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

May 10, 2021 @ 4:30 p.m.

 

 

Selectman William I. Curless, Chair, opened the meeting at 4:30 p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance.  Present at the meeting were William Curless, Chair; Dane Headley, Selectman; Walter Baker, Jr., Selectman; Diego Solimine, Solid Waste Supervisor; Peter Blakeman, Blakeman Engineering; Tom Schamberg, State Representative and Elly Phillips, Town Administrator.

 

APPOINTMENTS:

Diego Solimine recommended acquiring numbered vehicle stickers with the Town’s logo on it for the solid waste facility.  Selectman Curless favored dated stickers.   The Board supported assessing a fee for the stickers and distributing them during vehicle registration.

 

Peter Blakeman, Blakeman Engineering, met with the Board to discuss the septage lagoons.  Mr. Blakeman went over outstanding items with Judy Houston, DES Permitting & Enforcement Engineer, Wastewater Engineering Bureau.  Mr. Blakeman requested historical information from other towns regard consequences of having PFAS occur in sampling results.   Ms. Houston advised that towns follow procedures based on what their results are.  There are thresholds that require remediation.  The Town is required to sample for PFAS this month.  Phillips will follow up on sampling with Bob Nelson.  If the results are within acceptable range, this is the only sample required for the duration of the permit.

 

The Town will request to sample all drinking wells with 1,000 feet of the facility as a condition of the permit.  Phillips to follow up.  Selectman Curless inquired about the depth of the lagoons and how they related to high water.  Selectman Curless verified that there are benchmarks for the depth of the lagoons and asked for assurance that they are at the correct elevation.  Mr. Blakeman advised that there was a detailed plan of the site done by Bristol Sweet and that benchmarks are verifiable.  Mr. Blakeman reviewed the sampling schedule and monitoring activities for the Board.   Selectman Curless expressed concerns regarding the potential for disposal of hazardous waste in residential systems.    Mr. Blakeman advised that, should it be necessary, funding is available for remediation.   Mr. Blakeman offered to review sampling reports to identify any trends that are occurring.  Mr. Blakeman emphasized that it was important for the Town to only accept residential septic as specified in the permit.  Solid Waste staff monitor the septage to ensure that loads are residential septage from Sutton.

 

Mr. Solimine discussed septage testing advising that testing for PFOA’s was implemented in 2019 for the first time noting that PFOA readings were observed throughout the state of New Hampshire.  The chemical was used for scotch guarding and is prevalent at disposal sites.  Selectman Curless stated that he was very concerned about drinking water.  Mr. Blakeman responded that was the point of testing wells within proximity of the lagoons.    Selectman Curless was also concerned about the potential for changing guidelines.    Mr. Blakeman advised that thresholds have been established for the compounds being monitored and recently approved by the legislature.

 

The Board will review the closure plan, and Mr. Blakeman will assist with identify closure costs.  Mr. Blakeman noted that the Sutton lagoons were originally established in response to a mandate from the state that every town had to have a method for disposing residential wastes.    The lagoons also provide a benefit to the Town as well as some revenue.  Mr. Blakeman identified that the next steps which were to complete testing and to research other municipality’s closure costs.  The notification process for closure was discussed as well as the maintenance procedure for the lagoons as well as documentation.

 

Mr. Blakeman and the Board discussed renewal of wetlands permits for the Grist Mill wall embankment.    Selectman Baker made a motion to have Peter Blakeman check the status of permitting and updating, as necessary.  Selectman Headley seconded the motion which passed by a unanimous affirmative vote.

 

The minutes from May 3, 2020 were approved as written.  The Board reviewed and approved the following manifests:

                Vendor Manifest:  $49,181.46

Payroll Manifest:   $10,944.79

 

BUILDING PERMITS:

The Board reviewed and approved the following building permits:

Real & Marion Robillard, 10-118-170, Winslow Circle for a privacy fence.

William Hayes, Shaker Heights Road, 09-697-335, apartment over garage.

Russell Gross, Whiskey Pine Road, 07-820-251, Replace windows and decking.

 

INTENT TO CUT:

The Board reviewed and approved the following intent to cuts:

Thomas Hibbard, 03-470-314, North Road for 125 acres out of 262.7

Catherine Chan, 03-022-098, Beaver Pond/North Road for 150 acres out of 255.8

 

OLD BUSINESS:

The results of the Pillsbury Memorial Hall employee poll regarding masking resulted in a vote of 4-0 to follow CDC guidance regarding indoor masking.  Selectman Curless advised that his understanding was that CDC guidance masking was suggested not mandated.  Selectman Headley asked that the guidance from the CDC be followed up on.

 

The Expenditure Report for April 2021 was distributed for review at the next regularly scheduled meeting.

 

Action was deferred on the Grist Mill Parking Area pending completion of the contract with KV Partners.

 

The Board received a listing of Town’s within a 30-minute radius of Sutton.  The information will be forwarded to the Budget Committee as a suggested area to poll for their Employee Compensation Study.

 

Ashley and Julie Perkins requested an extension of 30-days to address zoning violations on Map/Lot 04-352-428.  Selectman Headley made a motion to grant the extension to allow 60-days to correct zoning violations with an onsite inspection to be conducted at 30-days.  Selectman Baker seconded the motion.  The motion passed by a unanimous affirmative vote.

 

NEW BUSINESS:

The Board signed the Management Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) report for the 2020 audit.

 

The Board issued an abatement for Wilfred Begin (Multi-Parcel) for Interest and Costs in the amount of $70.31.  The cause for the abatement was administrative error .

 

REVIEW OF CORRESPONDENCE:

The Board received a thank you note from Carole Merullo, Town Clerk/Tax Collector and Yvonne Howard, Deputy Town Clerk Tax Collector for the Select Board and staff’s recognition of Town Clerk Week.

 

SELECTMEN’S COMMENTS:

Selectman Baker will visit the Old Store Museum to assess needed repairs.

 

There being no further business.  The meeting was adjourned at 5:55 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

Elly Phillips

Town Administrator