Town of Swanzey Board of Selectmen. Meeting April 12, 2017 Whitcomb Hall, Main Street, West Swanzey, NH

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1 Town of Swanzey, New Hampshire Board of Selectmen Meeting Whitcomb Hall, Main Street, West Swanzey, NH CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order by Chair Kenneth P. Colby, Jr. at 4:34 p.m. at Whitcomb Hall, Main Street, West Swanzey, NH. Present were Selectmen Kenneth P. Colby, Jr., W. William Hutwelker III, and Sylvester Karasinski. Also present was Town Administrator Michael Branley and Recording Secretary Beverly Bernard. OTHERS PRESENT Members of the Open Space Committee (OSC) Theresa DiLuzio, Jeanne Thieme, Victoria Ames, Sharon Greatbatch, members of the Conservation Commission Chair Wally Smith, Miguel Picanco, Beverly Bernard, members of the Planning Board Don Skiba, Jane Johnson, Glenn Page, and residents Judy Perry, Ben Tilton, Barbara Skuly, Gus Lerandeau, and Kathy Habiby, and Director of Planning and Community Development Sara Carbonneau. Peter Johnson joined the meeting at 6:18 p.m. Carpenter Home Land Discussion Carpenter Home Discussion opened at 4:45 p.m. Colby provided an update on the status of the property that came to the Town of Swanzey from the bequest of Lucy Carpenter. He said that Town Counsel is being consulted at this point in time as well as the New Hampshire (NH) Trust division of the NH Attorney General s office. Ames said the OSC has been concerned about citizens having future access to the land and wants to be part of the process of securing the property. Smith asked about identifying the heirs as part of the process. Johnson also spoke in favor of identifying the heirs. Colby said that the focus is determining if the Town can legally separate the property from the homestead. Smith asked what is the downside of doing nothing? Colby said that the issue needs to be raised because the Town has been considering whether or not to continue operation of the Carpenter Home. The Town is at a point where it needs to support the Home through a Warrant Article since the income from the Home is not sufficient to fund it. Colby pointed out that if one day a similar Warrant Article should not be passed by the voters, the Town might decide not to continue to operate the Home. Skiba asked if the land can be split without involving the heirs. Colby responded that is unknown at this time and that is why Counsel is involved. Ames asked if the goal was to keep the land. Habiby asked what has precipitated this issue. Colby said some time ago the issue was raised and recently the OSC has raised the issue again. Colby said if the Town were to buy the land, then the dollars would go into providing income for the Carpenter Home. DiLuzio stressed that if the Carpenter Home ceases to exist, the land reverts to the heirs according to the will which made the bequest to the Town. There was a discussion about the viability of the Carpenter Home. The concern is that the land would be lost should the Carpenter Home cease operations unless some action is taken. DiLuzio spoke about the possibility of a conservation easement which was proposed by the OSC and responded to by Counsel discouraging the idea. Thieme gave some background information provided by Ryan Owens at the Monadnock Conservancy. Branley suggested coming to consensus as to ultimate goal and consideration of next steps. DiLuzio spoke about the possibilities for the future for Mt. Caesar including student projects as well as outdoor recreation. She said it is a valuable resource for schools to educate their students about the forest. Colby noted there are copies of forestry maps available for review. Ames asked for consensus from folks present at the meeting as to the overall goal of keeping the land open for citizen use. Bernard, as a member of the Conservation Page 1 of 6

2 Commission, voiced being in favor of keeping the land but said her concern is doing it clearly and cleanly so that the Town doesn t have legal issues in the future. Skiba spoke about putting in a Town road into the property which should clear some issues up. Colby said if the road isn t an official Town road, it should be; the Town needs a road to access the pasture and the back property. Habiby spoke about a concern for kids parking and doing drugs if there were a parking area. Colby noted the land includes all of the mountain and then acknowledged Habiby s comment and said there are already areas in town that have problems with people using drugs; so it is a concern. Smith said he sensed that there is a consensus to protect the land. Colby mentioned again that Terry Knowles from the Attorney General s office is looking into the issue and she is an extremely knowledgeable person with regard to issues with trusts. Greatbatch asked about determining a timeline at what point would it be appropriate for locating heirs? Judy Perry asked how much money is involved in supporting the Carpenter Home and the Selectmen pointed out the amount is increasing each year and it s in the thousands. Branley said that any money coming in by a sale of a portion of the land would go into the trust that supports the Carpenter Home just as timber funds from the property support it. Page said he thought that an assisted-living facility owned by a Town isn t viable. Perry asked how many Carpenter Home residents there are and was told fifteen. She also asked how many residents are dependent on the Town. She noted that it is cheaper for the Town in support of those individuals than Maplewood costs per person. Karasinski pointed out that the town s folks are already subsidizing Maplewood through County taxes. Carpenter Home discussion closed at 5:13 pm. MINUTES The regular meeting Minutes of April 5, 2017 were considered. There was a motion by Karasinski to approve the regular meeting Minutes of April 5, 2017 with change to page 3 of 5 to note that Hutwelker did second a motion that was subsequently withdrawn. The motion was seconded by Hutwelker. All were in favor. Motion passed. The non-public meeting Minutes #1, #2, and #3 of April 5, 2017 were considered. There was a motion by Karasinski to approve the non-public meeting Minutes #1, #2, and #3 of April 5, The motion was seconded by Hutwelker. All were in favor. Motion passed. The special meeting Minutes of April 5, 2017 were considered. There was a motion by Karasinski to approve the special meeting Minutes of April 5, The motion was seconded by Hutwelker. All were in favor. Motion passed. CONSENT AGENDA Motion was made by Karasinski to approve the Consent Agenda. There was a second by Hutwelker. There was no further discussion regard to Recreation forms need to be amended. All were in favor. Motion passed. Payroll Manifest Payables Manifest Raffle Permit # Monadnock Humane Society Report-of-excavate Operation E Map 35 Lot 1 Report-of-excavate Operation E Map 24 Lot 2-2 Report-of-excavate Operation E Map 32 Lot 7 Intent-to-excavate Map 32 Lot 7 Intent-to-excavate Map 24 Lot 2-2 Intent-to-excavate Map 3 Lot 15 Page 2 of 6

3 Intent-to-excavate Map 4 Lot 6 Intent-to-excavate Map 35 Lot 1 Personnel Action Reports Recreation forms need to be amended PUBLIC INPUT None at this point APPOINTMENTS Director of Planning & Community Development Sara Carbonneau Department Update Carbonneau spoke about department monthly reports. She said Code Enforcement Officer Mike Jasmin is on vacation and will return to the office on April 24, She said he has left messages on his phone and computer for those folks who try to contact him. The message asks the caller/ er to get in touch with Carbonneau about permits and Eric Mattson for inspections. Carbonneau noted the State has approved the renovation of the Carpenter Home bathroom. Branley noted he thought construction was scheduled for May. She reported that the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) has two alternate vacancies and the Planning Board has two alternate positions open as well. She asked that anyone who knows of an interested person to please contact her. Carbonneau said the Town has received notification about work to be done at the airport. She said the notification stated that the work will reduce the width of one of the runways and add better drainage and better lighting. She noted that the permit is a standard permit, not an expedited one. She spoke about the airport marketing report from Airport Manager Jack Wozmak and she said he is interested in including the Swanzey EZ industrial district in marketing the airport. Hutwelker added that Wozmak is including Safford Drive. Carbonneau said property owner Arnie Filipi s development application was approved by the Planning Board. She said he has now gone to the State for their approvals. She also noted that Filipi has also purchased property on Whitcomb Road and is proposing a three-lot subdivision on twelve acres of land. She added she is also working on a couple of larger projects with realtors and developers for property in town. She reported that her office is continuing to look for better software for building permits. The current software the Town has is no longer being supported by Vision (VGSI). She said that purchasing new software might take a large chunk of her department s operational funds. She also noted that Jasmin could use the new software in the field and permits might be able to be applied for online. She said more research is needed before a decision will be made. She noted that the software can seamlessly integrate with the assessing database, which currently is Vision. There was a brief discussion about taking minutes and Carbonneau said she was glad the Recording Secretary was back from vacation. She also suggested keeping someone available to cover taking minutes on a regular basis when the Recording Secretary is away. NOMINATIONS Trustees of Trust Funds Alternate 1 year term Beverly Bernard Karasinski moved to appoint Beverly Bernard as an Alternate to the Trustees of Trust Funds for a term ending at Town Meeting There was a second to the motion by Hutwelker and no further discussion. All were in favor. Motion passed. Page 3 of 6

4 Economic Development Advisory Committee 3 year term Beverly Bernard Karasinski moved to appoint Beverly Bernard as a Member of the Economic Development Advisory Committee for a term ending at Town Meeting There was a second to the motion by Hutwelker and no further discussion. All were in favor. Motion passed. Open Space Committee (OSC) 3 year term Bob McKelvy Karasinski moved to appoint Bob McKelvy as a Member of the Open Space Committee for a term ending at Town Meeting There was a second to the motion by Hutwelker and further discussion. Discussion: concern was raised having enough open spaces on the OSC for Sharon Greatbatch who wished to continue as a member but had failed to fill out the appropriate form to indicate her interest. After determining that Greatbatch would lose her place on the Committee if McKelvy was appointed, Karasinski retracted the motion and Hutwelker seconded the retraction. It was noted there is an alternate position open with the OSC. Branley will follow up with both Greatbatch and McKelvy. There was a brief discussion about appointing resident Gus Lerandeau to the Planning Board and the Board asked Lerandeau if he would be interested. Lerandeau agreed to be appointed. Hutwelker moved to appoint Gus Lerandeau as Selectboard ex-officio representative to the Planning Board with term from to July 31, 2017 and to be revisited at the July 26, 2017 Board meeting. There was a second to the motion by Karasinski. All were in favor. Motion passed. NEW BUSINESS Carpenter Home Forest Management Branley provided the Board with a report/proposal from Bay State Forest Management to update the forest management plan for the Carpenter Home property at a cost of $20 per acre. Hutwelker said he would appreciate an inventory of Town-owned property for forestry management purposes. Branley said that since there is no inventory of types of trees when determining timber tax the Town currently has to accept the word of the individuals removing the timber. There was a discussion about the costs. The consensus of the Board was put out a Request for Proposal (RFP) for all forest management and timber tax matters. OLD BUSINESS Whitcomb Hall Architect Selection Branley provided the Board with a proposal from Daniel V. Scully Architects that proposed a not-to-exceed contract for an historical assessment. Greatbatch said that Andrew Cushing from the NH Preservation Alliance met with the Whitcomb Hall Committee discussing a building assessment. She also said that $4, of the cost of a not-toexceed contract could be provided by the Preservation Alliance in the form of a matching grant. The balance to be provided by the Town should the Board agree to move forward. Branley asked about the possibility of putting the architectural services out to bid. Another option would be to solicit a few more local proposals. Greatbatch noted that there are a limited number of folks who are qualified to do historical assessments. Hutwelker said the Town should get a couple of other proposals. Carbonneau said that she was surprised that the amount is that low for the complex task that would be involved. There was a discussion about consistency for the various phases of the project. The Board agreed to have Branley solicit two more proposals. Page 4 of 6

5 Exterior Painting of Whitcomb Hall There was a discussion about exterior painting of Whitcomb Hall. Greatbatch said the low bidder was from St. Johnsbury,Vermont but the committee is going to meet with several of the bidders to try to determine what their work plan would be. She noted the bids were wide ranging and Greatbatch said that the committee will do more research to be assured which tasks would be included in the job. ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATE Town Hall truss electrical bid opening Branley said that Jasmin wrote up a summary for the Selectmen in the limited time since the proposals were opened, which Branley passed out to the Board. There was a discussion about the challenges of the project. Two individuals submitted bids out of six companies who did the site walk. Hutwelker suggested that the next steps be moved along so that the project can get underway this year. Carbonneau said that by the first meeting in May Jasmin should have the Board s questions answered. She stressed that the project is not going to be an easy one to tackle. Karasinski asked if the attic room might be useable after the truss work was completed. Branley said he would research that. Carbonneau pointed out that the access is dangerous and Karasinski suggested removing the stairs such that there is no access to the attic space. Letter from Daniel Shustock, 440 Homestead Ave. Branley passed out to the Board a letter from Daniel Shustock regarding issues with his taxes and complaints about his interaction with the Code Enforcement Officer. Carbonneau said that Town Hall employees have been trying to deal with Mr. Shustock s complaints for a long time. Carbonneau said that there have been problems with the property since Shustock started building without a permit. He is now being held accountable for expanding his house without getting a permit. Hutwelker added Shustock didn t have appropriate plans before the ZBA. He said the ZBA tried to be as helpful as possible but the individual couldn t provide drawings or any other required documents. Branley did note that the assessing issue has been resolved. Branley asked and the Board agreed he could resolve the matter with Mr. Shustock. There was a brief discussion regarding a home that burned. PUBLIC INPUT Whitcomb Hall Occupancy Greatbatch spoke about confirming occupancy numbers so that the Committee can move forward with tables and chairs. Peter Johnson said there are still some tasks that need to be completed. He said there are also many items completed that were required by the Fire Inspector and Code Enforcement. Johnson spoke about rearranging items in the room if that will help raise the occupancy numbers. Johnson also spoke about fabric for draperies that will meet fire code requirements. Johnson said he believes the Code Enforcement Officer and Fire Inspector will do a walk through to certify for occupancy. Johnson also said the Committee has a donor for tables and chairs. Colby asked for a floor plan and Greatbatch pointed out the plan is already in place and pointed to an existing roll of plans that were already in the building. Johnson said the Committee is hoping to move ahead soon with renting the facility. There was a discussion about rental hours. Hutwelker asked Branley to get together with the Fire Chief about the walk through for the occupancy numbers. Johnson said everything has been done that was on the checklist. He added that by the end of the month Cheshire Builders said everything will be done. Johnson said there is a brand new stove for the kitchen coming and the Fire Department has approved it. Branley asked ifthe Board was requesting meeting between Fire Chief Norm Skantze and Chair of the Whitcomb Hall Committee Johnson. Hutwelker stated he did not think a meeting was needed. Karasinski said that Skantze may already have the numbers, which the committee could use to order tables and chairs. The Board asked Branley to Skantze and report back by Friday. Page 5 of 6

6 Johnson noted the curtains will not have labels saying they meet fire department specifications, but they will have a certificate stating such. Hutwelker asked for verification that tagging is not done for these fabrics. The fabric is fire retardant. ADJOURNMENT Motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Karasinski. The motion was seconded by Hutwelker without further discussion. All were in favor. Motion passed. Adjournment occurred at 6:33 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Beverly Bernard, Recording Secretary Approved on April 19, 2017 Page 6 of 6