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

CALL TO ORDER:  Mr. Dalessio called this Selectboard meeting to order at 6:30 PM in the Walpole Town Hall.  They are meeting at the Town Hall for the first time in quite a while as opposed to doing Zoom meetings; that is good.  This meeting was being recorded.

Mr. Dalessio called for a voice roll call of the Selectboard present:  Peggy Pschirrer was present; Cheryl Mayberry was present; and Steven Dalessio, Chair, was present.  Also present was Mrs. Sarah Downing, Manager of Administration, and Mrs. Regina Borden, Recording Secretary.  There were no members of the public in attendance.

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE:

Ms. Mayberry moved to accept the Accounts Payable Check Register in the total amount of $104,421.26 for checks issued March 25, 2022.  This includes a deposit payment in the amount of $50,000 to Melanson Company for the Town Hall roof.  Seconded by Mrs. Pschirrer.  With Ms. Mayberry, Mrs. Pschirrer and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved. 

PAYROLL:

Ms. Mayberry moved to accept the Payroll Check Register for the week ending March 19, 2022, in the amount of $28,154.28 dated March 25, 2022, and for the 941 Payroll Tax Transfer in the amount of $5,581.33.  Seconded by Mrs. Pschirrer.  With Ms. Mayberry, Mrs. Pschirrer and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.

SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES:

SELECTBOARD MEETING – March 17, 2022:  Ms. Mayberry moved to accept the Minutes of the Selectboard meeting of March 17, 2022, as submitted.  Seconded by Mrs. Pschirrer.  With Ms. Mayberry, Mrs. Pschirrer and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the Minutes were approved.

NON-PUBLIC SELECTBOARD SESSION – March 17, 2022:  Ms. Mayberry moved to accept the Minutes of the Non-Public Selectboard Session of March 17, 2022, as submitted.  These Minutes will remain sealed.  Seconded by Mrs. Pschirrer.  With Ms. Mayberry, Mrs. Pschirrer and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the Minutes were approved.

COMMITTEE REPORT:

The Selectboard acknowledged receipt of the following Committee report:

• Library Trustee Meeting Minutes – March 14, 2022.

VETERANS’ TAX CREDIT:

Ms. Mayberry moved to grant the following two Veterans’ Tax Credits as follows:

• MAP and LOT #008-032-000:  For All Veteran’s Tax Credit.
• MAP and LOT #011-043-002:  For Veterans’ Tax Credit.

Both applicants served over 90 days of active service and were honorably discharged.  Seconded by Mrs. Pschirrer.  With Ms. Mayberry, Mrs. Pschirrer and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.

BUILDING PERMIT:

Permit #022-09, MAP and LOT #008-009-001:  Ms. Mayberry moved to grant Building Permit #2022-09 for the owner(s) of Map and Lot #008-009-001 to “Add two 24’ x 17’ Roof Mount Solar Arrays”.  Seconded by Mrs. Pschirrer.  With Ms. Mayberry, Mrs. Pschirrer and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.

OLD BUSINESS:

Highway Sidewalk Tractor Purchase Order and Cost Estimate:  Mr. Dalessio reported this Highway Sidewalk Tractor, Warrant Article #7, was approved by the voters at the Annual Town Meeting.

Ms. Mayberry moved to approve Purchase Order #389871 for $165,000 to H.P. Fairfield for a new Highway Sidewalk Tractor and equipment.  ($85,000 will come from the Unassigned Fund Balance and $85,000 will come from the Highway Capital Reserve Fund.)  Seconded by Mrs. Pschirrer.  With Ms. Mayberry, Mrs. Pschirrer and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.

Houghton Brook Bridge Wetlands Permit:  Mr. Dalessio reported the Town received the Houghton Brook Bridge Wetlands Permit. Now they are in the process of getting bids and will move forward on the project, maybe in the Fall.  It is moving along well.

Former Brownfields Site-New Parking Lot:  Mrs. Pschirrer advised they had a very successful meeting on Wednesday at 10:00 AM with two members of the EPA from Boston; Katy Deng, Project Director, and Jim Byrnes.  Steve Rickerich, Consulting Engineer from Ransom Consulting, came with Maureen McGlone, an engineer who will be working on this project and Wendy Pelletier who is the surveyor from Keene.  Representing the Town was Mark Houghton, Mike Rau, and Sarah Downing.  Representing the Foundation was Alberta Wiemers, Karen Crowley and Tom Murray.  They were walking the area and planning the calendar because the grant runs out at the end of September. However, after they had finished the plans for that project, the EPA volunteered and told them if they needed more time, it would be given to them.  Copies of their schedule were included in the packets given to Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry.  The survey work is expected to be completed by April 8^th.  An engineering plan will be done prior to end of June.  They are laying out where the required test wells will be.  They will be tested over the next five years. The money for that will come from the escrow account.  If the test wells are not clean in five years, the testing will continue for another five years.  It was a positive meeting.  Mike Rau worked well with the surveyor and engineer when looking at the drainage project to be done.  This work will be done by Green Site Services who did the original clean-up of removing the soil.  Mr. Rau will oversee the paving.  The Foundation has already received the two double electric vehicle charging stations from SemaConnect from Rhode Island.  One station will be accessible to handicapped vans.  Mark Houghton is working with Liberty Utilities on the connections.  They will look at the survey to be positive of where the Town’s property line is located.  They will be tying the new drainage to drains on the Mascoma Bank property.  Mascoma Bank has given them verbal permission but will follow up with a letter.  Conduit will be put into the ground. It will run to the four charging stations it will go beyond that so in the future they can add more charging stations when needed.  The charging stations will go at the end of the Brownfields Project.  They do not expect them to be operating before the end of August.  The Foundation will pay for the installation   The Town needs to have a contract with SemaConnect.  The Foundation owns the strip of asphalt that will be removed and there will be grass.  Mrs. Pschirrer would like the Selectboard members to give her permission to open a checking account with Mascoma Bank for the money that SemaConnect will be sending the Town on a monthly basis (with a statement).  This will be the income that SemaConnect will generate from the charging stations when they start working.   They will pay a yearly fee to SemaConnect for troubleshooting, etc.  However, Mrs. Pschirrer needs to get them all the information; she will get a contract with SemaConnect as it should be with the Town and not the Foundation.  Mr. Dalessio questioned if the expenses exceed their revenue, what happens?  Mrs. Pschirrer felt they could increase the charge.  They need to discuss what they will charge per hour.  With these charging stations people may use a credit card to pay.  Typically, other stations are paid via a cell phone application.  The first year is free until 2023.  It will be about $1,400 per year.  The charging stations will be on a separate electric meter.  For their information, Mrs. Pschirrer asked Alberta Wiemers at the Foundation to call other towns to ask what they are charging to use charging stations.  They are usually used for two hours at a time.  Mr. Rickerich is monitoring their EPA money; they will use all that money.  Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry were in favor of having Mrs. Pschirrer open a checking account at Mascoma Bank for the charging stations’ revenue. There is no deadline for the DES money.  After Old Home Days they will schedule a Public Informational Meeting so people can make comments on what they would like to see in the green space.

Rescheduling Staff Meeting Training:  The training was rescheduled to the next Staff Meeting on April 21^st at 5:00 PM.

Pending Further Actions:

Generators, Wooden Chairs in the Town Hall, Trees on the Common, Walpole Players Posters, Reservoir Dam, Parking Ordinance, Three Phase Power for Industrial Park Drive and Bensonwood, Plowing Ordinance.  There were no up-dates at this meeting.

Infrastructure:  Mr. Dalessio advised that under infrastructure, the Town will receive 90% from FEMA.  The Town’s match will be 10%.  They expect FEMA to come back within the next two weeks to finish their inspection.  They were waiting for the snow to be gone.

NEW BUSINESS:

MS-232:  Mrs. Pschirrer moved to approve and sign the MS-232, Report of Appropriations Actually Voted Form.  Seconded by Ms. Mayberry.  With Mrs. Pschirrer, Ms. Mayberry and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.

North Walpole Library Lease:  Ms. Mayberry spoke to the North Walpole Board of Commissioners regarding a renewal lease for the Library.  It is currently a one-year lease, but a two-year lease is being considered.  Mrs. Pschirrer will talk to Amy Howard tomorrow about requesting the two-year lease.  Ms. Mayberry advised the Board of Commissioners will discuss this at their next regular meeting.     

Cubicles from National Grange Insurance:  Mr. Dalessio reported that National Grange Insurance is consolidating their offices and have offered office cubicles to the Town.  He thinks they should take advantage of this.  Mr. Rau has room at the garage at High Street; they would be put up on pallets.  There was a consensus to take ten units.  They will have to make arrangements to pick them up and rent a truck to transport them.  Mr. Dalessio will email Mr. Rod Bouchard to let him know the Town wants them.  He asked Mrs. Downing to coordinate with Mr. Brad Nash and Mr. Rod Bouchard to make the arrangements to pick the cubicles up.

North Walpole Village District Meeting:  Ms. Mayberry reported that the North Walpole Village District meeting is next Tuesday, March 29^th, 2022, at 7:00 PM in the downstairs at St. Peter’s Church.       

NON-PUBLIC SELECTBOARD SESSION:

Mr. Dalessio moved to enter into a Non-Public Selectboard Session pursuant to RSA 91-A:3 II to discuss (a) Personnel and (c) Reputations.  Seconded by Ms. Mayberry.  With Mr. Dalessio, Ms. Mayberry and Mrs. Pschirrer in favor, the motion was approved at 7:06 PM.

The regular Selectboard meeting reconvened at 7:38 PM.

Ms. Mayberry moved that the Minutes of the Non-Public Selectboard Session of March 24, 2022, will be sealed.  Seconded by Mrs. Pschirrer.  With Ms. Mayberry, Mrs. Pschirrer and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.

ADJOURNMENT:

Ms. Mayberry moved to adjourn this Selectboard meeting.  Seconded by Mrs. Pschirrer.  Mr. Dalessio asked if there was any additional discussion.  There was none.  With Ms. Mayberry, Mrs. Pschirrer and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the meeting was adjourned at 7:39 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Regina Borden, Recording Secretary