Selectboard Present:Steven Dalessio (Chair); Peggy Pschirrer; Cheryl Mayberry

 

Staff Present:Sarah Downing (Manager of Administration); Rich Kreissle (Manager of Finance); 

Lt. Justin Sanctuary (Police Department);  Justine Fafara (Library Director); Eloise Clark (Hooper Institute); Justin Cassarino (Recreation Department Director); Ben Hoy (Recycling Center Director); 

 

Excused:Sandra Smith (Town Clerk/Tax Collector); Michael Rau (Road Agent); Chief Michael Paquette (Police Department); 

 

CALL TO ORDER:  Mr. Dalessio called this Staff Meeting to order at 5:00 PM in the Walpole Town Hall and welcomed everyone.  He advised this meeting is being recorded.

 

Manager of Finance:  Mr. Rich Kreissle had submitted the highlights from the NHGFOA Conference he recently attended. This is the second year that he attended this conference.  

 

Lisa Parker – Senior Project Manager, GASB:

Audit:

Continue to work with Jennifer Dorr, audit manager to tie up a few loose ends. Work progresses based upon when she’s in the office and able to continue to work on our information.

 

Retro Pay:

Employees have received retro pay with new pay rates enacted.  There were no questions regarding calculations. As always, Rich is available to address any concerns, questions or suggestions.   

 

Mr. Dalessio asked department managers to check and keep track of their budgets and to check seasonal expenses.  It will be a tight year. We would like to end the year within budget.  

 

Recreation Department: Mr. Cassarino proved the following report:

Pool:

Clinics:

WSBL:

Men’s Basketball League:

Court:

Company is going to try and come up to post the area for us;

Company said it will take two clear/nice days to finish the court.

 

Selectboard Office:  Mrs. Downing submitted the following Staff Meeting Report, dated May 16, 2019:

Assessing Update:

 

Water and Sewer:

Emergency Plan Updates/Reviews:

Town Hall Facilities:

 

Walpole Library:  Mrs. Justine Fafara reported that April was a good month.  She handed out the Walpole Town Library Monthly Statistics for April.  Construction is expected to start on May 28th.  They are packing stuff up.  They now have quite a few volunteers to help with the packing and the move. Friday, May 31st is the moving day from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM.  Women of Walpole are setting up a refreshment stand.  Mr. Dalessio asked if Mrs. Fafara had talked to the Police Department about blocking and/or posting “No Parking” signs off one side of Westminster Street and “No Parking” in front of this Town Hall building.  Mrs. Fafara mentioned they found a video of the moveable stacks that is on their Facebook page.  Mrs. Fafara thanked Mr. Hoy of the Recycling Center for about 600 banana boxes.       

 

Recycling Center:  Mr. Ben Hoy had distributed copies of the Daily Weights for April and the 2019 Recycling Revenues as of May 15, 2019.  Business has been picking up.  This is a busy time of the year.  This week he shipped out four shipments of commodities.  This month they did the following:

 

Hooper Institute:  Mrs. Eloise Clark had submitted the following written report for the May 16, 2019 Staff Meeting:They have about four more weeks of school.

Hooper Institute staff continues to visit each classroom at the Walpole Schools on a weekly basis.  They reach roughly about 250 students per week.  Primary school children have started flower seeds that will be planted in the garden for pollinators.  Students have also planted potatoes, radish seeds, zinnias and harvested asparagus.  North Walpole students have planted popcorn and carrots.  The whiskey barrel planters have been replaced with new ones and are now planted.  Second graders finished their farm designs.  Becky Whippie also did lessons on flowering maples and dandelions as pollinators.

 

WES fifth graders are learning about birds, their anatomy, songs and calls and nesting behavior.  They helped harvest overwintering spinach from the high tunnel and have enjoyed edible pea shoots.  Sixth graders continue to learn about the Connecticut River through lessons about river morphology (the parts of a river) as well as designing a river watershed, then designing a community to inhabit the area. They also studied local topographic maps to look for similarities to their design and what natural resources contributed to development.  Coming up students will learn about plants and animals we may see on our annual trip as well as their habitants.  Eloise Clark will also conduct a water safety lesson for students and parents before the trip on June 6th & 7th.  

 

Preparations for the High School Summer Work Program are well underway.  They have 23 applicants who were interviewed May 7th.  Eloise has placed most of them at work sites for the summer.  Students must now interview with their potential mentors.  If parents and mentors are agreeable students will begin work after the end of school. Mrs. Clark found one new mentor; it is the golf course.  

 

Summer camp plans are underway.  Brochures will go home for all students this month.  The two week camp will be held the weeks of June 17-21 and June 24-28.

 

The work day May 4th at the Community Garden went well.  Some old gardeners returned and new gardeners were welcomed.  There is a $20.00 membership fee.  Many spring chores were accomplished.  

 

Police Department:  Lt. Justin Sanctuary thanked Mr. Hoy for pickup up tires they could no longer use on the cruisers.  It is still vacation time.  The department will be down one person through the summer.   Their new prosecutor started.  She is doing great and working well with their cases.  They have also been working with a new judge.  They now have cases waiting for a few days as this judge does not work on weekends and holidays.  The speed control sign has been out and is operating again.  They have had quite a few requests for it; there is a waiting list.           

 

Public Safety Comparison:

Emergency – 10Administration – 67Citizen Assists – 27

Motor Vehicle Calls:

Accidents – 6MV Stops – 109Traffic Safety – 16

Criminal Investigations:

Drugs/Alcohol – 19     Crimes Against People – 29Crimes Against Property -14

 

Total Monthly Calls For Service:  April 16, 2019 to May 14, 2019 – 306 Calls.

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Town Clerk/Tax Collector:  Mrs. Smith was unable to attend this meeting but had submitted the following report for the period of April 16th to May 14th.

They have collected $52,246.91 in property taxes.

She executed a Tax Deed on April 25th, to the Town of Walpole.

April 2nd she executed her Tax Lien and Total Notice is doing the search of mortgagees.

They have answered quite a few calls regarding property taxes.

They are scheduled to attend a Town Clerk’s Workshop on May 22nd in Jaffrey.

The Clerk Department has collected $62,189.16.

Dog licenses were $722.00.

Boat registrations $210.16.

They only processed one Marriage License during this period.

She has taken some vacation time and some sick time.

Meghan is planning on some vacation time in June.

 

Highway Department:  Mr. Michael Rau was unable to attend but submitted the following report from April 18, 2019 to May 15, 2019.

 

Selectboard Comments:  Mr. Dalessio would like all department managers to start to think about who is second in command.  They should be kept up-to-date on everything.  Ms. Mayberry said cross-training needs to be done.  Who is in charge during vacation time?  Mrs. Pschirrer pointed out that procedural manuals help a lot.   

 

ADJOURNMENT:  Mr. Dalessio declared this meeting adjourned at 6:00 PM.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Regina Borden, Recording Secretary