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Warner Board of Selectmen Meeting Minutes Tuesday, Meeting opened at In Attendance:
Selectman David Karrick, Jr. - Chairman Selectman
David E. Hartman Selectman
Town Administrator – Laura Buono Absent:
None Selectman Hartman moved to enter into
Nonpublic Session at In Attendance:
Chairman Karrick; Selectman Hartman; Selectman Carson; Laura
Buono, Town Administrator, Michael Ayotte. Laura Buono introduced
Michael Ayotte to the Board with a recommendation that Mr. Ayotte be
hired to fill the vacant bookkeeper position.
The Selectmen discussed various aspects of the position with Mr.
Ayotte as well as his qualifications for the job and employment with the
Town. Selectman Hartman
moved to come out of Nonpublic Session at 2.
Public Session Others present:
Ed Mical Clark
Davis
Carolyn Cookingham
Allan McCausland Jim McLaughlin
George Allie
Pamela Allie Judy Rogers
Carol McCausland Ken Klinedinst
Rob Doherty
Jan Dyment 3.
Capital Improvements Program Planning Board representative Ed Mical
will be Chairing the Capital Improvements Program Committee for
2010-2015. There has been a
standard format for a number of years and Mr. Mical is looking for
suggestions that the Selectmen would like included in the make up of the
plan. The Planning Board recommends including growth information.
Growth projections can be obtained through Central NH Regional
Planning Commission. The
Board of Selectmen agreed that the growth projections should be added to
the make up of the plan. Mr.
Mical then asked for a Selectman to sit on the CIP committee.
Mr. Mical has a goal of August/September to complete the process.
Mr. Mical will also contact the Budget Committee for its input. 4.
Emergency Management Ed Mical attended a Capital Area Health
Network meeting. The State
has been conducting daily briefings in regards to the Swine Flu; if
there is an escalation in the number of cases, necessary steps will be
taken to address the issue. An
information line has been set up from 5.
Clark Davis – Mr. Davis explained he has a private
cemetery located on Map 17 Lot 21. The
ownership has been in Mr. Davis’s family dating back to 1860.
Mr. Davis is before the Board asking to establish the ownership
of the entire lot; right now the property card indicates the Town of 6.
The Board of Selectmen are in agreement
that there are other projects such as the four remaining FEMA projects,
drainage in the center of Town and Denny Hill intersection to name a few
that need to be completed and addressed before paving 600’ of Connors
Mill Road to Brookmeadow Lane. Also,
paving this section would not address the drainage issues that residents
have beyond A Connors Mill area resident who did not
attend the April 28th meeting asked the Selectmen which is
more cost effective, paving or the continued grading of the gravel road.
Selectman Hartman said $60K equals at least 10 years of grading.
Another resident asked since moving the
road was not in the original plan, will that be completed.
The Town Administrator explained that the Director of Public
Works recommends that the road is aligned with the old road bed.
The cost according to Allan Brown is minimal.
The movement of the road is for proper alignment on the approach
to the bridge. Another resident asked when the road is
moved will the road be fixed appropriately?
Chairman Karrick said the road will be in better shape than it is
now. 7.
Jim McLaughlin reported that the Town sent
out a Request for Proposal for consulting services to do a feasibility
study on the 8.
Sign Permit Brian Farmer submitted a temporary sign
permit application for 3 different locations.
The Selectmen approved the permit. 9.
The Town Clerk recommends appointing
Bonnie Barnard as Deputy Town Clerk.
Selectman Hartman moved to appoint Bonnie Barnard as 10.
Bookkeeper Chairman Karrick moved to hire Michael
Ayotte as the Town’s Bookkeeper. Selectman
Hartman seconded the motion. Selectman
Hartman amended the motion to read moved
to hire Michael Ayotte as the Town’s Bookkeeper at pay level 5 at a
rate of $14.34 contingent upon criminal background check.
All were in favor, the motion passed. 11.
Manifest Selectman Hartman moved
to authorize the Selectmen to sign manifests and order the Treasurer to
sign payroll check numbers 1739-1767 (includes 9 direct deposit stubs)
in the amount of $32,688.16 and accounts payable check numbers
42988-43055 in the amount of $385,274.91 (includes payment to Kearsarge
Regional School District). Selectman
12.
Administrator’s Report Town Hall Dishwasher – Tina Schirmer contacted the Town
Administrator with regard to volunteering to take on the project of
acquiring a dishwasher for the Town Hall kitchen.
If the Board approves of having a dishwasher installed, Tina
would gather the information on the cost of purchasing one and the
plumbing for such and then move forward and ask the Festival Committee
to donate the money for the project.
The Selectmen are in favor of the dishwasher project. LGC Conference – The Transfer Station Hours – The new Sunday hours at the
Transfer Station which began on April 19th have been very
successful. Both weeks have
yielded approximately 70 – 80 visitors.
The announcement of the Sunday hours will also be included in the
newsletter scheduled to go out in May. MAAP User Agreement – The Town Clerk forwarded the contract
between the Town of Discretionary Preservation Easement – An application for a
Discretionary Preservation Easement was received from Kimberley &
Georg Edelmann of Town Gravel Pit – The silt fencing at the gravel pit was
fixed/replaced last week since there were areas that were damaged and
had fallen down. Right to Know Requests – The Selectmen’s office handled
two RTK requests since the last Selectmen’s Meeting.
One dealt with NRRA and the other with the Transfer Station
operations. Earned Time – When the Town was using Quickbooks, there was
an issue that dated back to the beginning of its use where a couple of
employees would not accrue earned time correctly.
Because of that, they were given all of their time for the year
at the beginning of the year and when they used hours, it would deduct
correctly. This practice
would allow these employees to technically use time that they may not
have earned if the software glitch had not been there, however, at the
end of the year everything balanced out.
Since purchasing the new software and implementing its use in
January 2008, all employees accrue their earned time correctly.
An issue arose last year and again this year where an employee
who had been accustomed to receiving their earned time up front and with
the supervisors approval, used earned time before it had been earned on
the system. When the issue
came up this year, the Town Administrator had a discussion with the
supervisor who said there has never been a problem since it was
technically always done in the past when the earned time was given up
front. The policy of the
Town as noted in a memorandum to employees from the Selectmen in June
1996 is that no earned time is paid in advance.
Based on this information, does the Board wish to keep the policy
as such or change it to allow advanced use of time? Selectman Hartman supports the policy as
written, use the time as it is earned.
Chairman Karrick asked what happens if an employee uses the time
before it is earned and leaves employment.
The Town Administrator explained that unless there is something
signed by the employee the earned time cannot be deducted from the last
pay check. Selectman Judy Rogers provided more information, she
said that with the past two Bookkeepers when processing payroll, there
were different issues that came up that were just handled.
She also said her employee did and does use time before it is
earned and has been for 5 years but has not gone over what would
normally be earned on a yearly basis.
Ms. Rogers understands the current policy as unofficial.
The Town Administrator has always referred to the personnel
policy which was adopted in 1996 and has issued copies to the new hires.
There was also a memo issued
in 1996 that specifically addressed earned time with limits on
carry-over. The Town
Administrator has been working on a revised personnel policy that was
passed on to her by the Policy Committee.
Martha Mical confirmed that the current personnel policy was
adopted in 1996. The Selectmen are in favor of allowing
accrued vacation time with a set limit.
As far as using unearned time, they support the current policy.
The Town Administrator will create a policy regarding earned time
for the Selectmen to review. 13.
Other Selectmen’s Business Selectmen Conservation Commission member Jim
McLaughlin asked if the Commission could draw $50 out of their operating
budget for a gift certificate to by used at the Farmers Market.
The Commission is sending out a survey to the residents that will
ask questions about their priorities with respect to conservation.
People responding to the survey will have a chance to win the
gift certificate. The
Selectmen had no objections to the expenditure. Ed Mical reported that the Town received
funding for the December 2008 Ice Storm.
Debris pick-up costs need to be established, there is a six month
time frame. Martha Mical asked if the Selectmen wish
to have current-use change on the May or November tax bill.
The Selectman agreed to issue the change on the May tax billing. Jan Dyment asked about the mentioned
right-to-know requests and she also said she was notified that there
would be a reading into the public record regarding Paul Fouliard.
Ms. Dynment said Mr. Fouliard mentioned to her that he was having
problems getting his taxes adjusted and corrected.
The Town Administrator explained Mr. Fouliard’s situation was
rectified before the letter was brought into the Selectmen’s office
and that she may want to touch base with Mr. Fouliard. Ken Klinedinst asked why the Selectmen
chose not to read Mr. Fouliard’s letter into the record.
Chairman Karrick explained it is the Selectmen’s discretion to
decide if the letter should be read into the record, the letter has been
read by all the Selectmen and is a legal issue dealing with the
settlement contract with Mr. Fouliard.
14. Non Public Session Chairman Karrick moved to enter into
Nonpublic Session at In Attendance:
Chairman Karrick; Selectman Hartman; Selectman Carson; Laura
Buono, Town Administrator. The draft Town Hall
Evacuation Plan was reviewed with the Selectmen with the consensus being
that it should move forward and implemented.
Ms. Buono will discuss the plan with staff and coordinate
training with the police department for the near future. Selectman Hartman
moved to come out of Nonpublic Session at 15.
Meeting Minutes Selectman Hartman moved to approve meeting
minutes dated 16.
Adjournment Motion made and seconded to adjourn at Board of Selectmen
Respectfully submitted, Mary Whalen Recording secretary
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