2020 NH Town Meeting Previews

Croydon has busy town meeting

set for March 14th with 30 articles

CROYDON — Eleven warrant articles submitted by petition will be on the Croydon Town Meeting Warrant but none have the recommendation of the Croydon Board of Selectmen. 

Croydon voters will meet for their annual Town Meeting at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 14. Voting for town officials will be held between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 10. 

The operating budget calls for expenditures of $517,059 for general municipal operations. This article does not include appropriations contained in special or individual articles addressed separately. 

Included on that list is $46,000 for operation of the Croydon Police Department that was dissolved by the three-member Board of Selectmen recently. 

The articles submitted by petition that did not get the recommendation of the Board of Selectmen follow:

To see if the town will require all Select Board members to attend select board training’s offered by the New Hampshire Municipal Association within three months of appointment. 

To see if the town will raise and appropriate a 15 percent pay raise for the Croydon Police Department. 

To see if the town will vote that, should any employee be required to provide a detailed time log, all employees will be required to provide the same documentation. 

To see if the town will seek bids to construct a new town office; said construction to bring the town into compliance with audit recommendations. 

To see if the Town of Croydon will direct the “Select Board” to task the “Planning Board” and the “Zoning Board” to review current Federal, State and county regs plus industry best practices (IRC 2019), to ensure the “Resident’s” of and the “Town of Croydon” are ready for and protected from expected future growth. 

To see if the town will add to its employee policies, a required thorough criminal background check for all hired and/or appointed employees. Said criminal background check to be conducted through the New Hampshire State Police. Elected officials to be exempted from this policy. 

To see if the town will raise and appropriate the sum of $6,000 for a body/cruiser camera combination for the police department. 

To see if the town will vote to have the select board develop a code of conduct by 2021 and consistently enforce that code. 

To see if the town will vote to direct the select board to require all candidates for appointment to either the Planning Board or Zoning Board to complete appropriate Municipal Association training courses so as to be placed on “Qualified Availability” lists to fill schedules or unexpected vacancies. 

To see if the town will vote that the Planning Board and Zoning Board will host a minimum of one scheduled public meeting a month; on the same day of the week and the same week of each month (ie: second Monday of the Month). Additional meeting may be added as workload dictates. 

To see if the town will add to its employee policies, a random drug testing program for all hired and/or appointed employees, to exempt elected officials. 

Articles recommended by the Select Board include $1,000 for a sound system to be used at select board and committee meetings; $46,000 for the maintenance of Loverin Hill; $5,000 to be placed in the town Revaluation Capital Reserve Fund; $12,500 for cemetery maintenance and cemetery repairs; the funds to support this article are to be removed from the interest earned in the Henry J. Sawyer Memorial Fund and the Ruger Memorial Fund; $25,000 to be added to the Bridges Capital Reserve Fund, and $24,000 for the town-wide property revaluation that is scheduled for 2020; the funds to support this article to be removed from the Town Revaluation Capital Reserve Fund. 

Also, $78,000 to continue repairs on Pine Hill Road; it is anticipated $39,510 is to come from the Highway Block Grant; $42,250 for the yearly payment on the note for the 2018 Western Star Dump Truck purchased in 2019; $7,000 for interior sheet rock installation of the highway garage; funds to support this article are to be removed from the interest earned on the Henry J. Sawyer Memorial Fund and the Ruger Memorial Fund; $6,000 for the testing of the monitoring wells at the transfer station; $25,000 for the purchase of a broom attachment and fork attachment for the backhoe; funds to support this article will come from the Town Vehicles and Equipment Capital Reserve Fund established in 2019; $12,000 for insurance requested to upgrades to the highway garage; $40,000 to be added to the Town Vehicles and Equipment Capital Reserve Fund. 

The Select Board is recommending the town vote to discontinue the Cemetery Capital Reserve Fund ($8,445) with accumulated interest be transferred to the General Fund and add the $8,445 to the Bridges Capital Reserve Fund. 

Select Board Chairman Russell Edwards is being challenged by Brenda Williams for the three-year term on the Board; Ian Underwood is running unopposed for the one-year opening on the Board; Willis H. Ballou is seeking re-election as Moderator for two years; Angela Nelson is running for the three-year term for Town Treasurer and Susan Edwards is seeking the position as Trustee of Trust Funds and Cemeteries, a three-year term. There were no candidates signing up for the six-year term as Supervisor of the Checklist.

Charlestown

Voters in Charlestown will be asked to approve a town operating budget of $5,800,184 (Article 2) when they go to the polls from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 10 at the Charlestown Senior Center. 

That amount includes $4,993,266 for the town operating budget, $455,686 for the water fund operating budge and $351,232 for the sewer operating budget. Should this article be defeated the default budget will be $5,427,818. The default budget represents $4,448,082 for the town operating budget, $451,377 for the water fund and $328,269 for the sewer fund operating budget. 

Article 1 on the ballot seeks $2,900,000 for the construction of a new fire station and renovations to other public buildings. If Article 3 passes it would authorize the selectboard to enter into a 10-year lease-purchase agreement for the acquisition of a new pumper/tanker truck for the Fire Department at a total cost of $616,764 and accept a $40,000 donation from the Old No. 4 Fire & Hose Company to be used in 2020 as a down payment and to further raise the sum of $105,510 for the first year’s principal and interest payment. 

The town is seeking $60,962 in Article 4 to be added to the Transfer Station Roll Off Truck Capital Reserve Fund. This sum would come from unassigned fund balance with no amount to be raised by taxation. Article 5 requests approval to appropriate $25,000 to be added to the Real Estate Appraisal Capital Reserve Fund previously established to help cover the cost of the revaluation expected to be a full one in 2021. 

Other articles request $7,000 to establish an Ambulance Equipment Maintenance Reserve; $5,000 to support the Charlestown Senior Center; $3,000 to be added to the Emergency Communications Improvements Capital Reserve Fund; $2,000 to fund transitional and communication expenses associated with efforts to withdraw from the Fall Mountain Regional School District and $5,000 for the support of the Fort at No. 4 (By petition). 

Candidates running for two openings of three year each on the Board of Selectmen are Steven Neill, William J. Rescsanski and Scott Wade. Five candidates seeking the one-year term are William K. Rescsanski, John Streeter, Jeremy C. Wood, Robert Beaudry and Nancy L. Houghton. 

Other contested races include Planning Board (two three-year terms), Alan Putnam, Rose Smith-Hull, Jeremy C. Wood, Gabriel Bailey and Robert Frizzell; Finance Committee, two three-year terms, Gabriel Bailey, Robert L. Davis and Scott Wade, and Finance Committee. one opening for one year, Patricia Chaffee and Trina Dearborn.

Grantham

Grantham voters will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 20 at the Grantham Town Hall, Lower Level for their annual town meeting. Ballot voting for Articles 1-8 will open at 10 a.m. and run through 7 p.m. 

The ballot will include election of town officials along with seven zoning changes being proposed. 

Article 9—General Government, $1,376,710, up $29,806 

Article 10—Public Safety, $854,323, up $11,072 

Article 11—Reinstatement of fifth full-time police officer ($102,342) 

Article 12—Police Cruiser, $35,000 

Article 13—Utility Task Vehicle, $50,000 

Article 14—Fire Department Washer/Extractor Machine, $10,000 

Article 15—Public Works, $847,900 (up $53,557) 

Article 16—Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day, $15,000 

Article 17—Health and Welfare, $45,000 (No change); Community Agencies, $18,800 (No change) 

Article 18—Culture and Recreation, $303,890 (Up $6,738) 

Article 19—Conservation, Debt Principal, Debt Interest and Tax Anticipation Note Interest, $157,602 (Down $60,835) 

Article 20—Capital Reserve and Expendable Trust Funds, $393,000 (Up $163,000) 

Article 21—Establish Library Technology and Office Equipment Expendable Trust Fund, $5,000 from unassigned fund balance. 

Article 22—Establish Public Safety Technology Infrastructure Expendable Trust Fund, $15,000 from Unassigned Fund Balance. 

Article 23—Establish Fire-EMSDepartment Equipment/Maintenance Capital Reserve Fund, $5,000- from Unassigned Fund Balance. 

Article 25—Inserted by Petition, A Town Resolution to Promote Legislation to Create Universal, High Quality, Readily Accessible and Affordable Healthcare for Americans.

Lempster

Lempster voters will meet at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 10, to act on 27 articles in the 2020 Town Warrant. Polls for voting will open at 3:30 p.m. and closed at 7:30 p.m. 

The General Municipal Operations budget seeks $1,425,465 that includes $400.670 for the Highway Department and $91,180 for Executive expenses. 

Article 7 requests $20,000 to be added to the Emergency Water Supply System Capital Reserve. Article 8 requests $15,000 for the Fire Department Equipment Capital Reserve. Article 11 requests $20,000 to be added to the Town Building Repair Expendable Trust and Article 12 looks to raise $30,000 to be added to the Municipal Buildings Complex Capital Reserve. 

Other major appropriations include $25,000 to be added to the Town Hall/Meetinghouse Capital Reserve; $50,000 for the Town Bridge and Culvert Expendable Trust; $25,000 to be added to the Town Highway Equipment Capital Reserve; and $25,000 to be added to the Road Reconstruction Paving Capital Reserve. 

Article 26 seeks $1,500 to support Old Home Day events. 

There are no contested positions on the ballot for election to various town positions.

The list includes Everett Thurber, Selectman, three years; Mary Fellows, Treasurer, one year; James Grenier, Auditor, one year; Kirt Wirkkala, Planning Board, three years; Linda Callahan, Town Clerk/Tax Collector, three years; Janice Baker, Library Trustee, three years; Marilyn Butler, Supervisor of the Checklist, six years; Carol Stamtakis, Cemetery Trustee, three years, and Michael Shklar, Moderator, two year.

New London

New London voters will Cast ballots for town officials on Tuesday, March 10 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Whipple Memorial Town Hall. 

The business meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on March 11 in the Kearsarge Learning Campus/Outing Club Gymnasium. 

Nancy L. Rollins is running for re-election for selectman for three years. The only contested race is for two three-year openings for Tracy Memorial Library Trustee. Candidates are Marianne McEnrue, Phyllis Magner and Steven Solomon. 

The ballot also contains four Amendments proposed by the Planning Board for the New London Zoning Ordinance. 

Budget articles with fiscal year 2021 listed first and the 2020 amount in parenthesis follows: 

General Government Operations—$1,422,540 ($1,402,819) 

Public Safety—$2,258,450 ($2,054,129) 

Health and Welfare Departments—$267,285 ($258,212) 

Recreation and Culture and Conservation—$805,708 ($795,790) 

Principal and Interest of Long-Term Debt—$624,391 ($610,804) 

Capital and Non-Capital Reserve Funds—$638,510 ($663,510) 

Requests that will be funded from capital reserve funds follow: 

Article 11—$260,000 to purchase a 6-wheel dump truck 

Article 12—$40,000 for Tracy Memorial Library to renovate three kitchenettes and five bathrooms 

Article 13—$16,000 to purchase a diesel fuel pump 

Article 14—$25,000 to purchase fire department mobile radios.

Article 15—$135,000 to pave gravel roads 

Article 16—$55,000 for the purchase of a command/SUV 

Article 17—$45,000 to purchase a vibratory roller for compacting roads 

Article 18—To see if the town will vote to establish a Housing Commission 

Article 19—To appropriate $5,000 or50 percent, whichever id less, of he net proceeds of the timber harvest project on conservation land known as the Esther Currier Wildlife Management Area. 

Article 20—To appropriate $7,000 for the purpose of the expansion of the New London Park and Ride and to turn over such funds to the State of NH DOT as a contribution towards the 20 percent match needed for the grant and to authorize funding of this amount from the June 30, 2020 fund balance. 

Five other non-monetary articles also appear on the warrant. One focuses on the use of plastic bags in New London and another is supporting a resolution to take action on Climate Pollution.

Sunapee

Sunapee voters will decide the fate of 31 town meeting articles when they go to the polls on Tuesday, March 10. 

The operating budget seeks $7,940,054 and if it is defeated, the default budget will be $7,814,727. If all requested appropriations gain voter support the town tax rate is projected to increase 21 cents per $1,000 of property valuation. 

The first 1 articles on the ballot deal with potential amendments proposed by the Planning Board for the Town Zoning Ordinance. 

Article 15 seeks up to $400,000 for the engineering, design, construction and installation of improved treatment process equipment to remediate the water system’s Total Trihalomethanes issue. A three-fifths majority is required for passage.

Article 16 requests up to $30,000 for establishing an Asset Management Plan for the Sunapee Sewer Department that will qualify the town for federal and state funds. 

The Town is also asking voters to support a bid for $200,000 in Article 18 for replacement of the Sunapee Harbor Boat Launch with funds to come from the Hydroelectric Revenue Fund established for this purpose in 1987. 

If Article 19 is supported by voters, the sum of $135,000 will be added to the Used Highway Equipment Capital Reserve Fund. Article 22 seeks $115,000 to be added to the Fire Apparatus and Equipment Capital Reserve Fund. 

Article 28 seeks $110,000 to purchase and equip a new Highway Plow Truck and withdrawal of up to $110,000 from the Highway and Transfer Station Capital Reserve Fund for this purpose. 

The final article on the warrant requests $34,200 to make the current pat-time Abbott Library Aid position fulltime. The current Library Aid III has been working 34 hours per week. This sum covers nine months of wages and benefits. 

Sue Gottling is running unopposed for the three-year term on the board of selectmen. There are two contested races with Helene (Susi) Churchill, Shannon Martinez and Suzanne Tether running for two three-year terms as library trustees. The three candidates for the two three-year openings on the Planning Board include Joseph J. Butler, Shannon Martinez and Peter J. White.

Grantham

Grantham voters will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 20 at the Grantham Town Hall, Lower Level for their annual town meeting. Ballot voting for Articles 1-8 will open at 10 a.m. and run through 7 p.m.

The ballot will include election of town officials along with seven zoning changes being proposed.

Article 9—General Government, $1,376,710, up $29,806

Article 10—Public Safety, $854,323, up $11,072

Article 11—Reinstatement of fifth full-time police officer ($102,342)

Article 12—Police Cruiser, $35,000

Article 13—Utility Task Vehicle, $50,000

Article 14—Fire Department Washer/Extractor Machine, $10,000

Article 15—Public Works, $847,900 (up $53,557)

Article 16—Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day, $15,000

Article 17—Health and Welfare, $45,000 (No change); Community Agencies, $18,800 (No change)

Article 18—Culture and Recreation, $303,890 (Up $6,738)

Article 19—Conservation, Debt Principal, Debt Interest and Tax Anticipation Note Interest, $157,602 (Down $60,835)

Article 20—Capital Reserve and Expendable Trust Funds, $393,000 (Up $163,000)

Article 21—Establish Library Technology and Office Equipment Expendable Trust Fund, $5,000 from unassigned fund balance.

Article 22—Establish Public Safety Technology Infrastructure Expendable Trust Fund, $15,000 from Unassigned Fund Balance.

Springfield

Voters will gather at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 14 to discuss and vote on six warrant articles to cover spending for 2020. 

Voting for town officials will open at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, March 10 with polls remaining open until 7 p.m. 

The articles to be aired on March 13 include an operating budget of $1,474,461 but does not include appropriations contained in special or individual articles addressed separately. 

Article 2 seeks $100,000 for paving with this amount to come from the unassigned fund balance with no amount to be raised through taxation. 

A request is included in Article 3 to purchase a truck for the highway department costing $75,000. That money would also come from the unassigned fund balance. 

Voter will be asked to raise and appropriate$3,453 to be added to the Old Home Day Expendable Trust Fund previously established. These funds will come from unassigned fund balance and represents proceeds and donations raised in 2019. 

Article 6, submitted by petition, seeks to establish an Agricultural Commission to consist of five regular voting members and two alternate members appointed by the Board of Selectmen for staggered three-year terms; the initial appointment to be a single one-year term, 2 two-year terms and 2 three-year terms. 

On the election side, Richard Hendl, board chairman, is being challenged by Susan Abair for a three-year term. Thomas Greenhalge, Peter Keene and Darrin Patten are running for two openings on the Planning Board. 

Three seats are open on the Budget Committee and four candidates running for election include Bryan O’Day, Ryan Peterson, Justin Hastings and Kenneth Jacques. The only other contested election is the two-way battle between Maryanne Petrin and John Trachy for the three-year term as Library Trustee.