VILLAGE DISTRICT OF EIDELWEISS
Commissioners Meeting
Thursday April 23, 2020
The Board of Commissioners met at 9:02 am on Thursday, April 23, 2020. In attendance was Commissioners Jay Buckley, Kathy Koziell (by phone) and Adam Leiser (by phone). Also, in attendance was Highway Foreman Kelly Robitaille, and Donna MacKinnon taking minutes. The meeting was not filmed but residents could call into meeting via conference call. We had 5 residents call into the meeting.
At 9:02 am Commissioner Jay Buckley calls the meeting to order.
1. Agenda
Jay Buckley makes a motion to approve the agenda. Kathy Koziell seconds. Motion passed 2-0.
Kathy Koziell would like to add kayak’s and newsletter to the agenda.
Jay Buckley makes the motion to agenda as amended. Kathy Koziell seconds the motion. Motion passed 2-0.
2. Highway Department Report
Kelly Robitaille stated seven roads were graded. He ordered the calcium chloride which expended the $2,200 line item budget.
Discussion of 31 Upper Lake View culvert and grading – Kathy Koziell thinks the BOC and DPW should meet with homeowner on their site. Adam Leiser would like the BOC to call the homeowner to arrange the meeting. Jay Buckley would like the homeowner to call into a commissioners meeting.
Jay Buckley makes a motion to call the homeowner to arrange a site visit with the BOC and DPW. Kathy Koziell seconds the motion. Motion passed 2-0.
Kelly Robitaille still waiting on garage door estimates.
Kelly Robitaille will be out grading the roads today.
Kelly Robitaille stated there was no water in the DPW garage after the rain.
Signature item – 8 Middle Shore driveway application permit as per drawing. Jay Buckley signs the permit and Kathy Koziell will come into the office to also sign.
Discussion of Burgdorf culvert – Kelly Robitaille stated this will be done first, culvert has always been a problem and that he was not involved in the first design of it.
Discussion of Little Loop project – Kelly Robitaille stated the project will take one week and is looking three weeks out to complete. Kelly Robitaille stated he would like it done sooner than later.
Discussion of new truck – Kelly Robitaille is still unable to locate a new truck, no 2020’s is being made. Kelly Robitaille stated everything is shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jay Buckley commends Kelly Robitaille for saving the District money by rebuilding the DPW workspace himself.
Discussion of outhouses – Adam Leiser brings up the outhouses. Jay Buckley called the town of Madison, NH and was told they are waiting for the governor’s protocol in reference to COVID-19. Jay Buckley has a feeling that the outhouses will not be in use this year. Kathy Koziell asked Kelly Robitaille his plan for outhouses.
Adam Leiser makes a motion to allocate up to $1000 for Kelly Robitaille to dismantle the outhouses to be done by June 15, 2020. Kathy Koziell seconds the motion for discussion.
Jay Buckley and Kathy Koziell further discuss the opening/non-opening of the outhouses. Kelly Robitaille stated there would be no turning back once the outhouses have been dismantled and that the outhouses that are there now would look much better than port-a-potties. Kelly Robitaille was not involved in previous discussions and would like a week to see if there is an alternative to dismantling the outhouses. Jay Buckley agreed with Kelly Robitaille. Motion should be amended.
Adam makes a motion to allocate up to $1000 for Kelly Robitaille to dismantle the outhouses by June 15, 2020 if Kelly is unable to find an alternative resolution. Kathy Koziell seconds the motion. Motion passed 2-1. Jay Buckley votes no.
Administration Report
Discussion of water bills – Dinah Reiss thinks the Village is being charged for the transaction fees and asked Donna MacKinnon to check with Rhonda Rosand who is being charged the transaction fee.
Discussion of seasonal water turn-on – Donna MacKinnon asked when this will take place and was told water ordinance states the first Friday in May. Adam Leiser would like to set a fee for water turn-on/offs of $130. This change to the ordinance should be brought up at a future public hearing.
Discussion of 4 Grachen Dr - Correspondence received regarding homeowner being charged as a duplex for a single-family home. Donna MacKinnon stated she confirmed with Madison Town Hall home is listed as a single-family and corrected the water bill.
Discussion on employee handbook – Jay Buckley is going through the handbook section by section in order to see the red lines. Adam Leiser stated he already make comments on the document. Jay Buckley would like the BOC to respond on a separate piece of paper with their comments. Kathy Koziell stated she will also go through the handbook.
Discussion of audit report – Kathy Koziell stated Tamar Roberts is questioning if the minutes of the 2020 annual meeting should be amended. Kathy Koziell asked the administration to reach out to Michelle Clark at the DRA to question if the minutes need to be amended. Kathy Koziell asked Tamar Roberts about the management report and per Tamar Roberts most towns and villages do not do a management report. Dinah Reiss stated the report has always been done by the Village. Kathy Koziell asked Jay Buckley to draft the report. Kathy Koziell spoke with Tamar Roberts in regard to the journal entries that need to be changed in quick books. Adam Leiser stated the BOC has been telling wrong information to the public. Jay Buckley stated he looked into the RSA’s and the Village has two budgets, 1. The operating budget and 2. The water budget. The DRA only looks at the operating budget.
Discussion of ledge probs – Jay Buckley asked about the probes. Adam Leiser stated he spoke to Chris Albert who in turn spoke to SW Cole.
Adam Leiser makes a motion to accept SW Cole’s contract per Chris Albert’s approval. Kathy Koziell seconds the motion. Motion passed 3-0.
Jay Buckley makes a motion to approve the minutes of the 4/17/2020 meeting with Chris Albert.
Adam Leiser wants the minutes to reflect Jay Buckley’s conflict of interest and personal relationship with GW Brooks. Jay Buckley asked Adam Leiser who and why. Adam Leiser stated, “it does not smell right”. Jay Buckley stated he is not a personal friend of GW Brooks and that he was pleased with GW Brooks work on the Tight Tank project.
Adam Leiser makes a motion to reflect in the 4/17/2020 meeting minutes of Jay Buckley’s conflict of interest. Kathy Koziell seconds the motion. Motion passed 2-1. Jay Buckley abstains with validation of conflict of interest.
Jay Buckley open the meeting for public comment. No discussion.
3. Accounts Payable
Jay Buckley makes a motion to approve Manifest of 4 checks for a total of $2,613.10. Kathy Koziell seconds. Motion passed 2-0.
Jay Buckley makes a motion to approve payroll for $5,976.51. Kathy Koziell seconds the motion. Motion passed 2-0.
4. Commissioners Reports
Kathy Koziell discusses the newsletter. Kathy Koziell would like to do a newsletter specific from the BOC about the Reinach Tank and an update on the kayak racks. Adam Leiser stated he would like bullet points about the Reinach Tank. Kathy Koziell would like to give an overview of the project. Jay Buckley would like the newsletter to announce the boat auction that will be held on May 30, 2020 at 8:00 AM at the DPW garage.
Discussion on the racks – Kathy Koziell stated homeowners are putting kayaks/canoes on the racks and if there are any remaining kayaks/canoes on the racks as of 5/15/2020 they should be confiscated. Kathy Koziell asked Kelly Robitaille to check on the racks. Kathy Koziell would like to get an estimate to fix the racks. Kelly Robitaille asked if the racks should be replaced or shored up.
Discussion of website – Kathy Koziell will reach out to Isabel Pais to help with the website.
Jay Buckley discussed Valley Pride clean-up and the bags are available at his home for pick-up.
Jay Buckley discussed the water system – Jay Buckley believes Ian Hayes, as part of his contract, should produce a monthly report and a monthly visit to a commissioners meeting. Adam Leiser thinks it was discussed in a January commissioners meeting and the minutes should reflect that. Jay Buckley will send an email to Ian Hayes.
Discussion of water hook-up of 10 Barden Pl. – question of engineering cost.
Kathy Koziell would like to know the next time Ian Hayes is in the District for him to fill out a form.
Paula Doyle brings up the subject of paying Ian Hayes if he is not fulfilling his contract. Kathy Koziell stated have to watch our vendors better.
5. Correspondence
Ralph Lutjen discusses his concern regarding $379K excess of appropriation. Ralph Lutjen believes Adam Leiser has increased the appropriations by $379K. Ralph Lutjen stated $869K was approved at the annual meeting but has now been expanded by $295K and $85K that was not approved at the annual meeting. Jay Buckley stated there is a lot of confusion.
Discussion of David Maudsley’s email – Kathy Koziell stated there are two points to clarify.
- The water hook-up account. The Village has the possession of the account, but it needs to be kept in a trust fund per DRA clarifications.
- The auditor’s clarifications on separate line items.
Jay Buckley opens the meeting up for public comment. No discussion.
Jay Buckley makes a motion to go into non-public RSA 91-A:3II(b) The hiring of any person as a public employee.
Jay Buckley makes a motion to adjourn meeting at 11:50 am. Kathy Koziell seconds. Motion passed 2-0.
Respectfully submitted,
Donna MacKinnon
Administrator