February 10, 2020 | Town Admin TOWN OF SUTTON Pillsbury Memorial Town Hall 93 Main Street Sutton Mills, NH Sutton Mills, NH 03221 Select Board February 10, 2020 @ 4:28 p.m. The meeting was called to order at by Dane Headley, Chair. Present at the meeting were Dane Headley, Chair; Robert Wright, Jr., Selectman; William Curless, Selectman; Jennifer Call, Library Trustee; Robert DeFelice; Budget Chair. The minutes from February 3, 2020 were approved as written. The Board reviewed and approved the following manifests: REVIEW OF MANIFESTS: PAYROLL MANIFEST: $11,298.77 VENDOR MANIFEST: $22,717.28 The Board issued a building permit for Douglas and Sarah Hamilton, Map 10-003-396, Meadowbrook Interior renovations, garage and cellar entry The Board issued a yield tax for Edwin and Elizabeth Fowler, 04-683-038+, $3,820.68 APPOINTMENTS: Jennifer Call, Library Trustee met with the Board regarding bathroom modifications at the Library. Ms. Call advised the Board that the Trustees will be going forward with the modifications and the funds will come from the expendable Library Modification Capital Reserve. Ms. Call asked what the next steps would be going forward. The Board will have Town Counsel review the contract and will execute the contract document. OLD BUSINESS: The Board reviewed the 2020 Warrant for the March 11, 2020 Annual Meeting beginning with Article 5. Selectman Curless made a motion to approve Article 5 as presented. Selectman Wright seconded the motion. The Board discussed the appropriation request for the library for $67,487 and decided to support the request for the salary line item. The motion passed by a unanimous affirmative vote. The article follows: Article 5: To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate the Budget Committee recommended sum of $2,479,193 for general municipal operations. This article does not include appropriations contained in special or individual articles addressed separately. The Board of Selectmen recommend $2,484,794 (Majority vote required): Budget Recommended by: Committee Selectmen Executive Office 168,403 168,403 Election and Voter Registration 8,675 8,675 Financial Administration 69,875 72,000 Financial/Executive 23,784 23,784 RP Appraisal Services 14,000 14,000 Judicial & Legal Expenses 15,000 15,000 Personnel Administration 446,709 446,709 Planning & Zoning 39,434 39,434 General Government Building 38,400 38,400 Cemeteries 14,000 14,000 Insurance 65,552 65,552 Ads & Regional Associations 2,255 2,255 Police Department 358,900 358,900 Ambulance 81,614 81,614 Fire Department 56,525 56,525 Building Inspection 9,700 9,700 Emergency Management 6,000 6,000 Dispatching Services 25,601 25,601 Highway Department 679,780 679,780 Bridge Expenses 3,000 3,000 Street Lighting 7,550 7,550 Solid Waste Disposal 178,925 178,925 Health Administration 2,250 2,250 Health Agencies and Hospitals 5,353 5,353 Welfare 26,525 26,525 Culture & Recreation 13,963 13,963 Library 64,011 67,487 Patriotic Purposes 1,000 1,000 Conservation Administration 7,537 7,537 Debt Service 44,872 44,872 Selectman Curless made a motion to approve Article 6 as presented. Selectman Wright seconded the motion. The motion passed by a unanimous affirmative vote. The article follows: Article 6: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $759,951 to be added to various capital reserve funds previously established as follows: Blacktop Roads $200,000 Gravel Roads 30,000 Computers Admin 9,000 Welfare Direct Assistance 5,000 Town Hall Facility 1000 Septage Lagoons 5,000 Library Modifications 10,000 Highway Heavy Equipment 27,000 Police Cruisers 21,000 Police Department Computer Equipment 3,500 Cemetery Fence and Tombstone 5,000 Municipal Building Fund 3,000 Conservation Land 7,000 Highway Equipment “Plow/Dump Trucks” 120,000 Highway Bridges 50,000 Solid Waste Facility 5,000 Forest Fire Equipment 250 Fire Equipment Replacement 75,000 Rescue Vehicle 8,201 Property Revaluation/Mapping 25,000 Cemetery Land 5,000 Fire Department Addition 100,000 Legal Fees 3,000 Highway Grader 26,000 Records Preservation 2,000 CR Rescue Equipment 14,000 Recommended by the Budget Committee. Recommended by the Board of Selectmen. Selectman Curless made a motion to approve Article 7 as presented. Selectman Wright seconded the motion. The motion passed by a unanimous affirmative vote. The article follows: Article 7: To see if the Town will vote to discontinue the Highway Pickup Truck Capital Reserve Fund established in 1998, said funds with accumulated interest to the date of withdrawal to be transferred to the general fund (approximately $38,897.23). The replacement for the pickup will be an F550 truck, or equivalent, and will be funded through the Highway Equipment (Plow/Dump) Truck Fund. Recommended by the Budget Committee. Recommended by the Board of Selectmen. Selectman Wright made a motion to approve Article 8 as presented. Selectman Curless seconded the motion. The motion passed by a unanimous affirmative vote. The article follows: Article 8: To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $90,000 for the purpose of purchasing a fully-equipped F-550 Truck and further to authorize the withdrawal of $90,000 from the Heavy Equipment Trucks Capital Reserve Fund established in 1993 for that purpose. No amount to be raised by general taxation. Recommended by the Budget Committee. Recommended by the Board of Selectmen. Selectman Curless noted asked whether parking area should be specified in Article 9. Selectman Curless also expressed concern that a structural engineer had not done a review for the Article 10. Selectman Curless made a motion to approve Article 9 as presented. Selectman Wright seconded the motion. Discussion followed. Selectman Curless stated that the Town has difficulty maintaining the buildings we already have. He noted that if the building remained it would be used for storage and that we have enough storage capacity. It doesn’t make sense to keep the building due to ongoing cost. He also felt the appropriation amount in Article 10 should be higher. There are no additional ongoing costs for Article 9. The motion passed by a unanimous affirmative vote. The article follows: Article 9: To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate $45,600 for the purpose of razing the building located at 26 Grist Mill Street (Tax Map/Lot 06-427-248), currently owned by the town. Passage of this article nullifies the following article to repair and/or rehabilitate the building and the following two articles will be tabled. Recommended by the Budget Committee. Recommended by the Board of Selectmen. Selectman Wright made a motion to NOT RECOMMEND Article 10. Selectman Curless seconded the motion. The motion passed by a unanimous affirmative vote. The article follows: Article 10: To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate $46,750 for the purpose of demolishing the ell and barn and retaining and sealing the remaining structure, located at 26 Grist Mill Street (Tax Map/Lot 06-427-248), currently owned by the town. Passage of the preceding article to raze the entire building shall nullify this article and if the preceding article is passed, this article and the next shall be tabled. Not Recommended by the Budget Committee. Not Recommended by the Board of Selectmen. Selectman Wright made a motion to NOT RECOMMEND Article 11. Selectman Curless seconded the motion. The motion passed by a unanimous affirmative vote. The article follows: Article 11: To see if the Town will vote to create a 26 Grist Mill Street Ongoing Maintenance Non-Capital Reserve Fund for the purpose of ongoing maintenance items such as painting and utilities and to raise and appropriate $3,000 to be placed in that fund and further to appoint the Board of Selectmen as agents to expend said fund. Not Recommended by the Budget Committee. Not Recommended by the Board of Selectmen. Selectman Curless made a motion to approve Article 12 as presented. Selectman Wright seconded the motion. The motion passed by a unanimous affirmative vote. The article follows: Article 12: To see if the Town will vote to create a Fire Safety Equipment Capital Reserve Fund for the purpose of acquiring fire safety equipment and to raise and appropriate $37,000 to be placed in that fund and further to appoint the Board of Selectmen as agents to expend said fund. Recommended by the Budget Committee. Recommended by the Board of Selectmen. Selectman Curless made a motion to approve Article 13 as presented. Selectman Wright seconded the motion. Discussion followed regarding the timing for the capital reserve which would be five years. Selectman Wright commented on the number of capital reserves the town had created. Selectman Wright called the question. The motion passed by a unanimous affirmative vote. The article follows: Article 13: To see if the Town will vote to create a Ballot Counting Machine Capital Reserve fund and further to raise and appropriate $1,000 to be placed in that fund and further to appoint the Board of Selectmen as agents to expend said fund. Recommended by the Budget Committee. Recommended by the Board of Selectmen. Selectman Wright made a motion to approve Article 14 as presented. Selectman Curless seconded the motion. The motion passed by a unanimous affirmative vote. The article follows: Article 14:To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $15,000 to purchase LED streetlights to replace existing incandescent streetlights. Recommended by the Budget Committee. Recommended by the Board of Selectmen. Selectman Wright made a motion to approve Article 15 as presented. Selectman Curless seconded the motion. The motion passed by a unanimous affirmative vote. Article 15: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $30,000 for the purpose of cleaning up, removing junk from and conducting environmental testing on property located at 155 Route 103 (Tax Map/Lot 01-407-067) in accordance with authority granted to the town by order of the Merrimack County Superior Court. Recommended by the Budget Committee. Recommended by the Board of Selectmen. Selectman Wright made a motion to approve Article 16 as presented. Selectman Curless seconded the motion. The motion passed by a unanimous affirmative vote. Article 16: To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $12,000 for the purpose of acquiring Avitar Clerk/Motor Vehicle Software. Recommended by the Budget Committee. Recommended by the Board of Selectmen. Selectman Wright made a motion to approve Article 17 as presented. Selectman Curless seconded the motion. The motion passed by a unanimous affirmative vote. Article 17: To see if the town will vote to authorize the Town to obtain a maintenance easement on property located at Tax Map/Lot 07-921-368, currently owned by the North Sutton Improvement Society. The easement will make available to town residents and the general public the use of the private parking area existing on the property with the Town being responsible for its maintenance. The Board of Selectmen shall be authorized to negotiate the specific terms of this easement. Recommended by the Budget Committee. Recommended by the Board of Selectmen. Selectman Curless made a motion NOT TO RECOMMEND Article 18. Selectman Wright seconded the motion. Discussion followed. Selectman Curless called the question. The motion NOT to recommend passed with Selectman Curless and Selectman Wright voting not to recommend. Selectman Headley voted to recommend. Article 18: To see if the town will vote to adopt the New Hampshire Resolution to Take Action on Climate Pollution. We the town of Sutton hereby call upon our State and Federal elected representatives to enact carbon-pricing legislation to protect New Hampshire from the costs and environmental risks of continued climate inaction. To protect households, we support a Carbon Fee and Dividend approach that charges fossil fuel producers for their carbon pollution and rebates the money collected to all residents on an equal basis. Enacting a Carbon Cash-Back program decreases long-term fossil-fuel dependence, aids in the economic transition for energy consumers, and keeps local energy dollars in New Hampshire’s economy. Carbon Cash-Back has been championed by US economists (Jan 17, 2019 WSJ) as the most effective and fair way to deliver rapid reductions in harmful carbon emissions at the scale required for our safety. We expect our representatives to lead in this critical moment for the health and well-being of our citizens and for the protection of New Hampshire’s natural resources upon which we all rely. The record of the vote approving this article shall be transmitted by written notice to Sutton’s State Legislators, to the Governor of New Hampshire, to Sutton’s Congressional Delegation, and to the President of the United States, informing them of the instructions from their constituents, by Sutton’s Select Board, within 30 days of this vote. Petitioned by Elizabeth Howell and 27 others. Not Recommended by the Budget Committee. Not Recommended by the Board of Selectmen. The Board discussed a proposing a Warrant Article for 2021 to include recommendations and the vote by member on the Warrant. Selectman Headley commented on the Grist Mill Articles. Selectman Headley pointed out that there was an aesthetic value to retaining the building. However, there was no economically feasible reason to keep the building so the decision was made from dollar and cents-wise standpoint. Phillips noted that the parking area was not specified in the warrant article was because there wasn’t a dollar amount specified. The Parks and Recreation Committee will be making recommendations for the 2021. The Board completed execution of the CNP Statistical Update Contract for 2020 NEW BUSINESS: The Board noted that there will be no meeting on February 17, 2020 in observance of President’s Day. Mr. DeFelice provided a handout showing the tax rate impact of the budget. The handout was based on expenditures in order to reflect actual costs. REVIEW OF CORRESPONDENCE: SELECTMEN’S COMMENTS: Selectman Curless discussed concerns raised by employees and citizens regarding conduct at a Select Board meeting a couple of weeks ago. Selectman Curless emphasized that anything done to restore order should be done by the Chair. Selectman Curless felt that these factors should be taken into consideration when the Select Board voted for a new Chair in 2020. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:35 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Elly Phillips Town Administrator
