TOWN OF SUTTON
Pillsbury Memorial Town Hall
93 Main Street Sutton Mills, NH
Sutton Mills, NH 03221
Select Board Minutes: January 22, 2024, 4pm

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE:

Selectman Michael McManus opened the meeting at 4:05pm with the Pledge of Allegiance. Present at the meeting were: Michael McManus, Selectman, Glenn Pogust, Selectman, and Julia Jones, Town Administrator. Lee Booker, NH State Representative Tom Schamberg, and Alison Jones attended as members of the public.

APPOINTMENTS:

At 4:05pm Health Officer David Burnham met with the Board to discuss a noise complaint related to working dogs on Baker Road. On January 2nd, the Board directed the Town Administrator to request a site visit by Health Officer Burnham to review some concerns related to the property on Baker Road. The Board and Health Officer Burnham discussed the request and agreed that the noise complaint did not give reason for a site visit by the Health Officer. The Board acknowledged the complaint as a civil matter.

 

CONSENT AGENDA:

 

MINUTES:                  

 

Selectman McManus made a motion to accept the public minutes from January 8th and 15th. Selectman Pogust seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.

 

MANIFESTS:

The Board reviewed and approved the following manifests:

Payroll:                        $          19,630.42

Vendor:                       $          373,815.54

 

INTENTS:

 

BUILDING PERMITS: 

 

NEW BUSINESS:

  • The Board agreed to table the appointment of Ex Officio Selectman to the Planning Board.
  • The Board directed the Town Administrator to schedule a Public Hearing at 4pm on Monday, February 5th at 4pm at Pillsbury Memorial Hall, 93 Main St. Sutton Mills, 03221 on a warrant article for the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Clean Water State Revolving Fund (NHCWSRF) loan for the Kezar Lake Watershed-based Plan. The Board directed the Town administrator to post a notice of the hearing in the Town Bulletin Board, and at the North and South Sutton Post Offices.
  • The Board reviewed a proposed outline of the 2023 Round Room Report, and a draft of the 2023 Town Administrator’s Report. The Board directed the Town Administrator to prepare a draft of the 2023 Round Room Report based on the outline presented.
  • The Board discussed the onboarding of the Town’s new Deputy Treasurer and approved a maximum of 15 hours per week paid at the same hourly rate as the Deputy Town Clerk.
  • The Board reviewed information requested by Selectman Pogust regarding New Hampshire Paid Family Medical Leave (NH PFML), a voluntary insurance plan that provides NH workers with 60% wage replacement (up to the Social Security wage cap) for up to 6 weeks per year for absences from work for covered common life events. The Board considered the annual cost of offering the NH PFML employer group plan as a benefit to employees and agreed to table discussion until the next meeting of the Board.
  • The Town Administrator provided an update on revenue and expenditure information requested by Selectman McManus. The Board reviewed the list of 2024 warrant articles.
  • The Town Administrator provided an update on mold remediation at Pillsbury Memorial Hall. The Town Administrator filed a property damage claim with Primex and accompanied a Primex representative on a site visit to the Town Hall to evaluate what appears to be mold damage. Primex recommended engaging an industrial hygienist to test for mold and prepare a remediation plan before moving forward with a remediation service. The Board considered this recommendation and directed the Town Administrator to pursue a second estimate for mold remediation services.
  • The Town Administrator asked the Board to consider a proposed change to public hours.
  • The Town Administrator shared the following bulletin issued by NHMA Government Affairs:

On Tuesday, January 16, at 1:30 p.m. in State House Room 103, the Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing on SB 398. This bill proposes to appropriate $14 million for the repair and maintenance of municipally-owned bridges and $26 million for municipal road repair and maintenance grants. As you may recall, SB 401 appropriated $66 million in one-time road and bridge aid in 2022 and HB 2 appropriated $20 million for the same purpose in 2023. With inflationary pressures, increased costs, and the highway block grant distribution remaining at near stagnant levels over the last decade, these additional one-time grant funds will continue to help cities and towns move their transportation infrastructure plans forward.

The Board directed the Town Administrator to prepare a letter to members of the Senate Finance Committee and legislators to express support for SB398.

  • The Town Administrator shared information on the NHMA Coaching and Technical Assistance Program (CTAP). The goal of this pilot project is to help small NH municipalities successfully access federal, state, and other funding to implement impactful projects in their communities. The Board acknowledged the grant opportunity and agreed to revisit the possibility of applying.

 

OLD BUSINESS:

 

  • The Board briefly discussed the Town vacation policy.
  • The Town Administrator shared correspondence from Primex on the cyber security response. Primex is consulting with their General Counsel and Director of Claims on the Town’s request for Primex to issue correspondence to impacted parties. The Board directed the Town Administrator to contact Primex to express the Board’s disappointment with the response to this request.
  • The Board reviewed a certificate of insurance provided by the Sutton Ridge Runners.

 

REVIEW OF CORRESPONDENCE:

  • The Board reviewed and approved a request to expend $6,500 from capital reserve fund “Police Department Computer Equipment.”
  • The Board reviewed correspondence from Joanna Murphy regarding the Village Overlay District.

 

PUBLIC INPUT:

 

SELECTMEN’S COMMENTS:

 

ADJOURNMENT: 

 

There being no further business the meeting was adjourned at 5:23pm.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Julia Jones

Town Administrator