The meeting of the Board of Selectmen was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Chairman Constance Jones. Present were: Harold Haddock, Jr., Selectman and Tina Stearns, Town Administrator. Selectman William E. Hutchins was absent. The meeting was held in the Town Hall on Route 10 South.

For Approval / Signature – Approved

The approval of the August 27, 2003 meeting minutes was tabled.

Municipal Building Committee: Members of the committee: Bob Champagne, Bruce St. Peter, Bill Zimmerman and Roger Woodworth were present.

Selectman Haddock stated that he is impressed with the progress the committee has made to date. The plan distributed is a preliminary plan and though no site for the building has been chosen there are several options.

Committee Chair Bob Champagne introduced the other members and gave a brief overview of the task given them by the Board of Selectmen. The Committee was asked to review space needs, develop floor plans and recommend a site. Mr. Champagne discussed that this is controversial project and how it has been defeated at two prior Town Meetings. The Committee has met with department heads, discussed needs and designed a preliminary layout. This building will be a shared facility to include the Town Offices, Police Department and SAU. The next step will be to have an architect render drawings and a proposed cost. The goal of the Committee is to develop a proposal that meets the town’s need and bring it to the voters at the Town Meeting in March 2004.

Selectman Haddock added that it is the Board and Committee’s intention to keep the public informed and included in this project.

Committee member Bruce St. Peter reviewed the preliminary floor plan. The building is to be stick-built with a full foundation. The Police Department and Town Offices will be located on the upper level of the building. There will be a town hall area and SAU offices located in the lower level. The lower level is designed as a walkout to eliminate the need for an elevator. The square footage is 5,000 per level. The parking area will accommodate approx. 30 vehicles on a regular basis and have overflow parking for up to 250 vehicles. Approx. three (3) acres is needed for this size building and adequate parking areas. The intent of the Committee is to keep the construction simple with the possibility of utilizing local contractors for much of the work.

Resident Phil Schaefer questioned the proposed square footage of the Police Department compared to the requested square footage at Town Meeting 2003. Selectman Haddock responded that with a combined building there is much square footage that is shared space (meeting rooms, etc.).

Mr. St. Peter continued that an architect is needed for a building design to ensure compliance with all regulations.

Resident M. Jeffrey Holmes questions if the Committee could meet the time frame and have all preliminary work completed by Town Meeting in March 2004. The Committee is confident it can.

Resident Kevin Cheever recommended the possibility of using a design/build.

Resident Deborah Cheever questioned if the SAU would be required to pay rent to the Town if it were a Town-owned building. The Selectmen responded that the specifics had not been discussed with the SAU but the thought is the SAU would be responsible for their general utilities. A lease could be arranged the same way it is done with the Village School.

Selectman Haddock informed that many lots of land have been looked at and the Committee, along with the Selectmen, is trying to keep the cost of the project reasonable.

Resident Phil Schaefer stated that a smaller footprint would lower the cost of the building. A possibility would be to put the Police Department in the lower level and the Town Offices in the upper level; design the building without the Town Hall area.

Mr. St. Peter responded that the Committee is looking toward the Town’s future. They are trying to design a building that meets all the needs of the town. The lower level would be simple to finish off and would be utilized by all groups in town. The Committee is trying to incorporate the needs now while allowing for expansion in the future.

The current design has the approval of town department heads, Board of Selectmen and School Board.

Resident M. Jeffrey Holmes stated that the Committee is doing a great job and suggested keeping the public aware of the progress.

It was recommended by Mr. Schaefer to utilize the Eastman Owners List via e-mail to get public notices out.

Master Plan Committee Update: Kristina Burgard was present on behalf of the Master Plan Committee. She presented the Selectmen with the draft of the Community Survey. The survey has been reviewed by the Planning Board and minor revisions were made. The survey will be mailed to all registered voters and property owners. Selectman Haddock stated that sending the survey to all property owners is allowing more people an opportunity to give their opinion.

Purchase Order Policy: Administrator Stearns presented a memo from Admin. Asst. Sarah Barton regarding the use of purchase orders by the departments. There needs to be strict enforcement to have the purchase order system work properly. Any purchase $100.00+ requires a purchase order signed by the Department Head and any purchase $1,000.00+ requires a purchase order signed by the Department Head and Town Administrator or Board of Selectmen member. Any invoice received that does not have a required purchase order will be returned to the appropriate department – unpaid. Late charges that occur due to Department non-compliance with the purchase order policy will be charged to the appropriate budget.

Additional Parking Area for Church: Administrator Stearns informed the Board that a resident has offered to rent a piece of property to the Methodist Church to allow for an overflow parking area. This is a much needed area and permits will be required from the NH DOT for the area adjacent to Route 10 South.

Dunbar Free Library Request: Librarian Carla Boyington requests the use of the Town’s Custodian for Spring and Fall duties. These duties will include shutting off the outside water, rolling up garden hoses, etc. The Board unanimously agreed to have the Town’s Custodian perform the necessary duties.

Police: Memo received from Chief Lary regarding the construction on the Route 114 bridge. The construction will not be completed by the planned date of October and will run into the winter months. The crossing guard has returned to duties and Chief Lary does not agree that the money paid to the crossing guard should come from his budget. Administrator Stearns will contact the NH DOT to see if there is other money available to cover the cost of the crossing guard.

The PD monthly report for August, 2003 was distributed and Administrator Stearns informed that a summary sheet has been posted on the Town’s website, www.granthamnh.net under the Police Department’s page. This will be updated on a monthly basis.

Town Administrator: The financial audit for year ending June 30, 2003, is complete with only a minor issue with purchase order use. Administrator Stearns highly commends Admin. Asst. Sarah Barton and Town Clerk/Tax Collector Rita Eigenbrode for their hard work all year long to ensure a positive audit.

The website was down for a week due to minor difficulties but is back up and running.

Building Inspector: Administrator Stearns submitted a job description to the Board of Selectmen. Chairman Jones stated that too many people have a problem with the title of the position and suggests it be renamed to "Building Permit Supervisor". Eventually the building permit application fees will be adjusted to cover the cost of the "Supervisor". Selectman Haddock made the motion and seconded by Chairman Jones to approve the job description for the Building Permit Supervisor.

Landfill Gas Monitoring Results: Administrator Stearns informed the Board that there are still no issues with the landfill gasses. Mrs. Stearns also informed the Board that Asst. Road Agent Jeff Hastings did a great job of mowing/haying the landfill site.

There being no further business, Selectman Haddock moved to adjourn, second by Chairman Jones; the Board voted unanimously to adjourn at 9:10 p.m. There will be a regular Selectmen’s Meeting on Wednesday, September 24^th at 3:30 p.m. at the Town Office.