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Selectmen's Office Regular Meeting Agenda (minutes)

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Town of Chichester 
Board of Selectmen Meeting Minutes 
September 15, 2026 – 6:01 p.m. 
Chichester Grange, 54 Main Street 
 
Select Board Members Present: Jeremy Letendre, Chairman; Carrianne Wood, Selectman 
Absent: Matthew Stolnis, Selectman 
 
Voting Members Present: Carrianne and Jeremy 
The posted agenda included Accounts Payable and the signature folder, Old Home Day 2027, policy 
review/adoption, IT support services, Budget Committee goals, tax-map updates, ADP/payroll 
implementation, Community Cupboard discussion, and ongoing business. 
 
1. Call to Order 
 
Chairman Jeremy Letendre called the September 15, 2026 Board of Selectmen meeting to order at 
approximately 6:01 p.m., followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. 
 
2. General Business 
 
Accounts Payable and Payroll Manifest 
 
The Board reviewed the Accounts Payable and Payroll Manifest. Discussion included the unusually large 
total, which was primarily attributable to the Town's ongoing transition of funds to a new bank. 
Approximately $400,000 of the manifest represented a transfer to the new bank rather than ordinary 
municipal expenditures. 
 
The Board also briefly discussed recent highway paving. Advanced was identified as the paving 
contractor after a competitive bidding process; another bid had not accurately reflected the requested 
scope and was more expensive. Work had occurred on Carpenter Road, Swiggey Brook Road and an 
approximately 600-foot section of Hilliard Road near the bridge. Additional corrective work and top 
coating are anticipated after the pavement has gone through a winter season. 
 
Motion 
 
A motion was made and seconded to approve the Accounts Payable and Payroll Manifest for 
September 15–17, 2026 in the amount of $488,023.86. 
 
Roll Call Vote: 
 
Carrianne – Aye 
 
Jeremy – Aye 
 
Matt – Absent 
 
Motion passed, 2-0. 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
Signature Folder – New Ambulance Registration 
 
The Board reviewed documentation authorizing Acting Fire Chief Ed Millett to act on behalf of the Town 
for purposes of registering the new ambulance with the Division of Motor Vehicles. 
The ambulance had arrived and was described as brand new and looking good. 
 
Motion 
 
A motion was made and seconded to authorize Ed Millett to act on behalf of the Town of Chichester 
with the Division of Motor Vehicles for purposes of registering the new ambulance. 
Roll Call Vote: 
 
 
Carrianne – Aye 
 
Jeremy – Aye 
 
Matt – Absent 
 
Motion passed, 2-0. 
 
Municipal Audit / DRA Filings 
 
The Board discussed outstanding municipal financial reporting. 
 
The 2024 audit had been completed, and a draft had been uploaded to the State portal. The Board must 
review, sign and re-upload the appropriate documentation acknowledging acceptance. Because the 
necessary document was not immediately available in the meeting folder, the matter was deferred to the 
following week. 
 
Later in the meeting, the Board specifically discussed the MS-535 Financial Report of the Budget. 
Rather than immediately accepting it, the members agreed it should be reviewed line-by-line for 
accuracy. A PDF was to be uploaded to the Board's cloud storage for review by all three Select Board 
members, with the matter to return to the agenda the following week. 
 
The MS-1 was also awaiting one additional piece of information from the utility company. The 
Selectmen's OƯice has begun entering DRA and other municipal reporting deadlines into an internal 
calendar to provide advance reminders and improve timely filing. 
 
No vote taken. 
 
3. Old Home Day 2027 – Justine Hayward 
 
Justine Hayward appeared before the Board to discuss organization of Old Home Day 2027. 
 
Hayward presented draft bylaws/guidelines for an Old Home Day Committee. She explained that during 
the years she previously organized the event, the lack of formal rules, procedures and clearly defined 
authority made the event unnecessarily diƯicult to administer. 

 
 
 
She recommended that, if Old Home Day is to operate as a Town-funded and Town-sanctioned 
committee, it should have a structure similar to other municipal committees, including clear 
expectations regarding: 
 
committee authority and responsibilities; 
 
membership and organization; 
 
expenditure of Town-appropriated funds; 
 
vendors and contracts; 
 
volunteers; 
 
communication; 
 
recordkeeping; and 
 
responsibility for various aspects of the event. 
 
Hayward expressed an interest in serving as Chair of Old Home Day 2027, provided the committee has 
clearer rules and organizational support. She also reported that former committee member Carol Fricke 
had expressed interest in assisting and could provide historical knowledge regarding the event. 
 
Earlier Planning and Budget Process 
 
The Board agreed that planning should begin significantly earlier, potentially during the winter and before 
Town Meeting. Early planning would allow the committee to establish larger goals and determine whether 
additional funding should be requested rather than attempting to operate within a predetermined amount 
supplemented by donations. 
 
The Board also acknowledged that prior organizers had sometimes used personal funds to pay event 
expenses and then waited for reimbursement. The members agreed that better procedures are needed 
for access to appropriated Old Home Day funds. 
 
Town Website / Communications 
 
Hayward requested a dedicated Old Home Day landing page on the Town website to provide accurate 
information and a central point of contact for: 
 
 
committee participation; 
 
volunteers; 
 
vendors; 
 
event information; and 
 
public communications. 
 
The Board indicated that creating a dedicated landing page should now be relatively straightforward and 
asked Hayward to consider the desired layout and information structure so Town staƯ could assist. 
 
Board Direction 
 
Because the draft committee guidelines had only recently been received, the Board did not adopt them 
at this meeting. Jeremy and Carrianne will review the document, work through potential revisions and 
return the matter to a future agenda. 

 
 
 
No vote taken. 
 
 
 
 
4. 300th Anniversary – Initial Public Discussion 
 
During the Old Home Day discussion, resident Donna asked whether people who previously signed up to 
participate in the Town's 300th Anniversary Committee would be contacted. 
 
The Board clarified that no current outreach had yet occurred and distinguished the proposed Old Home 
Day Committee guidelines from the separate 300th Anniversary planning eƯort. 
 
The subject returned near the end of the meeting. Former Selectman Frank recalled that residents had 
previously signed up for a 300th Anniversary committee and that a budget line had been established, but 
he had believed a committee was already meeting after he left the Board. 
 
Current Board discussion indicated that no active formal committee was known to be meeting. 
Board Direction 
 
The Board established the following initial steps: 
1. Locate the prior list of residents who expressed interest. 
2. Determine who remains interested. 
3. Confirm appropriate appointment/signature documentation for committee members. 
4. Once membership is established, allow the committee to hold an organizational meeting, select a 
chair and point of contact, and formally begin planning. 
 
The Board noted that the 300th Anniversary Committee would likely be a limited-duration committee 
rather than one requiring staggered multi-year terms. 
 
No formal vote taken. 
 
5. Community Cupboard / Food Pantry 
 
Presentation by Frank 
 
Frank, serving as the Town's Welfare Manager, provided an extensive presentation regarding the 
Chichester Community Cupboard/Food Pantry. 
 
He provided background on the pantry and explained that when he became Welfare Manager, he learned 
that the pantry was expected to close because usage at Town Hall had dropped to approximately one or 
two clients per month. 
 
Rather than close it, volunteers reorganized the pantry and moved operations from Town Hall to space 
provided at the Methodist Church. The church provides space but does not operate the pantry, and the 
pantry remains open to everyone. 

 
 
 
The pantry currently attempts to operate Thursday, Friday and Saturday, depending upon volunteer 
availability. 
 
Frank reported that use has grown dramatically, with approximately 30–40 pantry visits per month, 
representing households that may include multiple individuals. 
 
 
Donation Fund 
 
Frank reported that donations had grown from approximately $13,000–$14,000 to nearly $26,000. 
He expressed concern about the accounting and operational structure of those donated funds. He 
emphasized that his comments concerning potential accounting issues represented his own research 
and understanding and recommended that any proposed changes be reviewed with the Treasurer, 
auditors and/or NH Municipal Association before implementation. 
 
Current Purchasing Problem 
 
The pantry receives certain State and federal food supplies but supplements those supplies with fresh 
and specialized items such as milk, eggs, bread and foods needed by residents with dietary restrictions. 
Currently, Frank or another volunteer may personally spend approximately $100–$200 at a time, submit 
receipts and then wait for reimbursement through the Town's manifest process. Frank said this 
commonly occurs approximately twice per month and described the arrangement as cumbersome and 
inappropriate for volunteers. 
 
The system also makes responding quickly to emergencies diƯicult. 
 
Options Presented 
 
Frank presented several possible structures for consideration: 
 
 
a Town-issued debit/purchasing card with appropriate spending limits, authorized users, receipts 
and internal controls; 
 
an imprest/petty-cash fund that would be replenished after receipts are submitted; 
 
creation of an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit to operate the pantry; 
 
establishment of an expendable trust fund; 
 
transferring responsibility to an existing nonprofit organization; or 
 
continuing the current Town-administered reimbursement system. 
 
He favored finding a more practical immediate solution while exploring whether an independent 
nonprofit could provide a sustainable long-term structure. 
 
Frank emphasized that an independent nonprofit would require its own organizational structure and legal 
process and that transfer of existing municipal funds would require appropriate Town authorization. He 
also noted that an independent nonprofit could potentially increase access to grants and other 
charitable funding opportunities. 
 

 
 
Board Discussion and Direction 
 
Carrianne indicated support for exploring a debit card as an immediate solution, followed by 
consideration of a separate nonprofit structure for longer-term sustainability. 
 
Jeremy agreed that an immediate mechanism should be developed so volunteers are not required to 
finance pantry operations personally, but wanted the Treasurer to review the available options and 
appropriate controls first. 
 
The Board also emphasized the importance of continuity so the pantry can function regardless of who 
serves as manager in the future. 
 
Next Steps 
 
The Board's direction was to: 
 
continue discussions with Treasurer Robin regarding an immediate purchasing mechanism; 
 
review appropriate internal controls; 
 
have Frank continue discussions with potential nonprofit board members; 
 
investigate a possible 501(c)(3) structure; and 
 
return the matter for additional discussion, potentially within a couple of weeks. 
 
No final structure was adopted and no expenditure was authorized at this meeting. 
 
6. Policy Review and Adoption 
 
Criminal Charges/Arrest and Annual Criminal History Policies 
 
The Board reviewed two related personnel policies developed following previous personnel issues: 
 
1. a Criminal Charges/Arrest and Annual Criminal History Certification Policy; and 
2. an Annual Criminal History Disclosure. 
 
The policies require employees to disclose applicable criminal charges/arrests and periodically reaƯirm 
their disclosure status. 
 
The Board emphasized that disclosure does not automatically result in termination or disqualification 
from employment. Circumstances would be considered in relation to an employee's position and 
responsibilities. 
 
The proposed policies had been forwarded to legal counsel for review. Counsel's principal 
implementation concern was that employees clearly understand that a positive disclosure does not 
automatically mean loss of employment or disqualification from a position. The resulting records are to 
be maintained confidentially. 
 
The Board also discussed developing a more systematic policy-management process, including policy 
numbers, revision tracking and periodic review dates. 
 

 
 
Motion 
 
A motion was made and seconded to adopt the Criminal Charges/Arrest and Annual Criminal History 
Certification Policy in conjunction with the Annual Criminal History Disclosure. 
 
Roll Call Vote: 
 
Carrianne – Aye 
 
Jeremy – Aye 
 
Matt – Absent 
 
Motion passed, 2-0. 
 
The Board directed that implementation include an appropriate rollout and explanation to employees and 
that disclosure information remain confidential. 
 
7. IT Support Services – Block 5 
 
The Board revisited its recent IT service-provider decision. 
 
Jeremy explained that the Board had previously evaluated competing IT providers in an eƯort to improve 
services and pricing. Following implementation eƯorts, however, the Board learned that changing 
providers created operational conflicts and potential impacts that had not been fully understood when 
the original decision was made. 
 
Particular concern involved specialized departmental requirements. The Board noted that approximately 
60% of the Town's IT costs relate to one department, and that certain departments, particularly public 
safety, have significant specialized technology, security and support requirements. 
 
The Board acknowledged that department heads had not been given adequate opportunity to evaluate 
and become comfortable with the proposed transition. 
 
Accordingly, the Board determined that continuity presently required retaining Block 5, while continuing 
to review and competitively evaluate IT services in the future. 
 
An initial motion was withdrawn so that the actual contract amount could be included. 
 
Motion 
 
A motion was made and seconded to accept the Block 5 contract in the amount of $53,670 for the 
year. 
 
The Board stated that the amount includes the applicable maintenance/support services and that 
approximately $30,000 of the total relates to one department with significant support needs. 
 
Roll Call Vote: 
 
Carrianne – Aye 
 
Jeremy – Aye 

 
 
 
Matt – Absent 
 
Motion passed, 2-0. 
 
The Board will continue to review pricing and available alternatives in future contract cycles. 
 
8. Updating Tax Maps / Avatar 
 
The Board discussed updating the Town's tax maps through Avatar. 
 
StaƯ had initially believed updating the maps could cost approximately $10,000. After discussing the 
matter directly with Avatar, it was clarified that the printed map book itself would cost approximately 
$180, with other costs depending upon the service agreement selected. 
The maps are updated annually as of April 1. The Board also noted that the Town's next revaluation is 
expected in 2028, but the annual map update is separate from that process. 
 
Because the contract/service options had only just been presented, Jeremy requested time to review 
them. 
 
Decision: Return the matter to the September 22 meeting for further consideration. 
 
No vote taken and no contract selected. 
 
9. Budget Committee Goals 
 
The Board discussed goals requested by the Budget Committee following its recent organizational/kickoƯ 
meeting. 
 
The Budget Committee had already received requested budget-versus-actual information, historical 
information and general-ledger materials. Its remaining request to the Select Board was for overall 
budgeting goals. 
 
Jeremy's Proposed Goals 
 
Jeremy identified three broad goals: 
 
identify opportunities to oƯset unavoidable increases elsewhere in operating budgets; 
 
identify opportunities to consolidate services and shared purchasing, including 
telecommunications, energy/propane and pest-management contracts; and 
 
challenge the status quo rather than automatically carrying forward prior-year spending simply 
because it has historically been budgeted. 
 
Carrianne's Proposed Goals 
 
Carrianne proposed: 
 
reviewing major capital assets and reserve funds to determine anticipated replacement dates and 
costs; 

 
 
 
calculating appropriate annual contributions so major expenses are funded gradually rather than 
creating sudden large funding requests; 
 
consolidating contracted services where appropriate; and 
 
identifying major infrastructure, equipment, facility and technology investments that must be 
addressed during the upcoming fiscal year rather than deferred. 
 
Capital Improvement Program Connection 
 
The Board noted substantial overlap between these goals and the reactivated Capital Improvement 
Program (CIP). 
 
The CIP has begun gathering information from department heads regarding major projects, equipment 
and capital needs. Highway vehicle information has already been reviewed for expected life span, 
replacement costs and opportunities to extend service life through maintenance. 
The Board specifically noted the importance of long-range planning for major Fire Department apparatus 
and other expensive municipal equipment so several major replacements do not unexpectedly fall within 
the same short period. 
 
Board Direction: Consolidate the members' goals and communicate them to the Budget Committee. 
 
No formal vote taken. 
 
10. ADP Payroll Implementation 
 
The Board provided an update on the Town's transition to ADP for payroll administration. 
 
A Fire Department implementation meeting was being planned for Thursday at approximately 2:00 p.m., 
subject to participant availability. 
 
The Board explained that implementation is intentionally gradual. The Selectmen's OƯice is working 
through the system first before individual departments are brought into the process. The implementation 
date can be delayed as necessary until departments are comfortable with the system. 
 
The transition is intended to replace numerous manual processes and improve accuracy. Functions 
discussed included: 
 
 
payroll processing; 
 
employee time-oƯ balances; 
 
leave requests; 
 
scheduling/time-management functions; and 
 
employee access to individual payroll information. 
 
The Board reported that considerable staƯ training had already occurred. The mobile clock-in/clock-out 
function was being deferred because of concerns regarding appropriate oversight. 
 
The Board estimated that automation could save approximately 15 hours of oƯice work while improving 
accuracy and management oversight. 

 
 
 
Status: Onboarding remains in progress. No new vote was required. 
 
11. Highway and Cemetery Work Updates 
 
Highway Work 
 
The Board reported significant road work occurring during the week and expressed appreciation that the 
contractor had been able to accommodate the Town late in the construction season. 
 
The Board emphasized that the Town had used a competitive bidding process and that the selected 
contractor remained flexible while the Town completed that process. 
 
Cemetery Tree Work 
Cemetery tree work was underway during the week of September 15–17, consistent with the posted 
agenda. 
Accurate Tree Service was performing the work. The Board reported that the contractor was located 
through a State bidding resource and that the competitive process resulted in approximately $40,000 in 
savings compared with other options. 
 
The contractor was addressing hazardous trees previously identified through work by the Cemetery 
Trustees and had its own crane, operators and flagging capabilities. 
 
The Board said the work was being funded through the cemetery-related warrant article approved at the 
prior Town Meeting, described during discussion as approximately $35,000 and change. 
 
No additional expenditure was authorized during this meeting. 
 
12. Other / Follow-Up Matter 
 
The signature folder contained a matter concerning follow-up on a home occupation. Because there 
was no immediate urgency and discussion could involve how the Board wished to proceed, Jeremy and 
Carrianne agreed it would be more appropriate to address the matter with the full three-member Board 
present. 
 
Decision: Deferred until a full Board is available. 
 
13. Adjournment 
 
A motion was made and seconded to adjourn the September 15, 2026 Board of Selectmen meeting at 
7:38 p.m. 
 
Because only Carrianne and Jeremy were voting members present, the transcript's additional audible 
"aye" should not be recorded as a third Board vote. 
 
Roll Call Vote: 
 
Carrianne – Aye 

 
 
 
Jeremy – Aye 
 
Matt – Absent 
 
Motion passed, 2-0. Meeting adjourned at 7:38 p.m. 
 
Summary of Motions, Decisions & Follow-Up 
 
Matter
Action
AP/Payroll Manifest
$488,023.86 approved, 2-0
Ambulance Registration Ed Millett authorized to register ambulance for Town; 2-0
2024 Audit / MS-535
Board to review before acceptance; return next week
MS-1
Awaiting utility information
Old Home Day 2027 
Draft committee guidelines received; Board to review; Justine interested in 
chairing 
300th Anniversary
Locate prior sign-up list, formalize membership and organize kickoƯ
Community Cupboard 
Treasurer to review immediate purchasing mechanism; longer-term nonprofit 
option to be explored 
Criminal History Policies Adopted, 2-0
IT Services – Block 5
$53,670 annual contract approved, 2-0
Tax Maps / Avatar
Options to be reviewed; return Sept. 22; no expenditure approved
Budget Committee
Carrianne/Jeremy goals to be consolidated and communicated to committee
ADP Payroll
Department onboarding continuing; rollout intentionally gradual
Cemetery Tree Work
Underway Sept. 15–17; no new expenditure
Home Occupation 
Follow-Up 
Deferred for full Board 
Adjournment
7:38 p.m., 2-0