Heritage Commission Meeting Minutes

Mont Vernon Heritage Commission

Public Meeting Minutes June 9, 2022

APPROVED

In Attendance: Rebecca Schwarz, Sarah Beth Ross, Howard Brown, Andrew Stokinger, Brian Billow, Annette Immorlica

Present via Zoom: Anna Rorabacher-Szok

Absent: John Morrison, Bill McKinney, Zoe Fimbel

Called to order: 7:03pm

Schwarz calls the meeting to order.

Gala Final Results

Schwarz: Do we need to reimburse anyone? We can put in for those receipts or we can make a note of the expense. I don't have any additional expenses. Do you have an opinion, Rorabacher-Szok, of what you want to do with your donated funds?

Brown: Can you hear me?

Rorabacher-Szok: Yes

Schwarz: We have used some of it but not all, what do you want to do with the remainder?

Brown: We can put it in the heritage fund or you can have it back.

Rorabacher-Szok: I don't have any burning needs so let's put it in the heritage fund.

Immorlica: Are we going to have a point where we can give feedback?

Schwarz: Yes, you can do it now.

Immorlica: I think it would be best if we did something warmer. 

Schwarz: I think we way over shot it on the food and we may not even attempt food next year. We may go back to the drawing board.

Immorlica: I think people like coffee and donuts in the morning.

Schwarz: We didn't do that because of the Fireman’s Breakfast. Heather was specific that we couldn't be competitive with any of the other people. It was very obvious that as soon as they revved up the grill our sales dropped precipitously. At the end of the day when they were done we had a huge line for beverages. Heather also said less people came this year than previous years.

Brown: I don't understand why her thinking was we couldn't sell what other people did. The best thing we used to sell at cub scouts was drinks. I think having soda and water on hand and coffee and donuts in the morning.

Billow: It probably wasn't that much of a conflict.

Immorlica: Anyhow I just wanted to bring that up.

Schwarz: We recognized that as well, we’ll try something new next week.

Brown: To be fair I think you’re right and we should always be having an after-event meeting so I think you're right on bringing that up.

Immorlica: Thank you.

Window Project Update

Schwarz: I touched on this in last month's meeting, the selectmen did cut that check. The check has been mailed out, we are on the schedule for the spring of 2023. Regarding the glass drive portion of that. Zoe had taken in a bunch of old windows. I talked to Ben and he has gotten part of that building cleared out, so Zoe will be putting that in there soon. I would like to set maybe one Saturday a month for the foreseeable future for collection, so people can stop and drop off their glass before going to the transfer station.

Immorlica: So we don't need to further advertise?

Schwarz: We’re going to continue periodically, I think we'll begin by noting collection days.

Immorlica: And where are you doing it?

Schwarz: Facebook

Billow: And we have the town email flier.

Ross: Did we think about talking to the library folks and getting it on the library podcast?

Schwarz: We haven’t, but we can. Brown, can you do that?

Brown: Yes.

Schwarz: I don't know if you guys want to take a minute and decide a day for the glass drive. Or should we wait?

Ross: I think we should pick a day in advance.

Stokinger: When is the last day of the raffle?

Schwarz:Sunday we will do the drawing, with a facebook video posting. 

Immorlica: can I say something? It does seem legitimately that you should have the police pull the tickets.

Schwarz: We haven't thought about involving them, I don't know that people think that it's required. We can ask them to do it, but at the same time- I mean I did it on camera for that reason.

Schwarz: The collection would be Saturdays in July. One Saturday each month, it makes sense to get a day that is easiest for all of us. 16th, 23rd, 30th.

Immorlica: We’re not doing this July/August?

Billow: They would be Saturdays in July?

Schwarz: I think we should just plan one month in advance as things can come up.

Immorlica: What days are we thinking? I can do the 23rd.

Billow: Yeah, that works for me.

Schwarz: I can do that as well.

Stokinger: I can do the earliest shift that day

Schwarz: I think we might not have to do the whole day.

The Conditions Assessment

Schwarz: I had hoped to have a better update for this. The architect had contacted me not this week, but last week and had said they could come ‘tomorrow’ and nobody on our end was available. She said “next week then” and I haven't heard from her. It’ll be conducted by Ben Brubaker, the same one who visited last time. I was hoping to say that this had been done at this point, but it has not.

Immorlica: What's the next assessment?

Schwarz: A needs assessment, what the building needs. She has offered 3 public meetings to see what the townsfolk would like, but the assessment is specific to the building's needs. She has been given access to the feedback that our commission had solicited from the town.

Immorlica: And who gave her that?

Schwarz: I did. I think we need to bear in mind that some of the input is not going to be able to be taken into account. If we decided to keep that open we might not have to do much except put in heat.

Immorlica: So the building needs assessment, you have collected the information from all the departments that work in the building?

Schwarz: No, we’re not there yet. She has the cp williams report and all of that, so she has literally everything that I could give her to give her an idea of where we’re trying to go. 

Immorlica: So she got the information from like Jeaneete, and how much space she thinks she needs?

Schwarz: That's not in the conditions assessment.

Brown: If Bill was here tonight he would have all that in that report and it had all that information.

Schwarz: He sent it to me, We're not at that level yet. That may not be until December, right now the MVHC is footing the bill in its entirety. We’re looking at $7,250. We got a grant for half of that and the other half is coming out of the heritage fund. I was going to throw this out when we went over grants, but there was a grant with a June 1st deadline on the 28th, it's only for about $5k, but I don't want to turn down free money.

Immorlica: I think we should be careful, not going back to the same people.

Brown: to that point there's times when things change. So revisiting is not necessarily a bad thing.

Schwarz: We talked about at least a month ago now. I had a conversation with Jack, everyone we’ve gone through the buildings with - the box office upstairs is crammed floor to ceiling with records from the 1960s. I have opinions. Maybe we need to get that digitized, hire a data specialist, but I don't think they need to have documents from the 60s and the 70s.

Immorlica: I think theyre talking about the planning board plans.

Schwarz: And then there are doors that only have one person with a key. You saw, that room has one key, and when the window guys were here I had to pry open the window with a fingernail. Something to keep on the backburner. 

Brown: The highschool kids are always looking for things to do that give them-

Billow: Community hours?

Brown: Yeah. We can get them set up with equipment. They can do it all day long.

Schwarz: I don't know if I would let them do it without adult supervision.

Howard: Yeah, you would have to have somebody there.

Schwarz: Maybe if you had someone responsible to do it, and it might be as simple as scanning them into a computer. I mean I’m not a data entry specialist and we happen to have one sitting at the table, but I don't know how it works.

Ross: Yeah, as long as it's being put in in an organized fashion.

Certified Local Government Application

Schwarz: The update is that there is something going to the national parks service, it has gone to them and according to our contact we should be certified within the month- and yes, I know I said that last month. Once that goes through we will have access to Emmit, specialists focusing on the historic resources survey, and others.

Immorlica: Do we have dues?

Schwarz: No, it was an application process and the biggest reason we did that was they provide funds and professionals to help with the historic resources survey, which is under our purview. But also the federal division of historical resources has set aside funds which can only go to certified local governments. And there are only around 26 of them in the state, so if we can do this we have access to monies which were previously untouchable.

Raffle to-date

Schwarz: 1170 in ticket sales, and $30 in donations, we have one day left, this saturday, Billow took the first day all on his own. Anna is available this weekend from 10-12:30. So if anyone can fill in an hour or two hours so people don’t have to do the whole thing. We are doing it 10-3.

Billow: Nobody running a second table, right?

Schwarz: No.

Billow: Okay I can do 12:30-3.

Schwarz: You can do that and last week there were people that didn't have the cash on them, but the general store is probably a better market. 

Billow: Unless we want to split tables?

Schwarz: the transfer station is busy from 10-1, hits a dead spot and then in the last hour there’s a huge surge. 

Ross: I don’t know if it’s improbable, but we could do half and half.

Schwarz: That would be incredibly intensive. I mean that’s fine, if we have coverage for one table that's better than nothing.

Zoom

Schwarz: Quickly, I logged in to get the zoom link to bill and sb and our zoom payment is due. So we need to have some input from our selectman I think as to the nearness of a town zoom, or should we pay $149 for another year of zoom.

Brown: We have a zoom account  for the town and the last time I check Joan did not have the details on it, and we do need one for each dpt if they want to use it

Immorlica: I propose we delay our payment until then.

Schwarz: that means we will revert to the basic plan of 40 minute meetings, if we have someone actually attending via zoom that could be a pain.

Brown: That's a pain, let me check with Joan, she knows it's on her one computer. It needs to be designated for everyone.

Schwarz: I’m sure there's some way to get multiple logins

<will retouch on this next month>

Schwarz: Anna, does the historic resources subcommittee have an update to give? <silence> You are muted. 

Rorabacher-Szok: It will happen soon, we will get that ball rolling.

Fundraising Subcommittee

Schwarz: We kind of gave an update already.

Immorlica: Why didn't we participate in New Hampshire Gives?

Schwarz: We are not considered a non-profit as we are a municipality.

Stokinger: If we want to hold some cool event sometime in the fall and/or try to get some people from outside the town I’m open to it.

Schwarz: We tossed that around when we were doing our winter walk. The feedback we got from it was people were cold and it was dark, but people were cold. We thought it was a great idea and it doesn't seem to garner the excitement in the town we hoped for after the fact.\Billow: This year we could instead get a van, and drive them around. I know a bus driver…

Brown: I like that idea but I prefer the idea of golf carts.

Schwarz: My husband used to do the holiday hayride. Really what I wanted to do was when they do the people's home decorations. Because we still don't necessarily want to invite people into other people’s homes.

Stokinger: I’m straight up offering, I would love to show off the heritage of the home.

Schwarz: I’m thinking of a holiday mixer, is that too late in the year for you?

Stokinger: after november or something so the lights will be up.

Immorlica: Sounds like a good fundraiser. 25 bucks a couple or something.

Stokinger: Do you know Fannie Farmer’s cookbook? They made a feast on the old wood stove. We could do that kind of thing.

Schwarz: That would be nice.

Brain: yeah that would be neat.

Schwarz: Why don't we have you come to a fundraising subcommittee meeting?

Stokinger: Okay.

Schwarz: Or we could do an olde time thanksgiving?

Stokinger: erm.. Yeah. 

Schwarz: That was the nicest no I’ve ever heard.

Billow: So an old time thanksgiving? So there’s gonna be lobster, right?

Schwarz: Let's kick those ideas around. Because I think I’m more excited about that than I was about the winter walk.

Howard: Well, we should try to change it up every year.

Schwarz: 70 people at 20 bucks a head?

Stokinger: 70 people at 100 bucks a head!

Brown: I’ve seen over 200 people there, seated for a wedding once. 

Immorlica: Well we can do it, I did want to say about the hay thing on Lamson farm day they use a tractor. 

Schwarz: Something to talk about, yeah.

Mail/Announcements

Schwarz: I have no mail, but I do have an announcement for the commission. It’s going to be a little bit of a conversation and maybe a vote. As of Monday I will be the new Joan and Joan will be the new Laurie.

Billow: I don’t know what this means.

Schwarz: I will be working under Joan who will be the new town administrator.

Immorlica: Have we ever tried having a town manager?

Brown: It has to go to a vote. In order to do that the selectmen would relinquish some of their powers. There is no definition about town administrators in the RSA. We can put the responsibilities where we want them to be, we can put the job details where we want them to be. We can make it unique for our town, so I think it will be a good thing.

Schwarz: When I knew we were considering it, I spoke with the NHSA about whether working for the town would preclude me from working on the heritage commission. He said there is nothing that says that I cannot be a volunteer for the MVHC, however if I write grants for other groups on the clock, then I must likewise do the same for the MVHC. The conversation came up at the selectmen's meeting, and people seemed fine, but Brown wanted it brought to the commission for the perceived — I should probably let you give your feelings.

Brown: It doesn't really matter either way, it's an elective thing every year.But let’s let these people decide.

Immorlica: What town grants would be involved?

Brown: She(Schwarz) has a grant program (Schwarz: Certificate)  where the town has 1500 hours and she can write grants for the town. Like I said this is a yearly thing that we have to elect a chair anyway next year so if you think this is overcharging her we can move people around.

Immorlica: You could give up some responsibilities. Are you treasurer as well?

Schwarz: Well that’s the thing, we- MY NIECE WAS JUST BORN!

<picture sharing ensues>

Schwarz: We don't handle our own money.

Immorlica: I get that. I was just thinking we might find places for you to offload some of your responsibilities. Ross is always saying you do it all yourself, maybe you could delegate?

Schwarz: I was telling Billow the other day that I'm feeling much less stressed. I’m already leaving the planning board as I will become the planning board’s secretary and I’m not sure about the historic district commission, I do have to draft a —

Billow: I think you should know that we’re here to help you out.

Minutes

Schwarz: Minutes.

Immorlica: I did not get them.

Ross: Goodness, I just realized I don't have you on my email list.

Brown makes a motion to accept the minutes as amended, Billow seconds, all in favor, motion passed.

Ross makes a motion to adjourn at 8:14pm, Brown seconds, all in favor, motion passed.

Meeting adjourned at 8:14pm

Next meeting: July 14, 2022

Respectfully Submitted,

Sarah Beth Ross

Secretary