Littleton Board of Selectmen-Meeting
Minutes-February 22, 2006
LITTLETON BOARD OF SELECTMEN
MEETING MINUTES
LITTLETON OFFICE CONFERENCE ROOM
FEBRUARY 22, 2006
Present: Chairman Bill Hight, Vice Chairman George Hicks, Selectman Burt Ingerson, Town Manager Jason Hoch, Executive Assistant Cheryl Sargent
Chairman Bill Hight opened the Selectmen’s Meeting at 4:00 pm.
Jason noted he has received several abatement requests which have been recommended by the Assessors for approval. The Selectmen were given copies of the abatement requests for them to review at a later date. The original forms will be available for the Selectmen’s signature after they have had an opportunity to review them.
Jim Alden along with several other Main Street merchants were in to follow up on a meeting which took place with the Selectmen in September at which they raised concerns with drug as well as harassment to customers taking place on Main Street. They continue to be concerned with activity taking place on Main Street. Mr. Alden stated he has witnessed drug dealing as well as customers being spit at in front of his establishment, Chutters. Mr. Alden stated he does not believe there has been a rigorous improvement in the police presence on Main Street.
Jason noted that in the last 51 days there have been 33 days in which there has been a foot patrol on Main Street for some portion of the shift. There were only 11 days in which there was no foot patrol on Main Street due to situations where the officers presence was required elsewhere. Police Chief Cam Brown added the availability of an officer on Main Street is always dependent on calls coming in at any particular time.
Art Tighe asked the Selectman what they need to get the job done.
Police Chief Cam Brown stated that in an ideal world it would be great to have an Officer to devote to Main Street without him or her being called away on another call.
Art Tighe asked if this is a situation were part time officers can be assigned to Main Street.
Police Chief Brown stated the part time officers are limited by State law to working no more than 1300 hours. He added the pay is not equal to the risk taken by the individual serving as part time officer. Additionally, the part time officer also has other job commitments as well as family commitments.
Tom Kennedy, Chairman of the Citizens’ Advisory Board, stated he feels that part time officers have to be considered as an alternative to increasing police presence on Main Street. He asked if the part time positions have been advertised and if resources from neighboring towns have been considered.
Police Chief Brown stated that the position has been advertised but there is such a huge difference in the pay compared to other towns there is very little interest.
Selectman Hicks asked if surveillance cameras on Main Street would be helpful.
Chief Brown stated they have to be used carefully because there is a fine line where the use of cameras could be considered an infringement on people’s rights.
Art Tighe stated something has to be done. Drug dealing is taking place on Main Street. He also noted that recently a minor was tattooed and drugs are being dropped from windows. There is a need for increased police presence on Main Street.
Tony Ilacqua stated he wished to let people know that if they come across a propane tank which has a coupling that has turned blue, they are not to touch it but to notify the police department immediately. The change in color at the coupling is an indication that the tank has been used in a meth lab. Tony encouraged everyone there to get the word out to people as this is something most people would not be aware of.
Tom Kennedy gave a report of the Citizens’ Advisory Committee. He stated the Committee has now established a mission statement. He noted the Committee has met on two occasions with the Police Officers to gather input from them. There are four main areas which the Committee wants to focus as a result of input from the Police Department. The first area is with public outreach and there has been an effort made to improve this by using the police officer trading cards as well as an information letter to the public. The police management study which is being proposed on this year’s town warrant will be a helpful tool to the committee. The last study completed was in 1996 and there have been many changes since then. Mr. Kennedy passed out a list of management assessment chapters which will be reviewed during the police management study which will be funded through a warrant article if passed on election day. Mr. Kennedy stated he feels this study will be helpful as it will be an objective and credible document. It will be up to the board of Selectmen to endorse and implement the results and recommendations of the study. Some points brought out in the meeting between the Citizens’ Advisory Committee and the Police Department staff is that the community has changed drastically over the last few years. It takes a police officer a much longer time to get his paperwork done on every case. The Town must make an effort to increase the outreach in recruitment. Internal communication between the Police Department and Town Officials needs to be improved. The Police Officers also felt that they are not getting sufficient support from Town Officials and they are also concerned with the future of their jobs after the budget cut at the Deliberative Session. Mr. Kennedy handed out a letter of praise for the Police Department from Evan Nelson which was sent to the Caledonian Record. Mr. Kennedy stated that the recent criticism leveled at the Police Department with no response from the Selectmen should never have been allowed to happen. Mr. Kennedy also stated that the Citizens’ Advisory Committee would like to meet with the Selectmen on a regular basis to keep them informed. It was decided to have the Committee come in on a quarterly basis.
Burt Ingerson asked how many officers the Police Department needs. Mr. Kennedy stated the study will reflect that information. Burt added that the 1998 study stated that there was a need for 13 officers and that is what the Town has been working toward.
Jeff Wheeler asked what percentage of the Town budget is devoted to emergency, fire and safety as compared to budget of surrounding towns.
Art Tighe asked what can the voters do to help improve the situation.
Selectman Hight stated the voters need to vote down the amended budget on election day.
George Hicks stated he has noted that the Town is now divided and this is distressing to him.
Ralph Green stated it was the quality of life which appealed to he and his family and is the reason they moved here from Texas. He added he appreciated the Selectmen’s position and their willingness to stay on the Board and take the heat.
It was discussed that the presence of a police officer in many of the downtown shops could be perceived as a problem. Mr. Kennedy stated the Citizens’ Advisory committee could facilitate a meeting between the Police Department and merchants.
In other matters, Tony Ilacqua requested the Selectmen approve an increase in the fee for the disposal of shingles. Disposal fees for recycled shingles would increase from $36/cu.yd to $44/ cu.yd. Unrecycled shingles would increase from $46/cu.yd to $53/cu.yd.
Selectman Hicks moved to approve the fee increases as proposed. The motion was seconded by Selectman Ingerson and carried 3-0.
Jason stated he has been studying budget numbers and playing with different scenarios since the Deliberative Session. He stated his first priority will be not to cut staff as the current staff is already spread too thin. If the Budget is defeated on March 14th the Board will have to decide to go with the default budget or petition for a Special Town Meeting.
Limiting the Town’s borrowing to $1 as directed by the amended warrant article at the Deliberative Session may have a serious impact on the Tri-Town Industrial Park project.
Jason stated the Board will hold a hearing next week on Wednesday, March 1, 2006 at 6:00pm for the purpose of discussing the warrant articles` which were not discussed the night of the Deliberative Session. The location of the meeting is still to be decided.
New computers were installed in the Town Officer over Presidents weekend. The five year lease on the old computers was up. The transition took place with no problems.
Don Merrill stated he would like to schedule a meeting between the town employees and the architect. Jason gave Mr. Merrill a copy of the plan which the town employees had worked on with Bast & Rood a couple of years ago. At this point, the Selectmen do not feel that a meeting with the employees and architect should take place until after the town vote.
The minutes of February 8th were deferred to the next meeting.
Respectfully submitted,
Cheryl Sargent, Executive Assistant
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Chairman William R. Hight
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Vice Chairman George O. Hicks
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Selectman Burton E. Ingerson