Select Board
Thursday, August 11, 2022
Meeting Minutes

Select Board: Andrea Hodson, Kathy Scott, Pegg Monahan

Attendees:
EMD and Facilities, Jeff Cady; Recycle Center Committee Members Penny King, Mary Armstrong and Jean Robins; and Nelson Resident Dan Prawdzik

The meeting opened at 7:00 pm.

Agenda and minutes of 8/4 – Following agreement upon three additions, including the Chesham property junk case, a maintenance and safety update from Jeff Cady, and a personnel item, the board moved to approve the agenda. The board subsequently approved the meeting minutes of August 4th.

Rethink Plastic Team – The board heard from three members of the Rethink Plastic Team, who are working with Recycle Center Committee on ways to improve recycling and waste disposal. The team shared a written proposal on plastic bag and plastic film recycling, requesting a collection site at the town’s recycling and trash facility on Willard Hill. They hope to provide an easy way for residents to dispose of such plastics not currently accepted in the existing collection bin for Plastic numbered #1 and #2. These plastics would not go into a landfill.

Team volunteers would work with the town on a mutually agreeable collection time and process. They also would weigh the container and transport it to a nearby grocery collection site, where NexTrex, a private company owned by Trex, would collect it for the manufacture of composite furniture.

The board talked at length with the team about the best ways to raise awareness of the initiative and educate depositors on plastics that are and aren’t acceptable for repurposing. The team is volunteering to be present at the Recycle Center initially to explain in person how it works, and offered to construct large explanatory posters for display. They have two collection bins and asked to begin as early as September 2.

Facilities update – Jeff Cady noted the following:
Old Highway Garage – is no longer being leased or used by Harrisville Designs or the Church for storage
Soil adjacent to the Fire Department generator was disposed of in Loudon and DES has closed the case;
Town Offices – Mr. Cady is upgrading the handicap ramp access at town hall; the painting of town hall is now complete; the SB will talk to the Highway Department about clearing the overgrowth around the solar panels.

   School – The speed radar signs for the School Zone are ready to be installed once the solar capability is resolved.
Library –  The Richard Meryman painting is hanging in the Library; Mr. Cady removed the hornet’s nest on the north-facing library façade.
Safety Committee – The 3rd Quarter Safety Committee meeting was held and most of the safety audits are now complete.

Discussion with Nelson Resident Dan Prawdzik – Mr. PRawdzik shared with board members his experience in the 1990s as a defendant in the John Hansel lawsuit against the Towns of Harrisville and Nelson and others. He is concerned that an initiative under way to petition Harrisville and Nelson to reclassify a section of Class VI road connecting Hancock and Nelson, via Harrisville, to a Class A Trail. Mr. Prawdzik claims this is a direct violation of the Superior Court Order in 1994 declaring the network of roads around Cobb Hill, including the road which is the subject of the reclassification effort, to all be Class VI roads with abutters having prescriptive rights. Mr. Prawdzik is an abutter in the Nelson section. He urged the board not to proceed with any alteration of the road’s existing status. In addition to having its legal status declared by the judge, the road is important as the access route between Nelson and Hancock. Mr. Prawdzik assured that board that abutters very much oppose the reclassification, despite claims made by the party approaching Harrisville and Nelson and requesting to have the status changed via Town Meeting. The SB noted it has not yet been approached, though the Conservation Commission was, and offered to invite Mr. Prawdzik to any meeting requested by those same parties.

Planning Board update – The PB will hold a members-only meeting on September 6 to review internal matters. Separately, the question was raised at the PB meeting about any potential issue if a member of the EAC who also sits on the Select Board, votes as a SB member on a new version of the Community Power Plan.  The initial plan was voted on and adopted at Town Meeting in 2021. The subsequent version only requires approval of the SB and is necessary, and was anticipated to be so, following the PUC’s rulemaking on Electric Aggregation and the need for compliance.  SB members noted no concern but will confer with legal counsel.

Other EAC update – The committee met with Peterborough representatives on their town’s energy generating and energy conservation projects. The EAC is considering options for Warrant Articles for 2023 Town Meeting.

Conservation Commission – The revision of the boat ramp rain garden signage is in progress.

Finance – The SB signed the payroll warrant in the amount of $21,553.43. No pay warrant this week. The SB approved the request from the Town Clerk and Treasurer to refund $262.00 to a resident for overpayment of motor vehicle registration fees. The board will review the proposed policy for returned checks.

Chesham Road speed limit project – no update

Roadside Town Notice Board project – Pegg Monahan will talk to the ZBA next week to get feedback on what might be allowed within the town’s sign ordinance.

Non-public session – At 8:42 pm, per RSA 91-A:3II, the SB moved and vote in favor to enter non-public session to discuss a personnel matter. At 9:11 pm the board moved and voted in favor to exit non-public session. No action taken.

Chesham Property Junk Issue – The board confirmed, if the junk violations are not remedied by August 18, the board, as stated in its letter to property owners, will turn the matter over to town counsel.

At 9:30 pm the SB moved and voted in favor to continue the meeting to 9:00 am Friday, August 12, at town offices for a legal update from town counsel.

At 9:00 am on Friday, August 12, the board heard from legal counsel and subsequently adjourned at 10:15 am.

The next meeting of the Select Board is Friday, August 26, at 9:00 am.