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

August 2, 2021 @ 5:00 p.m.

 

 

Selectman William I. Curless, Chair, opened the meeting at 4:45 p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance.  Present at the meeting were William Curless, Chair; Dane Headley, Selectman; Walter Baker, Jr., Selectman.  Timothy Hayes and William O’Connell, Cemetery Trustees;  Robert DeFelice, Trustee of the Trust Funds; Neil Chadwick; Tom Schamberg, State Representative; and Elly Phillips, Town Administrator.

 

APPOINTMENTS:

At 5:00 p.m. Timothy Hayes and William O’Connell met with the Board to discuss the recently acquired cemetery land as well as Cemetery Trustee processes and procedures.  Robert DeFelice, Trustee of the Trust Funds/Budget Chair was present to address questions regarding the cemetery trusts/capital reserves and the budget process.

 

Mr. Hayes emphasized the need to begin planning for the new cemetery advising that available space is limited.   Mr. Hayes reported that Millwoods has 92 available plots and the North Sutton Cemetery has 3 (cremation only) plots remaining.   North Sutton Cemetery is shut down for full burials.  Mr. Hayes speculated that it would be ten years (or less) for this space to be fully utilized.

 

Mr. Hayes has walked the, newly acquired, Mastin Cemetery.  There is no loam on the property, and land requires leveling.  Mr. Hayes expressed concern for whether or not there are wetlands on the site.  The Board verified that perc tests were performed on the property, and they were fine.  Selectman Curless added that the property will need to be cleared and stumped.  Mr. Hayes advised that the timber on the property had negligible value.  Loam will need to be added to the property.  The front of the property will remain undisturbed as there are gravesites from the 1800’s on the property.

 

Selectman Headley asked what kind of expertise was available to help with the cemetery layout.  Mr. Hayes responded that he has been in touch with the New Hampshire Cemetery Association.  The Association has offered to provide contacts for cemetery design professionals.  A discussion regarding budgeting for the project ensued.  The Board felt that surveying the property would be a good starting point and any wetlands could be identified at that time.   Funding for surveying was discussed.   Selectman Baker inquired about the timeframe for the project for capital planning purposes.   Mr. Hayes estimated that the project might be in the $150,000 range.   Mr. Hayes indicated that the first step is to make the site suitable for a cemetery adding that landscaping is another component to be considered.  Selectman Headley discussed analyzing the highest and best use for the site.  Tiering the property was discussed as an option.  Selectman Headley will  discuss the matter with the Planning Board.  Mr. Hayes recommended building a small maintenance shed on the property in the future.

 

Mr. Hayes advised that there were some stone repairs necessary at the East Sutton planned for next year.  Mr. Hayes is obtaining estimates for the stone repairs.   The possibility of expansion at the Millwoods Cemetery was also discussed.

 

Mr. DeFelice, Budget Chair, felt that having a total project cost would be ideal.   However, site preparation costs were a good starting point for the budget process. Selectman Curless noted that the final cost could be fine-tuned over time    Phillips will follow up on the requirements of the Cemetery General Trust Fund established in 1966.    Mr. DeFelice provided those present with a copy of the 2021 MS-9 and a summary of the Trusts and reviewed the requirements of the perpetual trusts.   Mr. DeFelice provided an overview of the budget process.  Mr. DeFelice discussed the use and purpose of the cemetery fence fund.

 

Mr. Hayes will meet with the Select Board prior to meeting with the Budget Committee at which time he will review any available estimates for the project and for necessary repairs.  Mr. O’Connell offered to provide GIS mapping of the area.   Recordkeeping and administrative processes were discussed.  Mr. DeFelice offered to assist with collecting cemetery data in a spreadsheet.

 

At 5:30 p.m., Neil Chadwick met with the Board to discuss the library dam (old Fowler Mill).   Mr. Chadwick advised that the cement cap on the dam has eroded off.  Selectman Baker discussed the sediment behind the dam and recommended getting an engineer to take a look at the dam.  Phillips will contact the Dam Bureau regarding any necessary permitting required for the repairs.  Selectman Baker suggested a pre-cast slab might be a solution.  Grant opportunities were also discussed.

 

The public minutes from July 26, 2021, were approved as corrected.  The non-public minutes were approved as written.  The Board reviewed and approved the following manifests:

                Vendor Manifest:  $   8,889.41

Payroll Manifest:    $10,830.61

 

OLD BUSINESS:

Selectman Headley made a motion to adopt the Special Duty Fees as proposed at the July 26, 2021, public hearing:

In-Town Rates   :  $64.00 per hour

Out of Town Rates:  $78.00 per hour

Selectman Baker seconded the motion.  The motion passed by a unanimous affirmative vote.

 

The Board discussed the July 26, 2021, public hearing regarding dump sticker fees.  Selectman Curless recommended using the date rather than a numbered system.  For 2021, the date of on the sticker issued would be 2022.  The sticker to be installed on the lower corner of the passenger side.   Each year, a new sticker would be issued at the time of vehicle registration.  Selectman Curless felt that this would keep things simple which was the desire expressed by the public attending the hearing.  Selectman Headley asked about residents who have already registered vehicles this year.  Selectman Curless replied that residents would be advised that they needed to pick up a sticker at the Town Hall.   Signage regarding the requirement would be posted at the transfer station.

 

Selectman Baker discussed the complications associated with numbering the stickers.    Selectman Curless felt that the numbered  stickers would involve compliance verification such as referencing updated reports or a computer on site.   Selectman Curless expressed concerns regarding citizen privacy and felt that it would keep things simpler just to require an annual sticker.  The sticker fee and citizen concerns regarding fees were reviewed.  Selectman Baker observed that this would be an annual fee.  Selectman Baker recommended that the sticker be issued with a one-time fee and not be correlated to a number or year.  Residency would be verified by the Town Clerk/Tax Collector at the time of issuance.  A new sticker would be required for each new vehicle.   After a lengthy discussion, it was determined that residents should remove the sticker when the vehicle is sold.

 

Selectman Baker moved to impose a one-time fee of $2.00 per sticker.  Stickers to be removed at the time of sale.  The stickers to be installed on the front window passenger side, lower corner.  Selectman Headley seconded the motion.   The motion passed by a unanimous affirmative vote.

 

The Board noted that it has received a decision from the courts regarding the Stotler Property which clarifies that a police standby for the cleanup is granted.    The Board will follow up with Chief Korbet regarding scheduling a civil standby.  Phillips will coordinate with the contractor.

 

NEW BUSINESS:

The Board received copies of the July 2021 Expenditure Reports for review at their next meeting.

 

REVIEW OF CORRESPONDENCE:

The Board received correspondence from the Department of Revenue Administration certifying that the USPAP Standard 6 report submitted by Commerford Nieder Perkins, LLC (CNP Appraisal) complies with all requirements set forth in Standard 6 of USPAP and applicable laws and regulations.  A copy is available for review in the Select Board Office.

 

SELECTMEN’S COMMENTS:

The Board the fact that were two vacancies at the Solid Waste Facility beginning in August.  The Board agreed to work on performance  evaluations at their next regularly meeting.

 

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:45 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Elly Phillips

Town Administrator