TOWN OF BRADFORD
SELECTMEN’S MEETING
AUGUST 3, 2010
5:30pm
The Pledge of Allegiance was said.
Call to Order and Roll Call:
Peter Fenton, Chair opened the meeting with Harry Wright, Jack Meaney, Cheryl Behr, Administrator and Marilyn Gordon present. Marge Cilley, Secretary was absent.
Open Public Hearing on the acceptance of unanticipated revenues and donations made to the Town of Bradford since January 2010. This includes:
1. FEMA money to reimburse the town for overtime hours on storm event # 1892 to be returned to the highway overtime and vehicle fuel accounts. This is in the amount of $ 14,352.00.
2. FEMA money to reimburse town for damage to pickup truck during same event to be returned to the highway vehicle repair account to be received. No money received as yet, passed over tonight.
3. FEMA money for reconstruction of County Road during storm event #1892 to be returned to the gravel, and culvert highway accounts to be received. No money received as yet, passed over tonight.
4. Money received from the salvage of rusted culverts to be returned to the Highway culvert accounts. This is approximately $1,200.00.
5. Homeland security money for Generator Grant for the Town Hall to be returned to the Town Buildings Improvement account. This is in the amount of $3,650.00.
6. Donation from IBBY Blasting, Jack Meaney, for front lawn loam of town hall. This is in the amount of $200.00.
Motion was made by Harry Wright that since the funds from unanticipated revenues numbers one and four came out of the highway department, the amounts received will be put back into the highway department accounts, for a total of $15,552.00. Seconded by Jack Meaney. Motion carried 3-0.
Motion was made by Peter Fenton, Chair to accept numbers five and six with the money being returned to the General Fund in the amount of $3,650.00 for number 5. Seconded and carried 3-0.
At this time, copies of a compiled list of Highway Projects completed from January 1, 2010 through August 3, 2010 were handed out.
Highway Projects completed Jan 01, 2010 – Aug 3rd. 2010
- Plowing thru March
- County Road repairs Storm damage & culverts
- Old Warner Road Culvert removal
- Old Sutton Road Culvert replacement
- East Washington Road Culvert replacement
- Hewlett Road ditch line and culvert
- East Main Street drainage repair and culvert replacement
- Alder Plain Road Culvert replacement, ditching road rehab
- Fairgrounds Road roadside trimming
- East Washington Road Clean up after severe storm
- Center Road Culvert replacement
- Town hall lawn, pave sidewalks, remove oil tank
- Town hall prep area for generator- dig trench
- West Main St remove Starr’s driveway
- Community Center trim trees in driveway
- French’s Park placed boulders and removed phone poles removed trees
- Breezy Hill Rd Bridge jersey barriers and emerg. work
- Massasecum Road ditch and graded
- Fire Pond railing replaced
- Rowe Mtn Rd grading
- Breezy Hill ditched rd
- Breezy Hill Rd Bridge Trimmed dead trees
- All Gravel Rds graded twice
- Greenhouse Asphalt shimming
- Cheney Hill 2 culverts
- Oakdale Rd removed boulder
- Broke up boulders on Howlett + Forest St
- Sweep sidewalks and Main St East & West
- Pit work prior to crushing
- Town labor did all crushing
- Transfer St clean up
- Patching pot holes
- Fixed roof on salt shed
- Painted Cemetery Truck
- Fabricated Man Lift
Public Hearing closed, Regular Selectmen’s Meeting opened:
Peter Fenton, Chair opened the regular Selectmen’s meeting with the same people attending.
Peter Fenton, Chair advised he has checked with DES regarding pipes running into the culvert, and he received two answers. One person advised he didn’t think it should be in there, and the people responsible should be notified to remove it. A second person advised Peter Fenton, Chair that it could probably be in there if nothing bad is coming out of it. A third person contacted has not responded as yet. Also, an update on the Main Street, the results from samples taken will not be back for another two weeks.
Jeff Remillard, Road Agent:
The culvert is in on Main Street per Jeff Remillard. Peter Fenton, Chair explained that the people living in the apartment house on Main Street had to be removed from the building. This building is where the new culvert had to be put in. The Fire Department went in and found the gas level to be very high and they also found mold. Now, Mr. Plottner, the owner of the apartment house has to have the building inspected for gas levels as well as mold prior to allowing renters to return to the building.
Marlene Freyler:
Discussion regarding banners took place.
Also landscaping was discussed for the Town Hall with Jane Johnsen. Drawings will be done and put up in public places around town.
Motion was made by Peter Fenton, Chair to proceed on the landscaping plans around the town hall. Motion seconded and carried 3-0.
Regular Business:
Accounts payable manifests and payroll manifests were reviewed and signed.
Cheryl Behr, Administrator gave an update on ETAP, which is regarding Energy Efficiency. She had met with Central New Hampshire Planning who had some people from Massachusetts in who are developing a program to evaluate the inventory of the town facilities, so some base lines can be established, and move forward on some energy efficiency programs. An audit of energy is being worked on for the Town Hall and the Community Center. The result of this audit can help with Grant opportunities.
Cheryl Behr, Administrator presented a paper explaining all the Grants the town has received between 1997 and 2010. In the past thirteen years, the town has received four million nine thousand two hundred eighty seven dollars and ninety seven cents ($4,009,287.97.). This averages annually $1.34 per thousand off property taxes.
The town hall generator was installed last week.
West Road Bridge repair was delayed briefly due to unsatisfactory concrete, and the new date for being complete is the end of August.
The Town Hall Restoration Committee will be meeting August 4, 2010 at 6:00pm regarding:
1. Possible staging of improvements: sprinklers, elevator etc.
2. Review of the Wendell Phillips plan to see if it can be broken up into Projects that can be more manageable.
The following Petition was brought in by Marge Cilley, with 3 pages of signatures attached.
CONCERNED RESIDENTS IN
THE TOWN OF BRADFORD, N.H.
Dear Selectmen:
It is the understanding of the undersigned that a property is required to be cleaned up twelve months after a catastrophic incident has occurred. This is in accordance with the Bradford Zoning Ordinance Section III C “Fire or Other Ruins: No owner or occupant of a lot in any district shall permit fire or other ruins to remain. Within one (1) year of the event causing the ruins, the owner or occupant shall remove or refill the same to clear ground level or shall repair, rebuild, or replace the building.”
Since it has been twenty one months for the burned out building at number 149 on the south side of East Main Street, and there appears to be no progress, we are requesting the Selectmen to forward a certified letter to the owners setting a time period for specific work to be done. If the work is not completed by the specified time, then the Building Inspector should be directed to inspect the property under RSA 155-B Hazardous and Dilapidated Buildings.
This is not only an eye sore to the town, it is open and unsafe.
Cheryl Behr, Administrator advised she had contacted town council to draft a letter which she presented to the Selectmen for their signatures. The letter was also read into the minutes, and is on file.
Right to Know Law:
The Right to Know Law states that the Town of Bradford must make records available in five days from a written request.. If a person wants copies, they may come in and have copies made at their own expense, at a current charge of $ .25 per page.
Corsair Realty, LLC Update:
Peter Fenton, Chair asked Marcia Keller, Chair of the Planning Board for an update on Corsair Realty, LLC, Gravel Pit. Marcia advised they are scheduled for a Public Hearing next Tuesday, August 10, 2010. Their Application was filed by the deadline, that being a permit to open a pit on Pleasant Valley Road.
Safety Committee:
The Safety Committee met and went through all the town buildings and made some recommendations to the Building Inspector.
Harry Wright commented on the glass cabinet in the large room at the town hall needs to be removed by the Historical Society as it is not in a safe place there.
Jeff Remillard, Road Agent advised they got the green light from DES to go ahead and put the rest of the pipe in. When they come in to do the testing, they will actually do the other side of the street, by the sidewalk. Breezy Hill will take priority after Main Street is done.
Discussion ensued regarding the backhoe and Peter Fenton, Chair advised there is no money to fix it currently. It was stated that the transmission doesn’t work for travel, so it is hauled around on a trailer. The question was asked how much equipment does Bradford need that they do not own, like rock trucks, excavators? It was stated that $16,000.00 was paid for the use of the excavator, and the roller and paver for the shimming made up the rest of the $18,000 for rental equipment to Jeff Remillard, Road Agent. There has been a posting in the usual spots in town requesting anyone with equipment they would like to rent to the town to talk with the Road Agent. The rock truck was a donation which was accepted at a public meeting. Discussion ensued regarding pro’s and con’s of highway equipment rental. Peter Fenton, Chair advised a request was made at Town Meeting to fix the backhoe, and the town decided they did not want to. Consequently, it was the Selectmen’s option and decision to rent the required equipment to get the jobs done.
Peter Fenton, Chair asked Don Jackson, Budget Committee about their meetings, and Don allowed they will be meeting on Monday, August 9, 2010 and the meetings are posted. Harry Wright advised the rejuvenating of the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) will help in moving forward with many of these issues, as they look at all the expenditures over ten thousand dollars throughout the town, from the library, town hall, highway, police, fire etc.. This has been unattended for the past several years, but there is now a group working to re-establish it this year and making sure it will go forward with annual updates.
Discussion took place regarding cutting down of trees on Fairgrounds Road.
The Selectmen moved into the Selectmen’s Office for the remainder of the public meeting.
Review and consideration of July 20, 2010 minutes:
Motion was made by Jack Meaney to approve the July 20, 2010 minutes with the following edit. On page 3, second paragraph, second sentence should read trimming, not training. Motion seconded and carried 3-0.
Review and consideration of July 6, 2010 minutes:
Motion was made by Peter Fenton, Chair to approve the July 6, 2010 minutes with the following edit. Page 3, First sentence should read Decision was held off for an employee to increase hours to forty from thirty six per week. Seconded by Harry Wright. Jack Meaney abstained. Motion carried 2-0.
Peter Fenton, Chair told Jeff Remillard, Road Agent, as one Selectman he felt a great job is being done. Jeff was also asked if he could bring his budget in next year the same as this year.
Motion was made by Peter Fenton, Chair to go into Non-Public meeting at 7:10pm per RSA 91A 3II to review in house job applications for the job of highway foreman. Seconded and carried 3-0.
Motion to come out of Non-Public meeting at 8:05pm was made, seconded and carried 3-0.
The Selectmen has given Jeff Remillard, Road Agent the authority to approve the promotion of one of the town crew as highway foreman.
Motion was made, seconded and carried to adjourn at 8:06pm.
Respectfully submitted from tape.
Marjorie R. Cilley
Secretary