TOWN OF PEACHAM
SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES
Town Hall Meeting Room
Wednesday August 17, 2015 6:30PM
UNAPPROVED
Present:
Selectboard: Chair of the Board Annette Lorraine, Tim Scott, and David Jacobs
Clerk to the Selectboard: Melissa Laurita Kohl
Public: Road Foreman Jeremy Withers, Mike Bruton, Dale Roy, Town Clerk Tom Galinat
The meeting was called to order by Board Chair Annette Lorraine at 6:30 PM.
- Additions
- Parking lot safety issues
- Question about the proposed park near Ewell Pond. Annette said that the plan is being drawn up. Right now there is a pledge agreement with specific requirements for the park.
- Town Intersection Plans and Drainage Plans
- Minutes:
- David moves to approve the 8/3/16 minutes with a minor amendment and the July 20th minutes as long as the date is changed to July 20. Tim seconds. All in favor. So moved.
- Town Clerk Update
- Tax Bills went out early. The Town has already collected 5% of taxes for the year or $125,000 has already been collected. Might not have to borrow if can get $275,000 in before paving happens, which will save the town money.
- Town Website Demo
- Jerri called in and showed the demo to the Selectboard, Town Clerk, and community members. The website is almost done and will be presented for final approval at the September 7th meeting.
- Mike Bruton
- Mike presented documents to the Selectboard concerning the Zoning Board of Adjustment requirements for the observatory. One of their obligations was to put in adequate lighting in the school parking lot as they removed the primary light. Mike is concerned about the safety of the lot and has been backed into at night because he has a black truck and the other person could not see his car. He has tried working with the school board but has been deferred. Mark Clough is the Chair of the School Board and on the board of the Observatory and said that the Observatory is broke and they cannot do anything about this lighting issue.
- Annette asked if the Zoning Administrator followed up.
- Mike doesn’t know who is liable if something does happen in the parking lot. Don’t know if the observatory or town is liable.
- David’s initial thought is that this is a zoning matter - the zoning board of adjustment gave the conditions and didn’t follow up. The Zoning Administrator should follow up on this.
- Annette added this to the September 7th agenda and will invite Bob Hansen to come. He can edify the Selectboard as to what has happened and help us have a plan on how to approach it. Annette will email him tomorrow.
- Annette thanked Mike as she had no idea about this issue.
- Highway Department Update (upcoming paving, temp/part time position, water situation, Church St, etc.)
- The road crew is busy due to the heavy rains that keep coming. No complete washouts after last night - just rough traveling but the road crew was out in full force today with the grader and will be tomorrow.
- The paving project will start on next Thursday - replacing the three culverts that need to be replaced. August 29th we will be ripping up asphalt. Due to replacing culverts and a paving project the following section of road will closed Thursday 8/25/16 and Friday 8/26/16. It will also be closed M-F 8/29/16-9/2/16 from 7am to 5pm. The road affected is East Peacham Road from the five corners down to Blanchard Hill. If you are coming from the South, take the pavement through West Barnet and take Hollow Woods Road to connect to the opened section of East Peacham Road.
- Jeremy contacted two paving companies and received two estimates. He showed them to the Selectboard. Jeremy will hire Pike as he has worked for them before and they had a more specific estimate.
- Had someone stop at the garage yesterday interested in the part time laborer position. That position has not been advertised yet but it was mentioned in the minutes. The Selectboard will circulate the job description and application. Annette can send everyone the employment application for road crew and just adapt it for this. Can post on facebook, for the love of peacham, barnet page. Put an ad in Caledonian but say come to town clerk’s office to pick up an application (Melissa will advertise this). Put application on website.
- Jeremy wanted to let the Selectboard know that he starts as a soccer coach tomorrow and will be taking a little time for practices.
- Jeremy will email the Selectboard if something changes with the paving job timeline.
- As to Church St - Nancy Saidi called and left a message, She was describing how the sidewalk from the intersection ends 2 or 3 feet before the Church driveway and bumps up into grass and she wondered if that could be level so it could easier to wheel her mother somewhere. There may be sidewalk under there. David will look at it.
- David discussed another Church St issue. In 2006 David did this conceptual plan of Peacham Village. He included trees at the gateways and pedestrian circulation, better use of town lands, the roller barn. One of the things that came out of it was this intersection - Church St and Bayley Hazen Rd. He spoke to the State and the road crew and there were three options for that intersection. The idea was to make the intersection safer - currently it does not have good sight lines. He proposes to have Tim do the estimate for getting drainage up the entire road of Church St. Get an estimate for the engineering and get in budget for next year or find a grant and then start working on the phases of it. Figure out a capital plan on it so we can at least do the drainage. Changing the intersection would involve a public process.
- David will contact Tim Ruggles for an estimate of an engineering plan for the top of Church St.
- Village Pathway Update (David)
- David looked at the bush, which is quite large. It is a forsynthia with a maple tree growing up through it but it is under the power line. David said it can be pruned back into its original state back to the main trunk it would still be in the walkway - would still have to take a loop around it - can be moved fairly easily with an excavator or a backhoe - they take to transplanting well especially in the fall. He thinks the path always had a little loop around it but he is not positive.
- As far as signage goes for the path, he thinks that it could be something that said “Path to the School” where sidewalk begins will tell people you can walk on the grass. Use this sign for events for right now until we decide what to do for the events - for beginngin of school, PAMFest, Fall Foliage. Annette thinks the next step is to come up with a prototype or design. David will come up with one. Melissa will check for temporary sign requirements for bylaws.
- Annette will contact Joel Wright and ask if we can remove the forsynthia or if it can be dug up, etc.
- Speed Limit Update East Peacham Rd (Annette)
- Annette has been asking for the results of the speed study, which were the first requirement. NVDA told Annette that they would get the results to her either Friday or next week (along with an accident report). The next step is to review all of that stuff and then we amend our traffic ordinance. Annette handed out traffic ordinance to the Selectboard. When we amend the ordinance, we can make other suggested changes as well so the Selectboard will review the ordinance. Put on the agenda for 9/7/16.
- Annette suggests warning signs - reduced speed ahead. Jeremy said that there is one on every black top road. We could have a bright yellow one that was bold.
- Planning Commission Update (Melissa)
- Melissa updated the Selectboard on the progress of the bylaws process.
- She said that at the 9/21 she will hand a report and the final draft of the bylaws to the selectboard. This would allow for a bylaws hearing on 10/19/16.
- Review and approve bills
- The Selectboard reviewed and approved bills.
- Review correspondence
- The Selectboard reviewed and approved correspondence.
Tim moves to adjourn at 9:15pm. David seconds. All in favor. So moved.
