Keeping the community up to date on community topics
Just a reminder that there’s a Planning Board workshop meeting on the main floor of the Town Hall on Tuesday, October 26, at 7 pm. We’ll be discussing updating the Land Use Analysis section of the Master Plan with Lisa Murphy, senior planner at Southwest Regional Planning Commission. I’ve attached a copy of the Land Use Analysis section of the Master Plan.
Masks are now REQUIRED inside the Town Hall.
Public Notice from the Walpole Cemetery Trustees
Per Walpole Cemetery By-Laws, all all floral displays and pots must be removed from the Cemeteries by November 1st. Please be respectful and help maintain the beauty of our Cemeteries.
Thanks from the Cemetery Trustees.
Selectboard Present: Cheryl Mayberry, Steven Dalessio, Peggy Pschirrer
CALL TO ORDER: Ms. Mayberry called this Selectboard meeting to order at 6:30 PM in the Walpole Town Hall. The Selectboard members are all present. Also present was Mrs. Sarah Downing, Manager of Administration. This meeting was being recorded. There were seven members of the public in attendance: Lisa Bryant, Judy Epstein, Tom Beaudry, Kara Dexter, Peter Dexter, Andrew Dey, and Shane O’Keefe.
NEW BUSINESS:
WALPOLE PLAYERS CHRISTMAS DINNER SHOW: Mrs. Bryant advised that the Walpole Players would like to put on a holiday production on December 17th and 18th They would plan to set up round tables so people can bring their dinner, enjoy a meal and watch the show. With all the restrictions she felt it best to ask what they can and cannot do. Instead of one show they are thinking about doing two shows and using half the tables each night so they can be spread apart. Tables would be reserved for family/friends/groups. Masks would be required except to eat and drink. Would they be allowed to have this type of set-up? Mr. Dalessio said she should follow what she just said and follow restaurant restrictions. He likes the idea of using half the tables for social distancing and limiting the number of people at each table to no more than six (6). Ms. Mayberry asked how many tables they would be using. Mrs. Bryant said in the past they would set up 20 tables but now they are suggesting ten (10) tables each night. They would be looking for sixty (60) people per night. Mrs. Pschirrer had no objections to this as described. Mrs. Bryant asked if they could be required to ask if their audience members are vaccinated. Ms. Mayberry felt they could make their own rule; it is not a Town’s rule. Mr. Dalessio suggested they do it at the time tickets are purchased as opposed to at the door. Mrs. Pschirrer stressed that they make sure it is known it is not a Town mandate; it is the Walpole Players requirement. Mrs. Bryant asked about cleaning fees. Mrs. Downing replied there is a fee of $25/hour for Mr. Nash’s time. Ms. Mayberry noted they would need a cleaning between performances. Mrs. Bryant said if Mr. Nash wants to show them what to do maybe they could take over some of the cleaning. At least do it between the two performances. Mr. Dalessio mentioned it is a lot of work at the end of each meeting to wipe down all the chairs and tables, posts, etc. Mrs. Downing felt it takes Mr. Nash at least two hours. Mr. Dalessio felt the Selectboard needed to talk about the cleaning fees a little more before making a decision. Ms. Mayberry summarized that they would get back to Mrs. Bryant. Mrs. Bryant said this is not a money-making production for them, but they are anxious to becoming more active again.
BUILDING PERMIT:
Permit No. 2021-40, MAP and LOT #002-002-000: Mr. Tom Beaudry was present to discuss this Building Permit.
Mrs. Pschirrer moved to accept Building Permit No. 2021-40 for the owner of Map and Lot #002-002-000 to construct a “170’ x 20’ Roof Mount Solar Array”. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.
Mr. Beaudry was advised this will be a taxable array for excess electricity not used by him. Mrs. Pschirrer said based on advice from the Town attorney, if he is producing more than he is actually using then the Town has the right to tax him on the excess. Mr. Beaudry questioned the square footage basis for the permit fee since it’s added to an existing roof; there is no new square footage. Mr. Dalessio thought they should look at the building permit again; maybe have a different fee for solar arrays with a per panel fee. Mrs. Pschirrer said it is a reasonable question. They went from a $1.00 for all building permits to the current fees. Ms. Mayberry advised that they will revisit the fee structure.
SHANE O’KEEFE – GATES & BARS: Mr. O’Keefe asked if any decisions were made on the gates and bars on Whipple Hill Road. Ms. Mayberry reported they have decided to hold a public hearing. The date is to be determined within the next week or so. The public hearing will address the access to Whipple Hill Road, the allowable use of snowmobiles or other vehicles and how the road is accessed. Mrs. Pschirrer noted they will be very specific on what will be discussed when the formal notice is put out. Mr. Beaudry asked if those gates and bars can be locked. The Selectboard members replied “NO”. Mr. Dalessio stated on the advice of their attorney, they are holding a public hearing. Ms. Mayberry advised the public hearing will be scheduled between mid-and-the-end of November.
SPEEDING ON ELM STREET: Mr. Dey stated there was less traffic when Elm Street was not paved. South of the Common, now that the road is paved, vehicles are speeding. It is posted 25 MPH. It is usually early in the mornings. Is there anything they can do to slow down the speed? Mr. Dalessio mentioned when they paved the Old Drewsville Road the speed sign was helpful but they also had a police officer there during specified hours. They could put the speed unit on Elm Street to see if that helps. Mr. Dalessio said when the work is done on Elm Street, they will ask the Police Chief to patrol it especially during designated hours. Mrs. Pschirrer noted the majority of trucks travel on Elm Street rather than Washington Street. Mr. Dalessio wondered if they should invest in little solar signs that flash when vehicles are traveling over the posted speed. Ms. Mayberry feels they train drivers to slow down. They have helped in Bellows Falls. The Selectboard likes the little solar signs. They will check on the cost. Ms. Mayberry thanked Mr. Dey for bringing this to their attention.
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE:
Mrs. Pschirrer moved to accept the Accounts Payable Check Register in the total amount of $914,770.71 for checks issued October 15, 2021. This includes a monthly payment in the amount of $607,559.42 to the Fall Mountain Regional School District. 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 October 9, 2021, in the amount of $28,475.73 for checks dated October 15, 2021, and for the 941 Payroll Tax Transfer in the amount of $5,501.42. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.
SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES:
SELECTBOARD MINUTES – October 7, 2021: Mrs. Pschirrer moved to accept the Minutes of the Selectboard meeting of October 7, 2021, as submitted. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the Minutes were approved.
NON-PUBLIC SELECTTBOARD SESSION MINUTES – October 7, 2021: Mrs. Pschirrer moved to accept the Minutes of the Non-Public Selectboard Session of October 7, 2021, as submitted. These Minutes will remain sealed. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the Minutes were approved.
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
The Selectboard acknowledged receipt of the following Committee reports:
BUILDING PERMITS:
Permit 2020-39 Renewal, MAP and LOT #008-015-002: Mrs. Pschirrer moved to grant Building Permit No. 2020-39 Renewal, for the owner(s) of Map and Lot #008-015-002 to construct a “80’ x 54’ Single Family Home”. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.
Permit 2021-39, MAP and LOT #012-055-022: Mrs. Pschirrer moved to grant Building Permit No. 2021-39, for the owner(s) of Map and Lot #012-055-022 to build a “12’ x 20’ Living Room Addition”. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.
DEMOLITION PERMIT:
Permit 2021-41, MAP and LOT #024-005-000: Mrs. Pschirrer moved to grant Demolition Permit No. 2021-41 for the owner(s) of Map and Lot #024-005-000 to “Remove Side Porch and Garage Roof”. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.
OLD BUSINESS:
Town Clerk-Tax Collector Office Memo re: Credit Card Payments for Property Taxes: Mr. Dalessio talked to Mr. Rich Kreissle about this. They do not feel it is needed as the Town has a 95% collection rate now. When people add property taxes to their credit card, it incurs more interest debt. Mrs. Pschirrer agrees. Ms. Mayberry does not feel they should add debt to people’s credit cards. Mrs. Pschirrer mentioned the Selectboard has always been willing to speak to someone who wants to discuss a payment plan. They are willing to continue this service. Ms. Mayberry advised the Town of Walpole will not be accepting property tax payments on credit cards.
Aflac Network Vision Plan: Ms. Mayberry had the Selectboard Office run some estimated cost calculations. It is expensive. Are they in favor of offering it to the employees? If they want to opt into the plan, they have to pay the full cost. Mrs. Pschirrer feels it is a good plan and vision plans are important. She has no problem with making Aflac Network Vision available to the Town’s employees. Some employees have bought into some Aflac plans. Our current medical plan provides for vision check- ups every other year, but Ms. Mayberry mentioned that employees can get a waiver if they have certain vision conditions. Employees can opt to buy into Aflac, but it is not Town sponsored.
Irving Energy Supply Agreements: Ms. Mayberry reported at the last meeting they voted to have Irving Energy supply their heating oil and propane for this coming winter season.
Mrs. Pschirrer moved to authorize the Chair, Cheryl Mayberry, to sign the Irving Energy Commercial Fixed Price Supply Agreements for Heating Oil and Propane. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.
Pending Further Actions:
Vilas Bridge, Generators, Three Phase Power for Industrial Park Drive and Bensonwood
Arborclimb: Ms. Mayberry asked Mrs. Downing to call Arborclimb again as the Town has been waiting for a quote for about two months.
Houghton Brook Bridge: Mr. Beaudry asked about the Houghton Brook Bridge. Mr. Dalessio said the bridge is still in the design phase. It should be done early next year. Mr. Beaudry asked how he would get off the hill. Mr. Dalessio said there are two options: 1) build a temporary bridge; or 2) go through the Graves Gravel Pit property; if they are able to do that it will save about $80,000 for the project.
Three Phase Power: Mr. Dey asked about Bensonwood and the Three Phase Power. Ms. Mayberry replied that it is left on this list as a reminder. They have not had time to continue research for funding right now. Mr. Dalessio said it would be close to one million dollars to install it.
NEW BUSINESS:
Health Trust New Rates and Transmittal: Ms. Mayberry acknowledged receipt of the Medical Rate Exhibit for the Town. The yearly rate dropped 8.1% to the prior year.
Mrs. Pschirrer moved to authorize the Chair, Cheryl Mayberry, to sign the transmittal form for the Health Trust. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.
Avitar Amended Assessor’s Agreement and Revaluation/Update Agreement: Mrs. Pschirrer advised that the total for the year is going up $77,496. The monthly payment will be about $6,458; this year we were paying about $5,000. This last year of our contract will have a significant increase. The Town pays two separate bills to them every month. Avitar has amended the contract. Following a discussion on the figures a decision was made to table this until next week. Questions are: 1) How did they determine increases? 2) Why are there two figures – it is confusing. 3) What does $12K cover? 4) What is the explanation of the numbers?
Selectboard Meeting Dates:
Veterans’ Day is on Thursday, November 11th, 2021 – change meeting date to Wednesday, November 10th, 2021 at 6:00 PM.
Thanksgiving Day is on Thursday, November 25, 2021 – change meeting date to Wednesday, November 24, 2021, at 8:30 AM.
December Budget Meeting with Managers is on Friday, December 10th, 2021, starting at 8:00 AM.
SWRPC Fall Meeting: The Southwest Region Planning Commission is having their Fall Meeting at Delegation Hall at the Historic Cheshire County Courthouse, 12 Court Street, Keene, NH on Tuesday, October 19, 2021, with the “2021 Monadnock Region Food Access Study” presentation at 5:30 PM. Ms. Mayberry plans to attend in-person; Mrs. Pschirrer will attend on Zoom; Mr. Dalessio is unable to attend.
Utility Tree Pruning of Town Properties: A Notification of Planned Tree Work from Liberty Utilities was received. A list of “Permission to prune trees on the following lots” was attached. Ms. Mayberry would like to know exactly what they plan to do. The Selectboard would like to meet with a consultant from Liberty Utilities as they have concerns and want more information.
2022 Planning and Land Use Regulation Manuals: Mr. Dalessio felt that one new manual should be ordered for the Selectboard Office. Mrs. Pschirrer also would like one.
State Statute Books: Mrs. Pschirrer would like to know what the cost is for a new set of State Statute books to replace the old set.
Scarecrows on Gazebo: The Selectboard approved having the scarecrows on the Gazebo. They will be created and put there by the Pinnacle View 4-H group. They were approved last year.
RECESS SELECTBOARD MEETING:
Mrs. Pschirrer moved to recess this Selectboard meeting. The Selectboard will enter into a meeting as the Hooper Trustees. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved at 7:44 PM.
The regular Selectboard meeting resumed at 7:47 PM.
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, (c) Reputations and (l) Consideration of Legal Advice. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, motion approved at 7:48 PM.
The regular Selectboard meeting resumed at 8:28 PM.
Mrs. Pschirrer moved that the Minutes of the Non-Public Selectboard Session of October 14, 2021, will remain 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 discussion. There was none. With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms.Mayberry in favor, the meeting adjourned at 8:29 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Regina Borden, Recording Secretary
(Transcribed from Recorder)
The Walpole Community Giving Tree Project is getting underway again.
This project helps financially stressed families provide holiday gifts for their children ages birth-18 (or older if still in high school).
Participating families must be residents of the Walpole township (Walpole, North Walpole, and Drewsville). All personal information for these families is kept entirely confidential.
Due to the continued concern for public health and safety, this project will proceed much as it did last year. We already received requests from families with the help of the local schools. Now we need to get the requests out to potential “shoppers” in the community who would like to help.
From NOVEMBER 2-24 only, tags will be available at the following locations during their regular business hours: First Congregational Church (M-F 9-12, go to back door by ramp), St. Peter’s Church (during service hours), St. John’s Church (during service hours), the Walpole library, Spencer’s Place, The Hungry Diner, the Savings Bank of Walpole on Westminster St, and Mascoma Bank. Tags will be attached to a bulletin board so people will only touch the tags they wish to take.
You will fill out your contact information on one half of the perforated tag and leave it in the container. Take the other half of the tag as your “shopping” list, and then attach it very securely to the gift before you return it. Gifts may be returned to any of the above locations until the last day of November. Gifts should NOT BE WRAPPED.
If you wish to help but are not comfortable with shopping this year, there are 3 other options.
You may choose a tag and leave the whole tag and a donation in an envelope in the tag container, and someone will do the shopping for you.
Or, you can just leave a donation to help purchase gifts for tags that are unclaimed.
You may also send a check to either Jeanne Cloues (192 Upper Walpole Road, Walpole) or the First Congregational Church, earmarked for the Giving Tree project. Every little bit helps!
Once we collect all the gifts they will be “quarantined” for a week before we sort them all, and then they will be “quarantined” again before families come to pick them up.
This is a wonderful project that helps to brighten the holiday season for many of our local families, and we appreciate everyone’s help so that it can happen during yet another unusual year. If you have any questions, you may contact us at weilcloues@comcast.net.
Happy holidays to you and yours! Please stay safe and healthy!
Jeanne Cloues and Marcia Weil, project organizers
Starting at 6:30 PM in the Town Hall
SELECTBOARD MEETING
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE
Accounts Payable Check Register in the total amount of $113,922.03 for checks issued 10/22/21
PAYROLL
Payroll Register totaling $25,957.30 dated 10/22/21 and the 941 Payroll Tax Transfer of $4,982.93
SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES
• Selectboard Public Hearing – October 14, 2021
• Non-Public Session Selectboard Minutes – October 14, 2021
COMMITTEE REPORTS
• North Walpole Village Commissioners Minutes – September 28, 2021
• Library Trustees Minutes – October 12, 2021
• Planning Board Minutes – October 12, 2021
OLD BUSINESS
• Avitar Amended Assessor’s Agreement and Revaluation/Update Agreement
• Selectboard Meeting Dates
• 5-Town Meeting
• Utility Tree Pruning of Town Properties
• HealthTrust Return of Surplus
Pending Further Actions
Vilas Bridge, Houghton Brook Bridge, Generators, Three Phase Power for Industrial Park Drive and Bensonwood, Arborclimb
NEW BUSINESS
• NH Association of Assessing Officials 2022 Election Ballot
• TrueNorth Agreement and IT Budget Plan
• HSEM Meeting feedback
HOOPER TRUSTEES MEETING
• Greater Keene & Peterborough Chamber Focus Group for Regional Branding
• SWRPC Road Safety Audit
HOOPER TRUSTEES MINUTES
• Hooper Trustees Meeting – October 14, 2021
• Non-Public Hooper Trustees Session – October 14, 2021
HOOPER BUSINESS
• Keene Signworxs Invoice
• September 2021 Reimbursement to the Town of Walpole from the Hooper Educational Fund
• September 2021 Reimbursement to the Town of Walpole from the Hooper Maintenance Fund
HOOPER NON-PUBLIC BUSINESS: RSA 91-A:3 II
SELECTBOARD MEETING – continued
NON-PUBLIC BUSINESS: RSA 91-A:3 II (a)
**Any recording, audio or visual, and/or other devices must be declared at the beginning of the meeting**
COVID by the Numbers-October 15 Edition
I keep thinking we have turned the corner, here in NH, and then I wait a day or two to write, just to be sure, and…no. The corner has not been turned. Which explains why it has been a month since I have written.
In the country as a whole, the average number of cases has been pretty much steadily declining, from a daily average of 175,882 cases at the height of the last surge, on September 13, to a current average of 84,245. That’s a huge drop—over 50%. In the last 14 days, the drop nationally was 22%. The current daily average of cases per 100,000 in the US population is 27. Although it is a mouthful, the daily average of cases per 100,000 is really useful, as it allows us to compare rates of infection in areas of vastly differing populations.
In NH, our numbers started to drop in mid-September. Then, slowly, they started to rise again. Statewide, our seven day average of cases per 100,000 is currently 40.3, well above the national average, and the highest in New England. California, by comparison, is down to 13.9, and Mississippi is at 16.9. Massachusetts is the lowest New England state at 20.4, followed by Rhode Island at 24.7, Maine at 30.1, and Vermont at 34.9.
Among the NH counties, Cheshire, at 40.2, just squeaks in under the state average. From lowest to highest, Rockingham is at 29.7, Grafton is as 32.7, Hillsborough is at 35.9, Carroll is at 37.1, Strafford is at 37.8, Cheshire is at 40.2, Merrimack is at 49.6, Belnap is at 55.0, Sullivan, right next to us, and usually with a very low average is currently at 85.1, and Coos, driven by the towns of Gorham and Berlin, is at a whopping 109.5.
Here in Walpole, we have gone from 1-5 currently active reported cases a month ago to 9 cases today. That is actually down from a high of 14on September 21, but it is still high for Walpole. We have had 16 new cases reported in town since the beginning of the month, for a total of 215 reported cases since the start of the pandemic.
In Cheshire County, the number of currently active reported cases is 246, down from a high of 249 yesterday. A month ago, that number was 218. Cheshire reached the milestone of 5000 reported cases since the start of the pandemic on or around September 29, and as of now, has had a total of 5454 reported cases. Cheshire County has had 2 new hospitalizations and lost 2 more of our citizens since the beginning of the month.
There has been some good news lately. The Pfizer vaccine is now available for third doses for those who are immuno-compromised, have certain underlying medical conditions, work in certain high-risk environments, and for those over 65 who got their second dose over 6 months ago. Vaccines are easily accessible. You can get an appointment at the local Walgreens—COVID shots are by appointment only, so call or make an appointment on their web site. You can get your flu shot at the same time, if you have not already had it.
An FDA panel this week recommended extra doses for the Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccines as well, and those may be approved as early as the end of next week.
Pfizer has submitted its data on vaccine trials on 5-11 year olds to the FDA, so that age range may soon be eligible for the vaccine. NH DHHS officials have said emergency authorization may come as early as the first week in November.
Because of the backlog in COVID testing, four new dedicated testing sites are opening in NH, run by ClearChoiceMD. The nearest one is at the River Valley Community College site on College Place in Claremont, and it is open daily from 9am-3pm. It is a drive-up site, so you do not have to get out of your car. They are hoping to deliver results within 48 hours, and you do not need to be symptomatic to get the test. I am not sure whether an appointment is needed or not, so you may want to contact ClearChoiceMD before you go.
Take good care and stay well.
~Rep. Lucy McVitty Weber
217 Old Keene Road
Walpole NH 03608
Cell: 603-499-0282
lwmcv@comcast.net
Selectboard Present: Cheryl Mayberry (Chair); Steven Dalessio; Peggy L. Pschirrer
CALL TO ORDER: Ms. Mayberry called this Selectboard meeting to order at 6:30 PM in the Walpole Town Hall. Also present was Mrs. Jodi Daigle, Water & Sewer Clerk and Administrative Assistant, as Mrs. Downing was unable to attend, and Mrs. Regina Borden, Recording Secretary. There were three members of the public in attendance: Mr. Shane O’Keefe, Mrs. Kara Dexter and Mr. Peter Dexter. This meeting is being recorded.
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE:
Mrs. Pschirrer moved to accept the Accounts Payable Check Register in the total amount of $60,993.21 for checks issued October 8, 2021. This includes a payment in the amount of $26,839.07 to EE Houghton for water and sewer system repairs and maintenance. Mrs. Pschirrer is going to request clarification as there are two bills that seem to be for the same event; are they duplicates or does one-half go to water and one-half to sewer? The invoices are not clear. 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 October 2, 2021, in the amount of $28,500.95 for checks dated October 8, 2021, and for the 941 Payroll Tax Transfer in the amount of $5,480.75. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.
SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES:
SELECTBOARD MINUTES – September 30, 2021: Mrs. Pschirrer moved to accept the Minutes of the Selectboard meeting of September 30, 2021, as submitted. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the Minutes were approved.
NON-PUBLIC SESSION SELECTBOARD MINUTES – September 30, 2021: Mrs. Pschirrer moved to accept the Minutes of the Non-Public Session Selectboard Minutes of September 30, 2021. These Minutes will remain sealed. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the Minutes were approved.
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
The Selectboard acknowledged receipt of the following Committee reports:
BUILDING PERMITS:
Permit #2021-38, MAP and LOT #008-109-000: Mr. Dalessio moved to grant Building Permit No. 2021-38 for the owner(s) of Map and Lot #008-109-000 to construct a “48’ x 24’ Garage”. Seconded by Mrs. Pschirrer. With Mr. Dalessio, Mrs. Pschirrer and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.
OLD BUSINESS:
Community Power Coalition Public Meeting: Mrs. Peggy Pschirrer and Mr. Paul Looney went to Concord on October 1st to participate in the Community Power Coalition Public Meeting for the inauguration the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire. Mr. Paul Looney is the Chair of the local Community Power Committee; he signed the first Articles of Incorporation. After the first eight members had signed the Articles, Mr. Clifton Below, the Assistant Mayor of the Town of Lebanon, immediately went to the Secretary of State’s Office where he got those papers approved. When he returned, they elected a Board of Officers as follows:
It was a very informative day. She feels it was the right decision for this Selectboard to have joined in the beginning as they can have some influence on how that coalition works. They will be prepared to come to Town Meeting in March with a warrant article. They hope the Town will vote to adopt it so the Town will be buying power on its own. The Town has an old contract with someone back when the Town was working with the Fall Mountain Regional School District. However, they are not saving the Town a significant amount of money; maybe 1/10th of a percent. It expires in 2024. Through the Coalition the Town will have the opportunity to have greener power. The local Community Power Committee met last night to prepare for the public hearing that will be held here on Wednesday, October 13th, at 6:30 PM. Eventually they want to have a committee to work on what kind of green power we may have; “Cheaper Power, Cleaner Power, Local Control”. Some towns are working way ahead of Walpole as they already have energy policies. Liberty does not produce power but rather buys it on the market. A lot of our power comes from hydro-electric and nuclear power plants. Mrs. Pschirrer will go through the existing contract to see if the Town can get out of it.
Governor’s Advisory Council on Intermodal Transportation (GACIT) Hearing: Ms. Mayberry attended this GACIT meeting that was held in Keene on October 6th at 7:00 PM. Cinde Warmington, our Executive Counselor, was there in addition to three representatives from the Department of Transportation. There were approximately 20 people in the audience. She was the first to speak after the elected people. She read each of the statements from Mrs. Pschirrer and Mr. Dalessio and gave copies to Cinde Warmington and Bill Cass. Several people advocated for the Vilas Bridge. Some interesting conversations came out of that. Mr. Mike Abbott was not aware of the sewer line under the bridge. Mr. Bill Cass, Assistant Commissioner of the DOT, said he would see what he could do for us. He gave the history of the bridge. Ms. Mayberry suggested that since it technically was not a transportation issue that perhaps they should look for other resources for this infrastructure. Hopefully, something will come of that. When Kendall Lane, Chair of the TAC Committee, spoke he did not bring up the issue of the bridge. After the meeting Ms. Mayberry spoke to him and he advised that he had spoken to Ms. Warmington about the bridge. Keene has nine “Red-Listed” bridges. Senator Jay Kahn spoke well about listening to their communities and what their needs are. If they think it is important, they should give that some value. We tried and put forth our best effort. Hopefully something good will come of that. Mr. O’Keefe asked what some of the other comments were. Mr. Dalessio spoke about the economic connection between Bellows Falls, Walpole and the bridge. The biggest issue is the Walpole sewer line that runs underneath the Vilas Bridge. If it is damaged by fallen debris, it will be an environmental disaster for the Connecticut River. They need to focus on the environmental impact. Mrs. Pschirrer talked about the historic partnership between Walpole and Bellows Falls, and the economic impact there was with the closing the bridge particularly to Bellows Falls. There could be a catastrophe if debris damaged the sewer line. There would be an environmental and economic catastrophe. Ms. Mayberry talked about the downstream area of the river, should the sewer line break. She reminded them of their commitment to maintain the bridge that goes back to May of 1994 in exchange for the bridge in Newport. We are interconnected communities. They were all familiar with the history of the bridge. It was all good; it has more visibility. Ms. Mayberry also talked about their need to re-route the sewer line if nothing gets done with the Vilas Bridge. We will wait to see what happens.
Senator Kahn and NH Agency Directors’ Presentation re: Funding Opportunities for Storm Water Disaster /Recovery & Mitigation: Mr. Dalessio attended and felt the long process is there. We will have to get help from a consultant. There are many programs out there but each one has specific requirements. Once you start to go down one path, you cannot suddenly jump out and go somewhere else. Education-wise there is a different between a repair and a mitigation. FEMA deals with emergency repairs. Mitigation is to go beyond that; two separate programs. Mrs. Pschirrer mentioned the day FEMA was here they described both of those programs. They led the Selectboard to believe they could participate in both. However, now she is hearing that Mr. Dalessio does not want to do both programs. Mr. Dalessio explained in the Cold River Project, the difference between putting in the same size culvert or putting in a larger culvert was less than $2,000. They made a decision to go with the larger culvert. In the end there are still matches for funding. Cold River Road is the only emergency project still open. They are waiting for a culvert to come in. The rest are mitigation projects. The other big problem is finding civil engineers.
Pending Further Actions:
Vilas Bridge, Houghton Brook Bridge, Generators, Three Phase Power for Industrial Avenue and Bensonwood:
Three Phase Power for Industrial Avenue and Bensonwood: Mrs. Dexter asked about Industrial “Avenue” should it be “Drive”. Mrs. Pschirrer agreed that it is Industrial Drive. She advised that Bensonwood keeps asking for Three Phase Power but the cost is over $1,000,000 to run it from about a block away. Ms. Mayberry said they left it in the Pending Further Actions because Bensonwood approached them on this and it is a reminder that it is something they want to work on.
Whipple Hill Road: Mr. Shane O’Keefe asked if there were any updates. Ms. Mayberry replied that they did get some information from their attorney that they need to review. Hopefully next week they will have something to say about this.
Arborclimb: Arborclimb was called on October 1st. The quote has not yet been received.
NEW BUSINESS:
Heating Oil and Propane Quotes: Quotes were received from both Irving Oil and Allen Bros
Mrs. Pschirrer moved to give the contract to Irving Oil because they can supply both heating oil and propane. The difference in price on heating oil between Irving Oil and Allen Bros. is insignificant. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.
Recreation Revolving Fund Request: Mrs. Pschirrer moved to approve the request of the Walpole Recreation Department to use $1,401.87 to purchase fall soccer t-shirts from Grizzly Graphix. Sponsors will send in donations to reimburse the cost into the Revolving Fund. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.
Town Clerk-Tax Collector Office Memo re: Credit Card Payments for Property Taxes: Mr. Dalessio requested holding this for another week so he can talk to Mr. Rich Kreissle.
AFLAC Network Vision Plan: Ms. Mayberry asked Mrs. Downing what it would cost if they covered it in-Town instead individually. It would be nice to add it to the health plan. The Selectboard would like to have this looked into. This will be tabled pending further research.
RECESS SELECTBOARD MEETING:
Mrs. Pschirrer moved to recess this Selectboard meeting. The Selectboard will enter into a meeting as the Hooper Trustees. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.
The regular Selectboard meeting resumed at 7:19 PM.
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 (e) Pending Claims or Litigation. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved at 7:21 PM.
The regular Selectboard meeting resumed at 7:43 PM.
Mrs. Pschirrer moved that the Minutes of the Non-Public Selectboard Session of October 7, 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 discussion. There was none. With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the meeting was adjourned at 7:44 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Regina Borden, Recording Secretary
Hooper Trustees Present: Cheryl Mayberry (Chair); Steven Dalessio; Peggy Pschirrer
CALL TO ORDER: Ms. Mayberry called this Hooper Trustees meeting to order at 7:02 PM in the Walpole Town Hall. This meeting was being recorded.
HOOPER TRUSTEES MINUTES:
HOOPER TRUSTEES MEETING – September 16, 2021: Mr. Dalessio moved to accept the Minutes of the Hooper Trustees meeting of September 16, 2021, as submitted. Seconded by Mrs. Pschirrer. With Mr. Dalessio, Mrs. Pschirrer and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the Minutes were approved.
HOOPER TRUSTEES NON-PUBLIC SESSION – September 16, 2021: Mr. Dalessio moved to accept the Minutes of the Hooper Trustees Non-Public Session of September 16, 2021, as submitted. These Minutes will be sealed. Seconded by Mrs. Pschirrer. With Mr. Dalessio, Mrs. Pschirrer and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the Minutes were approved.
HOOPER BUSINESS:
Long View Forest Management Assessment of the Hooper Forest: Mrs. Alicia Flammia, Chair of the Conservation Commission (CC), sent a copy of this Long View Forest Management Assessment of the Hooper Forest to the Hooper Institute Board. Ms. Mayberry felt after the Conservation Commission (CC) Meeting on Monday that the first step is treating the invasive plants. Mrs. Pschirrer noted that after the Hooper Institute Board meeting last Tuesday, they agreed that we should pursue this. Laura Hayes sits on both Boards. They encouraged us to go ahead. They want to move forward with the harvest on Fanny Mason. There was discussion relative to a timeline for treating the invasive plants; some in the fall and some in the spring. They will then do a cut along with the Fanny Mason cut; start with the red pine, the oldest and strongest. They have not been cut in a long time. The cost will come out of the cut itself, so there will be nothing spent from Hooper Trust money at all. Ms. Mayberry felt they need to give direction to start treating the invasive plants and prepare for the cut. This will allow the Conservation Commission to move forward. Mrs. Pschirrer will make a formal, written request to Conservation Commission to start the invasive treatment of the Hooper Forest so that cutting can begin in the spring or summer. We do not want Long View Forest Management using toxic treatments everywhere.
NON-PUBLIC HOOPER SESSION:
Mr. Dalessio moved to enter into a Non-Public Hooper Session pursuant to RSA 91-A:3 II to discuss (a) Personnel and (c) Reputations. Seconded by Mrs. Pschirrer. With Mr. Dalessio, Mrs. Pschirrer and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved at 7:09 PM.
The regular Hooper Trustees resumed at 7:18 PM.
Mrs. Pschirrer moved that the Minutes of the Non-Public Hooper Session of October 7, 2021, will be sealed. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.
ADJOURNMENT:
Mr. Dalessio moved to adjourn this Hooper Trustees meeting. The Hooper Trustees will return to the Selectboard meeting. Seconded by Mrs. Pschirrer. Ms. Mayberry asked if there was any additional discussion. There was none. With Mr. Dalessio, Mrs. Pschirrer and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the meeting adjourned at 7:19 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Regina Borden, Recording Secretary
Roll Call: Present: Board Members: Chair Jeff Miller, Vice-Chair Dennis Marcom, Clerk Jason Perron, Jeff Harrington, Joanna Andros, Bill Carmody, Select Board Representative Steve Dalessio. Alternate: Trevor MacLachlan.
Recording: Secretary Marilou Blaine. This meeting is being recorded. These minutes are unapproved and will be reviewed at the November 2021 meeting for corrections, additions and/or omissions.
Call to order: A full board was at the meeting at 6:47 pm, so Mr. Miller called the meeting to order.
Minutes: The September 2021 minutes were approved as written. A motion was made by Mr. Marcom, seconded by Mr. Perron and approved by the rest of the board.
Old Business:
Public Hearing No. 1. Continued from September meeting. Two amendments to the Walpole Zoning Ordinances. Amendment No. 1 bans feather flags. Amendment No. 2 is a definition of temporary signs with some examples of temporary signs. If approved, these two amendments will be put on the March 2022 warrant for approval by the townspeople. Presented by the Chair of the Zoning Board.
ZBA Chair Jan Leclerc explained that she was at the September meeting last month and the Planning Board has some problems with the amendment about feather flags, especially the words “wind-activated.” So the board decided that the public hearing should be continued to this meeting so Ms. Leclerc could go back to her board and make some changes to the amendments. In between the September and the October Planning Board meetings, the ZBA board held a workshop on Tuesday, October 5, 2021 to discuss the wording of the amendments. The following is what the board decided.
Ms. Leclerc said that the Board decided to remove the words “wind-activated” from Amendment No. 1. In regard to the temporary signs. There is a definition of a temporary sign and examples of temporary signs. But because the board cannot constitutionally say what is on a sign, the board added “may include, but are not restricted to” announcement signs; real estate signs; community or event signs; etc. so they are not specifying what is on a sign. There is also a limit on how long a temporary sign may be displayed. The board decided not to add the word “flag” to the amendment. Most of the time the zoning board has found that being less specific is safer than being too specific, Ms. Leclerc said. She added that the Select Board asked the Zoning Board to write an ordinance for feather flags.
Mr. Miller asked if there were any questions. There being no questions there should be a motion that would be to either recommend the new version of the two zoning amendments or not to recommend, he said. Mr. Marcom made a motion to recommend the revised amendments. Mr. Perron seconded the motion and the motion passed with 6 votes, 1 abstention.
So this is how the final two amendments to the sign ordinance will read.
No. 1 Article lV
D. Signs.
3. Limitations 1.
Inflatable signs; feather flags; oscillating, rotating, flashing, neon or other tubular gas signs; or signs with blinking, changing or moving illumination are not permitted. These prohibitions do not apply to signs used for safety purposes by a government entity.
No. 2 This amendment will be added to the ordinance and will be Article No. IV General Provisions, D. Signs, No. 9, and the ordinance about Special Exceptions for signs will move to No. 10.
Temporary Signs
A temporary sign is any sign not permanently attached to the ground, a wall or a building that is intended to be displayed for a short to limited amount of time.
Examples of temporary signs may include but are not restricted to announcement signs; real estate signs; community or civic event signs; political campaign signs pursuant to RSA 664; garage or yard signs or signs for other special events that occur for a limited period of time.
All temporary signs shall be removed within ten (10) days following the event or activity being promoted.
Public Hearing No. 2: Avanru Development Group LTD/ Red Barn Lane LLC, West Swanzey. Tax Map 12, Lot 13-3, 4.03 acres, commercial district. Agent: James Phippard, Brickstone Land Use Consultants LLC. Proposed Vacant Lot/Self-storage units, 37,450 square feet, 5 buildings. Storage units to be built in two stages with buildings 3, 4 and 4 being built first. Phase 2 will be building 1, a cold storage unit, and building 2.
Mr. Phippard used the large screen for his presentation. He began saying the application is complete, all abutters notified and all fees paid. He said that Red Barn Lane LLC is proposing to purchase the property. There are two units of property, one is 4.03 acres and the other, No. 2, is 3.33 acres. The storage units will be on the 4.03 acres site. He described the storage units’ location, which is off of Route 12, with the stores Tractor Supply to the north and Dollar General in front and west of the storage units. There are two units of Abenaki Springs residential development to the north at the eastern edge of the property The buildings are long and narrow. Building No. 1, 20 feet by 200 feet, is along the bank and is longer and less wide than the others. There will be an office in this building. A diagram with all the buildings show building No. 2 a little wider but shorter than building No. 1 and 3, 4 and 5 being the widest. There will be a total of 76 units.
Mr. Phippard said he had met with Fire Chief Mark Houghton that day and there was concern about a Walpole fire truck going around the buildings within the fencing. Mr. Phippard said the fire truck was identical to the fire truck in Chesterfield and he knew the dimensions of that fire truck and assured Mr. Houghton the Walpole fire truck would have no problem accessing the property. Mr. Houghton will be getting back to him. Held up a new diagram showing that the fire truck could adequately go through and among all the units.
The inside climate controlled units will be open from 6 am to 10 pm and 24 hours a day with key pad access. A chain link fence will go along the perimeter of the north and west sides. Arbor vitae will be planted along the fence line as well as 10 deciduous trees, equivalent to Cleveland Pear trees, planted near the parking spaces to provide shade and screening. The rest of the perimeter of the property is surrounded by wetlands. Silt fencing will be installed during construction to prevent any sedimentation from entering the wetlands.
Access to Storage Unit 1 is on Red Barn Lane, a road off of Route 12. Red Barn Lane is 20 feet wide. Access to the buildings will be controlled by a sliding gate activated by a keypad. The driveway is located approximately 650 feet from Route 12. It provides access to Tractor Supply, Dollar General. and the residents who live in the two units of Abenaki Springs. This is the only access to the storage units, which means there will be very little additional traffic on Red Barn Lane. He estimated it would be about 7 vehicles a day – “not a significant impact” – and up to 15 vehicles on the weekend. This makes sense when you think about it, he said. How many people visit their storage unit daily?
The physical features of the land are that it is basically flat with Agawam, Type 24 A soil, a fine sandy loam that is excellent for storm water filtration. Runoff created by the new buildings and pavement will be collected on site using catch basins, roof gutters and curbing. Most of the runoff will then be infiltrated using infiltration strips next to the buildings or infiltration strips along the perforated storm drains under the paved areas. Excess storm water not infiltrated will discharged into a small pond to be constructed at the southwest corner of the site. The system has been designed to retain and infiltrate a 50-year-design storm. It’s an ideal site. An Alteration of Terrain already exists for this property.
Lighting will be LED wall paks mounted 8 feet about the finished grade and provide 1.09 footcandles over the paved area. There will not be any poles. Mr. Phippard showed the section on lighting and the width of the light, known as the footprint, was about the width of the overhead door. Lights will go on at dusk and off at dawn. Pictures of the fixtures are on the lighting plan L-!. Utilities are all underground and both water and sewer service are tied into a town system. There is a fire hydrant nearby. Most of the buildings will not have water, only building 1 where there is an office.
There will be 25 parking spaces spread throughout the property and among the five buildings. People renting the outside units will park in front of their unit. People using inside units will use parking space at both ends of a building. There will be one handicapped parking space at the site and a van parking space. This was based on the square footage of the buildings.
All snow will be stored on site in areas designated on the site plan and within in the fenced area. This property is not located in the 100-year floodplain.
A free-standing 24.6-square-foot sign that is 8 feet high will be located 10 feet from the west end property line near building 5. It is 60 feet from the edge of Red Barn Lane and 10 feet from the property line. There will also be small signs on the buildings to identify them and some small signage inside. The buildings are all metal with a metal roof and overhead doors. The siding is Desert Sand in color and the doors and building trim are Fern Green in color.
When Mr. Phippard finished his presentation Ms. Andros asked when do the lights go off. Lights will be on all night. They turn on at dusk and off at dawn. There will be security cameras throughout. Hours for the heated buildings will 6 am to 10 pm. Units along the outside with overhead doors are accessible 24 hours a day. Ms. Andros asked if he considered motion-sensor lighting. Mr. Phippard said that in many locations there have been complaints about that type of lighting because lighting can be triggered by small animals, a deer and sometimes even a large truck driving past the building. When the lights come on and then stay on for 10 minutes and bother neighbors. Mr. Miller said that the footcandles are low, they are not on poles and then there is some screening along the fence. Mr. Dalessio pointed out the people that would be bothered would be above on Upper Walpole Road. They would be looking down on the site. With LED lights and the lights pointing down it should be pretty good, he said.
Mr. Dalessio asked if there were 30 percent green space. Mr. Phippard calculated there would be 47 percent green space. Mr. Perron asked about what was outstanding for confirmation of the project.
Mr. Phippard said that Mark said he would review the building plan. Alteration of terrain update. There is a 1,000 propane tank at the office that he has to check and insulation.
Mr. Miller asked if the were any more questions. There being no further questions, the Public Hearing was closed.
Mr. Marcom made a motion to approve the site plan for the storage units with the following conditions:
Make sure the entrance to the storage units can handle our fire trucks.
He would like state mechanical inspection of all propane connections.
The location of the propane tanks must be approved by Walpole Fire Department.
All building and site plans must be submitted to Walpole Fire Department and approved by them.
An Alteration of terrain plan must be provided.
All this shall be done prior to issuing a building permit.
Mr. Perron seconded the motion and the motion carried.
New Business:
Tom Goins, one of two owners of Burdick’s restaurant and the building it is will discuss Outdoor Dining Facility.
Mr. Goins received a letter from the Select Board sometime this summer recommending that Burdick and Burns LLC approach the Planning Board with a site plan review application. Mr. Goins asked to to be on the agenda to discuss the outdoor seating area.
Mr. Goins brought along a drawing of the building and businesses in the entire building showing the 16-foot-by-26-foot outdoor seating area that he said was built by Mark McGill. He said while it was built with the intention of being disassembled in sections, doing so would be a hardship and he had nowhere to store it. Mr. Goins said when Covid hit, he had to shut down the restaurant. When outdoor dining was allowed, he started restaurant service outside. Mr. Goins would like to leave the outdoor seating area there during the winter and wanted Planning Board permission to do so. He would cover it with a tarp, and put up a chain barrier around the platform to insure safety. Mr. Houghton would plow around it and keep the area clean during the winter.
Mr. Miller asked Mr. Goins why he was here. Mr. Dalessio said at the time the governor mandated temporarily closing all restaurants and eventually that morphed into eating spaces outside. Mr. Miller asked about the cost of the platform. Mr. Goins said he paid Mr. McGill $5,500 to construct the platform and about $1,000 for planters and plants to put around three sides of the seating area. So the cost of the platform doesn’t exceed the $10,000 threshold for getting a site plan, Mr. Miller said.
Discussion ensued about winter, snow, snow clearance and the piles of snow created at the north side of the area. Mr. Goins said he owns the parking lot up to the cafe and has approached the town about purchasing the remaining parking area to Westminster Street and the exit to Main Street. That was where piles of snow usually accumulate. Several board members spoke about the problems he might encounter during the winter with the outdoor seating area still there. Mr. Goins said Mr. Houghton seemed to think he could accommodate Mr. Goins and be able to keep the area cleared. The Board members also pointed out that the town had to do its part in keeping the snow from piling up and do a better job of plowing the roads.
Mr. Goins left without needing to fill out a site plan application and prepared to take a chance to see if he can get through the winter without encountering plowing problems on his property.
Mr. Perron made a motion to adjourn. Mr. Harrington seconded the motion and the motion carried.
Respectfully submitted,
Marilou Blaine
WPB Secretary
cc: WPB, ZBA. Town officials, The Walpolean.
Posted: Inside the Town Hall, on the bulletin board outside the post office, http://www.walpolenh.us
Workshop: Tuesday, Oct. 26, 7 pm, Town Hall, masks required.
Next regular meeting: November 9, 2021.
Neighbors around the Common have lately been seeing this very attractive cat. Have you been missing it? – Lil
The Walpolean 
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