From the Board of Selectmen meeting minutes, August 14, 2006
Chairman Binette opened sealed bids from vendors who wish to supply
Exeter's municipal trash bags. Bids were solicited for the following
items.
Bid Item #1: 33 gallon bags with ties, price per thousand bags
Bid Item #2: 33 gallon bags with drawstrings, price per thousand bags
Bid Item #3: 15 gallon bags with ties, price per thousand bags
Bid Item #4: 15 gallon bags with drawstrings, price per thousand bags
Bids were received from:
The Bag Company, Greenfield, MA
Bid Item #1: $184.50 per thousand
Bid Item #3: $111.50 per thousand
Resourceful Bag & Tag, Palos Heights, IL
Bid Item #1: $204.00 per thousand
Bid Item #3: $123.00 per thousand
Phoenix Recycling, Murrells Inlet, SC
Bid Item #1: $179.88 per thousand
Bid Item #2: $179.88 per thousand
Bid Item #3: $103.14 per thousand
Bid Item #4: $103.14 per thousand
Two unsolicited bids from Phoenix Recycling were written-in:
Bid Item #5: Store door delivery drawstring or twist tie 33 gallon bags $209.19 per thousand
Bid Item #6: Store door delivery drawstring or twist tie 15 gallon bags $122.56 per thousand
Mr. Campbell moved the board to return the bids to the town manager and
the appropriate departments to review and make a recommendation; second
by Mr. Eastman. VOTE: Unanimous.
Bid Opening: Replacement for Fire Rescue 1 Vehicle.
Chairman Binette opened the sole submittal for the Rescue Replacement
bid from Sugarloaf Rescue Vehicles of Carabaset Valley, ME. The bid is
$165,944.00. Mr. Campbell asked how many bid requests were sent. Ken
Berkenbush, Assistant Fire Chief, was present and said that seven were
sent. Mr. Berkenbush said that recently there has been such a buying
spree for rescue vehicles by municipalities that it has become
difficult to find people to bid on the requests.
Board of Selectmen 08-14-2006 1
Mr. Ingram asked if we knew of this company, and Mr. Berkenbush stated we already have two of their rescue vehicles.
Mr. Campbell moved the Board to return the bid to the Town Manager and
Fire Chief for review to ensure it meets the required specifications
and make a recommendation; second by Mr. Ingram. VOTE: Unanimous.
Bid Opening: Thermal Imager.
Chairman Binette opened bids for a Thermal Imager. The Exeter Fire
Department is requesting proposals for (1) Thermal Imager Model K 1000
Elite or equivalent.
Bids were received from:
ISG Thermal Systems, Lawrenceville, GA Bid Price: $11,773.00
C&S Specialty, Inc., North Smithfield, RI Bid Price: $9,247.00
FireCo, Inc., Danielsville, GA Bid Price: $11,885.00
Fire Tech & Safety of NE, Inc., Winthrop, ME Bid Price: $12,688.00
Mr. Pace moved the Board to return the bids to the Town Manager and the
appropriate departments to review and make a recommendation; second by
Mr. Ingram. VOTE: Unanimous.
Bid Opening: ALS Training Mannequin.
Chairman Binette opened bids for the Ambulance Life Support Training Mannequin:
The Exeter Fire Department is requesting proposals for (1) ALS Training Manikin, Mega Code Vital Sim or equivalent.
Bids received:
Moore Medical LLC, New Britain, CT Bid Price: $3,610.00
Bound Tree Medical, LLC, Dublin, OH Bid Price: $6,542.00
Accessories: Trauma Module – $1,479.93
WMD Module – $908.82
Small Pox Module – $103.50
Armstrong Medical Industries, Lincolnshire, IL Bid Price: $6,528.00
Mr. Campbell moved the Board to return the bids to the Town Manager and
the appropriate departments to review and make a recommendation; second
by Mr. Eastman. VOTE: Unanimous.
Appointments: Council on Aging, Arts Committee.
Mr. Pace made a motion to appoint Frank Kozacka as a member of the
Council of Aging, term to expire April 30, 2009, and also to appoint
Francesca Fay to the Exeter Arts Committee, term to expire April 30,
2009.
Mr. Ingram asked if we needed to appoint Mr. Kozacka since the Board
appointed him as a life member. Chairman Binette confirmed it was
unnecessary.
Mr. Pace amended his motion to appoint Francesca Fay to the Exeter Arts
Committee, term to expire April 30, 2009; second by Mr. Campbell. VOTE:
Unanimous.
Meeting with the Board: Mike Favreau, to discuss playground equipment update.s
Mike Favreau, Parks & Recreation Director, began by distributing
pictures to the Board of the proposed new equipment. He proceeded to
explain that with the revolving fund, Parks & Rec has a long-term
plan of what they would like to do with those funds. The Water
Department pleasantly surprised them this spring by helping them
install the splash pads, which in turn saved the Town a great deal of
money.
Mr. Favreau would like to propose the purchase of a piece of playground
equipment for the 30’ x 30’ area near the purple dinosaur in Kids Park
on Front/Winter Street. Mr. Favreau was looking for a piece of
equipment that is different, that would involve creative play and free
play. Three major manufacturers were contacted, and one proposal was
received.
The piece of equipment being proposed goes up four meters (12’) and
allows kids to climb up as high as they can. It is very safe, and the
layout is such that it prevents kids from falling all the way down.
There is a similar piece of equipment in Fremont that has gone over
well in the community.
Mr. Campbell asked how this would affect our liability insurance, as
the equipment looks more challenging to what we currently have. Mr.
Favreau assured him it would be covered by the Town’s insurance. Mr.
Favreau explained that there are a number of regulations in place that
equipment needs to follow, and all equipment has to be certified. This
proposal meets every national requirement. Years ago, you could take
old equipment and move it without thinking of these rules and
regulations, but now the rules are much more stringent. Mr. Favreau
also reiterated that with the web of ropes and netting in this piece of
equipment, it makes it virtually impossible to fall all the way down.
If this equipment is purchased, it would leave a balance of $5,655.30
in the revolving fund. Mr. Eastman had a question for Jack Sheehy,
Finance Director. He asked what the balance in the impact fee fund is.
Mr. Sheehy said he did not have an exact figure with him but he
believes there is one to two thousand dollars in the account.
Mr. Pace moved the Board to approve the expenditure of $16,600.00 from
the revolving fund; second by Mr. Campbell. VOTE: Unanimous.
Meetings with the Board: Dan Stockbridge
Mr. Dan Stockbridge of Stockbridge Funeral Home was present to discuss
the culvert situation behind the Stockbridge Funeral Home. Mr.
Stockbridge has been working with the Town Engineer on a redesign of a
culvert located behind his property.
Mr. Stockbridge began by thanking the Board for giving him the
opportunity to speak with them. He also thanked the Exeter Fire
Department, Jennifer Perry, Town Engineer, family, friends and other
general contractors who have helped him during this difficult time.
Mr. Stockbridge distributed some pictures to the Board, and explained
the first set were from the flooding in 1996. At that time, Mr.
Stockbridge met with the Town Manager and the Director of Public Works
and advised them of the problems he had at that time.
On May 14th of this year, we experienced a major storm as we all know.
The way that water flows on Epping Road and in the surrounding areas,
and adding the industrial development behind his property, all of the
water flowed onto his property and caused some major damage.
Mr. Stockbridge met with the Town Manager shortly thereafter and
explained the problems they had and the measures they had to take. They
had to cut 2’x2’ holes in the floor of the building to help keep it on
its foundation, because of the flooding and the pressure on the walls.
They had two of their own pumps going to try to keep up with the water.
Mr. Binette came to the property to witness what was happening. The
Fire Department came out the next day and pumped 15,000 gallons per
minute for 8 ½ hours to the other side of Industrial Drive.
The Town Manager sent the Town Engineer out to survey the situation.
She agreed there is a problem out there that needs to be corrected. The
proposal from her is a 7’ long by 4’ high culvert with a lot of
construction to do on both sides of the road. The projected cost for
this is $87,000. Mr. Stockbridge understands this is a concern to the
Town because they are unsure where these funds will come from, but he
also sustained $60,000 in damage to his building, which he has
submitted to the Town’s insurance company. He is unable to get flood
insurance since technically the building is not in a flood zone by the
Town, but this is the second time in 10 years this has happened since
he’s owned the property and he feels the Town needs to do something.
Mr. Eastman asked Mr. Stockbridge if, back in 1996 when he met with the
Town Manager and Director of Public Works, it was determined at that
time that the culvert was too small for that area. Mr. Stockbridge said
the feedback he received from the Town Engineer is that it is
insufficient because of the significant growth that has gone up behind
the funeral home. The retention pond from the rink, which was put in
correctly, let go; in addition, there are several business that did not
have retention ponds, and all of that water came down through the woods
into the brook.
Jennifer Perry, Town Engineer, has been excellent and has come out
during every storm to witness it and take pictures of it. She has
pictures that can show how the water flows through the area. Mr.
Stockbridge also spoke with the previous owners of the building, and
they stated that they did not have any flooding issues until Industrial
Drive was built.
Mr. Campbell had a question about Watson’s Brook. When it rains, is the
water supposed to drain to Watson’s Brook between the funeral home and
the ice rink? Mr. Stockbridge explained there is a Town drain about 75’
into his lot, but there is such a high volume of water that it is not
able to handle it. Ms. Perry has proposed there should be at least 1-2
more drains for the water to go into.
Mr. Stockbridge pointed out that Industrial Drive is roughly 6-8’ above
his parking lot. The other side of Industrial Drive is also about 4-5’
above stream level, so there is more space for water to go. The
proposal puts a basin on each side of Industrial Drive to evenly
distribute the water. There was concern about causing flooding on the
other side of the property, but when the Fire Department pumped 15,000
gallons per minute for 8 ½ hours, they received no complaints about
flooding.
Mr. Ingram thought that when new construction occurs, it could cause
problems with previous construction. As a Town, we may want to look to
ensure we are attending to our duties and that we are not creating more
problems when we approve new construction.
Mr. Stockbridge explained that his intention for meeting with the Board
was to make them aware of the situation and hope that they can find a
solution for this. After meeting with the Town Manager, the Town
Engineer and FEMA, they found out that FEMA may reimburse up to 75% of
the cost. Mr. Stockbridge understands there is not an extra $87,000 in
the Town’s budget but he also knows there is not an extra $50,000 in
his budget either.
Mr. Ingram clarified that this claim has also been submitted to the
Town’s property liability insurance, and Mr. Dean confirmed that it was
and that they will be assigning a representative to the claim. Mr.
Stockbridge added an adjuster is scheduled to assess the damage on
August 21st.
Chairman Binette, referencing the last line in a memo written by Ms.
Perry to Mr. Dean, asked if the letter of intent required from the Town
outlining projects to be considered for Hazard Mitigation funding is in
the works, and Mr. Dean said this letter is currently in progress as
this situation is one of a number of claims that is being submitted for
this funding.
Mr. Campbell was unsure if this was the place to raise this, but he
thinks we should consider checking with the Planning Department and the
Planning Board to go back and take a look at how we are approving these
projects. Mr. Ingram explained that they look at things item by item.
You try to make sure the amount of water that comes off after
construction is not greater than the water that comes off the site
prior to construction. You may have no water change coming off the
site, but if the creek itself has changed in some fashion, it leads us
to look elsewhere for the reason this happens.
But Mr. Ingram feels he brings up a good point in that there are issues
outside of the point-by-point, with factors like creeks and rivers and
things, outside of Planning’s control. These issues need to be
researched and addressed, and we need to be sure we are doing our due
diligence when approving new developments.
Mr. Stockbridge expressed concern because he is currently in the
process of remodeling the funeral home, but he is holding off on
certain upgrades because he wants to make sure something is done before
he makes more investments into the property.
Mr. Dean explained that our budget is set in March, and there is not
money in our current budget. We could request from the Department of
Revenue Administration to move funds to help with this situation.
Chairman Binette thought the only other option is to have Mr.
Stockbridge add a warrant article for next March. Mr. Eastman suggested
Mr. Dean should work with Mr. Noyes and Ms. Perry to add it to the
Capital Improvement Program.
Mr. Ingram thought it made sense for us to speak with the DRA and try
to find the money to pay for this ourselves. We can’t wait for an
answer from FEMA because who knows exactly when that will come. If FEMA
comes back and says they will pay for 75%, then that is great, but we
should be prepared to find the funds ourselves so we can move forward
on repairs.
Initial Review of CIP project listing for FY07 – FY12.
Mr. Dean said that the Planning Board held its initial public hearing
on the CIP on August 10, 2006, and he wanted to review some of the
projects that were presented.
The two big ticket items for Fiscal Year 2007 are the Town Office/Town
Hall Renovation Project and also the Downtown Historic Restoration
“redesign.” The Town Office/Town Hall Renovation Project would cost
$4.8 Million, while the Downtown Historic Restoration, which is similar
to the previous proposal except it does not include burying the
utilities and it only involves a portion of the downtown area.
Other projects are vehicle replacements for the Fire Department; the
Library is hoping to have some masonry repair done to the building,
Public Works has various replacements, including $30,000 for sidewalks
and $50,000 for Phase II of the Exeter River Study. They are also
requesting to put $50,000 in the Capital Reserve Fund for the next
seven years. Mr. Dean said we are still in the preliminary stages of
the process, but based on these initial estimates the tax rate impact
for all of the projects would be $0.89.
Mr. Dean was hoping the Board would look through these projects and
give him their feedback and rank their priority. He added that he would
like to use this process to begin looking at years down the line, to
discuss not only what the Town needs this year but also what we will
need for future years.
Mr. Campbell questioned a few of the numbers in the spreadsheet that
was given in the Board’s packet, as he had different numbers after
meetings with the Planning Board. He also questioned a line item at the
bottom regarding the Exeter Elms Campground, as it was never presented
to the Planning Board. Mr. Dean noted it was included in error and
there are no plans on moving forward on this item.
Mr. Dean also explained how he is essentially breaking the CIP into two
categories. One would focus on vehicles, equipment and replacements,
the other would cover town buildings and infrastructure. He envisions a
town-wide vehicle replacement program, and Mr. Dean hopes this year
will be the beginning point to get there.
Mr. Ingram asked what it would take to start this program, and Mr.
Eastman said we would need to develop a Capital Reserve Fund for
vehicles. If you look out to future years and see what replacements
will be needed down the line, we can put funds aside now in
anticipation for these long-term plans.
Mr. Dean added that we will be continuing to crunch the numbers and will be coming back with more detailed figures.
Mr. Ingram pointed out if you look at the Town Office project it shows
the entire amount of the project in one year. Doing that does not show
the actual impact year by year. If you spread it out to show what it
would take from the General Fund year by year, you can see exactly how
it will impact over time and we can then even things out and avoid
hills and valleys in our budget.
Mr. Pace feels there are three pieces to consider. A fund ongoing for
vehicle and equipment replacements, there is a fund for building
maintenance, and then there is debt service for major projects that
need bonding. If we develop a budget in which a certain percentage is
set aside for debt services, we can manage proposed projects to help us
stay within this percentage and help reflect a stable budget. Mr. Pace
feels it is important that we move to a steady overall figure as we
move forward.
Mr. Dean asked the Board to review the projects and give him thoughts
and feedback on this list so he can get a feel for the Board’s
priorities.
Mr. Ingram asked Mr. Dean to put together at least two proposals on how
to structure a debt service program as well as the vehicle replacement
program. Mr. Pace agreed, and he would prefer to be more comfortable
with the idea prior to presenting the ideas to the Budget Committee.
District Court Update.
Mr. Campbell attended a meeting on the District Court recently. The
State and Municipalities want to find a location that is easily
accessible, ideally close to Route 101 between Freemont and Hampton.
The committee is currently looking at three properties. The first
property is the old News Letter building in Stratham. This is a great
location, but the owner would like to know if this is the chosen
location within 30 days.
The second location is near the Hampton water tower. The Town of
Hampton owns the land and they could do a land swap. The downside is it
has a very tricky entrance, and it is located in a residential area so
increased traffic would not be good.
The third location is on Route 85 in Exeter, which used to be private
land until the Department of Transportation purchased the property and
did not end up making use of it. It is assessed at $200,000. It would
be virtually impossible to split this amount among the towns and to
have residents of every town pass the warrant article.
Mr. Ingram could not believe the State owns it and wants us to buy it
from them. Mr. Campbell clarified that federal funds were used to
purchase this land, and that is why we need be required to buy it.
Mr. Campbell said the most promising option at this time is the land in
Hampton. Residents were present and offered to create an alternative
way to enter the property to help avoid increased traffic in their
neighborhood.
At the end of the meeting, it came out that this project is 8th on
Chief Justice Broderick’s list of priorities. Chief Justice Broderick
feels the temporary situation is working out well. He will be providing
the Board with a copy of this list of priorities, which has not yet
been received.
First Reading: Amend Fee Schedule for Voter Checklist.
Governor Lynch recently signed into law HB1238, which includes a fee
change for the voter checklist, becoming effective August 18th, 2006.
Mr. Pace suggested we conform to statute. Mr. Eastman felt the Board
did not need to do a second reading, since the 18th is a few days away.
He did not feel there would be much concern from citizens on this
change.
Mr. Ingram moved the Board to waive the normal requirements of a second
reading and approve the change of the fee for the voter checklist, to
take effect with the implementation of the new law on August 18, 2006;
second by Mr. Pace. VOTE: Unanimous.
First Reading: Review of Permit Policy.
Mr. Dean explained that currently there are certain permits that the
Board authorizes while there are others that the Town Manager is
allowed to issue. On occasion there have been issues with contractors
who come in and request permits that they need within 24 – 48 hours.
While we have worked hard to accommodate these requests, Mr. Dean is
attempting to provide a temporary approval without compromising the
approval process.
Mr. Pace thought the nature of the work with contractors is such that
residents and business owners typically do not know until last-minute
that the contractors are available. He would hate to cause hardship to
those who are waiting for work to be done. Mr. Pace feels the bottom
line is that we are responsive to the needs of the residents and
business owners.
Mr. Campbell felt the proposed policy would essentially give the Town
Manager the authority to issue all permits aside from Banners and Road
Races. Mr. Campbell agreed with Mr. Pace but he also thinks we’ve had
questions arise in the past about who is using buildings and things of
that nature.
Mr. Pace believed the important permits that should be affected by this
change in policy are the ones for putting structures on the sidewalk
and to block parking spaces. Typically all other permits are far enough
in advance that they can wait for the Board to approve them.
Chairman Binette remembers in the past the Town Manager would handle
approving all permits. He also remembers coming across an RSA that
stated all public permits shall be voted on by the legislative body.
Mr. Ingram thought Mr. Dean should rewrite the policy to allow him to
approve the last-minute requests. He asked Mr. Dean to revamp the
policy and present it again at the next meeting. The Board agreed, as
did Mr. Dean.
Optional Fiscal Year Adoption (RSA 31-94-a). Board of Selectmen 08-14-2006 8
Mr. Dean said in the past, the Board has discussed changing the Town’s
fiscal year from the calendar year to July 1st to June 30th. The voters
could vote on the budget in March (or later, if they chose to change
that date as well) and the new budget would be implemented on July 1st.
There are many advantages to making this change. Our challenge is
explaining to the public the 18-month budget for the transition year.
Mr. Dean feels it would be very beneficial, but the question is how the
Town would fund the $4 Million to get us through the six month
transition period.
Mr. Campbell likes this idea very much, and he thinks it only makes
sense to approve a budget before the fiscal year begins. In addition,
making this transition would also allow them to discuss potentially
moving Town Meeting from March to May, which could increase voter
turnout.
Mr. Pace felt it would make sense to have the voters approve the idea
in March of 2007, in March of 2008 they can vote on a method to get
there, and in March of 2009 they have their first vote for a July 1st
budget.
Mr. Ingram clarified that it will not cost residents $4 Million extra;
it means that we would have to pull the funds out early to help get us
through.
Mr. Campbell asked how this would impact the school, and Mr. Eastman
stated the school is already on a July 1st to June 30th fiscal year.
Mr. Campbell asked Mr. Dean if he has had discussions with the school
about the idea of moving the election. Mr. Dean said he has not but he
will.
Mr. Ingram wondered if this would be the best year to move on this. He
thought it was important to look at the projects identified in the
Capital Improvement Program to make sure the timing is right to proceed
with this change.
Review FY07 Budget Calendar.
Mr. Dean reviewed the budget calendar for events occurring over the
next few months (see attached). Mr. Ingram recommended someone contact
the Budget Committee to make sure they are on board and available
during these times. Mr. Dean added he has met with Mr. Chris Moutis,
Budget Committee Chair, and they have began discussions on the budget
season as well as potential candidates for any open budget committee
positions.
Town Manager’s Report.
Next Board of Selectmen Meeting will be held on August 28, 2006.
The Squamscott Community Property was approved. They will be holding a
visioning meeting and members of the Board are invited. It will be held
the last Saturday in September.
Mr. Dean met with Mr. John Schafmaster regarding the Epping Road
property. There are mixed-use options for this property. Industrial
zoning was discussed. There is a desire by the developer to put a
residential and retail combination on the property. It was left in the
hands of the developer to come back with schematics for their vision.
Mr. Dean said part of the discussion was to determine what the Town
wants to do with this property. Mr. Dean wanted to know if we should
let it develop over time or if we should be proactive and have an idea
of what we would like to see in that area. Mr. Eastman feels it will be
a decision of the Planning Board since it will affect zoning. Mr.
Campbell feels the Board should be involved in the decision since it
could be a drastic change. He would like to have input on the decision.
Mr. Pace feels Mr. Dean should not kill himself to create an idea of
what to put in there. Mr. Pace feels he should let it develop over
time. Mr. Ingram feels this would be a role for the EDC. He agreed with
Mr. Pace that this is not something he would like to see the Town
Manager spend a lot of time on. Mr. Ingram thinks they should tap into
the developer’s ideas and see what they come up with. Then they can
determine if they think it is a good idea or not.
Permits.
Mr. Dean presented the following for action:
Congressman Jeb Bradley requested to use the Wheelwright Room on August 29th from 9 – 10 am for constituent outreach.
Spoerl & Strathern Real Estate, LTD requested to block off the
street behind 187 Water Street for a grand opening party on Saturday,
September 30th from 3 – 6 pm.
Spoerl & Strathern Real Estate, LTD is also requesting to hold a
raffle at their grand opening party on September 30th from 3 – 6 pm.
H.E. Pike & Sons, Inc. requested to put a 60’ lift on the sidewalk
to paint the Major Blake Hotel. They are requesting from August 18th to
the 30th, but the actual work will only take two days to finish. They
are requesting an extended window of time in case weather becomes an
issue.
Philips Exeter Academy is requesting to block off parking spaces on
Elliot Street from Front Street toward Bancroft Hall to load students
and luggage onto buses for their departure for Winter Break. They are
requesting to do this on December 14th and 15th from 6 am – 2 pm. They
are also requesting to block off parking spaces along the northern side
of Front Street from the First Baptist Church Westerly to the fire
hydrant.
Philips Exeter Academy is requesting to block off parking spaces on
Elliot Street from Front Street toward Bancroft Hall to load students
and luggage onto buses for their departure for Thanksgiving Break. They
are requesting to do this on November 18th from 6 am – 2 pm. They are
also requesting to block off parking spaces along the northern side of
Front Street from the First Baptist Church Westerly to the fire hydrant.
Mr. Pace moved to approve all permits as advised; second by Mr. Ingram. VOTE: Unanimous.
19. Selectmen’s Committee Reports.
Mr. Pace Cable TV Committee will be meeting on Wednesday.
Mr. Campbell: Nothing to report at this time.
Mr. Ingram: River Committee continues to discuss issues with the River.
They discussed getting a survey out to homeowners on recent flood
issues.
Mr. Binette: Nothing to report at this time but he had a question for
Mr. Dean. He wanted to verify that extended hours at the Transfer
Station were over and that we had notified residents that was the case.
Mr. Dean confirmed that we had been conveying that message to residents.
Public Comments:
Mr. Brian Griset spoke to a number of topics. First, he wanted to
ensure the Board was aware that the Water/Sewer proposals for the CIP
will be sent shortly.
In regards to the proposed Fiscal Year change, he wondered if instead
of charging the higher tax rate, would it be feasible to propose an
18-month budget and have three tax bills to help the
fixed-income residents.
Mr. Griset also had issues he wanted to discuss regarding the flooding
in the Exeter River. First was about a letter Mr. Dean sent to Mr.
Griset about Mr. Griset’s behavior during the flood. Mr. Dean accused
him of going to an employee’s house, which Mr. Griset admitted he went
to Mr. Keith Noyes’ house, but it was because the Town was not
operating under proper procedure. Mr. Griset would like to have his
name cleared.
Mr. Griset also spoke about obstructions in the river, as this has been
an ongoing problem. Mr. Dean commented that these items should be
included in the budget, but now he’s asking residents to handle this
process. Mr. Griset asked the Board to look into these matters. Mr.
Griset said he spoke with FEMA in Raymond, and FEMA said they have
funds available for river clean-up. Mr. Griset wondered why we are
asking citizens to put together a petition to deal with this problem
when the federal government has agreed to pay 100% for these issues.
Mr. Eric Waleryszak of Exeter Elms Campground, was present also and had
concerns about obstructions in the river. He had a large tree from the
Gilman’s property fall into the river in his property. Luckily it was
at an accessible portion of land and they could get to the tree. There
is another tree hanging out there and he is just waiting for it to
fall. Mr. Waleryszak understands the flood was not in anyone’s control,
but he’s been attending these meetings for 10 years talking about the
river and he feels changes need to be made to avoid this from happening
again. He’s very frustrated that the process is taking so long, and
that he had to get affected citizens to sign a petition just to get
attention to the matter.
He understands changes have been made to the operating procedures, but the landowners were not
advised even though it affects them. Again, he understands there are
things out of your control, but to have water backed up for weeks on
his land, his livelihood, is extremely frustrating.
Mr. Griset said the petitioners who have been flooded have been very
patient and they appreciate the Town’s efforts, but there are
agreements in place that are not being followed. Fish & Game is
supposed to hold the citizens harmless for repairs to the dam, and Mr.
Griset would like to see Fish & Game pay their share.
Mr. Ingram said their feeling is that Fish & Game does not have
enough money to pay for these damages. By adding this as a CIP item,
it’s saying citizens may have to pay for this if we are unable to find
money from other agencies. He would like to see it in the budget, and
if it can be reduced by other agencies, great, but we have a
responsibility to deal with dam safety issues.
Chairman Binette added that the non-public session listed on the agenda has been cancelled.
Mr. Eastman made a motion to adjourn; second by Mr. Pace. VOTE: Unanimous.