August 14, 2023 | Town Admin Pillsbury Memorial Town Hall 93 Main Street TOWN OF SUTTON Sutton Mills, NH 03221 Select Board August 14, 2023, Minutes PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Dane opened the meeting at 5:00pm with the Pledge of Allegiance. Present at the meeting were: Dane Headley, Chair; Walter Baker, Selectman; Michael McManus, Selectman; Robert DeFelice, Budget Committee Chair; Glenn Pogust, Planning Board Chair; Jon Korbet, Sutton Police Chief; Diego Solimine, Sanitation Superintendent; David Grinsell, Town Administrator; Mark Peterson, Kim Ortakales and Lonnie Guin. APPOINTMENTS At 5:01, Chair Headly made a motion to open a public hearing to raise Special Duty Police Rates to $85 an hour for an officer and an additional $15 an hour for a cruiser. The motion was seconded by Selectman Baker and approved unanimously. Chief Jon Korbet provided an explanation of the need to increase the billing rate and examples of Special Duty assignments. Chief Korbet and Budget Chair DeFelice explained that the rate increase does not impact town finances as the Town is reimbursed for Special Duty costs. Chairman Headley made a motion to approve the Special Duty rate increase that was seconded by Selectman Baker. The motion passed unanimously. At 5:14, Chairman Headley made a motion to close the public hearing that was seconded by Selectman McManus and the motion passed unanimously. The Board met with Chief Korbet on several police matters: the status of police vehicles, potential security issues including possible improvements to the security of the Town Hall, and addressed complaints about truck traffic on Gile Pond Road. A discussion also followed about budgeting for building and grounds costs, the increase in charging police mileage due to being down to two cruisers, the status of the Municipal Resources Wage and Benefits Analysis, and the job description of the police administrative position. At 5:34, Chair Headley made a motion to open a public hearing on lowering Blaisdell Lake to repair the dam and allow residents to make repairs to their docks and waterfronts. The motion was seconded by Selectman McManus and passed unanimously. It was noted that there was no one from the Blaisdell Lake Association to speak and there were no comments from the public. Selectman Baker made a motion to approve lowering Blaisdell Lake that was seconded by Chair Headley and passed unanimously. At 5:36, Selectman Baker made a motion to leave the public hearing that was seconded by Selectman McManus and passed unanimously. Sanitation Superintendent Solimine provided the Board with an update on transfer station matters beginning with a meeting with a group of concerned citizens about plastic recycling. The realities, costs and difficulties associated with the recycling process were discussed. Selectman McManus noted the time and resources that would be required to separate number 2 plastic. The compost bank was discussed, and Superintendent Solimine commented that truck loads are being taken on a regular basis. Mr. Solimine also asked about the status of the Municipal Resources Wage and Benefits Analysis and his department’s job descriptions, and Chair Headley commented that the Board will be reviewing the report with department heads soon. Superintendent Solimine mentioned the septage lagoons and requested that the Board schedule a meeting with Anthony Dorian to review and initiate a plan to close the lagoons. Lagoon test results, transit station sewer system, and recycling highway equipment over to the sanitation department were also discussed. CONSENT AGENDA: MANIFESTS: The Board reviewed and approved the following manifests: Payroll: $15,239.69 Vendor: $127,091.37 BUILDING PERMITS: The following building permits were reviewed and approved by the Board: Teresa Hosmer 09-750-178 1176, Rte 114, New house attached to barn $275,000. Lonnie Guin 04-778-571, 396 Newbury Rd, Raise walls, metal roof & improvements $168,240. C Burk & R Mulvaney 02-894-183, 31 Old Sutton Rd, one story shed $20,000 David Cormier 08-265-552, 39 Felch Rd, convert heat from electric to gas $12,000. The Board also approved these two additional permits pending review by a planning and zoning representative: Teresa Hosmer 09-750-178 1176, Rte 114, New house attached to barn $275,000. B Friedlander & J Winn 07-906-370, 3 Davis Court, finish 2nd floor of garage add dormer $50,000. Peacock Hill Court Update Glenn Pogust provided the Board with an update of the court meeting with Peacock Hill, LLC. Town counsel and Mr. Pogust prepared a draft and worked with the attorney for Peacock Hill to agree on terms to avoid going to court. The contractor agreed to Town concerns and the hearing was avoided. The contractor submitted the drainage calculations for the seven lots and the Town engineer had issues with all of them. A letter is being sent to the contractor to address the matter. A representative from the citizen group that abuts the job site reached out to Mr. Pogust to work on toning down the vitriol by meeting with Mr. Pogust, Peter Stanley, Land Use Coordinator and TA Grinsell. Our engineer is being thorough and has shut the job down when waiting for necessary information on the road. MINUTES: Minutes from the August 7, 2023, Select Board Meeting were reviewed and amended. A motion was made by Selectman McManus to approve the minutes as amended. The motion was seconded by Selectman Baker and unanimously approved. NEW BUSINESS: TA Grinsell mentioned the work involved with compiling the information for the Town website and the time required to maintain the site to keep the information current and accurate. He proposed hiring a technician for 2 to 4 hours a week who could take on this responsibility for all departments. OLD BUSINESS: TA Grinsell shared with the Board that Peter Stanley, Land Use Coordinator recommends hiring Stoney Ridge Environmental to oversee the soil testing related to the test pit for the Grist Mill Parking lot drainage issue. The Board instructed TA Grinsell to contact Stoney Ridge, the Highway Department, the project’s engineer, and Land Use Coordinator Stanley to coordinate a date in early September to excavate a test pit. It was noted that the engineer should pay for the cost to excavate the test pit and the soil analysis. Selectman Baker provided an update on having the current contractor working on the Old Store Museum paint the backside of the building and repair the window sash for $4,000. Selectman Baker made a motion to accept the bid that was seconded by Chair Headley and the motion passed unanimously. TA Grinsell mentioned that Chippers will be pruning the maple tree by the entrance of the Grist Mill parking lot on Friday 8/18. TA Grinsell told the Board that a search has begun to replace the Town’s budget and accounting software. Recommendations were provided by other Town’s including pros and cons for the platforms they are using. The Board instructed TA Grinsell to schedule a date to review the MRI Wage and Benefit Analysis and the Town’s employee vacation policy. TA Grinsell reached William Puskas again to have him provide an updated abstract title for the land in question as recommended by town counsel. This was not acceptable to the landowner. A discussion followed that if Mr. Puskas complies and provides an updated abstract title then the Town will reimburse him for 1 year of the taxes paid on the land in question. REVIEW OF CORRESPONDENCE: TA Grinsell reviewed with the Board the 8/7/23 Frost letter requesting previously provided information under RSA 91A – Right to Know. The letter was provided to town counsel for review and TA Grinsell responded to Mr. Frost based on town counsel’s advice. PUBLIC INPUT: SELECTMEN’S COMMENTS: Selectman McManus asked Budget Chair DeFelice when he planned to begin 2024 budget meetings. Chair DeFelice provided an update of the process. Nonpublic Session RSA 91-A:3 II (c) – Session # 1 At 7:12 pm, a motion was made by Chair Headley to enter into a nonpublic session per RSA 91-A:3, II (c) Matters which, if discussed in public, would likely affect adversely the reputation of any person, other than a member of this board. The motion was seconded by Selectman Baker and unanimously approved. Roll call was taken with Chair Headley, and Selectmen Baker and McManus responding in the affirmative. Selectman McManus made a motion to leave the nonpublic session and return to public session at 7:39pm. The motion was seconded by Chair Headley and unanimously passed. Once public session reconvened, Selectman McManus made a motion to seal the nonpublic minutes because it is determined that divulgence of this information likely would affect adversely the reputation of any person other than a member of this board. The motion was seconded by Selectman Baker and passed unanimously. Nonpublic Session RSA 91-A:3 II (a) – Session # 2 At 7:40 pm, a motion was made by Chair Headley to enter into a nonpublic session per RSA 91-A:3, II (c) Matters which, if discussed in public, would likely affect adversely the reputation of any person, other than a member of this board. The motion was seconded by Selectman Baker and unanimously approved. Roll call was taken with Chair Headley, and Selectmen Baker and McManus responding in the affirmative. Chair Headley made a motion to leave the nonpublic session and return to public session at 8:05 pm. The motion was seconded by Selectman Baker and unanimously passed. At 8:06 pm, public session reconvened and Selectman Baker made a motion to seal the nonpublic minutes because it is determined that divulgence of this information likely would affect adversely the reputation of any person other than a member of this board. The motion was seconded by Selectman McManus and passed unanimously. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 8:10 pm. Respectfully submitted, David Grinsell, Town Administrator