The Walpolean

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

CALL TO ORDER:  Ms. Mayberry called this Selectboard meeting to order at 6:00 PM in the Walpole Town Hall.  This meeting was being recorded.  Also present was Mrs. Jodi Daigle, Water & Sewer Clerk and Administrative Assistant, and Mrs. Regina Borden, Recording Secretary. 

Members of the public in attendance were Ms. Lori Landry, Superintendent of Fall Mountain Regional School District SAU 60; Senator Jay Kahn; Mrs. Jan Galloway Leclerc and Mrs. Myra Mansouri, Zoning Board of Adjustment; Ms. Celeste Aumand, North Walpole Village Commissioner; Mr. Jody Spivey.

PUBLIC BUSINESS:

SCHOOL REOPENING PLAN WITH LORI LANDRY, SAU 60:  Ms. Landry wanted to update the Selectboard on School Reopening and Bus Route Plans.  She distributed copies of the “FMRSD Mask Decision Making Matrix (based on NH DHHS matrix) and the “Fall Mountain Regional School District COVID-19 Framework 2021-2022”.  A lot has happened since their last day of school in June.  The COVID numbers had come down and they want to work a normal school operation.  They were looking forward to five full days of in-person learning.  Their three priorities were No More Remote Learning, Academic Recovery and Social Emotional Academic Recovery.  Since then, COVID numbers have gone up to a substantial range.  On August 13^th the NH Department of Health and Human Services came out with when they needed to wear a face mask.  We have no COVID within our school district.  The forms outline “Masks” and when they are Optional, Targeted and Universal.  They went to the School Board and asked that everybody be moved to a Substantial Level of Transmission. They needed to support and protect the students and teachers in their buildings. Right now, they will be wearing face masks and using the matrix.  A physical distance of 3-6 feet will be kept as much as possible.  They are trying to keep students in the same building. Their assigned seat will remain the same for the entire school year.  This year they will not have one large meeting at the beginning of school in the High School but rather there will be smaller meetings at each school.  Keeping lower numbers will be a benefit to everyone.  Visitors will not be permitted into the schools.  They will be restricted to more outdoor use.  Transportation will be consistent to what they had last year.  Windows will be open in busses and there will be no monitors.  Last year they did temperature checks but they are finding out from the DHHS that they no longer need to do them.  They are using different strategies, using plexi-glass, washing hands often, sanitizing as much as they can, etc.  They are happy to be able to have the students come back this Fall.  They will keep the School Board and Selectboard informed. 

There is a lot of discussion about the Federal money they are getting; ESSER/American Rescue Plan.  Posters are up for many different vacant positions.  They want people to work with the students and classroom teachers.  They anticipate this grant will last this year and two more years.  Having social workers in the district is very important.  Mr. Dalessio expressed concern about the tax rate in the future.  Ms. Mayberry explained that all the additional staff is being paid for; it has no impact on the regular school budget.  They are struggling to find social workers right now.  Ms. Landry noted that early intervening makes a big difference.  Mrs. Pschirrer reported the Selectboard is about to begin their proposed 2022 budget work and one of the things they always worry about is their collection of tax money.  Our collection rate cannot be set until the County, School and Fire Department come up with what they will need.  Ms. Landry mentioned their goal is to be on target for everything.  She has put together a timeline for the administrators.  It is a group effort.  They use a lot of grant money. 

Ms. Landry reported they have updated their website.  It will be clearer for people to find information.  Their Policy Committee is meeting once a month; their meeting schedule is on the website.  They are trying to be more pro-active in getting information out. 

There is a new principal at the Charlestown Middle School, Kathy Poghorian.  They wish her well.  

Ms. Mayberry asked about outdoor classrooms/tents.  Do we have a plan in writing?  We need to identify what each of the principals is doing so they can define it with the CARES money.  It needs to be cost effective and planned for.  Ms. Landry is looking forward to an exciting year. 

JAN LECLERC – BOARD EMAILS:  Mrs. Jan Leclerc (Chair) and Mrs. Myra Mansouri of the ZBA were present.  Mrs. Leclerc reported that Mrs. Pauline Barnes attended a “Right to Know” webinar given by the NH Municipal Association.  Two lawyers suggested it might be a good idea for boards to set up a separate email account solely for board business. Some ZBA members are concerned about some recent court rulings regarding email and town officials. Therefore, the members wanted to discuss this with the Selectboard.  If a court case comes up, all their emails can be subpoenaed.  Does the Town of Walpole have the ability to assign email addresses so their personal emails could be separate?  Mr. Dalessio said “yes” they do but the members would have to bring their computers in to allow the Town’s network company to do it.  The Town does not back-up their emails.  It is their responsibility to do that.  They used to have a ZBA address, but it was never used. Therefore, it was deleted.  If everybody would “cc” Walpole at least they would go to a central spot.  Mrs. Pschirrer advised that emails have been able to be subpoenaed for a long time. Depending on who was coming after us might decide that wasn’t enough. They could still subpoena an individual as well.  They might still want personal emails depending on the level of distrust.  Mr. Dalessio said they can make some attempt to control the emails. They can set up a ZBA email address and each member would have to “cc” it to the Town.  It might help.  Mrs. Leclerc summarized that they would take this information to the next meeting to see what the members prefer to do.                    

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE WITH SENATOR JAY KAHN:  Senator Jay Kahn will be presenting a Legislative Update.  He is currently in his third term and has some county-wise interests.  The House Representatives like Lucy Weber will submit their legislation during September and finalize it in October.  The Senate submits its legislation in October and finalizes it in the first week of December.  The Senate has more flexibility to submit things because of the later timelines.  Some of the biggest things they will be looking at are the fact that they set up some funds to receive federal funding of One Million Dollars of American Rescue money.  These funds are like Broadband, Law Enforcement, etc.  Hopefully, there will be some public works money coming to the State; about a half-million dollars.  There is also money coming to the State without a distribution plan.  Childcare money is coming; about seventy-five million dollars divided into two pools – one is to assist families and the second is to build capacity. 

The following question was asked: During the legislative session why did he not propose a bill for the Vilas Bridge?  Senator Kahn said it can be done but will be defeated.  They are looking at the Ten-Year Transportation Plan.  Ms. Aumand stated the Walpole sewer line runs underneath that bridge.  Senator Kahn pointed out that it is crucial for representatives from the Town to be there when there is discussion for the Vilas Bridge.  Ms. Mayberry noted the Ten-Year Transportation Plan is not enough because the Department of Transportation (DOT) sees the Vilas Bridge as an infrastructure issue instead of a transportation issue.  That is part of the reason they funded it at 50%.  In regional project priorities, the Vilas Bridge rehabilitation is being evaluated. It needs more leverage from another avenue in order to push it forward.  Without the support of the DOT, it will not get ranked high enough to get moved ahead.  It does not hit all the criteria; there have been no deaths or injuries.

It scores low on other issues.  Mr. Dalessio has said for years if that bridge continues to deteriorate it could create a regional disaster.  The legislators know this.  Senator Kahn was happy to hear this sentiment; he has heard it in the past.  They now have the attention of the Department of Environmental Services (DES), the Executive Counselor and other officials.  Mrs. Pschirrer noted that even though they are getting the American Rescue money it is not enough to move their sewer lines.  Their allocation of $419,000 will barely pay for the engineering, permits to go up Rt. 12 and across the river plus other preliminary work.  Walpole has already taken care of broadband.

Senator Kahn mentioned the storm issues in July were significant in Sullivan and Cheshire counties.  He toured many of the areas.  Homeland Security, Department of Transportation, Department of Environmental Services and Small Business Administration are involved.  He feels they are past the threshold for both storms.  His intent is to try to leverage a mitigation strategy – if they can use that leverage – the Vilas Bridge will be a separate issue.  He is glad they are getting shovel ready with the design work.  Mrs. Pschirrer said the strategy of having this area declared is important to Walpole as they had over $2,000,000 of damage.  FEMA and Homeland Security will be here on Monday.  Until somebody declares we are a disaster area, Walpole is not getting any money.  Senator Kahn understands.  There are other towns with significant damages.  A visual is always more effective than a story.  He is trying to leverage as much money for this region as he can.  Walpole has a Hazard Mitigation Plan.  Senator Kahn mentioned a GEO Database has been developed.  The information is shared with the Southwest Regional Planning Commission (SWRPC). 

Going back to the last legislative session, the budget had a lot of tax cuts in it that are not very favorable for this county.  He voted against this budget.  He looked at the Walpole School Funding and it goes up. 

He is also working with the State’s Tele-Medical Health Services.  They want to be sure all providers are being reimbursed the same rates as in-office visits. He will continue to be an advocate for healthcare, school funding and property taxes. 

Mrs. Pschirrer was disappointed that they did not pass any legislation that would allow virtual meetings as case numbers are up in this town and county.  They might have a call for a hybrid meeting.  When they had virtual meetings, they had people in the audience.  A hybrid meeting saves transportation money when a town invites representatives from the EPA, DES, engineers from other parts of the state, etc.  Mr. Dalessio felt it should be left up to the towns to decide.

Senator Kahn asked if the Town had applied for any State Revolving Funds this year.  Ms. Mayberry replied that they had applied in North Walpole for water treatment in their water supply and they received approval for the amount needed after grants. She provided an explanation of this project. 

There was discussion relative to poor communication.  It is not productive.  Ms. Mayberry said when they get late notices they do not, in most cases, have the opportunity to take advantage of a good opportunity. 

Mrs. Pschirrer reported that the Town has joined the Community Power Coalition of NH.   Walpole is one of the first nine members.  We now have a seat on that board.  They will incorporate October 1^st, 2021.  

Ms. Mayberry thanked Senator Kahn for coming to this meeting.  They need his help with the Vilas Bridge project.  Let’s work together.  Mrs. Pschirrer said they appreciate him coming and they hope he will continue coming back with updates.                                                     

CELESTE AUMAND:  Ms. Aumand referenced a letter she received from Trisha Perkins regarding trees on the Aumand property.  If they are dead, Mr. Aumand is liable to take them down.  About 15 years ago they had to pay to have a catch basin put in on the Aumand property because at that time the Selectboard told her father he had to fix the problem.  Every time it rains hard, Mr. Gary McCormack’s property has the same problem with run-off.  Ms. Mayberry had a conversation about this with Mr. Jim Tyrrell when it was first brought to her attention.  At the time his response was there was nothing they could do about the drainage.  Ms. Aumand advised all their paperwork was destroyed in their store fire.  Is it their responsibility or the Town’s responsibility to clean that catch basin? Ms. Mayberry replied that technically it is on the Aumand property. Therefore, it is their responsibility.  Ms. Aumand asked if the Town maintain catch basins in North Walpole?  There is one between the school and basketball court.  It looks like an oak tree is growing out of the catch basin that is off the access road to the school.  She has been cutting it back, but it now needs heavier equipment.  It is close to the road.  Mr. Dalessio will ask Mr. Rau to look at that.

JODY SPIVEY:  Mr. Spivey reported the Town of Peterborough had a cyber scam this summer and he wanted to know if the Town of Walpole had taken preventive measures.  Mr. Dalessio advised we do not usually do electronic fund transfers.  We have instituted a “sweep” account at night at the bank.  Mrs. Pschirrer noted they write most of the town’s checks and they are signed by the Town Treasurer.  An annual check to the County is hand delivered; it is not even put in the mail.  Ms. Mayberry stated they have to stay vigilant.     

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE:

Mrs. Pschirrer moved to accept the Accounts Payable Check Register in the total amount of $149,178.78 for checks issued August 27, 2021.  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 August 21, 2021, in the amount of $33,698.96 for checks dated August 27, 2021, and for the 941 Payroll Tax Transfer in the amount of $6,555.11.  Seconded by Mr. Dalessio.  With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.

SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES:

SELECTBOARD MINUTES – August 19, 2021:  Mrs. Pschirrer moved to accept the Minutes of the Selectboard meeting of August 19, 2021, as submitted.  Seconded by Mr. Dalessio.  With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the Minutes were approved.

STAFF MEETING – August 19, 2021:  Mrs. Pschirrer moved to accept the Minutes of the Staff Meeting of August 19, 2021, as submitted.  Seconded by Mr. Dalessio.  With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the Minutes were approved.

NON-PUBLIC SELECTBOARD SESSION – August 19, 2021:  Mrs. Pschirrer moved to accept the Minutes of the Non-Public Selectboard Session of August 19, 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 REPORT:

The Selectboard acknowledged receipt of the following Committee report:

• Zoning Board of Adjustment Meeting – August 18, 2021.

OLD BUSINESS:

Streetlights:  Mrs. Pschirrer spoke with a subcontractor of Liberty Utilities who asked if all the lights had been changed.  She suggested he talk with Mr. Steve Grenier as she was not sure if they were all done.

Hubbard Economic Revitalization: Mrs. Pschirrer moved to approve each of the five Economic Revitalization locations as follows:

• Map and Lot #004-003-005 – Hidden Acres Lane;
• Map and Lot #010-006-000 – 1 Pomeroy Lane;
• Map and Lot #012-057-000 – 46 Upper Walpole Road;
• Map and Lot #014-020-000 – 129 Valley Road;
• Map and Lot #022-005-000 – 195 Main Street.

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 motion was approved.

FEMA Visit:  The FEMA visit to begin the Preliminary Damage Assessment was re-scheduled to Monday, August 30, 2021, at 9:00 AM at the Highway Garage.   

Pending Further Actions:  Vilas Bridge, Generators, Three Phase Power for Industrial Avenue and Bensonwood, Complete Streets re: Sidewalks.

Emergency Permits:  Mr. Dalessio reported that two emergency permits were issued for Mill Road and the wash-out on Cold River.  Both of these permits should be here in a day or so.  They can be repaired under the existing Highway Department budget.  They may apply for a third permit.  Someone from the Army Corp of Engineers will come and sign off on the emergency permits.  This will allow us to possibly recover some of this money when available. 

Other Projects:  Elm Street is still planned for an October date.  The material is in the process of being made.  They had talked about School Street and Union Street; the vacuum people should be in next week.      

Mill Pond Dam Inspection:  Mr. Dalessio advised the Mill Pond Dam Inspection is scheduled for September 23^rd, 2021.

Houghton Brook Bridge:  This is moving along.  An email was received from Fuss & O’Neill.  It is expected to be completed in 2022.

Brownfields Project:  Mrs. Pschirrer reported that they took down the red building last Monday.  The next day they started the digging; there is a huge hole with safety protection around it.  They hauled away about four dumpster loads of soil.  They will continue to test the soil.  There will be a period of time when no work is being done.  

NEW BUSINESS:

NH DES Inactive Landfill:  Ms. Mayberry stated the mowing bill was $2,000 because it required equipment, we did not have readily available.  Mr. Dalessio advised it involved a lot of manual labor.  He will talk to Mr. Rau about being sure it is budgeted for next year.  Mr. Dalessio would like it to be in the Highway Contracted Services account.  Mr. Kreissle had it in the Landfill Monitoring account.  Mr. Dalessio mentioned the building on that property is being used by the Recycling Center.  Ms. Mayberry will ask Mr. Kreissle to put the Landfill mowing bill in the Highway Contracted Services next year and will talk to Mr. Hoy about what they use the building for because the property is being monitored.       

Purchase Order Highway Department:  Mr. Dalessio moved to approve and sign Purchase Order #678010 for Tenco in the amount of $63,460.00 to purchase new equipment for the Highway Department truck.  Seconded by Mrs. Pschirrer.  With Mr. Dalessio, Mrs. Pschirrer and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.

RECESS SELECTBOARD MEETING:

Mr. Dalessio moved to recess this Selectboard meeting.  The Selectboard will enter into a Hooper Trustees meeting.  Seconded by Mrs. Pschirrer.  With Mr. Dalessio, Mrs. Pschirrer and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved at 8:01 PM.

The regular Selectboard meeting resumed at 8:02 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 (c) Reputations and (d) Acquisition, Sale or Lease of Real or Personal Property.  Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, motion approved at 8:03 PM.

The regular Selectboard meeting resumed at 8:12 PM.

Mrs. Pschirrer moved that the Minutes of the Non-Public Selectboard Session of August 26, 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 Selectboard meeting.  Seconded by Mrs. Pschirrer.  Ms. Mayberry asked if there was any discussion.  There was none.  With Mr. Dalessio, Mrs. Pschirrer and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the meeting adjourned at 8:13 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Regina Borden, Recording Secretary

Starting at 6:30 PM in the Town Hall

SELECTBOARD MEETING

OPENING OF SEALED BIDS FOR TAX DEEDED PROPERTIES

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE

 Accounts Payable Check Register in the total amount of $33,923.30 for checks issued 9/03/21

PAYROLL

Payroll Register totaling $35,929.45 dated 9/03/21 and the 941 Payroll Tax Transfer of $7,182.04

SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES

Selectboard Minutes – August 26, 2021

Non-Public Session Selectboard Minutes – August 26, 2021

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Walpole Fire District Commissioners’ Meeting – July 7, 2021

Walpole Fire District Commissioners’ Meeting – August 4, 2021

North Walpole Village District Commissioners’ Meeting – August 17, 2021

North Walpole Village District Commissioners’ Meeting – August 24, 2021

BUILDING PERMITS•

2021-33, Map and Lot# 008-113-000

2021-34, Map and Lot# 011-059-000

OLD BUSINESS

Whipple Hill Road

New PO for Utility Trailer

Community Power – Joint Powers Agreement

FEMA Visit

Boston Post Cane

Pending Further Actions

Mill Pond Dam Inspection, Vilas Bridge, Houghton Brook Bridge, Generators, Three Phase Power for Industrial Avenue and Bensonwood, Complete Streets re: Sidewalks

NEW BUSINESS

MS-1

Cemetery Deeds for Lots D574 and D575

Storm Damage for night of 9/1/21

Tax Bill Newsletter Insert

HOOPER TRUSTEES MEETING

HOOPER TRUSTEES MINUTES

Hooper Trustees Meeting – August 26, 2021

HOOPER BUSINESS

NON-PUBLIC BUSINESS: RSA 91-A:3 II (c) (e)

**Any recording, audio or visual, and/or other devices must be declared at the beginning of the meeting**

COVID by the Numbers-August 31 Edition

The first week of August brought a lot with it.  My basement flooded.  The United Kingdom opened to travelers from the US.  And a long-awaited puppy arrived.  Now it is the end of the month, and the basement has been emptied and dried out, I have seen my sister and her family for the first time in two long years, and am nearly over the resultant jet lag, and the puppy is crate trained.  So now it is time to get back to the numbers, which have changed a lot in one month.

At the beginning of August, Walpole had 1-4 active reported cases of COVID.  Today, there are 9 active cases here in town, down from a high of 10 cases yesterday.

In Cheshire County, we were at a seven day average of confirmed cases per 100,000 of 4.1 at the beginning of the month.  We have now risen to an average of 24.0 cases per day.  Confirmed active cases in the county have increased five-fold, from 31 cases on July 20 to 150 today.

Statewide, the seven day average of confirmed cases per 100,000 was 5.3 on August 1.  Today, that number is 22.8.  There were 738 currently active cases statewide as of August 1.  As of August 31, the statewide number is reported as 2,864.  The seven day average of daily reported cases rose from 107 to 326.  Hospitalizations statewide were at 28 at the beginning of the month, and at 121 now. Sadly, we lost 7 more citizens in the first two weeks of the month, and 20 in the last two weeks. 3 of those lost were from Cheshire County.

Only one county, Belnap, was classified as having substantial community transmission at the beginning of the month; today, there is substantial transmission in all counties of the state.

The sharp increases should be a wake-up call to us all.  The CDC recommends indoor masking for everyone in places with substantial community transmission. Many businesses are now calling for masks even for those who are fully vaccinated, so make sure you do not leave those masks behind.

For more statistical information and maps than you can imagine, visit the NH DHHS web site at  https://www.covid19.nh.gov and click on “Active Dashboards.”

Take good care, stay well, and keep dry.

~Rep. Lucy McVitty Weber
217 Old Keene Road
Walpole  NH  03608

Cell: 603-499-0282
lwmcv@comcast.net

The Town Clerk/Tax Collector’s office will be closed on Labor Day, Monday September 6^th.  While it will be open on Tuesday the 7^th, it will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday the 8^th and 9^th due to training seminars.

Thank you!

Sincerely,

Meghan Hansson

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

Staff Present:                Sarah Downing (Manager of Administration); Richard Kreissle (Administrator of Finance); Michael Rau (Road Agent/Highway Department); Justin Sanctuary (Police Chief); Helen Dalbeck (Hooper Institute Executive Director); Meghan Hansson (Town Clerk/Tax Collector); Regina Borden (Recording Secretary)

Staff Excused:               Kraig Harlow (Recreation Director); Jane Malmberg (Library Director)

CALL TO ORDER:  Ms. Mayberry called this Staff Meeting to order at 5:00 PM in the Walpole Town Hall.  She thanked everyone for attending.  This meeting was being recorded.

Recycling Center:  Mr. Ben Hoy, Director, submitted the following written report.

Mr. G’s has not been able to provide them with any pumpkin gaylords in the past several weeks.  This is cause for alarm as they have been able to throw their mixed paper in these gaylords since they began doing business with Mr. G’s.

Hubbard can no longer provide them with pallets, which is another cause for concern as they need pallets and gaylords to keep their current business plan in place.

Northstar Pulp and Paper has agreed to start sending them what they can for gaylords.  They are looking for innovative ways to get through this crisis.  Ms. Mayberry suggested Mr. Hoy contact C & S in Brattleboro to see if he can get gaylords from them.   

Their storage trailers are very old and seen a lot of wear.  NRRA has grant money available to help towns purchase new or used storage trailers. Mr. Hoy has applied for this grant money. NRRA will get back to him with their decision.

Recycled cardboard is worth more and more every month ($150/ton).  It was $30/ton.  They bale around 2 ton every work day that Mr. G’s has a full trailer in their yard – Giving them much more cardboard revenue than any other town our size in the state.   

They have painted several trailers, and finished up painting the Reuse Center.  Their trailers are getting older (years-and-years old).  This is something to look into as it is their weakest point at this time.   

Asphalt work area is working out great for moving materials without spilling or damaging product.  It is also keeping the dust to a minimal level inside the building. 

Town Clerk/Tax Collector’s Office:  Mrs. Meghan Hansson, Town Clerk/Tax Collector, submitted the following report:

• Have deposited since last month’s meeting over $125,000 in tax collection, mostly late 2021 property tax payments.
• Still looking for another $178,000 outstanding on the 2021 Warrant.  (This corresponds to 105 invoices out of 2032.)
• Released several liens that were paid off.
• Town Clerk collected about $94,700, out of which Walpole receives $72,000.

• 449 vehicles were registered since last month; also another 12 boats (115 total) and 28 dogs (418 total).
• Changes continue to improve their office efficiency and organization.
• Renovation parts are on order; fire safety door is on order.  Door might be done before Veteran’s Day; week over which the rest of the renovations will be done.  Still looking for clarity on Selectboard decision on labor proposals.
• Their new printer, a Kyocera, they purchased from All Service to replace an aging Motor Vehicle printer is fully integrated with her software now and is performing as anticipated.
• The new copier, a Xerox from Benchmark, is also installed.  It took some patience to get the copier and software integrated fully.  Benchmark is working with them and Interware to see if they can offer a copier system with a seamless interface that would be ideal for other Town Clerks/Tax Collectors in the state of New Hampshire.  Consequently, they have had ready assistance!
• Mrs. Hansson and her Deputy will be attending Town Clerk training September 8-10 in North Conway, NH.

Ms. Mayberry mentioned that notices should be posted for days when the office is closed.  Mr. Dalessio said it should also be put in the Clarion.  

Highway Department:  Mr. Michael Rau, Road Agent/Highway Department Director, submitted the following written report:

            They have had a busy past few weeks here at Highway.  The end of July storm forced many projects to be pushed out.  Flood damages were widespread throughout town consisting of road and river bank washouts as well as clogged drainage.  Flooding has taken a lot of their resources.  Several roads were required to be temporally closed, however were successfully reopened within 24 hours of flooding.   They were short-handed but everybody available worked well together to get it done.  Many temporary fixes had to be made in order to restore safe passage of some roads.  Crews continue to work daily on restoring these damaged roadways.  As of now, we are still waiting for FEMA to come on Monday and assess damages in order to determine if this will be declared a disaster, which will allow for federal funding in order to help pay for repairs.  However with another storm coming their visit might be delayed.  Today he talked with Julia Chase, Homeland Security, about fixing things.  He was told if it is an emergency repair they are allowed to fix it.  They need Emergency Permits from DES.  Mill Road is in need of repairs and right now the bank on Cold River Road is in danger of collapsing.  Various other projects were mentioned. Mr. Rau has things lined-up for Monday.      

            All throughout storm clean up, day to day scheduled summer projects must continue.  Town property and roadside mowing continue each week.  Taylor Street, Kilburn Street, Forest Street, and Willow Street in North Walpole have been paved.  They will begin paving roads in Walpole this week, contingent on weather.  The Elm Street project has been put on hold due to the high volume of materials needed to fix damaged roads.  Notices on progress are being sent to the residents on Elm Street.  Material that is needed to continue the project has been sold and we are waiting for more to be made.    

Hooper Institute:  Mrs. Helen Dalbeck, Executive Director, submitted the following written report: 

            “The work that they do at the Hooper Institute and in our schools and community is informed and inspired by our mission to provide educational and scholarship programs to the youth and citizens of Walpole in the following focus areas:  Agriculture, Forestry, Botany, Soils and Environmental Science.”

School Programs and School Gardens:  Mrs. Dalbeck is harvesting each week and delivering what they have grown to the Fall Mountain Food Shelf.  Planning for fall harvests (and garden lessons) with

students has begun.  She met with 6^th and 7^th grade science teachers to schedule a fall “Ecosystem Series” for 7^th grade, based at the Mill Pond, our outdoor classroom.

High School Work Program:  This past month has been largely focused on the high school students – shepherding, corralling, cajoling, cheering on, and encouraging their workplace success.  Work sites have included Hooper Day and Adventure Camps, Abenaki Springs, Malnati Farm, Walpole Recycling Center, Walpole Veterinary and Alysons Orchard.  The program runs until August 21 when she projects 9 students will have worked 930 hours, 6/21 – 8/21/21.

CAMP Hooper Woodworking Camp, with 9 kids attending (5-8^th grade), ran July 19-22 and was taught by Steve Dalessio, Helen assisted.  In two mornings they made Viking chairs and the next two days were devoted to making canoe paddles with cherry boards that were harvested from the Hooper Institute land (2008).  These paddles were pretty special (and very messy/dusty).  Special gratitude goes to Steve who donated his time, tools and lumber that made this session possible for a group of very lucky Walpole kids.  She would also like to thank Alexis Pittman, a Friend of Hooper Institute, who donated all of the Celtic stencils, pens and paints that the kids used to decorate their projects.

Outreach and Marketing:  July and August Clarion plus many, many Facebook posts, camp flyers and garden presentation posters.

Facility and Land:  Two fir trees are down and removed.  The sugar maple site, at last, was cleaned up.

Administration/ Special Events and Programs and Friends:  FOHI members are meeting and planning a 1^st Annual Fall Festival at the Hooper Institute, September 25, 11am – 3pm.  July 28 was a presentation night for board members, parents, students, staff and friends at the Town Hall.  Scholarship recipients plus all high school work students were invited to present.  There were 40 people in the room, riveted by stories from the students about their academic programs and research and from the barns, fields, and orchards right here in town.  The arc of influence that the Hooper Institute programs have on the youth and people of Walpole was very much in evidence in that room, that evening. 

Development:  This newly formed Hooper Institute Board committee began meeting monthly in July.  There will be much more to report on in the coming months.

Walpole Community Garden:  The WCG (with FOHI) is hosting four garden talks/presentations this year.  She presented “Pollinators” on July 31 in the community garden.  Next is a garden tour and seed saving talk on September 11, 10 am.

Ms. Mayberry advised that the student presentations were wonderful.  They talked about what they expected when they went in and what they learned.  It was very inspiring and informative. 

Finance Office:  Richard Kreissle, Administrator of Finance, submitted the following written report:

Printers/Copiers:  Benchmark delivered and installed the new machines.  Installation went smoothly with minimal complications that were resolved either by Benchmark, True North and Interware.

Budgets:  Everyone should have received budget worksheets during the week of 8/2 – 8/9 along with where you stood at that time.  Budgets are due to him by 9/3 so he can present the 1^st draft to the Board by 9/10.  Please feel free to ask him any questions or to see a detailed listing of transactions which comprise

any accounts.  Also he is currently working on finalizing the formatting of 2022 budget worksheets for the Board.  The budget will be his primary focus for the remainder of the year.

Tax Rate:  One document that the Department of Revenue Administration (DRA) uses to set the tax rate is the MS-434R.  This report shows budgeted revenues revised for the remainder of the year and is due 9/1.  He will complete this next week.

Ms. Mayberry asked Department Managers to review their reports to make sure they know the reason why their numbers are under or over because the Selectboard will ask those questions during the budget meetings. 

Ms. Mayberry explained there were some issues with the credit cards.  They all had cards but it is charged on the same account.  She asked Mr. Kreissle to look into increasing the credit limit so they minimize the bottle neck of funds.  Mr. Kreissle is looking into that.  They do have a Credit Card policy.  If Department Managers do not know what that is reach out to Mr. Kreissle.  Submit your receipts in a timely manner. 

Ms. Mayberry wanted to talk about the Purchasing Policy.  If you are at your budget line and you have to purchase something then you need to submit a purchase order with that request to the Selectboard for their sign-off.  If you have any questions contact Mr. Kreissle or the Selectboard.  

Selectboard Office:  Mrs. Sarah Downing, Manager of Administration, submitted the following written report:

Assessing Update:

This week, Avitar Associates will be completing the cyclical inspections for properties that are in the southernmost area of the Town.  Changes will be reflected in the upcoming MS-1 or Town-wide valuation report.  This report, along with the MS-434R with revenues, are the initial reports submitted to the NH Dept. of Revenue (DRA) for tax rate setting process.             

Facilities Update:

• The new water fountain with the water bottle filler will be installed in the Town Hall first floor hallway next week.
• The outside door for the Town Clerk-Tax Collector’s Office should be installed within the next 4-6 weeks.

Office Update:

With summer being the time for vacations, Selectboard Office staff continue to cover for others when they are out of the office.  Brad Nash is currently on vacation.  Next week, Sarah Downing is out-of-the-office.  Jodi Daigle will be gone from Sept. 1 through the 10^th.  Monday, Sept. 6^th is a staff holiday and the Selectboard Office will be closed.

Human Resources:

The Selectboard decided at last week’s 8/12/2021 meeting that all full and regular part-time employees will complete the online training module through Primex entitled, “Preventing Workplace Harassment for Employees”.  This training is to be completed during work hours and a certificate as proof of completion is required.  More information will be sent to department managers regarding online access and the due date for completing the online course.

Planning for an Appreciation Lunch for employees and a virtual presentation by Health Trust to review health insurance coverage/programs and wellness offerings are in process.

Police Department:  Police Chief Justin Sanctuary provided the following report.  Last month Officer Landry was promoted to Sergeant.  He will be taking over some of the duties and assisting the Chief.  Officer Parro is now certified and will be out in the public.  The County hired a new Prosecutor.  It is vacation time; shifts have been changing to provide coverage.  There has been an increase in the number of calls received.  Due to the Route 12 closure they are covering the south end of Charlestown.  They got their building roof repaired but the ceiling needs to be fixed.  Last night a tree came down near the Upper Walpole Road and Route 123 resulting in a lengthy power outage in three towns for about eight hours.  Ms. Mayberry asked about the number of employees in the Police Department.  Chief Sanctuary replied five (5) full-time and four (4) part-time employees. They are still looking for qualified applicants.   

Recreation Department:  Mr. Kraig Harlow, Recreation Director, was unable to attend this meeting but had submitted the following written report:

Pool:

• The pool opened on Saturday, June 18^th and will be closing on Saturday, August 28^th.  A total of 15 lifeguards were staffed for the season and a majority will be back for the 2022 season.
• The staff sold ice creams, waters and ice pops this year and made a good amount of money from the sales.
• They offered three sets of swim lessons this year and every spot was filled immediately.
• Added multiple games for kids to use down at the pool house that include a large connect four, yard Jenga blocks, Spikeball, and Kan-Jam.
• Replaced the water heaters and the ADA chair this season.

Summer Basketball:

• They offered K-2 skill development program on Monday nights, grades 3-4 3v3 league, and the 5-8 summer league on Monday and Wednesday.
• The program had 100 kids signed-up between the three different programs.
• This year they purchased aluminum benches for the players.
• A huge thank you to Bowman Dental, Cold River Materials, and Chroma for sponsoring their programs this season.
• The winner of the 5^th-8^th grade league was Bowman Dental.

Community Events:

• Walpole Recreation will be showing movies in September and October.
• The movies that will be shown are Tom and Jerry and Coco.

Recreation Committee:

• The Recreation Committee met Monday, August 16^th to discuss the budget with plans of scheduling another meeting in the upcoming two weeks.

Walpole Town Library:  Mrs. Jane Malmberg, Library Director, was unable to attend this meeting but had submitted the following written report: 

Programming:

Our Summer Reading program wrapped up on August 8^th.  We had fewer participants than last year – her thoughts on this are that most people are tired of online programming, and some have still not gotten back to their regular library schedule.  Hopefully, next summer they will be past the pandemic restrictions and able to offer more in-person programming to draw more people in to the library.

They had five people for their first social justice reading and discussion group at the library and they had lots of ideas for future reading, viewing and discussion topics.  Their nonfiction book club had planned a discussion on immigration for September, but that has been postponed due to a conflict for one of the

discussion leaders.  The Thursday morning book club did not meet in July but are planning to begin meeting at the library again in September.  The knitting club has regular attendance of six or more people each week.

Plans for the fall include a monthly adult craft program on Friday afternoons, monthly book club meetings resuming on Thursdays at noon, and hopefully resuming the kids’ coding club on Tuesday afternoons at the North Walpole Library and Wednesday afternoons at the Bridge Memorial Library.  They will need to limit the number of participants in order to socially distance and masks will be required for anyone who is unvaccinated.  She has booked a talk with Anders Morley, a New Hampshire author whose book This Land of Snow: A Journey Across the North in Winter tells the story of an entire winter spent living outdoors and traveling on cross-country skis across northwestern Canada.  This will take place on Tuesday, October 5^th, at 4 pm.

North Walpole: Two of the commissioners (Patrick Kiniry and Celeste Aumand) paid a visit to the library last Tuesday and were happy with the changes they made.  They indicated that they plan to address the needed repairs to the windows and replacement of the fire extinguisher.

ARPA Grant:  They announced their grant in the August issue of the Clarion as well as in their weekly email blast and on their website and social media.  Families have been excited about the new Launchpads, and she has heard from several staff and patrons who are excited about the offerings on Universal Class.

Policy: She is continuing to work with the Trustees to review and update their public policies.  There have been some first amendment challenges occurring in other local libraries that warrant the inclusion of language addressing photography/filming in the library in their behavior policy.  She attended the Selectboard meeting on August 5^th regarding compliance with their mask policy.

Professional Development:  Mrs. Malmberg plans to attend the New England Library Association conference which comprises three virtual sessions and one in-person session in September and October.

Their Monthly Library Statistics – Bridge Memorial Library – Library Visits & Hours Open for July 2020 and July 2021 plus % Change were attached.

ADJOURNMENT:

Ms. Mayberry thanked everyone for attending this meeting.  The next Staff Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 23^rd, 2021, at 5:00 PM.  She looks forward to seeing everyone then.  This meeting was adjourned at 5:59 PM.  

Respectfully submitted,

Regina Borden, Recording Secretary

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

CALL TO ORDER:  Ms. Mayberry called this meeting to order at 6:30 PM in the Walpole Town Hall.  This meeting was being recorded.  Also present were Mrs. Sarah Downing, Manager of Administration, and Mrs. Regina Borden, Recording Secretary.  There were three members of the public in attendance; Mr. Shane O’Keefe, Mr. Jody Spivey and Mrs. Barbara Spivey.

PUBLIC BUSINESS:

Mr. Shane O’Keefe:  Mr. O’Keefe assumed the Selectboard was aware of the gates that had been installed on Whipple Hill Road on the Class VI portion.  There is a game camera aimed at the gates.  As far as he knows they were not authorized by the Selectboard or anyone in the Town.  They will interfere with the use of this road by the public.  This is a violation of public rights.  Furthermore there is a gate in front of the driveway at 171 Whipple Hill Road.  Mr. O’Keefe has spoken to other neighbors who are also upset with these gates and bars.  Ms. Mayberry advised the Selectboard was notified that the gates and bars were put up but not in advance of them being installed.  Gates can be installed on Class VI roads but they cannot be locked.  The Selectboard is looking into the specifics of that with their attorney.  They are still looking into it and reviewing it at this time. 

Mr. O’Keefe has put in a request pursuant to the New Hampshire Right to Know Law (RSA 91-A) for public access, within 5 business days, to the governmental records reasonably described in his letter to the Town of Walpole dated August 16, 2021. Ms. Mayberry acknowledged receipt of this letter.  The Selectboard is looking into the specifics.  They have public Minutes available but as far as attorney information they are trying to confirm what is allowable and not allowable to be shared.  Mr. O’Keefe confirmed the dates are from July 01, 2020, to today’s date.  Ms. Mayberry noted they are looking into the specifics; they will get back to him. 

Mr. Jody Spivey:  Mr. Spivey read a statement that was titled “Decision Leading to Unlocked Gates on The Class VI Portion of Whipple Hill Road”.  The fifth paragraph states that: “they installed two unlocked gates to protect their property because they feel, as tax paying residents of this community, they are not being protected or supported.  Per RSA 231:21-a, they have a right to do so and such gates shall be capable of being opened and reclosed by highway users.  They bear 100% of the cost to maintain, repair and plow the Class VI road to their home and they receive no property tax break for that expense.  As stated earlier, they’ve upheld their responsibility as required by the Town.”             

Mr.  O’Keefe pointed out that that road is supposed to be maintained at a 20-feet width; it is not.  RSA 231:21-a states they are allowed to maintain a gate but not install it.  He submitted pictures of the gates and game cameras.  Also noted was RSA 231:45 regarding the gates or bars.         

Ms. Mayberry asked if there were any additional comments.  There were none.  She thanked Mr. O’Keefe, Mr. Jody Spivey and Mrs. Barbara Spivey for attending.  They are free to stay for the rest of this meeting if they choose to do so.  The Selectboard will move on to their other business. 

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE:

Mrs. Pschirrer moved to accept the Accounts Payable Check Register in the total amount of $752,833.82 for checks issued August 20, 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 August 14, 2021, in the amount of $33,014.67 for checks dated August 20, 2021, and for the 941 Payroll Tax Transfer in the amount of $6,310.74.  Seconded by Mr. Dalessio.  With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.

SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES:

SELECTBOARD MINUTES AMENDMENT – August 5, 2021:  Mrs. Pschirrer moved to accept the Minutes of the Selectboard meeting Amendment of August 5, 2021, as submitted.  Seconded by Mr. Dalessio.  With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Mrs. Pschirrer in favor, the Minutes were approved.

SELECTBOARD MINUTES – August 12, 2021:  Mrs. Pschirrer moved to accept the Minutes of the Selectboard meeting of August 12, 2021, as submitted.  Seconded by Mr. Dalessio.  With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the Minutes were approved.

NON-PUBLIC SELECTBOARD SESSION MINUTES – August 12, 2021:  Mrs. Pschirrer moved to accept the Minutes of the Non-Public Selectboard Session of August 12, 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:

• North Walpole Village District Board of Commissioners Meeting – August 3, 2021;
• North Walpole Village District Board of Commissioners Meeting – August 10, 2021;
• Planning Board Meeting – August 10, 2021.

OLD BUSINESS:

FEMA Review of Storm-water Damage:  FEMA is expected to be here on Monday, August 23, 2021.  The group will meet at 9:00am at the Highway Department to do a review of the Storm-water Damage.

Brownfields Update:  Mrs. Pschirrer reported that the red garage/wastewater building is to be demolished on Monday, August 23, 2021.  People should be there tomorrow, weather permitting, to remove the fence.  If some of the garage is gone they will start to dig.  When they start to dig they will stockpile dirt in various places and that will be tested.  It will take two weeks for testing to be done off-site.  The most contaminated soil will go to Canada.  PFAS soil will go to Pennsylvania. 

Boston Post Cane:  Mrs. Downing advised that Mrs. Mary Shaughnessy is willing to take the Boston Post Cane.  She is 100 years old and excited about this.  She does not leave her home on West Street in North Walpole but will come out on her porch.  There was a consensus of the Selectboard to schedule a Drive-By Parade in the later part of September.  Ms. Mayberry asked Mrs. Downing to work with Mrs. Shaughnessy’s family to make the arrangements.

Pending Further Actions:

Mill Pond Dam Inspection, Vilas Bridge, Houghton Brook Bridge, Generators, Three Phase Power for Industrial Avenue and Bensonwood, Complete Streets re: Sidewalks. 

There were no new up-dates provided at this meeting.

NEW BUSINESS:

Purchase Order for Solid Waste Bags:  Mr. Dalessio moved to approve the Purchase Order for additional solid Waste Bags in the amount of $3,825.00 for the Recycling Center.  Seconded by Mrs. Pschirrer.  With Mr. Dalessio, Mrs. Pschirrer and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.  

Expected Return of Health Trust FY2021 Surplus:  Ms. Mayberry reported the Town is expecting about double last year’s surplus amount.  The anticipated surplus for FY2021 is $42,306.91.  They did some calculations similar to last year.  The final amount of FY2021 Surplus to be distributed will be determined after the audited financial statements are accepted by the Board of Directors on October 5, 2021.  Ms. Mayberry will talk to Mr. Kreissle about this anticipated HealthTrust surplus. 

Landscaping Services Donation for North Walpole Park:  Mr. Dalessio moved to accept the Purchase Order from Maple Hill Nursery in the amount of $10,670 to add shrubs, trees, and plants for the North Walpole Park.  This will be paid for out of private donations.  Seconded by Mrs. Pschirrer.  With Mr. Dalessio, Mrs. Pschirrer and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved. 

Mrs. Pschirrer has received the first check.  There are two donors splitting the cost.  She spoke to Mrs. Diane Harty.  They have a very nice landscaping plan. They also talked about the Recreation Department doing one of their community movies in this park.  The Park Committee asked if the Town has a survey or map because they believe that the Town owns more land outside of the fenced areas.  Next year they would like to put in an herb garden so people can have fresh herbs.  They have money to get rid of two dead trees.  It is a phenomenal park.  Ms. Mayberry advised that they have a dedicated committee.  

Heating Oil and Propane Bids:  There was a consensus of the Selectboard to go out for bid for both Heating Oil and Propane.  Ms. Mayberry will ask Mr. Kreissle to contact the customary service providers. 

Police Department Revolving Fund Request: Mrs. Pschirrer moved to approve the Police Department Revolving Fund request to purchase two (2) Cruiser Radar Units, Stalker Dual SL, for the amount of $4,460.  Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.  

Walpole School Newsletter:  A request was received from Mr. Justin Cassarino, Assistant Principal, to bring in their monthly School newsletters to the Town Hall for community members to take.  They want to be sure the community is aware of what is going on in the schools.  The Selectboard agreed by a consensus to give permission to Mr. Cassarino to bring in their monthly School newsletters to the Town Hall.  Mrs. Downing will contact Mr. Cassarino. 

RECESS SELECTBOARD MEETING:

Mr. Dalessio moved to recess this Selectboard meeting.  The Selectboard will enter into a meeting as the Hooper Trustees.  Seconded by Mrs. Pschirrer.  With Mr. Dalessio, Mrs. Pschirrer and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved at 7:07 PM.

The regular Selectboard meeting resumed at 7:08 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 (c) Reputations.  Seconded by Mr. Dalessio.  With Mrs. Pschirrer, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.

The regular Selectboard meeting resumed at 7:31 PM.

Mrs. Pschirrer moved that the Minutes of the Non-Public Selectboard Session of August 19, 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 adjourned at 7:32 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Regina Borden, Recording Secretary

                                                                   

From: Ray Boas

Just waiting for an email from the printer to pick up your September issue, and get it in the mail – probably late Friday, 27 August. But now the issue is on-line for the world to see.

JUST CLICK ON THIS LINK FOR THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE

Or, clicking on the image above should also work. Lots to read about on 24 pages – anniversaries, school about to start, and some activities picking back up. So take a look and enjoy.

Stay safe please and stay well, RAY BOAS, Publisher

Present: Board Members Chair Jan Leclerc, Vice-Chair Myra Mansouri, Clerk Tom Murray, Ernie Vose, Pauline Barnes, Alternate Judy Trow. Absent: Alternates Don Sellarole and Dave Edkins.

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

Roll Call: Ms. Leclerc called the meeting to order at 7:03 pm. There were five board members present so an alternate was not needed to fill in.

Minutes: Minutes of July 21, 2021. Corrections Page 2, paragraph 4, Ms Barnes said the second to last sentence should say “Ms. Mansouri made a motion to come out of nonpublic session at 7:40 pm.” Same page second to last paragraph, first sentence add “the webinar was presented by two NH Municipal Association lawyers.” Page 2, last paragraph, Ms. Leclerc said to change the two words that say “ordinance” that are in lower case to “amendments.” Ms. Mansouri made a motion to approve the corrected minutes. Ms. Barnes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

The nonpublic session minutes of July 21, 2021. These minutes were approved later in the meeting. Ms. Mansouri made a motion to approve and seal the nonpublic minutes. Mr. Murray seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. 

New Business:

Len-Tex  proposal for a Design and Digital Print facility at 4 Ames Plaza, Tax map 12, Lot 55-5, Commercial District. Also, possible retail of sales for custom commercial wallcovering printing. Presenting Don Lennon, president of Len-Tex Corp. Also present at the meeting was Vice-president Charlie Lennon. Informational meeting.

Mr. Don Lennon introduced himself and said their company is planning to buy the building at 4 Ames Plaza Lane where currently the business owned by of Doug Palmer of Smart Power Sports is located. It will be a digital print facility using one or more 64-inch HP Latex digital printers. These printers use inks similar to latex paint and produce no emissions and very little sound, Mr. Lennon’s introductory letter says. He expects a maximum staff of 5 and will be in operation weekdays from 7 am to 5 pm. There are 14 parking spaces.

 Mr. Lennon said the company in North Walpole designs, produces and supplies custom commercial wallcoverings to all the major hotels in the United States, as well as to 36 foreign countries. They also sell the company’s product to the healthcare industry, schools and much more. Literature on the wallcoverings says,  “Most people spend 90 percent of their time indoors. Poor indoor air quality can be caused by excessive emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)….The EPA-listed chemicals of concern that have been removed are:

            Phthalates (endocrine disruptors)

            Heavy metals – antimony, arsenic, barium (carcinogens)

            Formaldehyde (carcinogen)

            Phenol (skin irritant)

The company literature also boasts that their wallcoverings provide “built-in protection against odor, stain causing bacteria, mold and mildew.

 The new printers are capable of printing very large art work such as murals. Mr. Lennon called it “the coolest stuff imaginable.”

Ms. Barnes asked about the rollers on the machines that print the current wallcoverings in North Walpole. What are you going to do with the rollers when you go out of business? she said. Mr. Lennon said he had no intention of going out of business. That operation will remain a huge part of the business. But there is a massive difference between visual printers and steel rollers. With the rollers the design work is limited to printing 18 inches in diameter and 54 inches in circumference. But with the new technology, the company can now create floor to ceiling images. The goal is to create wallcoverings for three walls of a guest room in a hotel and a create a compatible design for the headboard. Mr. Lennon invited the board members to visit their facility.

Ms. Leclerc said your proposal is commercial and it is zoned commercial so you don’t need a special exception or a variance. She suggested Mr. Lennon check with the Planning Board because if the proposal costs more than $10,000, you will need to fill out an application for a site plan review. The $10,000 is for construction or renovations of the space, not for equipment such as the printers. Mr. Lennon replied, “That building’s perfect.” Ms. Leclerc advised him to just check. Mr. Don Lennon asked his brother, Charlie, if he had checked with board member and Select Board member Steve Dalessio and he replied “yes.”

Signage: Doug and Laura Palmer: 308 Main Street, Tax Map 24, Lot 13, Commercial District. Smart Power Sports retail and storage.

Mr. Palmer introduced himself. He said the sign will be on road side of the building. Will he need a special exception or a variance? he asked. He said the sign will not be 60 feet from the traveled edge of the street. He was at the meeting to ask for a public hearing in September. According to Mr. Palmer, the sale of the building that was his business in 4 Ames Plaza Lane is perfect timing.

Mr. Vose asked him where the building was for its new location. Mr. Palmer said, “You’ve seen this building a million times, Palmer said. It’s the one that used to have the deer on it and was formerly owned by RN Johnson. Ms. Barnes asked how old it is? Mr. Palmer didn’t know exactly but guessed 60 to 70 years. It was his understanding that the building was two separate barns that were put together.

The sign is 33 inches by 22 inches and it will hang 90 degrees from the road side of the building so the sign can be seen by people coming and going. He said his business is 90 percent online but if someone is searching for him, he wants to make it easy for people to locate him. So that would put it pretty close to the road, Mr. Vose said. The building is 20 feet from the road so it would put the sign at about 17 feet from the road. Regarding his question of variance or special exception, Mr. Palmer pointed to Article IV General Provisions No. 9 Special Exceptions. It says “signs of six (6) square feet may be placed between ten (10) and sixty (60) feet of traveled roadway between (20) and 100) feet of another sign by Special Exception from the Zoning Board of Adjustment when the Board is satisfied that the provisions of Article IV will be met and that the sign as placed will not have any adverse effect on abutting properties.”

Ms. Trow confirmed that a Special Exception was the correct ordinance and the sign was not over six square feet. It will require a public hearing next month. Ms. Trow asked if there would be other signs. Mr. Palmer said no, not at this time. Ms. Barnes moved that the board hold a public hearing for a special exception for a sign at 308 Main Street in September at our next meeting on the condition that the application be completed and all required fees are paid. Mr. Murray seconded the motion and the motion carried.

The secretary asked that the application be completed and fees paid by August 28 and that Mr. Palmer email her a copy of everything and bring the application and fees to the Town Offices. He said he would.

Peter and Kimberly King, 46 Dearborn Circle, Tax Map 12, Lot 55-22, Residential B District. The Kings are building an addition that will go in the front of their house. It is 2 feet shy of the required 65 feet from the center of the road.

Mr. and Mrs. King have lived at this address for 15 years and through the years there have been a multiple additions and improvements. The family really needs this space for the family and they debated whether to move or stay in Walpole. But because of the current housing market and since the family likes living in their neighborhood, they are planning on staying. Their children are 15 and 13 years old and the youngest is in her last year at Walpole Elementary School. Their son is in high school. They decided to add a living room to the west side of the house. It is 12-feet-by-20-feet. Dan Ferland will be their builder and they paid to have an architect draw up plans. The addition has a gable roof facing the road. There is a beautiful large window in the center of wall. The Kings sent drawings of the outside as well as the interior. The house is a ranch. The architectural plans were of the  basement and first floor, including the crawl space under the planned addition and the entrance. It is 63 feet from the center of the road, 2 feet shy of the requirement. Ms. Leclerc said they will need to fill out a variance. It has five criteria.

Mr. King said he already has a few people lined up. The excavation is all set up and a foundation is ready to be poured. Mr. King has already taken down a spruce tree that was planted when they moved in. It was just a couple of feet high then. When cut down the tree was 18 feet long and had quite a large trunk. It has been a Christmas tree for the family for many years. Mr. King said he wanted to do the right thing right and that everyone working on the project is “pretty much local.”

Kimberly King asked about abutters. Who was considered an abutter? Is someone across the street an abutter. Ms. Mansouri said yes. She said she needed help with the process.

The RSA for the definition of abutter is in the NH Planning and Land Use Regulation” manual. RSA 672:3 “Abutter” means any person whose property is located in New Hampshire and adjoins or is directly across the street or stream from the land under consideration by the local use board.”

Ms. Leclerc said you know you need a variance. There are five criteria on the application and you need to answer the five questions.

Mr. Vose said he was making a motion to set a pubic hearing for next month and the application must be  complete and the fees paid. Ms. Mansouri seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.

Ms. Blaine asked that the application be completed and fees paid by August 28 and that Mr. Palmer email her a copy of everything and bring the application and fees to the Town Offices. He said he would. She offered to look up abutters and send the list to the Kings.

Old Business:

Sort-term rentals. Any update on Conway, NH decision?

 Ms. Leclerc said there is not much to say about short-term rentals. Ms. Barnes said the plaintiff has to put their case forward by the end of September so it will be some time after that when a decision on the Conway court case about short-term rental is complete.

Report on visit to Planing Board:

Earlier this month, the ZBA board attended a PB meeting to submit two amendments to the zoning ordinances for a public hearing in September and then be placed on the warrant next March. Ms. Mansouri, Ms. Barnes and Ms. Leclerc attended. Ms. Barnes left shortly after the meeting began because their presentation wasn’t going to be until the end.

Ms. Leclerc told the Planning Board that the Zoning Board had prepared two amendments to the zoning ordinances. Both regard signs. She would like to have a public hearing next month so the Board can present them to the town next March on the warrant. She said that last year the Zoning Board had a brief discussion with the Planning Board about feather fabric signs in the commercial district. The Planning Board asked the ZBA to get a Select Board opinion. The Select Board thought that feather flags should be addressed specifically in an ordinance. So one amendment has to do with feather flags. The other amendment is a definition of temporary signs, which at this time aren’t specified in the ordinance, so technically they are not allowed. There was a motion to hold a public hearing next month, the motion was seconded and approved by the Planning Board.

Solar Array:

 During the August Planning Board meeting, after a presentation on the 1 mega watt solar array by Dan Weeks, vice-president of Revision Energy, about the proposed in the commercial district, Chair Jeffrey Miller announced that the solar array was in an industrial use and it will need a special exception. That means that any decision on the solar array was handed over to the Zoning Board. At tonight’s ZBA meeting, there was no one representing the solar array proposal. The secretary said she tried contacting Mr. Jim Clifford of NGP Management by email but hadn’t heard from him yet. However, she has heard from the company’s lawyer by email.

Ms. Mansouri said as she was leaving the Planning Board meeting, she saw the principals of the solar array company in the hallway of the Town Offices. She introduced herself and mentioned that they would need an application for a special exception. Ms. Leclerc said there is nothing for the board to do until they come to a meeting. She said they need an application for an industrial use in a commercial zone. That is in the town’s ordinance. The definition of industrial is bringing in one material and creating another material. It technically fits that description. But a lot of other concerns the board might have for industrial use, such as noxious odors, noise, etc. will be non issues if it ever comes to the board.

Ms. Barnes asked, “I wonder if that holds for a grocery store if you bring in a side of beef and the butcher cuts it into steaks?” Is that transforming one thing into another? You are making steaks starting with raw materials.  And what about a copy machine? she asked.

According to our town ordinances “manufacturing operations are those in which materials are changed physically in form, changed chemically or mixed to provide other compounds.”

Ms. Leclerc said it’s a gray area. She and Ms. Mansouri spoke to someone about solar array and he considered solar arrays to be a commercial use. But the Planning Board has decided it should be industrial. So that’s the hang up about a possible suit? Mr. Murray asked. Ms. Leclerc said no, she doesn’t think that’s the hang up. At the meeting Mr. MIller said he considered a solar array an industrial use because they were changing sunlight into electricity so it needed a special exception.

Mr. Murray said he thought the ZBA has more power then the Planning Board. In a hand-out Barnes gave us, he said, it says the ZBA can decide if a variance or special exception is really needed. That came from her notes from a June 2019 state conference.

But they still have to come before us for a ruling on that, Ms. Trow said.

So this is to be decided on the definition of industrial/commercial? Is it the Planning Board’s purview or the Zoning Board of Adjustment’s purview? Ms. Mansouri asked. “They sent it to us, we will decide.”

Ms. Mansouri said she thought industrial has more to do with chemicals. Mr. Murray said it needed a recommendation from the Planning Board. Later in the meeting Ms. Leclerc said she didn’t actually think it did need a recommendation from the Planning Board. 

 Definitions: Article XVll:

The secretary proposed moving the definition section (Article XVII)  because a lot of the definitions are already in Article IV General Provision. Examples were definitions regarding signs and manufactured or mobile homes. Both Ms. Trow and Ms. Mansouri thought that the section should remain where it was as it noted in the table of contents. Ms. Barnes wasn’t so sure. There was no vote on this topic.

Board emails:

At the last meeting the topic of emails came up. Ms. Barnes mentioned a Right to Know webinar she attended. It was presented by two lawyers, Natch Greyes and Stephen Buckley, who are with the NH Municipal Association. Attendees of the webinar were reminded that emails are government records. In a recent superior court case, the lawyers said, personal emails from a former board member were requested during the trial because they could contain board business that is pertinent to the case. The lawyers suggested it might be a good idea for boards to set up a separate email account solely for board business. 

Ms. Trow said she thought the board should address the issue. Maybe there should be a Zoning Board of Adjustment email account and the members should use that to communicate.  It was decided that this was area of real concern, especially if there were a court case. It was decided that Ms. Leclerc and Ms. Mansouri would go to the August 26 meeting and discuss this issue with the select board.

Adjournment:

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

Respectfully submitted,

Marilou Blaine

ZBA Secretary

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

Copied: ZBA, WPB, Town Offices, the Walpolean.

PS: The afternoon of our meeting Mr. Clifford sent me this email: Hi Marilou, Sorry for the slow reply.  Your email got by me somehow.  We are not planning to attend the ZBA meeting tonight.  We are still trying to decide what our plan is going forward.  I will get back in touch once we make some decisions.

Thanks Marilou.

Jim

Please be looking for the Friends of the Library membership postcard that will be arriving in your mail soon.  This membership drive is one of our three fundraisers for the year.  If you do not receive a postcard, but would like to make a membership donation, please stop by the library. Your generous support is always appreciated! 

Also, individuals and organizations can purchase tag sale space at the Friends of the Walpole Library Book Sale at the end of October for $25.  Vendors will need to provide their own table.  Contact Carol at 603-756-9537.