BRISTOL — Selectmen have agreed to place an article on the town warrant that would ask voters to discontinue the maintenance of certain town roads, turning the responsibility over to residents of those roads.
In making the unanimous decision at their Dec. 21 meeting, selectmen asked Town Administrator Nik Coates to pull together information on the costs associated with plowing, grading, and maintaining the roads so they could give voters a clear idea of the expense involved.
During their discussion, they noted that roads such as Remick Road have a single residence at the end of a 120-foot stretch of highway. Also discussed were discontinuing a section of road between Jeffers Road and the intersection with Schaefer Road; and Barron Road.
Selectmen were to discuss a request for the town to take over maintenance of 250 feet of Prestige Drive, but they postponed the discussion because they had not had a chance to visit the area.
Earlier, on Dec. 3, selectmen had taken up a proposal from Police Chief Jim McIntire to make a section of Danforth Brook Road one-way only. During a public hearing on the proposal, residents spoke out in opposition to the change, recommending instead that the town place a sign at the intersection with Hall Road where drivers were not slowing down, and that the town cut back brush near the intersection that was obscuring the line of vision. The board went along with placing a sign and warning stripes on Hall Road to take care of the problem.
Charter Commission
Selectmen unanimously voted to place an article on the warrant seeking the establishment of a charter commission to look into the development of a home-rule charter for the town.
If approved, voters would choose a nine-member commission in a special election later this year, and the commission would have until Oct. 15 to file a report that either recommends a town charter or rejects the idea. Any charter language that is developed would go before voters at the 2022 Town Meeting for approval.
The aim of the proposal is to establish an alternative to the traditional town meeting that would incorporate the best elements of the current procedure and the best elements of the Official Ballot Act, which separates the business meeting and the actual vote on the town warrant. However, a charter commission could propose something completely different or address other issues, such as the makeup of town government.
Pump Station Contract
Selectmen unanimously granted a $66,500 contract to Underwood Engineers to redesign the Central Street pumping station, which serves 98 percent of sewer users in the town and is in danger of failing. Their design would provide the specifications for the construction of a new pumping station. The money for the engineering would come from the sewer department’s capital reserve fund.
Actual construction would come from a potential state grant that has been approved by the Community Development Finance Authority but is awaiting final approval from the Governor and Executive Council. Coates said that, in 40 years, the Governor and Council have never denied a CDFA grant, but selectmen made their motion for approval of the engineering contingent upon the final awarding of the construction grant.
Tax Valuations
Selectmen voted to grant a one-year, $17,500 contract to Brian Fogg to take over utility revaluation work that Skip Sansoucy has been doing.
Coates said the town would still retain Sansoucy to handle outstanding appeals of the valuation of the Ayers Island Dam, a property that lies in both Bristol and New Hampton. Court costs on the Ayers Island suit are split with New Hampton assuming two-thirds of the expense due to the higher valuation of equipment on that side of the Pemigewasset River.
In separate action, the selectmen accepted an agreement with Southern New Hampshire Services, Inc., for a payment of $16,508 in lieu of taxes for Riverview Village, a Lake Street housing complex for elderly residents.
Before approving the payment, which excludes school taxes, selectmen suggested putting such contracts on a future agenda to allow them to review the justification for such special tax agreements. They agreed to accept the agreement for 2020, since the end of the year was imminent.
Town Policies
Selectmen approved an extension of current town policies concerning work from home as well as quarantine and travel procedures that were enacted temporarily as part of the federal emergency leave policies in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The policies would be continued to July 1, at which time the board would re-evaluate procedures.
They also approved four policy changes recommended by town auditors. A fifth recommendation is being considered.
