TOWN OF SUTTON
Pillsbury Memorial Town Hall
93 Main Street Sutton Mills, NH
Sutton Mills, NH 03221
Select Board

August 17, 2020 @ 4:00 p.m.

 

 

The meeting was called to order at 4:00 p.m. by Robert Wright, Jr., Chair. Selectman Wright read the following announcement into the record: Due to the COVID 19/Coronavirus Pandemic and in accordance with Governor Sununu’s Emergency Order #12, pursuant to Executive Order 2020-04, this Board is authorized to meet electronically. The public has access to contemporaneously listen and participate in this meeting by telephone by calling 978-990-5000 and entering access code 112820.

 

Present at the meeting were: Robert Wright, Jr., Selectman; William I. Curless, Selectman; Dane Headley, Selectman; Diane Lander, Library Trustee, and Elly Phillips, Town Administrator.   Robert DeFelice, Budget Chair and KRSD Budget Committee Member, attended via teleconference.

 

APPOINTMENTS:            

An appointment with Wally Baker regarding NSIS/Sutton Parking Easement was rescheduled to 8/25/2020.  Mr. Baker will follow up on whether or not permitting is required to add gravel to the parking lot. Phillips reported that the Conservation Commission will be spraying the Japanese Knotweed on the Sundell property prior to the knotweed bloom.

 

The minutes from August 10, 2020, were approved as written. The Board reviewed and approved the following manifests:

PAYROLL MANIFEST: $ 11,090.88

VENDOR MANIFEST:  $31,223.31

 

The Board reviewed and approved an intent to cut for Karen Fischer-Anderson, 02-895-218, Old Sutton Road for .25 out of .25 acres

 

OLD BUSINESS:

Phillips reported that the Street Light Replacement will be completed this week. It is anticipated that the project will be completed in one day.

 

The Board, along with the Moderator and Supervisors of the checklist will set up for the elections on 8/31/2020 after the Select Board meeting.

 

Phillips reported on the site visit to the Stotler property on August 12, 2020. There will be a report at a later date on next steps based on the recommendations from Counsel.

 

Selectman Curless reported on the Board’s Zoom meeting with the Library Trustees noting that both parties raised concerns regarding financial procedures. The library trustees provided the Select Board with legal references regarding financing. Phillips noted that the accounting department could continue to process the payroll for the library. Phillips recommended that the remainder of the library appropriation could be booked under one line item and the library could handle the different classifications internally. Selectman Wright sought input from Mr. DeFelice. Mr. DeFelice felt that there was good back and forth dialogue between the parties at the meeting. Mr. DeFelice recommended that going forward, the select board and library should enter into a memorandum of understanding. The sense of the select boards was that the parties should enter into an agreement.

 

The Board noted that there will be a School Board meeting conducted on August 20, 2020 which will discuss the school reopening. Various concerns regarding student and teacher safety will be addressed along with the sports program. Mr. DeFelice felt that there will be more information available as a result of the District’s meeting with the Union.

 

The Board discussed an estimate provided by Servpro for cleaning and disinfecting before and after the elections at a cost of $1,500.00 each time. Phillips will look into whether or not there is CARES funding available to offset the cost. It was noted that it would be rather costly. Currently there is $4,900 left in the budget for cleaning due to the fact that office staff have been doing the cleaning and that the traffic has been low due to office closure during the pandemic stay at home period. Phillips recommended scheduling the cleaning. Selectman Curless moved to authorize the expenditure for cleaning and sanitizing before and after the September 8 primary election and the November 3 general election. Selectman Headley seconded the motion. The motion passed by a unanimous affirmative vote.

 

NEW BUSINESS:

The Board reviewed the July 2020 budget noting that the Board has 47.64% remaining in the operating budget. Selectman Wright asked about funding for the historical society and whether the town could accept funds back. Mr. DeFelice advised that the Town was able to accept gifts back.

 

SELECTMEN’S COMMENTS:

Selectman Headley asked whether there had been a report on to-date collections. Phillips advised that she has not received the report back from the tax collector yet, but collections appeared to be in keeping with previous years.

Selectman Curless reported on the door openers that are being installed. The Town is awaiting feedback from the Fire Marshall’s office on the proposed partition for entering and exiting. Selectman Headley noted that the Town has acquired motion-activated hand sanitizers. Selectman Curless will assemble the sanitizer units and the door hardware. Selectman Wright reported that training exercises will be conducted at 26 Grist Mill Street this week. The 26 Grist Mill street structures will be demolished after those are completed and prior to August 31, 2020.

 

The Board reviewed a compilation of tax rate information from 1998 through 2019 which included town tax, local, state, county and town valuation. Mr. DeFelice discussed the impact of town valuation on tax rate. As the valuation increases, the tax rate decreases. However, the amount of out-of-pocket costs is generally stable. It was noted that the town valuation will likely increase as a result of the 2020 statistical revaluation. Mr. DeFelice is working on further analysis which will examine and compare school and town expenditures.

 

Selectman Headley asked Mr. DeFelice his vision for going forward with the Parks and Recs Committee in view of postponement of establishment of the committee due to COVID. Selectman Headley asked whether it would be possible, after demo, to use the 26 Grist Mill site for parking while a plan is being developed for the site. Mr. DeFelice felt the site prepared such that it should be suitable for parking.

 

At 4:49 p.m. Selectman Curless made a motion to enter into nonpublic session under RSA 91-A:3, II (a) in order to conduct a performance evaluations for the Town Administrator. Selectman Headley seconded the motion. The Board was polled with Selectmen Wright, Curless and Headley voting in the affirmative. Public session resumed at 4:55 p.m. The minutes will remain sealed.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 4:55 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Elly Phillips,

Town Administrator