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to the Newington Board's Selectmen meeting to June 17.
So you want to give, I'll just go right into, Paul, you the first thing at 6.30?
Where you'll do, if you say so, we'll move him up.
In fact, I didn't even know I had a name tag.
Come on.
May of the hour, or half hour, anyways, depends on what you got.
Well, you're the man of the 45 minutes.
Okay.
Better than 15 minutes of thing, right?
Unfortunately, I'm still old school, and I forgot completely that you've had an electronic system.
I think some of this may be in your packet, your electronic packet, but I wasn't sure what was and what wasn't.
So Martha asked me to come in and give an update on the board of the various things that I've been working on,
and the outline is on the first page, and start off with grants, because everyone wants to hear about grants,
right off the bat.
If you go to the second page, this is a takeoff on my presentation back in December.
I've updated it and added a few.
This was the grants that I have been working on for the last year and a half, two years.
Well, actually, longer a few start including the cybersecurity telecom.
come thing. The only thing I couldn't report there is, are we, Martha, do you know
if we actually received our reimbursement from that? Did you say which grant?
Uh, the governor, dot gov in a box. Yes, we have. We have, okay. So that is really
closed out. So I can rewee with the next time. Yes. We get a share?
All at once. Yeah. Um, the next item was the RTA grant, which was the RTA grant, which was
for the McIntyre bridge design and permitting.
And we were unsubed notified since the last time we were unsuccessful in that grant.
So we move on.
The Port Infrastructure Development Program, which is the Reconstruction of Chattuckway and Roslyn Road.
The 2025 application was unsuccessful.
So we move on later on to the next item after I speak
to the FLAP. The Eastern Federal Lands Access Program, or FLAP, from the Federal Highway Administration,
is for a design and possible removal of McIntyre Bridge that was submitted in November of 2025,
and total cost at that time was $2.7 million. There's no match required, and we were successful
and awarded that grant. The problem or contingency is
that it's dependent on the federal highway bill being passed for FY 2017.
Fiscal year starts October 1st of 2027.
In theory, they should pass the bill by that time.
The past five years, they have not passed it in time.
So if they were to pass it and the funding is fully funded in that,
one could probably,
anticipate January of 2027 that they might actually pass the bill and then you're talking
about three months later before they get all the paperwork and grant administration and grant
agreements.
Just to ask you a question for us, so if they do do like a continuing resolution or something
like that and then the new budgets finally adopted come January, this time next year
we should be looking at how we start to plan expenditures.
Yeah.
or less. I mean, I was going with that a great agreement could be March of April of 2027.
Then there's the RFQ and the RFP process. So we'd be awarding that maybe in June of next year.
They can't give me a number of what's being awarded until that highway bill is passed.
But their recommended amount to us would be a number of what's being awarded until that highway bill is passed.
would be up to $700,000. Obviously, that's short of like $2 million. But the strategy I think they're trying to employ is we'll give you the $700 up front, do all your studies, all your engineering, all your permitting, get everything really shovel ready, and whatever money you have left over, we'll roll it over into the next fiscal year grant for the construction.
Great.
So unfortunately, that problem means 2029 or
maybe even 2030 before you actually get construction funds, unless we can find some other source in between.
But it's a good start at 700, and as I said, getting that shovel ready status always helps in grant applications.
So there's a win.
Um, earlier this month, I put in the second application for the port infrastructure development program.
which is again that reconstruction of Chattuckway and Gosland Road.
That's about 3.3 million.
We don't know when that might be awarded.
I have never been told that it's contingent on the highway transportation bill being passed
because I think it's 2026 money, not 2027 money.
I was very, very fortunate I was able to speak to someone at the Highway Administration
who participated in evaluating our 2020.
25 applications and he gave me very good constructive criticism of our original application.
So our application is much stronger.
I can't say it'll be better.
There was like 180 applications the year prior and they only funded 37.
So it's always a crapshoot, but it's competitive.
Somebody had a ring around or just a crowd of mine.
And you?
Yeah.
Yeah.
So that's pending and we'll see where it goes.
The newest thing I have is down at the bottom and it's an opportunity with PrEP, the Piscatica region,
environmental program or participation.
Partnership, partnership, that's what it is.
They have a grant program where they provide free consulting in terms of identifying
funding sources for particular projects that meet their criteria.
And one project they, Martha, gave me interest in,
is the erosion problem you're having at bucks point.
And, you know, I looked into that,
maybe included in the hazard mitigation plan.
I haven't seen any hazard mitigation grant money,
I hope.
No.
Yeah, I think they may be waiting for guidance from the budget
feds on that, because again, that's funded by the federal government.
So through this project builder and climate impact grant, there's no cost us.
They'll assist us in probably creating a scope, finding a grant application to apply
for assistance in drafting that application.
And probably don't want the requirements
for that grant. We'll have to move forward.
But certainly as that unfolds, I'll keep you little price.
How that...
Martha, when are we meeting with conservation on that?
They wanted to meet with us.
They sent a letter.
Right. It's just a question of finding a time.
The chairman of Com is looking at end of July or even August
for another meeting.
Paul, when we meet with them,
could you make that meeting as well?
Because I think it would be important.
If I'm available, I'm trying, I can make myself available.
Yeah.
So keep that in mind to keep Paul on the hook for that one.
Because if they're talking about the same thing, I'd want you to know what they're talking about and what we're talking about.
And conversely, they would probably like to hear from you as well.
Right.
There has been some concern issued by cons come about the amount of money that would be needed.
Okay.
I just want to make sure we're on.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Let's look at that.
that was, what, 300,000?
350.
You're talking over a million now.
Oh, geez.
Maybe I'm only thinking design.
Yeah.
It's been a while since I've revisited that specific project.
Yeah, it grows.
It's also relative to whatever you want to chew off.
There's not a finite amount of square footage or linear footage
of the shoreline.
It has to be mentioned.
I think we can take it in chunks.
But your concept along that topic, to your point, Chairman, I'll be...
Yeah, I think the most important piece out there now is the actual point.
And then, you know, like Arsenal said, you know, how much do we spend to get that protected
and then work all the way down the bay?
I guess it might be whether you're chasing it.
You know, if you armor this section, it'll just force more erosion in other.
in other sections, but I don't know the hydrology out there whether that's a concern or not.
How big a machinery you have to get out there to do it, do you get economy of scale by doing it all at once or...
I know they were looking, someone told me about a project Durham had, but Durham's project,
they were looking at that because it was kind of like a low impact or natural barrier type system.
That worked well in the area based on the currents and whatnot.
Fox Point P's so far out projecting them to pay.
The engineers I talked to instance, that just would not work.
You just throw money away.
Yeah. Thank you.
So that's kind of the update on the grants.
The only thing to add is the REDC or a regional economic development council
is updating their comprehensive economic development strategy says.
I've updated that, so it's McIntyre's included, Gosling and Chattaker included, again, to be able to point to grant writers that these are regional projects that have been identified in planning documents.
We haven't heard much from, maybe you have, just because you're involved, we haven't heard much from economic development, whether it's the county or the sea coast, the greater sea coast, or even the state, concerning our big project.
did you get much about it? Well, the RADC did inquire to me about that.
And I didn't have much at that time. This was back in March when they were physically updating the plan.
When the proposals really came together in the GELD in May, I forward those on to them so they could identify that.
Unfortunately, they had already gone too far into the drafting stage.
They certainly said that they'd identify it in the next update will happen a year from now.
And we had some inquiry from the state.
Right.
Right. Okay. And again, it was really premature. It was like in January or something like that.
So things were still...
Very fluid. Yeah. So they understood and generally said if there's anything they could assist in.
Next, I'm going to the legislative wrap-up.
I didn't think I had that much to report here, and then I started going through all my notes for the year.
Oh, my.
This isn't in any particular order.
If anything, it's in the order in which I addressed them with the latest going back to the earliest.
And I've included a printout from the general court's website.
It gives you the specifics on each bill.
They're in numeric order.
So there's not a good crossover.
But I've tried to summarize that on the first page.
1491 was the relative to the pool risk management programs that would have impacted health trust and Primax and those things.
The difference between non-assessable versus accessible risk pools.
This one addressed the non-assessable ones and moves the oversight to the Bureau of Insurance,
which I've always said was the most appropriate.
place for the ones that you participate in. So those passed after some
maneuvering the committee of conference and it's sitting on the governor's desk
awaiting her action. Yeah, you're in help and input on that one as it's related to
the efficacy of health trust was very important to the town, so thank you for taking
that one up.
Houseville 340 was relative to electioneering by public employees, arrived in nature and scope
of it is what was concerning to NHMA and certainly ourselves.
That's why we drafted a letter to the governor, hoping that she will veto it.
But it's, again, at the governor's desk while awaiting her action on that.
The real concern is the nebulousness of how they define electioneering.
It could be construed, and that's the problem.
It used to be, what was the intent of the speaker to
the voter. Are you intending to inform them and give them guidance on what the options
are or whatever? Now it's versus the impact.
What did the voter perceive your intent or actions?
Now since that's so subjective and you can't get into someone else's mind,
I would certainly tell anyone who asked me if this were to pass, think twice before you give,
too much information because you might be misconstrued and identified as electioneering for a particular cause.
Even surveys are subject to that type of scrutiny.
How does the person receiving the survey...
Depending on how it was received.
Yeah.
So we'll see whether the governor will agree with our letter of advocacy to veto it.
But I think I'll have a chair on it.
I think it'll have a chilling effect on public employees if they, if it does been enacted.
And the question is, again, public employees' definition of a public employees,
they need to include selectmen because you receive a stipend.
So, where's that put you?
I don't know.
And does anyone want to litigate this because of the nebulousness of it?
But that's what the final result was.
We'll see.
1588 was relative to the...
to the parking and multifamily housing and commercial districts.
He, as much as we attempted to oppose that,
this was the corollary or the improvement of 631 from last year,
it was funny, some of the arguments were really turning
the impact on municipalities on its head.
They advocated that this bill would help you
and avoid litigation.
Again, it's something.
the terms of very nambulous, vague, and particularly when it's by right, and when you have a right
of a developer to move forward on a project, a residential project, and a commercial,
and you appear, again, to be not welcoming or obstructing that development.
The developer now has a right to sue and recover all their costs.
It's not a question of where the part of it.
of were the parties debating legitimate legal questions.
It's the town will or shall pay the developer's cost.
In the set outgrowth of all this affordable housing work for the Housing Committee.
They have a mission, and that's the sole mission they're going after.
It's laudable in many cases, but in application.
Anyway, that's also before the governor's task.
You know, it's a shame is once they feel like after a decade of legislation at the state level,
and this crisis is back under control, these effects will be felt for decades beyond.
You know, where it just has tipped the scales to the new,
the new landowner and developer has more say in the way the town gets developed
than the rest of the voting public. It's too bad.
And I forward some studies I found to Martha, I don't know if she shared them with you,
but there is not a consistent or consensus that those type of up-zoning, they call it,
actually results in more housing or more affordable housing.
It hasn't been in our neighbors.
in our neighbor's case, right?
No, I mean, you know, we're talking market rate housing, not.
And how do you define affordable when you charge your market rate?
That's how you live in one-string times, I said.
Yep.
House Bill 1800 and 1787 were two companion bills having to do with statewide education and taxes.
They went to interim study, which means it'll be reintroduced next session.
Next session, of course, next session we'll have a new legislature.
Depending on its makeup, it may receive these positively or negatively.
Does anybody run against our state senator, Quaka Perkins?
You know, I was reading the newspaper article.
I know she doesn't have a primary challenge her.
Yes, but possible, Martha, we can look into that and maybe have them in.
I'm not 100% sure if there's a Republican candidate or not.
Okay.
David Muse is not running, which we always had his ear, whether we had his vote is another question, but at least he listened.
At least he answered the email.
And it was, Jennifer's, I never saw anything in the paper about her filing or not.
Do you know, Martha, if she's filed?
I would assume she is.
I would hope she is.
She's been wonderful for this town and has a junior freshman representative.
representative, I would hope she stuck with it because she's actually doing some good work,
but I know it's heavy and it's time-consuming and pretty thankless at the same time.
So in summary, these stable bills would have made the statewide education property tax more statewide.
By that, I mean you'll collect the money and everybody sends it to the state.
So there would be no more retention.
So in theory, their argument would be that, well, then there's no excess swept because it just goes to the state and then gets distributed however means they, and that was the companion bill, 1787, distributed it differently.
So it's not going away, and I'll touch upon that later on in my report on the school funding.
House Bill 1085 was the police commission bill that was going to change the fiscal authority of the commissions, and that was inexpedient to legislate.
It says ITL dead.
Relative the formula and district, House Bill 1474, relative to the formula of distribution of revenues, meals, and rooms tax, that was the attempt that basically said if you had an equalized value over $100,000,
$500,000, you wouldn't get any of that money, was also ITL.
The formula distribution of revenue from the meals and room tax, if it was over $500,000,
you would not be a recipient of any rooms or meals tax revenues.
If that individual property was in excess of $5,000.
No, the town.
If the town, it could equalize this as value.
The entire town.
The entire town.
No.
I take that back.
It's basically the same, I misspoke.
That doesn't make sense.
I know $500,000 was the limit.
I can't remember.
Big number where you're talking about.
Right.
This was, you know, I was getting deeper in the list, and there were my memories on it.
There was some limit that would have excluded knowing that.
500,000 sticks in my head, but I can't remember 500,000 up there.
And that was about $80,000 of state tax that we recouped every year,
that we would have to lose.
So you want me at this place?
Oh, I think it was a per capita.
Yeah.
That's what, right.
It was if your equalized value on a per capita basis was greater than $500,000.
The distribution would have limited to municipalities with an average equalized value of $500,000 or less,
which would have stripped millions of revenues from sea coast towns.
So if your average equalized property value was over $500,000, you're not getting that.
So it would have stripped.
Basically, it's donor town all over it.
Well, the only problem there was it's the state tax in the first place.
Yeah, and at least think I like that.
Yeah.
Right, but it would take the distribution away from virtually all the Seacoast towns and give it to
give it to, with all the sea coast towns have also advocated were resort communities incurring lots of extra costs.
And we're generating a lot of those taxes. We should be given a cut, a larger cut.
So maybe that's also why it got an ideal, using that argument.
Um, Hospital 1359 and 1360 were companion bills. Again, these were kind of the Henty NHMA effort
that seem to perennially show up in each legislative function.
They weren't ITLed.
They were, as you see in the report,
they're called unknown or miscellaneous, whatever that means.
I'm assuming that means they were retained in committee.
Committee, yeah.
So in effect, tabled, which means they're debt for this year.
House Bill 314 was prohibiting the use of federal and state and local
for lobbying activities. That again was the NHMA directed. You had to have a
warrant, a separate warrant uncle to basically pay your NHMA dues since they advocate.
And that would include the Fireman Association and Police Associations and Chiefs Associations
and Billing Inspectors and all the associations that we pay dues to in return of getting excellent training and
and other timely information.
Timely information that perhaps some people don't want us to have?
That's electionary.
And finally, 1349, that was our attempt to amend House Bill 631 from last year
that David Mews filed for us and it was IT held.
I was really disappointed. I think we've shared our sentiment many times of how
any times of how disappointed you were with the commentary from them before they
I'd get it with the bill.
Well, we forgot.
That's my legislator wrap up.
Any other questions or where any other bills that I could look into
if you'd heard or seen?
No, we just had one that that was rolled to getting rid of zoning altogether, right?
Oh, that was the House Bill 399.
Sure.
I went to a...
couple of those commission meetings. There's a commission that was established. I have not
seen any activity in it since March. I think the majority of the people on the committee
are legislators and their time has completely gone. So maybe you might see some activity
this summer put out a, I'll make a note of that.
Are you considered at the end of the legislative session right now?
Yes, it closed on the fourth.
It already did?
Yeah.
Okay. No.
Hospital 1010 was also an expansion of commercial in commercial zone, housing and commercial loans.
So 1010, 1588 both seem to all seem to go hand in hand to 631.
And I know 1010 also went to the governor's desk.
Is there any indications on what she intends to do or is there any rumblings of what she intends to do
of 1588 or 1010?
Other than reading the tea leaves, she's made public statements about
supporting additional housing and addressing that crisis.
And she certainly supported everything in 631.
So whether that's tempered at all.
I think part of our argument was we don't even know what the impacts
of this 631 are going to be because it became effect or will become effective
July 1 of this year.
Yeah.
Why are you tinkering with it already trying to enhance it?
Right.
But you don't even know the impacts.
the original bill.
Right.
Yep.
Okay.
So I'll try to get...
If we could just, you know, just keep tabs on those and...
Oh, certainly, yes.
If I hear any of the governor actions, I will let you all know.
Great.
On school funding, in fact, we had a joint board meeting today in Concord that I attended.
The agenda is further into your committee.
further into your packet that I handed out to you.
Wasn't a lot of activity to report.
We got our business done within an hour, so that always indicates
things are winding down a little bit because all the legislation,
for the most part in education funding was ITL or tabled or interim study,
that sort of thing.
It not being a budget year, last year was the budget year, it wasn't much interested.
interest in reopening the budget and addressing that, even despite whatever ran court decision or
Conval court decisions were rendered.
So, um, can you speak, Paul, can you speak to the current, what, uh, judicial decisions
on Rand and Conval?
Because it seems to me that towards the end of last summer,
they kind of had some interim opinions and one was being reconsidered.
Where did we end up?
Yeah, quite honestly, we said kind of the same topic in our reading earlier today, what was the status?
Conval is still under, no, Conval has been decided, and that decision was under some sub-appeal
by the Attorney General's office, because in fact, the court said that, you know, you really should be paying $7,400 and change,
first student.
Rand was a two-parter.
The first part is the one that we participated in and spoke that
excess swept is legitimate and constitutionally
community, so we won that one.
The second part was, again, a mirror image of Conval,
except for the litigants for RANN in that portion of the case
with the taxpayers.
Conval,
against where are the school districts. So there's a different twist, so to speak.
Are the same.
That's the one that I don't know that...
You keep us in...
Certainly invite here.
We're planning our annual meeting in September.
We're hopeful we're going to invite the governor to see if she will attend.
Likely will be re-elected.
Of course, we don't know that until November.
But we wanted to get the coalition in front of her
and, you know, try to feel her out for her
sentiments and acknowledgement of our issues.
Then October, our Gala lives to invite two specific legislators who are main players in the
Education Finance Committee, both of them were partial authors of that 1800 and the 1787
bills this year that held in the committee.
So they seem to be the parties.
So they seem to be the parties.
that probably, if anything, comes out.
One's a Republican, one's a Democrat.
So they're going to be both sides of the coin
in their approach.
I know certainly because of the school fair funding crowd
that is advocating their position,
next year being a budget year,
they're going to strongly suggest that
you need to address the Conval value.
Do something different.
For your identification, the last page is a summary, a legislative summary, more or less what I just told you.
But it also reached the tea leaves a little bit into what might happen next session.
This was drafted by our obvious or advocate that we employ at the She and Capital Group.
To monitor everything for us.
So if someone really wants to get into the knots and bolts of what we do in the coalition,
coalition. There's kind of a good summary of.
And was there anything else you had in mind that I might
address?
I'm over time already, so thank you for everything, Paul.
You've been a really nice job for us.
We really appreciate it.
I try in the time that I'm allotted and it seems to work.
And I appreciate working for the town and I have
on all the projects my third.
You do a great work for it.
We really appreciate it.
We appreciate you coming in and telling us what you're doing.
That's what you're doing.
On our behalf.
Any time.
Thank you.
Thanks, Paul.
All right.
Not 715, but Chief, you're up.
Sounds good.
Fire Chief EJ Hoyt, E911 Addressing Project,
the Hampshire DOT Building and Road Naming.
Yes.
We got work.
So, I believe you've got the emails originally from the state.
So, Mr. Kiroak from this state.
the New Hampshire Bureau of Highway Maintenance in regards to
our new DOT shed that we have here in town.
So this is from, it comes down from the Fire Marshal's Office
and it's not just relative to us.
It's all DOT sheds in the state that are already not up to this standard,
if you will.
So what they're looking at doing essentially is
no cost of the town for any of this.
Essentially, essentially with this.
they want to do is from the circle down their main drag along parallel to spalling
to their sheds is considered a private drive driveway and have it named.
And then the current numericals that they have, because they have a nimble-held road address,
is to get that changed.
I mean, it could stay the same, but part of the information that they want from the fire marshal's offices,
any occupied building will have its own numerical.
numerical. So if you know when you go down there, the main building is the DOT side,
and the building directly behind it is the bridge maintenance crew.
So those two would have numerals. And then now all the state fuel pumps will have a numerical.
So there will be three new numericals down there. And then the remaining non-occupied buildings
will stay with their alpha-numeric title, like building A, building B, as it is now.
So I just want to get this in front of you guys because there's no issues on my end of it.
It's literally updating some stuff.
The state will have some costs on their end because they'll need to update the radio alarm, fire alarm box with the addresses and everything.
Obviously, they'll take care of the maintenance and all that other stuff and the road signs and everything else like that.
But they also requested, they have three preferred street names in their order of preference, which you saw.
preference, which you saw in the email, of maintenance way, service road, or granite way.
And again, I have no skin in the game.
I just kind of, if you guys had a preference or if you just want to go with their preferred name,
will we have a two or...
What is the road now?
Is it a driveway?
It's just a driveway.
Because the road comes off in Nimble Hill, that's Mitchell Way that goes to the circle,
and then their driveway comes off the street.
comes off the circle.
Okay, so are we actually making this a road?
It would be a private drive similar to your driveway.
So they would...
They would always have been built to private road standards?
We don't know what standards have been built to.
Well, it can't be then, right?
DoT came before the Planning Board, right?
I don't know as they built it to any standards, because they said it's a state driveway,
we can build any way we want.
There's no...
I mean, it's wider than anything.
You know, my concern is that if they want to make it,
I mean, I support making it a private way,
you know, if they wanted to make it like a class six,
then we, you know, when it come time to repave it,
they could come to us and say, hey, it's a town road,
repave it.
I'm not in favor of that.
You know, because if it's truly a private driveway,
and the only way,
thing that's kicking this off is E911, then I'm happy with them having a driveway
off of the circle on Mitchell Way.
Because even like South construction, it does.
Nimel Hill address as well.
Martha, could you ask...
Not Mitchell.
Well, the front of you.
Ask either Jeremy or John Krebs to, you know,
when they came and briefed us about building that shit,
said nothing got approved from the planning board because they said,
we're just here to tell you what you're building.
We're not asking your permission.
Just to keep in a loop.
And, oh, that was a hot meeting, too.
That was, uh.
I remember this.
Yeah.
Yeah, that was, that was, that was a,
but pull up that meeting and see if they discuss
the road standards at all.
But I, I don't believe,
but we don't believe.
But we don't just award private drives or recognize private ways without having,
you know, we wouldn't just name anybody's drive with a private way.
Right.
The property owner's decision.
Okay, I will get back to the board on that.
All right.
The other, I will say, I'd like to take the names under advisement also as a board.
Yeah.
I think there's probably a lot more culturally sensitive and community relationships.
community-related names that we can pay homage back to the original landowners
or farm or orchard or whatever was there prior to the maintenance shed driving way.
Don't go there.
Yeah, we looked back, just because you know what is that.
We looked back briefly prior to 1948 it was farmland.
Yeah.
So we were like that.
Like, you know, there's history there that probably should be looked at before it was developed.
And that might be a nicer thing than maintenance way or service road.
So you want to look back at that meeting and then also consult with the town planner about the, yeah.
The structure of the road and what standards that was built to.
Yeah, I have mentioned this to Krebs, and at the time, you didn't have any issues, but it wasn't in depth as far as the type of road knowledge.
I would always call it.
road, that's the color of their trucks.
Orange Drive.
All right.
That's all I got.
Okay.
Thank you, Chief.
Sounds good.
Wait to hear back.
We'll be able that pending for their information.
Let them know.
Let them know we are.
Absolutely.
And if you have any questions for me and we need to do anything.
Okay.
So that's the new Forest Street?
That is the new Forestry.
Where's the tower?
What's that?
What the tower?
The tower?
The tower.
is getting fixed at an issue during pump testing.
It passed everything, but when it was doing its final capacity,
like absolute max capacity test,
it just went back to idle in the middle of the test.
They tried it again and just went back to idle.
So it passed everything up to that point.
That's down in Massachusetts getting fixed
and getting its service done.
So that night made a trip.
We left Massachusetts and then went up to Hillsboro Ford
and got that well grow out.
It's here.
Which one?
In the first day?
In the middle day is usually the tower.
Part of the tower is in the other part of the tower.
Yeah.
I just saw the black run the Chevy.
What were you guys doing down to Kevin Lee Pond the other day?
We were doing department training on the 4th Street because the new skid unit that we have.
And then we're also doing remote floating pump training as well.
Because we have a couple of new guys.
And then the other part was go get lost, go out on the trails,
because people had been out there a long time or whatever.
Severely overgrown.
Yeah.
Because they have nobody to take care of it.
they have nobody to take care of it.
Yeah.
On their head.
I was walking that day on the marked trail and saw you
Yeah.
From the little lookout.
Yeah.
So everything went well, everything very great.
Cool.
Good to go.
Perfect.
Sounds good.
Thank you.
I see the boats in the water?
Absolutely.
Year round.
Are we the only community on Great Bay with a boat?
Durham just got one, but it's limited to a point,
because they had jet ski before.
Um, but pretty much yes.
And was in the middle of looking at a quite not apparatus.
Yes, they're going to, it's, it's in the CIP in there, it's got approved.
So, um, I guess that's a very big chunk of change.
That's quite the battle over there.
Yeah.
Um, yeah.
You keep up on the points move.
It's very, it's very, it's quite similar about they donated.
I think just a, uh, with a set of different opinions.
recently.
Yeah.
Well, the boat they did get rid of was a jet boat, so, which does not do well in these waters.
Yes, but we are the only boat year-round in the water.
Portsman pulled all their stuff.
They can put them in, but they keep them out in the water.
Sounds good.
Thank you.
Thank you for Jamie Meyer and to come in at 7.30.
Talk about three, why don't we do the manifest?
Thank you, Bob.
That's my sign.
Happy fourth.
All right, yeah.
You as well, sir.
All right.
All right. I can make a motion that we approve the manifest in the amount of $80,532.25
dated May the 21st of 2026.
A total of $58,8206 dated May the 28th, and $173,930, dated the 4th of June.
Second.
Any discussion?
Any big items in the new Martha?
The 173.
What was in it?
Yes.
You had health trust in your first one from 521.
That was over 60,000.
You had Armand in your second one date of 528 for 11,000.
And Dashant Fluke is the audit for 16,000.
And finally, on June 4, you had City of Portsmouth Hydrant Rental,
43,000 and Hillsborough Ford.
Hillsborough Ford for the new truck, 72,000.
Okay.
Which will be backed out of the capital reserves.
Exactly, right.
Yep.
And we did decide that that would happen post-aste, not 44.
Exactly, already to the trustees.
Okay, thank you.
Anything further on the three items?
Nope, not for me.
We had a motion and a second and all in favor?
All in favor?
Aye.
Aye.
The minutes?
Make a motion that we approve the minutes as written on May the 20th, 2026, public meeting.
May the 20th, 2026, non-public meeting, May 27th, 2026.
And June 3rd, 2026.
Second, any discussion?
I just wanted to ask a question about the former Jane Moore property and its progress.
and its progress. Is there any updates on that?
I just asked the town attorney this week what the status was.
He was waiting on our actual original document in the mail.
He received it and that is being sent off to the other attorney.
Secondly, was there any feedback from our general meeting with Health Trust from the different departments?
They were in, the departments are definitely in favor of the
of the flexible spending account benefit.
I have definitely heard that.
That's also, that's a win-win because of course the town receives,
doesn't have to pay the taxes on the funds that are pre-tax.
Any further discussion?
Okay, could you just have on 520 page 3,
the spelling my name corrected at the bottom of the page?
It needs to be right.
Page 3.
Thank you.
I can see why you want that question.
It's, I mean, it's okay.
I worked with people for years who spoke my name.
Being official minutes, probably should be spelled next.
We had a motion.
We have a second all in favor?
Martha, did we have any of the old minutes that we've been reviewing?
Yes, at the bottom of the agenda.
You have three sets.
None.
Can we do those next while we're right in front?
I have not read them.
I'll be honest.
So if I want to take this next few minutes to read them?
Yeah, let's take a minute.
9-721.
You three really got it right.
I had a couple open in that one.
It's spinning.
I'll speak for you, but no rush, bud.
Here you read mine.
I was just to say click on your Microsoft work.
Motion for you.
I would move that we unseal the minutes from October the
October the 13th, 2020.
20.
Any discussion?
More discussion from me?
All in favor.
Aye.
That also means I would move that we keep the non-public sealed minutes from June 1st, 2021 and September
7th, 2021, effectively sealed.
Do that as a second?
The motion?
Yes, I moved it.
Second.
Any discussion?
All in favor?
Aye.
It's going to show up on your, it's probably, are you,
It's probably, are you flashing on?
So for mine, I was flashing on Microsoft Word
because it was saying it was locked by Brandon
for some reason.
Or I say just on my own.
I'll talk about
It's spinning.
It doesn't stop it.
There's PUC still on new business.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Do you want to do the PUC thing on the new business?
In a nutshell, this article that I've given to the board
reports that the PUC has allowed, you
to delay charging customers the real costs of purchasing electricity.
So, in effect, Eversource was able to reduce their rates to their customers while
community power had to charge the full rate.
That's dirty.
To the tune of $50 million that they undercharge.
It was very dirty.
And there's been, so we've been pretty good, vigilant about, hey, our policy has been
we're not going to switch until it actually behooves all the taxpayers and all the people that would be automatically enrolled in community power.
However, I've watched other communities around us argue about this and we should get out of this.
I can't believe we're paying more.
We could save this much money if we just switch back to Eversource.
The whole thing's been an absolute game by the PUC and big power companies like Eversource.
It's unbelievable.
The public utility.
Commission would first of all allow that to happen.
And I really hope community power is capable of hanging on and weathering the storm
because they'll be in much better shape.
And I believe in those people much more than I believe in the folks out of, you know,
conglomerate of power brokers.
I emailed community power to ask them if they had any idea how much of the rate
would have increased.
increased this last year, you know, what we would have been looking at.
Now that that's made public, I'd be interested in finding it out from them.
Once UNITIL is allowed to charge us or do they charge us over time?
But we're going to pay for that sooner or later.
Like if we switch now, are they going to give us a retroactive bill for all the power we use that they didn't charge us for?
You know, there's a lot of questions in there that
Yeah.
No, I agree.
It's definitely a dirty policy and, you know, trying to force out the little guys.
Yeah, they were.
They tried to squash them.
And it was communities like both of our neighbors, honestly, that took this under serious advice
and I don't even know that Portsman didn't make a decision on it to leave the power
coalition and not being able to see a little bit of what's happening here.
I think what I read was it was a split vote.
It was a split vote, but the vote was to stay with it.
Yeah, I think the city opt to stay with it, but a lot of their counselors were urging people to switch to ever source.
Yes, it saves you in the short term, but at some point in time, if you've got a $50 million bill now, what is it, what does the first six months of this year look like?
you know, does that become $75 million bill that's going to come do at some point in time?
That's going to get distributed amongst everyone.
Everybody.
Well, and at what point, let's say we switch over to community power, and every source goes, oh, well, we undercharged you for a long time, so here's here, here's what you owe.
I don't know that they would do that necessarily.
And, I mean, maybe, Bob, right, there could be some clause in there that would allow them to do that.
But I think that they're going to go, at some point time, they're going to have to start charging every cost.
to make up that $75 million, $100 million, whatever it comes over time.
They're going to have to make that money up somewhere.
Yeah, the PUC's going to have to allow it, which is even more crazy.
Yep.
Yep.
You know, the board that's supposed to be looking out for the public.
Right.
I don't know.
Hey, I would love to hear from community power one more time if Andrew would be so kind to come back here
because I don't want to go off of one specific community.
and one specific news briefing.
There's also a news report on this happening where there's an interview.
And, you know, if we could, if we could assist community power at the time where the rates,
they have been sweating, attempting to keep their rates where they need to be in order to keep this thing,
this nonprofit thing alive, community power coalition, maybe it's time for us to, if should all that fair it out,
maybe it's time for us to give it a serious consideration while the rates are not in our favor.
Yep.
Because, A, they're going to be.
Well, and to let you kill in the big power roll, you got caught.
That's right.
And you got caught, and you're playing dirty, so we're done with you.
Yep.
And it might mean a lot to the coalition that people are still willing to support them.
Yeah.
Well, and I'd love to support them.
but just honest off-the-cuff thought is that people are really concerned with their personal wallets right now.
So that would be something we should be under advisement with this while because everything is more expensive now.
Great.
You know, if we end up...
A lot of people do not like the fact that you get automatically enrolled.
If you're on the default supplier, you get switched over.
So...
You know, we'd have to be very cognizant in that and be aware that everybody who's on default power is going to get swallowed to.
Yep, yep.
Because I know personally I'm on default power.
Something for us to consider and take under advisement.
It's certainly I want to make sure we do support, you know, Andrew Hatch and community power because I think they are doing the right thing.
They are charging the real amount, which is what should be, what should law should state, you have to charge the real amount.
Not allow that, not allow a false rate to be passed.
And then accrue $50 million in debt.
I don't understand it.
So we're going to see how you get to that point.
All right.
I see the school show must be over, so...
Yes, they're all eating cake.
Okay, so that's why you're in here.
That's what's keeping them busy.
All right.
Well, we have our 730, Jamie Byron, a tree planting on town property.
Yes.
The floor is yours.
Also, Kara and.
So, Karen is actually technically the, she's the president of the New England school supporters.
Okay.
And so we sort of work on this together.
Yeah, so thank you for seeing us.
We really appreciate it.
We're just coming out of a really special celebration of the sixth graders.
And as we all know, there's another milestone happening, which is that Mr. Lachow is leaving us after 14 years of being our principal.
And we felt as the NSS collectively and as a school community that we wanted to do something to acknowledge the way that he has shaped.
our school and our school community into something really special and really unique.
He's also our standing teacher, our STEAM teacher, and he does some really amazing projects with the students,
one of which recently, actually with the Byron's help, is tapping trees on the school property,
as I think you guys are aware of that project.
I think we improved that.
I think that came to you to the board.
And it was a great success.
The students were really engaged.
There was even a pancake breakfast where Mr. Lancho served.
The syrup to the family.
And just, and it's just, it was, it was something that inspired, actually, Jamie, inspired Jamie, to come up the idea that we would plant a tree, a maple tree in his child's honor.
And also donate some supplies to the school on his behalf and in his honor, also to keep that really special program going in the future.
It's great that there's teachers there that are willing to continue to do the maple sugaring.
The tree that we, if we have permission to do it, you know, it may take a while for this tree to be ready to be sugar.
but the intention and the thought behind it was to reinforce the connection of the special program
and special things that he's done.
So I don't know, Jamie, if there's anything else.
Yeah, no, I mean, really, like you said, there's that connection to the seam.
And, you know, it's interesting.
I was talking to Bob about this recently in the neighborhood.
And I think there's also something to be said about, like, just planting more trees, right?
Like, continuing those trees.
We were at the park the other day.
and they're giant.
To be fair to them, I encouraged you to come and talk to us, right?
Yeah, well, I knew.
I knew we needed to, that was both.
And to be fair to Bob, he was around when they planted those.
Probably.
But no, seriously, I mean, we have the same conversation at our house about, like,
continuing to add more maples because for future generations.
And so we were just trying to come up with a fun way to honor Mr.
latch wrong all that he's done to the school.
Steam really is, like, a huge thing that he brought that really wasn't there before.
So I know we were hoping to talk with you not only to get approval,
but also talk through logistics of possibly working with the highway department to get the tree
planted, if possible.
I know Bob had mentioned that there's a plaque, you guys are working on a plaque for a tree.
Is it at the old town home?
So maybe kind of working together there to have consistency of the plaques that go in front of the trees.
So I thought this would sort of be like a two-part to get the formal approval.
Do you have any idea of where you want to put the tree?
So we have walked the property with some of the teachers and staff and the idea
has been proposed to put it on the back side of the basketball court, but away from the
the ice rink. So it would be a place that would also be a shade opportunity in the future.
It's pretty open right there. So away from the school.
Away from the school. So not lengthwise, you're looking with wise towards the
parking lot of the tents courts. Right. And we are open to input and discussion about that.
That just was sort of the first, the first run of potential locations.
and again, yeah, open to do ideas.
And just to take it a little bit further on our planning around this,
we were proposing that the NSS use our funds to cover the cost of the tree
and the planting if that's necessary.
We have another successful race year,
the board unanimously voted to make this expenditure.
Right now, we have two different quotes from tree companies.
I also have a quote from a landscaper to do the tree and the install. So, you know, we
don't have an exact number. Yeah, we haven't made any purchases, obviously, but we're looking
at the low end, probably around 400 high end, if we do a full project, you know, a full
tree and install with a, with a landscaper that we hire, it could be as high as a thousand,
but we're hoping we could work with either the board or maybe outdoor pride, a local company
to help with installation and keep our cost down.
And actually, I do want to add to that, we're talking about fall planting.
We're not talking about doing something right now.
Our hope is that tomorrow, obviously, being the last day,
we wanted to be able to verbally present the gift,
and so he knows about it on the last day
when we're trying to get all the parents to gather around.
So we have the kit, the maple syrup kit,
because the supplies of this past year, we had provided some,
but the kit itself was very,
really his. So the kit is what we would hand to him tomorrow, and then we would present the
idea of the tree so that we would invite him back in the fall when we do the formal
planting, so everyone would gather again. So we do have time to sort of work through some
of these logistics. Like, I actually was randomly thinking this morning, I'm guessing that
you have had to dig safe in in the past, and you sort of know where things are, but I was like,
do we have to get them involved?
Definitely need dig-safe, because there are some things that could potentially be out that way.
Yeah.
As it go towards the tennis court, there's a water line that used to go to a water problem that was at the tennis court.
Okay.
Not in sure exactly where that is out in that area or where that feed comes off of Fox Point Road.
So I think we would need to do dig-safe.
Dig-safe is free.
Right, it's just a, but it's really going through those steps and we want to make sure that we have this.
time to do that. And of course the best time is full anyway. So yeah. I only have two
questions for you guys. One, what kind of maple tree? I wanted to have a sugar maple, but
we're open to. Yeah, we would check the soils because if that's clay soil, it'll kill
the sugar maple. Okay. I just had, I just had four sugar maples die a year ago because
I have clay soil. Okay.
Autumn Blaze maple, which you can also tap.
Yeah.
It does really good in clay soil.
Yeah, okay, that's good for you on.
It was recommended, it was recommended to me that we consider a red maple.
It's similar to red maple, red maple and autumn blaze, they'll actually push through the clay.
Okay, good.
Which is good.
Sugar maples do not push through clay.
Okay, we do have a sugar, we have a red, I don't know what kind it is, but I wonder.
Yeah, so just something to be aware.
Yeah, I don't want to see you guys put a tree there that gets,
died in a year that it dies off.
Yeah, that's a good one.
And then, what size tree are you placing?
So the, I've called, I've spoken with the folks that Straddle Circle, they have a 12 foot,
a 12 foot or a 15 foot.
Yeah, and in the cram.
That, those were more, really.
Yeah.
In the price range, the other, I have researched their pricing online.
I have not gone out there, but the plan is also to go to Paw Tech away.
tuck away, nursery, and we, they, I've heard they tend to have better pricing.
And I really would like to talk to someone on the, in a little bit more detail.
So whether or not Jane's able to come with me or not, but we'll certainly take all those
suggestions into consideration.
Yeah, my opinion, I think, you know, we could arrange state safe and have highway
go out and put a hole in the ground and can help put the tree in the ground.
In my opinion, I think that that's a fine thing to do.
won't need to have the school supporters pay to have a landscaper do it.
Yeah, the only thing I'd, you know, let's put a stake in the ground now.
Just to see.
Where we want the tree, that way, and dig safe is going to require that anyways.
Okay.
They're going to say, hey, where are you going to, where's it going to be?
Yeah. Do you want us to do that and you guys with you or just maybe send you a drawing of it?
Oh, and just keep it, if you want approval of the location, so?
How are you just staking the ground where you're rolling?
I mean, literally, I actually think that's a good idea because we could literally do that tomorrow.
I know, like frame out and you're banging in.
Yeah.
And you're just looking at one tree now or a maple row or anything?
Just one.
Jamie, I got a mallet all up and I get up, you know, you want to help out?
Yeah.
Oh, so nice.
Yeah, 145, we'll be out there.
And we, you know, I know this is being reported, but we're keeping it, is going to be kind of an informal ceremony.
formal ceremony tomorrow. I think the feedback we've been getting is not to make too
big a deal out of it, but we've really felt strongly that we needed to do something.
But there is a possibility that when we do the actual planting in the fall,
that we could do something more ceremony.
Great.
Right.
Which we can work with PETA.
Sounds great.
Yeah.
Nice idea.
Thanks for taking it.
I don't think you've heard anything negative from the board, so I'll take that as well.
We're all in favor of it.
You have the only other thing that said, you know,
The only other thing I'd say is plaque-wise, we received a plaque with my Liberty Tree.
In fairness, the plaque you got was larger than the Elm you played in the down.
I know that was not sure if you guys had been told him to the Elm debacle.
The plaque was so stitched.
So I was thinking something on a rock and I'm going to tell you what it costs
to get the plaque.
I do know that Martha and Jeremy Degwell will get at what a granite
post with a plaque on top of cost.
Those are around $23 to $2,400, which I'm not in favor of spending
in front of my own street.
Get one of those stones that has a brass plaque on the foot.
That's all that's what I was envision.
Yeah, we don't need to think.
It's really just for the kids.
Like we also, the thing, one of the reasons why we landed on a tree too
was it would be nice for the kids now who miss him
because we already know they are.
It's kind of, I guess the name goes to have a tree, sort of like a reflection.
Yeah.
moment.
You can get, my only point was, you know, I don't know that we have necessarily a standard for it.
There is a tree in front of the, next to my wonderful large elm tree, out at Old Town Hall,
that does have a small clockard in front of it that was dedicated to a former resident.
You could do something like that.
Jeremy was talking about maybe six by six pressure treated posts to put the clock
on or something or just small rock that you come out to do.
I don't know that there needs to be anything specific.
Even if you guys ordered one that just had a metal steak with it.
Right.
Any of those would be acceptable.
I love the idea that you guys want to plant another tree.
I'm all for it.
It helps take up water, take up ground water.
Obviously the benefits of being a maple, get more maple syrup from it.
In 100 years, yeah.
You might not be right.
It's like, you know, you can't grow pretty quickly, because what do you need?
You need, eight, 10 inches?
I thought it was like 20 inches.
Really?
I thought it was only 8 to 10 that you could put a single tap underneath an inch tree.
Yeah.
I can't remember off my head.
Well, I know where the Byron's cap mold to bed trees.
Yeah.
Those are probably much larger.
Well, I have huge.
He's got big trees.
Yeah.
And they produce, too.
They do.
They overflow.
Yeah.
Five gallon buckets, pulling like a day.
Nice.
Great.
I have sand.
Yeah.
No clay.
No, but, yeah.
Well, I think we're all in favor.
Awesome.
Thank you.
So, give me a call in the morning.
I'll come down.
I'll help you pound in the steak, and then then we can all officially say we know where it is, too.
Exactly.
And then, and then, I guess, we'll wait to hear.
If you want to do it in the fall, if you want to do your planting in the fall, just get back to touch with us on when you want to target it so we can have the plant called Big Sake in advance and get the highway team to go out there with the back hole.
And after we get it all marked and it's a good to go area, we would be able to go out.
But then you'd know the sides of the tree.
The important thing is the size of the ball.
Right.
And we want to make sure that we.
And ask the, whichever greenhouse you get it from, they'll tell you they recommend twice the size and a foot deeper and fill it with mulch.
Right, yeah.
One gave me a recommendation on compost and peat moss and also recommended a watering gator.
So there's a little bit more we want to make sure we got off the details.
It's a healthy tree, right?
Yes, we want to tell it.
We're going to go through all that.
I will tell you, when I did the autumn place, maple syrup.
place the sugar maples, I water them for one year, and they're great now.
They've taken off.
They're doing wonderful.
Yeah, that was the other reason why we thought the fall, because there's nobody around in the summer.
Right, exactly.
Trying to make it easier on ourselves.
Yeah, as well.
Awesome.
Thank you so much.
Great.
Yeah, thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I don't think we need a motion on all right.
I don't think we need a motion.
I mean, we won't be doing it without them, so.
Right.
We'll be involved.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you again.
Thank you.
I don't want to rush it, Bob, but I'll get a motion to adjourn.
I was just going to say, anybody has to see anything else on the agenda that we didn't accomplish?
I have one old business.
I just want to touch base on Martha, for July 2nd.
Do we have a plan as to what we're going to think for?
my own trade dedication.
I thought it was July 3rd at 9 a.m.
Did we decide on the 3rd?
Friday the 3rd?
I thought so.
That's what I had to hand.
Okay.
That's okay?
No, I probably did say the third.
Somehow I moved it to the second.
Wishful thinking.
Probably because I think I was trying to leave New Hampshire
at like 6 a.m. on the 3rd.
Yeah, but that's okay.
10 a.
It's okay.
It's okay.
It's okay.
It's okay.
And dedication reading up the declaration.
Yep.
Okay.
Perfect.
I thought we were going to read the Declaration of Independence
word forward.
There's a motion on the floor, everybody.
Yep, with no public here to make public comment.
Any discussion on that motion?
All in favor?
Hi.
Chris.
It's good.
It does.
A little bit better than my own.
better than my own tree.
Ah, that's in the eye of the older.
I will say, I will say, I don't know if you guys are aware, but they have offered replacement
of our tree.
Get out of here.
Yeah.
Are you kidding me?