Chairman Mical opened the meeting at 6:00 p.m.

In attendance: Selectman Edward F. Mical - Chairman, Selectman John C. Brayshaw, and Selectman Allen C. Brown

Recorder of the minutes is Mary Whalen.

Naughton property, Selectman Brown spoke to Mr. Hurd (owner of the property that the commercial vehicles are parked on). Mr. Hurd neither approves nor disapproves the parking of vehicles on his property. Mr. Hurd currently has a good relationship with Mr. Naughton and considers him a good neighbor and does not want to jeopardize that relationship. Mr. Hurd stated that it is his property and does not see the parking as a problem. Mr. Hurd would not put his reasons into writing.

Dan Wolfe, representative of the Building Committee for Kearsarge School District, came to discuss the current school building project amounts to $23,000,000.00 between the High School and the Middle School. The cost for Warner is approximately .83 cents per thousand for the taxpayer; the first year will be .22 cents per thousand due to an interest payment only, beginning in 2005. Mr. Wolfe explained to the Board that now is the time to finally address the building issues. Construction costs will keep rising, and interest rates are at their lowest rate. The High School would carry a ten-year bond and the Middle School a fifteen-year bond. The future status of the current Middle School is unknown if the new one is built. Mr. Wolfe is encouraging support from all the Selectmen in the Towns that are in the Kearsarge School District. Mr. Wolfe is asking the Selectmen to vote in favor of the building projects. Mr. Wolfe further explained the need for the addition to the High School and a new Middle School. The Board expressed their concerns regarding the impact on elderly and low-income families.

Chairman Mical made the motion to close the public session to go into non-public session per RSA 91-A; 3, II (d). Selectman Brown seconded the motion. All were in favor. The motion passed.

Chairman Mical made the motion to close the non-public and to re-open the public session along with sealing the minutes per RSA 91-A:3, III. Selectman Brayshaw seconded the motion. All were in favor. The motion passed.

The Selectmen reviewed the requested information from the Town of Hopkinton. The information entailed meeting minutes, copy of the public notice, map of, and assessment card for the property in question etc. With advisement from Town Counsel, Selectman Brayshaw made the motion to move forward and procure funds amounting to $17,000.00 to secure a piece of property as an invested interest with the Town of Hopkinton. Selectman Brown seconded the motion. Selectman Brayshaw amended the motion to add the $17,000.00 to the Capital Outlay and include in the 2004 budget. All were in favor. The motion passed.

Pastor Mike MacWhinnie from Grace Community Church is requesting the use of a facility within the Town for worship service. At one point the church was using the lower meeting room located in the Town Hall. The church is looking to use a Town facility for about a year.

Chairman Mical recommended that Pastor MacWhinnie look at the Town facilities and return to the Board with a proposal.

Planning Board Chair Barbara Annis and Co-Chair Derek Pershouse met with the Selectmen to discuss a memorandum of understanding with the State of New Hampshire Department of Transportation. Mrs. Annis gave an overview of the memorandum. It is an understanding between the Town of Warner and NH D.O.T. throughout the entire state road through Warner. If a driveway permit is needed on a State road, D.O.T would contact the Town of Warner and obtain input, and in turn Warner would contact D.O.T if the Town knew of a drive going in to give D.O.T input. Warner would be the first Town to implement this understanding. If D.O.T is in communication with the Town there is a much better chance that the Planning Board will endorse applications that are approved. Also, if there were driveway changes within the Towns zoning, correspondence will take place with D.O.T. Barbara Annis explained that every piece of property on the State road has the right to have a driveway. If it is not feasible or if the State denies a driveway, the State has the option to purchase the driveway cut.

• Central NH Regional Planning Commission is also supporting this process. The Selectmen recommended any documentation receive review by Town Counsel. The Planning Board will draft an understanding for the Selectmen’s review. Barbara Annis also explained that D.O.T has contacted all Central NH Regional Planning Commissions. The State has set aside $312,500.00 for special studies to be proposed and managed by the various Regional Planning Commissions. Central NH is the applicant on behalf of the Town. Eligible projects are access management techniques, safety capacity, impact development on land use, economic development. The Town’s portion is $5,000.00 and the State, upon approval would contribute $20,000.00. The Planning Board’s project would be the Exit 9 area from the Police Department up to New Market, also the North Road area. There is also acreage behind Market Basket that should be considered.
• Plan NH is another area of planning and developing. This is a group that will organize a charrette, (architects, engineers, etc.) that would come to Warner, and interested parties would participate in a charrette plan, listening to issues and concerns. The information is processed, resulting in recommendations (the cost is $2,500.00 and a potluck dinner). The Planning Board would like to put those projects totaling $7,500.00 in a Warrant Article for both programs (impact study on the Exit 9 area, and the charrette). The Selectmen will amend the budget to reflect the grant program.
• Mr. Russ St. Pierre completed some research from the NH Highway Department Source of Records. A petition was found for a highway that would run from Hopkinton to Webster to Warner. The information relates to Mr. Azmy’s property on Route 103. The petition dates back to 1832. The Selectmen have already looked at this information which was forwarded to the Director of Public Works.

Selectman Brayshaw made the motion to move forward and add $7,500.00 for the Planning Board Grant studies to the Capital Outlay. Selectman Brown seconded the motion. All were in favor. The motion passed.

The Selectmen reviewed their Capital Outlay requests;

• Highway Department dump truck for $140,000.00.
• Fire Department Cascade system for $25,000.00
• Forest Fire Expendable Trust Fund for $5,000.00
• Cemeteries Expendable Trust Fund for $5,000.00
• Highway Road Construction for $210,000.00
• $17,000.00 Hopkinton land reimbursement
• Planning Board grant studies for $7,500.00

Chairman Mical informed the Selectmen that the Budget Committee discussed the repair of the Town Hall roof. There is leakage at the back of the building. The Selectmen discussed if money would be requested for repair. There is $20,000.00 available in Capital Reserve. Chairman Mical will obtain a cost for the section that is leaking.

Selectman Brayshaw asked if the numbers from the Wage Study Committee are available yet, and is there a copy available yet. Chairman Mical who sits on the Committee stated that the total numbers have not been completed. Selectman Brayshaw sat at a Budget Committee meeting when an employee commented that the wage numbers are available, you just have to ask for them. Selectman Brayshaw further stated that he has asked for the wage numbers four meetings in a row and still has not seen a set of numbers. Chairman Mical will forward a copy of what numbers he has to Selectman Brayshaw. Selectman Brayshaw stated that the wage numbers should not have been available to anyone, until after the Board of Selectmen accepted and approved the numbers. For the record, Selectmen Brayshaw stated "It should have been a fully finished project that we as the Board of Selectmen, should have reviewed, and then made the numbers available to the public. Public meetings are open for people to participate, but not to take pieces of what the Wage Study did and pass them to the general public and then make decisions, accusations, and conclusions before the wage numbers were finalized."

Selectman Brown discussed making sure that the 3% pay increase is applied to everyone. Selectman Brown recommended that the Wage Study Committee review the positions that are effected and look at setting ranges. Selectman Brown made the motion to ask the Wage Study Committee to set up range levels that incorporate those numbers we first talked about. Selectman Brayshaw seconded the motion. All were in favor. The motion passed.

Selectman Brayshaw commented to the Board that he will be starting the process with the Police Department and bring back to the Board some concrete information to move forward with the wage study process. Chairman Mical stated that February 3, 2004 is the deadline for the Petition Warrant Article. Selectman Brayshaw also stated, that the Highway Department and the Transfer Station also need to have evaluations completed for the Selectmen to review with the Department Heads in order to create some numbers, meetings need to be scheduled. Both Chairman Mical and Selectman Brown agreed that the numbers need to be created; the evaluation process is not in place yet. The Selectmen will meet on Tuesday, January 27, 2004 at 8:30 a.m. and hold a work session.

The Selectmen discussed the Martin Building. It was recommended to put a Warrant Article together asking the voters what they would like to do with the Martin Building giving them three options.

Chairman Mical informed the Selectmen that Emergency Management has a grant that is ongoing to re-write Warner’s Emergency Plan. The format has been changed to mirror the Federal Emergency Support Function. Through meetings it was felt that the primary Public Information Emergency Support Function contact should be the Board of Selectmen, because any information that would come out from an emergency or disaster would come from the Selectmen. There is a draft form for the Selectmen to look at. A meeting will be scheduled in mid February in order to forward a draft of all Emergency Support Functions to the contractor who will put the plan together by the end of March.

The Selectmen discussed the Town Report, cover, and the Selectmen determined a dedication.

Selectman Brayshaw raised the question about retrieving the cost of non-transports for the ambulance. The Board’s secretary will research the subject for more information.

Chairman Mical made the motion to close the public session and open a non-public session per RSA 91-A;3 II (d). Selectman Brown seconded the motion. All were in favor. The motion passed.

Chairman Mical made the motion to close the non-public session and re-open the public session and to seal the minutes per RSA 91-A:3, III. Selectman Brown seconded the motion. All were in favor. The motion passed.

Selectman Brayshaw asked about the water problem at the Transfer Station. There has been no running water since December of 2003. Parts have been ordered for a tune-up kit, the parts came in, but repair has been held off due to the plumber being heavily booked with residential work due to the weather. Selectman Brayshaw asked if the Transfer Station could use the facilities at the Highway Department. Chairman Mical stated that the Highway Department is open during the day. It is up to the Department Head to schedule the plumber to come in. Selectman Brown stated that he was informed by the Department Head that the waste oil heater was never intended to be a constant source of heat, it is a source to burn used oil.

Motion to adjourn at 8:58 p.m