NOTES OF FEBRUARY 22, 2016 RYE BOARD OF SELECTMEN MEETING
Final Revision B – Provided by the Rye Civic League
Editor’s
note: For ease in finding particular
sections using the archived video and audio on the Town website, the elapsed
time is indicated. Use the slider and
the elapsed time indicated at the bottom of the video window to fast forward to
the desired section. Videos on the Town website may currently be accessed
at www.town.rye.nh.us by clicking on
“Town Hall Streaming” at the bottom left of the screen. Follow the link for “Town Hall Live
Streaming,” then find the meeting by date under “Previous.”
The video starts
at 6:33:22 p.m. (0:00 elapsed).
Present (clockwise around table): Selectmen Musselman, Jenness and Mills, Town Administrator Michael Magnant. Not present: Town Finance Director Cyndi Gillespie.
Also present and sitting in the audience: Public Works Director Dennis McCarthy, Police Chief Kevin Walsh, Interim Fire Chief Tom Lambert.
Persons present from the public included: Mae Bradshaw, Peter Crawford, Joe Cummins, Paul Goldman, Dan Hoefle, Mark Josephs, Michele Sopher.
Summary
2. Beth Yeaton will be retiring as Town Clerk at the end of April.
Announcements (1:37 elapsed)
The March 8, 2016 Town Election was announced.
Consent Agenda (1:48 elapsed)
Items A and B, relating to accepting and expending $500 from Healthtrust, LLC in connection with the Joint Loss Committee, and permission for Mae Bradshaw to hold political signs certain Fridays and Saturdays in February and March at the Transfer Station, were both unanimously approved.
Item C, the
use of Parsons Field by Seacoast Lacrosse, was pulled from the Consent Agenda
and approved after discussion regarding whether the field was being used only
when other facilities were unavailable.
Minutes (6:39 elapsed)
The minutes of the January 25, 2016 meeting, the non-public session of the same day, and the meeting after the Deliberative Session on January 30, 2016 were unanimously approved without changes.
Appointment of Tom Pfau to the Energy Committee and solar
energy discussion (7:26 elapsed)
Michele Sopher of the Energy Committee spoke in favor of Mr. Pfau. There was discussion about Selectman Musselman’s firm being involved in two solar energy projects, in Milton and Hampton, and the possibility of using public lands for the installation of solar panels. Ms. Sopher indicated that landfills are good candidates. Selectman Musselman said that the Grove Rd. landfill is not a candidate, but the Breakfast Hill site would be. However, the latter site is not owned by the Town, he said. All were in favor of appointing Mr. Pfau.
Ender unmerger, 17 Alder Ave. (12:27 elapsed)
Attorney Dan Hoefle stated that Rick and Sue Ender were present. Their request is very well laid out. At some time the town merged the two lots, he said.
Selectman Musselman read a long motion to unmerge the two lots. Selectman Mills seconded. All were in favor.
Selectman Mills asked whether “Dan” had a copy of the motion.
Mr. Hoefle stated that Selectman Musselman had been reading from a letter that came from Town Attorney Michael Donovan.
Mr. Hoefle then thanked the Board of Selectman and started to leave. Selectman Mills asked where “Phoenix” was. Mr. Hoefle said “sometimes he lets me go out on my own. I have to report to him now.”
Editor’s note: This is an apparent reference to Tim Phoenix,
Mr. Hoefle’s partner in the law firm of Hoefle, Phoenix, Gormley &
Roberts. Mr. Phoenix appears regularly
before Rye Land Use Boards and was involved in the pending conservation
acquisitions at the former Rand Lumber property and South Rd. According to the 2015 Town of Rye Annual
Report, page 201, Selectman Musselman’s firm, CMA Engineers, and Mr. Hoefle and
his firm, were retained to help Southeast Regional Refuse Disposal District 53B
negotiate a new solid waste service contract.
The costs of District 53B are apportioned among six member towns, which
include Rye, according to the Annual Report.
Ocean Blvd. Parking Meter Study
(15:13 elapsed)
John Burke came up to present. Selectman Musselman asked where all of the
people from down at the beach were.
Selectman Mills speculated that it was school vacation and that they
were in Florida.
Mr. Burke introduced
himself. He is a Certified Administrator
of Public Parking through the International Parking Institute. He has consulted in parking. He has an MBA with a public finance specialty
and 25 years experience in parking and transportation. He is the former Parking and Transportation
Director for the City of Portsmouth and the City of Evanston, Illinois. He has provided assistance in all of the New
England states except Vermont, he said.
Mr. Burke stated that
in January, a year ago, Tighe & Bond completed a study of the
corridor. There were three key
findings. First, striping of on-street
parking spaces was recommended to better define the parking areas. Second, they concluded that meters would
generate revenues in excess of the start-up and operating costs. Third, a more in-depth financial study was
recommended.
Typically, the standard
municipal parking space width is eight feet wide. Some cities are seven feet wide. That is in the Manual of Uniform Traffic
Control Devices published by the Federal Highway Administration, he said.
Tighe & Bond looked
at Highland Park to Marsh and Harbor to Perkins. Most of the parking is in the Harbor to
Perkins stretch. In the other area,
there are not many eight foot shoulders.
There are a few around Petey’s Seafood and the market, but typically the
shoulders are only three or four feet wide, and the rest of the shoulder is
gravel sloping towards the wetlands, he said.
For a first cut, the
Harbor to Perkins stretch should be looked at as almost all of that is
nominally eight feet, he said.
This is an atypical
application as there are no sidewalks or curbs.
They would be looking at bollard protection, which is why New Hampshire
DOT is requiring permitting, he said
Harbor to Perkins is a
1.1 mile section. There are 287
potential parking spaces in that stretch based on 20 foot average stall
lengths, eight foot stall widths, and a minimum of 20 foot clearance to
intersections. That is a conservative
number, he said.
The Tighe & Bond
assumptions were adjusted. Tighe &
Bond was looking at the approximately 90 day period from Memorial Day to Labor
Day. After looking at the revenue and
use data at Jenness Beach, they recommend that that be extended to the five
month period from May 1 to September 30.
September is actually busier than June.
In May, prior to Labor Day, there are some very busy weekends. May 1 was assumed as a start date. May 15 could be considered. The paid parking hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00
p.m. assumed by Tighe & Bond were extended to 6:00 p.m. The beaches are very, very busy before
6:00. Sunset is well after 6:00 p.m.
during the time period, he said.
A paid parking rate of
$2.00 per hour was assumed. That is the
standard rate that is seen, he said.
It was assumed that the
pay stations would accept bills and credit cards. At Jenness Beach, credit cards are used
almost 80 percent of the time and coins only about 5 percent of the time. Coins are tremendously expensive to
accept. A coin accepter is about
$1000. They jam and there are counting,
“lugging” and reconciliation issues.
Bills would be accepted but no change would be returned. That would need to be stated very clearly at
the kiosks, he said.
Pay and display was
recommended by Tighe & Bond. One
gets a receipt at the pay station and returns and places it on his
dashboard. The receipt shows enforcement
that the person has paid. In a beach
parking environment, one would have to walk 250 feet to the pay station and
then back. The method is not good for
the beach. For pay by license plate, one
goes to the pay station, enters his license plate number and goes on his
way. There is no backtracking. Pay by space is also possible, but that would
involve numbering the spaces. People
have to hunt for the number, and the numbers must be re-striped if they fade. Pay by license plate is better and is
efficient for enforcement. License
plates can be looked up quickly. Tighe
& Bond recommended pay stations every 15 spaces. The standard is 8-12. The former applies to downtown environments. For the beach environment he recommends one
pay station for every twelve spaces.
Tighe & Bond made
some broad assumptions about use. Mr.
Burke stated that his company had done an actual study of August. The Police Department looked at 15-16
days. Actual rates of use by block were
calculated for August. The pay station
data for Jenness Beach and the variation in use for the other five months were
considered and adjustments were made.
National Weather Service data was looked at to confirm that the days in
August represented average conditions.
There were ten sunny days, three cloudy days and three rainy days. That’s average for August. Mr. Burke displayed the usage data:
Spaces Utilization
Perkins to Cable 43 70.0%
Cable to Locke 166 27.5%
Locke to Harbor 63 5.6%
The utilization past the condos up to the harbor is occurring only on
weekends. The 5.6% utilization there
indicates that there are many hours when these spaces are not being used at
all. At that level of utilization, one
would lose money. It would be better
that it remain overflow, free parking, he said.
Jenness Beach received
$143,839.40 for 67 spaces at the beach.
Percent of total revenues:
July 28.4%
August 29.4%
September 16.9%
May is the lowest use month.
Average assumed usages by block for the total season were then
calculated. The Tighe & Bond
assumption of 50 percent was not too bad.
The assumption is that the side streets will have signs to force the
parking onto Ocean Blvd., he said.
After eliminating Locke
to Harbor section, the spaces are reduced from 287 to 224, he said.
Two forms of revenue
are assumed: pay stations and expired
meter fines. For the pay stations, based
on the average utilization and the hourly rate, the revenue would be $185,998
per season. Expired meter tickets were
assumed to be two per hour which is very conservative. Using the Town’s average 75 percent
collection rate, 12 percent late fee revenue and a $30 fine, the late fee
revenue would be $77,112, for total revenue of $263,110.
For the capital
purchase and installation costs, the big cost is the pay stations themselves
and the concrete pads. These would be at
the shoulder. There is a good amount of
State right-of-way to work with. There
would be bollard protection. Parking
signs and pavement markings are costs, he said.
For pay by license
plate, 19 stations would be needed, which works out to 11.8 spaces per pay
station. These would be solar powered
and take credit/debit cards and bills, with no change provided. Enforcement would be done in real time with
smart phones for the part-time enforcement people. An application allows real-time look up of
the license plates. Information would be
sent to a wireless, Bluetooth printer for issuing electronic tickets, he
said.
The pay stations are
assumed to be $8500 per unit, which is probably high. The cost for the bollards and concrete pads
would be $2000 per unit. Posts and signs
would be needed to inform people about the pay by license plate system. Signs at the pay stations would show them
where to pay. Two smart phones are
$1700. The total implementation and
installation cost would be $228,350, he said.
For the annual
operating budget, the largest cost would be part-time staff for enforcement and
collections. The other costs are fees to
the credit card companies and the vendors.
The total, with these and other costs like cell phone charges, would be
$69,650 annually, he said.
The first year
operating deficit, calculated by taking the annual revenue, less the capital
cost, less the operating cost, would be $34,890. In year two and beyond, a net income flow of
$200,000 to the town is estimated. Out
of that, a renewal and replacement reserve, based on a 7-10 year life of the
pay stations, would be $15,000 to $20,000.
The pay station life could be stretched a bit. The net income could be applied towards
annual beach related costs of approximately $52,000, he said.
The first step would be
meeting with the DOT. They own the road
and control the permit process. They
want to see the detail for whatever is going in the right-of-way. The second step, which could be done
concurrently, would be determining the organizational structure and the budget
for delivery of services. The third step
would be procurement. The fourth would
be the installation, training and commissioning. A minimum of four to six months would be
required. DOT approvals could take all
of that, so that is the minimum, he said.
Outside the scope, but
another thing to look at is pay by phone.
This could be an alternative to the pay stations. It is the future. It could be complementary. Members could pay by phone with a registered
credit card and then go directly to the beach.
It could also be done in place of the pay stations. The parker would register online or by phone with
a third party provider. The credit card
and the license plate would be registered.
The process takes about 3-4 minutes.
It could be done either with a smart phone, by calling on a flip phone
to a regular operator, or using a computer, he said.
Once having registered
the first time, the payment process is simple.
There would be a sign with a four digit code for Rye beaches. These four numbers and the duration of the
stay would then be punched in. The
credit card information is already on file.
A text would then immediately be received. Ten minutes prior to expiration another text
is sent. Time can be added while sitting
on the beach. It is a very, very popular
feature to be able to add time, he said.
The cost for pay by
phone is far less as there are no pay stations.
The provider charges 15-20 cents per transaction. Credit card transaction fees are five to
seven percent for either pay by phone or pay by license. The pay station fees can be added to the
parker’s cost or absorbed by the town.
Typically the pay by phone signs are provided by the provider at no
cost. The town is only required to
install them. Enforcement is the exact
same way, by using a smart phone to look up the information by license
plate. Pay by phone eliminates the pay
station cost and the cash collection and reconciliation costs. It would be a much easier process with the
DOT as only the signs would need to be permitted. Monthly parking permits could be integrated. The license plate would then become the
permit. Permits can be bought directly from
pay by phone, he said.
The con of pay by phone
is that a 3-4 minute registration is needed.
People don’t want to do that.
They don’t want to give up their credit card information. A good percentage of people don’t have debit
or credit cards. Fewer and fewer do not
have cell phones, however, he said.
Galveston, TX has beach
parking. They took all of their pay
stations out and went to pay by cell phone.
For the cash payers, businesses in the area were set up to sell prepaid debit
cards. Permits were sold at City Hall
for cash. It is very convenient for
regular parkers. In Rye, one could still
pay cash at Jenness Beach or Wallis Sands or park in one of the free areas,
such as north of Locke Rd. A lot of
people think that, in seven to ten years, parking meters may be going
away. Washington, DC has eliminated pay
stations. You cannot park at the curb
there without paying by phone. There is
a high percentage of people there with credit cards. You are not seeing many downtowns in New
England doing pay by phone, he said.
Selectman Musselman
asked about elderly people that are unwilling to provide their credit card
numbers or lack cell phones. That is the
issue, Mr. Burke said. Selectman Mills said
that they could go to the store and buy a debit card. Selectman Musselman pointed out that that
does not help them if they do not have a cell phone. Mr. Burke said that a regular cell phone
would also work, not just smart phones.
(43:56 elapsed)
Selectman Jenness asked
about the $9500 cost for seasonal installation.
She asked Public Works Director Dennis McCarthy what that would do to
his workforce. He responded that it
would increase the staffing need. They
are just barely keeping their heads above water with the current staff, he
said. Selectman Mills asked whether
summer help could provide this. Mr.
McCarthy said that such help was becoming hard to find. Selectman Musselman said that installation
could be contracted out.
Selectman Jenness asked
about storage. Mr. Burke said that the kiosks
did not need to be stored in a heated area, although usually the solar panels
are taken off. Usage limited to just a
portion of the year would extend the life beyond 7-10 years, he said.
Selectman Musselman
complimented Mr. Burke on an outstanding job. He, Town Administrator Mike
Magnant and Dennis McCarthy, Senator Stiles and David Borden had met with the
Commissioner during the primary election.
Editor’s note: Mr. Borden is one of the two State
Representatives for Rye. DOT is
willing to work with the Town, in principle, Selectman Musselman said. Two approvals will be needed. One will be for the placement of the pay
stations and the bollards. The other
will require involvement of the Attorney General’s office, to allowing the
placement of the equipment on state property and address financial issues. The State wants to make sure that the parking
rates established by Rye do not exceed established parking rates, he said.
Mr. Burke clarified
that both Wallis Sands and Jenness Beach charge $2 per hour. Editor’s
note: Wallis Sands State Beach charges
$15 to enter the parking lot. There is
no mechanism to charge based on the hours of use. Mr. Burke said that the $2.00 rate is a
little higher than York Beach. One of
his clients, Wareham, MA, is $2.00 and it is increasing to $3.00, he said. The State is $2.00 per hour. For April and October it is $1.00, he
said.
There was discussion
about the shoulder near Wallis Sands.
Selectman Musselman said that cars are going to park there despite the narrower
paved shoulders. Mr. Burke said that it
might be possible to move the center line to create a wider shoulder on one
side.
Selectman Musselman
said that the pay by license plate idea was an outstanding one, as he was
concerned about the increasing pedestrian traffic. He asked whether people might be willing to
walk north of Locke Rd. to avoid paying.
Mr. Burke indicating that the pricing would deter that. Police Chief Kevin Walsh said that there
would be more parking there, but he does not know how much. He warned about vehicles being pushed
inland.
Selectman Musselman
asked about pushing people to Wallis Sands.
Chief Walsh said that everyone would go there if there is a charge for
parking near Jenness Beach. Mr. Magnant
stated that his experience in Portsmouth is that people will look for free
parking. Mr. Burke said that people like
to park within a five minute walk.
Mr. Magnant suggested
pay by license along Ocean Blvd. and pay by phone in the other areas. Mr. Burke responded that this would depend on
what DOT allows.
Selectman Musselman
stated that expenditures could not start until after a March 2017 vote. The planning and working with DOT (Division
Six) could probably start earlier. He referred
to a dead start beginning around March 15 and asked about the feasibility of
parking revenue in the first year. Mr.
Burke responded that it would be feasible.
The procurement could be done in advance as it could always be
pulled. He said that the encroachment
agreements take some time, but as there is a whole year to do that, the town is
in great shape.
Selectman Mills stated
that he likes payment by cell phone as it seems so much simpler. The kiosks will get nailed in the winter by
the plows, he asserted. Mr. Burke said
that both the bollards and the kiosks would be removed during the winter. There will be a plate where the anchor bolts
are.
Selectman Musselman
spoke about the complaints on Perkins Rd.
He suggested no parking on the adjacent side streets and suggested that
restrictions be added this year.
Selectman Mills suggested a reduced rate for the side streets. Mr. Magnant suggested pay by phone for those
streets. Selectman Musselman said that
the no parking areas could be instituted this spring as a Selectmen’s ordinance.
Selectman Musselman
said he thought that they would need to go with the pay stations initially,
although it was a good idea to go with pay by phone as well for those who would
use the flexibility.
Mr. Magnant questioned
whether the staff had the time to be working with DOT. Their engineers would want to see
drawings. He said that engineering help
would be needed. Selectman Musselman
agreed.
Chief Walsh said that
the horse was out of the barn and there was a road map to what the town would
be doing. He expressed concern that the
meters would become a business and the emphasis would be on money rather than
the safest way to manage Ocean Blvd. on a busy day.
(64:27 elapsed)
Selectman Jenness asked
Chief Walsh whether he felt that they should not move forward on metering. Chief Walsh responded that the cat is out of
the bag and they have no choice but to go forward. He expressed concern that he would lose
control of the parking if there is not an agreement. Editor’s
note: Although not entirely clear, it
appeared that Chief Walsh was saying that the State would institute metered
parking if the town does not, and that he would therefore prefer that the town
move forward. Selectman Musselman
said that the agreement would cover
the issue from several perspectives.
Selectman Jenness
stated that nothing had been decided yet.
Chief Walsh said that,
this past year, parking extended all of the way up Cable Rd., just past Pine
St. People will go that far to avoid
paying, he said.
Selectman Jenness said
that people all over town walk that far.
Selectman Musselman
said that more no parking zones could be established, but then the residents
could not park there either. He said
that perhaps no parking zones are needed, rather than cell phone parking
areas.
Peter Crawford said
that he had previously thought that the side streets should be no parking or
resident parking only. He said that Mr.
Magnant’s idea of allowing for smart phone payment was a good one. People could use their resident permit or pay
by smart phone. He asked whether the
meter maids would need to key in every license plate as they drove along the
street. He asked whether that might
result in added enforcement time, tilting the balance in favor of receipts that
are pasted to the side windows.
Mr. Burke explained
that a list is populated as characters are keyed in. Usually, the license plate comes up by the
second letter. One can move really
quickly, he said. The license plate can
also be scanned with the phone, he said.
Mr. Crawford said that
it seems like the meter maids ride by at 15-20 miles per hour and just look at
the permits. It might not be quite that
fast, he said. Mr. Burke said that it is
pretty quick.
Joe Cummins, 990
Washington Rd., asked what the fine would be for expired meters. The response was $30.
Mosquito Control Commission recommendation of Swamp, Inc. (71:27
elapsed)
Selectman Musselman
moved to approve the proposal as submitted, with the caveat that Swamp, Inc. is
directed not to evaluate or propose physical marsh management projects in the
coming year. Selectman Mills stated that
it was strange that there was only one bid this year. Selectman Musselman said that it was
not. All were in favor.
Retirement of Town Clerk Beth Yeaton (72:18 elapsed)
Selectman Jenness read
the letter, which announced that Ms. Yeaton’s last day would be Friday, April
29. It referred to her service to the
town for the last 25 years, and referred to her having done her best to take
care of the residents and property owners.
It said that Ms. Yeaton and her husband, Norman, would be sad to be
moving from Rye.
Letter from James Tegeder, Heritage Commission,
regarding “raise the bell” project (73:20 elapsed)
Mae Bradshaw, 106
Harbor Rd., former Chairman of the Heritage Commission, said that Mr. Tegeder
is on vacation, so she would address the issue.
She stated that the Heritage Commission wanted to be able to raise money
during the coming year to take advantage of the Seven to Save designation of
the Town Hall. They brainstormed about
what part of the building might be saved even if the rest of it is taken
down. The bell from the South School is
over at Historical Society and does not have a good home. They thought that the Town Hall belfry might
be a good place to put it. Even if the
building were replaced, a restored belfry of a new Town Hall could house the
bell. They want to have an engineering
study done of the belfry, to be followed by a grant application for what the
engineers might determine would be necessary to strengthen the belfry for that
bell. The letters of intent for the
grants are due this Friday. There would
also be private fundraising. They would
not be looking for the citizens to pay for this through taxation, she
said.
Selectman Mills said
that the roof is a question right now, and even more strengthening might be
needed to support the bell. He asked
whether the money would be forked over for that as well.
Ms. Bradshaw confirmed
that that would be part of what the grant money would be for, assuming the
existing building remains. She said that
she wants the bell upstairs whether the building is new or old.
Selectman Musselman
stated that he does not have an objection if the bell fits. He does not have an issue with the Heritage
Commission looking into this. He said
that it would not be appropriate for the Heritage Commission to enter into a
contract for construction involving the Town Hall building. Ms. Bradshaw agreed. Selectman Musselman said that the grant funds
would need to flow to the Town and the contract would need to be in the name of
the Town. Ms. Bradshaw agreed, and
stated that the Selectmen would need to sign the grant application.
There was discussion
about how the funds would flow. Mr.
Magnant stated that Town Meeting approval would not be needed to accept
grants. A public hearing would likely be
required, however, he said.
Selectman Jenness
pointed out that the Seven to Save designation is only valid for one year.
Ms. Bradshaw said that
the grant application is not due until June, but the letter of intent is needed
now.
Selectman Musselman
moved that the Chairman be authorized to execute the letter of intent to allow
the Heritage Commission to apply for funds for the potential installation of a
bell in the belfry of the Town Hall.
Selectman Mills seconded. All
were in favor.
Letter from Peter Crawford regarding the Special Edition Newsletter
(82:29 elapsed)
Selectman Jenness
stated that the letter was rather lengthy.
Selectman Musselman
moved that the letter be filed and the matter be taken under advisement. Selectman Mills seconded. All were in favor.
Editor’s note: The letter points
out certain inaccuracies in the Special Edition, specifically with respect to
the assertion that the cost to build out the Public Safety Building and the Old
Police Station (a.k.a. Trolley Barn) would be more expensive than new
construction. It also asserts that the
Special Edition may have crossed the line into electioneering, particularly
with regard to the inclusion of a brochure from Seacoast Pathways. That organization would be the beneficiary of
Article 20, a $1500 petitioned warrant article that was sponsored by Selectman
Musselman’s wife.
Letter from Peter Crawford requesting
unsealing the non-public minutes of the Town Hall Committee (81:51 elapsed)
Selectman Jenness
announced the letter.
Selectman Musselman
moved that the letter be placed on file and taken under advisement. He stated that the minutes have not yet been
reviewed. Selectman Mills seconded. All were in favor.
Peter Crawford asked
whether the Selectmen or the Town Hall Committee would be reviewing the
minutes. Selectman Musselman said that
the Selectmen would be doing the review.
Mr. Crawford asked whether there was a date and whether it would be
prior to the election. Selectman
Musselman said that there was not yet a date.
Selectman Jenness said that they do not meet again prior to the
election. Editor’s note: Mr. Crawford’s
letter requests unsealing of the minutes relating to the acquisition of the
property at 541 Washington Rd., which is the subject of Warrant Article 4 for
$460,000.
New business: meeting rules
(82:35 elapsed)
Selectman Musselman
proposed that a process be gone through in the following months to establish
appropriate meeting procedures that might apply to the Board of Selectmen and
other Boards, Committees and Commissions in Rye as they so choose. They should work with Town Counsel and look
at other communities, all within the right-to-know law and the intent to allow
public discourse in public hearings and otherwise where it is appropriate. However there would be procedures whereby
chairs would be able to control meetings in a businesslike fashion. That will take some time and some
effort. He suggested that the Town
Administrator and the Town Counsel look at meeting procedures. Now there are none, and every meeting is run
in a different way, he said. Town
Administrator Magnant stated that the issue comes up frequently on the
managers’ list serve. He has seen a
number of procedures posted.
Selectman Musselman
said that a motion was not needed, but he was suggesting that the Town
Administrator be authorized to proceed.
Mae Bradshaw suggested
an orientation of the new chairs coming up this year. There is a new chair of Heritage now, she
said.
Selectman Mills stated
that he will presumably be the new Chairman, and his rules are a lot different
from those of Selectman Jenness.
Old business:
Beach permits (86:09 elapsed)
Police Chief Kevin
Walsh said that the permit applications are starting to come in. A deadline of March 1 has been
established. He asked whether the Board
would like to review the applications piecemeal or all at once. He said that there were six applications last
year.
Selectman Jenness said
that the idea was to wait until the date had arrived for applications to be
submitted and then review them all at the same time. Selectman Musselman agreed. Selectman Jenness said that it might have to
be a work session.
Old business: Building Inspector
Reports (87:29 elapsed)
Selectman Mills stated
that the report from the Building Inspector that had been in their packets is
“garbage.” “I wanted to know what was
being done. When you have a broad statement
of a building permit, who the hell knows what’s being done. As you well know, I’ve gone by construction
sites and then called you up and got information as to what the hell’s going
on.”
Town Adminstrator
Magnant stated it is a canned report.
Selectman Musselman confirmed.
Selectman Mills asked that the type of work and the total amount be
provided.
Polar plunge event permit (89:17 elapsed)
Police Chief Walsh
stated that he had gotten a request for a polar plunge. He had suggested Sawyers Beach or Foss
Beach. He had suggested that Foss be
used due to parking availability. He is
assuming that it is for charity. The
date is April 24, a Sunday. The permit
application has not been received. There
were no objections.
Non-public, hiring (91:01 elapsed)
The roll vote to go
into non-public session carried unanimously at approximately 8:45 p.m.