Tuesday, June 9, 2026

Parking on New Road near Muddy River Smokehouse

Motion by the chair, seconded by a board member, to allow parking on New Road opposite Muddy River. Minutes do not give a vote count.

The owner of Muddy River Smokehouse asked the board to revisit last year's ban on parking on New Road and allow parking on at least one side. He said parking was allowed when the earlier restaurant was there. The board voted to allow parking on the side of New Road opposite the restaurant. It is open to all vehicles, not only restaurant patrons. Parked vehicles may not block Space Station property. The winter parking ban still applies on all roads. The board can end the permission at any time. The Road Agent will remove the existing No Parking signs. The chair also said CSX, the railroad company, is expected to repair the New Road bridge soon and told the owner to plan for possible disruption.

Conservation easement plan for Piscassic Greenway

Approved the Piscassic Greenway Easement plan. All in favor, motion carried.

A property owner asked the board to approve a revised Piscassic Greenway Easement Plan for a 50-foot right-of-way on her property. The easement is land protected by SELT, a land trust. She said a new paved driveway and culvert go slightly past the 50-foot strip in two places. She said the owners and SELT made a maintenance easement plan so SELT can work outside the strip when needed, and SELT has approved the plan. A commissioner asked if the Conservation Commission had been consulted. A Conservation Commission member said the commission has reviewed versions of the plan and supports it. She stressed keeping access for emergency vehicles to reach the Rockingham Rail Trail. The board approved the plan.

New accounting software for the Town

Approved moving forward with Municipal Resources software. All in favor, motion carried.

The Town's accounting software is becoming obsolete. A staff member presented proposals from Tyler Technologies, Edmunds GovTech, and Municipal Resources. Municipal Resources was the lowest at about $32,000, compared with about $33,000 and $34,000 for the others. Annual maintenance would be about $9,000. She said funds are available because of a vacancy in the Town Office. Municipal Resources is local, can help on site, and can spread payments over this year and next. The general ledger conversion could start in July and August, and payroll at the start of the new year. The board voted to accept the transition and move forward.

Public Safety Building project update

The chair summarized a recent Public Safety Building meeting. It covered the request for qualifications and proposals process (RFQ/RFP), the timeline, scope of work, responses from interested firms, and the need for a concept design and needs assessment. The committee said land use and environmental professionals should check the site's space and limits, which will help set the building's size and layout. The chair estimated that delays could add about $500,000 to $800,000 per year in costs from inflation and said the project should move quickly. The next meeting will review the proposals received and start the design-build RFP process for the concept design and needs assessment. No board vote was recorded.

Contra Dance rental and Town Hall rate

The man who rents Town Hall for the Contra Dance asked if Town Counsel had given an opinion on banning firearms at the event. The chair said that if he files a rental application before each dance, he may set restrictions, and the Town would not be liable for them. The chair said the lease is in his name, which keeps the agreed monthly rate. If he no longer wants to hold it, the nonprofit group would need to rent at the nonresident rate of $250 per event. The board agreed it can approve a lower nonprofit rate without changing the rental application if it chooses. The board had no objection to his plan to build a trolley under the stage to store equipment. No vote was recorded.