Recreation Department Budget Meeting – 12/14/17

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TOWN OF WALPOLE

MEETING OF THE SELECTBOARD

RECREATION DEPARTMENT BUDGET

DECEMBER 14, 2017

 

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

CALL TO ORDER:  Mrs. Pschirrer called this Selectboard meeting to order at 6:00 PM in the Walpole Town Hall.  She advised this meeting is being recorded and asked anyone wishing to speak to identify themselves for the record.  Mr. Justin Cassarino, Recreation Department Director, was present.

2018 Proposed Budget – Recreation Department:  Mr. Cassarino and the Recreation Committee have been talking about the tennis courts.  Mrs. Pschirrer asked if there are any programs for teenagers.  Mr. Cassarino replied not at this time; there has not been enough interest.  The Walpole League numbers are dwindling; no more than 20.  It is between $20,000-to-$30,000 for a new tennis court; Walpole has two.  People have said they would love to have a walking track.  It would probably be all around the fence.

Mr. Cassarino would like to have a pool manager.  All the programs have grown beyond one person, 35 hours.  He would like to do more community events; for both children and adults throughout the season.  The committee and he have talked about his being in charge of the recreation, such as sports, and the pool manager would be responsible for the pool but report to Mr. Cassarino.  They have a job description.  The pool manager would need to take a two-day training session on how to run the system, chemicals, etc. The pool is open approximately ten weeks.  Clear Water would help get the pool ready to open up.  The pool takes a lot of time over the summer.  There was a consensus to set the Pool Manager 2018 Proposed Budget at $8,000.  Salaries part-time will be reduced from $29,580 to $24,000.  Salaries-Manager will be $10,000.  Telephone will be $1,000.  Swimming Certs/Red Cross is dropped from $1,000 to $800.  Soccer Program will remain at $1,000.  Basketball Program/Officials is increased from $1,800 to $2,000; Mr. Cassarino has had trouble with recruiting.  Pool Chemicals is down from $5,000 to $4,000; the new company is saving them money. Tennis/Basketball Courts Maintenance is dropped from $4,000 to $3,000; some painting on the courts will be done.  After it is recalculated it will be a lower budget than last year.

Mr. Cassarino feels their program is doing real well now.  There is a group of people who want to make the soccer program even more developed for the younger youth.  A lot of four-year-olds had trouble hearing about the soccer program. Therefore, more flyers will be distributed.  His main goal for the winter is to get a basketball program for the younger youth; four-year-olds.  He wants them to have fun.

Mr. Dalessio asked if a line should be established for the North Walpole Park.  Mr. Cassarino said there was a Christmas tree lighting; it is being done with solar lights.  A good group showed up.  They have a lot of great ideas.  Mr. Dalessio said they talked about having a North Walpole Park representative on the Recreation Committee.  Mr. Cassarino felt that is a good idea.  They would like to do games for the little children.  A park where people can relax.  The Selectboard agreed to add $1,000 to the Recreation Department budget for the North Walpole Park so they could have a small sand box, picnic tables, etc.  Mr. Cassarino will be their contact person.  The next Recreation Committee meeting will be in early January.

Mrs. Pschirrer asked Mr. Cassarino to put the Walking Track on his “Wish List” as she feels it would be used a lot.

 

ADJOURNMENT:

Mrs. Pschirrer closed this Selectboard Budget Meeting at 6:32 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Regina Borden, Recording Secretary

Mark Your Calendar – 2/8/18

Uncategorized 12/19/2017 Leave a comment

Please mark your calendars for 2018 Town Budget Hearing for Thursday, February 8th at 6pm in the 1st floor meeting room in the Town Hall.

The Selectboard Meeting will follow in the Selectboard Office with business items only on the agenda. No public business will be discussed. All are welcome to attend to observe the meeting.

Sarah

Selectboard Office

Selectboard Meeting Minutes – 12/6/17

SELECTBOARD 12/19/2017 Leave a comment

 

TOWN OF WALPOLE

MEETING OF THE SELECTBOARD

DECEMBER 6, 2017

 

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

CALL TO ORDER:  Mrs. Pschirrer called this Selectboard meeting to order at 8:00 AM in the Walpole Town Hall.  She advised this meeting is being recorded and asked anyone wishing to speak to identify themselves for the record.  There were no members of the public in attendance.

 

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE:

Mr. Dalessio moved to authorize Mrs. Sarah Downing to review the Accounts Payable and approve it on Friday, December 8, 2017.  This is due to having a short week.  Seconded by Ms. Mayberry.  With Mr. Dalessio, Ms. Mayberry and Mrs. Pschirrer in favor, the motion was approved.

 

PAYROLL:

Ms. Mayberry moved to accept the Payroll Register for the week ending December 2, 2017, in the amount of $24,360.79 for checks dated December 8, 2017.  Seconded by Mr. Dalessio.  With Ms. Mayberry, Mr. Dalessio and Mrs. Pschirrer in favor, the motion was approved.

Ms. Mayberry moved to accept the electronic fund transfer for the 941 Employer Taxes for Withholding, MEDI and FICA taxes in the amount of $5,529.54 for the week ending December 2, 2017.  Seconded by Mr. Dalessio.  With Ms. Mayberry, Mr. Dalessio and Mrs. Pschirrer in favor, the motion was approved.

 

SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES:

SELECTBOARD MEETING – November 30, 2017:  Ms. Mayberry moved to accept the Minutes of the Selectboard meeting of November 30, 2017, as submitted.  Seconded by Mr. Dalessio.  With Ms. Mayberry, Mr. Dalessio and Mrs. Pschirrer in favor, the Minutes were approved.

NON-PUBLIC SELECTBOARD SESSION – November 30, 2017: Ms. Mayberry moved to accept the Minutes of the Non-Public Selectboard Session of November 30, 2017, as submitted.  These Minutes will remain sealed.  Seconded by Mr. Dalessio.  With Ms. Mayberry, Mr. Dalessio and Mrs. Pschirrer in favor, the Minutes were approved.

 

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

The Selectboard received and reviewed Minutes of the following meetings:

  • Walpole Conservation Commission – October 2, 2017;
  • Walpole Conservation Commission – November 6, 2017.

 

OLD BUSINESS:

Water and Sewer Bills Over 90 Days:  The Selectboard looked at the Over 90 Days report.  Mrs. Daigle has to give the delinquent list to Mrs. Sandy Smith, Tax Collector, by next Thursday to begin the lien process.  Mr. Dalessio recommended Mrs. Daigle send out reminder letters that state any property owner who does not make payments by December 14th will be referred to the Tax Collector.  People are reminded of these bills periodically.  If people are making a good faith payment and keeping up with their agreements, they do not need the letter sent to them.  The Selectboard made decisions as to how to proceed with notifying people about the payment deadline of December 14th. Otherwise, they will remain on the list that will be forwarded to Mrs. Smith, Tax Collector, who will place a lien on the property.

Ms. Mayberry moved to sign these Walpole Water and Sewer and the North Walpole Sewer delinquent totals to go to lien.  Seconded by Mr. Dalessio.  With Ms. Mayberry, Mr. Dalessio and Mrs. Pschirrer in favor, the motion was approved.

Warrant Article:  The Selectboard received the information from Mr. Tom Goins for the cruiser.  Mrs. Pschirrer will re-write this Warrant Article.

Vacation Time:  Mrs. Pschirrer reported two employees have requested carry-over vacation time.  Mrs. Smith will use a few days but is asking to carry over some of the unused time.  Mr. Rau requested carrying over two weeks.  The Selectboard approved these two requests.  Mr. Dalessio felt going forward they should establish a deadline for using carry-over vacation time.

 

RECESS SELECTBOARD MEETING:

Ms. Mayberry moved to recess this Selectboard meeting.  The Selectboard will enter into a meeting as the Hooper Trustees.  Seconded by Mr. Dalessio.  With Ms. Mayberry, Mr. Dalessio and Mrs. Pschirrer in favor, the motion was approved at 8:47 AM.

The regular Selectboard meeting resumed at 8:52 AM.

 

OTHER BUSINESS:

Budget Workshop:  The Selectboard has scheduled an all-day Budget Workshop on Friday, December 15, 2017 beginning at 8:00 AM to meet with each Department Director on their 2018 proposed budget.  Each Department Director will have an hour.  The tentative schedule is: Police Department, Highway Department, Recycling Center, Library, Hooper Institute, Water and Sewer, Municipal buildings and Selectboard’s Office.  Recreation will be last to enable Mr. Cassarino to come in after school is out.  Mr. Kreissle will be worked in during the day.

 

ADJOURNMENT:

Ms. Mayberry moved to adjourn this meeting.  Seconded by Mr. Dalessio.  With Ms. Mayberry, Mr. Dalessio and Mrs. Pschirrer in favor, the meeting was adjourned at 8:55 AM.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Regina Borden, Recording Secretary

Hooper Trustees Meeting Minutes – 12/6/17

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TOWN OF WALPOLE

HOOPER TRUSTEES MEETING

DECEMBER 6, 2017

 

 

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

 

CALL TO ORDER:  Mrs. Pschirrer called this Hooper Trustees meeting to order at 8:47 AM.

 

HOOPER TRUSTEES MINUTES:

HOOPER TRUSTEES MEETING – November 30, 2017:  Mr. Dalessio moved to accept the Minutes of the Hooper Trustees meeting of November 30, 2017, as submitted.  Seconded by Ms. Mayberry.  With Mr. Dalessio, Ms. Mayberry and Mrs. Pschirrer in favor, the Minutes were approved.

 

Hooper Mansion:  Mrs. Pschirrer will be calling an antique dealer, referred by Mrs. Sharon Boccelli, who is interested in seeing what furniture is left.

 

Mrs. Pschirrer is meeting with Mr. Kevin Healy at 11:00 AM at the Mansion; he will do some more cleaning.  Mrs. Pschirrer has been bringing in “bits-and-pieces” of money for various items that were sold recently.

 

Hooper Property:  Mrs. Pschirrer spoke with Attorney Hockensmith who is drawing up the deed and other necessary documents for the sale of the property.

 

ADJOURNMENT:

Ms. Mayberry moved to adjourn this Hooper Trustees meeting.  Seconded by Mr. Dalessio.  With Ms. Mayberry, Mr. Dalessio and Mrs. Pschirrer in favor, the meeting was adjourned at 8:52 AM.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Regina Borden, Recording Secretary

 

Voter Forum Information

Uncategorized 12/19/2017 1 Comment

The Fall Mountain Alliance held a Voter Information Forum in early December. They have consolidated the information shared that night to assist residents seeking information about state government  – what’s going on and how to access more insight.  Hope you find it helpful – Lil

 

Voter Information Forum

Where is New Hampshire headed and how can we have a say in it?  These questions emerged as the dominant theme of the voter information forum held in the town hall the evening of December 6th. Local representatives Lucy Weber (D-Walpole), Michael Abbott (D-Hinsdale), and Paul Berch (D-Westmoreland) spoke about legislation pending in the state across a wide range of issues and answered questions from an audience of twenty.

Although the three Democratic representatives are in the minority in the State House (which has a Republican governor and Republican majority legislature), they often collaborate with Republicans on issues which are non-partisan in nature.  Berch talked of the approach where one side finds reasons to back a bill that are in the other side’s interest and said it was a way of moving bills forward. Weber addressed the incremental nature of their work, saying she’s worked on bills with those she doesn’t agree with, finding ways to make common cause, and keeping the door open to times when, because of a change of heart or circumstance, opponents change their stance.  And Abbott, in talking of a ten-year infrastructure plan, referenced the long view.

As to how citizens can most effectively have input, the representatives recommended contacting their representatives by e-mail or phone, testifying at public committee hearings with personal experience related to an issue, writing letters to the editor, and providing representatives with relevant information.

Information on contacts and topics covered at the forum with upcoming votes or committee hearings in January are available through this link (https://sites.google.com/site/fallmountainalliance/voter-information-forum—contacts-topics).

The event was hosted by the Fall Mountain Alliance, a local group focused on informed engagement, and was organized by FMA member Sara Kagle.

 

Voter Information Forum – Contacts & Topics

Contacting Your Representative

While all are Democrats, they stress they represent all their constituents.

Contact e-mails for New Hampshire state representatives of District Cheshire 01:

  • Representative Lucy M. Weber
    • (lwmcv@comcast.net)
    • (Serves on the Health, Human Services and the Elderly Affairs Committee, Rules Committee, Children and Family Law Committee.)
    • (603)756-4338
  • Representative Michael D. Abbott
    • (Michael.Abbott@leg.state.nh.us)
    • (Serves on the Public Works and Highways Committee.)
    • (603)336-7090
  • Representative Cathryn A. Harvey 
  • Representative Paul S. Berch

Forum Topics

(alphabetical by topic)

(Bill numbers, description, and status here are provided by Rep. Lucy Weber as of 12/5/17, based on a brief review of bills available at that date on topics mentioned in the forum.  For more comprehensive and up-to-date information, she advises checking with

To better navigate the legislative system, Weber has provided a tutorial in print format that is included on the FMA website ( https://sites.google.com/site/fallmountainalliance/nh-general-court ).
CHILD MARRIAGE

HB 1287: About age when people may marry.

HB 1586: About judicial review for underage marriage.

HB 1587: About raising the minimum age for marriage and the emancipation of minors.

Weber said efforts to raise the minimum age to 18 failed and they are now trying to raise it to 16.

HB 1661: About the protection of minors who petition the court to marry.

HB 1213: About removing the exception for married minors from the definition of sexual assault.

Committee hearings for the five bills start in January.
ECONOMIC INEQUITIES

Berch is working on a bill that would reduce the number of people jailed simply because they can’t pay bail.

 

EDUCATION

SB 193–establishing education freedom savings accounts for students.

Weber says this removes support from public schools; benefits more affluent families more than less

affluent ones; allows state funds to be used for religious schools.

Voting on House floor as early as January 3rd.
HB 1492:  About course of action when a child’s attendance at a school has resulted in a manifest educational hardship.

(Weber notes that the effects are likely to be that the poorest school districts may be liable for tuition costs at other more costly public or private schools.)

Committee hearings start in January.

 

ELECTION LAW

CACR17: About initiative and referendum powers.

CACR18: About recalls (Weber noted all are up for reelection every two years.)

HB 1224: About election dates (allowing postponements due to weather).

HB 1240: Allowing voters to vote for multiple candidates for an office.

HB 1433: Requiring disclosure of federal income tax returns y presidential and vice-presidential candidates.

HB 1540:  About ranked-choice voting.

HB 1543:  About domicile of students for voting purposes.

Would limit rights of students to vote in the communities where they spend most of the year.

HB 1666: About redistricting.

HB 1667: About permissible campaign contributions by business organizations and labor unions and relative funding source disclosure for political advertising.

Committee hearings start in January for all the above under Election Law.

 

ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Weber notes that “all of these … bills (the four below) are designed to weaken existing environmental protections.”

HB 114: About minimum electric renewable portfolio standards

HB 317: Prohibits Public Utilities Commission from increasing the system benefits charge without legislative approval

HB 559: About expenditures from the energy efficiency fund

HB 592: Repealing the regional greenhouse gas initiative

(An audience member said that organizations funded by the Koch brothers are behind House Bills 114, 317, and 592. Links to related articles at:

Voting on House floor as early as January 3rd.
GUNS

HB-1542: Allowing people to carry a pistol or revolver on university or community college property.

Berch said the strongest lobby is the gun lobby.

Committee hearings start in January.

 

HEALTHCARE

Health Leaves

HB 628: About family and medical leave insurance.

Voting on House floor as early as January 3rd.

 

Medicaid Expansion / New Hampshire Health Protection Program

Weber noted that this program provides Medicaid coverage to over 50,000 NH citizens who earn too much money to qualify for traditional Medicaid, but who cannot afford, even with subsidies, to purchase health insurance on the exchange.  Currently it is funded 95% by the federal government and 5% by the state.  Those covered by the program have access to addiction treatment, she added, so it is a valuable tool in fighting the opioid crisis.  Weber said this program will expire at the end of the fiscal year and should be reauthorized.  If it is not reauthorized, she observed that those covered by the program will once again receive their primary medical treatment at emergency rooms, which will drive up health care costs for everyone.

 

Medicinal Cannabis

HB 1476: Permitting qualifying patients and designated caregivers to cultivate cannabis for therapeutic use.

Committee hearings start in January.

 

 

Opioid crisis

The New Hampshire Health Protection Program, along with private health insurance and the traditional Medicaid program, is a significant source of funds used to combat the opioid epidemic, Weber noted in a follow-up question.  If Congress repeals the program, or if NH does not reauthorize it on the state level, then, Weber pointed out, significant numbers of addicts may receive their treatment in County jails paid for by local real property tax dollars, rather than in more appropriate and cost-efficient outpatient settings using federal funding.

 

TRANSPORTATION

There’s a 10-year plan required by the state that the Department of Transportation identify state needs and coordinate with federal projects.

Abbott said Vilas bridge doesn’t have a good chance of being brought forward.

 

VOTING SECURITY

Weber said our system of counting ballots, based on paper ballots which are preserved and available for recount, is not at risk for hacking.

###

 

Navigating the General Court Web Site


Prepared by Rep. Lucy Weber, Cheshire 01—Hinsdale, Chesterfield, Westmoreland & Walpole.

***Please feel free to share with anyone who would find it useful.

***If you have questions or additions, email me at  lwmcv@comcast.net or call 756-4338.

***Email me if you want a digital copy to use or to share.

December 6, 2017.
Throughout this tutorial, I will explain how to find different things on the General Court web site.  After each step, I have also provided the direct link to the page under discussion.  Following the directions, rather than the links, will make you more comfortable finding your own way around the site on your own. The other thing that you need to know is that there are multiple ways to work your way around the web site.  Do some exploring, then use the method that works best for you.

Lucy

Getting Started:  Google “NH General Court” to get to the General Court Home page.  Direct link here: http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us  On this page, you have several dashboards.  The House dashboard has links to Find Your Representatives, to House Committees and to the House Calendars and Journals, and also a link to the NH House website.  The Senate Dashboard has some similar links, but not all of them.  Or you can use the links on the left hand side of the page to navigate to the NH House website or the NH Senate website.  The State Legislation Dashboard has a link at the bottom where you can type in the bill number and call up any bill, House or Senate, and also has many ways of varying complexities for searching for bills, and a link to Voting Records, so you can see how members voted.

 

NH House Web Page–Direct link here:  http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/default.aspx

NH Senate Web Page—Direct link here:  http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/Senate/default.aspx

 

Find Your Legislators:  On the General Court web page, go to the House of Representatives dashboard—second square box down on the left—and select Find Your Legislator.  This will give you both Representative(s) and Senator.  You can also find a link from the House Web Page under Quick Links by selecting Who’s My Legislator.

Direct link here:  http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/members/wml.aspx

 

Find How your Legislator Voted:  Locate your legislator using the link above.  Click on Voting Record right under the contact info for a list of roll call votes taken this term.

Find a Bill–If you know the bill number:  From the General Court web page, type the bill number into the box on the State Legislation Dash Board, top right.  On the House web page, enter the number in the box under Find a Bill half way down the page.  Or click Find a Bill on the list on the left hand side of the page for many more bill search options.  This brings up the Bill Page, with links to the bill’s text, docket, roll call votes, and more.

Find A Bill—Advanced Bill Search:  From the General Court web page, go to the State Legislation Dash Board, then click on Advanced Bill Search. From the House web page, click on Find a Bill in the list on the left, then select Advanced Bill Search.  This will allow you to search by the bill sponsor, by word search in the title of bills, search past years, etc.  Direct link here:

http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_Status/

 

Bill Docket:  Once you enter a bill number, you get a page which tells you what committee the bill is in, if there is an upcoming hearing scheduled, and links on the left hand side to the bill’s docket, text, and roll call vote, if any.  The docket is useful because it gives the most complete history of what has happened to the bill and where it is now.  Note that there is a link right next to the bill number for “Docket Abbreviations” so I will not list them here.  Remember that we vote on committee recommendations, not the bill itself, so if the recommendation is Inexpedient to Legislate, a “yes” vote kills the bill; a “no” vote is in favor of the bill.  The main Committee recommendations are OTP (Ought to Pass) OTPA (Ought to Pass with Amendment) ITL (Inexpedient to Legislate—polite for “Kill This Bill”).

Find the Roll Call Vote on a Particular Bill:  Find the Bill page, above.  If roll call votes have been taken, there will be a Roll Call Votes link on the left side of the bill page.

Find What Committee a Bill is in:  Enter the bill number on the General Court web page or the House web page.  Click on Bill Docket to find out what committee the bill has been referred to, and the date of any upcoming hearings.

Email All Members of a Committee about a Bill:  If a hearing is upcoming, you may want to email all the committee members your thoughts on the bill.  You find the committee the bill is assigned to by looking up its docket, above.  Then, from the House web page, click on Standing Committees under Quick Links.  Direct link to Standing Committee list here:  http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/committees/standingcommittees.aspx

Select the committee you want.  The committee page will give you a list of the committee members—clicking on any member’s name will get you to that member’s web page and contact info.  Clicking on Email Committee Members in the box on the right will send an individual email to ever committee member.  IMPORTANT NOTE: This is a very effective tool, as you will be targeting Ds and Rs who have an interest in the bill—not just those who agree with you or who disagree with you.

Bills Currently in Committee/Bills Originally in Committee:  From the committee page you found above, check out the links below Email Committee Members.  The lists of Bills Currently in Committee and Bills Originally in Committee are good ways of finding most of the bills in a given subject area.  I say most, because many bills could arguably be referred to one of several committees, and some bills are referred routinely to a second committee, most notably Finance if the spend money, and Ways and Means if they raise money.  This can be a useful search tool.

Calendars and Journals:  The Calendars, issued late on Thursdays, are the record of all upcoming events for the next week—the bills to be voted on by the House and Senate, and the upcoming hearings and executive sessions on each.  The Journals are the complete records of what happened on the House or Senate floor.

Direct link to House Calendars and Journals:  http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/caljourns/default.htm

Direct link to Senate Calendars and Journals: http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/Senate/calendars_journals/default.html

I have an LSR Number, how do I find the Bill number?  The LSR number is the number issued by the Office of Legislative Services when the Legislative Service Request (LSR) gets put in.  In late December/early January, the LSRs are parceled out to the various Committees, and then they are sent to the print shop for printing.  Upon their return from the print shop, they are also posted on the General Court web site.  Go to the general Court Home page, look at the State Legislation Dash Board on the right-hand side, and click on Advanced Bill Search.  The direct link is here:  http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_Status/  First, make sure that the Session Year at the top of the left hand column is set to the correct year for your LSR.  Then, in the right-hand column, three down from the top, there is a place to enter the LSR number.  Don’t enter the year number, just the digits after the dash, so for LSR 2017-0002h, you would type the number 0002 in the LSR box (or in this case you could also just type 2) and you would find that LSR 2017-0002h became HB 610.

 

Other Links:

NH statutes (RSAs): http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/indexes/

Select Browse, and page down for the RSA number you are looking for.

The NH Constitution: http://www.nh.gov/constitution/constitution.html
***Special note for searches at the end of the year:  Until the calendar year and our system settings change, the only way you can find 2018 bills is by using the Advanced Bill Search function.  You will have to manually change the year to 2018 every time you search.

***State House Roundup—NHDP Grassroots Newsletter  Very useful tool for activists.  Weekly newsletter has listing of the important hearings/meetings for the week plus a summary of what happened at the State House last week.  There is also a lot of Democratic rah-rah, but you can ignore that. To be added to the newsletter mailing list, email Sue Ford sueford06@gmail.com or Erin Cotton ecotton@nhdp.org.

###

 

Planning Board Meeting Minutes – 12/12/17

PLANNING BOARD 12/15/2017 1 Comment

 

Walpole Planning Board

December 12, 2017

Town Hall

7 pm

 

Present: Chair Jeff Miller, James Aldrich secretary, Jason Perron, Dennis Marcom, Cheryl Mayberry, Selectboard Representative. Alternate: Joanna Andros. Absent: co-chair Robert Miller, Jeff White, alternate Ed Potter.

Recording: Marilou Blaine. These minutes are unapproved and will be reviewed at the January 2018 meeting for corrections, additions and/or omissions.

Roll Call: Mr. J. Miller called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm. There were four board members present so alternate Joanna Miller was asked to fill in for Jeff White.

 

Minutes: Mr. Marcom made a motion to accept the minutes of the regular November meeting as written. Mr. Aldrich seconded the motion and it was and approved by the Board.

 

Old Business:

Public Hearing: No 1. Liberty Utilities. Cutting on scenic road, Farnum Road. Jeff Carney spokesperson. Because of the snow storm and because Mr. Carney had a long way to travel, he could not make the meeting. A motion was made, seconded and approved by the Board to continue the Public Hearing until the January 2018 meeting.

Public Hearing No. 2. Emicor LLC/Bensonwood Woodworking Co., Inc.  – Site plan for a 389 square-foot shed to be added to the timber-frame building and also amend the site plan. Mr. Tom Olsen represented Bensonwood. Mr. Marcom recused himself from voting because he is an employee of Bensonwood.

The 389-square-foot shed would go onto the southeast corner of the timber-frame building and will house a new joinery machine for heavy timber components. It is similar to a heavy milling machine the company has had in place. The new machine is called Robot.

Because of the way the buildings are splayed, because the shed is low (about 12 feet off the ground) and because of the landscaping, the new shed is minimally visible from Blackjack Crossing, Mr. Olsen said. The shed is 389 square feet and the timber-frame shop, which includes most the building, and is about 15,000 square feet. So the shed is 2.6 percent of the larger building.

Mr. Olsen asked if there were any questions. Mr. Miller did the same. Being none, the hearing was closed. Mr. Aldrich made a motion to accept the site plan as presented. Ms. Mayberry seconded the motion and the board voted in the affirmative.

 

New Business:

An article regarding minor changes to zoning ordinance was discussed. Mr. Miller said that the Selectboard had a discussion about street names. The topic came up because the Zoning Board wants to be able to change street names that are in the zoning ordinance to the reflect the designated names given during the 911 update. Mr. Miller said he felt it was an administrative function and the Selectboard could already do that. The selectmen already have the responsibility for naming new streets and the names must conform to the 911 system.

So Selectman Steve Dalessio emailed the New Hampshire Municipal Association and Mr. Stephen M. Buckley, Legal Services Counsel for the NHMA, emailed back his thoughts. Mr. Buckley said in a November 29, 2017 email to Mr. Dalessio “ Going strictly by the language of the statute governing the adoption and amendment of a zoning ordinance, RS 675.3 any amendment must get full zoning amendment treatment with a planning board hearing and placement on the official ballot for adoption by the town meeting. That being said, what you might want to do is adopt a provision that permits the planning board to make non-substantive changes, such as changing section or paragraph numbers or substituting street name changes.”  Mr. Bucklely added that the recommendation is to take this opportunity to pass a provision that is similar to one that Merrimack did. This following is the Merrimack article.

So the recommendation is:

“13.02 – Authority to assign section numbers

“The Planning Board has the authority to assign such section numbers to the Zoning ordiance and Building Code as it my deem appropriate provided that no substantive change to the ordinance shall occur as a result of this renumbering.”

Mr. Miller said the Town doesn’t have a Building Code so the ordinance would eliminate those two words. The Walpole ordinance would be:

“Proposed Zoning Amendment:

“Article IV General Provisions

“Add section N

“Authority to assign section numbers: The Planning Board has the authority to assign such section numbers to the Zoning Ordinance as it my deem appropriate provided that no substantive change to the ordinance shall occur as a result of this numbering.”

Basically, this means that the Planning Board can make corrections without going to the Town for a vote each time it needs to make a correction to the ordinance.

Ms. Mayberry said this came about because a road was referenced to be changed in the Zoning ordinance because it was changed due to 911.

Mr. Miller said, “If you had a road that was referenced in the zoning ordinance that was named something else, I would think the Selectboard could do this.”

 

According to Chair of the Zoning Board, Myra Mansouri, the purpose of the article was to change small things and not change the intent of the ordinance. For example, Ms. Mansouri referenced the name Hitchcock Road in Drewsville, which was changed to Alstead Center Road when road names were changed and tied into 911. Hitchcock Road is still the name in the zoning ordinances and she would like to see it corrected.

Ms. Mansouri proposed another possible ordinance. “To see if the Town of Walpole will authorize the Zoning Board of Adjustments to revise the Walpole Town Ordinances to reflect the 911 list of streets and roads as needed.

“The purpose of this article is to allow the Zoning Board to correct curent ordinances to acurately eflect street names when E911 went into effect without coming to the voters to approve small corrections when there is no change to the intent of the ordinance.”

Mr. Aldrich said Alstead Center Road starts at the Drewsville Common and goes to the Alstead town line. Ms. Mansouri said that is correct. But in our ordinance it says the road name is Hitchcock Road. Mr. Aldrich said, “Just scratch that name off there and put in Alstead Center Road.”

“That’s what I want to do,” Ms Mansouri said, “but I can’t because any changes have to be approved by the Town.”

“But this isn’t a change,” Aldrich said, “it’s a correction.”

Ms. Mansouri said, “That’s what I wanted to do, but I was told I couldn’t do it.”

Mr. Aldrich said, “I don’t think we need to bring it to the voters of the Town.” Mr. Aldrich didn’t think that the zoning amendment that Ms. Mansouri presented was necessary but Ms. Mansouri said that’s what was needed a few years ago when there was a change from a portion of Prospect Hill to Watkins Hill Road.

Mr. Miller read an email from Mr. Dalessio to Mr. Buckley. “It was discovered in a review of our Zoning Ordinance that  several street names were never updated as a result of the 911 upgrade made several years ago. We would like to update the document with the correct information. This is just an administrative change and no change to zones or requirements. Do we need to place this on the March ballot following standard RSA’s for zoning changes or can we treat this as a minor correction and just update the zoning ordinance the same way as a misspelled word?”

Selectboard chair Peggy Pschirrer wrote back to Mr. Dalessio that “the DRA (Department of Revenue Adminstration) tells us that we have to have a special meeting to adopt a provision allowing the SB (Selectboard) to use CRF (Capital Reserve Fund) emergencies. They have no record at DRA that (the) Town every voted (the) Selectboard that authority when CRF were established and so far we haven’t found it in past minutes either.”

Mr. Buckley’s point was, Mr. Miller said, that in order for the zoning board to do these administrative changes in the zoning ordinance, there has to be a provision in the zoning ordinance to allow this to happen.

Mr. Perron wanted to know what the section numbers had to do with street names or anything else.

Mr. Miller said that the ordinance would go under General Provisions and there are already items under that heading from A to M. The N would just be the next or new item under General Provisions. So if we have to change a street name, under this item we could just do it and make a copy and not have to go to the Town to ask for the change.

The whole point of this, Mr. Marcom said, is to get in sync with 911.

Also, it means if there are any non-substantive changes, we can do that, Mr. Miller said. He also said we have to have a Public Hearing.

He asked the Board if they were in favor of a Public Hearing. A board member said so moved, that was seconded and all those present said “aye.”

 

Complete Streets grant. SWRPC has received an anonymous $100,000 to support one or more Complete Streets projects in communities that have adopted a Complete Streets policy. Walpole did just that at a Public hearing in November. The Planning Board spent a good deal of workshop time this year discussing Complete Streets and came up with several recommendations.

Mr. Miller suggested if selectmen are considering applying for a grant Mr. Miller said he would be glad to act as a liaison if they want our advice.

A few Board members began talking about the sidewalk around Jake’s as a project. Mr. Aldrich mentioned there was an accident there recently with a pedestrian. If there were a sidewalk, it’d be raised a little and maybe make a person more aware.

But Mr. Miller recommended making a safe walking pathway from Maplewood or the fire statton to the school. The shoulder should be widened and repaired. More people would be able to walk down by the Mill Pond, said a Board member. Mr. Perron said it would tie in with Healthy Monadnock.

The crosswalk at the library was menitoned. Mr. Aldrich said that crosswalk starts by Walpole Grocery and goes all the way across to the library. You’ve got that bullhorn or circle there and cars parked, he said.  Drivers are coming from Westminster Street and turning right as well as drivers coming from the north on Main Street. And the drivers are going too fast, added Ms. Mansouri.

So it was agreed that recommendation No. 1 to the Selectboard would be to make a safe pathway from the fire station to the school and No. 2 would be paint a yield or figure in the road by the library crosswalk or add more signage near the crosswalk to make it safer.

Then Ms. Mayberry recommended that in order to make the public more aware of the items on Complete Streets that it become part of the site plan. It might go on the checklist or be referred to or attached to the application.

Mr. Aldrich thought that was a good idea. Mr. Miller did as well. He suggested it become the topic of the Board’s first workshop in 2018 of how to make the public more aware of cars, pedestrians, cyclists.

 

Mr. Aldrich made a motion to adjourn. Mr. Marcom seconded the motion and it was approved by the entire Board.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Marilou Blaine

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

 

Next regular meeting Tuesday, January 9, 2017

 

 

Conservation Commission Meeting Minutes – 12/4/17

CONSERVATION COMMISSION 12/15/2017 Leave a comment

Minutes for the Regular Meeting of the
Walpole Conservation Commission
December 4, 2017

Members Present:
John Peska (Vice Chair), Jackie Kensen, Peggy Pschirrer (Selectboard Representative), Lew Shelley,
Kelli Wilson, Laura Hayes,
Alternates Present:
Elaine Heleen, Gary Speed, Myra Mansouri, Peter Palmiotto
Others Present:
Steven Dumont (Recording Secretary)
Call to Order: Mtr. John Peska, Vice Chair, called the meeting to order at 7:33.
Seating of Alternates: As a quorum of regular members was present, no seating of Alternates was
required.

Review and approve minutes – November 6, 2017. Corrections; It was noted that Laura Hayes’s name was spelled incorrectly on page one and Steven Dumont’s name was spelled incorrectly on page 2. Later in the meeting, it was also noted that Mrs. Pschirrer did not “find” the information regarding what costs the WCC should cover in terms of fees for conservation easements. She wrote the memo herself. Mr. Shelley moved to approve the minutes as corrected. Mrs. Mansouri seconded. With all members in favor, the minutes were approved as corrected.

Public Business:

1. Treasury/Budget Report: Mr. Peska reported that he did not receive an accounting statement for
the account the PDIP funds went into. This will be followed up with next month. The forestry account has a balance of $64,592.34. The Conservation Fund has $148.87. A copy of the bank statements were passed around for review.

2. Correspondence:
a. Letter from the Robert Hubbard Conservation Commission Conservation Fund: the
charitable distribution rate will be lowered from 4.24% to 4% for 2018. Peter will follow up to ask why rate is being lowered, considering how well the stock market is doing.
b. The Connecticut River Conservancy is asking for donations. The Walpole Conservation Commission (WCC) has not previously donated.
c. The NH DES “Supply Lines With The Source” newsletter was distributed. Included is a profile on Mark Houghton.
d. The Monadnock Conservancy Fall/Winter newsletter was passed around.
e. NH DES Wetlands Bureau: the WCC received a letter from them denying a permit for a small culvert repair project. The project will be put off until next year.

New Business:
1. Land Donation – Bill Callahan: The selectboard has completed the two hearings and two letters
required for the selectboard to vote to accept the property. The vote will take place on December
14th. If approved, the Conservation Commission would cover the cost of the legal and survey fees
with funds from the Fanny Mason Trust Fund. The property abuts the Fanny Mason Forest.
2. Recording Secretary: Steven Dumont was introduced as the new recording secretary for the
WCC.
3. Mrs. Pschirrer introduced a memo she wrote outlining the potential policies of the WCC in
regards to the distribution of conservation monies. Mrs. Pschirrer recommends that the policies of
other Conservation Commissions be looked into as well. The memo was distributed.

Old Business:
1. Reservoir Dam: Mr. Peska visited S&W Soils in Charlestown. They are not interested in putting
together a proposal for the dam engineering work. Mrs. Flemmia sent Mr. Peska a list of
engineering firms that do this type of work. Mr. Peska will contact them. The goal is to get two or
three proposals. The funds for the repair of the dam would be taken from the Forestry Fund. Mr.
Peska spoke with Mark Houghton, who has been unable to contact Brian Fletcher, to clear the
trees/brush along the dam. It would be preferable to have Mr. Fletcher do the work in lieu of Mr.
Houghton’s crew. Mr. Speed will contact Mr. Fletcher to see if he is interested. It was mentioned
that the town of Walpole’s highway department has a new piece of equipment that may be able to
do most of the work. Mrs. Kensen proposed that the WCC fund the brush cutting of the dam, by
either the Walpole Highway Department, or rMr. Fletcher. Mr. Shelley seconded the motion. With all in favor, the motion passed.
2. Antioch University Internship: Ms. Hayes & Mr. Palmiotto noted that there has not been any
interest, but a new cycle of students is coming. If Ms. Hayes does the work, as she is on the
WCC, there will not need to be office personnel with her. Ms. Hayes may be interested but needs
to check her schedule and give it further thought.
3. Monadnock Conservancy/Neerie Easement: Mr. Peska would like to move forward and resolve
the outstanding request of $9,000 from the Monadnock Conservancy (MC) to cover costs for the
easement. It was noted that Alstead donated $4,000. It was also noted that Mr. Neerie is donating
$4,000 of his own money. Mr. Peska believes that $9,000 is a high amount for this easement. Mr.
Shelley spoke with Ryan from the MC. Ryan said that $7,500 is the flat fee, and $1,500 is for
special building rights. ⅔ of the $7,500 will be invested in the stewardship fund, and ⅓ will go
into the enforcement fund. Mrs. Pschirrer mentioned that the fees are real and based upon real
needs. Mr. Shelley made a motion to pay the $9,000 the MC is requesting. Ms. Hayes seconded
the motion. Mr. Peska noted that he thinks the full amount is excessive, and he would like to see
no more than half of that. Mr. Speed said in his opinion, $7,500 is reasonable, and that he doesn’t
believe the special building rights is the responsibility of the WCC. With Mr. Shelley’s motion
still on the table, Mrs. Kensen made an amendment to the motion to pay $7,500 to the MC. Mrs.
Wilson seconded the amendment. Mr. Shelley, Ms. Hayes and Mr. Peska approve. With all in
favor, the amendment to give $7,500 to the Monadnock Conservancy passed.
4. ARM Grant: Mr. Peska noted that the ARM Grant funding is limited due to the upcoming Route
12 expansion, and it is not worth pursuing funding for the repairs of the deficient reservoir dam.
5. Garland Lumber: Mr. Peska spoke with Mr. Speed. It seems that the cutting work that Garland
Lumber did was not cleaned up properly. They left some downed rotting trees. It was noted that
although it is unsightly, it is good for wildlife. Mr. Dumont asked if the specifications in the
forestry contract covers cleanup procedures. Mr. Peska noted that Walpole has recently switched
the Town Forester.
6. Town Forests – Long View Forest: Mr. Shelley noted that Long View Forest would like to
schedule a Rapid Forest Assessment of the Hooper Forest with members of the WCC, and would
like to hear back from members by Friday Dec. 8th. Date of the walk TBD.
7. Trail Work Volunteers: Mr. Shelley is in charge of organizing volunteers for trail work. He would
like to reschedule for March. He noted he also needs to finish the mapping. Mr. Peska has not yet
contacted the High school for volunteers. The WCC will sponsor a student from Walpole for
conservation camp. Mr. Shelley will come up with a March date next meeting for the trail work.
8. Fanny Mason Feasibility Study: Mr. Shelley is holding off until January.

Adjournment: Meeting unofficially adjourned at 8:55.
Next Meeting: Monday, January 8, 2018 at 7:30.

Respectfully submitted; Steven Dumont, Recording Secretary
Note: These are unapproved minutes. Corrections, if any, will be found in the minutes of January 8, 2018

Zoning Board Agenda – 12/20/17

Uncategorized 12/13/2017 Leave a comment

Agenda for Zoning Board of Adjustment

Wednesday,  December 20, 2017

Walpole Town Hall

7:30 pm

Roll Call: Appointment of alternates if needed.

Minutes: Review minutes.

New business:

Kim Mastriani – Walpole Co-op

Old Business:

Possible Warrant Article

Irving sign

Next meeting Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Clarion Deadline Coming

Uncategorized 12/11/2017 Leave a comment

JANUARY 2018 CLARION – DEADLINE APPROACHING

by Ray Boas

I am a tad earlier than usual with this reminder of the CLARION deadline for the next issue — January 2018.  But with all the holiday pressures I thought the sooner I remind you, the better.

Closing date, due to the the holidays, is a week from Wednesday — December 20.  Please get your articles and notices (and any advertisements) to us as soon as possible. If you have any questions at all, feel free to contact me at any time.  Thank you, yours, RAY

Spread the Word

Uncategorized 12/08/2017 Comments: 5

Many might consider this political and take offense. However, I sincerely believe that everyone should have health insurance so I am willing to take the heat! If this letter from our Senator applies to you, please take note. – Lil

Dear friend,

So far, nearly 20,000 Granite Staters have signed up for healthcare insurance during the open enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act. It’s important to note that one week from today – on December 15th – the 2018 open enrollment period ends. I want to make sure that if you need healthcare coverage, you’ve had an opportunity to review your options. You can do that now by going towww.healthcare.gov/get-coverage/.

The Trump administration has been trying to keep Granite Staters in the dark about this important signup period by slashing open enrollment advertising funding by 90 percent, cutting the open enrollment period in half, and defunding support staff that assist folks with signing up. So, friends, it’s up to each of us to get the word out to family members and friends.

In the Senate, I continue to be focused on bipartisan efforts to bring down premiums, stabilize the healthcare marketplaces, and restore funding for enrollment ads and outreach. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, nearly 94,000 Granite Staters have gotten individual health coverage through the healthcare marketplace, and nearly 50,000 have gotten coverage thanks to the Medicaid expansion. The Affordable Care Act has been a critical tool in our fight against the opioid epidemic, enabling 11,000 individuals with substance use disorders to get treatment for the first time. These gains are extremely important for the people of our state and I’m determined to not go backwards.