Alexandria Selectmen’s Meeting

October 9, 2008

Work Session:  The selectmen held an interview with a potential employee and discussed various items regarding the transfer station. 

Bristol will be meeting with Comstar, the ambulance billing service, next week to determine if they can break out the revenues applicable to the individual towns.  Christie will ask to be a part of that meeting.  At the present time, if Bridgewater is not going to participate in the contract, then Alexandria’s share will be $52,272.16; if they do participate, the number if $49,027.00.  That is still $26,000 more than 2008. 

Members Present:     Cindy Williams, Don Gangemi and Tom McGowan

Meeting came to order at 6:00 p.m.

Pledge of Allegiance: Led by George Whittaker

Distribution of Minutes:       October 2, 2008

Approval of Minutes:            Minutes of September 25 were approved 3-0

Maintenance Forms: Don brought in the requested maintenance forms for discussion.  It was decided to give the forms to the police chief and road agent with a request that they choose a common form to be used by both departments rather than the selectmen choosing one for them.

Department Heads:

Don Sullivan, Chief of Police:  Gave the selectmen several options for call breakdown reports that he could produce.  Selectman Gangemi asked if the number of hours could be included on the report; not for each call but as a total of hours for the officers for the month.  Don said they could as Cat is already tracking hours.  Sel. Gangemi also asked if there was a way to track calls that require an ambulance…there is, but Cindy and Don both said that either the fire department or Lakes Region Mutual Fire Aid should be able to provide that information.  Cindy asked the chief if he gets notified if State Police respond to a call in town.  Don said he does not, but he can call them and get statistics if necessary.  Cindy thought that information could be useful to the department.  Selectman Gangemi said that he has been hearing good comments about the chief. 

Cindy asked if anyone has spent time checking speed at the North Road, Fowler River Road intersection.  Don said that he has not.  Selectman Gangemi asked about a daily call system for the elderly in town.  Don stated that a better program is not for the police department to call, but to have another elderly person call them, ask how things are going, if they need anything.  This would take care of two people at the same time.  If they have a concern that someone might not be well, they can call the police station.  Don wanted the selectmen to know that one computer in the police department is in rough shape.  The secretary’s computer and the laptop are good; the main computer is working for now, but needs to be replaced.  It is a six year old IBM with at least one spy ware on it.  The selectmen suggested that he immediately get an antivirus, anti-spy ware program installed.  Don has gotten one quote on a new computer system.  He doesn’t feel that the tape backup is necessary; a CD or stick drive will be sufficient for the amount of information he has. 

Items Requiring Signature:

An HEMP Grant Application was signed.  Ed Skroback explained that the grant would
cover the cost of a table top exercise and drill for mock emergencies. The town’s share of this would be approximately $1,000.

The selectmen signed a notice to voters of the date and time for the November election.

Old Business:

            Nothing new to announce

New Business:

Budget Breakdown:  Christie asked which of the departments the selectmen would like to  break out in a separate warrant article.  It was determined that highway, police, town clerk/tax collector and the selectmen’s budget should be in their own warrant article. The remainder of the operating budget will be contained in another warrant article. 

Other:

            Cindy asked Christie to find a copy of the agreement with Lakes Region Dispatch in
            order to determine who signs it. 

            What is the status on the payment agreements the town has with people? 

There are three properties that the selectmen need to view.  A 30 day notice needs to be
sent to the property owners.  Cindy said that a copy of the notice needs to be attached to the door of the structures. 

Public Input:

George Whittaker asked about a property on Hodgdon Road; Cindy said that the town
has refused to take it at this time. Cindy said that the town needs to look into selling the
place as is.  George stated that a town, Derry he believes, did something like that and the
town ending up paying for the reclamation of the property by court order.  Christie will
try to check into the matter.

Christie explained that she was not ignoring audience members tonight, she just needed
to get her business with the selectmen done without others participating.  Don said that
should an important decision need to be made that would benefit from audience input, it
will be allowed.  Otherwise, it should be brought up during public input.

Joint Meeting of Selectmen and Budget Committee:
            Budget Committee members Skip Reilly and Ginny Duggan joined the selectmen to
            review 2009 budget requests from the Health Officer, Emergency Management and
            Supervisor of the Checklist departments.  No votes or recommendations were made
            or taken this evening.  Sue Cheney, who presented the budget for the supervisors, was
            requested to provide more information on the number of hours that a typical election
            requires.

Adjournment:

            The meeting adjourned at approximately 8:15 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Christie Phelps,

Town Administrator