MINUTES OF HAVERHILL SELECTBOARD REGULAR MEETING

Monday September 15, 2008

 

Board Members Present: Roderick Ladd, David Joslin, Bob Maccini, Peter Heilemann and Peter Conrad.

 

Town Manager: Glenn English                                         

 

Administrative Assistant/Finance Officer: Jo Lacaillade

 

Members of the Public Present: Everett Henson, Doug Henson, Airport Commission Members: Winston Currier, Dick Guy, Joel Godston, Gerald Lyons, Planning Board Chair Sandy Schmid, Don Hammond, Annemarie Godston, Mike Fenn, Raymond Haynes, Mary Pinkham-Langer-Department of Revenue.

 

Call Meeting to Order:

 

Chairman Ladd called the meeting to order at 6:05 p.m.

 

Approval of Agenda:

 

Peter Conrad requested that the item listed under the Consent Agenda: Authorization for Town Manager to Sign Grant Contract, be moved to new business.

 

Approval of Consent Agenda:

 

Bob Maccini made a motion to approve the consent agenda as amended; the motion was seconded by David Joslin and carried unanimously.

 

Public Appearances:

 

Mike Fenn was interviewed for appointment as an alternate member of the Planning Board. Planning Board Chair Sandy Schmid stated that the Planning Board supported Mr. Fenn’s appointment. David Joslin made a motion to approve the appointment of Mike Fenn as an alternate to the Planning Board; seconded by Peter Conrad and carried unanimously.

 

Don Hammond was in attendance for reappointment to the Planning Board. Planning Board Chair Sandy Schmid stated the Board supports Mr. Hammond’s reappointment. Bob Maccini made a motion waive the interview questions and to approve reappointment of Don Hammond to the Planning Board; seconded by David Joslin and carried unanimously.

 

Town Manager’s Report: None

 

Pending (Old) Business:

 

Ø    NPIAS: A lengthy discussion ensued regarding the NPIAS program and items addressed in the Airport Master Plan. The Airport has already received State Funds through their 50/50 grants and the same requirements that are required by NPIAS if you take grants from them are already required due to the State funding that has been utilized. The safety concerns regarding Airport Road is part of the Master Plan and the Airport Commission has stated it cannot be removed from their Master Plan. Gerald Lyons stated that there are ways that the Airport Road issue can be dealt with and they are willing to discuss options with the Selectboard that could include changing the road a bit; putting signal lights up and/or stop signs; moving the displaced threshold which would require planes to land further down the runway; there are ways of dealing with it that do not include the closing of the road. The agreement with the Henson’s regarding clearing of the approach to the airport is still in negotiations. Bob Maccini made a motion to table the NPIAS issue until there is further clarification in working out the several issues dealing with safety on Airport Road; closure of the Airport Road that all results to the master plan and identifying the footprint of the property at the end of the strip by having an agreement with Everett Henson. The motion was seconded by David Joslin and carried unanimously. Joel Godston asked what it is exactly that the Selectboard wants to which Bob Maccini said that the Selectboard needs the Airport Commission’s addendum to the Master Plan taking the closing of Airport Road off from the priority list and they need a recommendation to deal with the safety issue of Airport Road. Chairman Ladd, Jim Fortier and the Henson’s are to meet and lay out the clearing plan.

 

      The Board skipped over the remaining old business and will come back to it later in the       meeting.

 

New Business:

Ø    Raymond Haynes-Abatement Request: Mr. Haynes presented the Board his reasoning for feeling that he should not be subject to a current use penalty. He did not feel that the value of $65,000 was fair for the property being penalized. He stated that the product that was removed was used on a State Road project and therefore should be exempt from penalty according to RSA 155 E-2. Mary Pinkham-Langer, Gravel Tax Appraiser from the Department of Revenue Administration provided the Board with an overview of RSA 155 E. According to this RSA there are certain requirements that need to be completed before an excavation begins to be eligible for any exemptions. There are other exceptions under 155 E-2a IB that also have to be approved before the start of the excavation and approved by the local Planning Board. Neither of these steps was done. Sandy Schmid, Chair of the Planning Board stated that Mr. Haynes does not have any permit to operate from the Planning Board in 2008 nor does he have a reclamation plan on file which is required. Mary went on to say that there are separate criteria that relate to current use under RSA 79:A7 IV and reviewed that chapter. She also reviewed the issues related to this case with other Current Use personnel at the DRA as well as the legal counsel and this excavation does appear to warrant a current use penalty. Chairman Ladd asked if there had been any wetland issues that were impacted by this excavation. Mary stated that the excavation was right along the Oliverian Brook as well as another brook and the DES has been on site and asked that some issues be addressed. TM English said that there are some local wetland ordinances that may have been violated also. Bob Maccini stated that the issue tonight is the current use penalty. Mr. Haynes stated that this excavation was not a gravel pit. Chairman Ladd stated that the product that was removed was gravel and there is no excavation permit for the area where the excavation happened. Mary reviewed the rules that must be used in determining the value of the property that is being taken out of current use. The highest and best use of that land is how the property value is determined whether it be a gravel pit or waterfront property. There was some discussion as to whether some of the product went to the Walmart project. TM English felt that the Board needed to consider the fact that the other gravel pits in Town are getting their permits and have their reclamation plans on file as required. After further discussion the issue was tabled until a future meeting when the assessor can come in and meet with the Board to talk about the land value that he used for assessing the penalty. Mr. Haynes will be notified when the issue will be back in front of the Selectboard. Mr. Haynes asked about putting back into current use. Mary stated that the property needs to be reclaimed and that reclamation approved by the Planning Board and then an application to put it back into current use can be addressed.

 

The Board took a 5 minute recess.

 

Pending (Old) Business: continued

 

Ø    Court Street Property: The clean up project on the Court Street property is complete. The lot along with another Town owned lot on Rock Creek Drive will be put up for auction.

Ø    Sale of lot in Business Park: Peter Conrad would like to set up a fund where any proceeds gained from the sale of lots in the Business Park goes into so that future needs of the park, for example the paving of the road, could be covered by that money. TM English will research the possibility of setting up an expendable trust and provide the information to the Board for consideration. It would take a warrant article vote to do so.

Ø    Revised Personnel Policy Manual: This issue was tabled until a future meeting.

 

New Business: continued

 

Ø    Resignation from Ammonoosuc River Advisory Comm:-Dannehy: Peter Conrad made a motion to accept with thanks the resignation of Mike Dannehy from the Ammonoosuc River Advisory Commission. David Joslin seconded the motion which carried unanimously.

Ø    Elderly Exemptions: Chairman Ladd introduced information regarding elderly exemptions as they pertain to the Town of Haverhill and other Towns in New Hampshire. He would like the Selectboard to review the information and at the next meeting discuss possible changes to the amount of the exemption and also changes to the income/asset guidelines. If changes are made a warrant article would have to be presented to the voters at Town Meeting.

Ø    Airport Hangar-Grant Authorization: Bob Maccini made a motion to approve Chairman Ladd signing an authorization for Town Manager English to sign all contracts and documents relating to the 50/50 Hangar Grant Application for Dean Memorial Airport. The motion was seconded by Peter Heilemann and carried unanimously. The document will be ready for Chairman Ladd’s signature on Tuesday.

 

Commission/Committee Reports: None

 

Correspondence: None

 

Comments of the Public: None

 

Comments of the Town Manager/Admin. Assistant-Finance Officer:

 

There was a brief discussion over the revised personnel policy manual and some concerns that the Selectboard may want to discuss at the next meeting.

 

Comments of Selectboard Members:

 

Chairman Ladd stated that he had been in contact with the company that hosted our previous website because the Town’s intention is to link our new site to that one so that when people go to our old web address the new site comes up. He was told that the Town has no authority to do so, that Homer May owns the rights to that site and is still paying the fee. The new address will be publicized as much as possible so that all know where the site is located. The website committee will meet to decide the next steps.

 

Other Business: None

 

Sign Manifest and Other Warrants: Done

 

Adjourn Meeting: Bob Maccini made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Peter Heilemann and carried unanimously. Chairman Ladd adjourned the meeting at 9:00 pm.

 

Minutes transcribed by Jo A. Lacaillade

 

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