May 22, 2023 | Town Admin TOWN OF SUTTON Pillsbury Memorial Town Hall 93 Main Street Sutton Mills, NH Sutton Mills, NH 03221 Select Board May 22, 2023 @ 5:00 p.m. Dane Headley opened the meeting at 5:00 pm with the Pledge of Allegiance. Present at the meeting were: Dane Headley, Chair; Walter Baker, Jr., Selectman; Michael McManus, Selectman; Jonathan Korbet, Police Chief; Glenn Pogust, Planning Board Chair; Lynn Wittman, KLPA President; Polly Crocker, KLPA Watershed Lead, Katie Zink and Harvey Pine, NH DES; Nick Baer, Colby-Sawyer College; and David Grinsell, Town Administrator APPOINTMENTS: At 5:00 p.m. Jon Korbet, Police Chief, met with the Board to provide a department update. Selectman McManus inquired about the cruiser status. Chief Korbet reported that the Durango needs another new engine. The Durango was troubleshot by G&A Auto. Thus far, the vehicle has been serviced by Tilton three times, and Tilton Auto. None of the dealerships were able to diagnose the problem. Chief Korbet sought another opinion from Bob Mariano Dodge who also failed to define the engine problem. Therefore, the department continued to run the vehicle, and the engine failed again. Chief Korbet then took the vehicle to Key Chrysler Dodge Dealership. Key Chrysler expressed concern about the previous service history and diagnosed several major issues with the vehicle. Chief Korbet contacted Chris Dunn, Regional Manager for Dodge Chrysler, and provided a summary of the many issues the town was having with the vehicle. Mr. Dunn is assisting the Town through the engine replacement process. Chief Korbet advised that Key Chrysler Dodge has located replacement engines which are readily available. Chief Korbet expressed confidence that Key Dodge will be able to repair the vehicle in a timely manner. Chief Korbet advised that the new Tahoe has been up and running as of May 1, 2023. There was a lengthy discussion regarding lemon laws, which do not apply to municipalities. Selectman Baker expressed frustration at the amount of time and effort that has been put into vehicle repairs. Selectman McManus asked TA Grinsell to follow up with Counsel on the matter. Chief Korbet advised that he has compiled a running timeline of the service history for the Durango for legal follow up. Chief Korbet reported that total calls are up 65% for the period January 1 through May 8, 2023. The total school calls for the school year are up about 35%. Selectman Headley asked what types of calls represented the increase at the schools. Chief Korbet said that the calls vary but include bullying, harassment, threats, and inappropriate touching. Selectman Headley inquired about the increase in town calls. Chief Korbet gave a summary of the wide variety of calls involving citizens which include domestic disputes, medical calls, and traffic violations. Chief Korbet said that he has received the portable traffic control sign obtained through the LEMP Grant and that he hopes to begin using it this month. Chief Korbet also discussed special duty rates, noting that currently there are two duty rates, in-town (primarily for KRSD) and out-of-town. Chief Korbet recommended charging only one rate as other departments do to eliminate confusion and to be consistent with the other departments. Chief Korbet recommended charging $85.00 for special duty rates and an additional $15.00 for use of the cruiser. Officers performing special duty would be compensated at a rate of $60.00 an hour. Chief Korbet provided a breakdown of the entitlements associated with special duty. Selectman Headley asked what other departments are charging. It was noted that a public hearing is required prior to changing the rates. Chief Korbet asked about the MRI study and recommended that the town look at sick time and vacation time to be competitive with other towns. TA Grinsell provided a summary of the objectives for the study as follows: The major goals of this project are to: Attract and retain qualified employees. Ensure positions performing similar work with essentially same level of complexity, KSAs and responsibility are classified together. Provide wages commensurate with assigned duties. Maintain competitive wages and benefits with comparable organizations. Provide justifiable and equitable pay differential between individual classes. The Study is designed to ensure that pay is competitive in the market and fairly structured. The study will also evaluate the total compensation rewards (salary and benefits). In addition, a compensation and classification system will be developed that is easy to understand and manage, with appropriate policies. TA Grinsell emphasized that it is not a staffing needs study or organizational structure study. It is not a strategy to eliminate positions or pay; nor is it a study to evaluate employee performance. The Board shared the Towns that are being recommended for comparison and discussed the objectives and goals of the study at length. The Board observed that this will be a good benchmark for wage analysis for future boards. There was a general discussion regarding traffic around the lake. The Board also discussed a request to relocate the signs for no through traffic coming off I-89 onto Gile Pond Road. Selectman McManus asked Chief Korbet to keep an eye out for hazard trees and bring them to the attention of the Board. At 6:00 p.m. Glenn Pogust met with the Board regarding a request by the Kezar Lake Protective Association to apply for a revolving loan to do a watershed study for Kezar Lake. The first stage is a pre-application with no obligation to the town to get the process started. The Town would apply for the grant which would be administered by a consultant. The town does not pay anything in advance. The Town will submit the consultants the bills to the DES who pays the consultant. Once the project is completed, the loan is 100% forgiven. The Kezar Lake Protective Association (KLPA) would cover the expense of the low-interest loan (approximately 2%). If the Town decides to go forward with the loan, they will request that KLPA opens an escrow account for the anticipated interest. After the no-obligation pre-application is accepted by the DES, the Town would go to Town Meeting to obtain approval for the loan. The watershed plan could offer opportunities for the town to obtain grants in the future. Kezar Lake is Sutton’s only lake for recreation that is accessible to the public. Mr. Pogust noted that having a viable and accessible lake is a great draw from a planning and economic development standpoint. Mr. Pogust introduced the representatives from the DES and Kezar Lake Protective Association who were present to address questions. The pre-application deadline is June 1, 2023. Mr. Pogust volunteered to work on the application with TA Grinsell and the Kezar Lake Protective Association. Over the summer, work can be done in preparation for Annual Meeting which would include a public information session. Selectman Baker asked if the pre-application would require legal review. Mr. Pogust said that the pre-application is just to identify who the applicant is and provide the rationale for the study. When the application goes to warrant, it would be appropriate to go through legal review. TA Grinsell was authorized to execute the pre-application on behalf of the Board. Katie Zink of the DES described the pre-application process. The DES reviews the pre-applications and prioritizes them. If you are above the line, you are funded and can request up to $100,000 in funding. If you make the cutoff, you have a year to write up your application. The loan must be approved by Annual Meeting. If funding is approved, you recruit and hire a contractor to write the scope. The DES reviews the scope to ensure that it is complete and meets the criteria for the watershed study. The loan period is generally one to two years. The Town would select the period. It would then go to general counsel for approval. The Watershed Base plan involves everything you need to ensure water quality. You look at types of monitoring, education and outreach, best management practices for stormwater controls, and phosphorus controls to develop a set of goals. KLPA will be very involved in the study, and the Town will oversee the project. Selectman Baker asked whether the process would identify whether older septic systems are having an impact on the lake. Ms. Zink said that there are different levels that you can go to, but it would not involve full inspections of the septic systems in proximity to the lake. The study could identify older septic systems that may impact the lake. There also may be grant funds available to assist with the update of septic systems. Ms. Zink said generally the grants cost share (50/50) with the property owners. The study might make recommendations regarding salt infiltration. Polly Crocker discussed logistic solutions to the salt problems. Selectman Headley made a motion to allow Glenn Pogust to spearhead the grant and to authorize David Grinsell to execute the pre-application on behalf of the Board. Selectman Baker seconded the motion which passed by a unanimous affirmative vote. Mr. Pogust provided an update on the Peacock Hill Road injunction. A court date of June 28, 2023 has been assigned, and Peter Stanley, Planning and Zoning Administrator, and Mr. Pogust will attend on behalf of the Town. Counsel has recommended that a Select Board Member also attend. Either Selectman Headley or Selectman Baker, or both, agreed to attend. Mr. Pogust described the process which generally involves the granting of a preliminary injunction after which an evidentiary hearing is conducted. Any fines would be determined at the evidentiary hearing. It is noting that the contractor is still working and that there was a diesel leak. The desired outcome would be to correct any violations that have occurred and to follow an inspection schedule in compliance with the subdivision requirements moving forward. Neighbors have been providing information regarding work that has been ongoing during the cease-and-desist order. Selectman Headley made a motion to accept the minutes of May 15, 2023, as corrected. Selectman Baker seconded the motion. The motion passed by a unanimous affirmative vote. CONSENT AGENDA: REVIEW OF MANIFESTS: The Board reviewed and approved the following manifests: Vendor Manifest: $43,886.64 Payroll Manifest: $25,691.78 BUILDING PERMITS: The Board reviewed and approved the following building permits: Carl Johnson, Map 07-679-474, Shaker Street, for a prefab versa-tube carport. Michael Beaton, Map 06-932-133, Nelson Hill Road, South for a roof mounted solar array. NEW BUSINESS: The Board received an invitation from Marne Thompson to attend the Memorial Day Service. Selectman Baker and Selectman McManus agreed to represent the Board at the service. The next Select Board Meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, May 30,2023 at 5:00 p.m. TA Grinsell reported that the new fire pumper has arrived. The Board signed the 2023 First Issue Tax Warrant in the amount of $3,907,000. It is anticipated that the due date will be July 3, 2023. OLD BUSINESS: The Board received copies of police job descriptions provided by Chief Korbet at their request. The Board will review the descriptions and discuss them at a future meeting. The Board discussed the dying maple tree in front of the Pillsbury Memorial Hall. Chippers recently looked at the tree and noted that they would not be able to work on the tree due to proximity to the powerlines unless they work with Eversource. Eversource is having their arborist look at the tree to see if they might be willing to remove it. TA Grinsell will ask Chippers to provide a quote on the maple tree across the street. The Board noted that they have received two proposals for the Old Store Museum. The Board will decide on the contractor at their meeting scheduled for June 12, 2023. In response to a recent inquiry, the Board discussed the requirements for FMLA noting that to qualify for FMLA the employe must work 1250 hours in the preceding year (from the date you start your leave). In addition, a request from the employee and certification from the healthcare provider is required. The Board discussed the front door of the library noting that it is swelling from moisture and is also shifting. Selectman Baker discussed the methodology for repairing the door. Selectman Baker recommended installing a metal or fiberglass door at the library. In the interim, the door needs to be repaired for easy access/egress from the building. TA Grinsell will follow up with the library and obtain quotations for the door and installation. Wet Basement Solutions will be installing the pump on Friday, June 19, 2023. Blue Box will be installing an 8’ X 20’ container on May 31, 2023. The Board estimates that the library repair projects will take about three months. Selectman Headley recommended coordinating a joint meeting with the library in June. TA Grinsell will coordinate the meeting. The Trustees of the Trust Funds were provided with a list of the expendable accounts per their request. The Board discussed cemetery trusts and noted that they will be meeting with Trustees of the Trust funds in mid-June. SELECTMEN’S COMMENTS: Selectman McManus asked whether Barbara Hoffmann has been invited to attend a meeting to discuss a recycling committee. TA Grinsell will follow up. Selectman Headley discussed new chairs for the meeting area. The Select Board discussed part-time employment and will review criteria with Town Counsel. Selectman Headley discussed PFAS testing around the middle school. The Board will follow up with the School District. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:41. Respectfully submitted, Elly Phillips Recording Secretary