Present: Leo Filion (Chairman), Peter Roy, Rick McMenimen, Dana Glennon, Ed Wojnowski, Judith Carr
Absent: Don Parnell, Diane Hardy (both excused)
Called to order: 3:00 p.m.
Adjourned: 5:21 p.m.
Police
Chief Kevin Cyr presented his information for CIP needs. His list for police vehicles was the same as last year, with the only difference being that vehicles were rotated out. He gave projections for vehicle needs up to 2018, with three vehicles needing replacement in 2011 (by 2011, he means after July 2011 and so on with each year), one in 2012, one in 2014, one in 2015, one in 2016 and one in 2018. They have just replaced Car 5, but the new car is not online yet. They keep the old vehicles to use as spares, when a vehicle is needed to sit with lights on at a construction site, for example. The older are not in good shape, but are good detail cars.
An emergency generator has been added at the Great Hill water tank. It cost $6,000 to purchase this year and he requested putting into the CIP for replacement in 6-10 years. This generator came out of his budget.
The Police Department is looking at replacing an audio recording system next year and there is a quote and plan to go to Town Council with it and tap the CIP a year early. They have been putting money aside for the last few years in the CIP for it. They anticipated $20,000, but it turned out it will be closer to $30,000, so they started looking at other options and came up with a less expensive recording system.
Also listed were replacements for radios and dispatch equipment from 2013 – 2022.
There was discussion of how this is an abstract process, predicting when equipment will need to be replaced and what it will cost, by both department heads and the Committee. The Committee comes up with a bottom line every year from the information given to them by department heads and makes cuts in the end, if they feel it is necessary.
Chief Cyr stated he is not telling them anything that does not need replacement. He is not padding. These items will break someday.
Chief Cyr stated for the Committee to contact him if they have any questions and to come down and look at the equipment anytime.
IT
Doug Poulin presented his CIP requests.
He spoke about Channel 13 and about I-Net and its maintenance and upgrades. A lot of it is for Fire and Rescue, as they would use I-Net when the phones do not work and it keeps the Dispatch phones up and running during power outages.
He spoke about mobile studio equipment. He stated this helps us do some of the things we want to do for the Town, as well as the school. They do a lot of mobile shoots, such as Old Home Day this weekend, and they would like to do more in order to attract businesses and tourist dollars. A lot of communities are doing this. It’s almost part of municipal government now, as it locates businesses and brings in tourism. He stated they would like to do better shoots. The school does pay wages for the person doing any work for them.
The estimate for the mobile studio came in high, but that was something he did not want to approach, at this time. He is using a “lowball” figure, as they are using some existing equipment, which is good enough for now.
In fiscal year 2011, they would like to buy the base mobile studio equipment. In 2012, they would like to wire the Chambers, auditorium, and the studio. At this time, the microphones don’t always work in the Chambers and there is a hunk of cable under the desk where, if you kick it just right, you take us off the air. We would like to relocate the Chambers to the auditorium at some point.
Ed Wojnowski explained that it was only a little over a year ago the Town established the Channel 13 fund. They want to start planning things that they want to accomplish. Doug Poulin explained that he was trying to spread this out over a period of years. Ed Wojnowski explained that they looked at the total amount of expenditures that are needed in order to accomplish this and to do the things that people want us to do and this is what it is going to cost. You are looking at a 6-10 year CIP plan.
Doug Poulin stated that, in 2012, they should start replacing network switches, which operate the fiber optic links between the buildings. They need to be upgraded. In 2013, the second half of replacing those switches would be done.
Doug Poulin talked about telecommunications and also the accounting server. In 2011, they would like to replace the accounting server and get two laptops for the Fire Department and ambulance. The Fire Department would like the Pictometry program that Dispatch is currently using installed in their trucks, which would be helpful to them at fire scenes. He stated he would also like to do one server a year, with the exception being the one year where two servers line up, Assessing and Recreation. There may be stimulus money and he will continue to look into that.
He described phone system changes. That is four years out in 2014. The wiring has to be updated, along with voice mail, and the phone system handling all incoming and outbound calls. We are running into some issues now.
Recreation Department
Jim Hilton explained that he went out to 2021. He tried to keep a consistent number each year.
He started out explaining his request for Turface, which is a product used on most stonedust fields for the control of water issues, dust and for player safety. This would be for the Beanie Howcroft field on both softball fields.
He then spoke about replacing four existing swingsets that were installed at Leo Landroche Field in 1974. These need to be replaced by 2014.
He went on to speak on the need for a playground at Beanie Howcroft field. They may be able to raise money for it.
He also spoke about a new gymnasium being constructed where the outdoor basketball court is currently located. This was part of the 10-year Recreation Master Plan. Newmarket has only one full size gym for High School use. It is currently used six days a week and is only open to Youth Basketball on Saturdays from 7 am to 1 pm. There are 200 children in the Youth Basketball program. Adult leagues are not being organized, because of the limited usage. He stated we are “gym poor”, as far as the Recreation Department is concerned.
He spoke about the ADA requirements for automatic doors at the Sunrise/Sunset Senior Center. The ADA is stringent and this will end up before us. He is trying to get ahead of it. Two doors will need to be automatic for entrance and exit. The deadline is 2012-2013. The other pressing issue is for those using walkers, wheelchairs, etc.
He went on to talk about bleachers. Two of the bleachers will need to be replaced within five years. They have been there for twenty-five years. They are showing wear.
He spoke about the need for an additional field within the next five years. In 1989, when he came here, there were no softball teams. There are now ten teams. In 1989, there were 50 kids in soccer, now there are 260. There are also ten women’s softball teams now. There were none before. The teams pay for the lights. The rule is that 51% of each men’s and women’s team has to be from Newmarket. Most teams are 70-80% Newmarket residents. The teams have to give us a roster.
Jim Hilton also spoke about installing public tennis courts. He stated that we used to have them.
He spoke about the skateboard park. The ramps will need to be replaced. The ramps are 14 years old. Most of the ramps only have a life of 12 –15 years.
He also talked about the re-sodding in the infield at Beaulieu field. They could work together with NYAA. The backstop also needs to be reconfigured. Balls now tend to curl up, the new backstop would allow balls to go up and come back down. They would not go over. The standard turf that is there is wearing out with 14 teams using it. The higher-grade turf would hold.
Lastly, he spoke about the handicapped accessible bus. This is used for senior trips, department trips, and family events. They buy a program to maintain the bus paid for through warranty. The Town pays for bodywork and the Town does oil changes.
He said he knows that times are tough. He said the Turface is the most important item and also continuing to fund the bus. He stated his job is to provide them with their needs and the Committee’s job is to make decisions about them.
Minutes - 07/01/10
Action
Motion: Rick McMenimen made a motion to approve the minutes of 07/01/10
Second: Peter Roy
Vote: Dana Glennon abstained
All others in favor
Minutes – 07/15/10
Action
Motion: Rick McMenimen made a motion to approve the minutes of 07/15/10
Second: Judith Carr
Rick McMenimen asked about an item on page 1 where Leo Filion had asked a question about why there was no chart or graph recorder to show how often and how long the pumps are operating to provide daily flow data and maximum pumping times. It was explained at the July 15 meeting this was not a requirement for pump stations under 500 GPM. Leo Filion stated Sean came up with $2500 to purchase chart or graph recorders. The engineer that did the study recommended it.
Vote: Dana Glennon abstained
All others in favor
Other Business
Leo Filion will get meeting schedules out to the members.
There was a discussion of sump pumps that may be pumping into sewers. A question was asked if the Town had the right to check people’s sump pumps. Ed Wojnowski stated there was no way to know what people had in their houses. He stated thatthe sump pumps were connected to pipes that go directly to the drainage system on Main Street and the same thing was done in New Village. The Town does not have a policy on this. Maybe that is something we could do. The goal was to look at the biggest problem areas and address them to reduce the inflow of water into the system. As the New Village project winds down, we will see a change.
Leo Filion mentioned a report on Durham-side. A lot of sump pumps are going into the sewers. A lot of the problems with the pump station are due to sump pumps.
There was a discussion on how to deal with this issue. Storms increase the use.
Regarding the Waste Water Facility, Ed Wojnowski stated that you have to build a facility to handle the largest flow. Underwood Engineering said the maximum at any on time would be 1.3 million gallons. We have to see what the actual flow is. If we only need a plant that handles 800,000 gallons or a million gallons, then that’s what we want to build. We only want to build what we need.
Peter Roy stated that the remediation is going to cost 4 million dollars. The sump pump issue is not germane to Newmarket. This is universal and there is not much we can do about it without incurring a great deal of cost, irritating a lot of people, and creating an enforcement issue that we don’t have the manpower to go out and correct.
Adjourn
Action
Motion: Peter Roy made a motion to adjourn
Second: Rick McMenimen
Leo Filion stated the other issue he wanted to address was impact fees. A few years ago there was a report of all of the impact fees collected. The Committee never really addressed the issue of using some of the impact fees. The last report on impact fees he got was six years ago. Is there a newer report? Ed Wojnowski stated one of the things he looked at when he first came here was impact fees, because that magic six years was coming up. We found that the only impact fees that needed to be expended were for the Recreation Department, and for water and sewer that was extended downtown and on the upper part of Exeter Road. We know that we are up to date with what can be spent at this point. There are two building permits for houses this year. The Planning Board wants to upgrade the impact fee ordinance. It will cost $15,000 - $20,000 to update the fees. We’ll put money into the next budget for the update.
