Select Board
Tuesday, August 10, 2023
Meeting Minutes

Select Board: Andrew Maneval, Kathy Scott, Andrea Hodson
Attendees: Steve Tarbox, Ted Braun, Don Scott

The meeting opened at 7:00 pm.

Agenda, Minutes of August 3 and August 8– With the addition of an update on the conflicts of interest topic, the SB approved the agenda. For the minutes of August 3, and the August 8 minutes as prepared by Kathy Scott, the board approved both sets.  Andrea Hodson abstained from voting on the August 8 minutes as she did not attend the site visit.

Fireworks of July 28 – The Chair asked the record to reflect that the Town Fireworks were well done and the SB appreciated the follow through by Ranae O’Neil with the vendor to provide for a less noisy display at this year’s celebration. It was much appreciated.

Eastside Road – The board discussed the August 8th site visit highlights and the actions agreed to by the SB, including: 1) To regrade the road at a 2% mono pitch, sloped toward the east; 2) To clean out 25% of the catch basins by this winter, with the remainder to be done as possible; and 3) To address the ditching as possible. The SB will discuss with the Road Agent the resources and manpower needed to help cover the additional 75% of the catch basins as well as the ledge breakup and ditching work.

The board discussed with property owners the recommended order of tasks to ascertain optimal results and will request the Road Agent’s input on the recommendations as well.  They also discussed estimated costs of outsourcing equipment and labor. Mr. Maneval will follow up with Wes Tarr about the Highway Department’s schedule and contractor names.

While Mr. Tarbox sought to remind the board of the goal of preventing runoff damaging to driveways and affecting water quality of the lake, the SB reminded property owners of the board’s need to allocate resources across the entire town and that its responsibility is road maintenance, not driveway maintenance. All agreed on the importance of protecting water quality.

DOE Grant – Andrea Hodson noted the direct incentive portion of the grant application is estimated to serve roughly 25 Harrisville households that qualify, with each project costing roughly $3300, representing roughly $82K of grant money. Project elements include an energy audit, weatherization and installation of a heat pump. She noted the number may change depending on funding.  The grant award will be announced in September. The 3rd party entity, BlocPower, will be the agent working with property owners and landlords.

Solar project/Highway Barn roof – ReVision Energy has conducted the technical site review, confirmed engineering specifications, and filed the application with Eversource for interconnection. They’ve also filed the application for the state rebate.

Finance – The Finance Department is preparing to file the Revised Estimated Revenues with the DRA by 9/1. The SB will sign on 9/5 for upload; the 2022 Audit of Financial Statements is nearly complete; The SB signed the Payroll Warrant in the amount of $26,842.06.

Road Work Committee – The SB reviewed the proposal from Russ Huntley to survey the right of way along Church Alley for the village road work project. Following discussion, the board moved to accept the ROW survey and layout plan as proposed from Huntley Survey and Design. All voted in favor.

Recycling Committee update – Given NRRA’s limited staff, Kathy Scott noted the town needs to take care of the design and planning aspects, after which NRRA can assist with implementation of any changes. The RC Committee recommends requesting a proposal from consultant Ben Hoy, who works for Walpole and has assisted other towns with similar needs. The SB agreed the RCC should request a proposal from Mr. Hoy to evaluate and present a design for facility operations and to submit an estimated cost, based on his work elsewhere. The RC Committee next meets September 19.

Legal update – Mr. Cucchi has filed an appeal with the state Supreme Court in response to the Superior Court’s ruling in favor of the Town and Pamela Worden. Town Counsel will prepare the brief, with the cost to be shared between the Town and Ms. Worden.

Conflicts of Interest – Andrew Maneval confirmed participation from Charlie Sorenson, Courtney Cox, Earl Horn, who will join Mr. Maneval to work on a recommendation to the SB on a conflicts of interest policy affecting town officials, employees and anyone conducting business for the town.

SWRPC Land Use Manuals 2023-24 – The board noted, if there are planning and zoning legislative updates that warrant the purchasing of new manuals for 2023, then the board will approve the order; otherwise, all boards and committees can refer to the existing 2022-23 editions which were recently distributed and are the current statutes.

The meeting adjourned at 9:00 pm.