Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 7:01 p.m. Selectboard members Lewis Sumner, Mitchell Green, and Bradley Rafus were present, as were Stephan Chait, Peggy Rafus, Nancy McCrea, Diana Conway, and Robbin Gabriel.

Changes and/or Additions to Agenda

None.

Approval of Previous Meeting Minutes

Mitch Green made a motion to approve the 7/13/19 public hearing minutes with two small changes. Brad Rafus seconded the motion, which passed, 3-0.

Lewis Sumner made a motion to approve the 7/16/19 regular meeting minutes as written. Rafus seconded the motion, which passed, 2-0-1, with Green, who was absent from that meeting, abstaining.

New Business

Open Pressure Washer Bids
The Selectboard received one bid for the used North Star pressure washer; David Webber, of Sutton, New Hampshire, submitted an offer of $75.01. Sumner made a motion to accept David Webber’s $75.01 bid to purchase the used North Star pressure washer. Green seconded the motion, which passed, 2-0-1, with Rafus abstaining. Green verified for Stephan Chait that this unit is a used pressure washer with a “hot” feature that no longer works. It’s about 15 years old, said Rafus.

Spring 2019 Landfill Monitoring Test Results
The Town has received spring monitoring test results from KAS, Inc. Peggy Rafus said that although the results were lower this spring they were higher last spring. She is concerned that results are still not falling below the State’s allowable level. If the test is higher in the fall, she said, I want to go back to testing my property and my water twice a year. It’s fluctuating spring and fall, but it hasn’t gone below the State level at all. We should continue working with the State on the expense (of testing), said Green; it’s their problem, too. Gabriel noted that the first tests were looking for four PFOA/S elements; later tests included six elements. Brad Rafus said his concern was did they make a mistake on the first test. He pointed out that the very first test showed 28 ppt (parts per trillion), while subsequent tests have had fluctuating but higher results. Originally, two monitoring wells on the landfill—MW-3 and MW-4—were tested, but MW-4 (which showed minimal results on the first round) has not been re-tested. Brad recommended testing MW-4 again, since MW-3 has been returning higher results since the initial sampling. Chait wondered if the testing protocol has changed over time; Peggy Rafus, referring to Gabriel’s earlier comment, said yes, it had. Is the State offering anything like a whole-house filter for locations testing positive?, asked Diana Conway. She was told that no private water supply has tested positive for PFOA/S. The chemical has been found only in the landfill monitoring well. Board members explained, in response to a question from Nancy McCrea, that the wells on the closed landfill are not water wells; they were drilled specifically for monitoring, have been in place since the landfill closed many year ago, and are not very deep. Their purpose is to monitor the ground water on the landfill site. Chait said the monitoring wells were a requirement at the time the landfill was closed. The Board approved the KAS spring results report, which will now be forwarded to the State, and also agreed to have MW-3, MW-4, and the Rafus private well tested in the fall.

Halifax Celebration—Branch Road Closure
The third annual Halifax Community Celebration will be held on Saturday, September 28, 2019. Rafus said he would not be in town on that date; he will bring all the necessary signs and barricades down and celebration committee members will put them in place on the morning of the 28^th. Sumner made a motion to close Branch Road, from the four-way intersection at Reed Hill, Brook, and Collins Roads, to the junction with Town Hill (Jacksonville Stage Road), 7:00 a.m. to midnight, September 28, 2019. Green seconded the motion, which passed, 3-0. Detour signs will also be posted in appropriate locations.

Set Employee Review Date
The Selectboard set Monday, August 12, 2019, at 6:00 a.m., as a meeting date to conduct employee reviews. The meeting will be an executive session and will be held at the Town Garage.

Old Business

None.

Other Business

Brad Rafus submitted a letter of resignation; he is relinquishing his position as Cemetery Commissioner citing lack of the time to devote to the position. Green made a motion to accept Rafus’ resignation from the Cemetery Commission, and to post notice of the vacancy. Sumner seconded the motion, which passed, 2-0-1, with Rafus abstaining. (Note: It is the responsibility of the remaining Cemetery Commissioners to fill the vacancy until the next Special Election or regular Town Meeting.)

Hearing of Visitors

Nancy McCrea, who attended the Clam Bake for the first time this year, was very impressed by the event. Green said it seemed that every year there were more people he didn’t know, and Sumner said the word keeps spreading among people from out of the area. He told the story of a man from Connecticut who bought three tickets, won a prize, and went home with such good reports his wife decided she would come next year.

Selectboard’s Order to Treasurer for Payment

The Selectboard’s Order to the Treasurer was reviewed and signed.

Correspondence

Correspondence was reviewed and filed.

Executive Session
Sumner made a motion to enter executive session, including Gabriel, to discuss a real estate proposal. Green seconded the motion, which passed, 3-0. The Board entered executive session at 7:51 p.m., and exited at 8:16 p.m., with no decisions made.

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 8:16 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Robbin Gabriel
Selectboard Secretary