Selectmen approve consent agenda, discuss vendor permits, staff training and cemetery maintenance; move toward nonpublic session

The Board of Selectmen on a meeting date not specified approved the consent agenda and discussed several administrative items including a temporary vendor permit for Girl Scouts cookie sales, a proposed townwide employee-training portal from PrimeX, and possible surveying and use of maintenance funds for town-owned cemetery plots. The board also made a motion to enter nonpublic session under RSA 91-A:3.

The consent agenda was approved after a motion and second; Selectman Miller announced, "The ayes have it. Consent agenda is passed." The transcript records multiple "Aye" votes and the chair declared the consent agenda adopted. The motion and vote were brief and no roll-call of individual members appears in the record.

The board reviewed a single permit request for seasonal Girl Scouts cookie sales, described as an annual activity. Planning Board representation was present for the item. The permit lists multiple dates and locations, including retail sites and local streets; Planning raised no objections. The board discussed that the Girl Scouts had contacted the town office for permission and noted the town will ask future organizers to submit permits earlier to ensure liability and traffic considerations are addressed. A resident later asked during public comment, "Do they need to get their permit in too?" and board members said hawkers and peddlers rules apply; the town has an ordinance on hawkers and peddlers and also referred to the relevant state RSA. The board noted that local practice has been to waive permit fees for groups such as the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts when they appear on town property.

On employee training, a board member proposed setting up a free portal with PrimeX to deliver mandated training to all employees. The program would provide three suggested annual courses—privacy, harassment in the workplace, and ethics/civility—and would issue downloadable certificates on completion for personnel files. The proposer said PrimeX "is more than willing to help us out" and offered in-person sessions if desired. Department heads would be responsible for ensuring their staff complete the courses and the board indicated initial support to connect PrimeX with town staff to set up portals.

The board discussed cemetery maintenance funds and a request to determine whether reserves labeled for maintenance could be used to purchase a columbarium. Members said the capital reserve was written for "maintenance of town owned and abandoned cemetery lots," and therefore could not be used to buy or expand (a columbarium purchase would be considered acquisition, not maintenance). One member said the town has been placing $10,000 annually into the account and estimated a balance "probably up to its 30 now" (years of deposits or dollar amount was not fully specified in the record). Board members discussed using some maintenance funds to commission ground-penetrating or subsurface surveys of the oldest cemetery sections to locate unmarked graves and to clarify available plots. They suggested a spring site visit to identify the largest problem areas and, if warranted, solicit bids for survey work.

During public comment, resident Alicia Kingsbury asked about vendors at the town annual meeting and whether the town will require permits for them. Board members noted the difference between vendors on private property and vendors occupying town-controlled space, said the town has a hawkers and peddlers ordinance, and that they will review the RSA and local rules to clarify triggers for requiring permits at events such as town meeting.

Toward the end of open session a board member moved to go into nonpublic session "under RSA 91 A3, colon, grama numeral 2 C" citing the statutory exemption for matters that, if discussed in public, would likely affect adversely the reputation of any person (the motion text also referenced applicants for assistance or tax abatements). The motion was seconded; the transcript records the motion and second but does not record the subsequent roll-call vote or the nonpublic outcome in the provided excerpt.

Town administrator Brenda Pearl provided several upcoming dates for town meetings and events, including a Planning Board meeting on Thursday, February 20 at 7 p.m., a Zoning Board meeting on Thursday, February 27, a candidates night on Wednesday, March 5 at 6 p.m., Merrimack Valley School District annual meetings on Thursday, March 6 (polls 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; district meeting at 7 p.m.), town elections on Tuesday, March 11 (polls 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the fire station), and town meeting on Saturday, March 15 at 9 a.m. at the elementary school.

Next steps noted in the meeting record: staff will follow up with Girl Scout leadership about timing of permit submissions; department heads will be asked to coordinate the PrimeX portal setup and completion tracking; the board will check the capital-reserve language before committing maintenance funds to survey or purchase; and the RSA and town hawkers-and-peddlers ordinance will be reviewed to clarify permit requirements at town events. A motion to enter nonpublic session under RSA 91-A:3 was made and seconded; the transcript ends before the recorded vote in the provided excerpt.