Colebrook Selectman Meeting
Monday, April 18, 2005
Members Present:Chairman Greg Placy, Frank Dumaine and Laurence Rappaport
Others Present: Public Works Director Kevin F. McKinnon, Town Manager Donna Caron, Paul Marchand, Colebrook Chronicle Associate Donna Jordan and News & Sentinel reporter Claire Lynch Knapper
The board signed the following documents:
Payroll manifests 4/04/05 & 4/11/05
Voucher manifests 4/01/05, 4/08/05, 4/11/05 & 4/l5/05
Recreation Requisition
Intent to Excavate Jesse Carney
Excavation Tax Warrant Jesse Carney
Current Use Penalties Abatement Kenneth Curry
Intent to Cut timber Raymond Riendeau
“ Robert Hodge
The board reviewed the quote Kevin received from Grappone Ford for the 2006 F550 Chassis, hydraulics and used dump body. The chassis price is $31,161.00, used body and hydraulics $8,580.00 for a total of $39,741.00. The lease amount is $8,986.72 for five years as voted at town meeting. Larry made a motion to purchase the above listed truck from Grappone Ford, Frank Dumaine seconded the vote and it passed by full agreement.
Kevin discussed the water wells with the board and the federal grant received from Judd Gregg. He would like to request RFP’s for a hydraulic flow study of the total system. He suggested laying the new water line by following the railroad bed to Lynch Drive and then tying into the Main Street line by Beaver Brook. Larry made a motion to solicit RFP’s for the study of the new water system and connection to town main, Frank seconded it and the motion carried with full board approval.
Kevin attended a landfill technical meeting in Concord on Thursday. Permit approval dates were delayed again. The board agreed to meet with Casella representatives at 4:00 pm and with Mike Sills and Commissioner Mike Nolan at 5:00 pm to discuss the project at their next regular selectman’s meeting on May 2nd, 2005.
David White submitted a $4130.10 bid proposal for street sweeping (only bid received). Larry made a motion to accept Mr. White’s bid, Frank seconded it and the motion carried by full board approval.
Kevin apprised the board that an aerator, purchased in 1990, at the lagoons is not functioning. He can replace it for $6,500.00 and the town crew will install it. He did budget $7,500.00 so the cost is covered. Larry made a motion to purchase the aerator, Frank seconded it and motion carried by full board approval.
The granite for the memorial park wall is ready at Swenson Granite in Concord. If they can hold it until the new truck is ready for delivery, we will pick it up on that truck. If they cannot hold it, he will send down a town dump truck.
Kevin applied for another Used Oil Grant. He cannot obtain another furnace but $750.00 is available for yearly furnace maintenance. The board directed him to apply for this grant.
The Spring Street sewer line has gravel, winter sand and other debris filling the line. Bolens televised it and found no bottom to the pipe. The town needs to replace the line from Route 26 to Jack Riendeau’s house. The town crew will do the project and the pipe will cost around $2,000.00. Greg suggested that storm drains be installed at the same time, as the water run-off into the sewer line is the problem. Kevin said the storm drain basins are already there. He thinks it might cost $3,000.00 for that pipe. He could repave the street out of the paving budget. Kevin said he found places in the pipe where it had been patched with stovepipe. Greg asked if the town needed any permits and Kevin said no because one is not needed to replace existing pipe located outside a wetland
area. Kevin will price out SDL 35 sewer pipe for this project.
Kevin was questioned about what to do with paint cans. He said water based paint can be dumped down the drain and oil based paint should have the covers removed so the paint can harden. After they have hardened up, they can be taken to the transfer station for disposal. He explained to board members how costly past hazardous waste days have been and how few people utilize them. He would like to see only a paint collection day. The recycling association has started a paint can day in Littleton. Greg wondered if the board should contact the politicians about a hazardous waste day.
Kevin told the board that if the landfill project starts as planned in June the town would need a new burn site for clean wood. He suggested the town might consider a portion of the town land on South Hill Road.
Paul Marchland met with the board and explained that he purchased two trailers from Donald Dostie. He said his first and second water and sewer bills were $75.00 and $30.00. The next quarter he was charged $979.49 for water and $568.10 for sewer. He said the meter had been removed from his trailer but not by him. He does not understand how the bill could increase so much when he did nothing different. Kevin explained that the first two readings were figured because it was thought the trailer had a broken meter. The next time the department attempted to read the remote they discovered the meter laying on the ground. The snow was gone and it was clear someone had ripped the meter out. The meter readings looked like the meter rolled around. Kevin told Mr. Marchand to
reinstall the meter and he would be able to go back to the metered rate.
Greg asked Kevin to run a test on the meter and give it back to Mr. Marchand. If it is broken, the town can replace it (for a fee of $120.00) but cannot install it, as they are not licensed plumbers. Mr. Marchand said he did not receive both of his last water bills. Donna will have one sent to him. The board will decide at the next meeting whether to abate the bills and will send Mr. Marchand a letter to that effect.
Kevin notified the board that Business Administrator Cheryl Covill called and asked for a speed limit sign on Dumont Street because it is narrow and has a corner by the ball field. People travel too fast on this street. Greg stated the board could not lower the speed limit but could place a slow children school zone sign. Greg suggested painting a centerline, which will narrow up the lanes. When people cannot stay in their lane at their rate of speed, it will allow the police to enforce a line violation. Larry made a motion to place a school children/school zone sign and to paint a centerline on Dumont Street, Frank seconded the motion and it carried by unanimous decision.
Kevin told the board about his meeting in Concord on the landfill project. Permit approval dates were postponed another two weeks on average. He asked DES if they were going to send comments back and forth between themselves and the engineer forever. He told DES representative Mike Sills that the town needs the permits now. The GMZ was discussed. Larry asked if he should invite political representatives to the next meeting and Greg asked if the town should invite the governor. It was decided to wait and see how next week’s meeting with New England Waste and DES representatives Commissioner Nolan and Mike Sills progresses. Larry asked that the press be invited and to notify DES that they would be here. It was decided to invite Lorna Calhoun from the Manchester Union as well as Edith
Tucker from the Democrat and the local representatives.
The board received an invitation from North Country Council for a representatives meeting. Larry felt that he and Donna should attend, as they are Colebrook’s representatives.
The town discovered that board members could qualify for health insurance if 75% of the board members took it. If less than 75% subscribe there has to be a qualifying reason why the remaining board members do not subscribe. Current insurance coverage is a qualifying reason to not subscribe. Board member Greg Placy has State of New Hampshire insurance, Frank Dumaine has federal insurance and Laurence Rappaport has private insurance. The board voted to approve board members to pay for town insurance out of their own pocket. Larry Rappaport made a motion to allow the board of selectmen to purchase health insurance through the town policy at no cost to the taxpayers if board members so choose. Frank Dumaine seconded the motion and it passed with full board approval.
Public Hearing on Elderly Exemption at 5:30 PM. See the attached minutes.
Back to selectmen’s meeting:
Ronald Hughes asked if the town could pick up sand earlier than usual. He felt that snow could be hauled off with the loader in the spring to alleviate so much sand. Donna explained that the town has no place to pile the snow. He would like to see the budget increased to hire extra people to sweep. He would like the town to sweep state streets because he pays his taxes to Colebrook not the State of NH. He would like to see the police set up by Dostie’s or somewhere on Rte. 145 to slow down the traffic.
Jonathan Frizzell asked if the town was going to discontinue leasing space to the court. He realizes that the town needs more space but would like to see the court given sufficient notice to find another location accessible to the area people. He told the board that family court was being changed throughout the state. It would be a burden for many to travel to Lancaster for court.
Jonathan Brown, Clark Jeffers' son-in-law lives between Kheopps and the State Rest Area and would like his road named Brown Road. The board did not mind as long as he purchased the sign.
A letter from Robert Shaw was read to the board. He would like a written answer to his discretionary easement application. Donna thought Mr. Shaw retracted his permit before he left the meeting and that the selectmen made a motion to deny it because it was withdrawn. The board would revisit the easement question if Mr. Shaw’s barn becomes an active museum. She will read the previous minutes before writing Mr. Shaw a letter.
(It was later determined, that Mr. Shaw wanted a response to the September 2004 meeting.)
Respectfully submitted by
Donna Caron
Town Manager
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