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The camera.
The camera is on the red lights on.
Yeah.
So we're at 30 seconds.
I guess we can open the meeting.
So it's $5.59.5.5.
So I'll open the meeting.
And the first item on the agenda is deed signing for the Woodward Parcel.
And we have Sally Manicki in here.
Sally, could you give us an overview as to how this came about?
Yeah, of course.
Hi, everyone.
For those who don't know me, the name is Sally Nicky.
I work for the conservation fund.
And I've helped the town of Gorham,
through the Gorham Town Forest,
add lands to meet the needs of the town,
which is a little bit different each time.
And so last year when the announcement
of the Woodward Auction,
the estate of Stephen Boardberg came to Lake,
working with Jeff and the Lawrence Seward
and the Town Forest Committee,
and we pursued the two of the lots
and ended up succeeding in acquiring
the Dublin Street lot on the House
behalf of the town of Warren.
And so thanks to the DDS, Sinking Water, Ground, Water Trust Fund,
we were able to do some private fundraising.
We're now ready to convey it to the town.
So the benefits for this property is 27 acres.
It has, it's adjoins town property already.
We need to hear about the water benefits.
Jeff can talk to that as well.
It also contains a portion of the
quarter 19, the primary snowmobile trail.
I'm Brian's here as well talking about that.
And also part of the mountain bike trail.
It's also has no legal access.
So this being added to the town as in the butter,
the most likely order for property like this.
I'm happy to answer questions.
And so the goal here is to sign the deed
so that can be conveyed to the town hopefully the end of this week.
Okay.
Any questions from the one?
Does it take
it off the tax rolls, really paying taxes on it?
It's enrolled in current use, so the annual taxes are, I think, $20 or less.
The taxes we'd be losing on that parcel is $47.
How much are we paying for it?
$8,000.
Actually, it's going to end up being about $2,500.
$2,500, awesome.
Yeah, we managed to secure over $100,000 in grants and fundraise.
And that $2,000, basically, basically, will be $2,000.
To cover the cost of work.
That works for me.
Jeff, I've got some questions for you.
Okay.
Do you want to tell us what benefit will the town gets from having this parcel?
I know it's to help protect the watershed and flood protection.
There's a property about the alpine aqueduct, which used to be the main source of water for the downtown area.
Can you move over there?
No.
So the Alpine Aqueduct used to be the main water supply for the downtown area.
And I found out some history.
In 1960, the Alpine Aqueduct Company dissolved and sold and sold the Alpine Aqueduct
Reservoir Piping, Land, everything associated with it, to the Alpine Aqueduct.
go on water and sewer department.
I don't know when they get decommissioned,
but they ended up taking out an abutment wall
because it was a hazard.
There was actually still a reservoir, was holding water,
and somebody could have fallen in and drowned.
So they ended up busting in the pot.
There's still a good offer there.
If the town were to need a certain
an extra supply of water,
it could be taken.
tapped into. And this abutting piece of property would give us access to run a pipeline
down towards the airfield to be able to access it and pipe it into the town's existing system.
So basically it's watershed protection and I guess there's a potential for access
the Pine Mountain Trail?
Yeah?
Yeah, there's a potential that the ownership of this property
will help solve the access for the Pine Mountain Trail as well.
Yeah, that's been discussed as well.
Okay.
Any questions?
All right.
So I guess we're ready to sign the deed.
That's going to, Jeff,
that's also going to help with the flooding over on Dublin Street.
Is that right?
Did I hear?
I have no idea.
Keeping it forested would help the water stand in the soil.
Because in 2018 when we had that big flood?
No.
The side of the railroad tracks and found its way out towards Dublin.
Potter?
Yeah, because I remember Dublin and Potter being like knee-deep in the water.
I don't know if there's any mitigation effort for flooding.
Not that, I don't know.
That's right now.
Okay.
With this, the closing documents, I would need the board to approve me to sign those at a later date.
Yep.
So we'll take a motion to authorize Joe Hemings to sign the closing docs.
All in favor?
Hi.
That was quick.
I was expecting.
I mean, I can talk longer.
Thank you.
It's always an honor to work on behalf of the law.
Thank you again.
We've always had good luck with you.
Yeah, it's an honor.
So thank you so much for giving the chance to help you guys what you need.
So congratulations.
Thank you so much.
Thank you, Sally.
Thank you.
Thank you, Joe.
The signing docs are going to get a ride to closing.
Is it okay?
Joe, do you want to scan this real quick before I take the original?
I certainly can.
So you want to scan that?
Yeah, that would be great.
Yeah, that's just for you to get a coffee before we're trying to close and then drive it to Conway.
So you're going to drive it to Conway?
Yeah, we'll take it.
Perfect.
Full service.
I'll scan and email at all.
Yep.
Oh, sure.
Yeah, thanks, Jeff, for coming.
Thanks, everyone.
Thank you.
Thank you.
So we'll wait for my good to be done with.
Okay, we have next item on the agenda authorization letter for Paul Robitai to continue on the TAC committee.
Yes.
Yeah.
So this is the Gorham Board of Selectmen authorizes and appoints Paul Robitai as the town of Gorham's representative
to the North Country Council's Transportation,
Advisory Committee, which is the TAC committee.
Further, if Paul is unavailable, the town manager, Joe Hemings, is appointed as the town's
alternate representative to the TAC committee.
I think this has to happen every two years.
This is just up for renewal.
Yeah, I think Paul has represented us on the TAC committee for at least 12 years, if not more.
So I'll take a motion to authorize Paul, Robitai, to
continue on the TAC committee?
You can't move in second.
So I'll second.
All in favor?
Aye.
Aye.
You're not going to sign this, Rich, no?
Yes.
Thank you.
The next item on the agenda is the MOU for the railroad street light.
Joe, could you read that for us?
I can, yeah.
So the purpose of the Board of Selectmen's memorandum is to clarify the status of a utility
pole located on or near number two railroads.
road street map U2 lot 55 currently owned by Lisa and Paul Montemini whereas the
pole and the street light was placed 75 years ago in the 1950s when there was an
active right-of-way into this neighborhood and with the apparent mutual consent of the
town and the property owners at the time whereas this action predates Gorham
zoning and planning boards the town considers the current status quo and
as grandfathered and shall continue as such until the current landowners or future
landowners decide to remove the pole or modify the pole which shall be done at the owner's expense.
And they've signed it?
And they have signed it already?
Okay.
We just need to sign it.
The next item on the agenda is the anonymous communications policy.
Joe, you want to read that for us?
I do.
To promote transparency, accountability,
and fairness in the conduct of public business, the GORM Board of Selectmen,
shall not take official action on matters, complaints, allegations, requests, or other
communications submitted anonymously. Individuals seeking board consideration for an issue
must identify themselves and provide sufficient contact information to allow
verification and follow-up if necessary.
Anonymous submissions.
may be referred to the town manager for administrative review when appropriate.
However, no formal board discussion, deliberation, investigation, or action shall occur solely
based on an anonymous information unless otherwise required by law when the information prevents
an imminent threat to public health, safety, safety, or welfare.
Thank you.
This is, this policy has always been in effect.
since I've been on the board, but not in a written form.
So we decided it was time to, to formalize the policy.
Any questions?
So I'll take a motion to accept it.
Second.
All in favor?
Hi.
Hi.
Hi. Thank you.
Zipping right through this.
Next item on the agenda is abatements, commercial abatements.
Michelle?
What do you get, for us?
It's a short staff this time, Judy.
Oh, thank you.
Thank you. Appreciate it.
There's only four in this one.
These are the abatements from San Suisse.
And I'll give you each.
I can get them all stuck there.
So there's a package for each one.
So there were only four commercial abatements that came in this year.
Two of them are.
storage facilities and two of them are dealerships.
So the first one that you're looking at is owned by 738, New Hampshire, 16 LLC,
which is 36 Glen Road.
It is the storage facility over here on the Glen Road.
They appealed their value.
Their original value was $1,874,900.
They did supply.
some additional cap rates, which the San Suuze Group did put into their analysis and
doing so did lower their value a little bit, lowered it to $1,846,000, which is a reduction
of $28,900,000, and that with interest of $12.92 comes to a total abatement of $6,900.
$6.63.
Any questions?
The abatement ends up with interest of $690.63 cents.
He only has the abatement itself, which is $677.71, then I have to add interest.
So we'll take a motion to accept the recommendation of the assessing.
All in favor?
Aye.
Hi.
The next one is.
for Bertrand and
Tracy Gruen. This is
for the storage facility that's
located at 38 Lancaster
Road. And
they had appealed their value and again
provided additional
cap rates. And
once they were put into
their tables, that reduced their
value from
it was $1,804,400.
It reduced it to
$1,779.
or a reduction of $25,400, which would cause an abatement of $5.95.63 plus interest of $12.27 for a total refund of $607.90.
Any questions on this one?
I'll take a motion to...
All in favor?
All in favor?
All right.
The next one is for a property that was all right.
owned by Carson. This is for properties at 471, 479, 481, and 485 Main Street. The assessor is
recommending that you deny the abatement because the taxpayer has not provided sufficient
information to support the income approach that they're using. And they also have not
considered or provided any information regarding the cost approach. So they
They are recommending at this time that you deny the abatement.
Any questions? All in favor?
All right.
The last one is for Cars DB4, which is a property at 545 Main Street.
And again, they are recommending that you deny it and for the same reasons.
Any questions on this one?
I'll take a motion to go with the recommendation of San Suu.
Okay.
All in favor?
Nice.
And that is all of the ones that I have.
I've been on your business.
Last line, we had a 25.
I inadvertently signed my own that I abstain.
I did see that.
So we need to take that off.
So what I can do is, is probably from the next meeting, I can give you a new form.
And they'll just need to leave that vote again.
I did notice that.
So these I will leave here.
There are.
two places to sign on the ones that you approved and only one place to sign on the ones that were denied.
And if you don't need anything further from me, have a good night.
Thank you.
Thank you, Michelle.
And Joe, I will grab those from you tomorrow.
Great.
Thank you.
Unrelated.
Okay.
The attack committee, did anybody show any interest on that?
I'm not sure, to be honest.
I know I was on it years ago.
I don't know how they're going to know if it was an appetite.
I don't know how they select members or how that works.
I'm not sure even.
All right.
Next item on the agenda, presidential range riders proposal.
Mr. President, did I make a request that public call be allowed immediately enough to the presentation
and before any board action recording the presentation?
I don't expect any board.
action but sure I'll allow public comment you're still limited to two
minutes fine I'll just read through this real quick and if you have questions
they go show them out good evening I'm Brian and well as you may know president of
the presidential rangerings riders and lifelong resident abhorne just a little history in the
club founded in 1971 by some locals including Bud Levit Macon Macon Fis
Cower bowl Paul Doherty
to name a few.
We are 100% volunteer clubs
with no paid members.
We own and operate two large
crystal bully groomers.
These machines cost and excess around
$2,000 each.
Funding
the club comes in different ways
to the New Hampshire grant and aid system,
which is all
registration dollars,
memberships,
business memberships, and other various grants
for equipment and trail work
that we can seek.
This year we successfully secured about
80,000 and various grants
for trail improvements.
We work year-round
to keep these trails open,
whether it's physical labor,
endless paperwork
or endless paperwork
the state requires,
keeping our landowner
lists up to date
or applying for upcoming
season's grants for state contracts.
It's a year-round job,
not just winter.
The club is transferred over the years
from just maintaining
and building trails
to all.
also help drive and promote winter tourism of
warm and surrounding communities.
Without well-maintened trails
and accessibility of businesses,
snowmills would not come here to ride.
As you went to Gorm from any direction,
you're welcomed by our large wooden signs.
We've all seen them.
And you've seen the picture in the back
that it has
the icons of four-wheels,
mountain bikes, snowmobile,
like theirs, and snowfield.
Those signs clearly represent
Gormas community that welcomes
outdoor recreation and includes
snowmobile. That message
isn't accidental. It reflects
decades of identity, culture, and
economic reality.
For over 35 years, maybe more,
because we don't really have records
of it, Shlongos have safely used
designated streets and sidewalks to access
main street businesses. This system
has worked that has been managed responsibly
and become part of
what makes form a snowmobile destination.
Snowmueling is not
just recreation. It's a major
economic driver.
Snowmwheels can come here
specifically because they can ride
into town, stop at restaurants, get fuel,
shop, and stay overnight, enjoy the trails
we maintain. If you remove that
access, you're removing a reason
for people who come here at all.
Many of our local businesses depend
on winter traffic
to get through the slower months.
Losing that access is directly impacted.
Long wine. And I just included
this, the last
economic report
that the New Hampshire Snow
and Wheel Association was part
of and paid for was in 2010.
And there's just some numbers on there.
Approximately $367 million
annually to New Hampshire economy.
You know, more than $1.1.1 million
of registration fee revenue
and so on and so forth.
More than a million
in room and meals tax
revenue generated by snow wheel is
kind of interesting. I wish
you had a more current one.
For New Hampshire, there's been other states that have
done them, and of course the numbers have gone
up, just
dollar-wise.
Eliminating
snowmobile access would
be a major change with long-term economic
consequences. Once that
access is gone, it'll be very difficult
to bring back that traffic
and those dollars back.
Tonight, we're asking for continued
access for the sidewalks and streets
shown on the attached map
much like they
have been. We would
like this documented and suggested
as suggested by board member
Bob Garano. We're also
working on some alternatives that
may give better access in the town, but this may
take some work in time.
We're also working on a slightly
different route that eliminates some of the
Church Street route.
Also added the RSA
that reads about
the town being able to
allow access on streets
and sidewalks.
If you want to read through that, you can.
In closing,
we're asking the town preserve what we've worked for
for for decades, work with us,
work with local businesses,
and find a solution that supports both
infrastructure and improvements
in economic health reform.
On the map,
it's kind of hard to read.
It's basically
shows the purple line
coming out of
Bellevue by the airport
is what's traditionally been
used and that had been
previously approved.
Kind of just wrote a brief description
of where we can and can't go.
So from
the jump, from
where you come out of Bellevue,
you were allowed to go north as far as the corner
of Lutu 16th.
And then
as south as far as far as
far as
say the pub house
and then
actually excuse me
as far as
donkey donuts
and then we left the gap there
not always adhered to
because people will still
ride through it
we left the gap there
to miss some of the
Ed Venn traffic in and out
on those two streets there
so to access
missed the pizza
butcher's daughter
you would use Church Street
and then the only other access
we have is
through the jungle, which I think
everybody knows what the jungle is. I was talking to somebody
yesterday and I mentioned jungle and they said
what's the jungle? It used to be
that's the area over there. It used to be
Bung's jungle.
Right. So we've come out there
and we cross the railroad bed, cross
railroad street and get access to the
common, which can bring you to
subway and
a couple of farms.
We
we marked the common
no snow
wheeling beyond that point because
snowmills are not supposed to ride out with the sidewalk
here towards here at all.
So it's contained in that
that area.
So yeah, we'd like to be able to
continue doing what we're doing
before we went into the last meeting
that was
next door in the theater.
We had no idea
where the new sidewalks.
going to be, and I understand that you guys
chose option two, is that correct?
Which is basically
gets us up to what the height, just be on the
high school. Yeah. The church street
basically. So we wouldn't
be riding on any
new, newly
paved, newly surfaced sidewalks.
So the routes
basically haven't changed?
The routes have not changed on our end
unless you guys see the need to do any
modifications. Like you said, we are
working on some other ideas to
possibly eliminate some
sidewalk travel,
but it's going to take a little while
to see if we can even
do it. I'm looking,
you know, especially
coming into this winter,
it can take time to get some of this stuff
done. So
that's basically what
we're looking for right now.
I have a couple questions.
I understand the business is you
need to get through you've been using it, but
what I hear
from people is the people walking on the sidewalk
have difficulty with the snow
wheelers. They have to get off the sidewalks.
A lot of people walk in the street, which makes it
dangerous. So
I mean, how do we overcome that?
I've also had people who live on the main street
tell me that their lawns get ripped up
every year because when
the snow gets thin, they don't ride on the sidewalk
they're right up on their lawn.
Well, we've had one problem with people
with one person's lawn,
the corner next to Js,
and two, three, three.
Three years ago, we corrected
that and he hasn't had a problem since.
This may not be the same thing.
I've not heard any other complaints on Main Street.
He just told me, I just heard from him this week.
You don't know where he lived.
No, I don't.
We had some problems last year on Church Street
when the snow was low
and we closed
the Church Street for the remainder of the season
because we're having a problem. And that's one
of the remotes we're working on is
to get rid of those people.
to bypass those people's houses
so we don't even go
buy them. If we can make it work,
it'll be better.
And I know Church Street's not
the ideal street,
especially on a Sunday morning if there's church
going on. Typically, we don't see that
because people aren't coming in
in town until later in the day
to eat. And if they're running
Church Street, they're going on with the pizza.
As far as a pedestrian,
Yes, it could be a problem, for sure,
where they have to even step into the snow
or step off the sidewalk
because it's hard to move that machine.
You know, if there's no, if there's snow on the sidewalk
in some of the street, it's easy for the snow machine to go around.
And we have clearly marked it that pedestrians do have the right away.
Whether you get in some snow
wheels that don't abide by it,
you know, we suggest that you
either pull over
off the sidewalk
and possibly stop
and let the person
walk to go by. Like I said,
it's not
made to be a trail,
it's access. We don't
want people riding up and down Main Street
by any means just to take a ride
ride, and I don't know who would,
especially if there's no snow.
I think just educating
the public,
you know,
you're never going to get to 100%.
We all realize that.
Just educating the public
that, you know,
the pedestrians have the right of way
and, you know,
some etiquette,
if they can basically stop
to let the pedestrian,
you know, go by.
I think that would be,
I think that would be helpful.
And if we can have some type of
flyers made up,
I'm the only person in town
right now doing OHRV registrations.
So anybody that's
coming to me for no HRV registrations,
I'd like to be able to hand them.
Sure.
You know, kind of a...
I think one thing we could do,
and we have some of it,
but it probably could be better as a
signage before you come off
the trail. I don't know if you guys
familiar, there's a large kiosk at the
junction at the airport and the pipeline
trail. And I've
tried to mark it to say
if you're going to
Mr. Pizza, go this way.
Because a lot of people will just exit up
there and they'll ride the whole sidewalk all the way down
to miss pizza when they don't have to.
And if you're going to
whatever, Kremlin Farms,
keep going, and then there'll be another
exit. And then also sign it.
So it says pedestrians
have the right away. Large sign,
bright.
That's for the progression.
Yeah. You know, have the signage out there
give me something I can hand out there.
You know, anytime
anybody... And I think we could do a little
better signage along Main Street.
you know, and all that's going
in the right direction. We've made
different signs over the years and put them in
and they do
work, but I think we could get them a little
brighter, you know,
reflective maybe, too.
That's a good idea.
Yeah. Yeah. So I think
we could do some stuff there to
maybe call some of that. And
you know, if anybody has a problem
with a snowmobile
going on their lawn or whatever
and they don't want them there,
and you guys get a call,
please let me know because I will take care
of it. We'll stake it.
We'll put up snow fence, whatever we
do. We've done that in the past.
You know, we don't want
people pissed off
because snowmills are...
I think it's important, too, as we move in the winter,
you know, to touch face,
you know, with the board and come in and, you know,
provide some updates or even a couple
of pictures of some of the signage in place.
Yeah. You know, so we can promote,
you know, so we can promote that on social media.
Absolutely.
Can we possibly set a speed limit for snowmobiles?
We do. It is. It's 10 miles an hour.
Oh, okay.
Yeah.
Yeah, it's 10 miles an hour on the sidewalks.
And actually any cloud road in the state is supposed to be 10 miles an hour
unless otherwise posted.
And you said you're still working on other possible access.
Yeah, there's a couple.
Well, I can explain Church Street a little bit.
If you're familiar again with the jungle,
we have the trail that it crosses down by the Pramonai Street field,
goes into the jungle that way,
then we take a right to go towards Big Day.
The trail is actually there.
If we take a left, that trail will come out right next to the railroad right away.
It comes out, so it misses all those houses.
That land is owned by Big Day, that whole point.
If you look at the taxi,
map, there's little finger that goes right out to railroad street.
So I got to talk to Jason and his other owners about opening that up.
I don't think you'll have a problem with it, but, you know, I got to run it by them and get it all approved.
So that would eliminate, I can't remember all the people's names, but on the corner of church
and promenade is that one house there, then Grones property, and then Wilson Street on the corner of
the corner where I used to live, FOTUS.
Yeah.
They lived there, and then the next house that would eliminate people driving all by their properties.
Yeah.
And they were some of the ones that had issues last year, especially VOTU.
And, you know, we had stated he had put his own cones out.
And some of these guys were riding over the cones to get snow.
And I was dumb-compyed by him, like, are you kidding me right now?
And so we closed the street, we closed the trail.
Right. We don't have that problem with the local riders.
It's the out of state and out of town.
And they're hard to police.
There's always a bad apple.
Yeah.
The same people we drive them.
Yeah.
What's that?
Some people we drive with.
Yeah.
Like, I'm going to apply that to the ATV.
Right, right.
It's like that with any group.
Which is always some people that don't respect what you're doing.
But, you know, property owner-wise,
typically people will call me if they have a problem,
they'll reach out and say, hey, can you come look at this or can you come put up some more signs or whatever?
In fact, the guy on the corner of this, next to Jay's there if I didn't remember the name of that street.
What is that, Broadway?
I can't run the name of the street.
No.
But anyway, he has a store the signs at his house.
He says, hey, take the signs, put him behind the shed.
Is that Warrior's house?
I don't know the fellow's name.
Right behind, right behind.
Right on a corner.
There's kids here in the house, right, on the court.
Four years, yeah.
Yeah, and nice guy, he called me and had us come over one day and talk to us.
I think it's mine, but you know, you're going to call them and response.
I think that's going to go off.
That goes a long way.
Yeah.
You know, with, you know, taxpayer relationships.
Right.
So the other access haven't really dug into it too much.
I've just looked at it a number of times is, I'm trying to see on this map.
But basically,
it would come out of Lee Corrigan's pit
cross and come out behind
the old Burger King.
Oh, yeah.
So it would get us into the center of town.
Because the last time you mentioned something about
possibly identifying two or three parking areas
that you can pull into and then walk
and then they could walk to them.
Right, because if you could get there,
they could park there and get to the barbecue joint
and have a lot of this.
It's a bunch of donuts, the pub house, it's all right there, McDonald's.
The White Mountain Cafe, it's all right there.
If we could make that work, man, that would solve a lot of sidewalk travel.
Are people, are snowmobiles using Union Street at all?
No.
Union Street, well, I don't know if there's any,
they might be a local or two that use it.
Yeah.
But it's not a marked access street.
I was thinking that if the snowmobile,
get off the trail and came down Union Street and then went into Dunkin' Donuts parking lot.
I mean, they can ride from restaurant to restaurant parking lot.
Union Street, now this is going way back.
Union Street used to be an improved street.
That's the street and that's the Duncan Donuts, right?
They used to come out of the Sam Pit down the street.
We lived on Union Street and that's what we used.
Yeah.
Well, there was a number of residents there that did not like it.
and they put up a stink and worked with them and we closed the street.
And that was going back, I don't want to say 20 years ago,
because I remember sitting at one of these meetings with those residents
and it wasn't going well because it was, it is a narrower street,
this considerable amount of bus traffic.
So we just decided, well, as long as we still have access to these businesses,
through another way, we can do away with Green Street.
So that's why that went away.
Right, because there's a sand pit up behind the main street.
Yeah, that's Lee's sandpit now.
We're recording all that.
And then it borders some of the Druseland land that it's still on.
So there's other various ideas floating around.
I'm sure once the season gets started too and people are actually out there,
you'll get some ideas as they're driving alone.
But we do.
get quite a bit of traffic on our social media pages Facebook.
A lot of people asking where to eat, where to stay, where to this.
And I also have a newer website that I got a guy running for me
that is always posting trail conditions and when stuff's open and closed.
So we can, you know, put notices out about the streets.
And I don't have a problem towards the end of the year when the snow's low.
And that's,
sidewalks are totally bare and there's no snow anyway, but they don't, you close them.
You know, me as a snowmobiler, and if I'm riding to wherever, a hole broke,
and I've got to ride a mile down the sidewalk, I'm not doing it.
With no snow, you're going to ruin your machine.
Right.
So if you guys have any other questions.
Well, I think the signage is key, and I think we'll validate that, too,
is just the inquiries that you get, you know, just on social media.
Yeah, and having, you know, the additional signage or, you know, the updated signage out there,
I think that would have been a lot of the way.
But like you said, well, we should get this in the town records
because we did this a number of years ago, not that long,
maybe 80 years ago, and there's no record of it.
That's kind of why we're hearing in tonight,
because we don't have a record of what streets are open,
and we didn't have the selectman's signatures saying,
hey, this is good to go.
So that's something.
we do want that we will need report it.
I think if you work with the town bob and Joe, you can probably get some type of framework going.
Yeah.
And then also give it to the PD and clearly, you know, show where we can and can't ride.
You know, if they start seeing people riding up from the common, well, if you could email this to me,
I could print, you know, like 24 by 30s.
Yeah, that were.
You know, I probably, I couldn't find a better way to do the map.
No, but that's fine, conceptually, so, but if you send me something,
I can't, you know, I can print them, sure, I can print a lot of copies.
Okay, colored copies, you don't pick one.
Yeah.
When you close a trail, sorry, when you close a trail, how do you close a trail?
Is there an app you guys use or just to let you know?
There's an app.
There's a, there's a couple of apps.
Number one, we posted online.
And then also, there's an app.
called it Sled New Hampshire,
which is a statewide app
that I would say, I'm guessing,
80, 85% of people that Snowlill use
because it shows it is open, closed,
caution, logging, cloud.
It has all kinds of stuff.
Is that free?
It's a $2.99 charge each year.
So it's not a big deal for people.
The other one they use is
Polaris Rykenau.
Which is free. It's not as up-to-date as the Sled Manxia app.
So, once a week during the winter, the state will either email or call us
and ask us our trail conditions.
And we'll tell them when stuff opens, what the condition is, or when stuff's closing.
So it's updated all the time.
And then when I, if we open a trail, say, midweek, I email the guy who runs the app and he
turns it green. Or if we close a trail, he'll turn it off. And then a notice will go out.
So it's...
We're also physically marking. Yes.
Some of the trails, like over the years we've done from, say, the bottom of Gorham Hill,
where the intersection is, to come over the bridge towards Gorham, we install the gate.
So when we, because downtown typically will close before some of the other stuff, so we gate it.
So you can't even get access.
unless somehow you sneak around the gate, but pretty unlikely on the bridge there.
So, yeah, we do have, we've been installing more and more gates as needed so we can close stuff off.
So if something one area becomes a problem, you can gate it off, close it until people get the message that...
Yeah, it's possible that can be done. We can close stuff like that, you're sure.
Yeah. I mean, example, like last year with church, you were having a problem, we went up with some signage and some ribbon and we closed it.
You know, don't go here.
Yeah.
And people didn't after that.
So there's always that option. If you're not behaving on...
Yeah, don't abuse it or we're going to lose the privilege.
Or you're going to close it.
Yeah, for sure.
I have a question.
Does the town have any liability if something does happen to somebody on the sidewalk?
Somebody getting out of the way of snowmobile, falls, breaks a hip.
Who's responsible?
I don't know.
You'd have to check with Pramax?
I would.
Yeah, I can.
Well, there's a town of responsibility of someone who's tripping on a curb.
Yeah.
True.
But.
And snowmobile is usually...
And if you read the IRA in there, it's all legal to do, and it's probably falls into some of the NHSA insurance.
I'm not sure of that.
I have to double chat.
Yeah.
and most no-mobiles have insurance on there.
And that's only from the RSA also.
I just...
I think there were two or three that commlemented one of this.
Yeah, that was just part of it.
I didn't want to fit the whole thing.
The little one that I sent you?
Yes, you and Peter.
Which, I don't know if you were copied on those or not.
But you can look it off or I can send it to you.
Yeah, I can check it.
time next to see about yeah I don't think we are liable to be honest because
it this has been going on for 35 years let me let me forward you the specific RSA
that we have three of them so we could look at those first before you called
fine next to do those
I'll copy you on those right
any other questions from the board?
Mary?
Mary?
I don't know if anybody else wants to escape?
Well, yeah.
the U.S. first.
Okay.
Two minutes isn't much, so I'm going to have to compile things down very much.
Mary White.
I think the biggest problem that I'm seeing right now is kind of too full.
It feels to me that the pedestrians who use sidewalks that their needs not being addressed.
It's like, well, you know, somebody's going to have.
have to step on the side or somebody's going to have to yield or whatever.
I didn't tell you, I don't walk the sidewalks when snowmobiles come because I can't step
aside, okay? With a walking disability, I can't step aside. If you're pulling a child
and a sled, you can't step aside. And it's pretty intimidating to be staring face to face
with a snow machine. I think there are other alternatives that were discussed at the committee
meeting on May 20th.
that never quite made it to the public.
It will be made to the public.
In the meeting documents for the public informational meeting,
Main Street Pedestrian Improvements for GORM, New Hampshire, from H.E.B,
we had a section called Next Steps.
Okay?
And it basically said, let me see if I can buy it.
Here's somewhere.
it basically said that you folks would have the meeting on May 11th, which we did,
and all kinds of questions came up as a result of that.
And the committee was supposed to be formed, which it was,
and then ultimately before we had a chance as a committee
to present all of the ideas that were discussed,
the committee was dissolved without any action by members of that committee.
But for next steps, according to H.E.B. engineers, gather feedback from today's meeting, which is May 11th, and the town chooses a proposed action. You did that on June 1st. The next step is conduct a public proposed action meeting. I asked Bronson, when is that happening? He has no idea. We don't want to miss a step. Okay? I don't know if the grant would be put at a
risk if we choose not to do that step. I would highly recommend that there be a public
proposed action meeting scheduled and then submit the engineering study with alternatives and proposed action in the
summer of 2026. I'm hoping that alternative number two has not already been submitted as part of the engineering study.
If it has been, you missed a step.
So I'll be looking at
to find out when that's going to be scheduled.
Okay. Thank you. Anyone else?
Lisa?
I had a question. At the meeting we went to, one of the business owners, and I don't know who it was.
I don't know if it was Mr. Pizza or another one from the Rit Place.
But he suggested using the north sidewalk and allowing that to go all the way.
Is there any reason why I think because you have right away still?
And you could use that whole thing all the way up.
I agree.
He said it and I was like, that's a great idea.
Am I allowed to answer?
Oh, yes.
Okay.
Just didn't want to step on the line.
You're right.
And that's one of the other things we're considering.
In fact, Mary did make that suggestion on the meeting that she attended.
When the committee meeting, we talked about that other side of the street as a whole.
My interests,
right now
is looking short-sighted
for this winter.
That's the only reason I'm pushing
to get this through because I don't want to have
it closed without
any plan whatsoever.
Part of our
thing forward is to look into that.
There was some other variables
there that John Vizu brought up
with being a white line
community he called it, and there was
some drainage over there that was a possible.
So I do
think it was Rick from Mr. Pizza
that mentioned that going up that side of the street
for a ways, which I think is a good idea.
And the RSA allows that as long as
we cross at a 90 degree.
We can't, you know, shoot sideways.
But I think that's something that we are looking into as well.
Because ultimately,
man, if we could have pedestrians on one side
of street and Trillus and the other side would be
the ultimate. Right?
we even talked about
down the road, can we leave a little snow
there, you know, and not
plow it back to the curb?
That's a lot
to do with DOT and the town.
And I didn't, I don't think we have
time to do that before this winter.
That's the only reason I'm pushing for this
to keep status quo right now.
We have an immediate need, and then we have a long term.
And I think the long term, if we can investigate,
using that north side like we had.
And that's my goal,
ultimately.
is get off as much sidewalks as we can,
you know, because it's just going to make it better for everybody.
Residents, pedestrians, and snow wheels.
The only problem I see with the north side
is the snowmobiles crossing the street
to get to the restaurants because they're all on the south side.
That could create a danger.
Most of them, yeah.
It could.
that was the last time we brought it up.
We're crossing the street in various locations now, you know.
Now stations are on the own problem.
Yeah, right.
So we do cross.
And one more thing, I just, you know, I think it's a great option.
Why are we not looking at holding that north side
from redoing putting more of the money on the south side
in the event we can do what they're suggesting
that we use that whole north side?
Yeah, the other thing that was brought up.
The other thing that was brought up down the road,
and it gets sticky with the federal grant
because I'm still not on board with it 100%
is they say they can't allow motorized use on it
because it's a Fed grant.
But that money comes from transportation funds,
which we contribute to.
There's other materials that can be used
that don't take as much wear as normal asphalt does.
And in fact, they got some in the arrow where the snowmobiles cross the road.
It's been there for two years now.
You can barely see a scratch.
So people worried about the sidewalks getting messed up.
That might be an alternative to down the road.
You know, when we do start doing with some of the other sidewalks in town.
And it's just going to be a more durable material.
It's a different type of basketball.
Would you even need sidewalks on that?
We may not.
If we could get that to work over there, we might need just a little bit.
The only place that's
You wouldn't think you'd have some deals on the sidewalks,
anyway, especially if they plow them,
and you wouldn't have any of them.
Right. The only place that concerns me a little bit,
say if you came out of the airport road,
Bellew, crossed the street,
immediately got on that side on Bashaws,
is between
Vashos, Yokohama,
going on Med Center. There's a lot of traffic
roads in and out of there.
You know what I mean? So that might be a little bit of the street.
Beyond that.
that it's clear sailing, you know.
I think that we've raised so much awareness about this right now,
currently, that, you know, as we approach snowmobile season,
you know, we look at it again in real time.
Right.
You know, to go out there and see what, you know, what can work.
Yeah.
But ideally, if we can separate, you know, separate the two pedestrians.
It may be come to a point where we can try that for a season
and see how it works.
Or try it for a lot.
and see how it works. If it's, if it's not working, then we don't do it.
I think it's worth what you can happen. That was something I wanted to do later.
Do we need to do anything to plan for that?
I think we do.
Talk to the DOT. Yes. And, and, at least put them on notice that.
I just haven't had a chance to get that far into it. That's why I present.
It's a long-term, long-term grant, so they have no notice.
Yeah.
So you're asking for this number and just for this year,
but we
would move this.
Oh, yeah.
The whole thing.
This was evolving.
She's working on it.
Yes.
Yeah, because I don't know where it fell out between new sidewalks and the meeting,
but all of a sudden we didn't have permission legally.
I'm trying to establish a baseline.
So that's not working.
That's why I'm here.
My suggestion would be to put the committee back into effect
so that we can continue to look at those issues.
we're looking long term and for the select
board to only do any kind of MOU for a year's season at a time rather than
blanket from now and forever well we've had it for over 35 years now I understand but
like I said pedestrians need to be concerned as well so if we can put the committee
back together but work for additional alternatives do a one season
at a time as we work for other alternatives.
I think that's really a way to go.
Mary, my whole thing was the committee.
I never wanted to do a committee.
I was kind of, we were kind of pushed into it that night.
And the only reason I thought we needed a committee
is because I thought we were redoing all the main street sidewalks.
So I was in panic moment, like we got to do something.
And when I realized we weren't doing all the main street sidewalks,
we didn't need a few.
committee and that's why I backed out of committee and I said we're not
riding on any new sidewalk at this point unless you guys change what's going to
happen with the grant money it's not going to change so that's why I didn't
need to get bogged down on more committees and meetings I do enough of them between
my job and snow wheel and everything else going on in life I don't mind I don't mind
do it one year because that
forces us all to look each year and look and start, you know, instead of saying,
okay, it's added and then don't get around and doing it, at least if we do it for a year,
we need to work toward, you know, Northside or whatever other options.
I don't mind like if we, you know, if we presented you guys something within a year or any year
and said, hey, we'd like to do this on the Northside and do it this way.
And then if we had to have a public hearing on it.
Right.
It kind of keeps the town updated, too, as to any improvements you've made up until then as well.
Right.
Again, creating public awareness.
Right.
Yeah.
Because, I mean, I mean, I don't know if the PD has any logged complaints.
They don't know.
Everybody's in a vet.
No, but I mean, about like,
I'd actually me and the call and say, hey, the snowmills.
But if they have the plan, and they're involved in the discussions, you know,
now they can give real-time, real-time recommendations.
Because I.
I honestly would, you know, if I get complaints from any landowners or pedestrians, I'd let you know.
But the last one I remember is that one fellow on, Porre, on the corner.
And then Bush Church Street last year.
Church Street and Florida, you know, if we go there, put a little bit of other way of it.
Yep. Yep.
And, you know, if we go there, we're a little bit of loom and hand, you know, regrets.
But I appreciate you given that suggestion at the meeting on the Northside.
I think that's great.
I always thought about it, but I never did say to it.
I also want to say, Brian, I absolutely agree with you, 200%.
We need snow machines.
We need the business that they do.
They financially do the worst season of the year for people in dorm businesses.
So, I appreciate it.
Going way back, we talked about that before, is remember back in the day
when it was like Senderoo was a little bit of business.
little place, and Wildcat was what it is today, basically, a big ski area, but no lodging.
Everyone, remember the buses that used to come and fill town?
We don't have that anymore.
TNC every weekend years have resorts.
They get them there and they keep them there.
Yeah.
So we lost a lot of that business over the years.
There were years where the hotels didn't want snowmobilers because they had all the ski business they could handle.
They didn't care.
And then those times changed, and now they want them.
Yeah.
I think it really does to prove us to be looking either as a committee or a group or not just the town,
looking at seeing if we can get you from one end to the other end on the north side,
and then we don't have to worry about that.
Absolutely.
Yep.
I agree.
So that's a plan to be worked on.
That could affect the choice that the board makes.
That's why that public hearing is so important.
Well, like I said, too, down the road, some gay, those sidewalks,
some of the north end of the town are going to get done, whether with a grant or not.
There's nothing wrong with doing section by section.
And if we can stay off of them, it's a good thing.
But if we do bullitize, you can't go the way down to Cumbies.
But we don't need to go all the way down to Cumbies.
No, you've got the bachels, you've got, Irvings, you've got.
As one resident put it, we have five gas station.
We need five gas stations.
stations as long as they pay their taxes, I'll take five.
Some businesses down here may not realize with the new convenience store going in up there,
they will have snowmobile.
They'll pull a lot of snowmobiles off the trail, yeah, and into their properties.
And they have food, and they have gas.
Yeah.
Do they have ATB too that way?
They will.
Yeah.
The trail's there.
Yeah.
The trail's already there.
They're just doing some stuff with the state with leases and rent-away and
so, but it's all there.
So, are we ready to move on?
Well, I appreciate you guys taking the time.
Oh, let's somebody here.
Oh.
So on Agonan, I'm then just like to add a little to this conversation, my thoughts.
I think I'm a past snowmobile dealer,
so I definitely appreciate that snowmobiles are really important to the economy and the community
and they need a place to gas up.
eat.
Ultimately, it would be great if we can somehow find a plan to keep them off the sidewalks,
whether that have, we use the north side for snowmobiles, or if that doesn't work out,
maybe try to find parking lots on the south side for snowmobiles to park, and then they could
walk a short distance to the restaurants and still have access to the gas stations.
I walk a lot on Main Street.
you might see me walking out there in the evenings.
The south side up towards the lights is really bad.
The snow machines on the sidewalks have like caved in some of the sidewalks.
Some of the towers gone.
And I have a great concern because we're a tourist community,
and most of our hotels are up on the north side,
on that side of the road.
the South North side, I should say.
And so we have a lot of tourists that are staying in the hotels and they're walking to restaurants.
So I think it's really important that we really try to keep our sidewalks safe because what if the
tourist comes, walks to a restaurant, and then trips on these caved-in sidewalks, tire missing, dirt.
Are we responsible for that?
It's just I'm concerned for tourists because we have.
of course, year-round, staying in the hotels,
and a lot of them walk to restaurants,
and that's where they stay.
That's where our hotels are located.
So I'm just concerned for safety,
liability for the town.
So ultimately,
keeping the, hopefully
we can come up with a plan to keep them off the sidewalks.
Okay, point taken.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I don't believe the damage to the sidewalks
that front of all of us.
That damage exists.
many places where we don't even ride.
It's just when it's an old sidewalk.
Snowmobiles don't do any damage to the roads.
They don't make those divots and they might put scratches in the asphalt.
They might put little divots, but they don't create surface that's funny.
Yeah, you can look right down.
It's frozen ground.
Never ride no sidewalks.
And most of the roads are the worst side of the ones.
Right on frosts, too.
So that stuff is not just going to keep.
There can be some wear for short.
Not much traffic areas, but
we're all out of the sidewalks can you, you know,
can still use repair.
Yeah, we're all in agreement.
It's an old,
it's an old, yeah, I don't, I don't know what the town has
for a maintenance repair program
for the sidewalks right now.
I don't know if there is.
We're just trying to get through the grant process and
right, because we're doing back-to-back sidewalks.
We're doing Main Street and then we're doing
Lancaster Road.
Can I ask who actually own
those driveways in between sidewalk and sidewalk.
Is it the town's responsibility?
Do you understand what I'm saying?
Like, the driveways?
Yeah, turning.
Oh, the driveway.
That goes very close to the drive.
Are they part of, like, Duncan Donuts?
Is Duncan Donuts? Is Duncan Dona known to sidewalk?
I mean, the whole driveway to the road?
It's a lot or whatever.
Yeah.
It sounds really harmful.
Who owns those?
The property owners.
Yeah. Last I understood, the, and I'm sure Mary will correct me if I'm wrong,
the sidewalk is a municipal sidewalk, but the entrance to somebody's driveway is the property
owner's responsibility.
That's huge.
Yeah, I wonder if they, I've walked and bought that too.
I wonder if they would say they were going to run.
redo a section of sidewalk, do they recondition those abrants?
Yes, yes, that's part of it.
So, they'll do the ramps and the tip down, but they're not going to do the driveways.
Right.
They're not going to do the entrances?
It's actually a lot of argument for a long time as to who owns that.
Is business, is it the town, definitely not the state.
Well, we can get clarified.
Yeah, we can find out.
Well, I know the people on Main Street who own homes and have,
driveways going in. In the wintertime, I don't see the
public works cleaning out
their driveways or out to the street.
They are. They plow it, though.
They plow the sidewalk. They plow the sidewalk.
Right. But they don't
clear them. They don't clear right to the street.
Right.
Yeah. The perspective, what I'm talking about, is.
Sidewalk and sidewalk where the driveway is,
which would be a sidewalk if there were sidewalk,
that there's not anything there.
Yeah.
So I think we need to find out who owns that, who needs to do that?
That may not be our responsibility to repair.
Well, I think it might be in the H.E.B.
material that was passed out.
I'm not positive, but you can look.
I'd also like to quickly just make a statement that
I understand you're saying, sir,
that the seam machines don't cause damage.
Peter Gagman, former town manager, Peter Gagman,
had had a community.
of man named Tom, I can't think of his last name, but I have the email.
He's a project manager for DOT, and he very clearly said
in terms of especially new sidewalks, they tear them off.
So I tend to go with the engineering.
I was simply addressing the divets not the scratcher.
Yeah, I don't know if he was talking specifically about the divotts.
I, he just said, I would have to tell them off.
And the other pieces of the ADA compliance.
It's supposed to be taken down, cloud, soft, it's standard.
And that's in the engineering report as well.
So I think we're starting to go around circles here, so.
Yep.
Some good ideas, though.
Yeah.
So we all set to move on?
So before you get off onto the next subject,
will you guys, you know, to find me here?
Somebody will be in touch.
Okay, perfect.
Either Bob or Joe or both.
Okay.
Thank you.
Okay.
I appreciate it.
Thank you.
We'll see you later.
Thank you.
I'm sure.
The next one.
Have good night.
Good night.
You too.
All right.
Old business updates.
What do you got there, Joe?
I don't have anything for updates,
just that I have a lot of projects that I'm trying to wrap my arms around
and starting to do that.
I want to keep some of those things moving.
So I'll have
lengthier updates
in the future.
Okay.
Yeah.
Other business? Is there any
other business?
Have none.
We've been through public comment.
Review and approve
meeting minutes.
Prove that presented.
I think that was for
what, donate. All in favor?
Hi.
Aye.
Hi.
And then we have
town manager report.
Yeah, town manager report.
Paving for Railroad Street and Stony Brook should happen this week, Wednesday, Thursday.
It is, of course, weather-dependent, but their plan is to do that this week.
So there will be parking bans out here on Railroad Street, Exchange Street, for a day or two.
Those posts will be made public on face.
book and everywhere else as well as just, you know, signage right there at that location.
But that's happening, which is going to look nice.
Just a reminder of the broadcast alert system that we have up.
You can sign up for that online.
If you do want to take part of that, you can get an email or text, whichever you prefer, or both,
on anything that is urgent that we put up on the broadcast alert system.
July 4th activities, moving forward, again, safety is the biggest priority, number one, with that.
And I know the chief of police and I know the fire department chief are working on a plan to make sure everything is covered.
I've seen a draft of it, and it's incredibly detailed, so that's going well.
We did receive a $12,000 settlement from Primex regarding the
water main and the repaving of that street to repair that. That happened extremely quick.
So that was great. And other than that, I don't have anything else.
You're all set?
I'm all set? Yeah. Is there any of the business?
I have none.
Then I guess I'll take a motion to return.
Aye.
Aye.
So we're adjourned at
Um, seven, 13, 12, 12, close enough. So you guys are taking care of the electrons?
Yeah.
Because I'm going to get a couple of minutes. I get a copy of the few minutes. I'm going to describe the summary of the committee.