Ruggerio Site Walk – 8/17/15

PLANNING BOARD 08/24/2015 Leave a comment

WALPOLE PLANNING BOARD

RUGGIERO SITE WALK

AUGUST 17, 2015

Mr. Aldrich said it was his understanding that everything that’s happened  at the Ruggiero Waste Facility was because of a variance of the Zoning Board. Mr. Tom Hanna answered no. He explained that the Zoning Board rules on three things: Ordinances, Variances and Special Exceptions. Special Exceptions is a misnomer. It actually means permitted uses.

So, Mr. Aldrich asked, everything that came in here was a Special Exception – with conditions? Mr. Dalessio interrupted and said that this could be discussed at our Planning Board meeting and that it wasn’t relevant to what we are doing here on a site walk.

Mr. Hanna told Mr. J. Miller that he wanted to have a list of everyone who was at the site walk so the secretary passed a sheet of paper around for people to sign. There were about 20 people:

Planning Board members: James Aldrich, Steve Dalessio, Jason Perron, Robert Miller, Jeff White, Jeff Miller

Selectboard: Peggy Pschirrer

Zoning Board: Myra Mansouri and Mary Therese Lester

Abutters: R. F. and Karen O’Brien, Frank, Miranda and Lahatha Anderson, France Menk

Reporter: Ray Boas, Clarion

Owners: Joe and Chris Ruggiero

Lawyer: Tom Hanna

Surveyor: Rob Hitchcock

Nick Martel

The excavator operator

Mr. Hitchcock went over the site plan while people were signing the sheet of paper. He pointed out where things were on the map to orient everyone. The office trailer was to the north about 50 feet from property line. The pole barn was also on the northern property line about 150 feet from Houghton Brook. The new pole barn would be directly east by the bank. The high metal building (The Big Barn) is where items are dumped and sorted. The back of this building is closed to the west. On the other side of that is where the new scale and new the new trailer will be. The place where some people parked is the new access road.

The abutters are to the north. Mr. Aldrich asked Mr. Dick O’Brien, an abutter, how far from Houghton Brook he lived. He answered was about 200 feet.

A bridge crossing Houghton Brook is about 200 feet away from the property line. Mr. Dalessio asked about the property line to the center of the new road. Mr. Hitchcock answered about 30 feet.

Mr. Hitchcock talked about the new property Mr. Ruggiero had acquired. He pointed out the additional acreage purchased from Hodgkins & Sons, so the total now is about 15 acres. That property was merged with the former piece. There was a boundary line adjustment. It is also zoned Industrial.                                                                        1.

Mr. J. Miller said it was pretty quiet. Is this typical, atypical? he asked. Someone pointed out that it was the end of the day and the place was closed. Someone else said he was there at 4:15 p.m. and there wasn’t anyone working.

Mr. J. Miller asked what kind of noise was at the site. Is the noise trucks dropping off loads and going during the day?  He was told the trucks backing up have beepers but they are the quiet beeper – a condition of the Zoning Board. It was during the working day that there was more noise.

Mr. Aldrich asked about water. He was told there was no town water.

An employee answered that there were port-a-potties. Mr. White asked, What about washing up? What do you do. An employee said there were wash stations in the port-a-potties. Then Mr. White asked, what do you do about eye wash emergencies? No one answered the question.

At this point, Mr. Hanna asked that everyone identify himself or herself before talking.

Then everyone went into the Big Barn with Mr. J. Ruggiero. He explained what happened here.

The truck backs up and dumps all the material on the floor. Once it’s on the floor, everyone sorts through it, pulling out the cardboard, metal, aluminum and  single-stream recycling, which takes anything – cardboard, glass, plastic, tin cans.

“We try our best to save anything with money value,” Mr. J. Ruggiero said. “Cardboard goes for $10 a ton. Single-stream waste costs money now but it is cheaper than getting rid of trash. The construction debris had already been gone through and then it gets send to a second recycler in Maine. They go through it and get 80 percent recovery.”

Mr. J. Ruggiero said his operation gets 20 percent recovery of a total dumpster. Ruggiero’s does a preliminary refining. The Maine operation has a conveyor belt system and several people on either side are picking things out.

Mr. Perron asked if  the Maine operation did more recycling than Mr. Ruggiero. Mr. Ruggiero said they are more aggressive. Right now he doesn’t have the tonnage to make it worthwhile. The Maine operation goes through about 200 tons a day. Ruggiero goes through 200 tons a week.

Mr. Ruggiero continued about the building saying the floor is tipped so all liquid goes down the drain. About three-quarters down from the opening to the barn is a 2 – to-3- foot wall with a significant drop and a tarped dumpster was there. That concrete floor also has a drain.

Ms. Menk asked where the fluid went. Mr. Ruggiero said to a collection tank on the other side of the wall that has an alarm that tells when it is full. Then it is pumped out and hauled away.

Mr. Aldrich asked if when he gets household waste is he going to dump it in this barn. Mr. Ruggiero said yes.

Mr. Aldrich asked if Mr. Ruggiero was going to dump municipal waste in the Big Barn. Mr. Ruggiero said he was. Mr. Aldrich asked if that included black bags full of dirty diapers and all that stuff. Mr. Aldrich said he was in the waste business for 9 ½. years Mr. Ruggiero interrupted and asked if he had different colored bags?

Clear plastic bags go in the recycle bin, same thing with compost, he said. If he decides to take that, it would be a red bag.

Mr. J. Miller tried to explain that when he gets a new customer they have to agree to sort into red, black yellow whatever. Mr. Dalessio asked if it was optional to use any colored bag they wanted and Mr. Ruggiero said yes. Mr. Miller asked? You mean they don’t sort. Mr. Ruggiero said I can’t force them. There is no way to enforce it. The black gets treated like trash.

Abutter Mr. Frank Anderson said that two-thirds of your trash comes from Vermont and Vermonters are required to recycle now. So what do you do if they don’t.

Mr. Ruggiero said you have to get on the Vermont State Web site and look up Act 48. It’s mandatory but the state has no way for Ruggiero’s to enforce. It is a mandatory law but the state hasn’t found out a way to enforce it.

Mr. Anderson asked about the new stuff. Mr. J. Miller said all the new stuff is regulated by DES.

Mr. Ruggiero said every pound that is on the floor is recorded: where it’s from, where it goes after it leaves here. Mr. Ruggiero said  if you put a 50 gallon drum of waste oil in your dumpster and I pick it up and when I get it here I find the drum. I know where it came from. I know your address. I let DES know and they are the ones coming to your door. It gets sent to Bar Harbor and you get the bill.

Mr. O’Brien asked about compost. Mr. Ruggiero said he may get into compost. Then Mr. O’Brien said the city of Keene had trouble with collecting compost and stopped doing it.

Mr. Hitchcock said there is another permitting process for compost. Mr. Anderson said it is already in the application, something to do in the future. Mr. Ruggiero said you could argue that it could be a possibility and it could be a possibility that he might want to rent this property. There are all kinds of things he could to do.

Mr. Tom Hanna, a lawyer for Mr. Ruggiero, asked if it was part of this process. The answer was no. So Mr.  Hanna said it is not part of this hearing.

Mr. Hanna reviewed the operation and then said that people may want to look over the wall and see what is there. Those that did saw the covered container referred to before.

Mr. Aldrich asked if Mr. Ruggiero could foresee 53-foot trucks coming in. Mr. Ruggiero said no that they use 48 footers.

Mr. O’Brien wanted to know about the diesel fumes from the excavator when it was in the Big Barn. Mr. Ruggiero said the operators never complained. Mr. O’Brien said you said were going to have doors on this barn. Mr. Anderson jumped in and said originally there were going to be doors and you were going to have big fans taking out the fumes. There didn’t appear to be doors on the barn at the site walk.

Mr. Dalessio wanted to know the DES standards. Mr. Hanna suggested that he request that information for the hearing.

Then people headed over to the pole barn. Mr. Ruggiero said that most of the materials were from some place else. For example, the lighting came out of a gym that was closed, the beams came out of a Sunoco station, some of the roofing came from Home Depot jobs. The sheeting is new and it came from Balla & Company who gave it in trade for his skid.

Someone asked about a sprinkler system. Mr. Ruggiero said he tried getting in touch with the Walpole Fire Department, a Mr. Herb Hurlburt. He sent him a couple of emails but he wasn’t feeling well. Then he talked to Mr. Mark Houghton. Mr. Ruggiero was informed that Mr. Dick Hurlburt was the fire chief now and he was the person to contact.

Then Mr. Ruggiero was asked if he was doing any welding and fabricating. Mr. Ruggiero said he was not doing any fabricating but was doing some welding.

Mr. O’Brien asked about the new pole barn. The new one is 25-by-100 feet. Mr. Ruggiero said his largest dumpster is 22 feet  so he could put it under the pole barn rather than tarping it. It’s going to 100 feet long in case the facility gets a 48 footer. He could leave it under the pole barn, it could fit on the other side of a dumpster.

Mr. R. Miller wanted Mr. Ruggiero to have someone start up the excavator to see about noise. While the employee was getting ready to start the excavator, the abutters talked about the noise. They said, “This is going to be dull. It’s usually Bam! Slam! Boom, Boom, Boom!” Someone else said, “Or dumping bricks into a lower dumpster. It’s all during the day.”

The excavator came out just far enough to be totally out of the pole barn. The operator lifted the shovel up and down.

The purpose of the new pole barn is that some of the trucks will be tarped and some will fit right under the barn and stay under there. Mr. Ruggiero pointed to the dumpster in the old pole barn and said it was two-thirds full with paper. When it gets filled up, the dumpster will go into the Big Barn be dumped, sorted and the rest go into another dumpster and hauled off.

Mr. Dalessio asked when does the trash go from being in transit to actually being here. Mr. Ruggiero said once it’s dumped on the floor. But there could be dumpsters waiting to be picked and sorted? Mr. Dalessio asked. Mr. Ruggiero agreed. Mr. Dalessio said but it’s here. Mr. Ruggiero said that’s a gray area. Besides, everything will be gone in 72 hours and most likely 24 hours.

Mr. Miller asked how many tons in a dumpster of trash? Mr. Ruggiero asked. About 12 tons, he replied. Then Mr. Miller asked, So you do 10, 12 of these a week? Yes, but that’s a packed one, Mr. Ruggiero said. That dumpster there with the tarp on it, Mr. Ruggiero pointed to the one to the right, might have a ton and a half. It depends on what it is in it. Some dumpsters are packed down, others are not.

Mr. Hitchcock asked who wanted to see where the scale was going to be.

The secretary didn’t get to the top of hill where the discussion about where the scale was going. Perhaps one of the Planning Board members that were on the hill could fill the public in about that discussion. The discussion went on for about five minutes.

Respectfully submitted,

Marilou Blaine

Secretary

Zoning Board Meeting Minutes – 8/19/15

ZONING BOARD 08/21/2015 Leave a comment

Walpole Zoning Board of Adjustment

Minutes: August 19, 2015

Present: Board Members: Chair Myra Mansouri, Vice-Chair Jan Galloway Le Clerc, Clerk Ernie Vose,  Mary Therese Lester, Bob Anderson. Alternates: Judy Trow.

Absent: Alternate Stephanie Stoughton.

Recording: Marilou Blaine. These minutes are unapproved and will be reviewed at the September 2015 meeting for corrections, additions and/or omissions.

Roll Call: Ms. Mansouri called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m. There was a full board so no alternates were needed to fill in.

Minutes:  Ms. LeClerc made a motion to accept the minutes as corrected ( two misspellings and one change from a Mr. to a Ms.) Mr. Anderson seconded the motion and it passed by board vote.

New Business:

Bensonwood request for a Public Hearing for a Special Exception.

Mr. Tom Hancock, property manager for Bensonwood, explained that Bensonwood was a home building company that started out in 1979 in Alstead and expanded to Walpole in 1999. In 2008, the company proposed a plan for additional buildings on Huntington Lane but pulled back because of the economy. The majority of the approvals and permits have expired so Mr. Hancock was back for a special exception to build a manufacturing operation in a Rural/agricultural Zoning District.

Mr. Hancock said that there were some small changes to the plans, such as moving the build east toward Route 12. He said the noisier part of the operation will be toward the west, which is toward the Connecticut River and there are no abutters. This building will be in addition to the one in the Industrial Park and will be used to frame doors and windows.

He also said he was aware of the new Wellhead Protection Ordinance changed in 2015 and was given a copy of the new ordinance.

Ms. Trow asked if the parking lot was going to be the same, asphalt and gravel. Mr. Hancock agreed.

There was some confusion about when the Planning Board hearing would be, but Mr. Vose said that the Zoning Board can’t rule on the Special Exception until it gets the Planning Board decision. However, the Zoning Board could have a Public Hearing and make a ruling contingent on the Planning Board decision.

Ms. Mansouri asked when he was ready to start working. He said he was hoping to break ground this fall but if he couldn’t get approval until October it might mean the building will probably begin next spring but with some site work this fall.

Mr. Vose made a motion to accept the request to have a Public Hearing for Bensonwood in October for a Special Exception. It was seconded by Ms. Trow and approved by the Board.

Gravel Inspections Assignments:

Hodgkins Drewsville: Bob Anderson and Myra Mansouri

Graves: Jan Le Clerc

Cold River and Whipple Hill: Ernie Vose and Bob Anderson

Sawyers:  Mary Therese and Stephanie Stoughton.

The gravel pit inspections are due at the October meeting.

Mr. John Tole of Tole Automatic Inc. on Thompson Road, Signage.

Mr. Tole came in for information about signage at the corner of South Street and Route 12. The property would be in a corn field that is owned by Chip O’Brien and his sister. It is in Residential B District. Mr. Tole said he already had Mr. O’Brien‘s permission but wanted to know how to proceed.

Board members told him the sign ordinance doesn’t allow neon, flashing lights or signs that could create hazardous conditions. There is a sign ordinance that gives you the size of the sign for the District you are in.

 Mr. Tole was told he was required to bring in a picture of the sign, give its size, what the sign was made of. He was given a copy of the sign ordinance. Abutters also need to be notified when he goes ahead with the sign and he needed a signed letter of permission from the O’Briens. Illumination would have to be downcast.

Mr. Tole also needs to follow setbacks from the state, one of which is 75 feet from the center line. He can check with DOT in Swanzey for all the rules. He is allowed to have smaller signs hanging off a larger one but it is all counted in the toward the total size. He will need to come back to the Zoning Board after he as chosen a sign.

Mr. George Wierzbowski, 43 Taggard Road, subdivision.

Mr. Wierzbowski explained he and his wife Wendy lived on the portion of Taggard Road that was not town maintained. There were four other people who lived on the road. His property was 17 acres with 472 feet of road frontage. He would like to subdivide his property.

Mr. Vose asked where the town road ended. Mr. George Wierzbowski, said at the crossroad that the Galloways own.

Mr. Joe Dibernardo was also at the meeting and said the ordinance says you have to build on a town-maintained road so he has to get a Variance because it’s a private road. The Board advised that he follow the rules for homes on a town-maintained road, such as setbacks and road frontage. Mr. Wierzbowski said he planned to.

Mr. Vose said there was a rumor that the residents were going to try and bring the road up to town specifications and try to reclassify the road. Mr. Wierzbowski said Mr. Terry Holcombe has been looking into it but it would be very costly. Mr. Vose said he had talked to Mr. Bill Williams who originally sold those lots and he thought the road was pretty much up to town standards.

Mr. Dibernardo said the road is only 12 feet wide and Mr. Jim Terrell, who oversees Walpole roads, says it has to be 14 feet wide. Ms. Mansouri said it would also have to be approved by a vote of the townspeople. Mr. Wierzbowski said the improvements would have to be made before the vote. Ms. Mansouri agreed.

Mr. Vose made a motion to grant Mr. Wierzbowski a request for a Public Hearing in September. The motion was seconded by Ms. Lester and approved by the board.

Ruggiero expansion at Industrial Park:

Ms. Mansouri said there was a site walk at the Ruggiero Waste Facility in the Industrial Park last Monday. Mr. Ruggiero is trying to expand his business to include household waste. Ms. Mansouri said one of the conditions of  the Special Exception that the Zoning Board gave to Mr. Ruggiero at a Special Exception hearing in 2011 was that expansion was not allowed. Now she is not certain if the conditions will stand or whether the NH Department of Environmental Services supersedes what the town board has down.

Mr. Vose said that was the opinion of the abutters at the Planning Board meeting – that expansion couldn’t occur and Mr. Ruggiero could just deal with construction waste.

Mr. Anderson said he didn’t go to the site walk but received a number of emails and apparently this company is going to do garbage and apparently a lot of garbage.

Mr. Vose said it is his understanding that they have applied for a municipal waste permit but don’t have approval from the State yet. Ms. Mansouri added that they also have to get approval from the Planning Board for the additional building and they have to do something about the building they built without permission.

Mr. Vose said I do think we need a lawyer involved as quick as possible to get a letter to the state explaining they do not have permission from the Zoning Board for municipal waste before they go any further. I think a lawyer should write the letter.

Ms. Mansouri requested that the secretary get the original application to Myra by the next day.

Graves Gravel Pit:

Mr. Vose reported that the first blast was conducted at the Graves gravel pit last week. There was a size-monitor to record the size of the blasts down by abutter Ms. Patricia Rodriques‘  house and a video was take of the event. Ms. Rodrigues was asked if she would allow anyone in her home to see if there was anything shaking, but she would not.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:35 p.m.. Ms. Mansouri made the motion and it was seconded by Mr. Vose.

 

Washers and Dryers: Ms. Mansouri reopened the meeting to say she had some calls about washers and dryers in a dumpster at Mr. Lafayette’s houses at the corner of Graves and County Road. Has anyone seen the problem? she asked. No one said they had so she said she will look into it.

Respectfully submitted,

Marilou Blaine

Secretary

Sign up for Library Email Updates

PROGRAMS 08/21/2015 Comments: 4

Thanks Jennifer Kelly for this information.  I receive these updates and find them very beneficial.  I am willing to bet you will as well and it is just as easy as she describes here. – Lil

Want to get advanced notice about library events? Need to know when weather cancels library activities?  Curious about what new books are available?  Sign up for the Walpole Library’s email blast to get up to date information on library happenings. The library sends out weekly bulletins on new acquisitions in fiction and non-fiction, highlights special programs like author readings and kids activities and lets you know when the library is unexpectedly closed. To sign up, just email Julie Rios at jrios@walpoletownlibrary.org or stop by the library.

Point of View Regarding Ruggerio LLC

OPINIONS 08/19/2015 Comments: 4

I received this letter this afternoon that seems appropriate and adresses a current topic, – Lil

Friends of Walpole:

We are concerned citizens of the Town of Walpole who want to bring to light an issue that we are all facing in regards to Ruggerio LLC, a company based out of Vermont.  For those of you who do not know who Ruggerio LLC is, they are a garbage hauling company who currently has a processing facility located in Walpole handling Construction & Demolition debris (C&D) and now wants a permit to handle garbage.  This company was approved for a permit back in 2013 in regards to handling C&D under the duress of the land abutters.  The nearby residents as well as members of the Town were assured that there would not be any Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) or garbage, as we know it, in the facility.  As it turns out, Ruggerio has now applied to the State of NH-DES for a modified permit to allow them to handle garbage.  If approved, they would double their garbage hauling capacity from 200 tons a week to 400 tons a week.  By doubling their capacity, the number of diesel trucks going in and out would increase twofold as well as the noise level doubling when they drop their metal containers weighing several thousand pounds.  As capacity increases, the obnoxious odors emanating from the garbage will be potentially overwhelming.  Once approved, Ruggerio would be allowed to maintain on site on any given day, 60 tons of recyclable materials, 12 tons of unprocessed garbage materials, and 60 tons of garbage.  That’s a total of 132 tons at any given time on any given date.  The NH Department of Environmental Services (DES) does not specify a length of time on these operations so our children’s children will be affected by these operations.

Ruggerio is originally from CT and moved to Vermont and has now chosen to bring their garbage into Walpole due to the regulations that were implemented this year as well as forthcoming regulations in Vermont.  They receive their garbage from areas where they have contracts such as Vermont and Massachusetts.  This garbage is being brought into our small New Hampshire town and will potentially make this operation bigger than the current Keene Transfer Station site.  This is due to the fact that they just purchased many more acres of land adjacent to their current site.  According to the application submitted to the State of NH, their intention as well as to the expansion for garbage is to create a composting site of unknown size due to the strict regulations that are being implemented in Vermont.  In regards to the composting site, the City of Keene originally had their own composting site but due to the noxious odors shut down the composting site.  Another issue that comes up the most people do not think about is the rodent population from the increase in garbage.  As silly as it may seem, Ruggerio advised the State of NH that the feral cats currently living around the facility would take care of the rodent population.  Do we really want to allow Ruggerio to bring this to our little town?  The Town of Walpole already has their own processing/recycling facility that handles all of our needs and is run by people we have known for years.

As residents of the Town of Walpole who have lived here for 20+ years as well as lifelong residents, we are bringing this issue to light so others can know what is happening in their town.  Do we want Walpole to be known as Vermont’s trash facility or as the New Hampshire village we know and love.

Let’s looks at the potential economic impact of allowing this to go forth.  We could be the town where all surrounding municipalities bring their garbage to.  Property values will decrease as no one will want to live in our neighborhood or even out town with a garbage dump in our backyard.  Let’s not forget Houghton Brook which is only 150 feet from their site and which will certainly be impacted by runoff from all kinds of liquids draining from the bottom of the dumpsters left on site.

On a final note, let’s discuss how Ruggerio LLC already built a pole barn on their current site without getting permission and a building permit from the Town of Walpole.  If they can do this without Town approval, do we really believe that they will follow the rules and regulations set forth by the State.  In the past Town of Walpole Meetings, it was brought forth that Ruggerio had some “issues” that needed to be corrected from a NH State Inspection but the details of what the “issues” were was not brought to light.  Ruggerio also stated that the pole barn was built to house the dumpsters which would be housing the garbage without even applying for the permit yet.  Are these the kinds of neighbors and businesses we want in our town?

For more information, please see the Walpolean Minutes of 8/11/15 and there will also be a petition about town requesting signatures for those who do not wish to see Walpole marred by a garbage dump.

Respectfully submitted by,

Richard & Karen O’Brien

Frank & Tabatha Anderson

Y Afterschool Program Supports Kids, Working Parents and Employers

PROGRAMS 08/18/2015 Leave a comment

For the eighteenth consecutive year, and third in Walpole, Meeting Waters YMCA’s after-school program, known as Y-ASPIRE, will provide important supports for hundreds of area youth, their working parents, the businesses that employ these parents, and the seven communities served by the program.

According to Meeting Waters YMCA’s Program Director, Susan Fortier, Y-ASPIRE was designed in 1998 with a focus on multiple benefits. “When Steve (Fortier, MWYMCA Executive Director) and I created Y-ASPIRE 17 years ago, we applied all of our knowledge and experience in positive youth development, after-school programming and family strengthening. As parents of two young children at the time, we also built in considerations of parents’ needs—like all-day programming when schools are closed for in-service days, vacations and even most holidays.” Fortier adds, “By doing all of that, we are supporting more than 200 youth each year, the many hundreds of working parents and caregivers of these young people, the businesses that employee the parents, and the communities served by our programs because we are developing important life skills during ‘the danger zone’ each and every day.”

According to Fortier, research shows that “the danger zone” from 3:00-6:00 pm is the time when children not enrolled in enriching after-school programs are likely to be physically inactive, not engaged in learning, and introduced to unhealthy behaviors. “With our focus on the Developmental Assets approach to youth development—which research shows helps young people reduce risk behaviors while also building thriving behaviors—we are much more than a ‘safe haven.’ Yes, we are keeping kids safe. But, while we have these 200 or so young people in our care, we are developing building blocks that help them develop life skills and life habits that will serve them well into middle school, high school and into adulthood.”

There is still space available in the Y-ASPIRE program that takes place at Walpole Primary School (which serves North Walpole and Walpole Elementary schools, as well). The program also takes place at Rockingham Central School (which also serves Saxtons River Elementary School and Westminster Center School), Putney Central School, Brattleboro’s Oak Grove, Green Street, and Academy schools; and Dummerston School. The latter four sites are full, but waiting lists are being maintained.

Each day of a Y-ASPIRE program includes physical activity, nutritious snack, assisted study time and a cooperative group project. Activities are centered around monthly themes such as Different But the Same; Our Community; and Kindness and Justice. Through various activities, students in Y-ASPIRE develop “life skills” such as cooperation, problem-solving, group decision-making and leadership. They also learn more about themselves, their community and their world. Periodic service learning projects benefit other community agencies. Monthly family events focus on strengthening healthy family habits.

Financial assistance for all Meeting Waters YMCA’s Y-ASPIRE and other “out-of-school” programs is available through the NH and VT Childcare Subsidy programs and Meeting Waters YMCA’s Reach Out to Youth scholarship fund which is built by donations. As in all of the YMCA’s programs, no one will be denied access to Y-ASPIRE for lack of ability to pay full program fees. Fortier points out that over half of all Y-ASPIRE parents do not pay any program fees because the state’s top rate for Child Care Financial Assistance covers five days a week of the program tuition.

For more information and registration materials, visit http://www.meetingwatersymca.org, call Meeting Waters YMCA’s main office at 802-463-4769, or email them at info@meetingwatersymca.org.

Meeting Waters YMCA is a charitable, non-profit, social service organization founded in 1895. Its services positively impact children, teens, families and communities throughout the Fall Mountain, Springfield, Bellows Falls and Brattleboro regions.

Planning Board Meeting Minutes – 8/11/15

PLANNING BOARD 08/15/2015 Leave a comment

Walpole Planning Board

Walpole Town Hall

August 11, 2015 Minutes

 

Presiding Members: Jeff Miller (Chair), Robert Miller (Vice-Chair), James Aldrich (Secretary), Kelley Hicks, Steve Dalessio (Selectboard Representative), Jason Perron, Dennis Marcom. Alternate: Jeff White.

Absent: Alternate Ed Potter.

Recording: These minutes are unapproved and will be reviewed at the September 2015, meeting for corrections, additions and/or omissions.

Meeting Opened: Mr. J. Miller called the meeting to order at 7:10 p.m.

Roll Call: A full board was present so an alternate was not needed to fill in.

Minutes: Ms. Hicks made a motion to accept the minutes as written. The motion was seconded and approved by the entire board.

Old Business:

            Request for a Public Hearing for a Site Plan Review – Commonwealth Construction LLC.   Renovate one building. Construct another approximately 7,000 square-foot building. Both on the former LaValley property in North Walpole. Map 27, Lot 3. Zoned Industrial.  Yobhel Brosseau Manager.

The application was accepted as complete and a motion made, seconded and the board voted unanimously to approve the motion.

Mr. Brosseau explained what he planned to do at the North Walpole site (see above) with the new construction for a pre-engineered single-story metal building for the manufacture of USDA certified organic personal care products. He added that there will be no changes to the site. Everything stays within the existing fence, he said. There will be no changes to the site – egress, water runoff, etc. There will be new utility hook-ups.

The number of people he expects to employ is eight. There will be some trucks coming and going but the trucks have plenty of space to turn around and there’s plenty of room in the parking lot. He said the manufacturing operation is very quiet and he doesn’t see it affecting the area in terms of traffic or noise.

One board member asked if he had been involved in this business before? Mr. Brosseau replied, “Yes”  that his father-in-law was in the business. He then asked about smells. Mr. Brosseau said no smells will be emitted from the factory. If you were to go inside, you would smell whatever fragrance was being run that day. There are no exhaust fumes.

Mr. J. Miller asked if it was mainly mixing and packaging and Mr. Brosseau replied “yes.” Mr. Miller continued to ask if there was anything unusual about the waste. Mr. Brosseau said as far as the sewage was concerned it was cleaner than what comes from most people’s homes.

Mr. Perron asked if there were any solid waste or by-products from the process. Mr. Brosseau said that would all be taken care of inside during the process.

Mr. Dalessio asked about the warehouse square footage. Mr. Brosseau said between 8,000 to 9,000 square feet.

Ms. Hicks asked if there was some connection between the warehouse and manufacturing plant. It wasn’t shown on the map but Mr. Brosseau said that there is a connector.

Another board member asked about sprinklers. Mr. Brosseau said he had spoken with someone from the North Walpole Fire Department and he wanted a monitoring system in place. Mr. Dalessio asked Mr. Brosseau to get a letter from the North Walpole Fire Department. Mr. Brosseau said he would.

“In the conversion of the building to a warehouse, what do you see in that scope of work?” asked Mr. Perron. Mr. Brosseau said exterior walls need to be filled in, open doors need to be filled in, and a new roof. It needs extensive repairs. A heated slab on the porch and a good deal of instulation is also planned. The front portion of the warehouse will be heated and the rest will not be heated.

With no further questions, the public hearing was closed.

Public Hearing for a Site Plan Review – Ruggiero Processing Facility, LLC, 32 Industrial Park Road, Map 1, Lot 10-1, Zoning District Industrial – wishes to add another 2,500 square-foot pole barn, new access and a scale. Joe Ruggiero owner, Rob Hitchcock of SVE Associates  and a lawyer, Thomas Hanna, were present.

Mr. Miller made a motion to accept the application as complete. The motion was seconded by Ms. Hicks and passed unanimously by the board.

Mr. Dalessio asked about the missing abutter from Westmoreland and if that person had been notified. Mr. Hitchcock said the question also was brought by DES and it was determined that there was no missing abutter.

Mr. Hitchcock began by saying that this map was a little different than the one he brought last month. It shows Houghton Brook 150 feet to the tree line on the brook side of the pole barn. Mr. Ruggiero is here for approval of a new pole barn, a scale and new access. The existing pole barn building is 2,000 square feet. The new one will be 2,500 square feet. The new scale is needed because waste is basically paid for on a pound basis not cubic yard and Mr. Ruggiero would like to have another trailer for a breakroom for the workers. He already uses a used trailer for an office and the trailer for the breakroom will also be used. Right now Ruggiero is using a gravel road that belongs to Hodgkins & Sons. DES wanted Mr. Ruggiero to have its own road so the map shows the access road.

Mr. Hitchcock continued that the permit from DES is for 200 tons a day; now the permit is for 400 tons a day. That doubles the amount of trucks from about 10 to 20. The expansion is due in large part because Wheelabrator in Claremont closed down. Mr. Ruggiero has to take it to facilities controlled by either Waste Management or Casella, direct competitors, who raised their rates. So in order to make it affordable, Mr. Ruggiero has to truck it a longer distance.

He explained how the operation works. The trucks bring in the waste, tip the truck and sort out the recyclables into larger containers. He said there ‘s a committement with DES to turnaround a load in 72 hours.                                                                      2.

Mr. Hitchcock then handed out a letter from DES stating that there had been no contaimination from leaking dumpsters and there is no history or record of any problem of that type. Attached to the letter was an aerial photo showing a red line going from the site north toward Seward Road. Mr. Hitchcock said that the nearest hosue is 500 feet away from the operation. He added that though it is not required, Mr. Ruggiero has bought waterproof tarps to cover the dumpsters.

Mr. Marcom asked if since they are planning on doubling volume, does it mean they are doubling employees. Mr. Ruggiero answered yes. They have 3 to 4 employees now and will have 7 to 8. Mr. Hitchcok said that every employee, after 30 days, has to go through DES training to become certified operators. There are several levels of certification with 4 being the highest.

Mr. J. Miller asked if everyone had to have new training every year. Mr. Ruggiero said everyone gets a refresher course every year.

Ms. France Menk, who lives on Black Jack Crossing, asked about hours of operation. They are 7 to 5 daily during the week and half a day on Saturday. Later she said she asked that question because she was concerned about the potential increase in noise.

Mr. Dick O’Brien wanted to take the meeting back to the beginning when the first pole barn was built without officially notifying the Selectboard before taking up all the new things being proposed.

Mr. Tom Hanna, a lawyer representing the applicant, said the three new changes are the only things that are being considered at the hearing and that the pole barn issue was irrelevant.

Mr. Aldrich asked about the total acreage of the land was. Mr. Hitchocok answerd 13 plus acres. How many acres is being used now, Mr. Aldrich asked. Mr. Hitchcock estimated 3 to 4 acres. So in the future we’re looking at 13 acres being used for garbage, Mr. Aldrich said.

Mr. Hitchcock said that’s not what they were proposing. Mr. Aldrich agreed but said the potential is there for a 13 -acre garbage dump. That potential is bigger than Keene, Mr. Aldrich continued. He added that it started out for demoliton debris and so much has been done without notifying anyone and where no one could see what was happening – such as not coming to the planning board or selectboard to get a building permit for the pole barn.

Mr. Hitchcock said I would suggest that one pole barn,  Aldrich interrupted, and said it could have been three.

Addressing Mr. Aldrich, Mr. Hanna said that you’re talking about what was previously permitted. Now the permit before DES is for MSW (houssehold waste) and for that area shown by Mr. Hitchcock. We could be talking 50 acres. I’m not sure what your point is, Mr. Hanna said.

Mr. J. Miller said it is basically a transer station – am I right? Mr. Ruggiero agreed.

Mr. Anderson said his house was as close to the operation as the Walpole Common is long and “that back when this was decided,  it was decided it would be only for construction debris. That’s all that was going to go there. Now they’re proposing household garbage. They have contracts all over Vermont. Vermont now has a state law households must recycle. A few years from now it will be more. It is being forced down our throats for something that wasn’t supposed to be.

“At the time (of the original hearing) they (Mr. Ruggiero) were asked if there were to be any household waste and said they said no – not beyond a sandwich bag. And now we are way beyond a sandwich bag.”

Mr. Dick O’Brien, an abutter who lives about 300 feet away, said it is a continuous stream of trucks. Ruggiero sometimes the turnaround time is 24 hours and that’s to keep it from smelling.

Mr. Dalessio asked if there were any conditions when zoning approved it a few years ago.

Mr. Ruggiero said there was one condition imposed by the Zoning Board and it was hours of operation.

Then Mr. Dalessio asked if there was any discussion about having it just construction debris. Mr. Ruggiero agreed that the discussion was just about construction debris.

Mr. Dalessio continued that it seems from the discussion of people here, they believe there was a condition about construction debris only. I think we have to go back and look at those minutes.

Mr. Hanna said this is an area of the law preempted by the state, not by local regulation. That’s pretty clear. If you look at where there’s a comprehensive regulation by the state, you don’t want local regulation to frustrate the purpose of the state legislation. And if you saw the application that was submitted about issues, such as drainage and odors, those are issues that the state of New Hampshire is in charge of not regulated by local authorities.

Mr. J. Miller agreed but said the town has certain fire codes etc., and the question goes to use. If the Zoning Board was open up to construction debris only, that opens another avenue.

Mr. R. Miller asked Mr. Ruggiero how his business, which is located in an Industrial Zoning District, met the  criteria of industrial usage.

Mr. Ruggiero answered that when he originally applied, he had to go for a waiver. That’s where the Zoning Board came in.

Mr. Hitchcock said Mr. Ruggiero went through the Planning Board process and the Zoning Board process and the woman who was chair at that time was in the audience last month when this was proposed and she didn’t say anything was wrong about the new application. Mr. Hitchcock was referring to Zoning Board Chairman Myra Mansouri.

Mr. R. Miller said, “So they gave you a special exception because you don’t even begin to meet the criteria of the Industrial District.”

Mr. White asked Mr. Ruggiero what he would do if he found a spill at his site. Mr. Ruggiero said he would call DES and have them clean it up.

Mr. White continued saying the original construction of the pole barn was a trust issue. “You’re getting away with murder. Are there other things that are illegal? I have no idea. But I can see where the abutters are coming from. Should we make them rip it (the original pole barn) down, I don’t know.  I’m not God.”

Mr. Anderson said there are dumpsters full of tires, and right now, a 30 yard-dumpster full of refrigerators. “Do they have freon?” he asked. That is not construction debris. The company’s not permitted for that.

Mr. Ruggiero disagreed. He said when there is a trailer fire or something, the facility gets refrigerators and air conditioners. When the dumpster is full, it goes to a licensed scrap metal place and they take care of the freon.

Mr. Dalessio said that’s a potential hazard right now.

Mr. Ruggiero said it’s in a metal container. Mr. Dalessio countered that something could happen to it when it’s in the dumpster. Like an accident. “You’re dealing with potentially hazardous material.”

Mr. Miller said all the material comes under the auspices of DES. Mr. Ruggiero added that they have been inspected twice and admitted they had “failed on some stuff.”

Mr. J. Miller asked how long the permit was good for. Mr. Ruggiero said there is no expiration date. Then Mr. Miller asked how often the place was inspected and expected there was some documentation. Mr. Ruggiero said he is inspected annually and a state inspector comes unnanounced.

Mr. Aldrich asked about what was at the site for fire supression. Mr. Ruggiero said that there was a monitoring system. He then asked if there were a sprinkler system. Mr. Ruggiero said it’s all metal and concrete buildings.

Mr. Aldrich said people throw all kinds of things away including chemicals that could soak something flamable and before you know it you have a fire.

Mr. Dalessio asked if  the site plan had been looked at by the Walpole Fire Department. Mr. Hanna said, “I don’t think you have the right to ask that. That’s where you are going too far.”

Mr. Miller said, “It’s part of our site plan.”  Mr. Hanna said the Board didn’t have the right to do anything in your site plan which is part of the location, siting, footprints of buildings.

Mr. J. Miller told Mr. Hanna that what the Planning Board is doing is not to regulate over the state but touch base in our site plan. In some cases it’s mere suggestions that works for the applicant because what it comes down to is that the fire department should be familiar with the system at that site.  There’s a partnership and an understanding if anything happens. So they offer suggestions and help.

Mr. White asked about dumpsters that were half-full of refrigerators. He said he didn’t think Mr. Ruggiero was going to move half a truck of material considering the price of fuel and the distance you have to drive. Mr. Ruggiero agreed.

Mr. O’Brien suggested the board go down and take a look at the site. Mr. J. Miller said it was a good suggestion.

Mr. Aldrich asked if there were any junk cars there. Mr. Ruggiero said there were 3 or 4 trucks that they use for parts, a car and a pickup truck.

Mr. R. Miller asked if they do repairs on the site. Mr. Ruggiero said the parts were used on his trucks, he wasn’t selling parts.

Mr. J. Miller said the pole barn that was built a couple of years ago is not part of this hearing. That probably is under the selectboard’s purview. The Planning Board was just looking at this particular site plan.

A motion was made and seconded to close the meeting. Then there was talk of when to have the site walk. Mr. R. Miller wanted it the next day but the Zoning Board had to be notified. So a date was set for a site walk on Monday, August 17, at 4:30 p.m.

Mr. Hanna pointed out that if the meeting was closed, then there could be no further discussion. Mr. Miller said that was a good point so the motion to close the meeting was rescinded and instead a motion to recess was made, seconded and agreed to by the entire board.

Mr. R. Miller remembered that when he was on a previous site walk that groups were asked not to congregate and talk among themselves. Mr. Hanna agreed and said it is just appropriate to ask questions and observe.

Discussion of Commonwealth Construction hearing: Mr. J. Miller said one of things that the Selectmen suggested the board do for site plans was to make sure the checklist was included. So Mr. J. Miller went down the waiver list as it applied to Commonwealth Construction. Then the Board unanimously approved Commonwealth’s request with the condition that Mr. Brosseau get a  letter of approval from the North Walpole Fire Department.

Request for a Site Plan Review for Old Dominion Trucking, Thomasville, NC Map 1, Lot 3-5, Industrial Zoning District – would like to add a new loading dock and lighting. Contacts Marc Messier of Tennessee who was in charge of lighting and Mr. Dan Nash of Advanced Geomatic and Design in Lebanon.

Mr. Nash explained that the owner Old Dominion was a part of Yellow Freight. This a trucking company and the existing building’s about 7,600 square feet. The management plans to add 3,500 square feet.: a concrete apron outside the building where the trucks sit and paving the yard around the building. Mr. Messier will be doing the lighting plan and Mr. Nash will be doing the site calculations, about 84,00 square feet.

Mr. Aldrich asked how many doors were going to be added. Mr. Nash said there are 18 on the existing building, four of those will go, and another 12 added.

Mr. Nash explained the business was a transload facility. He gave an example. When Nabisco has a truckful of crackers, cases of crackers are left at this site. Some are put on another truck. Then another truck comes along and adds items to that second truck. So that one truck has many different items on it but it’s all delivered to one store. Nabisco saves of money by not using multiple trucks going to drop off just one product at one store.

Mr. Anderson asked what the hours of operation were. Mr. Messier answered currently they are 7 a.m. to about 10 p.m.

Mr. Anderson said sometimes at two or three in the morning a driver comes in and yanks his air horn, probably for someone to come out. Mr. Anderson said he would like that to be addressed. He also asked how many more trucks would be there be. Then he said in the winter, the lighting reflects off the snow and the light’s too bright. He asked that that also be addressed at the next meeting.

Mr. Nash said the operator will be at the meeting next month and he can answer all your questions. Mr. Nash said that Mr. Messier told him that Old Dominion will be changing all the lighting to LED and lighting that was downlit at all their operations.

Mr. Miller made a motion to hold a hearing next month. It was seconded by Mr. Aldrich and unanimously approved by the board.

Mr. George Wiezbowski of 43 Taggard Road did not come to the meeting to ask questions about questions about a subdivison on a private road.

Bensonwood building on Huntington Road. Randall Walter, lead architect at Bensonwood, was at a Planning Board meeting a couple of months ago and asked to be put on the agenda next month to discuss the Huntington plan, a parcel of land owned by Bensonwood to the north of Chamberlain Machine. Walter said the proposal was a lot like the one that was proposed in 2008. He suggested it would be helpful to board members to have a look at that plan before presenting an updated site layout, drainage and lighting plans,

Walter believed the traffic study would be similar to the one previously presented – the truck trips and employee trips are the same or less – so the presentation next month will not include a traffic study.

He said Benson was a different business, that it has evolved. Also, the big nut hickory tree died of natural causes about five years ago.

Mr. Aldrich made a motion to adjourn. Mr. R. Miller seconded the motion and it was approved by the board.

Time 8:10 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Marilou blaine

Selectboard Meeting Minutes – 8/6/15

SELECTBOARD 08/15/2015 Leave a comment

TOWN OF WALPOLE

MEETING OF THE SELECTBOARD

AUGUST 6, 2015

Selectboard Present:  Steven Dalessio (Chair); Whitney Aldrich; Peggy Pschirrer

CALL TO ORDER:  Mr. Dalessio called this Selectboard meeting to order at 6:00 PM in the Walpole Town Hall.  He advised that this meeting is being recorded and asked anyone wishing to speak to identify themselves for the record.  There were two people in attendance.

These are unapproved Minutes.

NON-PUBLIC SESSION:

Mr. Aldrich moved to enter into a Non-Public Session pursuant to RSA 912-A:3 II to discuss (c) Reputations.  Mrs. Pschirrer seconded the motion and, on a roll call vote with all in favor, the motion was approved.

The regular Selectboard meeting resumed at 6:26 PM.

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE:

Mrs. Pschirrer moved to approve the Accounts Payable check register and manifest in the amount of $105,428.75 for checks dated August 7, 2015.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  With all in favor, the motion was approved.

PAYROLL:

Mrs. Pschirrer moved to approve the Payroll voucher for the week ending August 1, 2015 in the amount of $26,630.05 for checks dated August 7, 2015.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  With all in favor, the motion was approved.

Mrs. Pschirrer moved to approve the electronic transfer for the 941 Employer Taxes for Withholding, MEDI and FICA taxes in the amount of $6,067.96 for the week ending August 1, 2015.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  With all in favor, the motion was approved.

SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES:

SELECTBOARD MEETING – July 30, 2015:  Mrs. Pschirrer moved to approve the Minutes of the regular Selectboard meeting of July 30, 2015, as submitted.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  With all in favor, the Minutes were approved.

NON-PUBLIC SELECTBOARD MEETING – July 30, 2015:  Mrs. Pschirrer moved to approve the Minutes of the Non-Public Selectboard session of July 30, 2015, as submitted.  These Minutes will remain sealed.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  With all in favor, the Minutes were approved.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

The Selectboard received and reviewed the Minutes of the following meetings:

  • Walpole Cemetery Trustees – July 22, 2015; and
  • Walpole Conservation Commission – August 3, 2015.

WARRANTS:

LAND USE CHANGE TAX WARRANT and FORM A-5:

Mr. Dalessio explained that back in June 2014 the properties at Map & Lot #012-013/014 were taken out of Current Use because of removal of the top soil.  When that was taken out of Current Use the other two properties no longer qualified for Current Use because ten or more acres of contiguous property are required under the same ownership.

AVANRU DEVELOPMENT, Main Street, Map & Lot #012-013-003:  Mrs. Pschirrer moved to approve the Tax Collector’s Land Use Change Tax Warrant for Avanru Development Group, Ltd. in the amount of $22,500.00 at 504 Main Street.  Current Use acreage coming out is 4.330 acres.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  With all in favor, the motion was approved.

AVANRU DEVELOPMENT, Main Street, Map & Lot #012-013-000:  Mrs. Pschirrer moved to approve the Tax Collector’s Land Use Change Tax Warrant for Avanru Development Group, Ltd. in the amount of $22,500.00 at 504 Main Street.  Current Use acreage coming out is 4.070 acres.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  With all in favor, the motion was approved.

TIMBER TAX WARRANT & CERTIFICATION OF YIELD TAXES ASSESSED:

Mrs. Pschirrer moved to accept the Warrant for the Timber Tax Levy, Tax Year – April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016 and the Certification of Yield Taxes Assessed for the following:

  • CHARLES CASERTA, Wentworth Road, Map & Lot #005-001-000, Operation # 14-461-13-T in the amount of $1,747.41;
  • JUDY NORTHCOTT, TRUSTEE, ROXANNE DAMAZIAK TRUST, Cheney Hill Road, Map & Lot #013-053-001, Operation #14-461-18-T in the amount of $214.38;
  • JUDY NORTHCOTT, ROXANNE DAMAZIAK TRUST, Cheney Hill Road, Map & Lot #013-054-000, Operation #14-461-19-T in the amount of $796.63;
  • SCOTT & JUDITH NORTHCOTT, Cheney Hill Road, Map & Lot #013-054-001, Operation #14-461-17-T in the amount of $810.13.

The total Timber Taxes due is $3,568.55.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  With all in favor, the motion was approved.

OLD BUSINESS:

RECREATION CENTER HANDICAP ACCESSIBILITY: Mr. Dalessio received a response that Hubbard Farms do not have a problem with the Town using the road to the pool but asked that a sign be posted indicating “Emergency, Handicapped and Maintenance Vehicles Only” and they will place a post out where they would like the sign put.  Mr. Dalessio will email Mrs. Pschirrer with the wording for the sign plus the handicapped signs that are going to be needed for the Recreation Center.  She will notify Mr. Terrell.  The signs are to be charged to the Recreation Department.

MUNICIPAL WORK ZONE AGREEMENT; Westminster Bridge Project:  Mr. Dalessio had emailed Mr. Scott advising that the Selectboard do not want to sign the Municipal Work Zone Agreement and their recommendation would be for the NH Department of Transportation to meet with Police Chief Michael Paquette.

PROSPECT HILL INTERSECTION: Mrs. Pschirrer reported that one of the signs that still has not come in is for the Prospect Hill Intersection.  The Selectboard received a copy of the Police Report and based on the statement from the driver and the evidence at the scene it was concluded that the primary reason for the crash was that the driver did not see the ditch on the right side of the road.  Mrs. Pschirrer will draft a letter to Ms. Venezia stating that the sign was ordered but has not been received and that based on the accident report there was a consensus of the Selectboard to not pay the towing charge.

MEETING WITH TRUE NORTH NETWORKING:  Mr. Dalessio mentioned that there will be meeting with True North Networking tomorrow at 11:00 AM.  Mr. Aldrich and Mrs. Pschirrer are welcome to attend.

TERRA MAP’S:  Mrs. Clough advised that they are waiting for Mrs. Loren Martin, Avitar Associates, to return from her vacation to review the maps before they are delivered to the Town but the maps are done and should be here next week.

TOWN ORDINANCE, PROCEDURE AND POLICY MANUAL:  The Selectboard reviewed the following documents:

Policy on Overspending Budget- Effective June 6, 2001:

Mrs. Pschirrer moved to reaffirm the policy on Overspending Budgets “No Department Head or Elected Official may spend their budget without first receiving permission from the Board of Selectmen.”  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  With all in favor, the motion was approved.

Policy on Budget Directive – Effective January 2006:

Mrs. Pschirrer moved to rescind this policy on Budget Directive issued January 1, 2006 which dealt with over-spending the budget.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  With all in favor, the motion was approved.

Policy on Curb Cuts:

There is a question relative to who is responsible for the curb cuts; is it the Town or the Road Agent.  Mrs. Pschirrer will check the RSAs before next week; they do give the authority to the Town for curb cuts.  It should tie back to the RSAs.

Policy / Statement – Eaton Road – 2011:

The Selectboard discussed designated emergency roads/lanes.  Mr. Dalessio felt it should be a policy that the Selectboard will designate emergency roads based on the recommendations of Mr. Mark Houghton of the Fire Department, the Road Agent, etc. and in accordance with the RSAs.  Mrs. Pschirrer will re-write this policy.

Policy – Current Use – Effective November 1997: 

Mrs. Pschirrer moved to rescind this policy on Current Use that became effective on November 26, 1997 as it is out of date.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  With all in favor, the motion was approved.:

Policy Regarding Completion Of Requested Information – Effective June 7, 2001:

Mrs. Pschirrer moved to rescind this policy regarding Completion Of Requested Information as it is inadequate.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  With all in favor, the motion was approved.

The review of the Town Ordinance, Procedure and Policy Manual will continue next week.

BOARD OF SELECTMAN OPERATION GUIDELINES:  Mr. Dalessio had distributed Draft #3.  Mrs. Pschirrer re-read this draft and had no other comments or corrections.  Mr. Dalessio will delete the word “Draft” so it will be ready for signatures next week.

PIANO:  Mr. Dalessio reported that Mr. Terrell and Mr. Colburn are working out their schedules so it can be done next week.

NEW BUSINESS: 

NH DES POOL INSPECTION REPORT:  Mr. Dalessio advised that the pool had a surprise inspection from the Department of Environmental Services and they passed.  He notified Mr. Cassarino that the Selectboard was very happy with the report.

NH DES AUTHORIZATION TO WORK, TRANSCANADA HYDRO NORTHEAST:  A letter was received from the NH Department of Environmental Services advising that a recent dive inspection discovered a six foot deep scour hole underneath spillway bridge pier #4.  The Conservation Commission and Board of Selectboard shall be notified prior to the start of work.

NH RETIREMENT SYSTEM AUDIT:  Mrs. Clough received a letter from the New Hampshire Retirement System stating that the Town of Walpole is due to be reviewed for accuracy and compliance with the NHRS Statute and Administrative Rules.  She has not been able to find any record of a previous audit.  Both Mrs. Clough and Mr. Kreissle have been working on a form that needs to be filled out.  The Selectboard requested that Mrs. Clough scan and send them copies of the email from the NHRS.

EMPLOYEES APPRECIATION DINNER:  Mrs. Clough and Mrs. Edkins started to think about the Employees Appreciation Dinner on December 19th.  In the past the office staff has done all the shopping, preparation of the food, clean-up, etc.  They are not opposed to continue doing all the organizing but would like to have the food catered.  The Selectboard approved this request as well as hiring somebody to do the set-up and clean-up.  It was recommended that Mrs. Clough contact Lisai’s to do the catering and talk to the ROTC about doing the set-up and clean-up.  The Selectboard expressed appreciation about all the work that was done by the office staff in previous years.

NON-PUBLIC SELECTBOARD SESSION:  Mr. Aldrich moved to enter into a Non-Public Selectboard Session #2 pursuant to RSA 91-A:3 II to discuss (c) Reputations.  Mrs. Pschirrer seconded the motion and, on a roll call vote with all in favor, the motion was approved at 7:14 PM.

The regular meeting resumed at 7:23 PM.

RECESS SELECTBOARD MEETING:  Mr. Aldrich moved to recess this Selectboard meeting.  The Selectboard will enter into a meeting as the Hooper Trustees.  Seconded by Mrs. Pschirrer.  With all in favor, the motion was approved.           

The regular Selectboard meeting resumed at 7:47 PM.

ADJOURNMENT:  Mr. Aldrich moved to adjourn this meeting.  Seconded by Mrs. Pschirrer.  With all in favor, the motion was approved.

Respectfully submitted,

Regina Borden, Recording Secretary

Zoning Ordinances

ZONING BOARD 08/15/2015 Comments: 4

You may, or may not, have read the request from Pauline Barnes for a copy of the new Zoning Ordinances.  I replied by saying that I would get in touch with Marilou Blaine, recording secretary, to learn if and how one could do that.  The reply I received is here.

Trust that this helps.  Patience being the operative word. –  Lil

From Marilou –

“The new ones are just going through final review and will be available after our meeting next week. I haven’t printed out any for the town yet but should be able to get to it some time next week. They (copies) will be available for $5 from the town offices.”

3rd Annual Amateur BBQ Pulled Pork Competition – 8/23/15

EVENTS 08/13/2015 Leave a comment

It’s not too late.  Fran Imhoff says there is room for you to compete! – Lil

On Sunday, August 23, the third annual Amateur BBQ Pulled Pork Competition will be held at Alyson’s Orchard from 11AM – 3 PM.  This fun, summer event is sponsored by Alyson’s Orchard and The Pit Stop Smokehouse. There is no entry fee for participants, but you must supply 20 lbs. of pulled pork that has been cooked over wood or charcoal, for sampling.  Your sauce must be made using apples.

Call 603-756-9800 or email info@alysonsorchard.com for details if you would like to participate!  They are offering some amazing prizes for the winners of the People’s Choice Award.  First receives a weekend at Alyson’s Rochambeau Lodge for up to 18 people…a $1,500 value.

The public is welcome to sample the pulled pork and vote for the People’s Choice Award between 12 noon and 2PM.  There is no admission charge for this event, but anyone who wants to sample must bring either one non-perishable food item to donate, or make a small, cash contribution to benefit the Fall Mountain Food Shelf.   There will also be BBQ food for sale to the public from the Pit Stop Smokehouse, a Beer, Wine  & Soft Drink Tent to compliment the BBQ, a local Corn-on-Cob Tent, and ice cream from Carol’s Scoop Shop for dessert!

Other activities that day will include:  Alyson’s farm stand store will be open with fresh, local products as well as plums, peaches & blueberries — also PYO apples ; face painting;  free wagon rides through the orchard; children’s playground, lawn games for kids of all ages, and visit their new baby goats!  This is a wonderful opportunity for families to enjoy a beautiful day at the Orchard.

The BBQ event will run from 11AM-3PM (tasting 12-2PM) and their farm store is open from 10AM – 6PM daily, for the season.  Don’t forget to bring home one of their delicious fruit pies or chicken pot pies for dinner!

Selectboard Meeting Minutes – 7/30/15

SELECTBOARD 08/13/2015 Leave a comment

TOWN OF WALPOLE

MEETING OF THE SELECTBOARD

JULY 30, 2015

Selectboard Present:     Steven Dalessio (Chair); Whitney Aldrich; Peggy Pschirrer

CALL TO ORDER:  Mr. Dalessio called this Selectboard meeting to order at 6:00 PM in the Walpole Town Hall.  He advised that this meeting is being recorded and asked anyone wishing to speak to identify themselves for the record.  There were four people in attendance.

These are unapproved Minutes.

BUILDING PERMITS:

PALMER, Valley Road, Map & Lot #013-008-000:  Mrs. Pschirrer advised that Mr. and Mrs. Palmer meet all the set-backs for their home.  Currently they are living above the garage.  An email had been sent to Mrs. Mansouri, Chair of the ZBA, who then sent it through to the ZBA members who had no objections to this application as it meets all the Zoning regulations.  Mr. Palmer hopes to build the house within two years.

Mrs. Pschirrer moved to approve Building Permit No. 2015-31 for Douglas Palmer to “Construct a 38’ x 70’ 2 Story Home” with the following conditions:  Permission has been granted by the Zoning Board of Adjustment (7/29/15) to allow the owner to live in the existing apartment / garage while the home is under construction.  Pictures of the apartment are to be submitted to the Zoning Board prior to construction of the home.  Pictures of the unoccupied apartment space to be supplied to the Board upon completion of the home.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  With all in favor, the motion was approved.

Mrs. Pschirrer recused herself from the following Agenda item.

PEGGY M. PSCHIRRER FAMILY TRUST, Old North Main Street, Map & Lot #020-042-000:

Mr. Dalessio moved to approve Building Permit No. 2015-30 for the Peggy M. Pschirrer Family Trust / Peggy M. Pschirrer, Trustee, to “Move existing barn door and build a cover over walkway from the house to the barn”.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  With Mr. Aldrich and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.  Mrs. Pschirrer had recused herself from this vote.

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE:

Mrs. Pschirrer moved to approve the Accounts Payable check register and manifest in the amount of $158,127.46 for checks dated July 31, 2015.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  With all in favor, the motion was approved.

PAYROLL:  

Mrs. Pschirrer moved to approve the Payroll voucher for the week ending July 25, 2015, in the amount of $24,311.06 for checks dated July 31, 2015.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  With all in favor, the motion was approved.

Mrs. Pschirrer moved to approve the electronic transfer for the 941 Employer Taxes for Withholding, MEDI and FICA taxes in the amount of $5,362.35 for the week ending July 25, 2015.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  With all in favor, the motion was approved.

SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES:

SELECTBOARD MEETING – July 23, 2015:  Mrs. Pschirrer moved to approve the Minutes of the regular Selectboard meeting of July 23, 2015, as submitted.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  With all in favor, the Minutes were approved.

NON-PUBLIC SELECTBOARD MEETING #1 – July 23, 2015:  Mrs. Pschirrer moved to approve the Minutes of the Non-Public Selectboard meeting #1 of July 23, 2015, as submitted.  These Minutes will remain sealed.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  With all in favor, the Minutes were approved.

NON-PUBLIC SELECTBOARD MEETING #2 – July 23, 2015:  Mrs. Pschirrer moved to approve the Minutes of the Non-Public Selectboard meeting #2 of July 23, 2015, as submitted.  These Minutes will remain sealed.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  With all in favor, the Minutes were approved.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

The Selectboard received and reviewed the Minutes of the following meetings:

  • Walpole Conservation Commission – July 6, 2015; (see note below from the WCC Minutes)
  • Walpole Town Library, Board of Trustees – July 14, 2015;
  • North Walpole Village District Board of Commissioners – July 28, 2015.

Note:  Peter Bergstrom, Rockingham Conservation Commission, was present to give more information regarding the waterfall next to the Village of Bellows Falls.  The Abenaki name “Kitchee Pontegu” means Great Falls.  The VT State Library Board must approve any name as well as the US Board of Geographic Names.  Mr. Peska will check with the Walpole Historical Society to be sure that they approve “Great Falls” as well.

OLD BUSINESS:

RECREATION CENTER HANDICAP ACCESSIBILITY:  Mr. Dalessio reported that the discussion is on-going with Hubbard Farms regarding the handicapped access to the Town pool.

MUNICIPAL WORK ZONE AGREEMENT; Westminster Bridge Project: Mr. Dalessio advised that this Municipal Work Zone Agreement on the Westminster Bridge Project is the document that the Department of Transportation wanted the Town to sign to allow the State to use flaggers rather than local police.  Police Chief Paquette is not in favor of signing this agreement as he feels the State should talk to the Town when they are ready to start.  He is concerned about the traffic lights as people are not used to seeing them there as they will be close to the bridge.  Mrs. Pschirrer pointed out that they have to communicate with Mr. David Scott about the safety issue involving the location of the lights and the traffic volume.  Mr. Dalessio will follow-up with an email to Mr. Scott to advise that the Selectboard will send him a letter with their concerns.  Mr. Dalessio will draft the letter for the Selectboard’s consideration at the next meeting.

PROSPECT HILL INTERSECTION: The Selectboard acknowledged receipt of the letter from Ruth R. Venezia, dated July 24, 2015, expressing her concern about having a sign and visible barriers installed at this intersection.  Mrs. Pschirrer pointed out that Mr. Terrell has ordered a “No Right Turn” sign but is waiting for it to arrive.  The Selectboard are waiting to respond to Ms. Venezia until after they have received and reviewed the Police Report that they expect soon.

ASSESSING INFORMATION FEE SCHEDULE:  Mrs. Clough had prepared her recommendation for Pricing for Assessing Information plus broke the prices down into various categories.  They have the capability to print-out different reports.  People want specific information rather than the whole Warrant.

Mrs. Pschirrer moved to accept the recommendations on pricing for the assessing information.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  With all in favor, the motion was approved.

MEETING WITH TRUE NORTH NETWORKING:  The meeting with True North Networking is scheduled for Friday, August 7th at 11:00 AM.

TERRA MAP’S:  The Terra Maps should be received soon.

TOWN HALL RENOVATIONS:  Mrs. Clough has been trying to find someone to do the foundation work but has not received a call-back.  Mr. Travis Kemp is going to look at it and, if it a project he is able to do, he will provide a quote.  Mr. Dalessio requested that “Do Not Force Open” signs be put on the upstairs windows that could not be opened.  Mr. Kemp has been at the Police Station building doing maintenance work.  He will pressure wash the Gazebo and repair the lattice work.  Mr. Dalessio mentioned that a light bulb needs to be replaced in the Gazebo.  He asked Mrs. Clough to keep track of Mr. Kemp’s time on the Gazebo as it should come out of the Maintenance Fund for the Gazebo.

TOWN ORDINANCE, PROCEDURE AND POLICY MANUAL:  Mr. Dalessio read through the Policies.  Starting next week he will take out 4-or-5 for the Selectboard to start the process of going through them.  They are considering a numbering scheme for better organization.    

BOARD OF SELECTMAN OPERATION GUIDELINES:  Mr. Dalessio will email the third draft of the Board of Selectman Operation Guidelines for Mr. Aldrich and Mrs. Pschirrer to review.

PIANO:  Mr. Colburn and Mr. Terrell are discussing removal of the piano from the second floor.

NEW BUSINESS:

GROUNDWATER MONITORING RESULTS – Walpole Landfill: The Selectboard acknowledged receipt of the “April 2015 Groundwater Monitoring Results on the Walpole Landfill” from Brackett Geosciences.  There are no concerns.

CEMETERY DEED: Hicks – Lot D475:  Mrs. Pschirrer moved to approve the Cemetery Deed for Samuel and Dianne Hicks for the Walpole Cemetery, Lot #D475.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  With all in favor, the motion was approved.

FALL MOUNTAIN FOOD SHELF:  Mrs. Clough advised that a Selectman from Langdon and a Selectman from Alstead will be coming to a meeting in August to discuss the Fall Mountain Food Shelf.  They also plan to attend a meeting in Charlestown

NON-PUBLIC BUSINESS:

Mr. Aldrich moved to enter into a Non-Public Selectboard Session pursuant to RSA 91-A:3 II to discuss (c) Reputations.  Mrs. Pschirrer seconded the motion and, on a roll call vote with all in favor, the motion was approved at 6:50 PM.

The regular Selectboard meeting resumed at 6:59 PM.

RECESS SELECTBOARD MEETING:

Mr. Aldrich moved to recess this Selectboard meeting.  The Selectboard will enter into a meeting as the Hooper Trustees.  Seconded by Mrs. Pschirrer.  With all in favor, the motion was approved at 7:00 PM.

The regular Selectboard meeting resumed at 7:22 PM.

OLD BUSINESS (Continued):

Town Credit Cards:  Mrs. Clough obtained the credit cards and they have been distributed to the Department Heads. Mr. Dalessio will write a Credit Card Policy that the Department Heads will have to sign.  It will be ready for the next Staff Meeting.  Mrs. Pschirrer requested that Mrs. Clough attach a list of where the Town has charge accounts as the individual credit cards will not have to be used there.

ADJOURNMENT:

Mrs. Pschirrer moved to adjourn this meeting.  Seconded by Mr. Aldrich.  With all in favor, the motion was approved at 7:28 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Regina Borden, Recording Secretary