Allenstown Alt. - Archive of 2018 Selectmen's Meetings

Archive of 2018 Selectmen's Meetings

Board of Selectmen
16 School St.
Allenstown, NH
603-485-4276

Check town web site for current business hours.

BOS meeting minutes are one way to learn how the selectmen are handling town affairs. This page offers an archive of highlights of BOS meetings held in 2018. Be sure to read the official 2018 BOS minutes to see how exciting or dull the actual meeting was.

Board of Selectmen

At the March 2018 election, Sandy McKenney edged out Tom Irzyk by a vote of 139-122.

Name and E-mail Address	Term	Phone
Dave Eaton deaton@allenstownnh.gov	2016-2019	603-485-4276
Ryan Carter, Chairman rcarter@allenstownnh.gov	2017-2020	603-485-4276
Sandy McKenney, Vice-Chairman smckenney@allenstownnh.gov	2018-2021	603-485-4276

Meetings

The selectmen meet every other Monday at 6 p.m. at Town Hall, and sometimes less frequently if few issues need addressing.

Meeting Agendas and Minutes

2018 Meeting Agendas - Go to the 2018 Agendas page. At that page, click on a link. The next page displays a list containing the agenda document and any other pertinent documents. Click on any link to open that document.
2018 Meeting Minutes - Go to the 2018 Minutes page. Minutes usually take much too long to be typed, proofread, approved, and uploaded to the web site. Instead, read the meeting highlights below, which are much more timely and to the point.

BOS Meeting Highlights

BOS meeting minutes are one way to learn how the selectmen are handling town affairs. Since it usually takes a few weeks or longer for the minutes to be published, this page offers selected highlights of the latest BOS meeting as a service to residents. Be sure to read the official BOS minutes for 2017 or 2018 to see how exciting or dull the actual meeting was.

Meeting highlights began in July 25, 2016. Meeting highlights for 2017 are available in the Selectmen's 2017 Archive.

NOTE: Due to the poor acoustics of the meeting room and occasional mumbling, some discussions were difficult to hear clearly. Check the official minutes to get more details.

If any agenda item was incorrectly reported, please advise the web master.

BOS Meeting on Dec. 17, 2018

Citizen's Comments – None.
Emergency Lane – For Riverside Drive, the Fire Dept. said they have occasionally used the pond next to that road for filling fire trucks. Mr. Eaton said there is currently no public use of the road. If town owned land there were to be developed as a park, there might be more pubic use. He was also concerned about damage to plows because the gravel road must be frozen before it would be safe to plow.
Chairman Carter described safety concerns due to the poor condition of the road in the winter. Mr. Eaton replied that, before town funds are spent on that road, there needed to be a capital reserve fund approved by the voters.
Mr Irzyk of Deerfield Rd. felt that residents on private roads should maintain their own roads.
The BOS voted 2 to 1 to accept the findings report on Riverside Drive. This report concluded as follows:
"8. As a result of the findings set forth above, the Board finds that there is a basis under NH RSA 231-59-a to deem Riverside Drive an emergency lane for purposes of plowing."
Encumbrances – The BOS discussed funds to be carried over to 2019, mostly for $46,000 for small paving projects.
Police Chief – Chief Paul Paquette noted that he planned to retire on Jan. 1, 2019. This comes after 20 years in police work and 12 years with Allenstown. Lt. Mike Stark seemed to be the primary candidate for the position.
2018 Audit Agreement – The coming audit for 2018 will cost $13,250 but the Sewer Dept. will pay for its own audit ($4450). The expense was approved.
Budget Committee update – The town budgets have been approved.
Warrant articles – The BOS reviewed the capital reserve fund articles. A new one was included for Parks & Recreation projects. Another article asked voters to approve Keno gambling, a lottery type game. This is another not so great way to raise taxes by appealing to people's baser instincts. According to the Lottery Commission, 8% of the proceeds goes to the licensee, who must pay a $500 annual fee, 1% goes toward gambling treatment programs, and 91% (minus expenses) goes toward public school funding.
Rescind SB2 – This would do away with the March elections. That would leave the Deliberative Session as the only place where voters could go to discuss and vote on the candidates, budgets, and warrant articles.
The problem is that many elderly residents would not be able to deal with several hours of sitting on hard steel chairs at the typical Deliberative Session. Also the low turnout at such meetings would make it easy for certain vested interests to pack the audience and change a budget or warrant article to suit their agenda.
It might be better to do away with the Deliberative Session and keep the elections, which are harder to sabotage, but that would be a much harder change to enact.
Default town budget – The default was $4,000,427 compared to the proposed budget of $3,984,023, which was $16,404 lower. So you would save some money by voting for the proposed budget. Note that, in March 2018, voters approved the default budget of $3,962,560. Thus, the 2019 proposed budget is only $21,463 (+0.5%) more than the voter approved 2018 budget.
The meeting then went into non-public session.

BOS Meeting on Dec. 3, 2018

Citizen's Comments – Ted Gatsas visited as our newly elected Executive Councilor and offered his services.
Public hearing on highway safety grant – These were for "directed" police patrols. The grants were accepted.
Public hearing on Emergency Lane – Many residents of Riverside Drive (off Rte. 28) attended the hearing. Chairman Carter read aloud the relevant law, RSA 231:59-a. The town attorney reviewed the conditions that the road must meet: 1) it must be a public welfare and safety need, 2) it must be a public need beyond that of the local residents, and 3) it must provide a public benefit to the town. There was no clear advice for the selectmen.
Edward Fay spoke in favor of the designation. Many residents spoke of the poor road conditions in the winter. The Road Agent said that they used to plow the road but the former TA ended that for some reason a few years ago.
The hearing was closed and the BOS discussed the need for input from the Fire Dept. as to whether they use the pond near the road to fill fire trucks.
Highway Safety Grants – These were approved.
Encumbrance for Highway Dept. – The Road Agent said sufficient funds may be left over to do a small paving project on Lafayette St for $32,279. The BOS approved a contract with GMI Asphalt Co.
NH Electric Coop letter – As of January 2019, the NHEC would no longer pay for police details at repair sites.
Budget Committee – The school budget would not be ready for review until Dec. 20.
Town meeting calendar – The latest dates were reviewed; also the next several BOS meeting dates.
Sewer Budget Narrative – This was just completed. The sewer rate may not change. The budget was approved.
Default town budget – This appears to be $4,000,427 which was $16,404 higher than the proposed budget of $3,984,023.
Warrant articles – Some dollar values still needed to be determined. There were new articles for a veterans' tax credit and an active duty tax credit.
Meeting minutes – Approved the Nov. 19 non-public minutes and the Nov. 19 public minutes.
The meeting then went into five non-public sessions.

BOS Meeting on Nov. 19, 2018

Citizen's Comments – Mr. Frascinella asked why the BOS used only $56,000 out of the $1.9 million in the Unassigned Fund Balance to reduce taxes. Ms. Bender, the Finance Director, said they did not want to lower the tax rate drastically, plus a large chunk is to be used in several capital reserve fund warrant articles.
Riverside Drive – Several residents asked if they could use empty town lots on the road for temporary storage of fill that they intend to spread on the road. This topic is to be on the next agenda.
Public Hearing: Temporary Parking Ordinance – At the public hearing, Lieut. Mike Stark summarized its purpose. Selectman Carter read the ordinance aloud to the audience. Only two comments were received. The BOS voted to approve it.
Riverside Drive as an Emergency Lane – Mr. Fay from Riverside Drive had asked the BOS to declare the road as an emergency lane. Several other residents gave statements. The road agent said the road had never been properly designed and did not even have drainage. The residents have been trying to maintain it. The BOS agreed to post a notice of a public hearing for next time.
Recycling Issues – Casella's reported that people are putting trash or contaminated recyclables in their recycling bins. There was some talk of trying to determine if the problem might be restricted to one part of town or one set of residents. The BOS said they probably need to better educate the residents.
2018 Assessment Data – A report indicated that properties are being assessed at slightly less than the sale value.
Contamination Test Results – Testing of wells around the landfill came up negative for signs of PFAS contamination, which is good.
Avitar Contract – Avitar proposed a four-year contract for assessing town property. The total cost would be $198,480.
Budget Committee – They have reviewed most of the budgets and expect to review the sewer dept. budget next. The school budget may not be ready until just before Christmas.
2019 non-property tax revenue – This is expected to be about $1.4 million.
Town budget – The BOS approved the amount of $3,984,023 for the town budget on the latest budget spreadsheet.
Warrant articles – In addition to the town and sewer budgets, there were several articles to take money from the Unassigned Fund Balance and put that into various capital reserve funds. About $185,000 was earmarked for those funds.
Trash Collection – The road agent discussed the possibility of taking over trash collection once the Casella's contract expires in 2014. The new contract was expected to be more expensive because China was now accepting fewer tons of recyclables from the U.S. and other countries. Also Casella's has reported contamination of recycling with trash. When people have put trash into the recycle bins, so that caused Casella's to reject the load and charge the town as if it were all trash. Bad residents!
Purple Heart recipients – A warrant article was proposed that would give a benefit to residents who were military veterans wounded in battle.
Minutes – Meeting minutes for Oct. 29 and Nov. 5 were approved.
Limit BOS on sale of land – Mr. Chad Pelissier proposed a warrant article to require approval by residents on the sale of any town-owned land over 10 acres. This was to prevent a situation like the Holiday Acres expansion in which all residents at the March 2017 BOS meeting rejected the sale, but two of the three selectmen voted for it. The BOS were not readily in favor of the proposed warrant article and wanted some research to be done before approving it.
The meeting then went into five non-public sessions.

BOS Meeting on Nov. 5, 2018

Citizen's Comments – Allie Merrill expressed a need to have the BOS deal with a situation involving the Police Dept. Chairman Carter suggested that she obtain a complaint form from the Police Dept. and deliver it to the BOS so they could schedule a non-public session to deal with the problem.
Fire Dept. budget – This was reduced to $323,200 which was still 12.5% over the 2018 budget.
Sewer Dept. budget – the 2019 budget was $2,280,567, only a 1.5% increase. The budget was to be paid by sewer users and septage haulers. The new pumping station at Suncook Pond has been delayed by problems getting easements along its projected path. The BOS said they would make a final budget recommendation at their next meeting.
Planning Board budget – Chairman Mike O'Meara asked for funds to redo the Capital Improvement Plan which is over five years old. Central NH Regional Planning Commission services would cost an estimated $3,000.
Administrative budget – The 2019 amount was $1,527,462, which was 3.34% less than 2018
Welfare Dept. budget – They reviewed line items that were part of the Admin. budget. For 2019 it would be $67,160 compared to $68,462 for 2018. THe BOS then reviewed other departments that were in the Admin. budget.
Mr. Frascinella brought up the problem that the new budgets were hard to follow. There were no totals for each department, just one final total at the end. The multi-page spreadsheet merged all the departments end to end. it was agreed to improve the visual presentation.
Town Clerk/Tax Collector/Assessing Dept. budgets – These were reviewed but there were no separate totals for each function to compare with the preceding year.
Mr. Frascinella also suggested creating a page in the budget that explained all the acronyms that were prefixed to the line items (for example, LIB, FIN, ER, SWD). Ms. Bender agreed to work up something.
Street Lights and Solid Waste budgets – These were reviewed.
Library budget – This was updated by the total was still at $58,020.
Ms. McKenney asked that all budget documents should include the date they were revised. The other selectmen agreed.
Adninistrator's Report – The budget schedule needed to be revised. There would be a public hearing on Nov. 19 for the new Temporary Parking ordinance.

BOS Meeting on Oct. 29, 2018

Citizen's Comments – Ted Gatsas, former Mayor of Manchester and candidate for the Governor's Executive Council, came to the meeting to offer his help to the Selectmen on any issue should he be elected.
New Fire Chief – Paul St. Germain was appointed as the new Fire Chief. Paul had been Deputy Fire Chief. His family attended the ceremony. The Town Clerk next administered the oath of office which was met with a round of applause.
Parking Ordinance – This was postponed so it could be posted online for a public hearing at a later BOS meeting.
NH DOT 10-year plan – The BOS appointed Michael O'Meara and Diane Adinolfo as town reps to the Central NH Regional Planning Commission.
Mr. Frascinella asked if we could make a request regarding Route 28. The request was to install a turning lane the full length of Rte. 28 through town. This would allow new businesses to be established along that road without fear of the DOT forcing them to have to pay for a special turning lane.
The DOT had used that turning lane requirement in 2018 to thwart one business's plan to build a new convenient store next to the Catamount Mobile Home Park. The Road Agent said he would ask but didn't think that the town had any influence on the DOT's plans.
FY 2018 tax rate – After examining the projected unspent tax fund balance, it was decided to use about $56,000 to offset taxes this year. The BOS approved a final 2018 tax rate that would drop from $32.11 to $30.15 per $1,000, a savings of almost $2.00 per $1,000.
2019 Budgets – The Library budget was updated. The total was the same; some items were shifted around. They reviewed the administrative budgets and the committee budgets. The Admin. budget took a long time. The wall screen was not used to show what they were discussing, so it was hard to follow. The Fire Dept. budget was lowered by $10,000. It was noted that there were no members on the Conservation Commission.
Meeting minutes – Minutes for Sept. and Oct. were approved.
The meeting then went into two non-public sessions.

BOS Meeting on Oct. 15, 2018

Citizen's Comments – Mr. Frascinella asked when the 2019 Tri-Town and Library budgets might be posted on the web site. The Town Administrator (TA) said he would get that done soon.
New Fire Chief – The BOS selected Paul St. Germain and approved his appointment.
Holiday Acres expansion – In support of the Purchase and Sales Agreement, the Hynes people presented two videos showing other similar parks that they had built, one of which was in Rochester, NH.
But they changed the design parameters of the 100 new homes to squeeze them into about 60 acres abutting the existing mobile homes near Chester Turnpike. They also changed the restrictions on buyers. It would now require that one buyer must be over 55, any other co-buyers must be over 40, and no children are allowed to live there. Talk about age discrimination! Also, the sale price was still about $180,000 to $200,000, meaning that property taxes (at $32.11/$1,000) would be $5800-6400/yr., the park fee would be another $550/month, and the buyer would not own the little bit of land around the home.
Mr. Thibeault spoke for the Hynes Group and dismissed any commercial or industrial use of the land due to its distance from route 28. He presented statistics to show that there would be minimal use of the elderly tax exemption. When asked what kind of extension they would need (the current one was to expire in few days), they said they would need an extension of about 6-12 months due to various permits and legal forms they would have to complete.
Selectman Eaton still favored selling the town land to Hynes. Selectman Carter suggested renegotiating a new P&S Agreement. Mr. Eaton made a motion to extend the P&S to Nov. 23rd. Mr. Carter said they had been granted too many extensions already. The vote was 2-1 against granting the extension, with only Mr. Eaton voting Yes. This seemed to effectively cancel the P&S agreement. With that, the Hynes people left the meeting.
Epilogue: Two days later at the Planning Board Meeting, a mail message received from Holden Engineering regarding the request for a lot line adjustment stated, "We would like to continue the application until the next Planning Board meeting so we can address some issues that have come up recently." The lot line adjustment would have redrawn boundaries to include the town owned land inside the Holiday Acres boundary. Due to the vagueness of the request and the fact that the Selectmen had voted against extending the P&S, the Planning Board voted 2-1 against (with 1 abstention) continuing the application until the November meeting.
At a special non-public Selectmen's meeting on Oct. 24th, one could surmise that the Selectmen were probably meeting with town counsel to determine how to respond to a potential legal challenge from the Hynes Group. The assumption was that they were not giving up. Having successfully weathered the Pembroke lawsuit over the town sewer department, isn't it exciting that the town may have someone else who wants to sue us?
Parking Ordinance – The Police Dept. discussed an ordinance dealing with temporary No Parking situations.
Code Violations – Lieut. Stark discussed violations at properties on River Rd. and Deerfield Rd., which are still ongoing problems. The resident on Riverside Dr. has agreed to stop mowing the adjacent town lot.
Fire Dept. Live-in Student – This was deferred to the next meeting.
Mt. Delight Rd. – Paving was done and under budget. The Road Agent wanted to use the remaining paving funds to paint stripes on the road because the road is now too dark at night. The BOS approved.
Election Form – The BOS signed the form that stated the time and place for the Nov. election.
Fire Dept. budget – Chief Murray presented an inflated 2019 budget of $335,910 compared to 2018's $287,146, which was a $48,764 (+17%) increase. Mr. Murray said this budget was the minimum needed to provide for the public safety. The BOS questioned several large increases but couldn't get the chief to reduce them. Selectman Carter asked if this budget was sufficient to sustain the Fire Dept. for the year. Mr Murray concurred.
The meeting then went into non-public session.

BOS Meeting on Oct. 1, 2018

Citizen's Comments – None
Budget Review: Tri-Town Ambulance Service – The rep. reviewed events and accomplishments. For example, this year they trained 24 people in CPR, and EMTs resuscitated four people who were in cardiac arrest. No large purchases were planned for 2019, so the 2019 budget was going to be $1,112,662 with Allenstown's portion being $118,189, compared to $180,333 for 2018, a drop of 34.5%. Pembroke's portion was larger ($147,822) possibly due to more calls for service.
The new ambulance was purchased in 2017 and they currently have $350,000 in the capital improvement plan for a new vehicle. This year they expect 1400 calls for service compared to 1300 in 2017. They are working on making the backup ambulance more available.
Budget Review: Library Dept. – The 2019 budget of $58,020 was the same as the 2018 budget. Mr. Frascinella asked why the town web site did not show anything about the library. Mr. Goodine, Town Administrator (TA), agreed that it didn't but needed to. The BOS asked Finance Director Debbie Bender to get actual spending data from the trustees.
Warrant Articles – The Police Dept. had one that restricted on-street parking when it would interfere with situations like paving, street excavation, and such. Selectman McKenney and Ms. Pelissier suggested one that would set up a five-member board of selectmen. Mr. Frascinella noted that such a warrant article was in the 2016 warrant and lost by only 8 votes.
Riverside Dr. lawn mower – The Police Dept. issued a directive to the homeowner to stop mowing the adjacent town parcel. The TA said the homeowner could buy the property or request an easement.
Properties with code issues – The Police Dept. has continued to work on these issues with properties on River Rd. and Deerfield Rd.
Nyati Realty escrow – A $10,000 escrow account was contingent on the new convenient store being built adjacent to Catamount Park. The NH DOT ruined the deal at the last minute by requiring that Nyati Realty pay for construction of a new turning lane on Rte. 28, a really unwarranted imposition. The BOS agreed to return the escrow to the realtor.
Meeting minutes – Minutes for Aug. 22nd and three Sept. meetings were approved.
Eversource lawsuit – The BOS approved the use of the DTC lawyers to represent the town.
The meeting then went into non-public session.

BOS Meeting on Sept. 24, 2018

Citizen's Comments – None
Contract for PSNH legal case – This is an ongoing statewide issue with the valuation of utility poles and property. Mr. Sansoucy is to be retained as an expert engineering witness representing the town. The contract was approved.
Paving Mt. Delight Rd. – The estimated cost was $70,000-71,000. This would come from the $83,000 that was left in the paving budget item. This will be a "shim and overlay" job, which the BOS approved.
Also, the 2000 Sterling dump truck wouldn't pass inspection so it is to go to the auction. Next year's budget includes a truck in the Capital Improvement Plan.
Stormwater Planning – Matt Monahan from Central NH Regional Planning Commission described the tasks that the EPA required for handling stormwater. Also required was testing the 19 outfalls into the Suncook River and elsewhere. (An outfall is where stormwater empties into a pond or river.) The town would have to write a plan over the next year. The BOS approved authority for the TA to sign the Notice of Intent.
Tax Deeds – Several properties are eligible to be taken for back taxes. Most of them are mobile homes. The BOS approved a motion to have the Town Clerk file tax deeds for these properties.
Town Budget Overview – The estimated 2019 town budget was $3,982,908, which was 1/2% over the 2018 default budget. This did not include about $123,000 in Capital Reserve expenditures.
Highway Dept. budget – Road Agent Pelissier said that funds from some lines items were moved to the paving line item. They reclaimed and repaired a John Deere mower left at the town dump. They also plan to purchase a commercial zero-turn mower to replace a homeowner model because it has required frequent repairs. They briefly touched on the streetlight and solid waste budget. Mr. Pelissier said the recycling market was down so people need to be encouraged to recycle since we have a fixed contract with Casella's for recycling.
TA Report – There was a discussion about a resident who keeps mowing an adjacent lot on that road. This could be a liability for the town, so the Police Dept. delivered a notice to that resident to stop the mowing.
Town web site – The TA demonstrated a new color scheme for the web pages and showed the new layout for the Economic Development page which he and Mr. Frascinella worked on. The BOS approved the improvements.
Meeting minutes – The minutes from previous public and non-public meetings were approved.
The meeting then went into two non-public session.

BOS Meeting on Sept. 10, 2018

Citizen's Comments – None
Holiday Acres decision – There was no decision made since Selectman Carter was absent. The other two selectmen wanted the full board present before making a decision.
Fire Alarm Boxes – Chief Murray discussed the status of the old boxes. They are to be given to the Fire Association to be sold at auction. A few residents were interested in some of the boxes. A few more boxes were still in place at the Police Dept., Highway Dept, and other locations. There were about 17 total.
Paving Mt. Delight Rd. – Funds would be available to do the section of the road in greatest need of repairs.
Town Administrator's Report – He mentioned an open house on Sept. 20.
Meeting Minutes – Minutes for August and September were approved.
The meeting then went into two non-public sessions.

BOS Meeting on Aug. 27, 2018

Citizen's Comments – Michael Frascinella mentioned observing on Old Home Day the dilapidated condition of the sidewalks on School St. The pavement was full of cracks filled with weeds. The road agent said that the state owned the road and they have not been maintaining the sidewalks. The BOS said they would contact the state to see if they would take any action.
NHMA policy proposals – The NH Municipal Association submitted more legislative proposals to the towns. One proposal would give town moderators authority to postpone an election due to hazardous weather conditions. The BOS supported this one. Another proposal would allow towns to ban commercial properties from using outdoor watering during a water ban. This was opposed since it would harm farmers and commercial growers. One other proposal would deny the Site Evaluation Committee (think of Northern Pass) from having jurisdiction over local roads. The BOS supported this.
Forest fire bills – The BOS approved payment of two forest fire bills.
Fire Chief interviews – For the five candidates, TA Derik Goodine suggested that the interviews should be done within the next two weeks because the current chief's contract expires in October. The BOS suggested scheduling two nights to complete the interviews.
Employee Pay Scale – Finance Director Deb Bender said the current pay scale was inconsistent and had many gaps. She then reviewed the adjustments that would improve the pay scale and its step increases. The BOS asked for time to review the plan so they could make a decision at the next meeting.
Agreements with Trailer Parks and Co-ops – The TA asked for authority to execute agreements with them. This would include agreements about who would pay the town property tax and when a dilapidated had to be replaced. This was approved.
Minutes – Amended and approved the Aug. 13 minutes.
Town Administrator's report – He mentioned that the Hynes Group (Holiday Acres owner) might threaten a lawsuit if the BOS did not give them an extension until at least Sept. 14. The BOS approved the extension until Sept. 14 but reserved the right to render a final decision on Sept. 10, as decided at their August 22nd meeting.
The meeting then went into non-public session.

BOS Meeting on Aug. 22, 2018

A large turnout of about 30 people filled the meeting room.

Citizen's Comments – none
New Police Officer – Scott Pihl was sworn in by the town clerk as his wife and children looked on. The ceremony ended with applause and handshakes with the selectmen. Also, about half the audience left the room.
Lincoln St. Hammerhead – A motion was approved to transfer a small parcel of land at the end of Lincoln St. to Mr. Emond in exchange for a small parcel of Mr. Emond's land which is to be used to construct the hammerhead dead end. An easement was allowed for a footpath from the paved end of Lincoln St. to Bailey Ave. At long last, an excessively tedious process had come to a satisfactory end.
Holiday Acres expansion – At 6:15 p.m., the BOS immediately went into non-public session to discuss the issues via concall with the town attorney. They did not resume the public session until 7:00 p.m.
One resident spoke about a recent discussion with a Holiday Acres rep. The resident was concerned about water and sewer costs that might be inflicted on current residents of Chester Tpke. who are tied into the Holiday Acres sewer line.
Due to potential legal problems, the BOS decided to extend the P&S agreement's deadline until Sept. 10 contingent on Holiday Acres delivering final details of their revised proposal. This motion was quickly rescinded in favor of a motion to require that the final details would be due to the BOS by Sept. 5 so that they could be prepared to vote on the extension on Sept. 10.
The meeting then went into non-public session.

BOS Meeting on Aug. 13, 2018

Citizen's Comments – Michael Frascinella read from a Concord Monitor article that Franklin, NH was stopping its recycling program due to excessive costs. He asked if those conditions might affect Allenstown's recycling agreement with Casella's. The BOS was not sure but would check into it.
Lincoln St. Land Swap – At a public hearing, the Town Administrator (TA) Derik Goodine reviewed details of the land swap that was part of the ongoing hammerhead project. Mr. Emond will pave the hammerhead at his cost. One resident asked if the footpath will continue to exist. Selectman Carter said they will confirm that detail. The hearing closed with a follow-up date of Aug. 22nd.
General Ledger changes – Finance Director, Deb Bender, proposed combining the Town Clerk/Tax Collector/Municipal Agent budgets into two categories: Town Clerk and Tax Collector, the original configuration. Since 70% of the budget is for the Town Clerk and 30% is for the Tax Collector, the change would restore sanity to these budgets and make them easier for taxpayers to understand. (Mirabile visu! A welcomed dismantling of a former employee's micro-management.)
Holiday Acres expansion – The Hynes reps. presented a revised proposal for 100 double-wide trailer homes on two-acre lots (down from 233 homes on 1/2 acre lots because of zoning limitations). The homes would sell for about $100,000 each. They were asking for a second six-month extension of the P&S agreement and an agreement to extend Chester Tpke. as a town road.
They gave the BOS a handout about the project's benefits. One owner must be 55 or older. The net revenues to the town would be less than in the initial project. They still think the impact on school enrollment would be small (less than 20 more students).
Selectman McKenney disagreed with their school estimate since many people are having children later in life and many grandparents are raising their grandchildren.
The Hynes reps. estimated that 10-15 homes would be built per year. Selectman Carter was concerned that they would not bring in enough taxes as they depreciated.
Two Chester Turnpike residents voiced concerns about costs for new sewer and water lines, but were told there would be no resident comments allowed at this meeting.
Boys and Girls Club – They were planning a fee-based day care program for young children at the Community Center. The hours would be from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The proposed fees are still in the works.
Red Cross smoke detector program – Reps. from the local Red Cross agency were offering to install smoke detectors in homes at no cost to the homeowner. They have already installed 1.5 million nationwide. Ways to advertise the program would include visiting trailer homes, contacting the fire dept., and adding an article to the town newsletter.
Town copier – The machine needs to be relocated due to machine noise and due to a needed rearrangement of the work area. The $1021.00 cost includes moving the machine and running new wiring. Funding could come from the Town Clerk/Tax Collector budget. The work should take only a few hours.
Donation policy – The TA provided the BOS with a few sample policies about donating benches and trees. The BOS asked him to take the best parts of those samples to create a new policy.
Funding for landfill testing – The BOS needed to request $8,525 from the Trustees to pay for the additional state-mandated well testing around the landfill, with the work to be done by Nobis Engineering. The funding request and a contract with Nobis were approved.
TA report – The report covered several small items plus an interview process for the Fire Chief candidates. Seven applications had been received so far. Whitten St. has been paved. Also the town needed to hire a part-time librarian.
Business Directory – The TA reported that arcane technical problems with the web site's user interface required him to request that the developers create a menu system similar that of Wolfeboro. It was to go live shortly.
Meeting Minutes – Minutes for July 30 were approved.
The meeting then went into non-public session.

BOS Meeting on July 30, 2018

The meeting began with three non-public sessions that were to last only 1/2 hour but ran from 6:00-7:00 p.m. The regular meeting went until 9:30 p.m. due to a lengthy disagreement about the fire chief options and a long, drawn-out review of the 20-page policy recommendations from the New Hampshire Municipal Association (NHMA).

Three non-public sessions were held with town attorney.
Citizen's Comments – None
Allenstown Aggregate – Michael O'Meara, Chairman of the Planning Board, stated that the Planning Board had done a site walk the week before and found the property in good order. The company was asking for a permit renewal of three years. On the advice of town counsel, the BOS approved only a one year permit during which the company must remove the remaining coal slag. The company rep. said that would be hard but they would work toward that goal.
Lincoln St. Land Swap – A public hearing would be held on August 13 (two weeks notice required).
DTC Lawyers Closing of Files and Storage Policy – Donahue, Tucker & Ciandella (DTC) is the law firm retained by the town. There was a discussion about town documents they store for the town for up to 10 years.
Sewer Dept. Lawsuit – The State Supreme Court found in favor of Allenstown and awarded a small settlement.
Jeffrey Backman, Plant Superintendent, presented a table that showed there was a total excess capacity of 448,000 gallons per day (GPD), due to the Biomag Project (2009), upgrades to the biological process and instrumentation, a new Huber Press for solids, and other steps. It was estimated that this increase could support some 1,500 new homes (we need new businesses not new homes!). They are also moving to a new rate system based on the number of bedrooms in a home or a formula for businesses.
Allenstown has been approached by Pembroke with a request to buy 150,000 GPD for construction projects that under development there.
Landfill/ Groundwater Management Permit – Some tests in wells near the landfill showed PFOA contamination higher that state limits. DES wanted further tests, which could cost $6,225.00. The Trustees of Trust Funds would have to transfer funds from the Landfill Capital Reserve Fund to the Solid Waste - Engineering Services line item.
Fire Chief and Staffing Options – Chief Murray handed out writeups for these positions. Discussion explored part-time vs. stipend fire chief and full-time firefighter. Selectman Carter did not think the stipend would work, but Selectman McKenney disagreed. They decided to look for a part-time fire chief and see what responses they receive. The BOS voted 2-1 to authorize Chief Murray to post the job description on several firefighter related web sites.
CNHRPC Brownfield Advisory Committee Nomination – This was a subcommittee of the Central NH Regional Planning Commission. Town Administrator Derik Goodine volunteered and was appointed. One property to be considered for cleanup was the China Mills down by the Sewer Plant.
Discussion of Online Business Directory – The TA showed some features of the user interface as implemented by other towns. He had begun to develop a submission form. Michael Frascinella expressed frustration with not having access to the web software. The TA was working to give him a limited user account. As a result, the BOS gave permission to start soliciting information from town businesses.
Appointment of Alternative Member of Zoning Board of Appeals – No action was taken.
Pembroke Allenstown Old Homes Day Requests – The event is to be on Saturday August 25th. The BOS gave permission for the TA to open town hall so that the parade clowns can get ready. Only Selectman McKenney volunteered to join in the parade.
NHMA Legislative Policy Recommendations – This was first brought up at the July 9 BOS meeting. The BOS proceeded to review and discuss all the recommendations one by one, much to the chagrin of the attendees who could only sit there for almost an hour.
Donation of Trees and Benches Policy – The question was: do we need such a policy to prevent unwanted donations? The TA was to look for one to discuss at the next meeting.
Minutes – The July 9 and 16 minutes were approved.
Fire Station Foundation Cracks – It was reported that the cracks had been repaired.
The meeting then went into one more non-public session, at which point all attendees fled from the building.

BOS Meeting on July 16, 2018

Citizen's Comments – None
Abandon part of Lincoln St. – This refers to the undeveloped end of Lincoln St. near Bailey Ave. The BOS discussed the results of the last Planning Board meeting at which the project plans were deemed complete. Still at issue: whether there needs to be an emergency exit onto Bailey Ave.
The town attorney expressed concern about whether the land swap was equitable since the town's land was slightly larger. This seemed rather trivial since Mr Emond planned to pave the land he was giving up. The BOS said they would have the parcels assessed before approving the deal.
Approve Lot Line Adjustment – This adjustment transfers the end of Lincoln St. to Mr. Emond. This was put on hold.
Accept new hammerhead section – This is the land Mr. Emond is giving to the town in exchange for the land at the end of Lincoln St. This was put on hold.
Discuss Town Business Directory – Michael Frascinella, chairman of the Economic Development Committee, discussed the proposed form for collecting business information. Town Administrator (TA) Derik Goodine said he had learned that the town web software has a module for creating a business directory. The BOS asked him to research that and report back at the next meeting.
Hiring a Police Officer – Candidate Scott Pihl is still undergoing tests and evaluations, but Lieut. Stark would provide documents this week. The BOS approve the hire at $20.88/hr.
Personnel Policy for Sick Calls – There was some discussion but no decision.
Appointment of Health Officer – Norm Eisenhart was appointed to this post.
Zoning Board alternative member – Selectman Carter was thinking about volunteering. It was noted that Eric Fuestal resigned because he moved from town. There is thus no chairman.
YTD Expenditure Report – The TA and Finance Officer have been reviewing the current budget. They asked the BOS what questions they might have. Selectman Eaton said that, since it's a default budget, they have to keep a close watch on expenses.
NHMA Legislative Policy Recommendations – The BOS had not yet reviewed this report. They then proceeded to go item by item through a 20-page report and spent close to an hour discussing all the items. (zzzzzzz!)
Michael Frascinella objected to the proposal to allow towns to create their own firearm regulations. He cited RSA 159:26 which reserves jurisdiction to the State Legislature only. The proposal would create a hodge-podge of rules from town to town that would be unworkable and illegal. Some of the BOS seemed to favor it, God help us.
Meeting minutes – The July 9 minutes were approved.
TA report – For the 2019 budget schedule, Selectman McKenney said the reviews should start in September, not October to give the BOS more time to devote to each budget. The BOS asked the TA to reorganize the budget review schedule and report back to them.
Solar Panel company – A company is looking for land to lease for a solar panel farm. There may be an ordinance restricting this.
Fire Station foundation – The repairs are going well.
Sewer Dept. lawsuit – The State Supreme Court decided in Allenstown's favor. Thus Pembroke lost its long running lawsuit.
Police Cruiser – Lieut. Stark stated that a new vehicle has been put into service.

BOS Meeting on July 9, 2018

Citizen's Comments – None
Riverside Drive – This reporter missed the first half-hour of the meeting. A part of the road near Jilleric Rd. has been blocked by rocks. There was a lengthy discussion of whether to remove the rocks and also about town-owned property in the flood zone. The Town Administrator (TA) was to get more details about the properties there.
Fire Dept. options – The TA said that the Pembroke Town Manager had not yet responded to a suggestion that they reopen the idea of merging the two fire departments as a cost cutting measure. Chief Murray said there will be a lot of issues to resolve. But, as an example, he noted how well the Tri-Town Ambulance Service has been working since it has been managed by a board of Allenstown and Pembroke members.
Chad Pelissier stated that Allenstown used to elect its fire chief and include a $10,000 stipend. Since the town voted years back to instead hire a fire chief, he felt we began to have problems staffing the position.
The BOS asked the TA to see how quickly he could get the Pembroke BOS to agree to talk to the Allenstown BOS. Michael Frascinella suggested that they avoid mentioning the towns as competing entities and instead invite Pembroke to meet to talk about a "Suncook Fire District."
Fire Station Foundation Cracks – The contractor has started drilling holes for foundation supports. Selectman McKenney expressed dissatisfaction with how the project was originally defined and funded. The fire chief admitted that he had no data on how much the crack has been widening per year, nor any data on any movement of the rest of the foundation. The current repair method seemed to be the only choice to save the building.
Suncook Pond Pump Station – The BOS may have already approved this agreement.
Library Trustee – Bobbie Laflamme was appointed. Her term expires in 2019.
Budget Guidance – Chairman Carter had reviewed several of this year's budgets that had shown noticeable increases. Chief Murray noted that a few of the oldest engines had been sold so Fire Dept. equipment expenses will be much lower in 2019.
The Town Clerk said the Town Clerk/Tax Collector/Municipal Agent budgets should really be combined into one to make them easier to manage and easier for residents to understand. A certain micromanaging individual had mislead the selectmen to accept the sliced and diced version of these budgets. The three positions are currently filled by one person and the town recently voted (March 2016) to combine the Town Clerk/Tax Collector into one position filled by one person. The BOS seemed to accept this approach.
The BOS mentioned a possible 2-2.5% salary increase to which Michael Frascinella retorted that they should also tell the Social Security Administration to include such an increase in the 2019 Social Security benefits for retirees.
Bingo Raffle – The BOS approved a motion for a raffle permit for St. John's Parish for August 10, 2018.
Town Administrator's Report – He has been trying to locate the owners of the China Mills property at the end of Canal St. He hopes to open discussions about renovating the property, possibly using a grant from the EPA Brownfields program or some other grant. (A brownfield is property that has been contaminated by hazardous materials or pollution.)
The TA recently met with the owner who wants to develop the property across from the junction of Route 3 and 28 (where the old highway ramp used to be).
Tax Deed List – This should be ready for the BOS to review at their next meeting.
Web site – A new company, CivicPlus, took over the company that had been maintaining the town's web site. There was no statement as to whether this service would cost more or less or whether the performance and functionality of the web site would improve or not.
The meeting then went into two non-public sessions.

BOS Meeting on June 18, 2018

Citizen's Comments – Elizabeth Maltais of 70 River Rd. came to thank the Selectmen and Lieut Stark for getting the owner of an old trailer home at 68 River Rd. to remove the structure.
Zoning Board Appointment – Keith Klawes was appointed as a full member of the Zoning Board. He had previously been an alternate member.
Paving Projects – Road Agent Ron Pelissier discussed bids received from GMI Asphalt in Franklin and Advanced Excavating in Allenstown for repaving projects in the downtown area. The best bids were from GMI. Bids were $10,789 for Reynolds Ave., $63,890 for Webster St., and $57,928 for Whitten St.
Paving is to begin after the sewer dept finishes its tasks down there.
Cross St. Lots – The owner, Richard Martineau, wants to restore the 1/2 acre property at 33 Cross St. (map 112 lot 86) to its original four lots so he can sell the property. The BOS approved the separation of the property into four lots.
EDC Proposal for Business Directory – EDC Chairman Michael Frascinella presented a proposal to create a web-based Business Directory for Allenstown. Pembroke has such a listing on its web site, so it would be beneficial to create one to promote our own local businesses. A prototype of the business directory running on allenstown-alt.org was shown to the BOS (see the home page). Town Clerk Kathleen Pelissier mentioned that she often gets calls from residents asking if we had a listing of local businesses.
The proposal mentioned that the first step would be to broadly advertise to the town that a free web listing was under development and that business owners should send in specific information about their businesses. The EDC would also create a proposed set of business categories that would form the structure of the business directory.
The BOS were very favorable to the proposal. They asked for an example of what the announcement would look like. They also asked that - as a courtesy to Suncook Village - that we include businesses in the village (most of whom have Pembroke addresses), and also include desirable businesses that we are lacking, such as the bank on Glass St.
Property Code Violation update – Police officers have been visiting the subject properties and inspecting for compliance to code enforcement notices, but it has been a slow process. Ms. McKenney said it may be time to look into hiring a part-time code enforcement officer. Mr. Eaton replied that they could not fill that position last year so the burden continues to fall on the town administrator and the police dept.
Town Hall renovations – The costs were discussed. Low cost items could be replaced now, but high cost items like replacing the town clerk's window glass may have to be put off.
Health Officer opening – This position is a state requirement. The town administrator is working on a plan to fill this position.
Tax Deed List – Tax Collector Kathleen Pelissier stated that 11 properties may be eligible to be taken for failure to pay back taxes. One is a commercial property and the others are mostly trailer homes. The total default for all properties is about $18,000.
An updated tax deed list will be prepared for the next BOS meeting for them to determine action to be taken.
Fire Chief Hiring Process – Chief Murray, who is a part-time contractor, prepared a set of options at the board's request. He recommended choosing a part-time fire chief and noted that state law limits part-time positions to no more than 26 hr/wk. Also discussed were full-time vs. per-diem firefighters. The per-diem positions were cheaper but possibly harder to staff. The BOS tentatively leaned toward the idea of a part-time fire chief.
Meeting Minutes – Minutes for June 4 were approved.
The meeting then went into non-public session.

BOS Meeting on June 4, 2018

This meeting satisfied two purposes. It allowed residents to meet and greet the new Town Administrator, Derik Goodine, and participate in the Selectmen's annual meeting at the Old Allenstown Meeting House. About two dozen people attended.

Citizen's Comments – Derik Goodine was introduced to the audience. He spoke briefly about his background and his hopes to make a positive impact on the town's future.
The BOS commended Lieut. Mike Stark for his excellent service as Interim TA during the past few months.
Tom Irzyk asked how code enforcement is being handled with respect to the recent complaints about trash and junk at several residential properties. Selectmen Carter said the primary enforcement is being done by the police dept. One eyesore was a property on Deerfield Rd. just past Podunk Rd. The BOS agreed that action needs to be taken but they have to deal with it legally.
Purchasing Policy – A public hearing was opened to discuss the changes to be made. The TA's spending limit was to be reduced to $3,000 with a $1,000 or 10% overrun allowed. The Highway Dept. was to be exempted from the limit since they often make large purchases for paving projects or winter sand and salt for snow plowing. After some discussion from the attendees, the hearing was closed. The BOS voted to approve the changes.
Budget Guidance – Selectman McKenney suggested giving dept. heads an idea of what might be a maximum acceptable budget. Debbie Bender (Finance Officer) offered some ideas like identifying items that have remained stable. Tom Irzyk suggested having a meeting between the School Board and the BOS to discuss budgets. Other comments came from the Road Agent.
Selectman Eaton thought a 2.5% salary increase might be reasonable if the consumer price index had a comparable increase. Derik Goodine replied that he would require dept. heads to defend any request for an increase. Michael Frascinella suggested that they keep in mind the residents who are reaching or at retirement age and have to live on fixed incomes. For example, Social Security has given retirees increases much lower that 2.5%, sometimes zero.
The BOS leaned toward level funding (0% increase) for 2019 but would be open to a dialogue with dept. heads if any budget items really needed more funding. They also hoped that the 2019 budgets would not lead to any layoffs.
Summer meetings – Meeting dates for the summer months were worked on.
Clean Water Funding – Michael Trainque of Hoyt Tanner Associates discussed the application for a $30,000 loan for the pump station on the Allenstown side of Iris Pond. This had been approved by voters to eliminate the sewer pipe going under the pond to Pembroke (scary!). The BOS approved the loan application. Also mentioned was an NH DES Asset Management Plan that would help the town identify and manage all its sewer and storm water assets.
Boat Ramp – Road Agent Ron Pelissier said the boat ramp has been renovated and was open for use. Security cameras will be in operation to prevent vandalism and building pyramids of cans in the pale moonlight.
TA report – Mike Stark reported that the town newsletter (volume 1 number 1) for May 2018 has been published and has its own top level link on the web site.
Letters have been sent to residents on River Rd. and Deerfield Rd. regarding recent complaints about excessive trash and junk on these properties. A few other topics were covered.
The meeting then went into non-public session. Attendees made off with several of Sandy McKenney's world famous homemade brownies.

BOS Meeting on May 22, 2018

Citizen's Comments – A resident of River Rd. complained about a neighbor near the Cassella property. This neighbor has been creating excessive noise by riding an ATV around their property. The BOS would look into the situation.
Appointment to the EDC – The BOS approved the appointment of Thomas Kaempfer to the Economic Development Committee.
Re-Appointment - The BOS approved the re-appointment of Norma Caporale as Deputy Town Clerk/Tax Collector.
Public Hearing on Purchasing Policy – The BOS held a public hearing on proposed changes to the Purchasing Policy, 2013-10. They agreed on the $3,000 limit for the Town Administrator (TA) and $1,000 limits for other department heads and the 10% over-limit buffer, but considered exempting the Road Agent. Rather than take a vote, they continued the hearing until the next BOS meeting.
Waste Oil Grant – The BOS accepted a DES Waste Oil Grant for the Highway Department in the amount of $2,500. The grant is to be used for operating and maintaining the waste oil collection system at the Transfer Station.
Energy provider – A 24-month contract with Eversource was discussed and approved. It gives the town a slight discount for electric usage.
Newsletter submission – The BOS discussed the upcoming town newsletter which should include contributions from all department heads. The newsletter is to be published quarterly.
Meeting minutes – minutes from the May 7th meeting were approved.
The meeting then went into a non-public session.

BOS Meeting on May 7, 2018

Citizen's Comments - Mr. Leverdiere of River Rd. came again to speak out against the neighbor with excess commercial vehicles on his property. The BOS said they were still working on the issue.
Appointments of public officials - The BOS appointed several people to numerous boards and committees.
Single Source Vendor Contract - The Fire Chief brought a rep. from Erickson Foundation Supportworks to discuss a solution for the foundation cracks along one wall of the fire station. The rep. stated that the cracks were probably due to settling of the fill used to level the original construction site.
His solution involved drilling holes along the exterior of the wall, driving in support piers, attaching heavy duty brackets to the bottom of the foundation, and lifting the foundation back into place.
Estimated cost will be $48,318. The BOS approved the contract, which to be funded from the Public Safety Facilities Capital Reserve Fund. (See article 7 of the 2018 Town Warrant.)
Sale of Fire Alarm Boxes - The Fire Chief said the system was obsolete and a vendor was paid to remove them from a few dozen locations around town. When he asked for permission to sell them, Armand Verville suggested selling them to collectors, since that would bring in the most money. He also asked if one could be donated to the Historical Society.
Purchasing Policy revisited - The Town Administrator (TA) suggested allowing a P.O. to go over by no more than 10% if needed. This would eliminate difficulties such as getting the BOS to meet and approve a new P.O. for the slightly higher amount.
After much discussion, they agreed to change the TA's limit from $5,000 to $3,000 and limit the overage to 10% or $1,000. A public hearing will be needed before the policy can be revised.
Meeting minutes - Approved the minutes for public and non-public meetings from April.
Temporary firefighters - The BOS approved several candidates presented by Chief Murray and approved a step increase for Dawna Baxter.
June 4 meeting - The annual tradition continues as the BOS meeting is to be held on June 4th at the Old Allenstown Meeting House.
EDC alternate - Sandy McKenney was nominated and approved as the alternate BOS rep. for the Economic Development Committee.
The meeting then went into two non-public session.

BOS Meeting on Apr. 23, 2018

Selectman Eaton was absent.

Citizen's Comments - Robert Leveriere of 56 River Rd. recently returned from a stay in Florida and was shocked by the trucks going in and out of 46 River Rd, the empty trailers, and the unregistered vehicles there. He asked the town to do something about it. This was the same property that was the subject of a complaint by Mr. & Mrs. Antosh at the previous BOS meeting. Mr. Stark told the BOS that he was still working on the issue.
Michael Frascinella said he was pleased that the side steps were nearly completed.
Town Hall office configuration - Town Clerk Kathleen Pelissier had proposed a new office layout that included reducing the size of the glass partitions, changing door locks, and addition a partition to more isolate her office area. This will to allow for more private discussions with residents and better protection for sensitive documents.
Purchasing Policy - Sandy McKenney stated that the $5,000 spending limit for the Town Administrator was too high and wanted to reduce it to $1,000. Ryan Carter reiterated his opposition when this originally came up in August 2017. He would be agreeable to a $2,000-3,000 limit.
The TA broached the idea of allowing spending to exceed the limit by a small percentage if necessary. This would allow a town official to approve the extra spending (if the situation was urgent) without having to get BOS approval for a new P.O. The TA will examine the policies for surrounding towns and report back to the BOS.
In any case, a public hearing will need to be held before the policy can be amended.
Highway Dept. truck - The new one-ton truck will cost about $92,000. About $43,000 will come from the two recycling capital reserve funds that the voters agreed to close. The BOS authorized the TA to initiate the lease contract.
Boys and Girls Club Pre-School - This club is in the beginning stages of investigating the requirements for a pre-school program that is to be held at the Community Center. Mr. Stark said there is a definite need for this program.
Budget adjustments - The BOS approved the transfer of about $103,000 from the unassigned fund to the capital reserve funds as approved at the March election.
Meeting minutes - The BOS approved minutes for March and early April.
Open positions - Mr. Stark is to meet with the Town Clerk to write up descriptions of vacancies on various boards and committees. This will be posted on the town web site and in a May newsletter.
The meeting then went into three non-public session.

BOS Meeting on Apr. 9, 2018

Citizen's Comments - Michael Frascinella asked for the status of the long-delayed project to rebuild the side stairs for town hall. Town Administrator Michael Stark said the weather had been a problem, but he would do what he could to expedite the matter.
Noise problem at 50 River Rd. - Mr. & Mrs. Antosh stated that the neighbor has been parking a tractor trailer along the road next to their home and starting the truck at 3-4 a.m., waking them up. Also, in warm weather, they have not been able to open their windows because diesel fumes would seep in.
They showed photos of the offending truck to the BOS. They also reviewed a recent daily log they kept of the times when the truck was started up. Another concern was that the parked truck might affect traffic and pose a problem for children who live nearby.
Mr. Stark reviewed the current noise ordinance and said it would need to be revised to prohibit this type of situation. He would review the current noise ordinance and the list of prohibited uses for the zone in which the property was located. A possible solution might be discussed at the next BOS meeting.
Request from CNHRPC - The Central NH Regional Planning Commission asked the town for suggested locations for traffic counters. The BOS selected several locations.
New highway dept. truck - Road Agent Ron Pelissier was waiting until July when the 2019 models are available. They will be ordering an F-550 diesel one-ton truck as part of their plan to acquire smaller, more versatile trucks. They will also be able to apply for a municipal discount for the 2019 truck.
Meeting minutes - The BOS approved the minutes for the Mar. 26 and Apr. 2 non-public sessions.

BOS Meeting on Apr. 2, 2018

A non-public meeting was held at 4:30 p.m. so that the BOS could interview candidates for the position of Town Administrator.

BOS Meeting on Mar. 26, 2018

Citizen's Comments - none
Election of BOS Chairman and Vice-Chairman - It took three rounds of voting before they settled on a pair of candidates.
Ryan Carter was elected the new Chairman and Sandy McKenney the new Vice-Chair.
Committee Assignments - The BOS assigned themselves to the following committees:
- Budget Committee - Ryan Carter
- Planning Board - Sandy McKenney
- Economic Development Committee - Ryan Carter
- Suncook Village Commission - Dave Eaton
- Old Allenstown Meeting House Committee - Dave Eaton
- Suncook Valley Regional Towns Association - Dave Eaton
- Public Works Facilities Study Committee - Sandy McKenney
2018 Budget Adjustments - This item was moved to a future meeting pending discussion with the previous TA.
Discussion about draft minutes - It was decided to post draft meeting minutes on the town web site as soon as they were available, rather than wait for weeks until they were formally approved. This would give residents more timely access to meeting minutes so they could more readily see what happened at the latest meeting. The BOS would still vote to approve them at a regular BOS meeting.
Meeting schedule - It was also decided to meet three times per month so that town business would be managed once again by the selectmen rather than delegated to the town administrator.
Reappointment of Deputy Forest Fire Wardens - The BOS signed the reappointment forms for Evan MacIntosh and Maurice Paquette as Deputy Forest Fire Wardens.
Purchasing policy - Mrs. McKenney asked that board consider reducing the spending policy for the TA from $5,000 to $1,000. Chair Carter said that would be added to a future agenda.
Town Report Dedication - Betty Anderson, wife of Larry Anderson, was upset because the photo and dedication text was not what she had sent to the town. Mrs. McKenney requested that a letter of apology be sent to her.
Appeal of Zoning Board (ZBA) decision - A ZBA decision w/r/t 4NH Homes and the Pine Acres Rd. project has been appealed to the Merrimack County Superior Court.
Minutes - Meeting minutes for March 12 were approved.
The meeting then went into non-public session.

BOS Meeting on Mar. 12, 2018

Citizen's Comments - Michael Frascinella commented that the e-mail notice for the Candidates Forum was not sent until Sunday morning, about 3 hours before the event and two days before the election. He stated that, in the future, the forum should occur at least one week before the election. Selectman Tardiff apologized but noted that the town moderator had set up the forum.
Hearing II on Lincoln St. Dead end - Residents asked if the current footpath to Bailey Ave., used by school children, could continue. Mr. Emond agreed that a 10 ft. easement could be deeded to the town. He planned to submit a site plan to the Planning Board in April.
Transfer of Funds for Groundwater Mgmt. Permit. - The BOS approved a resolution to transfer $3500 from the Landfill Fund to the Solid Waste - Eng. Services line item.
Bldg. Inspector contract - This was to be a six month term of as-needed services. The BOS approved the contract and authorized the Town Administrator to take further action.
Truck Driver for Highway Dept. - At the Road Agent's recommendation, the BOS approved the hiring of Joseph Castille as full-time employee contingent on passing a background check.
New Police Cruiser - The BOS authorized the lease purchase of a 2018 Ford Police Interceptor SUV (price not stated).
Minutes - Approved the minutes for Feb. 26.
The Board thanked Jason Tardiff for his service since this was his last BOS meeting.

BOS Meeting on Feb. 26, 2018

Citizen's Comments - None
Public Hearing - The proposed change to the Alcohol and Drug Policy, first mentioned at the Feb. 5th BOS meeting, were approved.
Public Hearing I, Lincoln St. - This first hearing was held for the Lincoln Street Hammerhead Driveway Conceptual Design, per RSA 41:14-a. This was discussed during the Jan. 22nd BOS meeting. Mr. Emond had received a go-ahead to present the design to the BOS from the Planning Board the week before. While explaining his plan, he noted that a goal was to keep the dead end in place.
Several residents from Lincoln St. asked numerous questions. One resident asked Mr. Emond if he would sell the lot as is, and he replied, if the price was right. A second public hearing was scheduled for Mar. 12.
Transfer of funds - This is a request for funds for a Groundwater Management Permit. This was postponed until the next meeting.
Minutes - Previous minutes to non-public sessions were approved.
Town Administrator applicants - MRI had received 25 applications and was in the process of determining the top tier candidates.
The meeting then went into a non-public session.

BOS Meeting on Feb. 5, 2018

Selectman Tardiff was absent.

Citizen's Comments - Debbie Lee asked if the buckled pavement at Woodridge Drive and Deerfield Rd. can be fixed soon. The Road agent said the intersection is currently marked with cones and "Frost Heave" signs. It cannot be patched or repaved until the ground thaws out.
Alcohol and Drug Policy - One word is to be changed: from "opiate" to "opioid" which is a broader term. There will be a public hearing for this at the next BOS meeting.
New police cruiser - The oldest vehicle is no longer worth repairing. The selectmen will get a P.O. once the purchase is approved.
Firefighter day positions - Fire fighters are needed to cover day shifts when other fire fighters are at their day jobs. The need will be posted.
Appointment to Economic Development Committee (EDC) - Jeffrey Venegas was recommended to fill a vacancy on the EDC. A motion for appointment was approved. EDC members asked the board to invite him to the next EDC meeting on Feb. 8th so as to introduce himself.
Minutes - Approved meeting minutes for a prior meeting.
There were no non-public sessions.

BOS Meeting on Jan. 22, 2018

Selectman Carter was absent.

Citizen's Comments - none
Investment Policy - The BOS gave their annual approval to the policy.
Temporary highway department employee - Joseph Curcio was the candidate for this position.
Finance Director - Debbie Bender was hired for this position, replacing Karen Simmons who had been hired in August 2017. She was currently Assistant Finance Director in Amherst and was looking for a career advancement.
Lincoln St. driveway - Mr. Emond of 11 Lincoln St. wanted to change the adjacent cul-de-sac into a "hammerhead" dead end. He offered to pay for the reconstruction in exchange for a small land swap. The road agent said that type of dead end would be preferable for plow trucks to turn around. The BOS needed to investigate further but it seemed acceptable.
Town Administrator's Report - Mr. Stark's daily activities have included a quick early visit to at the police station, with the balance of the day spent at town hall. He will also be on duty on Fridays.
Minutes - The BOS approved the non-public meeting minutes for Jan. 8.
The meeting then went into a non-public session.

BOS Meeting on Jan. 8, 2018

Citizen's Comments - none
Public Hearing for warrant article on tax exemptions - EDC Chairman Michael Frascinella explained to the BOS that the commentary included with the warrant article emphasized its main selling points and benefits to the town and taxpayers, and provided a concrete example for voters to consider. Mr. Tardiff asked if the EDC can present the warrant article at the Deliberative Session, which they agreed to do. No questions came from the public in attendance.
Testing Results at the Landfill - The town administrator recommended testing the wells surrounding the town landfill for PFAS chemicals in advance of a requirement from DES. Estimated cost is about $8,000.
Resignation of the Town Administrator (TA) - Mr. Mulholland made it official that he is starting his new job at Lebanon, NH as of March 8. The BOS accepted the resignation.
Interim Town Administrator - Lieut. Michael Stark was recommended as Interim TA while MRI is looking for qualified candidates. The BOS voted to appoint Lieut. Stark to the position. A police deputy will fill in for Lieut. Stark at the Police Station. Lieut. Stark will be in training under Mr. Mulholland, whose last official duty will be to assist at the Feb. 3 Deliberative Session.
Warrant Articles - These have to be finished by the end of the month. The Planning Board still needs to finalize two zoning definition amendments.
Call Firefighter - A new call firefighter was appointed.
The meeting then went into one non-public session.

Related Sites

Selectmen's 2017 Meeting Archive

Selectmen's 2018 Agendas (town web site)

Selectmen's 2018 Minutes (town web site)

Board of Selectmen (town web site)

Allenstown Tax Map Application

Finding Lot Numbers

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