by admin | Feb 16, 2021 | Board of Selectmen Minutes
Meeting began at 6:00 pm. Present were Selectmen Cloutier and Campbell. Selectman Stohl was absent.
Mail was reviewed.
Checks and manifests were reviewed and signed.
At 6:05 pm Gary Fournier (representing Brett Purvis & Associates) entered the meeting. Mr. Fournier’s company is interested in taking over the assessing services for the Town. He explained that they do several towns now including North Stratford, Colebrook, and Dalton to name a few. Marcia explained that in addition to the yearly “pick-ups” we also do a quarter of the Town each year as part of our cyclical schedule. She questioned whether they have the manpower to do this. Mr. Fournier explained that currently, Colebrook does not do a cyclical so he does only “pick-ups” there. Mr. Fournier explained that the company also employs a part-time person who is certified by the State to do the fieldwork. Mr. Fournier stated that he would continue to follow Steve Allen’s schedule of being in the office/field at least one day per month. This date will have to be negotiated around his schedule. Mr. Fournier said that he had reviewed the previous contract the Town had with Steven Allen and that he made a couple of minor changes. He will send it to DRA for their review and then forward it to us. The Board said that they would discuss it at their next and vote to accept or reject the proposal. Mr. Fournier left the meeting at 6:10 pm.
At 6:10 Michael Collins entered the meeting. The Board had previously been informed that Brett Brooks, who is currently Columbia’s representative to the 45th Parallel EMS Board, is resigning. Mr. Brooks had mentioned the position to Mr. Collins who expressed interest in the
position. The Board thanked Mr. Collins for stepping forward to fill this role. Mr. Collins stated that he needed a letter from the Board officially appointing him. Marcia will have this ready for the Board’s signature at their next meeting. Mr. Collins left the meeting at 6:20 pm.
Selectman Campbell gave the Board a brief update on the Dispatch Center.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed for the 45th Parallel EMS.
A e-mail was received from Charlie Jordan (Great North Woods Center for the Arts) informing the Board that the Board of Directors had voted to start using the name Great North Woods Center for the Arts for all of their business matters.
A letter was received from Normandeau Trucking regarding one of the containers that needs serious repairs and/or replacement. Selectman Campbell asked if there are any monies available from the State for these types of things. Marcia was instructed to send a copy of the letter to both the Town of Stewartstown and Ben Champagne at the County.
A letter was received from AVRRDD informing us that the tipping fees would be going up as of January lst. Marcia had previously figured that the increase would be approximately $1,000 based on the tonnage that we shipped in 2020.
The meeting adjourned at 7:00 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Marcia Parkhurst, Secretary
Board of Selectmen
by admin | Feb 16, 2021 | Board of Selectmen Minutes
Meeting began at 5:55 pm. Present were Selectmen Cloutier, Stohl and Campbell. Members of the public present were Charlie Jordan (Great North Woods Center for the Arts).
Mr. Jordan entered the meeting at 6:00 pm. He presented each Board member will a report detailing what has gone at the Center this year and what they are planning. Selectman Stohl asked Mr. Jordan what the Center’s fiscal situation was. Mr. Jordan stated that they continue to work on getting grants and was just awarded one for $15,000. He said they had received a grant for $5,000 earlier in the year and used that to remove several dead trees from the property. At the present time, the Center checkbook has approximately $10,000 and the Committee checkbook has approximately $9,000. Mr. Jordan invited the Board to stop by the Center and see the work that has been done (removing walls, cabinets, etc.) which increases the size of the room that he sees as the most benefit. The Board questioned again, why the “Center” seems to have two names. They feel that this just “confuses” the issue and makes the Center hard to justify to the public. Mr. Jordan agreed that maybe the time had come to address that situation. Mr. Jordan left the meeting at 6:45 pm.
On a motion made by Selectman Stohl and seconded by Selectman Cloutier, the Board voted to refund the 2nd installment of the 2020 property taxes to the Center.
Mail was reviewed.
Checks and manifests were signed.
An Intent to Cut for the State of New Hampshire (Timberwolf, LLC) was approved.
On a motion made by Selectman Campbell and seconded by Selectman Cloutier, the Board approved the minutes of the November 23, 2020 meeting.
A “thank you” letter was signed for Nancy Biron thanking her for making and putting up Christmas wreaths at the Town Hall.
A “thank you” letter was signed for Joan Dickson for her donation of historical papers regarding the Town of Columbia.
An engagement letter was signed for Cohos Advisors to do the 2020 compilation.
Selectman Campbell reminded the Board members that there will be a Dispatch Center meeting tomorrow night at 5:30 at the Pittsburg Town Office. The meeting will be accessible through “Zoom”. He gave the other Board members a brief update on what would be discussed:
- Property owner in Cree Notch (James Alexander) has agreed to have a tower and building erected on his land.
- Selectman Campbell said the signal strength has been checked and should be good.
- Access to the tower/building will be available by snowmachine and ATVs.
- Have agreed to a $500.00 stipend to be paid to the landowner and a contact is waiting to be signed.
Selectman Campbell also informed the Board of his conversation with “Kayla” who is the “grant” person at the Office of Emergency Management. Kayla has agreed that the Town of Columbia can update our own Hazard
Mitigation Plan and receive the funds available. Kayla said that she would be willing to help us go through it.
Selectman Stohl reported on his meeting with Colebrook Town Manager, Sharon Penney, regarding their use of Brett Purvis & Associates as their assessors. After discussion, Marcia was instructed to set up an appointment for the next meeting for the Board to meet with representatives from Brett Purvis.
A letter from Donahue, Tucker & Ciandella was reviewed regarding the Fairpoint abatement case. They are asking for the Town’s permission to prepare for and hold a mediation session. Marcia will inform them of the Town’s permission.
An Abatement Form for Clarence Young (Yield Tax) was signed. A new Warrant and bill were signed for Mr. Young.
Meeting adjourned at 7:50 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Marcia Parkhurst, Secretary
Board of Selectmen
by admin | Jan 17, 2021 | Board of Selectmen Minutes
Meeting began at 6:00 pm. Present were Selectmen Cloutier and Campbell. Selectman Stohl was absent.
Mail was reviewed.
Checks and manifests were reviewed and signed.
At 6:05 pm Gary Fournier (representing Brett Purvis & Associates) entered the meeting. Mr. Fournier’s company is interested in taking over the assessing services for the Town. He explained that they do several towns now including North Stratford, Colebrook and Dalton to name a few. Marcia explained that in addition to the yearly “pick-ups” we also do a quarter of the Town each year as part of our cyclical schedule. She questioned whether they have the manpower to do this. Mr. Fournier explained that currently Colebrook does not do a cyclical so he does only “pick-ups” there. Mr. Fournier explained that the company also employs a part-time person who is certified by the State to do the field work. Mr. Fournier stated that he would continue to follow Steve Allen’s schedule of being in the office/field at least one day per month. This date will have to be negotiated around his schedule. Mr. Fournier said that he had reviewed the previous contract the Town had with Steven Allen and that he made a couple of minor changes. He will send it to DRA for their review and then forward it to us. The Board said that they would discuss it at their next and vote to accept or reject the proposal. Mr. Fournier left the meeting at 6:10 pm.
At 6:10 Michael Collins entered the meeting. The Board had previously been informed that Brett Brooks, who is currently Columbia’s representative to the 45th Parallel EMS Board, is resigning. Mr. Brooks had mentioned the position to Mr. Collins who expressed interest in the
position. The Board thanked Mr. Collins for stepping forward to fill this role. Mr. Collins stated that he needed a letter from the Board officially appointing him. Marcia will have this ready for the Board’s signature at their next meeting. Mr. Collins left the meeting at 6:20 pm.
Selectman Campbell gave the Board a brief update on the Dispatch Center.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed for the 45th Parallel EMS.
A e-mail was received from Charlie Jordan (Great North Woods Center for the Arts) informing the Board that the Board of Directors had voted to start using the name Great North Woods Center for the Arts for all of their business matters.
A letter was received from Normandeau Trucking regarding one of the containers that needs serious repairs and/or replacement. Selectman Campbell asked if there are any monies available from the State for these types of things. Marcia was instructed to send a copy of the letter to both the Town of Stewartstown and Ben Champagne at the County.
A letter was received from AVRRDD informing us that the tipping fees would be going up as of January lst. Marcia had previously figured that the increase would be approximately $1,000 based on the tonnage that we shipped in 2020.
The meeting adjourned at 7:00 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Marcia Parkhurst, Secretary
Board of Selectmen
by admin | Jan 17, 2021 | Board of Selectmen Minutes
Meeting began at 5:55 pm. Present were Selectmen Cloutier, Stohl and Campbell. Members of the public present were Charlie Jordan (Great North Woods Center for the Arts).
Mr. Jordan entered the meeting at 6:00 pm. He presented each Board member will a report detailing what has gone at the Center this year and what they are planning. Selectman Stohl asked Mr. Jordan what the Center’s fiscal situation was. Mr. Jordan stated that they continue to work on getting grants and was just awarded one for $15,000. He said they had received a grant for $5,000 earlier in the year and used that to remove several dead trees from the property. At the present time, the Center checkbook has approximately $10,000 and the Committee checkbook has approximately $9,000. Mr. Jordan invited the Board to stop by the Center and see the work that has been done (removing walls, cabinets, etc.) which increases the size of the room that he sees as the most benefit. The Board questioned again, why the “Center” seems to have two names. They feel that this just “confuses” the issue and makes the Center hard to justify to the public. Mr. Jordan agreed that maybe the time had come to address that situation. Mr. Jordan left the meeting at 6:45 pm.
On a motion made by Selectman Stohl and seconded by Selectman Cloutier, the Board voted to refund the 2nd installment of the 2020 property taxes to the Center.
Mail was reviewed.
Checks and manifests were signed.
An Intent to Cut for the State of New Hampshire (Timberwolf, LLC) was approved.
On a motion made by Selectman Campbell and seconded by Selectman Cloutier, the Board approved the minutes of the November 23, 2020 meeting.
A “thank you” letter was signed for Nancy Biron thanking her for making and putting up Christmas wreaths at the Town Hall.
A “thank you” letter was signed for Joan Dickson for her donation of historical papers regarding the Town of Columbia.
An engagement letter was signed for Cohos Advisors to do the 2020 compilation.
Selectman Campbell reminded the Board members that there will be a Dispatch Center meeting tomorrow night at 5:30 at the Pittsburg Town Office. The meeting will be accessible through “Zoom”. He gave the other Board members a brief update on what would be discussed:
- Property owner in Cree Notch (James Alexander) has agreed to have a tower and building erected on his land.
- Selectman Campbell said the signal strength has been checked and should be good.
- Access to the tower/building will be available by snowmachine and ATVs.
- Have agreed to a $500.00 stipend to be paid to the landowner and a contact is waiting to be signed.
Selectman Campbell also informed the Board of his conversation with “Kayla” who is the “grant” person at the Office of Emergency Management. Kayla has agreed that the Town of Columbia can update our own Hazard
Mitigation Plan and receive the funds available. Kayla said that she would be willing to help us go through it.
Selectman Stohl reported on his meeting with Colebrook Town Manager, Sharon Penney, regarding their use of Brett Purvis & Associates as their assessors. After discussion, Marcia was instructed to set up an appointment for the next meeting for the Board to meet with representatives from Brett Purvis.
A letter from Donahue, Tucker & Ciandella was reviewed regarding the Fairpoint abatement case. They are asking for the Town’s permission to prepare for and hold a mediation session. Marcia will inform them of the Town’s permission.
An Abatement Form for Clarence Young (Yield Tax) was signed. A new Warrant and bill were signed for Mr. Young.
Meeting adjourned at 7:50 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Marcia Parkhurst, Secretary
Board of Selectmen
by admin | Jan 17, 2021 | Board of Selectmen Minutes
Meeting began at 5:59 pm. Present were Selectmen Cloutier, Stohl and Campbell. Members of the public present: Peter & Gail Hanson.
Checks and manifests were reviewed and signed.
Mail was reviewed.
On a motion made by Selectman Campbell and seconded by Selectman Cloutier, the Board approved the minutes of the November 11, 2020 meeting.
At 6:24 pm Peter & Gail Hanson entered the meeting. Mr. Hanson is the Trail Master for the Colebrook Ski-Bees and was looking for permission to use Jackson Road as part of the snowmachine trail. After reviewing the tax map and a map that Mr. Hanson brought with him, the Board informed Mr. Hanson that the Town’s road ends at the field. The Board suggested that he contact the Town of Colebrook and see what their recommendations were. Mr. Hanson explained that there is only a short distance where they don’t have landowner permission. Mr. & Mrs. Hanson left the meeting at 6:45 pm.
At 6:46 Chairman Cloutier called the public hearing to order regarding the adoption of the new Right of Way Regulation. No members of the public were present. Chairman Cloutier asked if there was any discuss on the regulation. On a motion made by Selectman Stohl and seconded by Selectman Campbell, the Board approved the Right of Way Regulation. Selectman Cloutier declared the hearing closed.
A Current Use Application for the Nature Conservancy was approved and signed.
A letter was received from assessor, Steve Allen, informing the Board that he will be retiring as of December 31, 2020. Mr. Allen has suggested that the Town retain Brett S. Purvis & Associates. Marcia was instructed to contact the company and set up a meeting. Marcia will also contact No. Stratford and Colebrook to see if they were satisfied with Purvis.
A letter was received from the Coos County Commissioners regarding the formation of a Coos Broadband Committee to investigate broadband expansion in the North Country. On a motion made by Selectman Campbell and seconded by Selectman Stohl, the Board decided to appoint someone to the Committee to represent Columbia. Selectman Cloutier offered to be Columbia’s representative to the Committee with Selectman Stohl the alternate.
Selectman Campbell stated that Nancy Biron is again this year making and putting up Christmas wreaths at the Town Hall. Marcia will prepare a thank you letter for the Board to sign for Mrs. Biron.
Selectman Campbell informed the Board that Joan Dickson has approached him about donating some historical paperwork to the Town that she currently has. Marcia will prepare a thank you letter for the Board to sign for Mrs. Dickson.
Abatement Applications for Randall Olson and Ralph Fellbaum were reviewed and signed. Refund checks were also signed.
A clerical error was discovered which resulted in a refund check being issued for Douglas Gay.
A Supplemental Property Tax Warrant in the amount of $116.00 was signed for Rickey Gamache due to the same clerical error.
Town Treasurer Carrie Klebe left reports for the Board members regarding monies currently on hand.
Selectman Stohl told the Board that he had been contacted by Russell Johnson who lives on Perry Road regarding concerns that he had brought up earlier in the year regarding water from the road draining into his barn. Selectman Cloutier placed a phone call to Mr. Johnson but there was no answer. Selectman Cloutier said he would continue to try and contact him.
Marcia gave the Board members a breakdown on what has been spent so in appropriations through tonight’s meeting. It was noted that the Summer Road line item is over budget by approximately $30,000.00.
Meeting adjourned at 7:25 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Marcia Parkhurst, Secretary
Board of Selectmen
