Present: Selectmen Danforth, Viandier, and Coolidge, Town Administrator (TA) Marj Roy, and member of the public Leonard Caron.

Diane Frechette, Real Estate Appraiser from the Municipal and Property Division of the New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration (DRA), presented the Board with packets of information explaining the revaluation process and the applicable state laws. She explained that her office sends yellow postcards to residents whose property is to be visited. Residents may call and opt out.

Diane will notify the Police Department and the Town Office when state assessors are in town.

Diane explained some of the finer points of the state assessment process:

• The inventory of building permits is coordinated with Avitar.
• Sheds are assessed by DRA and should be noted on the property card even if there is no value.
• If a building permit does not match the property card, a report goes to Avitar, and they can go back to measure and correct.
• Interior Work: Exemption, Religious and Charitable Exemptions, Current Use Form 12, Tax maps – acreage: card versus tax map.
• Reports go to Avitar, and they have 30 days to respond. The report is then sent to the Town.
• All reports go to Assessing Standards Board.
• Revaluation will not be complete until 2015, when the equalization ratio study is complete.
• Equalization median rate should be between 90% and 110%. Andover’s median rate is 117.23%. This rate is determined by using assessment amounts over sales amounts.
• Our high-end homes are, according to the 117.23%, under-assessed. Waterfront properties affect this.

Town Administrator Roy will develop written instructions for finding information on the tax maps and the coordinating binders.

Building Permits: What is the Town’s plan for finding violations?

Any assessing contract should go through DRA’s David Cornell before any assessing is begun.

Assessing Standards Board: established after the “Claremont case.”

Emergency Management

The Board appointed Jane Hubbard as the Emergency Management Director. Ed Becker has served in this position for many years, but resigned effective March 31, 2014. Thank you, Ed, for your years of service.

Town Administrator Roy and Jane Hubbard have reviewed information from the State of New Hampshire about a new Emergency Notification System that is similar to reverse 911. The system does not automatically include cell phones, however inclusion is possible upon request. This type of notification system is used in case of any town-wide emergency, localized emergency, and is especially effective when used for Amber alerts.

Town Administrator Roy and Jane Hubbard will meet Friday to discuss the remaining paperwork to be done on a previous grant.

Road Agent

Road Agent John Thompson reports that wash-outs and holes are being patched. A spot on Old College Road and a spot on Tucker Mountain Road have required work.

Selectman Danforth asked if John had any work proposal forms to present. John said he was unaware of the forms, so had none to present. The Board explained that the forms were given to John and discussed at the previous meeting.

Town Administrator Roy clarified that the daily work sheets are still used by the Road Agent and go through the vendor payables. She showed John the proposal form and explained there is a second sheet that is signed by the Road Agent when a project is completed. The town administrator then signs the form, authorizing the bookkeeper to process the invoice.

John asked what the difference is between routine maintenance and a project. The Board stated that anything other than routine maintenance is considered a project and requires prior approval from the Selectmen. Examples of projects are: crack-sealing, sweeping, and major brush cutting.

The Road Agent stated that in his opinion, routine maintenance includes grading, patching, adding gravel, water storm-cleaning culverts; cutting ditches in a rain storm. Coolidge: things that need attention immediately.

Selectman Danforth explained that the purpose of the proposal forms is two-fold: It indicates specific work done on each road, as required by law, and helps with budget maintenance and forecasting.

Town Administrator Roy showed John the proposal forms. John reported that he had not kept track of materials removed from the site at the Transfer Station but would calculate that and submit a report to Town Administrator Roy.

John discussed a proposal form he has developed that would be used for work that is not routine maintenance or emergency situations. He will give the proposal to TA Roy who will distribute to the Board at their next work session or scheduled meeting.

Selectman Danforth stated that an agreed-upon price needs to be set to keep track of inventory items – raw materials. This will indicate net savings by not purchasing from another source.

Board explained that this system was set up with Jon Champagne and recommended that Thompson talk with Champagne for a better understanding.

Thompson questioned the process for the proposal forms. Major jobs that are not maintenance are authorized by the Board. The Board actually signs off before the work is done.

Champagne prepared budget for what he wanted to do as projects and maintenance.

The Board reported that the summer budget for materials will be reduced by the amount needed to maintain $50,000 for plowing.

Selectman Danforth expressed concern that the balance in the Cilleyville-Bog Bridge Fund is less than $800. He asked if the Andover Historical Society might fund future needs or if the request for funding would go back to Town.

The Road Agent stated that the Cilleyville-Bog Bridge is not a Road Agent priority and reminded the Board that the Town doesn’t have access from either end of the bridge.

Selectman Danforth expressed concern about the drainage problem on Valley Road and asked if the Town and the Friends of the Northern Rail Trail have agreed upon a solution.

The Board asked the Road Agent to list the work that is allowed on Scenic Roads.

Cemetery Trustees

Robin Boynton reported that the Cemetery Trustees have an organizational meeting scheduled for next Monday evening. Robin expressed that she was off-put by the late invitation to this evening’s meeting. She reminded everyone that the Trustees are volunteers who all work full-time jobs.

The Board is trying to empower committees but need to determine roles. It was agreed that the Cemetery Trustees are responsible for maintenance and supervision. Cemetery Trustees are satisfied with the current maintenance provider and at the very least want that provider included in the bid process.

Howard Proctor came to the Board on behalf of himself and the others who use Town waterfront properties on Highland Lake Channel. These properties were taken by the Town when the owners did not want to pay the taxes. The usage fee was supposed to be a proportion of the assessed value.

The Board stated that currently the few who use this land are not paying proportional amounts. Also, some of the people who use the land do not even own property across the street.

The Board feels this is an issue of fairness. There are things that could be looked at, but it is probably premature to look into that right now. The Department of Environmental Services will need to be involved. If we need to come up with a solution for you, we could discuss that before a boat went into the water.

Howard stated that he and Jack Manning would be willing to buy the properties. This would have to go to Town Meeting. The Town’s insurance carrier, PLT-New Hampshire, determines what insurance the lessee is required to carry.

Andy Guptill, a member of the public, stated that the previous Road Agent committed to doing Switch Road. Andy thinks there is enough money in the Highway Projects Capital Reserve Fund to do this. The Town has no idea when the Department of Transportation will tell us they are ready to do the Lawrence Street Bridge or what the actual amount due from the Town will be.

The Board is going to look at what the optimum road plan would be. The Town will then decide what will be done and how much will be spent.

The Planning Board is responsible for the Capital Improvement Plan. This is usually created by a sub-committee of the Planning Board.

The Board entered non-public session for 10 minutes.

TA Roy will contact former Selectman Vicky Mishcon for details regarding Ragged Mountain LLC’s expansion effect on Andover, especially the effect of increased lighting.

Note to Tina Cotton: requesting from TDS a list of those who will not be served.