The Walpolean

There have a been a couple of requests for the address again so here it is:

Fall Mountain Food Shelf

122 NH Rte 12A

PO BOX 191

Alstead, NH 03602

Where does your power come from?

Walpole committee explores Community Power option.

The Walpole Community Power Committee (WCPC) looks to explore the opportunity provided by a NH state law that allows municipalities to become electricity suppliers, negotiating lower electricity rates and clean, sustainable energy on behalf of their communities.

A member of a similar committee in Lebanon NH, Meghan Butts, described the approach in this way – “Think of it as a buying club for electricity.” And in its simplest form, that’s all it is, though it will also offer other opportunities to those wishing to take advantage of them. In addition to providing electricity rates that are lower or competitive with the default rate offered by Liberty Utilities, it will also:

• Provide an energy portfolio that can, at your choosing, prioritize the use of renewable resources, eventually emphasize locally-generated power to the maximum extent technically and economically feasible.
• Create a Reserve Fund to finance projects and programs that, long term, assist residents and businesses in becoming carbon-free and animate local economic activity concerning energy production and conservation.
• Provide training education, guidance, and support to residents and businesses regarding means of generating sustainable forms of energy and methods of conservation of energy such as weatherization and insulation

Our committee will be holding a 2^nd informational town meeting about this in mid-December. Stay tuned for this event, and join us in Town Hall to learn more.

By year-end, the Walpole committee will prepare a Warrant Article for a town meeting to vote on adopting a ‘Community Power Aggregation Plan. This plan will be presented to the Select Board for approval and on the ballot at Town Meeting.

Some background:

Throughout our region, the electric utility industry was restructured in the 1990s to separate the business of generating electric power from the regulated monopoly functions of transmitting and distributing electricity. It’s now a competitive market, and household electric customers can select competitive suppliers that purchase electricity generation from the wholesale market to match the customer’s need. Typically, the larger the need, the lower the rates that become available.

NH law (RSA-53E) was passed in October of 2019. It enabled towns to ‘aggregate retail electric customers, as necessary, to provide such customers access to competitive markets for supplies of electricity and related energy services.’ This law is the basis for Walpole and other NH towns moving forward to explore these opportunities.

Dennis Marcom, for the Walpole Community Power Committee

Present: Board Members Chair Jan Galloway-Leclerc, Vice-Chair Myra Mansouri, Clerk Tom Murray came in about two minutes after Ms. Leclerc called the meeting to order, Ernie Vose, Pauline Barnes. Alternates Don Sellarole, Judy Trow and Dave Edkins. 

Recording: Marilou Blaine. These minutes were recorded. They are unapproved and will be reviewed at the December 2021 meeting for corrections, additions and/or omissions.

Roll Call: Ms. Leclerc called the meeting to order at 7 pm. Board member Mr. Murray was absent so she asked Alternate Trow to take his place on the board. While members were reading the minutes Mr. Murray arrived and Ms. Trow stepped down.

Minutes: Corrections and additions of the October 2021 minutes: Ms. Barnes asked that it be noted in the minutes on page 3 that her statement “Mr. Graves had a whole pile of asphalt near the pit” was an observation, not a critique. On page 4 Ms. Barnes said that the word attended should be attend and the word followed should be follow and on page 3 she suggested deleting the word “This”, which started a sentence in the third paragraph from the bottom. On the same page, paragraph 5, Mr. Murray said the beginning of the sentence should read “This is a concern of the state if…”. On page one, Ms. Leclerc asked that the ages of the two boys be changed to 10. Mr. Murray made a motion to accept the amended October 2021 minutes. Ms. Mansouri seconded the motion and the motion carried.

Signage for storage units owned by Red Barn Lane LLC, Map 12, Lot 13-3, commercial district.

A site plan for the 5 buildings of storage units totaling 37,450 square feet was recently approved by the Walpole Planning Board. Mr. Jim Phippard represented John Pappas of Swanzey, the owner of Walpole Store-It. Mr. Phippard brought along a picture of a 25-square-foot sign, slightly below the 32 square feet permitted in the sign ordinance in a commercial district, that would be placed on the western boundary. It is free-standing sign with lighting from below. It would be placed 60 feet from Red Barn Lane. Mr. Phippard said additional signage will be placed on the building such as identifying its letter and noting such things as the entrance to the buildings or keeping the door closed. These signs are 18-inches-by-24-inches.

Mr. Vose asked how far the sign would be from Route 12. Mr. Phippard said several hundred feet. Ms. Mansouri asked when the storage units would be open. Mr. Phippard pointed out on the site plan a place where there would be a key pad at the entrance to the units and said it would be open 24 hours a day. Mr. Vose said that that was typical of this type of business. Mr. Murray asked if there would be a “coming soon” temporary sign. Mr. Phippard didn’t think so but if it was decided later that a “coming soon” sign was a good idea, he would come back to the zoning board because it would be a temporary sign. Mr. Phippard said there would be a construction sign, which is allowed. Mr. Vose made a motion to approve the sign as presented. Mr. Murray seconded the motion and the motion passed unanimously.

Update on article on ZBA for the Clarion.

 Ms. Barnes and Ms. Mansouri volunteered to write an article or articles describing what the zoning board does and why. Ms. Barnes said there was a delay in their meeting because of a health issue. Their first meeting was on Tuesday. Ms. Mansouri said they decided to start with how and when the zoning ordinances came to be written, in other words, zoning ordinances history. Ms. Mansouri remembered that there were two or three years in a row that the idea of having zoning ordinances was presented on the warrant and it took that long to get a “yes” vote. The year it passed was 1968. She also said that since the holidays were coming up, the article wouldn’t be ready until after the new year so it would be early next year, maybe January. Ms. Barnes said they would take it in small sections, probably explaining a variance, a special exception and signage since those are the three most frequent items that come before the board.

Mr. Edkins recommended that it was important to include the word “adjustment” because that is the proper terminology and the word adjustment explains what the board does. He said it is sometimes called Zoning Board of Appeals.

Ms. Leclerc also wanted the article to include that the Walpole Zoning Ordinances are permissive, meaning that if something is not mentioned in the ordinances it’s not permitted.

Ms. Barnes suggested that board members think of a catchy title for the articles and let Myra or her know about it.

Changes and addition to variance application.

Ms. Barnes noted at the October meeting that Sue Fillion in the September minutes made her realize that the language in our variance application is different than the language in the RSA. In the criteria section, No. 2 in the RSA says a variance “will not be contrary to the public interest.” But the Walpole variance application says “granting the variance would be of benefit to the public interest.” Since this has a different meaning, shouldn’t the application be changed to conform to the RSA? Ms. Barnes asked. Ms. Leclerc said our paper work should be the same as the state’s and the rest of the board agreed.

So on page 1, it was agreed that the board could change “Granting the variance would be of benefit to the public interest” to “Granting the variance will not be contrary to the public interest” on the application. Also on page 4, second paragraph from the bottom “Deliver three completed applications” was added to the paragraph. The secretary needs one application to put with the applicant’s permanent file and the Town Offices also need to keep a copy of the application. The secretary will make the changes to the variance application.

Gravel pit inspection form.

 Ms. Trow submitted the inspection form for the Graves gravel pit. Ms. Barnes and Ms. Trow inspected the pit on October 14, 2021. There were no concerns at the Graves gravel pit, Ms. Trow said. The secretary will write a letter to Mr. Graves confirming that the Graves gravel pit has had its yearly inspection according to RSA  55:E and include a copy of the inspection form.

Discussion of minutes of February 20, 2008 and parking at 11 Maplewood Circle Day Care Facility.

Chair Jan Leclerc was contacted by the Manager of Administration, Sarah Downing, about a complaint from a homeowner who lives next to a day care facility in Maplewood Circle. The homeowner complained that parents who had children at the day care facility were parking in her driveway and blocking her driveway. Ms. Leclerc wanted the board to look back at the original minutes to see what had happened at the meeting that discussed having a day care facility at that location. Ms. Leclerc wasn’t sure why the owners of the day care facility were at the meeting in 2008 since they didn’t require any appeals.

The meeting was not a public hearing, it was an informational meeting, said Ms. Mansouri, who was chair of the zoning board at that time. It was determined that the day care facility was in the commercial district. All the land along Main Street and 250 feet back from that road is considered to be in the commercial district. While the day care facility is on Maplewood Circle, a residential B neighborhood, the property for the day care facility is 175 feet from Main Street, so technically it’s in the commercial district. Day care facilities are a permitted use in commercial districts so it didn’t need a variance or special exception.

Mr. Murray disagreed about the zoning district. He said he had checked the town zoning maps and the tax card said that the day care facility was actually in the Residential B zoning District. In fact he went out to the front hall, retrieved the folder for the property and brought it into the meeting to show the rest of the board. The tax card did say Residential B, but the rest of the board said it was a mistake made by Avitar. The day care facility is in the commercial district.

After considerable discussion it was determined that the zoning board did not have the authority to deal with this matter and it was the Select Board that should deal with this complaint. Ms. Leclerc will attend the next Select Board meeting to discuss the matter.

Adjournment:

Mr. Vose made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Ms. Mansouri seconded the motion and the motion carried.

Respectfully submitted,

Marilou Blaine

cc: ZBA, WPB, Town Offices, The Walpolean

Posted: Inside the Town Offices, on the bulletin board outside the Post Office, www.walpolenh.us

Next meeting is Wednesday, December 15, 2021.

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

CALL TO ORDER:  Ms. Mayberry called this Selectboard Public Hearing to “Request Comment Regarding Snowmobile Use of All Class VI Roads” to order at 6:00 PM in the Walpole Town Hall.  This Public Hearing is being recorded.  There were 30-plus members of the public in the audience.  

Ms. Mayberry read the notice that was duly published and posted:

TOWN OF WALPOLE, NH

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

November 10, 2021, at 6:00 PM

To Request Comment Regarding Snowmobile

Use of All Class VI Roads

You are hereby notified that the Walpole Selectboard will hold a public hearing Wednesday, November 10, 2021, at 6:00 PM in the Walpole Town Hall.

The public hearing is to discuss whether all licensed snowmobiles may use all Class VI roads within the Town of Walpole.

The Selectboard Meeting will follow the public hearing.

Ms. Mayberry reported that back in 2006 the Hooper Hill Hoppers were granted permission to use Class 6 roads within the Town of Walpole.  They were the only ones listed for that.  You have to be affiliated with a club to register your snowmobile.  The law changed back in 2019.  They do believe it is still in effect for Walpole but there is the recommendation to hold this Public Hearing to reaffirm that permission and to extend it to snowmobiler users for those properly registered and who have an affiliation with a snowmobile club. 

There are a lot of people attending so they will start out limiting their speaking time to three (3) minutes.  She would like to start with those who are opposed to the use of Class VI roads within the Town of Walpole for snowmobile use.  Please state your name, where you live and who you are representing.

Attorney Gary Kinyon, an attorney in Keene, is representing Jody and Barbara Spivey who live on Whipple Hill Road.  He is here not to oppose the designation of all Class VI roads to snowmobile use but tonight he is here to ask the Selectboard to exercise their discretion and to consider not granting snowmobile use over the portion of Whipple Hill Road where the Spiveys live.  The Selectboard has the discretion under the statutes as to the use of snowmobiles on some Class VI roads or portions of them.  The basis of his request, on behalf of the Spiveys, is best illustrated by the sketch he displayed.  They are the only house on Whipple Hill Road on the Class VI portion. When they built their house six-or-seven years ago, they knew that portion of Whipple Hill Road was a Class VI road.  They knew they would have to maintain that portion of the road as their own access to their house.  Over the years there had been very little snowmobile use on their section of the road.  Their road is accessed by snowmobiles via Pelsue Road which is also a Class VI road with no homes on it.  Beyond this road there is another Class VI road with no residences on it.  As you go down toward Rapids Road, one can connect to the snowmobile trails that have been there for many years.  There are no residents on them, and they are not maintained by the Town.  The Spiveys portion of Whipple Hill Road is the only one that could be affected by the Selectboard’s decision.  Snowmobiles would present an additional cost to the Spiveys in terms of road maintenance.  Since you cannot get over their portion of the Class VI road via a Class VI road with any residences on it, it is is an access to area roads that snowmobiles could not legally access.  Attorney Kinyon explained the surrounding roads including Class V roads that snowmobilers cannot use.  They ask the Selectboard to take into account that the Spiveys are the only residents on that portion of Whipple Hill Road, and they maintain that road at their expense so they could get to and from the Town road and maintain it for emergency vehicle access.  That is the basis of their request. 

Mr. Dalessio asked how else would the snowmobile club be able to access the trails?  Attorney Kinyon replied that the network of trails that the Hooper Hill Hoppers have maintained for many years is all down in the area toward Wentworth Road and the roads heading toward Westmoreland.  The Hooper Hill Hoppers have not accessed the trails he indicated on the sketch.   

Shane O’Keefe, 5 Adams Lane:  Mr. O’Keefe advised that on Pelsue Road there is a home.  There is no vehicle access but if they choose to do so they could.  There are also two other properties that could have access if they chose to do so.  He is not opposed to snowmobiles on Whipple Hill Road.  It is supposed to be maintained at a 20-feet width at all times of the year, but it is not. 

Shirley Gorton, 26 Gold Smith Tavern Road:  Mrs. Gorton said they have permission to go on a field that goes down to Pelsue Road, they cross over to County Road and Whipple Hill Road.  They have a neighbor who uses the same route.  They have been snowmobiling down that road for twenty-five (25) roads or more.  They are using Whipple Hill Road and there are some properties that they are able to access in that area.  They cross County Road to get to Pelsue Road and then Whipple Hill Road.

Marcia Galloway, 467 Watkins Hill Road:  Mrs. Galloway reported that the Pelsue Road has been an access road for the Hooper Hill Hoppers for many years.  Snowmobilers go down Carpenter Hill Road and cross County Road.  The trail groomer used to go up Whipple Hill Road, turn around just below where Pelsue Road comes in.  They cannot do that now because there is a granite post beside the trail on the Class VI road; it may be on Mr. Spiveys property, but it looks close to the Town’s right-of-way.  They have been trying to get equipment down there because they have two bridges to maintain, and those gates have not helped.  Ms. Mayberry noted the gates were removed.                          

Lew Shelley, 25 Scovill Road:  Mr. Shelley supports the use of Whipple Hill and Pelsue Roads.  He is concerned with using the word “all” Class VI roads in perpetuity.  He feels they should leave some roads open for snowmobile use.  He supports the use of snowmobiles on all Class VI roads, but he is concerned with the term “all”.  Ms. Mayberry asked if he had specific roads that he does not feel will be appropriate.  Does he have a list he can give to the Selectboard?  Mr. Shelley does.  Mrs. Pschirrer noted he is probably the only person in Town who knows all the class VI roads.  Is he thinking of the emergency roads?  Mr. Shelley replied “no”, but some roads have been washed-out and are damaged.  Some cannot be groomed by a groomer.  He would just like to leave a door open to making some changes in the future. 

Larry Leclerc, 721 County Road:  Mr. Leclerc advised the family has other land on Rapids Road, etc.  He believes all Class VI roads should be accessible to snowmobiles.  We cannot leave out one or two.  A new owner might not like snowmobiles, and we will have this same problem all over again.  We should have some consideration when there is a problem.  All Class VI roads should be accessible by snowmobiles because even if they are badly washed-out when there is enough snow somebody could use the Class VI road to access their trail system.  They have a lot of volunteers, and they do bridge work.  They keep them open for emergency vehicles, walkers and cross-country skiers.  They should be accessible to everybody. 

On Class VI roads they should put in something to allow posting them during mud season from maybe the beginning of March to the first of June.  He has a list of towns that shut down these roads during mud season.  We need to preserve what we have. 

Richard Francis, 257 Ramsay Hill Road:  Ramsay Hill Road becomes a Class VI road about a mile away from his house.  It connects with Reservoir Road.  One of the great things about living in this area is the opportunity to use and enjoy the environment which means they can enjoy other people’s land if it is not posted for walking or other uses.  We should not limit the use of those lands or the Class VI roads.

Larry Britton, 311 Watkins Hill Road:  Mr. Britton asked if there is a permanent residence on a Class VI road does it change the classification to a Class V road.  Mrs. Pschirrer replied “no”.  Mr. Britton asked if there is any other place in the Town of Walpole that there is a house on the end of a Class VI road.  Mr. Dalessio knows of a couple. Mrs. Pschirrer advised a property owner has to get special permission to build on a Class VI road.  It remains a Class VI road unless it is taken to Town Meeting for a vote on the change.  There is something attached to the Deed on Whipple Hill Road that states it is a Class VI road and they have to maintain that as a Class VI road.

Peter Dexter, 604 County Road:  It is easy to have one person or a small group of people right now to make adjustments for them and not look toward the future.  There is a lot of land that is not accessible in any other way, or it could be land locked.  One day those properties might be sold and someone else will want to build on them.  They would sign the waivers.  If we change the rules and the access now, it limits those people for the future.

Shane O’Keefe:  Mr. O’Keefe had a question on the wording.  Did it state in perpetuity?  Ms. Mayberry replied it does not.  They meant if you grant the access until you change the access.  Mr. O’Keefe advised there are a lot of towns that have a policy for Class VI roads.  He recommends they create one and he will be happy to help with that.  Mrs. Pschirrer noted that in their records from 2004 they discovered a Resolution on Class VI and private roads.  Maybe they need to revisit that so everybody can see it.  Ms. Mayberry felt they can look at what Mr. O’Keefe has to make sure they considered everything. 

Bernard Perry, County Road:  Mr. Perry asked if this discussion was only for snowmobiles and not gates and bars.   Ms. Mayberry said this is has nothing to do with gates and bars.  This is specifically to allow snowmobile use on Class VI roads.  It is allowable to have gates and bars on Class VI roads, but they cannot be locked.  We are working on this first.

Ms. Mayberry asked if there were any other comments.  There were none.  She thanked everyone for coming as they gave the Selectboard a lot of things to consider as they do appreciate them.  The Public Hearing was closed at 6:28 PM.                            

Respectfully submitted,

Regina Borden, Recording Secretary

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

CALL TO ORDER:  Ms. Mayberry called this Selectboard meeting to order at 6:36 PM in the Walpole Town Hall.  This meeting was being recorded.  Also present was Mrs. Sarah Downing, Manager of Administration, and Mrs. Regina Borden, Recording Secretary.  There were no members of the public in attendance.

PUBLIC HEARING:  Ms. Mayberry advised that prior to this meeting the Selectboard held a Public Hearing to “Request Comment Regarding Snowmobile Use of All Class VI Roads”.  Her question was the restriction of trail access after Attorney Kinyon said they are literally cutting off the trail access.  If you block that whole section you essentially cut off all their access from that side.  Mrs. Pschirrer does not wish to amend their proposal.  Attorney Kinyon was asking them to preserve Whipple Hill.  Ms. Mayberry said there could be consequences to that especially if there is a new property owner.  She is not in favor of restricting access because that blocks the whole side.  Ms. Mayberry asked about Mr. Lew Shelley’s comments about not restricting all roads.  Mrs. Pschirrer said there should not be any “picking and choosing”; she likes stating all Class VI roads.  Mr. Dalessio liked Mr. Leclerc’s suggestion to post the roads during mud season, it is a good idea, but should be a separate item.  After the Public Hearing closed Mr. Leclerc gave Mrs. Pschirrer a copy of all the research he had done and gave her a list of the towns now posting Class VI roads from March 1^st to June 1^st.  Mrs. Pschirrer noted that basically what was done in 2006 is being done now except it mentioned the “Hooper Hill Hoppers” Snowmobile Club.  Now they would say “all licensed snowmobiles”. 

Mr. Dalessio moved to allow all licensed snowmobiles to use all Class VI roads within the Town of Walpole.  Seconded by Mrs. Pschirrer.  With Mr. Dalessio, Mrs. Pschirrer and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved. 

Mrs. Pschirrer moved that all Class VI roads be posted and closed during mud season.  Mr. Dalessio seconded the motion however amended the motion that the dates are to be determined by the Road Agent.  With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion and amendment were approved.      

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE:

Mrs. Pschirrer moved to accept the Accounts Payable Check Register in the total amount of $64,523.40 for checks issued November 12, 2021.  This includes a payment in the amount of $32,492.95 to the NH Retirement System (NHRS).  Seconded by Mr. Dalessio.  With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.

PAYROLL:

Mrs. Pschirrer moved to accept the Payroll Check Register for the week ending November 6, 2021, in the amount of $26,680.37 for checks dated November 12, 2021, and for the 941 Payroll Tax Transfer in the amount of $5,090.05.  Seconded by Mr. Dalessio.  With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.

SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES:

SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES – November 4, 2021:  Mrs. Pschirrer moved to accept the Minutes of the Selectboard meeting of November 4, 2021, as submitted.  Seconded by Ms. Mayberry.  With Mrs. Pschirrer and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the Minutes were approved.  Mr. Dalessio abstained from the vote as he was not present at this meeting.

NON-PUBLIC SESSION SELECTBOARD MINUTES – November 4, 2021:  Mrs. Pschirrer moved to accept the Minutes of the Non-Public Selectboard Session of November 4, 2021, as submitted.  These Minutes will remain sealed.  Seconded by Ms. Mayberry.  With Mrs. Pschirrer and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the Minutes were approved.  Mr. Dalessio abstained from the vote as he was not present at this meeting.

NON-PUBLIC SESSION SELECTBOARD MINUTES – October 28, 2021:  Mrs. Pschirrer moved to accept the Minutes of the Non-Public Selectboard Session of October 28, 2021, as submitted.  These Minutes will remain sealed.  Seconded by Ms. Mayberry.  With Mrs. Pschirrer, Ms. Mayberry and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

The Selectboard acknowledged receipt of the following Committee reports:

• Walpole Fire District Monthly Meeting – October 6, 2021;
• Safety Committee Meeting – October 20, 2021;
• Conservation Commission – November 1, 2021.

OLD BUSINESS:

E & W Salvage Letter:  Mrs. Pschirrer moved to approve the letter to E & W Salvage on Valley Road.  Seconded by Mr. Dalessio.  With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.

Arborclimb:  Ms. Mayberry reported that Arborclimb responded but the Selectboard has waited a long time for them to do so.  Arborclimb advised there will be a $2,500 fee for this service.  This changed the terms of their understanding.  There was a consensus of the Selectboard to find someone else to do this tree assessment and plan.   

Reservoir Dam Meeting:  Mr. Dalessio advised the tentative date and time for this meeting is Monday, November 22^nd at 6:00 PM.  The Committee will review the letter received from the Department of Environmental Services (DES) so they know which direction to take to move forward.  Mrs. Pschirrer will be unable to attend this meeting as she will be attending a Power Committee meeting.

Pending Further Actions:

Vilas Bridge, Generators, Three Phase Power for Industrial Park Drive and Bensonwood   

Houghton Brook Bridge:  Mr. Dalessio reported they should be getting a permit package next week from Fuss & O’Neill.  It will then go to the Department of Environmental Services (DES). 

Ten Year Transportation Plan:  Ms. Mayberry advised the deadline for the GACIT comment period is today.

NEW BUSINESS:

2021 Equalization Municipal Assessment Date Certificate:  Ms. Loren Martin of Avitar Associates reported that “The median ratio is 73.8% which indicates assessments are about 26.2% below market value or what they are selling for”.

Mrs. Pschirrer moved to sign the 2021 Equalization Municipal Assessment Data Certificate sent to the Town by Loren Martin of Avitar Associates recognizing that she sent us the Median Ratio.  Seconded by Mr. Dalessio.  With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.

Mrs. Downing was asked to get a list of other assessors accepted by the State for review.

Monadnock Region Rail Trail Collaborative: Ms. Mayberry advised they are looking for one representative from the Town of Walpole for their board.  It should be someone who uses the trails or an official of the Town of Walpole.  Mr. Dalessio suggested this be given to the Walpole Conservation Commission.  Mrs. Downing was asked to put a copy of this letter in their mail box.

School Street and Union Street:  Mr. Dalessio and Mr. Mark Houghton met with Fuss & O’Neill to look at School Street and Union Street.  They took a quick walk through the damaged flood area.  He still has not heard back from MRI about a Project Manager.  He hopes to have a proposal this year but they need to be sure everything is accurate before moving forward with requesting quotes.  

NON-PUBLIC SELECTBOARD SESSION:

Mrs. Pschirrer 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 Mr. Dalessio.  With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved at 7:10 PM.

The regular Selectboard meeting resumed at 7:28 PM.

Mrs.  Pschirrer moved that the Minutes of the Non-Public Selectboard Session of November 10, 2021, will be sealed.  Seconded by Mr. Dalessio.  With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.

ADJOURNMENT:

Mrs. Pschirrer moved to adjourn this Selectboard meeting.  Seconded by Mr. Dalessio.  Ms. Mayberry asked if there was any additional discussion.  There was none.  With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the meeting adjourned at 7:28 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Regina Borden, Recording Secretary

Not to take away from their thanks to us, I want to say thank you to them! They worked hard to do this! – Lil

Scouting for For Food

THANK YOU

We would like to Thank everyone that made our Scouting for Food event a huge success for the Fall Mountain Food Shelf.

We collected 1020 pieces of food and $2503.28 in monetary donations!

Thanks Again

Walpole Cub Scouts & Boy Scout Troop 299

Members Present: Alicia Flammia (Chair), France Menk, Lew Shelley, Laura Hayes, Steven Dumont,

Peter Palmiotto

Members Absent: John Peska

Seating of Alternates: Kara Dexter

Visitors Present: Cheryl Mayberry (Selectboard Co-Liason), Peggy Pschirrer (Selectboard Co-Liason), Jean Kobeski, Recording Secretary

Call to Order: Alicia called the meeting to order at 7:06 p.m. in Town Hall, first floor and via Zoom. This meeting was being recorded.

Review and Approval of Minutes: Kara corrected two typos on page two of the October 4 minutes. She also stated that France made a motion to unlock the gate at Walker Road at the August, rather than September meeting, as stated in the October minutes. With those corrections, Laura moved to accept the October 4 minutes. Peter seconded. All voted to accept the minutes as amended.

Public Business

Treasury: Alicia does not have the treasury figures tonight. They will be emailed.

Correspondence: Alicia received a request from the Trustees of the Hooper Trust that the WCC deal with invasive species in the Hooper Forest as soon as possible so that they might begin harvesting red pines next summer. They stated the cost of removing invasives and harvest will come from earnings from selling the red pine. They would also support harvesting any other trees for which there is a market. Alicia stated she would hold discussion about this until they get to New Business on the agenda.

Planning and Land use Regulation manuals are available to purchase. She said the Commission does not usually use the manuals in their meetings so it probably does not make sense to buy one. She stated the Planning Board has a copy.

New Business

Alicia stated that she would like to know prior to meeting day if anyone would like to have a Zoom link to the next meeting.

Nelson Town Forest: Monadnock Conservancy went out to the Nelson Town Forest and did their easement monitoring in October. There is a question about the house across from French and Derry Hill Road. There is trash on the north border of the town forest. Alicia was asked if the Commission could speak with the homeowner about removing the trash. Laura knows the homeowner but suggested that maybe Gary Speed would be the best person to speak to him. She said this has been an ongoing problem. Alicia does not know if the WCC has executory interest in that property. She said it would be best to reach out to Richard Pendleton of the Monadnock Conservancy to ask for next step action on this issue. Laura agreed to contact him.

Peggy said the Conservancy could write a letter to the homeowner, as they often do, in cases like this. Kara asked for clarification of the issue. It was explained that trash has spilled over from the home owner’s property onto town forest land. Lew asked how it is usually dealt with. Laura stated that if the Conservancy has executory interest on this property, it is their responsibility. But it also depends on how the easement is written. Peggy stated that the homeowner might respond to a letter by cleaning up the trash, not realizing it sits over the boundary. On the other hand, the issue could end up in court. Lew asked if this is a matter for police. Alicia answered that, unless it it something that is hazardous and should not be out in the open, police do not handle this type of situation. Lew suggested taking photos of the area in question to pass around; Laura said she would do that.

Hooper Forest: Alicia referred back to the letter from the Trustees of the Hooper Trust about clearing invasive species in the Hooper Forest, as recommended by Long View. Laura said she has spoken with Alex Barrett, the Long View Forester, about this. He hesitates to estimate what a harvest of the red pines would bring because he hasn’t done a full inventory of the forest. The red pines are straight but do not have much value. Alicia said she would look in WCC files for an inventory done by a former forester. Laura stated Alex would appreciate seeing that.

Cheryl said that it would be good to get started on the invasive species so they could harvest as soon as the inventory and management plans are complete. Alicia suggested that the plan could be drawn up during the wintertime and they could schedule a harvest for next summer. Laura stated Alex would attend an upcoming Commission meeting to discuss all of this, if invited. Laura made a motion to approve funding for Alex to do a full inventory and management plan. The inventory would include his plan for invasives. Lew seconded and all voted in favor. The motion passed. Alicia will invite Alex to the next meeting.

Old Business

Walpole Gateway Walk-About: The WCC will host a community walk-about with Alex Barrett and Tom Groves at the Walpole Gateway on November 13 at 11:00 a.m. Maureen Jenkins will be present to facilitate the event with Alex. She will lead a question and answer session following the walk.

Alicia asked for help planning this event. Steven will put an announcement on Facebook. An announcement will be sent to the Walpolean and Ray Boas for the Clarion online. Lew will make signs to put around the community. Laura will bake cookies.

Gateway Property Report: Alicia asked if everyone had read the report from Alex Barrett that she emailed to the membership. Laura said she really liked the idea of making a canoe or kayak carrier to leave on site. Steven said he would make the report available on Facebook.

Vote on the Gateway Gate: Lew felt that they should delay the vote until after the walk-about. France agreed. It was general consensus that they wait until the December meeting to take a vote on whether or not to unlock the gate at Walker Road.

France stated she contacted Matt Tarr about the walk-about. He is unavailable that day but suggested inviting Matt Kelly, Cheshire County extension forester. France has emailed him but has not heard back yet.

Review of current responses to Long View Rapid Assessment Recommendations:

1. Fanny Mason – treating invasives and planning a timber harvest

2. Hooper Forest- just discussed

3. Reservoir Forest- culvert to be repaired by the snowmobile club

Peter recommended that whoever is doing the culvert work should follow NH and VT Best Management Practices. Lew said he would get the manual to those doing the work. Laura also suggested that they clean up the old culvert when they are finished.

Alicia asked how often the group would like to revisit these recommendations. It was agreed that it was not necessary to do it monthly but it should be done every few months. Alicia stated they would revisit them at the March meeting.

Walpole Trail Subcommittee: Steven sent everyone a copy of the trail maps. Alicia asked if they are being printed. Peter suggested it be done on waterproof paper. Steven offered to contact printers and get costs for the next meeting.

Lew stated that if people request topographical maps, they can be made.

Lew reported that on Saturday, November 6, at 9:00 a.m. they will be doing GPS tracking of the Table Rock Trail. They will meet at the North Walpole School and either walk or drive up to the trailhead.

Reservoir Road: The dam was officially classified a high hazard dam. Fuss and O’Neill have more work to do before the future of the dam can be decided. Lew asked if removal is still an option. Peggy said it is and removal is almost as expensive as repairing it. Cheryl said public input will be needed so Peggy said public hearings will be held.

Kara reported reading in the Zoning Board minutes about the Japanese Knotweed in the Hodgkins Gravel Pit. She asked if this is of interest to the WCC and what could be done about it. Alicia said they are interested but cannot do anything because it is on private property. The Zoning Board has made recommendations because they have governance over the gravel pit. A discussion followed about the spread and possible treatment of knotweed. Steven added it is here to stay.

Peter reported that the streetlights on the common have been changed in accordance with the Dark Skies Initiative. He also asked if the final report on the study of trees on the common has come out. Cheryl said it has not but they have recommended that Liberty Utilities work in collaboration with Arbor Climb when pruning.

Lew reminded the WCC that trail season is winding down and there is property monitoring to do. Steven will create the sign-up sheet and have it at the next meeting. Alicia wants to add this to the monthly agenda.

With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:13 p.m.

The next meeting will be Monday, December 6, 2021, at 7:00 p.m. in Town Hall. Notify Alicia if you would like a Zoom link to this meeting.

Respectfully submitted,

Jean Kobeski, Recording Secretary

*** These minutes are in draft form until approved at the December 6 meeting.

Present were: Kathy Nerrie (Treasurer), Gail LaHaise, Jean Kobeski, Susan Johnson, Bill Ranauro, Jane

Malmberg (Library Director), Peggy Pschirrer (Selectboard Liason)

Absent: Amy Howard and Tim Lester

Visitors: Erin Bowen, Sarah Mann

Susan Johnson called the meeting to order at 4:30 p.m. in the library community room. This meeting was being recorded.

Jane and the board welcomed Erin Bowen and Sarah Mann, who have expressed interest in joining the board to replace Jeanne Ramey and Shirley Capron.

Approval of Minutes: Gail moved to approve the October, 2021 minutes. Kathy seconded, and all voted to accept the October minutes as written.

Treasurer’s Report: Kathy reported that we received the quarterly payment of $2,000 for the Library Trust.

As board members reviewed copies of the budget report, Kathy stated everything looks good.

Bills: Jane previously emailed copies of the bills for board review. Jane stated there will be a music program in December. She said she won $100 in a raffle for registering for the the NHLA conference. She will put that money toward that program.

Jane explained that she has an invoice for $250 for Overdrive. Once this is paid we can spend the money on our own Libby titles. She anticipates doing that soon. Gail moved to accept the Treasurer’s Report and bills. Bill seconded, and all voted to approve.

Budget: Jane stated that we voted to accept the budget at last month’s meeting and she has no updates. She said she is unsure of what amount we would need to ask in a warrant article for repair of the chimney because she has not received an estimate yet. Kathy said that Barry, or whoever does the work, will deal directly with the town on that.

Jane stated she contacted Countryside about securing the front door. They have come to look at it and take photographs but have not given her any figures yet. She said she would call them Friday if she hasn’t heard from them. Gail asked what grandfather status means in Tim’s report on the front door. Jane explained that if the latch can be fixed, it will be done without having to replace the historic door and bring it up to code. If the repair requires replacing the door, then it will need to be brought to code with crash bar and would have to open out (instead of in, as it currently does). Gail asked if we would lose our historic preservation status if we had to replace the door, and Jane said no, that would not happen.

Old Business

Goals for the Long Range Plan: Jane emailed a copy of the Strategic Plan to board members. On it she showed what she has done over the last year to meet the goals. Some, like showing movies in the library, could not be done because of covid. Kathy commented that perhaps this plan is too specific because at times (like during covid) you cannot always follow it and meet the goals. Jane said she is aware of other libraries’ strategic plans that have more measurable goals. For example, it might state that children’s programs will increase by x%. They don’t specify what the programs will be. We can revisit the plan and make changes.

Ken Burns Display: Jane stated that nothing has been done with the Ken Burns display, mainly because she does not know what the original plan for it was. It was suggested she contact Jen Fabis from Florentine Films to discuss this.

Mango and Ancestry: Jane reported that the library dropped Mango and Ancestry because patrons were not using them. We will replace Ancestry with FamilySearch, which is free and can be used at home.

Outreach: Jane said they are trying to increase outreach. Jullie does go into the Walpole Village School but is not permitted in the Walpole Schools due to covid. She does promote the library through the school newsletter. Jane would like to collaborate with River Valley Seniors at Home (RVSAH) to provide library materials to seniors. Jean will take this idea to RVSAH. Jane said she has volunteers who are willing to deliver.

Susan stated there is nothing on the Strategic Plan about the website. Jane said she would discuss that when we get to new business.

Jane said she would like to do more with the tweens and teens in the library and states that that is difficult to do here. She feels it is a pocket we have neglected. Bill asked how rich we are in local resources. He offered to reach out to the history chair at the high school to see if there were any projects for which we could offer help. He said that because we are a regional school district with the high school in another town, we just don’t see those kids. Jane cited the example of another library that offered study nights, particularly around SAT time. She said we could think about something like that.

Sarah asked if our library has hotspots to lend. Jane said we do not. Jane said they are costly to start and they are on a contract basis. Sarah knows a librarian who is using these, and she offered to talk to her friend about them and report back.

New Trustees Recommendations: Jane welcomed Erin and Sarah and asked them to tell the board a little bit about themselves. Both enthusiastically expressed interest in being on the board. Jane will contact Amy with their names. Amy will send a recommendation to the Selectboard, which needs to approve the nominations. That should be done by our January meeting.

North Walpole Open House: Jane reported that they had a nice turnout. 24 people attended the open house. Some Bridge Memorial patrons attended the open house and were happy to see that there are books in North Walpole that the main branch does not have. They can be checked out then returned to the main branch.

Operations

1. 19 people attended Alice Fogel’s poetry reading.

2. Bill Ranauro will present an author talk on November 18th at 6 p.m.

3. There were 10 entries from the community in the pumpkin decorating contest.

4. An additional book club has been added on Saturday mornings at 9:00.

5. The community room had been used for the Co-Op and Friends of the Library meetings. Patrons are using the room for study.

6. Half of the staff has completed the required harrassment training.

7. Our library is a site for the Giving Tree.

Jane reported that she will be taking off the Friday after Thanksgiving. Julie will be taking days off in December.

Susan asked if the operations report can also show statistics from the previous month to show possible growth. Sarah also asked if 2019 figures could also be part of the report. Jane said she would be glad to do that.

Buildings and Grounds

In his absence, Tim sent copies of a Building and Grounds Report. Jane stated she and Tim have met and decided that the top priority needs to be the front door repair.

Replacement Trees: Tim stated he has spoken with Jennifer Burr about replacement trees. Gail asked why we need to plant new trees. Kathy echoed that sentiment, stating that salt killed the old trees; why plant new ones in the same place? Peggy stated she thinks the library grounds look very nice right now. The board decided to discuss this further at a future meeting. In the meantime, we will ask Tim to talk to Jennifer to ask her opinion on whether she feels we should replace the trees. Gail stated there is not a lot of money in the landscaping budget for trees.

Outside Lamp: Tim offered three options for fixing the outside lamp. Kathy feels the light needs to be very bright for safety and solar may not be the way to go. After a discussion of the options, the board chose option #2 – to purchase a new lamp post and have Houghton install it. Tim should contact Houghton and take care of it as soon as possible since the current light is not working.

North Walpole Bench: Jane has contacted the North Walpole Commissioners about painting the bench in front of the library but she has had no response. She will try again. Brad said he has paint for the job.

Outdoor Signs: Tim has tried to contact Frank Hawkins from Bellows Falls but has been unable to reach him. Tim will look at another signmaker. Gail said she would talk to friends from Bellows Falls about getting in touch with Frank Hawkins. Jane suggested another option of getting a sign which has removable letters so information can be changed.

Jane said she will look for exit signs to hang from the ceiling in the library.

Chimney: A warrant article will be needed. Kathy said she connected Peggy with Barry. Peggy suggested that Kathy emphasize the need for this article when she meets with the Selectboard on December 10 to discuss budget. Peggy has not heard back from Barry. Jane said she would email Barry another “nudge.”

North Walpole Dropbox: Susan asked Jane to discuss the issue with the N. Walpole book dropbox. Jane reported seepage from the bottom of the box due to its location. There is no covering over the box. Some books have been damaged. It has already been raised but might need to be higher. Jane said it is also difficult to get into. She looked at the price of new ones and said they are very expensive. When Gail asked how much, Jane said roughly $4,000. She said they may just need to find another location. Erin suggested asking the commissioners to extend the overhang. Jane said she could do that. Maybe they could discuss it at their next meeting.

New Business

Logo/Branding and Website: At the last meeting it was decided that the library needs a logo. They had discussed having a contest but dismissed that at this meeting. The board felt that, with a contest, they might need to settle for a logo they do not really llike. The alternative is to find someone to design the logo based on elements the board thinks should be included. Jan Kobeski was suggested. Sarah explained that she could put together a spec of what she thinks we should ask for. Her background is in marketing and branding. She said if Jan did not do it, her husband could. We could talk about it in January. Everyone was asked to come back with ideas for the logo. Bill stated that the it needs to be recognizable. The group at first thought the logo should include the main library building but it was decided that that would exclude North Walpole. Jane asked that it not be simply a book, as so many other logos are.

Jane reported that she, Julie, and Kelli have been working on the website. They have been researching websites. Jane would like something fairly simply that the staff can easily maintain. She suggested purchasing a template into which Walpole Library information can be inserted. Sarah stated that her husband can offer suggestions because he builds websites. He could meet with Julie, who has already done some work on the website, and Jane.

December Meeting: It was decided that the board will forego the December meeting. Kathy and Jane will send out their reports as usual.

Vacation Rolloveer for Staff: Last year, due to covid, the town rolled over staff vacation time. The library has seven staff members who have accrued several hours of vacation time and Jane explained that it will be impossible for them to use it all by the end of the year. Staffing is such that we cannot let too many people go at any one time, especially during the holidays. Jane asked if they could roll over just vacation hours until March. Kathy asked Peggy if we could do this. Since the town pays the library’s employees, it is all right. The library records part time employee leave, not the town. Gail moved to roll over vacation hours until March, 2022. Susan seconded and all voted in favor.

Friends Report

Jane reported that the October book sale went very well. Final sales totalled $6,510 before expenses. She also stated that, since April, they have collected $2,400 from book sales at the reuse center. The plant sale brought in $1341. The Friends will be looking for new members; Carole Malnati is stepping down, as is Paul Happ.

Adjournment: Gail moved to adjourn the meeting. Kathy seconded. Susan adjourned thew meeting at 5:25 p.m.

The next meeting will be January 11, 2022, at 4:30 p.m. in the library community room.

Respectfully submitted,

Jean Kobeski, Recording Secretary.

***These minutes are in draft form until approved at the October 12, 2021 meeting.

Hydrants will be flushed tomorrow night, Wednesday 11/17/21.  If your water is brown, let it run for 5 minutes. If it does not clear, please contact Jodi at the Selectboard Office 603-756-3672.

Yes, time again, just a tad over a week away, and I need your inputs and ads Monday, November 22 – if not sooner. I have a number of inputs already (thank you), but time approaches again. With the Thanksgiving Holiday and my printer’s schedule, the completed files will go to the printer on the 23rd, and I should have the December issue back and into the mail the first of December.

If you have any questions, do contact me. The email address is at the top right of any page on the CLARION website. Stay safe and stay well, and have a wonderful THANKSGIVING DAY.
Yours, RAY BOAS, Publisher