Selectboard Present: Cheryl Mayberry, Chair; Steven Dalessio and Carolyn Vose

Staff Present: Sarah Downing, Manager of Administration, and Sue Bauer, Recording Secretary

Guests Present: Tom Dupell, Peter Graves

Call to Order: Ms. Mayberry called the Selectboard meeting to order at 6:30 PM in the Walpole Town Hall.

Peter Graves’ Questions:  Mr. Graves put in a request for a 2023 property tax abatement on a mobile home but has not heard anything. Sarah Downing explained that all the requests were given to Avitar on or before March 1, 2024.  Avitar will review each property with an abatement application.  The assessor will make an appointment with the owner to view the interior of the home. The assessors have until August to give a recommendation to the Town.  Mr. Graves also said he is hearing stories about the paving to be done this year.  Mr. Dalessio said Arlington Paving will do Main Street.  The other paving contracts have not yet been awarded.

Mr. Graves and Mr. Dupell left the meeting at 6:45 PM.

Payroll

Ms. Vose moved to approve the Payroll Register totaling $440.36 dated 5/10/2024 and the 941 Payroll Tax Transfer of $95.96.  Ms. Vose corrected the date from 5/10/2024 to 5/17/2024.  Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Ms. Vose, Mr. Dalessio, and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved. This payroll was for a terminated employee.

Ms. Vose moved to approve the Payroll Register totaling $31,180.20 dated 5/17/2024 and the 941 Payroll Tax Transfer of $6,331.61.  Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Ms. Vose, Mr. Dalessio, and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved. 

Selectboard Meeting Minutes

Selectboard Meeting – 5/9/2024:   Ms. Vose moved to approve the Minutes of the Selectboard meeting of 5/9/2024. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Ms. Vose, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.

Selectboard Non-Public Session – 5/9/2024:   Ms. Vose moved to approve the Minutes of the Selectboard Non-Public meeting of 5/9/2024, with the minutes to remain sealed. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Ms. Vose, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.

Committee Reports

Ms. Vose brought to the chair’s attention the following committee reports:

• Police Building Committee Meeting – April 30, 2024 

• Walpole K-8 Research Committee Meeting – May 8, 2024

Ms. Mayberry acknowledged these minutes.

Building Permit

2024-16, Map and Lot# 005-005-000:  Ms. Vose moved to approve Building Permit #2024-16 for Map and Lot # 005-005-000 to construct a15’ x 20’ addition to the back of the home. Seconded by Mrs. Dalessio. With Ms. Vose, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.    

Old Business

Pending Further Action:  Parking Policy, Generators, Old North Main and High Street Bridges/Culverts, Houghton Brook Bridge, and Reservoir Dam

Vachon Clukay’s Tax Collector Audit Agreement Letter:   Mr. Dalessio moved Ms. Mayberry, Chair, sign the Tax Collector Audit Agreement Letter with Vachon Clukay.  Seconded by Ms. Vose.  With Mr. Dalessio, Ms. Vose and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved, and the agreement was signed. The Tax Collector audit will cover 2023 activity up through today.  Mr. Kreissle has started uploading document for the audit to a secure site. The agreement needs to be sent to Vachon Clukay tomorrow. They hope to have the audit completed in a week or week and a half.

2022 Financial Audit Status: Ms. Mayberry spoke with Jennifer Dorr of Vachon Clukay.  They will complete the Tax Collector audit before they finish the 2022 audit.

Letter to NH DOT Region 4:  Ms.  Vose moved that the Selectboard sign the letter to NH DOT Region 4regarding drainage issues in North Walpole.  The letter has already been signed by North Walpole Village Commissioners and the Road Agent.  Mr. Dalessio seconded.  With Ms. Vose, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was passed, and the letter was signed.

Response Status from FMRSD – SAU  60:   No response has been received to the inquiry sent earlier in the week.  The due date is tomorrow. It was a deadline set by FMRSD which gave them an extra month to respond.  Mrs. Downing will send an email asking for a response tomorrow at noon and copy the Selectboard.

Purple Heart Community:  One current and one recently deceased Purple Heart medal recipients were identified in Walpole.   The Town will not be purchasing signs, etc., but we will recognize the recipients ar the Memorial Day ceremony.    A ROTC cadet will be the speaker on Memorial Day.  

Walpole Schools Withdrawal Study Committee:   The Committee members are Francesca “Jo” Cowgill, Stan Hutchings, Jean Kobeski, Tom Ronning, Chas Street, Steve Varone, and Diana Watson Petrie.  Ms. Vose updated the Selectboard.  The Committee met yesterday, and each team member has a job to come back with specific information for the meeting next week. The Committee meets at 6:30 PM on Wednesdays in the Town Hall.  The meetings are public.

New Business

Conservation Commission Letter of Interest:  John Peska, the current co-chair, would like to serve as a commission member for another three years.  Peter Palmiotto, the Conservation Commission co-chair, is to confirm that the Commission supports Mr. Peska’s renewed membership.

ARPA Grant Funds:  Funds need to be committed by the end of the year or returned.  Mr. Dalessio and Mark Houghton are preparing recommendations for water and sewer projects that can use ARPA grant funds.

DES Violation Report:  Because of erosion issues related to a timber harvest off County and Merriam Roads, the DES has started an investigation.  The property owner is aware of the notice.   Lew Shelley is to visit the area since he used to live on the property.  The Selectboard Office has been called by the DES for information.   The Town needs to keep a copy of all the information that is submitted with the DES Violation Notice.

DOL Safety Notice:   There was a Department of Labor boiler inspection issue at the Police Station. Combustible materials cannot be stored around the boiler.  The issue has been corrected.

Town Hall and the FMRSD Prom: The Advisor from FMRSD was told they need to cleanup on Sunday, but instead they put the key card under the door Saturday night.  The Town Hall was cleaned up Monday after a scheduled morning meeting.  There was also damage when one young woman used the wrong stairs and fell down the stairs.  She fell onto the velvet rope and pulled it out of the wall.  The consensus is that in the future, the Town will require a deposit for cleaning & repairs.  We will charge $500 for groups over 50. The deposit check will be returned if the Town Hall is cleaned on time and there is no damage.

Hooper Trustees

Ms. Mayberry moved to enter into the Hooper Trustees meeting at 7:35 PM.  Mr. Dalessio seconded.  With Ms. Mayberry, Mr. Dalessio, and Ms.  Vose in favor, the motion was approved.

The meeting was reconvened at 7:57 PM.

Non-Public Business RSA 91-A:3 II (a) (b) 

Mr. Dalessio moved to enter into Non-Public Session pursuant to RSA 91-A:3 II (a) (b) at 7:57 PM.  Ms. Vose seconded. With Mr. Dalessio, Ms. Vose and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.

The meeting was reconvened at 8:33 PM.

Mr. Dalessio moved that the Non-Public Session Minutes be sealed. Seconded by Ms. Vose. With Mr. Dalessio, Ms. Vose and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.

Adjournment: Ms. Mayberry declared the meeting adjourned at 8:33 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Sue Bauer, Recording Secretary