Dalton Select Board authorizes $200,000 short-term investment, signs hazard-mitigation paperwork and sends 15-year franchise agreement to counsel

The Dalton Select Board on Monday approved a series of routine financial and administrative actions, including a motion to authorize the treasurer to invest $200,000 in a six-month certificate of deposit, and voted to send a proposed 15-year franchise agreement from Charter Communications to outside counsel for review.

The board, led by the chair, first signed two timber tax warrants and two excavation tax warrants, then approved a motion authorizing the treasurer to invest $200,000 in a six-month CD. The tax collector described the paperwork and terms, saying, “It's a 3.63% rate with a 3.7 yield,” and noted that if the town needed to withdraw funds early it would have to forfeit part of the accrued interest but would not lose principal. The motion passed by voice vote.

Members also approved minutes from the March 23 working session and several nonpublic minutes. On the agenda for legal review, the chair raised concern about a 15-year franchise agreement from Charter Communications, noting guidance from the New Hampshire Municipal Association (NHMA) that multiyear contracts that obligate funds can require town-meeting approval. The board voted to send the franchise agreement to the Mitchell Municipal Group for legal review before any signing.

On fiscal and compliance matters, the tax collector reported invoices from the town’s engineering firm, Upton & Hatfield, submitted in response to a right-to-know request and the board authorized submitting those invoices without redaction. The board also moved to pursue collection actions on a series of bad checks, after the tax collector described options including certified-mail notices, referral to state troopers to locate nonresponding payers, and potential prosecution under the state statute covering issuance of bad checks.

The board signed an approval letter and certificate of adoption for the town’s hazard mitigation plan so it can be submitted, and voted to sign the post-closure report for the old landfill. The board approved a contract with Stonecipher & Clark for environmental monitoring and water testing, with an amendment requiring the firm to deliver results to the board by March 15 to allow time for review before signatures.

Other items discussed included missed grant deadlines for a transfer-station truck replacement (the board said it would apply in the next grant round), continued emergency road repairs under an extension, notice of upcoming public hearings on a regional utility-line replacement project, and the possibility of hiring an outside assessor (Sans Souci) to perform business assessments under Canvas if the regular assessor lacks capacity.

Before adjourning, the board voted to enter a nonpublic session for one personnel matter and three legal matters and then made motions to seal selected nonpublic minutes. The meeting adjourned after the votes.

The board did not take any final action on the Charter franchise beyond sending it for counsel review; Mitchell Municipal Group will review the agreement and the board will consider counsel's advice before deciding whether to place the contract on a warrant or sign pending town-meeting approval if required.

The board scheduled a building committee meeting for May 4 at 5:30 p.m. and noted other committee and conservation events; the chair and staff will follow up on scheduling and postings.