Selectmen's Minutes
April 9, 2007
Present: Steve Moscicki, Jim Trudell, Elaine Sherry, Donna Clark, Celine Presby, Art Wessels
6:08 pm Chairman Moscicki called the meeting to order.
Manifests & Invoices:
The manifest was authorized and new invoices for future payment were reviewed and initialed.
Treasurer's Report:
- The Treasurer's Report was read showing a balance of $54,496.46 in the checking account, $47,683.90 in the NHDIP fund, $24,013.81 in the Laconia Bank savings account, and $393.16 in the Dodge Pond Dam Preservation fund.
- Presby advised the Board that a Tax Anticipation Note will be needed in the next few weeks as the $47,000 school payment due May 1st will use up most of the existing funds. Trudell made a motion to authorize a $400,000 TAN, 2nd by Moscicki, so voted all.
Committee Reports & Needs:
- Art Wessels gave his monthly update on the highway department. He will be stockpiling 6" riprap and getting some cold patch for upcoming road repairs.
- Trudell mentioned that the intersection of Dodge Pond and Tinkerville Roads is in need of work as it is heavily traveled.
- The highway budget for the 1st quarter 2007 was reviewed and all expenses appear to be on target.
- Wessels will be working with a Moulton Hill landowner to determine if his property has a suitable gravel reserve.
- During the last snowstorm, a resident used his skidder to pull highway trucks out on two occasions. The Board agreed with Wessels' suggestion to thank him with a gift certificate to a local restaurant as he saved the Town hundreds of dollars in towing charges.
- Wessels will be going to Concord later this week to pick up sign posts from NH Correctional Industries and will also stop in at the Federal Surplus facility to see what bargains are available.
- Wessels reminded the Board they had previously discussed writing another letter to NH DOT this spring advising them that the Town would no longer provide winter maintenance to Clough Hill Road unless significant repairs are made. He and Clark will draft the letter for next week's review.
- Mike Mills of Verizon contacted Wessels regarding Lyman's utility pole policy. Their interpretation of the wording is that they only need permission to set new poles where there have never been any before. The Selectmen, however, intended for it to mean new replacement poles as well. Rather than creating a new utility pole policy, it was decided to add a clarification to the existing utility pole policy which was adopted in May 2000. This will be done at the next meeting.
- Wessels is looking into the possibility of renting a mowing machine and having the highway crew do the roadside mowing in late July this year.
- Cathy Williams stopped in to request that her fence posts broken by the plow this winter along Hurd Hill be replaced. Wessels said because we had so much snow this year, the weight of it being pushed back probably snapped them off. He will take care of it this time, however, next fall he will speak to property owners and request that they remove posts that are in the right-of-way as the Town cannot be responsible for them.
- Planning Board appointment papers for Roberta Aldrich were signed.
- Sherry gave an update on the work being done on the Emergency Preparedness Plan. Paul Hatch has advised her that a plan for the Town to handle local emergencies should be the first priority. Funds will be available for help in writing the state required plan. She and Mary Ruppert will be attending an all day Pandemic Table Top Exercise in Litttleton on Friday, Apr 13th.
Non-Public:
Trudell made a motion to enter non-public session per RSA 91-A:3, II(a) to conduct an employee review taking Wessels and Clark with them, 2nd by Moscicki, all in favor by roll call vote. Resumed public session. The Board gave Wessels a very positive 1st year review and thanked him for all his efforts on behalf of the Town of Lyman.
Permits and Applications:
The following was denied:
- Building Permit for Lawrence & Nancy Lyon for Map 168-170. They have been referred to the Zoning Board of Adjustment to request a variance for multiple dwellings on a single lot.
Meeting Minutes:
Minutes for Apr 2nd were reviewed. Trudell motioned to approve the minutes as written, 2nd by Moscicki, so voted all.
Correspondence:
Legislative Bulletin #15 was distributed to the Board.
Old Business:
- Clark reminded the Board of the Apr 10th Grafton County Conservation District Dinner Meeting and the Apr 11th Current Use Workshop that members are scheduled to attend.
- Trudell will contact Perry Williams regarding the Cemetery Board status and plans for this year's mowing and clearing.
- The Selectmen briefly reviewed a draft of the core sections of the new Lyman Personnel Manual. They will read and revise it during the week and discuss it again at the next meeting. Clark will continue working on the balance of the handbook.
New Business:
- Clark presented assessor Phil Bodwell's recommendations regarding three 2006 property tax abatement requests. After detailed discussions of each application, valuations were adjusted and abatements were granted for Scott Vandale for Map 170-75 and William & Lorraine Hanaway for Map 51-31. A third abatement application was denied and another is still pending while additional information is obtained from the owner.
- Clark read a report submitted by code officer Stan Borkowski summarizing his recent visit to the Ogontz Hall site with state electrical inspector Henry Dionne. A copy of the report will be forwarded to the owner and project manager.
Trudell motioned to adjourn the meeting at 8:27 pm, 2nd by Moscicki, so voted all.
The next regular meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 16th, at 6:00 pm.
