TOWN OF SUTTON

Pillsbury Memorial Town Hall

93 Main Street Sutton Mills, NH

Sutton Mills, NH 03221

Select Board Minutes

December 11, 2023, 5:00pm

 

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE:

Chair Baker opened the meeting at 5:00pm with the Pledge of Allegiance. Present at the meeting were: Walter Baker, Select Board Chair, Michael McManus, Selectman, Dane Headley, Selectman, Thomas Schamberg, State Representative, Christopher Fox, David Grinsell, and Julia Jones, Town Administrator.

 

APPOINTMENTS:

At 5:00pm Road Agent Hurst met with the Board to address the following matters:

 

· 19 Roby Road 04-252-259 – the drainage issue is the result of the property owner removing the swale in their driveway when the area was paved. The Board asked the Town Administrator (TA) to issue a letter to the landowners, underscoring their responsibility to remediate drainage issue by installing a culvert in the spring.

 

· Maston Road – Agent Hurst notified the Board of a driveway permit request at the property. The property owners are aware that a culvert needs to be installed to address the drainage issue. The Town is currently holding the 911 address until the issue is resolved. It was noted that the property owner’s contractor is due to install the culvert in the spring 2024.

 

· Rowell Hill Road – A property owner has placed tarps and rocks on the side of the road in the Town’s right of way. Chair Baker visited the site with Road Agent Hurst and reported back to the Board. It was noted the roadway has experienced significant ponding and that the previous repairs to slope the road to improve drainage have not been successful and the tarp will not interfere with snow plowing operations. The Board agreed to revisit this issue in the spring.

 

· 155 Rte. 103, , 01-407-067 – A structure on the property was temporarily re-occupied by the previous owner. The Board discussed plans for the Highway Department to empty and seal the building to prevent access to the structure. The Town has the right to take the property on 08/31/24. Chair Baker and Road Agent Hurst will visit the site and report back to the Board on 12/18/23.

 

· The Board revisited the need to consistently bond Class VI roads for applications that require heavy equipment to utilize the roadways, including building permits and Intent to Cut Wood. The Board discussed the need to consistently bond Class V gravel roads with a higher damage possibility upon review of the road agent. Road Agent Hurst will research bonding practices in other towns and report back to the Board.

 

· Selectman Headley discussed the legality of operating a skidder on a class VI road. The Town Administrator will review RSAs relevant to this discussion and report back to the Board.

 

CONSENT AGENDA:

 

MINUTES: Nonpublic November 27, 2023, December 4, 2023, and Nonpublic December 7, 2023

 

Chair Baker made a motion to accept the nonpublic November 27, 2023, December 4, 2023, and nonpublic December 7, 2023, Select Board minutes as written. Selectman McManus seconded the motion that passed 2:0. Selectman Headley abstained.

 

MANIFESTS:

The Board reviewed and approved the following manifests:

Payroll: $ 16,795.31

Vendor: $814,569.05

 

BUILDING PERMITS:

 

NEW BUSINESS:

The Board determined to start their 12/18 meeting at 4pm and requested the TA to schedule budget meetings with Planning & Zoning, Conservation Commission, Welfare, and the Library.

 

OLD BUSINESS:

• Granite State Forestry Bonding for Eaton Grange Road Intent to Cut
• Mr. Grinsell reminded the Board that this year’s Town Meeting in March will be hosted at the KVHS Gymnasium.
• The Board revisited over-time on an employee’s timesheet. Mr. Grinsell shared a response from the relevant department head. The relevant department head explained that the employee worked on a holiday in exchange for paid time off on the following Monday. The employee was called in to work on Monday, so their hours for that day were recorded as overtime. The Board discussed these circumstances and approved the payroll manifest.
• Keyser Street – the Board was made aware that DES has not yet approved the Keyser Street Plans and has another 75 days to do so. Selectman McManus requested copies of the Keyser Street Box Culvert Plans to provide to contractors for quotes to perform the installation.
• A landowner on Roby Road who was placed on notice in violation of the Town Zoning Ordinance met with the Board. The landowner’s 12/8/2023 deadline to submit a legitimate building permit application has lapsed. The Board discussed correspondence from the landowner communicating plans to vacate the property by Sunday, 12/10/2023. The landowner requested additional time to remove illegal vehicles from the property and was granted until 12/15/23 to address the matter.

 

 

REVIEW OF CORRESPONDENCE:

The Board discussed a taxpayer complaint regarding various issues with a property located at Baker Road 07-188-503.

 

PUBLIC INPUT:

Thomas Schamberg, State Representative, requested an introduction to the new Town Administrator. The Town Administrator introduced herself.

 

 

SELECTMEN’S COMMENTS:

The Board agreed to hold their 12/18/23 meeting at 4pm to allow Chair Baker to attend the Sutton Budget Committee meeting held on the same night at 6:30pm.

 

At 5:45pm Chair Baker made a motion to enter into a nonpublic session pursuant to RSA 91-A:3, II (a) the compensation of any public employee. The motion was seconded by Selectman McManus and passed unanimously.

 

At 6:40pm a motion was made by Chair Baker to leave the nonpublic session. The motion was seconded by Selectman McManus and passed unanimously.

 

Once back in public session a motion was made by Chair Baker to seal the nonpublic minutes and seconded by Selectman Headley. The motion passed unanimously.

 

ADJOURNMENT:

There being no further business the meeting was adjourned at 6:56pm.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Julia Jones

Town Administrator