NOTES OF MAY 10, 2017 RYE BOARD OF SELECTMEN MEETING
Final Revision B – Provided by the Rye Civic League
Present (clockwise around table): Town Administrator Michael Magnant, Selectmen Craig Musselman, Priscilla Jenness and Phil Winslow. Not present: Finance Director Cyndi Gillespie.
Also present and sitting in the audience or the lobby outside: Interim Fire Chief Tom Lambert, Police Chief Kevin Walsh, Public Works Director Dennis McCarthy.
Persons present from the public included: Victor Azzi, Jenn Madden.
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 6:39:15 p.m. (0:00 elapsed). The
audio is off until 6:40:57 p.m. (1:42 elapsed).
Summary
Announcements (2:26 elapsed)
Selectman Musselman
announced the Celtics tip off at 8:00 p.m.
Sealing of minutes
Selectman Jenness moved
to seal the minutes of the non-public session held on May 2 and of the one just
concluded. All were in favor.
Public comment
There were no public
comments.
Consent agenda (4:05 elapsed)
Selectman Musselman
noted that items (e) and (f), event permits, were being pulled. Item (f) was tabled to a later date, (e) was pulled for discussion in the ongoing
meeting. Items (a) through (d) were
unanimously approved and (g), a letter from Jenn Madden regarding the process
for obtaining Certificates of Occupancy was unanimously placed on file. Editor’s
note: See these notes at the end, where
she raises the issue of her letter, only to learn that it had been filed
without comment prior to her arrival.
Event permit: Annie’s Angels race
(5:30 elapsed)
Police Chief Kevin
Walsh addressed. He said that there had
been an issue of using washable paint on conservation land. Last year rocks were painted and weathering
did not eliminate it. The application
was approved with the condition that there be coordination with the
Conservation Commission regarding the use of washable paint.
Minutes (7:47 elapsed)
The minutes of the
April 24, 2017 meeting were unanimously approved with changes. The minutes of the May 2, 2017 meeting were
unanimously approved without changes.
The minutes of the non-public session of the same day were unanimously
approved without changes.
Fire Chief Recruitment (13:00 elapsed)
Alan Gould of Municipal
Resources, Inc. (“MRI”) presented. Editor’s note: Mr. Gould is a Rye resident and the former
Police Chief, the former Town Administrator, and managed the final stages of
the Public Safety Building construction after the experienced unpaid, volunteer
Owner’s Representative was dismissed. Mr.
Gould said that the ads have all been placed.
He noted the websites where the ad was posted. It was also placed in the Portsmouth Herald
and the Union Leader. Several list
serves were also posted to. There are 16
applicants from 11 states as of this morning.
Applications are due June 5. His
firm will review the resumes. All of the
applicants so far have EMT experience.
Phil Winslow asked whether applicants were being informed up front that
the Town would not pay for relocation.
Mr. Gould said that there would be phone interviews where this
information could be provided. A
preliminary background check consisting of checking the Internet and blogs
would be done. Also some of the MRI
people may know some of the candidates by reputation. Essay questions specific to the Town of Rye
would be formulated. The semi-final list
of five or six candidates would be interviewed by the MRI staff and three
finalists would be passed on to the Board of Selectmen. In some of their search assignments there
might be a community panel but that would only be done if MRI screens the
candidates for their technical capabilities.
Mr. Gould also discussed an assessment center.
Selectman Musselman
suggested that, since Mr. Gould knows Rye so well, there would not be a need
for a community panel.
In response to a
question from Selectman Musselman, Mr. Gould said that internal applicants may
apply. Selectman Musselman said that
they are welcome to apply.
Selectman Musselman
asked how they dealt with the concerns of the firefighters and EMTs. Mr. Gould said that people don’t get to pick
their bosses. He said that there were
ways of getting information from them, but expressed caution that the staff is
looking for someone who is going to be advocating for them, which may not be
desirable. If someone who is hired who
was not the choice of the staff the selected candidate would come in with a
bullseye on their back, he argued.
Selectman Musselman
asked whether the interviews would be public.
Mr. Gould said that, in New Hampshire, they are normally
non-public.
Selectman Musselman
asked whether, based on what had been described, the first introduction to the
public would be at selection. Mr. Gould
confirmed that that would be his recommendation.
Selectman Musselman
said that they were comfortable with the first option outlined, and said that
it would be a good thing if MRI could bring in three or four good candidates so
that the Selectmen could choose among them.
There was discussion
about the timing. With notice
requirements, it is likely that a new chief will not be in place until the Fall or late Summer.
Harbor Road Bridge (37:50 elapsed)
Selectman Musselman
noted that Selectman Winslow needs to drive over this bridge to get to his
house.
Aaron
Chance and Shawn James of Hoyle, Tanner & Associates presented. The work started in January of 2016. The bridge is in generally fair
condition. He described the construction
of the bridge. There is some corrosion
of the steel sheeting and some rotting of timbers. The substructure is good, however, and the
capacity is not affected, he said.
The beams were scanned
to determine the number of strands of wire rope a Hoyle Tanner representative
said. The initial report indicated 20
tons of capacity, which is less than is posted now. That does not necessarily mean that a 20 ton
vehicle can use the bridge. The bridge
is currently posted E2, meaning that certified vehicles are not allowed. Those are between 80,000 and 99,000
pounds. Further calculations indicate
that the capacity is only 15 tons.
There was discussion of
what the reduction in capacity would mean.
Mr. Chance stated that concrete mixer trucks would be precluded, as
would home heating oil delivery trucks, septic pump trucks, triaxle dump
trucks, fire engines and ambulances.
Selectman Winslow asked
about front end loaders, noting that there was one there in the past week
working on someone’s sea wall. Mr.
Chance said that it might be load restricted.
It was revealed that the rocks are brought in by truck and the front end
loader does not traverse the bridge loaded with rocks. He said that the rock truck would fall under
the triaxle dump truck category.
Mr. James noted that
the bridge is short, so that, with a long truck, not all of
the load is on the bridge at once.
Mr. Chance said that fire trucks and the ambulance are actually OK for
that reason. Editor’s note: Since ambulances
are fairly short, it is unclear why this would be the case.
On a scale of zero to
nine, where nine is a new bridge and zero is a bridge that needs to be closed,
this bridge is about a five, Mr. James said.
In response to a
question from Selectman Winslow, Mr. Chance said that, with some investment,
the bridge could be used for another twenty years. To get the additional capacity beyond fifteen
tons would not be easy.
Selectman Musselman
said that this is a dead end road. He
asked Selectman Winslow how many houses it serves. Selectman Winslow estimated twenty. Selectman Musselman said that it is a low
traffic area, and asked how often a fifteen ton restriction would be in place
for years in such an area. “Too often,”
was the response from one of the Hoyle, Tanner representatives.
Public Works Director
Dennis McCarthy noted the high level of construction on the road. Selectman Winslow said that there had been
nine houses in the area rebuilt in the past two years. Mr. McCarthy said that most of the trucks
using the bridge see the current E2 rating and know that they are OK.
Mr. James said that oil
trucks and septage haulers can schedule their routes so they cross the bridge
when fairly empty, but deliveries of construction materials are a problem. Mr. McCarthy said that concrete trucks are
65,000 to 85,000 pounds.
Selectman Musselman
asked whether, without an adequate guard rail, a Chappaquiddick was being
risked. Mr. James said that he did not
know what happened at Chappaquiddick.
Mr. McCarthy said that he was aging himself.
Mr. James said that they had hoped the
bridge had enough capacity to add concrete curbs. But, there is not enough live load capacity
as it is.
Mr. McCarthy said that
they had found 1978 plans for the bridge.
Selectman Musselman
noted that it was a straight, low speed approach, which is a positive.
Mr. McCarthy said that
they would post the bridge with silhouettes of three types of vehicles.
Mr. Chance said that
four options had been generated, three for repair and one for replacement. Option One would repair the superstructure
and replace the concrete at a cost of $50,000 and a fifteen year life. The capacity would remain at fifteen tons. The cost per year of service life would be
about $3300. Option Two for $170,000
would rehabilitate the superstructure with carbon fiber or steel reinforcement
to increase the capacity. The life would
be about the same but the load capacity would be increased. Option Three for $250,000 would involve
replacing the channel beams. The life
expectancy would be increased to 35 years.
Options Two and Three would cost about $7000 per year of service
life. Mr. James said a completely new
structure would cost $800,000 to $1,000,000.
Selectman Musselman
said “no, Phil.” There was laughter.
There was discussion
about getting State bridge aid of 80 percent possibly that might be available
in 2028. Selectman Musselman asked
whether the money could be spent now and reimbursed later. Mr. James said that a couple of towns had
been caught and that this is no longer allowed unless NHDOT is mandating that
the bridge be immediately closed. There
was discussion about funding possibilities to move the date up. Mr. McCarthy said that there is money in this
year’s budget for engineering for Option One.
Selectman Jenness asked
whether the signage needed to be changed right away. One of the Hoyle, Tanner representatives said
that they are recommending that. Mr. McCarthy
said that he is recommending that as well.
Selectman Musselman
said that he was comfortable proceeding with Option One, with construction
being funded next spring.
Mr. McCarthy said that
the water line goes under the marsh not across the bridge.
With regard to
enforcement, Mr. McCarthy said that local police do not typically address the
bridge as they are unable to ascertain vehicle weights. Police Chief Kevin Walsh referred to a State
Police truck unit that has assisted in the past.
There was discussion of
using the Massachusetts signs which has different load limits for each axle
configuration. That would allow more vehicle loading in some cases and would be less confusion to
truck drivers.
Selectman Winslow said
that it is important for the public to recognize that this had been on the CIP
Plan for four years.
Outer Marker site (80:25 elapsed)
Town Administrator
Magnant explained the history. The town
acquired the property around 1980 under a federal lands and parks program. Editor’s
note: The Outer Marker at 105 Locke Rd.
is in line with the runway at Pease Airport (formerly an Air Force Base) near
the coast. Radio transmissions from this
site were used by incoming planes to line up with the runway. There are conditions, Mr. Magnant said. The site must be used for recreation or as a
public park. There are signage
requirements. There are occasional
inspections. There was an inspection
during the summer of 2016 that showed that the town was out of compliance. The gate was locked, the sign was down and
the site was overgrown. This is the
third time that the town has been out of compliance. His thought is to declare it to be a park. Another option would be to do a land swap to
move the restrictions that currently apply to the Outer Marker site to an
existing piece of town-owned property.
Then the Outer Marker site could be sold, he said.
Selectman Jenness said
that the federal government had taken property all over town during World War
II, and they never really give it back.
Mr. Magnant had
proposed opening the gate, establishing the site as a park with a picnic table
and performing some other actions to the grant manager. Mr. Magnant said that the manager was in
agreement.
There was discussion
about parking and the usefulness of a picnic table.
Selectman Jenness said
that she had thought about making the site a dog park, and removing the dogs
from the beach.
Mr. Magnant said that
the building would need to be dealt with in the future as it needs work.
There was concern about
policing the area at night. Selectman
Musselman suggested a “dawn to dusk” restriction. There was discussion about the advisability
of clearing the brush.
Selectman Winslow said
that the building should be demolished.
They are putting lipstick on a pig, he said. The others agreed that that was what they
were doing.
Mr. Magnant said that
the stewardship reports are being required more frequently due to the lack of
compliance.
Selectman Winslow made
a motion that included clearing brush and demolishing the building.
Selectman Musselman
disagreed, saying that nobody was going to use the site anyway, and that
clearing the brush would call attention to it.
He does not want to welcome the bikers or the teenagers from Massachusetts
or others who might wander in.
The
amended motion, which provides for removal of the gate, addition of a picnic
table, scheduling the building for demolition, and establishment of the Outer
Marker Park with signs indicating dawn to dusk use carried unanimously.
Policy on Committees and Commissions (99:03
elapsed)
Town Administrator
Magnant said that he had surveyed other towns with regard to their
practices. There is no real consistent
practice, although most cities and towns have some sort of application.
Selectman Jenness said
that she did not see a problem with the way things have been operating. Basically the chairman, after consultation
with the members, puts forward the name of someone who is interested and has attended
some of their meetings. The chairman’s letter, and that of the prospective member, are submitted to
the Board of Selectmen for appointment.
We’re lucky to have all of the volunteers that we have, she said. We don’t want to discourage people, she said.
Selectman Winslow
argued that the committee should vote on the candidate. The person should attend a meeting and the
members of the committee should vote, he said.
Mr. Magnant said that
two of the cities and towns that he surveyed have the recommendations coming
from the entire committee.
Selectman Winslow said
that this would be a positive step.
Having diverse views on committees should be encouraged. Having the chairman make recommendations
creates an “incestuous” environment, according to some participants, he said.
Selectman Jenness said
that the Town Hall Committees had had diverse viewpoints.
Mr. Magnant said that
it had been a hard and fast rule. If
someone cannot obtain a letter from the chairman than they are not allowed to
have a seat, he said.
Selectman Musselman
said that Shawn Joyce had had some good ideas.
Openings should be posted 30 days before they are filled, he said. Editor’s
note: Mr. Joyce had sought a seat on the
Conservation Commission, but had been unable to obtain the recommendation of
the Chairman, so another candidate was appointed by the Selectman. Selectman Jenness questioned the effort
involved to coordinate. Selectman
Musselman said that Selectmen’s Assistant, Janice Ireland, could do this, and
it would not be time consuming.
Otherwise, the only word that goes out is from people on the committee
trying to find someone that they know.
Mr. Magnant said that
openings could be posted on the town website.
Selectman Jenness
expressed concern about ensuring that openings are always posted, because they
occur so randomly.
Selectman Musselman
agreed that the recommendation should come from the board or commission rather
than the chairman. The Board of
Selectmen should see all of the applicants if there are multiple applicants, he
said.
Selectman Jenness said
that, with the instance with the Conservation Commission was the first in which
there were multiple applicants.
Selectman Musselman
said that, in that case, it looked like the Chairman was trying to keep someone
off of the Commission, although he does not know whether that was in fact the
case.
There was some
discussion about the policy on committees and commissions not
applying where the committee or commission is established pursuant to the RSAs,
as is the case with the Conservation Commission, the Recreation
Commission, the Historic District Commission and the Heritage Commission. Mr. Magnant said that the Board of Selectmen
has the appointment authority, however the RSAs provide a sort of quasi
independence.
There was discussion
about appointment to the Demolition Review Committee of the Heritage Commission
being appointed by the Chairman of the Heritage Commission, which is required
by the RSAs.
Selectman Musselman
said that the policy should be changed to apply to all committees and
commissions, except possibly the Library Trustees, who are elected, but that,
in the event of a conflict between the policy and the RSAs, the latter would
apply.
Victor Azzi noted that
the newsletter only comes out quarterly.
The town website should be the source regarding open positions and it
should be kept up to date, he argued.
Selectman Musselman said that that was the plan.
Mr. Magnant said that
he would work further on the policy.
Review of the sign policy (115:30 elapsed)
Selectman Musselman
said that the policy had been adopted by motion in 2007. Selectman Winslow noted the uncertainty of
the meaning of the language referring to a benefit to the town. The decision was made to leave the policy as
it is.
Mr. Magnant asked
whether the staff could make some of the decisions. Selectman Musselman said that they should
come to the Board of Selectmen on the Consent Agenda.
Town meeting ratification bill (121:06 elapsed)
Town Administrator
Magnant said that the issue of whether the Town Moderator has the authority to
postpone votes based on weather events had been contested. Editor’s
note: The March 2017 Town Election was
postponed to the following Saturday due to a major snowstorm. The legislature passed a law to permit the
Board of Selectmen to ratify the vote after a public hearing, Mr. Magnant
said. The advice from Town Counsel as
well as me, is to hold the hearing, Mr. Magnant said.
Selectman Musselman
said that, in his opinion, it is much to do about nothing. We had the authority. The people in New Hampshire who asserted
otherwise were misreading the statute and should be embarrassed at what they
did in the midst of the snowstorm. The
procedure is wholly unnecessary, but the hearing should be scheduled. No one will come and object, he said.
The hearing was
scheduled for May 22.
Letter from NHDOT regarding Ocean Blvd.
parking (123:37 elapsed)
Selectman Musselman
read the letter. He said that it is
dated October 3, 2016. Editor’s note: A copy of the letter is attached to the
official minutes of the meeting, available on the town website. He said that it was received by the town
in May 2017, and must have been delivered by a “mail rowboat.” It is addressed to the Town
Administrator.
The letter states that,
after conferring with the Attorney General, NHDOT determined that parking
meters could be approved on Ocean Blvd., however, further evaluation of the
functionality of the highway for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians would
need to be evaluated. The letter offered
to schedule meetings with the town over the fall and winter (already passed
prior to delivery of the letter). It
noted a possible reduction in parking spaces between Harbor Rd. and Perkins Rd.
from 415 spaces to 287 metered spaces due to shoulder widths and the need to
stripe unique spaces. It suggested that
NHDOT participate with the Department of Resources and Economic Development
(“DRED”) and transit providers such as COAST to develop opportunities to
mitigate congestion.
Selectman Musselman
asked whether the others had comments on the letter.
Selectman Jenness asked
where the letter had been all of this time.
She asked for an explanation as to where it came from.
Selectman Winslow said
that he had met the Commissioner at a recent meeting of the Rockingham Planning
Commission and she was flabbergasted, or appeared to be, that the letter had
not been received. The letter had been
discussed with her by the Chief of Staff of the Governor, and she fully thought
that the letter had been sent to the town.
That is an aside. The question is
where do we go from here.
Town Administrator
Magnant said that the question was whether the meetings proposed should be set
up.
Selectman Musselman
said that it is a State highway and it is grossly unsafe as it is for
bicyclists and pedestrians. He asked
whether there had been pedestrian or bicycle accidents between Wallis Sands and
Jenness Beach.
Police Chief Kevin
Walsh said that he would have to look into it, but there had been very few.
Selectman Musselman
said that the trend has been to provide safe pedestrian and bicycle access
within the 100 foot right-of-way that they own in most of this area. He argued that, if parking meters are put in
and there are fewer spaces, it would be more safe. Providing facilities for the parking of
out-of-town visitors from Massachusetts and Quebec is not the responsibility of
the town. If the State wants to
encourage public access then it is their responsibility to provide
facilities. Providing facilities for
that is not the responsibility of the town.
Satellite parking is fraught with financial risk and would not be
intended to serve Rye residents. We
could provide the State with land for remote parking, for example there is 6-7
acres over the Breakfast Hill Landfill that could be paved over. They should study that, he said.
Selectman Musselman
said that, ten years ago, he thought that parking should be available for
everyone that wanted to come to the beach.
Now he is wondering why that is being done. On a hot summer day there is not enough
access, he said.
The Commissioner is
saying that there cannot be parking meters because the road is not safe
enough. The response to the State should
be “make it safe.” To the contention
that satellite parking should be established in lieu of parking meters, we say
to the State, “have at it.” That’s not a town function. I think we ought to set up the meeting,
Selectman Musselman said.
There was a lot of
interest among residents in limiting the parking and the congestion. We all know this is a money maker. It will generate excess revenue that could
pay for lifeguards and beach maintenance which is probably 90 percent for the
region and 10 percent for Rye residents.
Maybe we should encourage them to install meters and share revenue or
use it for satellite parking.
Selectman Jenness said
that the parking meter thought should be abandoned,
and they should move on to drainage, which is a big problem down there. There would be the possibility of blocking
incoming tides from the drainage pipe, but the State doesn’t believe that the
drainage pipe belongs to them. There has
been encroachment on the right-of-way such that the Greenway for bicyclists had
to be moved off of Ocean Blvd.
Selectman Jenness said
that she could not believe that the letter was written and did not get to the
Selectmen for six months.
Selectman Musselman
said that he would like to see Commissioner Victoria Sheehan and the head of
DRED, Phil Bryce, come to a Board of Selectmen meeting.
Mr. Magnant said that
he could draft a letter.
Selectman Musselman
said that DRED has two small State Beaches, but people are parking on Ocean
Blvd. and walking to avoid paying for parking.
They are using our beaches, that we pay for,
and it is their facility which is in complete chaos, he said.
Selectman Winslow
suggested that there be a meeting with District Six first, rather than having
the two individuals come in so that they can be beaten up.
Selectman Musselman
said that beating them up was not the intent, and that
meeting with District Six would accomplish nothing. The issue should be firmly shifted to DRED
and DOT with a commitment to an evaluation and a report back. We agree with you, but it’s certainly not a
Town of Rye responsibility, he said.
Selectman Winslow
agreed that a reduction in the parking spaces would improve safety.
Selectman Musselman
said that they do not want to do that.
Selectman Winslow said
that the safety issue should be used in the response.
Police Chief Kevin
Walsh noted that, as one proceeds towards Hampton, there are digital signs
indicating speeds. These appear to be
permanent, he said.
Public Works Director
Dennis McCarthy said that there a number of signs on Route 111. He said that he understands that those were
requested by the town.
Chief Walsh suggested
similar signs in the congested parts of Ocean Blvd. in Rye.
Selectman Jenness said
that, during the meetings with Senator Stiles, it was suggested that the speed
limits be reduced, and they absolutely refused.
Editor’s note: See the notes of the July 9, 2013 and
September 24, 2013 Board of Selectmen work sessions with Senator Stiles and a
number of State officials on beach issues.
The Selectmen’s recall of those meetings contains inaccuracies.
Chief Walsh said that the parked vehicles
really do slow down the traffic. The
pedestrians with all of their paraphernalia just don’t care. They are right out there in the travel lane,
he said.
Selectman Musselman
said that he is more concerned with bicyclists and the danger to them of car
doors opening.
Selectman Musselman
asked whether there were enough safety issues that these could be raised with
District Six. Already zones have been
installed around driveways, he said. Mr.
Magnant said that that had been done by the town on a State road. He asked about sight distances at
intersections.
Selectman Musselman
asked about an ordinance to prohibit the parking of campers. Mr. Magnant said that the town could not do
this on a State road, but the State could be asked to do so themselves.
Chief Walsh said that
little improvements can do a lot to improve safety, and the public would see
the Board of Selectmen as responding to complaints.
Selectman Jenness asked
how certain types of vehicles could be prohibited. She referred to a lot of campers being parked
opposite the Carriage House.
Chief Walsh said that
the town determines the no parking areas on Ocean Blvd., the state provides the
signs and the town does the enforcement.
The enforcement is not paid by tax dollars but by the fines
generated.
Phil Winslow suggested
working with District Six.
Selectman Musselman
said that he did not think that Ms. Sheehan and Mr. Bryce would meet with the
Selectmen, but the request should be made to see whether they are willing to
get behind long-term improvements to Ocean Blvd. and the establishment of
satellite parking.
Selectman Musselman
said that a proposal should be made for Town Meeting next year for a parking
ban on Perkins, Old Beach, Parsons and Wallis.
It is not our responsibility to provide parking to the world, he
said. The conditions on the side roads
are unsafe. People are changing in the
streets, leaving diapers in mailboxes and cooking dinner in the street on
Perkins Rd. Many of those people are
parking there when there are open spaces at the State parking lot and behind
the Dunes Motel. They are doing so
because it is free, and Rye is facilitating it.
Joe Mills would not be
happy. He was Rye’s proponent for public
access for 25 years. I share that, but I
think that has to do with access to the sand.
That needs to be fiercely defended, he said. But if people need to park further up Ocean
Blvd. towards Rye Harbor and stay off of the small residential streets where they
are disturbing properties, that should be done.
Selectman Jenness said
he would have a lot of support.
(2:35:50
elapsed)
Selectman Musselman
said “we are providing a public service to a large region and we’re getting all
of the complaints, all of the management responsibilities and all of the cost,
and this letter, seven months delayed, that says, gee, we think we ought to
probably establish satellite parking.
Don’t hold your breath until that gets established.” As he spoke, Selectman Musselman held up a
copy of the letter.
Victor Azzi asked the
status of the State plans to replace the Jenness Beach Bath House.
Mr. Magnant said that
he did not know. The design is still
being debated. There was supposed to be
a meeting with the Governor. The
building was supposed to be made smaller.
Mr. Azzi asked whether
the funding had been lost.
Mr. Magnant said that a
funding cycle had been missed and/or the bidder was not going to hold his
price.
Selectman Jenness
referred to the initial design eliminating 16 parking spaces. This is in conflict with that, she said.
Selectman Winslow said
that he had spoken with former Senator Stiles two months earlier and she had
verified that the funding was still on the docket.
Selectman Musselman
said that he had looked at the building late in the process and it would be
easy to lower the building, saving costs, and not affecting the bath house
functionality one iota.
Selectman Musselman
said that a wish list of safety improvement issues would be developed by “you
guys” and “you” are going to meet with the District Six engineer. Editor’s
note: He was apparently referring to
Police Chief Walsh, Public Works Director McCarthy, and possibly Town
Administrator Magnant. Selectman
Musselman said that then, there should be a higher level meeting on corridor
improvements and satellite parking.
Chief Walsh said that there may be
unintended consequences. Right now, the
town generates a lot of money from parking fines over three months. If the State takes over the parking revenues
on Ocean Blvd., and DRED already collects parking revenues at Jenness Beach and
at North Hampton Beach, that could be a loss to the
town.
There was discussion
about the amount of parking revenue and enforcement costs. Nobody knew the figures. Chief Walsh said that there is minimal
revenue that is not along the beach corridor.
He said that, right now, the town does the enforcement along Ocean Blvd.
and keeps the revenue from that. He said
that the excess revenue from fines goes to the General Fund.
Mr. McCarthy stated
that satellite parking is only going to be viable if the parking adjacent to
the beach is eliminated. The average
person is otherwise not going to use it.
Selectman Musselman
said that they should push to improve the corridor even if it takes 15 or 20
years. It is one of the most scenic
corridors in New Hampshire and it is a mess, he said.
Fire Department to be honored at EMS appreciation banquet (169:23
elapsed)
Interim Fire Chief Tom
Lambert noted that the Rye Fire Department would be honored at the banquet as
the EMS Agency of the Year. They were
chosen by the Emergency Department Staff at Portsmouth Regional Hospital.
Comment from Jenn Madden regarding Certificate of
Occupancy (171:21 elapsed)
Jenn Madden asked why
she was not on the agenda. Selectman
Musselman responded that she had been on the Consent Agenda and her letter had
been accepted and filed. “That’s it?”
Ms. Madden asked. Selectman Musselman
responded “yes.” Ms. Madden said that
she had been told to show up, and had been sitting there. Selectman Musselman said that correspondence
like hers would normally be on the Consent Agenda. He said that she could speak in the public
comment section at the next meeting. Editor’s note: She in fact did so at the May 22, 2017
meeting. Her letter, which refers to the
lengthy delay in obtaining an occupancy permit for the former Periwinkles, now
her real estate office, at 365-371 Sagamore Rd., is attached to the official
minutes of the May 10, 2017 meeting.
Adjournment (172:35 elapsed)
Whereupon
the meeting adjourned at approximately 9:32 p.m.