Meeting Location: Town Offices
Date: November 3, 2016
Meeting Opened: 7:00 pm; Meeting Adjourned:8:45 pm
Present: Jay Jacobs; Andrew Maneval; Jonathan Miner
Documents signed and reviewed:
Financials – Selectboard (SB) signed checks.
Meeting Minutes – SB signed copies of the Selectboard Meeting Minutes for October 27, 2016.
Mascoma Cash Management Banking Winter 2016 – SB acknowledged receipt.
Harrisville Hazard Mitigation Plan Update for November 7, 2016 at 2:00pm – Andrew Maneval will meet with Lisa Murphy from SWRP, Mr. DeRosia, Mr. Driscoll and Mr. Tarr to work on finalizing Harrisville’s Hazard Mitigation Plan.
Email from John Cucchi addressed to the HCC – SB acknowledged receipt. In addition, Winston Sims, in attendance at the SB meeting but not realizing that the correspondence was addressed to the HCC, discussed the email with the SB. The SB asked Mr. Sims to discuss it with the Conservation Commission at their next meeting and to keep the SB apprised of the HCC’s response.
Departments:
Building Inspector – SB acknowledged receipt of signed Building permits for Adam Kossayda
(Map-61 Lot-6) and for Jeff Grosner/Becca Defusco (Map-20 Lot-10-2).
Mike Wilder and subsequently the Road Agent met with the SB to discuss the construction of adriveway in a subdivision off a Class VI road and responsibility for maintenance of any affected portion of the road. Andrew Maneval moved that, prior to the opportunity to consider more generally the issue, that the SB instruct the Road Agent to provide a driveway permit for driveways off a Class VI road. Seconded by Jon Miner. All voted in favor.
Conservation Commission – Revised Map showing Harrisville Spring South of Skatutakee Lake,
Housing/Zoning Recommendations, and Proposed Agenda for November 2, 2016 – SB acknowledged receipt of materials.
Planning Board – Draft Meeting Minutes for October 12, 2016. SB acknowledged receipt.
Ned Hulbert and Heri Tryba met with the SB to discuss potential Planning Board (PB) input into the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) process and to seek SB feedback and support for Master Plan CIP items. They requested general information on the budgeting process and a timeline for when the PB needs to submit requests. The three initial items the PB proposes for CIP include: 1) Broadband/Cell; 2) Complete Streets; and 3) a more interactive website, including an annual webmaster maintenance fee. Mr. Hulbert added that over the next 2-3 years and as part of the Master Plan, the PB hopes to establish a more regular forum to obtain feedback from residents about their interest in such longer term capital investments for the town. The group discussed the challenge of how to get, and the question of the burden of getting, broader input from residents about issues affecting the town given that many residents don’t attend Town Meeting or Community Conversations.
Andrew Maneval noted that, as far as budgeting, the SB cannot make commitments for future boards and that, if the PB wanted to propose an item, it does so in the same way a citizen would. Jay Jacobs discussed the SB’s role as fiduciary agents and balancing the town’s needs with its financial abilities and taxpayer burdens. Mr. Jacobs further stated the importance of understanding the real costs of any initiative and of knowing over what time span those costs would be incurred. Ned Hulbert agreed on the importance of the financial analysis, stated his willingness to help solidify it and his goal of obtaining the SB’s confidence.
All agreed on the importance of establishing a clear-cut, detailed plan. Separately, all expressed hope for progress toward more transparency from the School Board regarding their long term spending plans. With a January 1 deadline to submit a budget proposal, the SB members all agreed there wasn’t enough of a detailed plan in place to present a proposal to the town this year. Ned Hulbert stated that, over the next 16 months, the working groups will work to solidify their proposal to bring back to the SB.
Town Clerk – Donna Stone and Patty Massey met with the SB to request clarifying zoning regulation language for the purposes of determining residency and domicile, key requirements for vehicular registration. The group discussed the variety of occupancy categories in the town as they relate to zoning and reviewed the state qualifications concerning residency. Andrew Maneval read from state law (Article 21.6) and also raised the potential options and questions as to how the town might, or if it’s allowed to, institute a new definition or residency requirement. Andrew Maneval stated he would contact the NH Municipal Association to get more information on what the state rules are pertaining to town governments and what towns are able to do by themselves, whether inside or outside of zoning regulations. Donna Stone and Patty Massey noted they would contact their counterparts in other towns to ascertain established language elsewhere that has proven effective. The group will reconvene on the issue at either the next SB or Planning Board meeting.
Other Business:
Southwestern Community Services – SB referred Request for Funds in the amount of $856.00
to budget preparation file.
NHMA – SB noted Notice of Annual Meeting for Thursday November 17, 2016.
NRRA – Member Operations Meeting. SB acknowledged receipt of materials.
Papers Strategies Meeting – Jonathan Miner suggests discussing topic further with Angela
Hendrickson and Donna Stone.
Department of the Army Corps of Engineers – Status reviewed regarding Wetlands Permit. SB
acknowledged receipt.
Employee Retirement Plan – Dean Ogelby and Pat Putnam met with the SB to continue discussing
options for an employee retirement plan, including fiduciary responsibility and potential tax
implications for the town and employees, as well as the variety of options for funds and potential
allocation and potential employer match amounts. The town would want to decide on a vesting
schedule and whether it prefers a broker or to allow a provider to select the funds for the
employees. Dean Ogelby will reach out to potential agencies to discuss possible next steps and to
obtain quotes.
Meeting adjourned at 8:45 pm.
Upcoming:
November 8th – Election Day (Poll hours: 8:00am to 7:00pm)
November 11th – Veteran’s Day (Office Closed)
November 17th – Representatives from Eversource will meet with the Selectmen at 7:00pm