Select Board Meeting Minutes

Thursday, June 4, 2026

SB Members attending: Andrea Hodson, Andrew Maneval, Kathy Scott

Others: Municipal Services Director and Road Agent Steve LaMears, Fencing Committee Chair John Knight

Chair Maneval called the meeting to order at 7pm.

Agenda, Minutes. The Board approved the Agenda as modified and the May 21 Minutes as prepared.

Municipal Services. Lamears provided operational consults and updates —

  • Drug and Alcohol Policy and a new service provider. The Board voted unanimously to approve the policy as it will be applied to the roads maintenance crew holding Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs), and to incorporate the policy into the Employee Handbook.
  • Recycling / Transfer Center. With the Board’s support, Center hours will be modified for the July 4th holiday – to be closed on the 4th and open on the 3rd and 8th.
  • Pricing for recyclable materials are down for plastics and up for aluminum and cardboard.
  • Septic tanks at Town Hall and the Fire Station were overdue for maintenance. Bell Septic will follow up.
  • Paving is complete for the year with a shortfall in funding of ~$4,600. Discussion ensued about the overall challenge of working within budget in escalating-price conditions this year (diesel fuel, service provider pricing, etc.). Along with other precautions, the Board agreed that mowing could be reduced to areas where public safety would be at risk and that can be done with in-house equipment, potentially making ~$7,000 available to cover potential shortfalls elsewhere in the public works cost center.
  • Mileage reimbursement, commute v on-the-job. Because the Town does not pay employees mileage reimbursement for their commutes to/from work, no such reimbursement requests can be approved. The Town does reimburse employees for use of their vehicles as in the case of in-town grounds maintenance and mileage for line-of-duty trips (bank deposits, etc.). Accordingly, the Board delegated to LaMears to determine an appropriate reimbursement schedule to be applied to grounds maintenance operations.

Fencing Committee. In consultation with HHI, Historic District Commission, Transportation Committee, Municipal Services, and referring to a 1968 photograph (Factory Under the Elms), it was the Committee’s recommendation to the Board that there not be fencing along Canal Street except for the fencing on the bridge. The Board agreed, voting unanimously to accept the recommendation and to dissolve the Fencing Committee.

At 8:05pm the Board voted unanimously to go into Non-Public Session per RSA 91-A:3, II(a): The dismissal, promotion, or compensation of any public employee or the disciplining of such employee, or the investigation of any charges against him or her, unless the employee affected (1) has a right to a meeting and (2) requests that the meeting be open, in which case the request shall be granted. The Board returned to Public Session at 8:15pm, noting that no decisions were made during nor afterwards in connection with the Non-Public Session.

Medical and Dental Insurance. The Board reviewed Open Enrollment notices including the premium and payroll deduction increases for medical coverage and agreed to consider information from HealthTrust about Dental Plans at the next meeting.

Employee Handbook and Use of Public Property Permit. Maneval distributed his modifications to the drafts to be discussed and settled at the next meeting.

Finances. The Board modified and approved the Pay Warrant for $170,469.

Correspondence and other business. The Board also discussed

  • Summons in a civil action in connection with a plaintiff’s grievance regarding their requested accommodation to participate in certain performances sponsored by the Monadnock Folklore Society and other entities (some of which are performed on Town property, including Wells Memorial School).
  • The summer meeting schedule was confirmed for 7/10 @ 9am, 7/23 @ 7 pm, 7/31 @ 9am, 8/28 @ 9am.

Adjournment. After setting the next meeting for 6/26 @ 9am with plan to follow up on the Handbook, Public Property Use Permit, Dental Plan, members adjourned at 9:05pm.