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Select Board Minutes 08/04/26 Pglof3

MINUTES
SELECT BOARD MEETING
TOWN OF PETERBOROUGH
Tuesday, August 4, 2026 — 5:00 PM
1 Grove Street, Peterborough, New Hampshire

Present: Tyler Ward, Bill Kennedy, Bonnie Tucker
Al t: Nicole MacStay, Justine Hanson, Fash Farashahi, Craig Fraley

This meeting was broadcast live on Ustream, YouTube, and Channel 22 (Comcast)

Chair Ward welcomed everyone to the meeting and introduced the other members of the Select
Board, Bonnie Tucker and Bill Kennedy, along with Town Administrator Nicole MacStay. He then
reviewed the agenda for the meeting before opening the Public Hearing.

Motion: Chair Ward motioned to open the Public Hearing pursuant to RSA 31:95-b, to discuss the
merits of accepting unanticipated monies. Mr. Kennedy seconded the motion.
Vote: All in favor. Motion carried.

PUBLIC HEARING
$10,000 from the Friends of Peterborough Recreation for the purchase of a box trailer to
store and haul the Pedal Together Bikes around.

Recreation Department Director, Criag Fraley, presented a $10,000 grant from the Hundred+
Women Who Care organization for the Pedal Together program. This program serves individuals
with disabilities, and the funds are designated for the purchase of a box trailer to store and transport
bicycles. Mr. Fraley explained that currently, bikes are stored in various private locations, requiring
an hour of travel each motning for collection. The new trailer will be stored at the Department of
Public Works during the summer and in a non-plowed area during the winter. Bonnie Tucker
inquired if there would be a fee for bike storage, and Mr. Fraley confirmed that the existing five-
dollar per person hauling fee would continue.

Motion: Chair Ward motioned to accept the $10,000 donation from The Friends of Peterborough
Recreation for the purchase of a box trailer. Ms. Tucker seconded the motion.
Vote: All in favor. Motion carried.

$500 from MCH for a new program we are starting in the fall. "Mission Move" is an
afterschool program designed for the less active child to have a healthy snack and be active
in the program. The program will be led by MCH staff, FPU physical therapy students, and
Recreation Staff

Mr. Fraley discussed a $500 donation from Monadnock Community Hospital (MCH) to support a
new after-school program called Mission Move. This initiative, run in partnership with MCH and
Franklin Pierce University (FPU), focuses on less active elementary school children. MCH’s
nutrition and physical therapy departments will provide healthy snack recipes, while FPU therapy
students will lead games and activities. The program will initially be held outdoors at Adams
Playground before moving to the Community Center for the winter.


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Motion: Mr. Kennedy motioned to accept the $500 donation from Monadnock Community
Hospital to fund the Mission Move program. Chair Ward seconded the motion.
Vote: All in favor. Motion carried.

Motion: Mr. Kennedy moved to closed the Public Hearing at 5:06pm.Chair Ward seconded the
motion.
Vote: All in favor. Motion carried.

Website Updates/Redesign

Justine Hanson and Fash Farashahi presented the plans for a comprehensive town website redesign.
This project is primarily driven by the need to comply with Title IT of the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 level AA. Failure to
meet these guidelines by the April 26, 2028, deadline could result in legal penalties and civil rights
lawsuits. The redesign will improve compatibility with screen readers and keyboard navigation while
addressing text-to-background color contrast.

Mr. Farashahi noted that the transition would involve a significant reduction in the number of
documents hosted on the site, dropping from approximately 4,000 to 1,000. While essential
applications and current minutes will remain, approximately 3,000 historical or non-compliant
documents will need to be removed. These archived records will remain available to the public upon
request via a comment form, but they will not be directly searchable on the new site. Nicole MacStay
explained that most website traffic is for current information like recycling hours or town clerk
requirements, rather than historical archives.

The discussion touched on transparency and security. Chair Ward expressed concern that removing
documents might make the government appear opaque. Mr. Farashahi and Ms. MacStay stated that
the current site is difficult to navigate and that removing staff photos and direct emails is a necessary
security measure to protect against Al-driven phishing, scraping, and the targeting of police officers.
Ms. Tucker suggested using focus groups to ensure the new interface is user-friendly, while Mr.
Kennedy recommended a streamlined approach similar to the planning department's methods to
avoid the need for another task force

Review and Vote to approve meeting minutes from July 7, 2026 and July 14, 2026

Motion: Mr. Kennedy motioned to approve the meeting minutes from July 7, 2026, and July 14,
2026. Ms. Tucker seconded the motion.
Vote: All in favor. Motion carried.

Review Building Permit & Third-Party Inspection Policy

Ms. MacStay introduced a new building permit policy and a third-party inspection services policy.
The update was necessitated by state legislation (SB188) adopted in 2025. This law allows property
owners to hire their own licensed and insured third-party inspectors—such as architects or
engineers—to conduct inspections. This is intended to provide an "off-ramp" for developers during
peak times when town staff may be limited. Once a third-party inspection is complete, a repott is
submitted to the town building official, who has ten days to either issue or deny a certificate of
occupancy.


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A significant portion of the discussion centered on the specifics of town oversight. Ms. Tucker
voiced concern that the draft policy included a requirement for town inspectors to physically re-
inspect work already completed by a third party. She argued this "double inspection" contradicts the
law's intent to streamline the process and noted that the law only requires the town to certify the
third party's credentials and perform random audits. Ms. MacStay explained that the attorney likely
included this right to ensure municipal inspectors could still check specific components, like
electrical work, if a third-party inspector was only hired for structural elements. Ms. Tucker stated
that the 3" Party Policy wording needs to be revised to align with the intent and wording of the state
law covering 3“ Party Inspections

Vote to Expend from Fleet Management Capital Reserve Fund

Ms. MacStay presented the Select Board with pricing of two new plow trucks. These pickup trucks
meet the specific requirement of not having a crew cab and come equipped with plows. She noted
that the purchase fell under the budgeted amount.

Motion: Mr. Kennedy motioned to approved the expenditure of up to $135,000 from Fleet
Management Capital Reserve Fund to purchase and outfit two trucks, a Ford F250 and a Ford F350.
Chair Ward seconded the motion.

Vote: All in favor. Motion carried.

ADJOURN
Motion: Mr. Kennedy motioned to adjourn at 6:06pm pm. Ms. Tucker seconded the motion.
Vote: All in favor. Motion carried.

Respectfully Submitted,
Justine Hanson, Administrative Assistant

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