Tuesday, May 5, 2026

Town Hall railings and entryway repair estimates

The board decided to seek additional estimates.

The board decided to get more estimates for repairs to the Town Hall railings and for painting the entryway.

Just Right Awning bid of $1,300

Motion to accept the $1,300 bid passed. All were in favor.

The board voted to accept a $1,300 bid from Just Right Awning. The minutes do not say what the work covers.

Resource Waste permit informational meeting

Comments to the state Department of Environmental Services (DES) on the proposed Resource Waste permit are accepted through May 12. A board member reported on a DES informational meeting. About 25 people asked questions or raised concerns, and no one spoke in favor of the project. Many attendees were from Newfields. Concerns included about 150 more trucks per day, the site being about 75 to 100 feet from a Class A river (a river with the highest water quality rating), and a nearby Superfund site (a polluted site under federal cleanup). Speakers worried these could lead to groundwater contamination affecting Newfields. The board member encouraged residents to send comments.

Contra dance concealed weapons prohibition

The person who runs the contra dances (a type of folk dance event) said someone wore a concealed weapon at a recent dance. He and the dance board want to ban guns at the event and asked if the law allows this since it is a private event. The chair will contact the NH Municipal Association and report back to him.

Road Agent compensation and unemployment status

The chair said Town Counsel advised that the Road Agent meets the seven-part test (a legal test for who counts as an independent contractor). That makes the Road Agent an independent contractor, so the Town does not have to provide unemployment insurance coverage. With the board's consent, the chair will keep working through the process. No rebate is expected this year, but steps will be taken to avoid unnecessary payments in the future.

Badger Park hardscaping project

The chair said the contractor, Derek Rugg, will start on May 11 or 12. The goal is to finish the Badger Park hardscaping (paths and other hard surfaces) by Memorial Day.

Route 108 bridge Memorial Day signage and renaming

Michael Sununu told the board the state Department of Transportation (DOT) had concerns about the Memorial Day sign on Route 108. After he spoke with the DOT Commissioner, the Town got a temporary waiver to keep the sign for the rest of the year, as long as it does not extend beyond the existing sign. DOT also asked the Town to pursue a law to rename the bridge so it complies in the future. He agreed to contact legislators and coordinate the process.