The Town Council voted 4-0 to approve a resolution that allows it to appoint alternate members to the Elder Affairs Committee at their discretion. Councilor Jim Butler was not present for the meeting.
When considering at their March 16 meeting several candidates for a limited number of positions, the Council asked Town Manager Kevin Smith to investigate whether or not the Charter restricted them from appointing any number of applicants to serve on the Committee.
When Smith looked at the original documents that established the Elder Affairs Committee, he found two different documents – the original resolution creating the Committee, and an adopted amendment, as previously reported by the Londonderry Times.
“Neither speak to there being any alternates on the Committee, they just speak to full members,” he said. “The Town Attorney recommended if we’re having alternates, the resolution ought to be amended by the Council to include alternate positions.”
According to the resolution approved Monday night, the Committee is to consist of seven voting members, of which at least four are to be at least 55 years old. Members are to be appointed by a majority vote of the Council and must be residents of the Town. The Committee is to choose a chairperson, vice-chairperson and secretary from their members, and the Council is to select one liaison to the Committee. Other town departments may also select liaisons.
The Council additionally approved with a 4-0 vote appointing as alternate members to the Committee Tam Siekmann, Doug Thomas and Richard Flores.
In other business Monday night:
• The Town Council voted 4-0 to approve the expenditure of $75 from the Expendable Maintenance Trust Fund for shoveling, plowing and the treatment of the parking lot, walkways and fire lanes at the Senior Center.
• The Town Council voted 4-0 to accept the first reading of an amendment to the Municipal Code related to solid waste and recycling that will allow the drop-off center to collect fluorescent bulbs from small businesses in town.
Public Works Director Janusz Czyzowski explained that large businesses in town have management companies that are correctly disposing of fluorescent bulbs, but that many of the smaller businesses in town find contracting with the management companies is cost prohibitive.
“The practical option is to let them dispose of those bulbs in our drop-off center,” he said.
Small businesses would be limited to 10 bulbs per drop-off, and would be charged a fee of 25 cents per foot, or 50 cents per small bulb.
Czyzowski said the cost of collecting fluorescent bulbs from small businesses at the drop-off center would be subsidized by the fees collected.
The Council scheduled a public hearing on the amendment for the May 4 meeting.
• Town Manager Kevin Smith told the Council he spoke with representatives from Kinder Morgan about scheduling in May or June a public hearing on the proposed gas pipeline that would run through Londonderry and several other communities in southern New Hampshire.
“I would like to see that happen before school is out, before people start going on vacations, so they can have as much participation as possible,” Chairman John Farrell said.
Smith said he would keep the Council and public informed as they make plans for the public meeting.