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

Board of Selectman

January 15, 2018 @ 3:30 p.m.

 

The meeting was called to order at 3:45 p.m. by Robert Wright, Jr., Chair.  Present at the meeting was Robert Wright, Jr., Chair; William I. Curless, Selectman; Dane Headley, Selectman; Erin Darrow, Right Angle Engineering; Tom Paul, President Sutton Ridgerunners; Ron Menning, Assistant Trail Master Sutton Ridgerunners; Jeanne Nolte, Jon Quinley and Elly Phillips, Town Administrator.

 

CALL TO ORDER:

 

APPOINTMENTS:

At 4:05 p.m. Selectman Curless made a motion to enter into non-public session under

Non-public under RSA 91-A:3, II(c)  Matters which, if discussed in public, would likely affect adversely the reputation  of any person, other than a member of this board.  Selectman Headley seconded the motion.  The Roll was called with Selectman Wright, Selectman Curless, and Selectman Headley voting yes.  Public Session reconvened at 4:48 p.m.  The minutes were not sealed.  In non-public session, the Select Board and Right Angle agreed to payment of $1475.00 for engineering services for invoice # 966.  Ms. Darrow will provide the town with a revised invoice.

 

At 4:38 p.m. Selectman Curless made a motion to enter into non-public session under

Non-public under RSA 91-A:3, II(c)  Matters which, if discussed in public, would likely affect adversely the reputation  of any person, other than a member of this board.  Selectman Headley seconded the motion.  The Roll was called with Selectman Wright, Selectman Curless, and Selectman Headley voting yes.  Public Session reconvened at 5:55 p.m.  Selectman Curless made a motion to seal the minutes because it was determined that divulgence of this informationwould likely adversely affect the reputation of any person other than a member of this board.  Selectman Headley seconded the motion.  The motion passed by a unanimous affirmative vote.

 

At 5:00 p.m. Tom Paul, President of the Sutton Ridgerunners and Ron Menning, Assistant Trailmaster for the Sutton Ridgerunners.  Mr. Menning updated the Board on the club.  There is a re-emergence of new members. There are many new members who are volunteering.  Fundraising has been active and the Ridgerunners are among the top fund raisers for the State snowmobile Easter Seal fund for the past three years.  There are 92 members in 2017.  Membership grows over the winter and will probably cap at 110.  Double that amount use the trails in town.  The Ridgerunners have received grants for two new groomers and have built four new snowmobile bridges in town.  The bridges both enhance the trails and make the trails safer.  The Ridgerunners will have four groomers and have nine certified volunteers to maintain the trails.

 

Mr. Menning reviewed a map of the trail system with the Board.  The map showed existing and future trails.  Most of the trails have been used since 1976.  Many of the trails use Class VI roads in Sutton.  In order to use for the Ridgerunners to use trails over Sutton properties, property owners sign a consent form and are provided with a $2,000,000 insurance liability policy.  The main connectors are State Corridors (rail trail maintained and groomed by the state); primary trails which are a formal numbered trails system which are numbered and connect to the corridors as well as local trails.  There is a primary trail (390) that goes through Sutton.  There is also a primary trail that goes through the golf course.  This year it was inactive due to logging but there should be a nice trail system in the future connecting to Warner.

 

Selectman Wright read into the record from RSA 215-C:9 “…boards of selectmen may authorize the use of sidewalks and Class IV, V and IV highways and bridges, or portions thereof, for use by snowmobiles.”  RSA 215-C:10 states that “.A person may operate a snowmobile across any public way where the operation of said snowmobile is not otherwise prohibited by law . . . but there shall be a provision . . . 90 degrees, complete stop, yielding right of way and the operator needs to have a valid drivers licenses.”  RSA 215-C:11 states that “no person shall operate a snowmobile on the traveled portion of any public way classified as class I, II, III, IV, V, or VI where said highway is maintained for winter use by conventional motor vehicles, except as specifically provided in paragraphs IX and X and in accordance with paragraph XII.  Selectman Wright observed that the current trail system does not use any of the highways maintained for winter use.

 

Mr. Menning indicated that a proposed future trail would require access over a town road right-of-way.  The Ridgerunners may be seeking permission from the Town for access in order to connect in to Sutton South.  Snowmobiles make their way going down different roads.  The Ridgerunners would like to connect Sutton South and also jog across toward Warner.

 

Tom Paul advised that the State DOT will be deeding a snowmobile access on 114 in North Sutton section to the NH Bureau of Trails.

 

The Ridgerunners would like to get from Smiley Grove to Gile Pond Road.  For this year, the Ridgerunners have permission and a trail over local properties for a portion of that access.   The Ridgerunners might need to run over the right-of-way on a short portion of Gile Road toward Davis Court (150-300 yards).  The Ridgerunners have contacted the police department, state and receive permission from the Board of Selectmen.   Signage would be required.

 

The sense of the Board was that they had no objection to the requested access.  However, they would like a formal written request for the access and upon receipt and approval by the Board they would provide written permission for the use of the right-of-way.

 

The minutes from  January 8, 2018 public and non-public (sealed) were approved as written.  The Board reviewed and approved the following manifests:

PAYROLL MANIFEST:   $ 10,229.43

VENDOR MANIFEST:     $13,581.89

 

NEW BUSINESS:

The Select Board began a review of the 2018 budget as proposed by Department Heads beginning with the Executive Department.  The Board considered a merit increase for the Town Administrator.  Selectman Wright made a motion to give the Town Administrator a 5% merit increase for 2018 effective January 1, 2018.  Selectman Curless seconded the motion.  The motion passed by a vote of 3-0.  Selectman Wright reiterated that if the Budget Committee recommended a COLA, those that received merit increases would not receive both a merit increase and a COLA.

 

The Board discussed the merit increase for the Town Clerk/Tax Collecor recommended by the Budget Committee noting that for the Office of the Town Clerk/Tax Collector the Budget Committee’s recommendation would be the amount voted on at Town Meeting.  The Board accepted the Budget Committee’s recommendation.

 

The Board briefly discussed the budget for capital reserves and noted that capital reserves were added for Welfare Direct Assistance for $5,000 as recommended by the budget committee.  The Board also discussed whether or not to reduce the operating budget by an offsetting amount.  Further thought will be given to the language of the Warrant Article.   The Board deferred action on the remainder of the Budget until their next regularly scheduled meeting.

 

Selectman Curless made a motion to approve the appeal from Richard and Carla Krajewski, 09-100-067 in the amount of $1,980.08 based on the opinion from Rick Evans, DRA Timber Monitor.  The motion was seconded by Selectmen Headley.  The motion passed by a unanimous affirmative vote.

 

The Board authorized a Veteran’s Exemption for Steven Garside, 06-423-227 in the amount of $500.00.

 

The Board reviewed a request from Police Department to expend up to $7,000 from the Police Department Capital Reserve for replacement of computer equipment in order to be compliant with the CCI Complete Care Agreement.

 

REVIEW OF CORRESPONDENCE:

The Board noted the following items of correspondence:

Police, Fire and Rescue regarding the Fire Department Addition.

Knollwood Engineering Monitoring Results for Septage Facility Permit No. SEF-04-002.

 

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:56 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Elly Phillips

Recording Secretary