Historic District Commission
Tuesday, January 30, 2024
Meeting Minutes

HDC members: Noel Greiner, Chair; Sarah Tibbetts, Vice Chair; Rex Baker; Kully Mindemann, Kathy Scott Select Board Representative. Absent: Michael Price

Chair Noel Greiner opened the meeting at 7:00 pm.

Agenda – Members moved in favor to approve the meeting agenda with the addition of a vote on the minutes of December 19.

Minutes of 12/19/2023 – All voted in favor to approve.

Member Kully Mindemann recused himself for the following matter:

HDC # 2024-1 – Brian Ewing & Marilyn McMaster, 19 Church Street (Map 32 – Lot 20) – applying to replace the wood stairs facing Church Street as they exist now in materials and dimensions, except that the new railing height will be 4 feet to meet code. The railing also will have balusters, which the existing railing does not.

Members noted there has been an opening in the hill to the street for a very long time.  Separately, Historic Harrisville has approved the project as part of its environmental review and forwarded its approval to the HDC. Mr. Mindemann expects to start the project this May or June.  He will coordinate with the Road Agent, who is overseeing the Village Road Rebuild on Church and School Streets. 

Members stated they saw nothing proposed that will distract or detract from the existing landscape.  They raised no concerns related to the application. Subsequently,

Sarah Tibbetts moved to approve the application as presented. Kathy Scott seconded. All voted in favor to approve. 

2024 Budget for the HDC – The HDC revisited the possibility of lowering its proposed 2024 budget, following a request from the Select Board to all boards and committees. Members agreed to lower the submitted budget by $650.00 as follows: reducing the line for public notices to $200 (from $300), reducing the supplies line to $50 (from $100) and reducing the professional services line to $500 (from $1000).  All voted in favor.

New business – Kathy Scott proposed that HDC members consider inviting any potentially interested candidates to the board to attend an HDC meeting.

The next meeting of the HDC is Tuesday, February 27, at 7:00 pm.

Meeting adjourned at 7:30 pm.