ABS Meeting Aug 26 2026
Speakers are labeled SPEAKER_N. This transcript is machine-generated.
I'd like to call the Albany Selectmen's meeting for August 26, 2026 to order. Please rise and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> The first order of business is to approve the Selectmen meeting minutes for August 12, 2026. >> I move to approve as presented. >> I'll second. >> All in favor, I. >> I. >> Approve the August 26, 2026 consent file. Review and sign manifest in the amount of $10,132.31, $182,211 one. That's it. I did this last time. $182,211.62, and $2,809.41. This includes an accounts payable and payroll manifests for August 18, 2026 and August 25, 2026. Review, approve or deny, assign and sign service contract with Fidium. Review, approve, deny, and sign request for payment in lieu of taxes for 10 Mountain Conservation Center. Review, sign application for reimbursement to towns and cities in which federal forest land is situated. Situated. I'm guessing that's on. >> Form. >> Form. Review, discuss, and approve or deny commercial building permit for 1781 White Mountain Highway, map six, lot 113. Review, discuss, approve or deny residential building permit for 24 Ridge View Drive, map seven, lot 110. Review, discuss, and approve or deny residential building permit for High Street, map 10, lot 19 .1. Review, discuss, approve or deny an application for driveway permit for High Street, map 10, lot 19 .1. >> And those are the same? >> Uh it's all driveway permit, yeah. >> Yeah, for the same um can we um move um item G out of the consent file for further discussion? >> We can. >> And I'd make a motion to approve the consent file less item G um to be approved as presented. >> I'll second that. >> All in favor, aye. >> Aye. >> What's your pleasure? >> Um item G is uh one of our selectmen and I think we should >> Oh, okay. >> approve. I'd make a motion to approve item G that we removed from the consent file um as presented. >> I second that. All in favor, aye. >> I'll abstain. >> Yes. >> Uh I'll abstain from the vote. >> Yep. >> Who seconded it? >> I did. Town administrator's report. >> All right, I had discussed the upcoming election on September 8th. It hours are from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and the selectmen requirements, so um work had informed me of the I believe you guys have to have a quorum here the entire time. Is that correct, Frankie? >> Okay. >> So, just so you guys have a heads up >> Well, the reason you have to have a quorum is because an individual selectman he make a decision on his own. >> I can only do 11:00 to 2:00. I'm booked after that. >> So, how however you guys want to do that then? >> Yeah, I I can do any any time. >> Yeah, 3:00 or whatever. >> Um tonight I have a question on it. So, where it's not town meeting and no decisions are being made by the match fire, does it have to be a quorum? >> Yeah, selectman. >> See, the the moderator is in charge of the operation of the election itself. >> Yeah. >> The select board is responsible for a proper facility, and anything that could go wrong um during an election. >> And in order for a decision to be made, you have to have a quorum of selectmen to decide whether you spend money. Because anything that goes wrong is going to cost money. You may have if you make a living and you can't get out of your job for the day, what are you going to do? >> What would I post on that? Just a quorum of selectmen will be available >> at the at the election. >> Right. All right. Um next is approve or deny an NHMA's right to know law, public meetings and government records training for the town administrator. Either it is September 2nd. >> Um I brought this up to um Alyssa's attention. >> Mhm. >> Um where she is new to municipal government, I thought it would be prudent to because it's got to do with the right to know law, and we also have a recent request for right to know, um that she attend that and then bring back any information that could benefit us in the process. Um, it's either in person or video. Um, I would suggest video, um, and I would suggest that we allow her a work at home so she's not interrupted because it goes from 9:00 to 2:30, I believe. >> I believe so. >> And the cost is $70. >> Would you rather attend or you'd rather video? What's better for you? >> it's easier for me not to commute to Concord. Just kidding. >> Well, sometimes it's a camaraderie thing to to be with other people sometimes, but if whatever you're comfortable with. Yeah. >> Well, I think I figure if we authorize her to work from home that day, okay, she can view it on >> uninterruptedly. Whereas if you tried to do it here, it's a day that the office is open. Any time she spends at the window helping people, >> uh, she's missing >> I agree. >> the intent of this, and due to the fact that it cost us money for this, um, I would rather get the full benefit. >> So, with that said, I would make a motion that we allow Alyssa to attend that at the cost of $70. >> Second. >> Um, >> Nope. >> and that we allow her to do a work at home uh, day for that so that it she's not being interrupted. >> Now, I second. All in favor of that? >> And then I did get a complaint this morning about a 16-year prior that was over in the Golden Oaks Park. I did look into it. It's a building that we our building inspector and the town condemned in 2024. The complaint was that a video worker was there this morning and that someone appears to be living there. 10 plus cats. So I did pull the file and it was condemned by David Pandora back in May of 2024. It's posted right on the structure, you know, no one may go in without permission from Dave or the select board. I haven't had any requests of anybody to go in there. So just looking at you guys if you want me to, you know, put cameras over there. So the health inspector and the sheriff's department or how you would like to see it go forward. >> Let me go first. I drove by the structure just because I'm trying to remember it. And I'm going to ask you guys if you remember it when we did this because we had the three of us were on the board at the time. >> [snorts] we didn't we condemned it but we don't own it. It's still privately owned. >> But by condemning it, do we have the authority not to allow people on it or in it? >> If it's condemned, people can't live in it. >> I understand that. So if someone knocks on doors, I'm not living here, I'm just taking care of the cats. I mean, I I spoke with Steve Rowe today. He's ready to go boot him. He's not He He gets it. But I'm saying legally, can we can we go on the property when we don't own the property? >> Uh I think the sheriff can if there's a cease and desist order. >> And the complaint would come from us? Well, someone has to file a complaint. >> Well, it was brought to our attention at this point here. It's in our hands. >> I have a copy of the actual posted and it does cite the RSAs and everything that made it possible for us to do it. Yeah, Steve said he's going to look into it and make sure, but he was fairly confident he could just or a deputy could go in and oust them out of there. So, >> Does he need Dave and or to be with him? >> No. >> I just wanted to bring it today so we can >> Dave just a heads-up so >> I I would give him a heads-up just in case, yeah. But, I wanted to I wanted a formal vote to use the sheriff that >> I wanted to come to the meeting. >> I would make a motion to uh have Melissa contact the sheriff's department um and visit the property and if uh there are people living there to do what needs to be done per state law. >> And this uh cease and desist order, I mean, it's still in effect. All in favor of doing that, I. Now that I've been in there, I can't unsee what I've seen. Um the new association um is lacking in their policing of the area. There's a There's quite a few mobile homes in there that uh look un- unlivable. there's one when you first enter the property that has no back wall to it. It's just kind of just sitting there just like rotting away. Um Steve Rose said that was There was a fire there last year in one of them, and it's still there, and I'm not going to say who the owner is, but he's not doing anything about it, just sitting there. I don't know where where our authority is to have things cleaned up. >> Well, is someone living in it? >> No, this one's not because it has no back wall to it, but it's just sitting like I don't know if it's Is it up to us? >> Or will we wait for a neighbor to complain? >> a health safety issue in that you know, if kids got in there playing >> what I'm thinking. Should the same thing happen? Should this be condemned and >> I I think we need to get the fire chief and the sheriff in here and let's discuss what needs to be done to condemn it or to make somebody tear it down and make it safe. >> Or board it up or or >> It's It's I don't even know what it's doing. >> that house that's out on um Pascack Road that's abandoned. you know, we've In the past, we've had to go out and and kick people out of there >> and board it up and people take the boards down and >> and move in and and whatnot. Yeah. I mean, it's It's a safe It's a public safety >> Well, that's what I'm trying to get to. Now that I've seen it, I got to take action on it. >> And and maybe get Dave Pandora as health officer involved in it. Um I don't know if you want to call him into a meeting and discuss it or >> Or you just want to have him take a ride through there? >> Yeah, I mean, I can give him a heads up when I give him a heads up >> Yeah, tell him about that. >> it's a safety health issue basically. >> Yeah. And you know, I'm not I'm not one for overstepping our bounds. >> Oh, no. I mean, we don't, but I mean >> But, this is >> It would be It would be bad if a kid got hurt in there. >> All right. Yeah. >> There's not just one, you know, one entity that is responsible for all of this like it was prior. Now, they're a co-op and they all >> all own a bit of it, I believe. >> That's somehow I don't know how it works, but it's a co-op. And it's self-owned, so they're policing themselves, which is a wonderful thing. >> Yeah, but I I I don't know. I don't see Maybe he's planning on fixing it and it's in the process of and he's slow or whatever. I don't know. >> There's it there's insulation >> like that's been just dripping out of the walls. >> I get that, but no one's living in it, so I guess I don't see us stepping in unless unless we send a help it. >> Well, this is this is why I say that no one can live there until >> Yeah, well, that's well, that's why I'm going back to this house that we condemned. Did we have we condemned that one? So, we did it for a reason. >> Right, but someone will probably live in >> I don't even know. I think I I don't That's why I'm asking if you guys remember it. I don't. >> Obviously, the fire department was there putting it out. >> I would get the fire chief involved because I think he has the authority to post it or can make somebody tear it down. If it becomes a safety a public safety >> I wonder if the sheriff would know there's anything about it. I mean, Steve's pretty smart about this stuff, but I >> I just want to know where our where our liability lies. >> At at a at a fire scene or an accident, the fire department has full authority even over the police department. >> At that point. >> At that >> This is a year later. >> I realize that, but it's a a result of something that happened. I just say if I >> I think we need some help determining >> If I had a whole bunch of property and I was going to fix it whether it took me 1 year or 6 years, it's really no one else's business. >> Yeah, but you'd at least put a sign up. >> Well, yeah. >> Well, is this a question for NHMA? Would they be able to help us with this? >> if they they would should be able to answer that. He's our help. >> Yeah, well, that's what I'm saying. He takes a right through. >> I am saying, but you got those people involved. >> You want to start there with sending Dave to take to do a drive-through? >> If he goes as far as tell us when they're going to tear it down, I wouldn't I don't see it going that far. I don't see it. >> No, but if I'm I I liken it to to people that have a bad, you know, a messy yard that is a health concern and we have to give them a citation to clean up within so many days. I'm not saying that they can't take the time, but is it something I mean being a year later >> Oh, yeah. No, this is why I'm asking that we get more information. >> Want to start with Dave going through there? >> That's fine. Yeah, I know there's other ones in there. >> I'd also say that we put a call in to fire chief and ask his opinion what >> Well, Dave might know that. Let's Let's go Let's get Dave. And then he can say, you know, I think he'll he's run into this before. It's been a year. It's not like emergency right now. So And I don't go around looking for things, but when I drive by I can't help guilty by association. So all right. Um Good. We'll get Dave. Anything going on with the boards? Planning board? Nothing going on? >> Nothing from zoning. >> Nothing anywhere? Nothing anywhere? Oh, well, we discussed the painting of town hall, renovations to conference center. >> Um we're going to ask me to ask Sammy what Steve's rate would be. It's $40 an hour. She said most of the supplies we already have. We might get a couple of small things, but um she's really looking for just what exactly you guys want done. >> I'd be more comfortable if he gave us a price on the job than an hourly rate. >> on the job. Yeah, then we have a number. We don't even know what the number's going to be. >> I think I think we need to and >> Why don't you um get a hold of Steve and and I'll come down and go over with you. >> All right. >> Cuz as far as I'm concerned, the only thing I would like um is where it the new door and whatnot is in the hall, that needs to be taken care of and made as close to the other doors as possible. Inside, I think just white paint. >> I mean, if there there's primer on them now, all that's going to do is attract dust. >> Um and a simple coat of white paint everywhere. >> Fine by me. Sounds great. We're going to need that room for the election, right? >> Hm? >> We're going to need that room for the election. Supervisors are going to have to be in there doing their thing. Be a good tryout. >> Um we got we had the lock company up here. Uh the town clerk's doors and whatnot are all taken care of. Um she's secure. Um the supervisors of the checklist, we took the door lock mechanism out of the door that's going in from the hallway, and we put it on that door and made keys up for And they're all assigned to the supervisors of the checklist. And we're waiting on a door lock for the one that goes into the hallway. >> And we should know that sometime by the end of this week, according to the company. The other thing on on this whole uh situation is we need to get a work party together and start sorting out where all these file cabinets are going to go. Um and where the um printer's going to go. I think we talked about bringing the printer out here. >> Um I would like to take a table like one of these over here and replace this and take this table and put it in for the supervisor of the checklist. And I was wondering if we could do that tonight. Do you guys got time after the meeting just >> Yeah, if we adjourn. >> Huh? >> We'll adjourn and go. >> We'll go down. >> I mean it shouldn't take much time. >> time. Yeah, it's Jim. It's up to you. >> And if we put a longer table here, we can bring the printer >> we're not re-wiring nothing. We're just >> bring the >> Put everything off the floor and then put the table there and put it back on another table and move the table. >> Or or put the printer on the end of the table as well. >> But we're not hooking the printer up. >> I'm not hooking anything up. It's up to whoever uses it. Same with the the the monitor over there. I mean, it's assembled. >> I can't stay tonight, but if you guys get stuff moved out, I'll take care of hooking things up. >> It's part of the plan mode anyway, so >> I just want to make sure that the room's functional for the election. Well, all the stuff for the um supervisor of the checklist is still in the little doorway going through and Sandy has the keys to be able to access that. If we move the printer um out of there or at least move it out of the way so you can open the door, um they should be able to get in there and Sandy has the key to >> enter in there. and if we can put this table in that other room, they have a table to work on if they have to. And they have most of their work is done out here, so >> I mean, it's not the end of the world. Well, we'll set it all tonight. I've told I have. Anyone have? Motion to adjourn. I.