Tuesday, January 6, 2026

Operating budget and warrant articles

The Board adjusted certain amounts and the use of unassigned fund balance. No vote count was given.

The Board and the town's administrator reviewed updates to the $2,454,637 operating budget. They also reviewed warrant articles (questions for voters), including capital reserves, trust funds and citizen petitions, and confirmed the funding source and amount for each. The Board adjusted some amounts and the use of money from the unassigned fund balance (the town's leftover savings). The chair said that with the final $50,000 warrant article and money from selling the old fire truck, the Town will have enough to buy the new fire truck this year. The Board also cut the expendable legal fees warrant article from $25,000 to $20,000.

Town Counsel change to DTC Lawyers

The Board had voted to change Town Counsel. The date and vote count were not given in these minutes.

The chair said the Board voted to change Town Counsel from Attorney Derek Durbin to Attorney Chris Boldt of DTC Lawyers, LLC. Attorney Boldt's rate is $100 an hour less than Attorney Durbin's $350 an hour. The firm also has a tiered billing system with lower rates for associates and paralegals. The Board found that about $14,000 in fees from October and November would have been about $10,000 under the new billing. Because of this, the legal fees warrant article was lowered from $25,000 to $20,000. All Town Counsel correspondence will go through the Select Board chair to cut down on repeat questions and control costs. This does not limit access to counsel.

Conservation Commission monitoring fees budget line

The Board adjusted the budget line to $7,000. No vote count was given.

The Board talked about cutting the Conservation Commission budget line by $1,000 for monitoring fees that the commission will pay itself. A former Select Board chair said the commission must get Select Board approval for spending, so the $1,000 should stay in the budget to show all spending no matter where the money comes from. The Board then set the budget line at $7,000.

Library budget increase for HVAC system

The Board agreed to the $8,000 increase, for a 2026 Library budget of $79,000. No vote count was given.

Last year's Library budget was $76,348. The Board agreed to add $8,000 for the HVAC (heating and cooling) system, and the Friends of the Library will give the other $10,000. The chair said the $8,000 is a one-time amount that will not be part of the 2027 budget base. He said other funds were moved to cover it, so no extra tax money is needed. The 2026 Library budget will be $79,000. A Friends representative said the Friends will pay the Library directly, not the Town, and asked for a clear list of which costs belong to the Town and which to the Library. A former Select Board chair said the Town must pay the HVAC deposit so the cost stays in the 2025 budget, and the Library will pay the rest. The Board also signed a thank-you letter to the Friends, to be mailed the next day.

Newmarket Transfer Station contract

Approved and signed. All were in favor and the motion carried.

The Board considered a five-year contract with Newmarket Transfer Station for January 2026 through December 31, 2030, at $8,592 a year. The chair moved to approve and sign it, and a board member seconded.

Conservation Commission bylaws update

A board member reported on the Conservation Commission's meeting held the night before (January 5, 2026). The commission talked about its bylaws, including the Select Board representative's role and the alternate position. The bylaw wording is still under review. The chair confirmed the commission knows the alternate position will not be filled until the bylaws are updated.

Accessory Dwelling Unit ordinance discussion

A board member said changes to the Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) ordinance will be discussed at the Planning Board meeting on Thursday, January 8, at 7:00 p.m. An ADU is a small extra home on a property. A former Select Board chair later said that if the ADU changes fail at the polls, the Town will follow State law, which matches the direction of the proposed Town changes.

Budget hearing scheduled January 13

Final budget figures will be discussed at the Budget Hearing on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, at 7:00 p.m.

Library Expendable Maintenance Trust Fund petition

The town's administrator said a citizen petition was received on January 6, 2026, to set up a Library Expendable Maintenance Trust Fund with $5,000. The money would come from the unassigned fund balance, not from taxes.

Investment policy review

A board member gave the Board several other towns' investment policies to read. They will be discussed later and may be added to the Town's policies.

Planning and Zoning warrant article descriptions

A resident asked that warrant articles from the Planning Board or Zoning Board include a description of what any proposed wording changes would do.