VILLAGE DISTRICT OF EIDELWEISS
Commissioners Meeting
January 09 2020
The Board of Commissioners met at 9:00 am on Thursday, January 9, 2020. In attendance were Commissioners Adam Leiser, Jay Buckley and Kathy Koziell. Kristin Johnson is taking the minutes. The meeting was filmed by Tim Hughes of Madison TV. Dorothy Wondolowski, attended. Fire Chief Richard Clark, Kelly R.,Paula Doyle
1. Agenda – AL makes a motion to approve agenda KK seconds, motion passes 3-0
2. Highway Department Report -
Truck 550 back, plow didn’t go up, fixed, 10’ plows on all trucks
Truck 5500 – hydraulic line broke, hydraulic pump failed, not waranteed, chain on plow broke due to storm, Kelly put on heavier hooks – sending bill,
Truck didn’t start on New Year’s Day, had towed, found issue under kick panel under floor, salt affected wire (corroded under kick plate) = $475 for repair + towing
Open harness no protection, Crest wrapped it = design flaw
Jay or Kelly: contact Dodge (design flaw may pay to fix)
Adam: 7 days to get estimate, need ready for a warrant
Jay: file complaint to Dodge
Adam: no capital reserve fund (depleted due to grader), what would Kelly recommend for unforeseen circumstance
Kelly: $30,000 hwy and equip. repair
Jay: suggested $50,000, take additional $20,000 towards cap res, Kelly agrees,
Paula: look at trends for multiple years, not just last year, operating budget for day-to-day maintenance
Dinah: grater is $30,000 / yr and 4 more payments until it is ours, we owe nothing on backhoe
Adam: need to maintain grater locally
Kelly: researching trade – ram and ford 550, not hearing good things about Silverado, not happy w/ International
Kelly: newsletters, response about kudos on FB being removed, people need to be aware that it is not a VDOE site
Adam: Communications Committee needs to resolve
Kelly: Am I insured? Had a physical Monday and never got back to him. Jeff rec’d new cards.
Adam: told them it was taxable income (approx. $7,000), Kelly said he wanted to take the buyout, now it’s too late
Kelly: said amount needs to be revisited, told it would have to be raised to bring down to $10,000, never signed anything
Adam: cost district more money to bring to $10,000, motion to watch video 3-0
Jay: put together a form with description of buyout from VDOE
Kelly: should be getting something in next check
3. Water –
4. Administration – Adam sent email of summary of Ian’s responses, requested Rick Skarinka email for Paula, Paula asked for CC meeting minutes didn’t see in 91A request
Adam = motion to sign Jones & Beach tight tank contract (well too close to DPW garage = violation) DES drawing to approve = $14,000? Probably less than $10,000, motion 3-0
Administation – office has Fluid Eng, bid for same project, scan and send to Jones & Beach
Adam: Motion to contact Rick Skarinka – passes 3-0, Adam makes motion to make J&B official water sys eng, 2-0 Jay no, Jones & Beach doesn’t have hyrdraulic modeling. Jones and Beach will start Liner mapping and master plan as additional projects
Adam: Ian look into mapping of entire district Motion to have Ian list all known repairs and alterations to water system Motion to allocate up to $900 for project. KK seconds, motion passes
Kathy: put off additional spending until March 7th
Jay: not invited to meeting with Chris and Ian
Adam: Invited Ian to 1 meeting of every month, believes he will be here next week, Ian met with Chris and identified work not in bid to complete Reinarch project, we don’t know what that work is
Jay: We need to know how that was missed, DES, Ian reviewed plans
Dinah: 1.2 million project – is it beneficial to the district?
Adam: motion to invite Ian Hayes and Chris Albert to budget hearing 2-0, Jay doesn’t want them to be peppered by the audience
Dinah: advertise so people come to the annual –
Adam: Motion to invite Chris, Ian, Kelly and district attorney to annual meeting passes – 3-0
Adam makes a Motion to sign Ian’s contract passes 3-0
Admin – copy to Ian and copy for public file
Adam: we need to get regular water reports, needs to be discussed in a non-public meeting (reputation issue)
Adam: send cert letter to each owner in the district effected by any pipeline replacement
Adam: motion to charge each owner $500 instead of full refund deposit,
Kathy: public hearing to explain action of taking $295,000 grant, on January 25th to explain grant and how we plan to use it
Adam: Motion asking for approval to work with bond bank and sign docs (won’t sign anything re: money) passes 3-0
Adam: Water Committtee should meet to discuss water shut-offs, what are the water ordinances? Is it on web from Sept? (print)
Kathy: over-expenditure, $30,000
Adam: motion to payoff Jungfrau loan passes 2-0 Jay - no
Kathy: can’t before annual meeting
Adam: motion to sign letter to Michelle @ DRA passes 3-0
Adam Motion to accept bid for DN tank passes 3-0
Kathy: found VDOE welcome package from 2001
Kathy: discusses newspaper ad…do we want to put all hearings on one ad? Over-expenditure and accept of $295 grant first date, Dam and Budget needed on 2nd date?
Jay: has warrant articles that he hasn’t presented
Adam Motion to give Kathy authority to finalize public hearing document for ad passes 3-0
Jay: will bring petition warrants from town of Madison contributions next week
Adam: Motion for Adam to write annual report for Town of Madison passes 3-0
Adam: Motion to send to Katherine Smith of NH Retirement Administrator Job Description passes 3-0
Kathy: Jungfrau FYI 2& 4, White Mt Survey – requested estimate for tight tank, do we get anyway for comparison as we got estimate from Jones and Beach, tell them not necessary.
Adam: office hours, 2 hrs Mon and Fri, wait on decision passes 3-0
HealthTrust doc – policy statement of policy
Water Meeting – Jay reach out to Larry Leonard, maybe schedule a meeting
MODERN Pest Inspection lodge, DPW 1 &2, and lodge yearly
Discussion on Water System emergency plan due end of 2020
Adam: Motion to have water system emergency plan back by March from Water Comm passes motion 3-0
Adam: Motion to call Chris Albert into meeting, passes 3-0
Adam calls: explain what it’s for…
Tie 4” line to 6” line, time to eng all sub projects that should have been included in orig Reinach rank project scope. Jay: how to connect tank – pipe replacement from Reinarch to Apenval
Chris – alleviate 3 bleeders, disc 6” line from Jungfrau to Reinarch station, new upper Lakeview pressure zone, Muddy keep active – maybe moving side road that connects Apen w/ Bristenstock,
Adam: can Jones and Beach they put together hydraulic models?
Chris: can do but needs to figure out costs, $2-3,000 est
Adam: told we accepted bid over call
Jay: # of homes to get service line done?
Chris: under 20
Adam: confirmed Chris attend March 7th meeting @ Madison Elem.
Adam: makes a motion on use of grant for project passes 3-0
Adams: CC topics to review, Kathy called everyone to remind of meeting for tonight motion to send to passes 3-0
Kathy: postcard effective, spend $350 to send mailing on public hearing passes 2-0 Jay no
Jay: CC nay to FB page
Kathy: discusses DPW phones – Jeff needs a cheap flip phone, Kelly wants a district phone (smartphone), thrilled with Chrome book and printer
Adam: motion to take $250 from CRF for office equip passes 2-0 Jay no
Kathy will purchase Chromebook
Kathy: motion Jay Buckley to contact Todd at Verizon to select and purchase phones
Jeff – 22.99 per mo. plan
Kelly- 40 per mo. plan
$50 for phone access. Passes 3-0
Adam Motion to enter non-public at 12:35 re: employee rep RSA 91A:3,II (c)
Motion to exit non-public 12:45
15 min break meeting resumes at 1pm
Manifest – approved, checks signed by Jay, Kathy will sign outside of meeting, Primex bill for unemployment insurance – ask for refund in the form of a check
Admin - Update Jay’s Letter with new dates to Police Chief re: speed limit
Kathy: will schedule a meeting for Wed night.,
Office - to email Adam availability for Wednesday 8pm commissioners meeting to discuss warrant articles and 2020 budget and post
Discussion on Police report stated that Jeff would not be at fault, no damage to our truck, UPS beeped and Jeff bumped into him and broke door and glass – officer no fault occurrence.
5. Accounts Payable – Manifest – approved, signed by Jay, Kathy sign outside of meeting
6. Minutes – approve 1/4/2020 minutes, not approved - a motion didn’t get second
7. Commissioners Reports –
9. Correspondence – Chief Clark
BOC thanks Chief Clark for attending as a follow-up to the Sept 26 meeting.
Adam asks if we have a pond level of how high from the spillway to the top of hydrant.
Clark responds that we don’t know for sure what the measurement its. There is a need level stick (standard practice) or better a mark on the actual dam concrete to mark the level. Clark had no understanding of out Dam Management Policy.
Kathy: Our policy was vague at best. We need a dam policy to eliminate confusion between pond level, number of boards out and hydrant issue
Clark: Ice can create an issue, hydrant used twice in winter during his 6 years. Need to know depth of pond, ice
Kathy: How much running water do we need
Clark: 24” above the strainer, 1,000 gal/min.
Adam: Would a fire impact pond level
Clark: No
Kathy: Need Marker with levels for diff. times of year
Clark: Possibly change the Hydrant , 4’ well tile just below the surface, stay low enough to not create whirlpool, we have 2nd hydrant on Big Loop near culvet.
They can pump directly if they have access
Adam: removed 20” of board in past, Kelly agreed – Oct & Nov., Resident concerned about flooding, Adam concerned with fire protection and house issues if level not adjusted
Jay: would never reach a level high enough to reach a home
Clark: 40 yrs of experience, written dam plans as part of job, no knowledge of ours because he has never worked with Eidelweiss, need to know what the capacity of the spillway for expected rainfall, etc.
Kelly: should be records due to man-made dam
Clark: info should be in Concord
Kelly: from top of concrete 20”, have to go by water height not boards
We could put level marker on concrete
Adam: emailed district re: level and water was above the top, mid week freezing temps = ton of ice, what would have happened if we didn’t drop the level,
Clark: you would need intense temps to affect moving water below ice, we can put pump/hose directly in water if needed
Adam: afraid of air pocket
Clark: may need to cut vent holes in ice for air flow
Kelly: pulled 20” below concrete
Clark – measure below the grate
Kelly: confirms draw down is to prepare for spring melt
Clark: we can work together to figure out the problem and come up with a plan
Kathy: what’s that low level we felt we needed for Loons,
Adam: from the top 10” May 15-June 20
Clark: We need a plan for fire suppression, the gauge will tell us what we need to do
Jay: Does fire suppression take over water level for animals? We are going to ask for a floating nest
Paula: Do we know the measurement of the pipe – 18” from surface
Adam: motion to keep high all year, everyone agrees
Kelly: 2 man job, we have hooks to pull boards straight up
Jay: 16” below strainer
Clark: move pipe closer to dam? We need permission from DES to move pipe, he’ll bring up at Hazard meeting and report back to Eidelweiss
Adam: check with Fish & Game re: amphibians, get a floating nest?
Jay: health and safety take priority, board reach out to Fish & Game, current nest won’t be viable, is it a likelihood that the loons can build a new nest
Kathy: Loon preservation – rather have natural nesting, but would consider putting in a floating nest, nest has guard to protect chicks
Adam makes motion for admin to call LPC – passes 3-0 – contact Loon preservation re: floating nest
9:46 Dorothy leaves
Adam Motion to paint marker passes vote 3-0
Adam: no accommodations for loons this year, Paula disagrees – not yet, why not measurements on stick,
Jay: wait until spring to adjust water level, Maybe able to write a better policy
Adam: current plan is against the law
Paula: Are there implications to keep level high? Don’t make a decision today that this is the new dam policy
Adam: create, then re-evaluate policy
Jay: we’re not doing anything this winter, would like to see what happens in the spring with proposed high water level and how the loons react, they usually come back in May
Adam: we can’t touch level until after May 15th
Jay: will DES allow floating nest with high water level, worth taking a look at
Clark : hydrants are a molded pipe and easier to put together and need Prescott to evaluate to make sure it doesn’t break, 1 shot deal, Adam put in contact with Charlie Krautman
Jay: Reinarch
Jay: keep flow of water at 2”
Adam: resident complained of dead wild life due to no flow, we pulled 2” and it was enough to carry flow of water
Adam: motion to give revised plan to Chief Clark to go to fish & game
Kelly: most times 2-4” of flow going through the cracks
Clark: most important to sustain fire suppression – fire protection is the priority in managing dam, lowest level from the top of concrete would be 4”
Jay: what about abandon tanks at Reinarch for fire suppression, no effort to remove
Clark: put a standpipe in tanks to pump directly out of tank
Adam: what is the cost and impact on fire?
Clark: no idea, need a 6” steel pipe and another vent pipe, would last about 20,000 gall to fight a fire, it could fight a fire and then refill
Adam: not worth costs to maintain
Paula: can we build a hydrant system when Reinach tank is put in?
Jay: 500 ft elev., we need more than one truck to pump upwards
Adam: talk to Chris re: topic
Admin – once Jay selects phone, office go online and purchase
Dept of Labor – stay in commissioner’s meeting folder until finalized
Admin – look for water ordinance online
Discussion Expendable trust fund re: health insurance, CRF how are numbers not the same, there is a $20,000 line item (maybe needs to be moved?)
10. Scheduled Appearances – Chief Clark
11. Public Comment –
Motion to adjourn
1:40pm