TOWN OF TUFTONBORO

MEETING OF THE SELECTMEN

AT THE TOWN HOUSE

Monday February 27, 2006

 

*Accepted* 3-6-06 CORRECTIONS IN BOLD

 

Selectmen present:  Bill Stockman, Chip Albee and Susan Weeks.

 

Selectmen reviewed mail, which included: Building Permits for Middle Road Trust; Electrical Permit for Dana & Carolyn Pope; Plumbing Permit for William & Margaret Donaher; Certificate of Occupancy for David Donnelly; Driveway Permit for George & Lorraine Demers; Approval for Construction for Eric Clifford, Garreth A. Chehames Rev Trust; Property Transfers from David & Mary Haeger to P. David & Paula Vaillancourt, Auger Trust to James Bean, Patricia McLaughlin to Trust; Permit by Notification for Mike Munday, Red Gate Colony Club; Wetlands & Non-site Specific Permit for Hidden Valley Property Owners, Marcia Low; Minimum Impact Expedited Application for Lindley Hall; ZBA Hearing Notice for 3/1/06; Coalition Communities; Certificates of Training for Andrew Shagoury, Jamie-Lynn Sheehy; Legislative Bulletin #9 & #10; NH Code of Administrative Rules – Rev 600 Property Appraisal; Fax from Focus Tamworth re: Local Control of Wetlands; Letter from Northern Humane Services re: funding concerns; LGC Newsletters; Primex training info; Conservation Commission News; Roads Scholar Training info; Business Review; Memo re: Code Officer; Memo re: Laase meeting on 3/6/06; E-mail from Selectman Weeks re: Town House work to be done.

 

 

Minutes: The Selectmen’s meeting minutes of 2/13/06 were approved.

 

 

Items for Signature:  Intent to Cut for John Edgerly; Intent to Cut for Mary Jane Sargent; Notice of Lien for Sarah Huntress; Abatement for YMCA Camp Belknap.

 

At approximately 9:00 Selectmen met with Transfer Station Attendant Scott Greenwood. Mr. Greenwood reported that everything was going well in Fred Sargent’s absence. The tires, scrap metal and glass have been disposed of and the cardboard will be picked up on Tuesday. Selectman Weeks presented the proposed contract, drafted by town counsel, for private haulers dumping at the Tuftonboro facility. All haulers will be required to sign the agreement. The Selectmen will review.

 

Jon Beaulieu stated that the website does not have any information on the Public Hearing and has not been updated in the past couple of weeks. The Selectmen said that they had recently become aware there was a problem, but did not know the website had not been updated and they will be reviewing the issue.

 

The Selectmen approved and signed the following:

  • Abatement for Forbes
  • Abatement for Stockman
  • Notice of Lien for Huntress
  • Intent to Cut for Edgerly
  • Intent to Cut for Sargent

 

Selectman Albee will review the abatement request for YMCA Camp Belknap and make a recommendation.

 

The Selectmen reviewed the abatement recommendations made by Avitar.

 

The following abatements were denied:

  • Weisenburger            (2-2-11)
  • Richardson                (35-1-24)
  • Darcy                          (55-2-1)
  • Van Pelt                     (51-1-2)
  • Riordan                      (26-1-28)
  • Thompson                  (17-1-1)
  • Ingalls                         (69-2-27)
  • Mitchell/Greenwood (26-1-22)
  • Greenwood                (26-1-25)
  • Hunter                         (67-1-3)
  • Rowsell                       (16-1-9)

 

The following abatements were granted:

  • Distefano                   (70-2-66)
  • Cullen                         (14-3-13)
  • Redmond                   (26-2-9)
  • Mitchell/Greenwood (26-1-21)
  • MRDJ Trust                (35-1-5)
  • Thompson                  (17-1-4)
  • Meehan Trust             (2-1-87)

 

The following abatements were held for further review:

  • Flint                 (2-1-77)
  • McLaughlin    (56-1-32)
  • Hersey            (40-4-6, 40-4-10)

 

Selectmen Albee questioned the ongoing litigation regarding the contaminated properties at 19 Mile Bay. He will contact Fran Laase for more info.

 

PUBLIC HEARING

 

Chairman Stockman opened the Public Hearing at 10 am and advised that the purpose was to discuss the petition warrant article asking to increase the board to 5 members. This will be on the ballot to be voted on March 14th. Approximately 24 people attended. Barbara Wood asked the Selectmen for their personal opinion on the article. Selectman Albee said he would vote no as he questioned the reasoning behind the petition. He felt it was to get a candidate elected. Chairman Stockman said he would vote no as he is not sure having 5 selectmen would help and he felt the town was not ready. Selectman Weeks said she would vote no since there is very limited experience in the general population. She advocates a Town Administrator with training and experience.

 

Barbara Hartig asked how a selectman is replaced now if there is a resignation or death. Chairman Stockman said that generally they would look to a former selectman.

 

Barbara Wood commented on the Selectmen’s responses and did not feel they had a valid argument.

 

Win Wood said the current board would remain and be able to train new people. Not sure how a part-time assistant would help as they would have to be trained.

 

Gary Chehames asked what authority the Town Administrator would have. Chairman Stockman said that the administrator would not have any authority that it would remain with the Selectmen. The person would help in gathering info and have administrative duties. Selectman Weeks said it would be a facilitator and expeditor. There are departments with little or no supervision. Workflow would improve. She felt there are things falling through the cracks.

 

Bill Kaiser said that he has experience being a selectmen with a 3-member board and a 5-member board and there is a world of difference between the two. Having 5 selectmen eased the load and everything ran much smoother.

 

Ken Cookson said that experience is not required to run for Selectman. Usually people do not run against an incumbent. He felt the 5 members would spread the workload. His impression is that town activity is picking up.

 

Roger Wingate said that Tuftonboro is a wonderful town but thinks we need more diversity in the board. He is in favor of 5 members. The board should think of the townspeople as a Board of Directors and communicate better with them.

 

Bonnie Chehames asked if the town could have both a five-member board and a Town Administrator.  The Selectmen said yes that is possible.

 

Pat Cookson said that there is no vendetta against the current board but that there are many bright people in town who could serve on the board. She thought the selectmen would like some help.

 

Tony Lyon spoke against the petition. He said he investigated 22 towns around Tuftonboro and of them only five have five or more selectmen. He cannot see where it is warranted. Selectmen should be held to a higher standard.

 

Rick Weeks felt that quantity does not mean quality and was not in favor of increasing the board. There are professional administrators out there who would be able to move right into the position.

 

John Simms advised that retirees are an enormous resource for the town. He asked the Selectmen to speak on how their time is allocated. Chairman Stockman said that he has many people come to him to share views. More time is spent in the fall because of budgets. Every week is different. There are many hearings and committee meetings with not enough time to attend. There is no formal division of the workload. Selectman Albee said that they do a good job allocating tasks and spend about 10 hours a week on the job. Selectman Weeks said tasks are not delegated it is usually on a volunteer basis. She spends about 10-12 hours a week year round.

 

Norm Vittum said that Tuftonboro is the most efficiently run town and has been run like this for close to 200 years. If it’s not broke don’t fix it.

 

Skip Hurt asked if the Selectmen researched the issue of a Town Administrator with due diligence. Can they name towns that have been researched and is there a job description? Selectman Weeks answered that our assessing firm, MRI, has people on staff that are already trained and that they have talked to other town Administrators. Mr. Hurt wanted to know if anyone’s time was going to be reduced and if the selectmen have made a thorough examination of the selectmen’s office. Selectman Albee said that this is a budget line item this year to see how it works and if it is determined to be a fulltime position it would be a separate warrant article next year. There are no plans at this time to reduce anyone’s time.

 

Bill Kaiser stated that the administrator would lighten the workload for the Selectmen but increase the workload for the Administrative Assistant.

 

Joe Kowalski stated that the four people (Selectmen and Administrative Assistant) sitting at the table all work very hard for the town. He felt the Selectmen’s schedule should be restructured.

 

Roger Wingate said he came to the hearing convinced that the board should be increased to five and now that he has heard the Selectmen’s statements he is convinced even more that the board should be increased.

 

Chairman Stockman closed the hearing at 11:15 am at which point he had to leave.

 

At approximately 11:25 Selectman Weeks gave a Power Point presentation on the Public Safety building. This was primarily for the other Selectmen’s input. Selectman Albee said that it needed a little fine-tuning and it was generally thought it needed to be shorter. Discussion ensued regarding the project. One suggestion was to build on the lot next to the Town Office, as it would then be on a state highway. The Selectmen felt that it was not the right place aesthetically for that type of building. Selectman Weeks said that they are looking at that site for a new library. The suggestion to house an ambulance at one of the existing stations was not an option because it would have to be manned 24x7. Jane Kelly expressed concern about the 5-mile radius question since she was advised her insurance would increase if she were over the 5 miles. Selectman Albee asked Chief Thompson to come up with reasons to keep the existing stations. Is it worth it to keep or sell the properties? Ken Cookson said he hoped that the Selectmen are buying enough land - sufficient for the proper building and parking. Selectman Weeks said the site is just less than 4 acres of dry ground. Gary Chehames questioned how the project would be funded. Selectman Albee said that bonding is the most logical option.

 

Barbara Wood reminded everyone about the article passed last year, which gives the Selectmen the authority to purchase or sell land provided they receive recommendations from the Planning Board and Conservation Commission and hold public hearings (RSA 41:14.a).

 

The meeting was adjourned at 12:30 pm.

 

Respectfully Submitted,

Carolyn Sundquist

Administrative Assistant