June 20, 2022 | Town Admin TOWN OF SUTTON Pillsbury Memorial Town Hall 93 Main Street Sutton Mills, NH Sutton Mills, NH 03221 Select Board June 20, 2022 @ 5:00 p.m. Dane Headley, Selectman, opened the meeting at 5:00 p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance. Present at the meeting were: Dane Headley, Chair; Michael McManus, Selectman; Wally Baker, Jr., Adam Hurst, Road Agent; Timothy Hayes, Cemetery Trustee; Jennifer Call and Elly Phillips, Town Administrator. APPOINTMENTS: At 5:00 Jennifer Call met with the Board to discuss a drainage issue on her property. Ms. Call explained that Davis Court was raised when it was originally paved, and as a result, water is draining onto her property and adversely affecting her house. Selectman Baker said that he had visited the property previously. Road Agent Hurst said that he had also visited the site. Mr. Hurst said that ditching could help with ground water, but there is not much room to do it. Selectman Baker made suggestions regarding ditching. Selectman McManus agreed to visit the site. The Board agreed to get back to Ms. Call after they have had an opportunity to view the site. Timothy Hayes, Cemetery Trustee, met with the Board and the Road agent to request that the Highway Department assist with small projects such as downed branches. Mr. Hayes added that this is a typical practice for other municipalities and that it reduces expenses for taxpayers. Mr. Hurst said that the Highway Department was not adverse to helping out but did not have the resources to perform ongoing landscaping/maintenance services. Mr. Hayes said that was not what he was looking for. Selectman Headley suggested that the Highway Department provide support to the cemeteries on a trial basis. Mr. Hayes agreed to draft an agreement for review by the Select Board and Mr. Hurst. The Board issued cemetery deeds for Daniel Rahilly Lot No. 201013 North Sutton Cemetery and Joseph Burns, Lot No. 201011, North Sutton Cemetery. Mr. Hayes advised that there are no more lots available at the North Sutton Cemetery. Mr. Hurst reviewed various Highway Department issues. Mr. Hurst discussed a request to add materials to the North Sutton Improvement Society parking area (Horse Beach). Mr. Hurst explained that in order to eliminate the puddling problem pitch needed to be added. Mr. Hurst met with Robert DeFelice, North Sutton Improvement Society, regarding the matter. It was specified that the pitch could not be toward the lake or Smiley Grove. The only other option is toward the wetland/swamp area. Engineering and DES permitting would be required in order to do this project. Mr. Hurst said that he could fill it in the divots but that would not resolve the puddling problem. Selectman Baker suggested that ditching at the rear of the parking area and filling it with crushed stone. The engineering and permitting requirements should be reviewed with the North Sutton Improvement Society. The Town has entered into an easement with the North Sutton Improvement Society to perform ongoing maintenance, but this does not include engineering and maintenance. Mr. Hurst said that he was just putting a Band-Aid on the problem. Mr. Hurst will fill in the puddles prior to the July 4th holiday and will need to temporarily close the parking area in order to do the maintenance. Selectman McManus felt it was a waste of time and materials to do a temporary fix. The Board approved Mr. Hurst’s vacation request. Brandon Grendell, Assistant Road Agent, will be in charge of the Highway Department during the vacation period. Mr. Hurst has followed up with Chuck Rose to look at logging on the old ash landfill site. The site is being proposed for storage of reclaimed road material. Mr. Hurst was able to obtain 3,000 yards of reclaimed material from the State for $4.00/yard. The material is being stored for Sutton at the New London highway facility. Currently, the cost to obtain gravel (trucked) is $15.00/yard. Selectman McManus asked if Mr. Hurst could get any more. Mr. Hurst said that is all that is available for Sutton at this time. He has advised the state that the Town was looking at expanded storage options and interested in getting more reclaimed materials. There was a brief discussion upcoming construction on the I-89 overpass which should be starting soon. Mr. Hurst discussed gravel road activities and said that they were going well. NON-PUBLIC SESSION: At 5:37 p.m. Selectman Headley made a motion to enter into Nonpublic session under RSA 91-A:3,II(b) The hiring of any person as a public employee. Selectman Baker seconded the motion. The Board was polled with Selectmen Headley, Baker, and McManus voting in the affirmative. Public session resumed at 5:45. The minutes from the nonpublic session were not sealed. Selectman Baker moved to accept the minutes from June 13, 2022, as written. Selectman McManus seconded the motion. The motion passed by a unanimous affirmative vote. The Board reviewed and approved the following manifests: Vendor Manifest: $ 17,535.58 Payroll Manifest: $ 13,882.14 BUILDING PERMIT: The Board issued a building permit for Doug Sweet, Map 04-423-075, Fox Chase Road, for roof/window replacements and interior renovations. CERTIFICATION OF YIELD TAX ASSESSMENT: The Board certified a yield tax assessment for Evan and Jill Rosenthal, Map 06-188-443 in the amount of $0. No tax was charged because the land was being converted and the cutting resulted in less than 10Mbf and 20 cords and trees that were removed were within striking distance of the house. OLD BUSINESS: Selectman McManus reported on progress with the Stotler Property cleanup. Selectman McManus will be visiting the Stotler property along with a contractor and a police standby. Selectman McManus reviewed the process for titling abandoned vehicles. The contractor would not be able to accept any hazardous materials. If hazardous materials are found, the town will have to arrange for disposal. The Board discussed final details regarding the Grist Mill Bid Documents. Mike Vignale P.E. said that he was willing to oversee the pre-bid contractor review and oversight of the project. Mr. Vignale will update the septic details on the plans. The Select Board instructed Phillips to go forward with the bid. The Board reviewed Tax Deeded Properties and will visit the sites. Phillips reviewed the auction process. If the Board decides to proceed with the auction, it could be coordinated within 5 weeks. Phillips recommended that the Town hold onto any properties that have been deeded within the last three years in order to give the property owners an opportunity to repurchase. NEW BUSINESS: The Board agreed to consider the Primex P3 Rate Agreement at their next regularly scheduled meeting. The Board reviewed the list of properties to be noticed for impending Tax Deed. The Board discussed a Taxpayer Agreement and will invite the property owner to a meeting to review the terms of the agreement. The Board issued response letters to applicants for the Deputy Town Clerk/Tax Collector position. Beth-Holly LaDuke accepted the position and will begin employment on July 11, 2022. The Board approved requests to post community event signs at the transfer station. The Board approved a vacation request form the Town Administrator for July 4, 2022, through July 8, 2022. The Board will conduct their meeting at 5 p.m. on July 5, 2022, and review consent agenda items only. REVIEW OF CORRESPONDENCE: Email from Brenda Cooper complimenting the Highway Department on the wonderful job they did ditching and grading Baker Hill. SELECTMEN’S COMMENTS: The Board discussed commercial vehicles and school buses parking at the Grist Mill Parking area. The Board will consider posting the parking area for Town-business only. The Board discussed information requested for the town building assessment. Matt Grimes and Mark Peterson will be performing site visits on June 24, 2022. Selectman Headley reported on Planning Board Hearing meeting of June 14, 2022. The Peacock Hill cluster subdivision was approved with conditions. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:35 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Elly Phillips Town Administrator