  Seconded by Mr. Sawyer.  All in favor, so voted.

ABATEMENTS:

JAD LIVING TRUST – SEWER:  Mr. Aldrich moved to approve the Abatement for a Sewer bill in the amount of $140.84 for the JAD Living Trust on the North River Road.  Seconded by Mr. Sawyer.  All in favor, so voted.

PATRICIA SOBOLESKI – SEWER:  Mr. Aldrich moved to approve the Abatement for a Sewer bill in the amount of $33.08 for Patricia Soboleski on the Hillcrest Road.  Seconded by Mr. Sawyer.  All in favor, so voted.           

DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST – SEWER AND WATER:  Mr. Sawyer moved to pass over this Abatement for a Sewer and Water bill in the amount of $503.07 on a property located

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on Main Street in North Walpole but to investigate taking the Deutsche Bank National Trust to Small Claims Court.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  All in favor, so voted.

OLD BUSINESS:

BOB LANDRY, JR. – COLD RIVER BRIDGE BID:  Mr. Sawyer reported that the bids are in for the Cold River Bridge and the Department of Transportation was authorized to enter into a contract with the Frank W. Whitcomb Construction Company; the low bid was $1,555,714.95.

PEARL STREET, NORTH WALPOLE – STATEMENT:  The Board of Selectmen acknowledged receipt of a statement signed by the property owners who live on the Pearl Street loop but they noted that it was not notarized.

FURNACES AT TOWN HALL:  Mr. Sawyer moved that the Water Department and/or Highway Department be contacted to see if they still want one of the furnaces in the Town Hall and, if so, they are requested to remove it for storage in the Town Shed until they use it.  The Board of Selectmen will also move vigorously to try to sell the other furnace.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  All in favor, so voted.

FUEL PURCHASES:  Mr. Aldrich moved to enter into a six month agreement with Allen Bros. to purchase heating oil at $2.799/gallon.  Seconded by Mr. Sawyer.  All in favor, so voted.

NEW BUSINESS:

FRANK AND TABATHA ANDERSON – MAP 001-003-005:  There was a consensus of the Board of Selectmen that since this house burned it is to be passed on to Avitar.

2008 BENEFITS ADMINISTRATOR WORKSHOP – TERESA KISSELL:  Mr. Aldrich moved to approve having Teresa Kissell attend the 2008 Benefits Administrator Workshop to be held on March 27th in Concord.  Seconded by Mr. Sawyer.  All in favor, so voted.

TIM AND STACY ALLEN –CURRENT USE APPLICATION- MAP 005-043-000:  Mr. Aldrich moved to approve signing the Current Use application for 16.1 acres for Tim and Stacy Allen on Taggart Road.  Seconded by Mr. Sawyer. All in favor, so voted.

OLD KEENE ROAD BRIDGE:  Mr. Sawyer reported that the low bid for the Old Keene Road Bridge replacement came in from Bazin Bros. and was under the estimated amount.  Mr. Sawyer felt that the Board of Selectmen should talk to Jim Terrell about what it would cost to do the bank on Mill Road that is caving in.  Warrant Article 13 requests an amount of $170,500 for work in connection with this project.

Mr. Sawyer moved to recess this meeting until Friday, March 7th, 2008, at 6:30 PM.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  All in favor, so voted.  The time was 10:22 PM.

The Board of Selectmen entered into a meeting as the Hooper Trustees of Trust Fund.

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HOOPER

TRUSTEES OF TRUST FUND MEETING

Mr. Miller called the meeting of the Hooper Trustees of Trust Fund to order at 10:24 PM.

HOOPER SCHOLARSHIP:  The Trustees of the Hooper Fund acknowledged receipt of a thank you letter from Laura Hayes to Mervyn Stevens, with a copy to the Board of Selectmen, thanking them for assisting her with the Hooper Scholarship. 

LONG’S GENERAL CONTRACTING AND ROOFING COMPANY:  Mr. Aldrich moved to approve entering into a contract with Long’s General Contracting and Roof Company to put “50 year IKO Cambridge Series Shingles on the Pro Shop” at an estimated cost of $11,239.80.  Seconded by Mr. Sawyer.  All in favor, so voted.

TGK CONTRACTING:  Mr. Sawyer moved to instruct Eloise Clark to have Kelly Goodrich d/b/a TGK Contracting to replace the steps and walkway on the Hooper property at an estimated cost of approximately $4,000.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  All in favor, so voted.  

    Mr. Aldrich moved to adjourn this meeting.  Seconded by Mr. Sawyer.  All in favor, so voted.  The time was 10:28. 

Respectfully submitted,

Regina Borden, Recording Secretary