Meeting began at 6:00 pm. Present were Planning Board Chairman, Scott Deblois, Tax Collector, Garry Parkhurst, Brett Brooks, Bill Wilkins and Nathan Borland from the 45th Parallel EMS.
Checks and manifests were reviewed and signed.
Mail was reviewed.
Scott DeBlois came to the Board to discuss the following zoning issues:
- After e-mails back and forth from NHMA (which Mr. DeBlois shared with the Select board) it has been determined that the Planning Board is the enforcement authority with regards to zoning violations.
- Bradys have the front of their store all sided and have started siding one of the ends.
- Selectman Stohl reviewed for the other Board members and Mr. DeBlois his conversation with Mrs. Lamontagne regarding her zoning violation. Mrs. Lamontagne has filled out the application but didn’t want her check cashed until she had proof that no one else was living in a camper. Mr. DeBlois stated that to his knowledge there wasn’t anyone doing that. Selectman Stohl recommended that the check be cashed and a permit issued to Mrs. Lamontange.
Mr. DeBlois left the meeting.
Brett Brooks, Bill Watkins and Nathan Borland from the 45th Parallel entered the meeting at 6:30 pm. Before discussing the ambulance budget, the Board asked Mr. Brooks why the Town has not been receiving bills on a monthly basis from the Fire Department. Mr. Brooks explained that the department has new a clerk and that we should be getting bills each month from now on.
The Board explained to the ambulance members that they were extremely concerned about how the budget was presented to them. Basically a one sentence letter, the Memo of Agreement and the breakdown of what each Town would be paying. Mr. Watkins explained that the budget doesn’t get finalized until around the second week in January and that it doesn’t really allow for much warning to the Towns before they have to get their budgets ready. Mr. Watkins went on to say that in his opinion the service would never be “self-sufficient” as the previous chief had promised. He stated that the realty of the situation is that what they bill and what they actually collect are very different numbers. In this area, there are a large number of people who are “self-pay”, but don’t. This along with the low numbers that Medicaid pays makes for a deficit. The Board requested that Mr. Watkins provide them with some “bullet” items that they could use to answer questions at Town Meeting. Mr. Watkins told the Board that his contract is up at the end of May and that the Deputy Chief (Nathan Borland) would be taking over. The Board thanked the gentlemen for attending. Mr. Brooks, Mr. Watkins and Mr. Borland left the meeting.
Chairman Cloutier signed the Memo of Understanding with the 45th Parallel EMS.
Bids for Winter Plowing were opened as follows:
Clark Jeffers, Jr.
1st year – $110,000
2nd year – $115,000
3rd year – $120,000
Cloutier Sand & Gravel
lst year – $ 98,000
2nd year – $100,000
3rd year – $102,000
On a motion made by Selectman Stohl and seconded by Selectman
Campbell, the Board voted to award the bid to Cloutier Sand & Gravel. Selectman Cloutier excused himself from the vote.
The following items were discussed regarding the budget/Town Meeting:
- Budget Hearing is scheduled for February 14th. The School Budget Hearing has already been schedule for that night at 6:00. We will do ours immediately after. An advertisement will appear in next week’s and the following week’s newspaper.
- Marcia gave the Board copies of the final budget numbers along with a draft copy of the Warrant. Wording was discussed for the last article regarding naming the Lyman Falls site after Bill Schomburg.
- Marcia gave the Board members a copy of an e-mail from Jamie Dow at DRA regarding how to account for the extra Block Grant money the Town received this year. It was decided to put a paragraph in the Selectmen’s Report explaining that we received this money and how we spent it.
- Marcia will have the Budget and Warrant ready for the Board’s signature once the Budget Hearing is over.
- Marcia reminded the Board members that according to the auditors we must deduct taxes from our election workers and provide them with a W-2 at the end of the year. Currently the workers get $65.00 per day. Once taxes are taken out, they will make $60.02. On a motion made by Selectman Stohl and seconded by Selectman Campbell, the Board voted to increase the daily rate for the election workers to $75.00 per day.
Selectman Campbell reviewed for the other Board members e-mails regarding the Dispatch Center. Selectman Stohl asked if there was a
breakdown of the 2018 Dispatch Budget available. Selectman Campbell said he would have Becky Robinson send one out.
Meeting adjourned at 8:36 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Marcia Parkhurst, Secretary
Board of Selectmen