Board of Selectmen (2 for 3 years)

Matthew Shirland

Benjamin T. Bartlett

John Decker

Budget Committee (3 for 3 years)

Jillian Eldredge

Donna Danis

Jeffrey Morrison

Thomas Butkiewicz

Brent Tweed

Cemetery Trustee (1 for 3 years)

Catherine D. Bershtein

Library Trustee (1 for 3 years)

Lynn Soucie

Moderator (1 for 2 years)

Dawn Fernald

Planning Board (2 for 3 years)

NONE

Planning Board (1 for 1 year)

Christopher Evans

Douglas Cummings

Supervisors of the Checklist (1 for 6 years)

Ruth Anne Fuller

Town Clerk (1 for 3 years)

Lorraine (Lori) Anderson

Trustee of the Trust Funds (1 for 3 years)

James Phelps

Zoning Board (2 for 3 years)

Romeo Danais

Teresa L. Bascom

From the Select Board: The budget process started with a proposed increase of over 10% but ultimately the Select Board and Budget Committee were able to make reductions where they felt necessary in order to meet the 4% tax cap. Many departments saw salary increases resulting from cost-of-living adjustments, and other adjustments were based on wage surveys used to recruit and retain at present staff levels. Although the rate of inflation exceeded 7.6% in 2021 and 6.5% in 2022, the town budget maintained an increase of 4% and is still playing catch up despite the cost of raw materials and subcontracted services still being quite unpredictable. While our department heads strive to provide accurate cost estimates and maintain transparency in pricing, it’s essential to acknowledge that unforeseen circumstances may arise. We understand the challenges this can pose for planning and budgeting processes, and we assure you that we are committed to managing any potential cost uncertainties.

From the Select Board: This Expendable Trust Fund was established in 2023. The Police Department has a lot of electronic equipment that requires repair and replacement including mobile data terminals, cameras, servers, radios, tasers, radar units, body-worn cameras, etc. It is difficult to know when some of the equipment will need replacement. This fund gives flexibility to the department to replace equipment as needed. The balance of the Police Technology Equipment Expendable Trust Fund as of the printing of this voter guide is $10,129.37.

From the Select Board: The income from ambulance services goes into the Ambulance and Equipment Replacement Special Revenue Fund which was established pursuant RSA 31:95-c. The operating costs of the ambulance comes out of the fund. This is done annually by a warrant article. Because the money is coming from user fees, there is no impact on the tax rate. The balance of the Ambulance and Equipment Replacement Special Revenue Fund as of the printing of this voter guide is $235,538.00

The Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) Committee develops recommendations for the Town’s Select Board and School Board to budget these large expenses evenly over the years. An analysis of the Fire Truck/SCBA replacement schedule indicates $100,000 needs to be set aside every year to remain on this schedule. Two new fire trucks and the expensive SCBA system are scheduled for replacement in the early 2030s. The total cost is estimated to be over $1,200,000, but the plan is for all of that to be saved ahead of time so there is no spike in taxes. The balance of the Fire Vehicle/SCBA Capital Reserve Fund as of the printing of this voter guide is $414,391.96.

With the new bylaws, the fire chief must be firefighter II, rather than the previously required firefighter I. The Select Board reviewed neighboring towns’ fire chief stipends and found Nottingham’s was quite low, hence the ask to increase. The board would like to be able to spend up to $71,440 on the stipend.

From the Select Board: In 2022, voters approved funds to increase to six career firefighters to the permanent staff and allow the department to staff the station 24 hours/day. With the expected increase in the town’s population and service expectations, we acknowledge the need for additional leadership to support and oversee the full-time department.

A necessary underdrain repair completed in 2023 caused the existing tile to be cut out and removed, and the filled back in with concrete after the repair was completed. This repair left behind an unfinished floor surface that is not level with the existing VCT tile which has also seen its fair share of wear and tear. In addition to this problematic section, the floor has buckled and cracked the length of the gym in one section. This area of the Community Center is heavily used in the summer for the Recreation Department Summer Camp, and daily through the week for activities such as pickleball, karate, toddler play time, Betty’s basketball, and for other events such as American Red Cross Blood Drives and a voting location, to name just a few. Along with several other deferred maintenance items identified throughout town buildings, the floor replacement has been identified as a target project to be completed this year.

From the Select Board: The Police Department in its existing location has been identified in the town facilities assessment committee report as “suffering from some space and security issues that are inherent in a growing operation”. This coupled with concerns expressed for its proximity to the rec department and community center provide additional concern for public safety. The Select Board would like to pursue investigating other options for the location of the Police Department to include but not limited to, potentially expanding the fire department as shown on a plan identified as Phase 2, drafted at the time the fire station was built, circa 2007. The money allocated in this warrant article will allow exploratory options to be pursued.

From the Select Board: The rear of the Community Center is another area identified as problematic in the town facilities assessment committee report. In addition to the presence of mold, and other safety concerns, it has also been identified as an entry point and breeding ground for a major pest infestation that has manifested over the past year. With the money allocated in this warrant article, priority will be given to begin abating some of the nuisances and creating a barrier to button up access to the in-use portion of the community center.

Last year a warrant article was passed to hire a company to research this. This research included 3 items: a survey, a conceptual design, and an estimate for construction. Only the survey is currently complete. It was found that there are 3 issues with the parking lot that need addressing: 1) it is unsafe to exit the parking lot due to the curve on 152 2) the lot is crumbling due to age and water run off from across the street 3) there is not enough parking.

From the Select Board: The survey work started in the late fall of 2023. Delays were encountered as the engineering firm and library staff worked to identify the exact location of the leach bed location necessary to begin the design. This year's warrant article is designed to pay for actual design work, which is key to determining what actual construction costs will be, and to start work if it’s possible.

Many of the town buildings are showing their age and need a lot of maintenance. The town established this expendable trust fund for building maintenance in 2014. This is a way to have money available for those repairs without a tax rate impact. Several repairs were deemed necessary in 2023 which nearly depleted the balance of the expendable trust fund. Some of these items include a new furnace at the library, overhead door repair, new water softener and water heater, and security system at the fire department, repair wastewater underdrain, winterize and repair due to frozen pipes at the community center, and a new furnace at the recycling center. The balance of the Town Building Maintenance and Repair Expendable Trust Fund as of the printing of this voter guide is $18,001. As the Select Board works at prioritizing projects identified in the town facilities assessment committee report, along with our newly assigned facilities manager in place, adding to this expendable trust fund is necessary to bring the town buildings out of deferred maintenance status.

From the Select Board: This is a routine warrant article, but the amount differs from what has been raised in years past. The line item in the highway department budget was decreased from $300,000 to $100,000 and this warrant article was increased to meet the remaining target amount of $600,000 as identified in the CIP. In some years this capital improvement work has included road reconstruction projects, and the current priority is to invest in paving the approach of several dirt roads such as those listed in the warrant article, as well as increase pavement on roads identified and prioritized by the Highway Director. With an anticipated return of $160,000 (unaudited) to be added to the town’s unreserved fund balance, the Select Board found it would be prudent to reduce the amount to be raised by taxation by using $150,300 from unreserved fund balance.

The Capital Improvement Committee develops recommendations for the Town Select Board and School Board to budget these large expenses evenly over the years. An analysis of the truck replacement schedule indicates $100,000 needs to be set aside every year to remain on this schedule. This is done based on a 15-year life for the six-wheel and 10-wheel dump trucks, a 10-year schedule for the 1-ton trucks, and an 8-year schedule for smaller trucks. If money is not set aside, the replacement may be delayed by increasing maintenance costs. The balance of the Highway Truck Capital Reserve Fund as of the printing of this voter guide is $129,825.99. The next piece of equipment scheduled for replacement is the grader with an estimated replacement cost of more than $400,000.

From the Select Board: This is a recurring appropriation, the same as in prior years. This Capital Reserve Fund pays for five-year revaluations to be completed as required by State law. The next revaluation will take place in 2025, and this routine article spreads the cost over the five years. The balance of the Revaluation Capital Reserve Fund as of the printing of this voter guide is $71,968.27.

From the Select Board: Support for these social service organizations has been found in the town’s operating budget more recently. Each year, these organizations provide a letter requesting financial support from the town for the services they provide to Nottingham residents. These requests were grouped into a separate warrant article seeking voter’s support. A summary of services provided by these organizations can be found on the Town website: Social Service Agencies | Town of Nottingham NH (nottingham-nh.gov)

This is a recurring appropriation, the same amount raised in prior years. In 2023, a grant was received from NH DES for the eradication of milfoil in Pawtuckaway Lake through diver assisted suction harvesting (DASH) and herbicide treatment methods. Several new patches of milfoil growth were detected including a large section in the area of the Town Beach. The grant funding received in 2023 was 100% since it was the first year received, but future years of grant funding will be dependent on need and funding availability and will likely be a matching grant equivalent to 20-50%. The balance of the Invasive Species Prevention and Eradication Removal Expendable Trust Fund as of the printing of this voter guide is $62,758.82. PLIA assembled a great PowerPoint presentation that can be found on the Town’s website: PLIA Presentation to BOS Nov 6, 2023 | Town of Nottingham NH (nottingham-nh.gov)

Clean water, healthy wildlife, and stable property values depend on a healthy lake free of invasive species. The NH LAKES Lake Host Program is the first line of defense in protecting our lakes from invasive plants and animals. This appropriation was moved into a separate warrant article seeking voter’s support.

The Town passed a warrant making Nottingham a ballot count device ward. The existing Accuvote ballot machine has been in place since the mid-1990’s, has reached end of life, and parts and service availability is extremely limited. This appropriation will allow for the purchase of a new ballot tabulator and laptop. State Rep Hal Rafter informed us that the Help America Vote (HAVA) money has been earmarked to help offset the cost burden to purchase a new ballot machine.

The New Hampshire Legislature passed, and Governor Sununu signed into law House Bill 1667 (Chapter 121, Laws of 2022), amending eligibility criteria for certain veterans’ property tax credits. Effective on July 26, 2022, the bill amended RSA 72:28, the “Standard and Optional Veterans’ Tax Credit,” and RSA 72:28-b, the “All Veterans’ Tax Credit,” to expand the eligibility requirements of the veterans’ tax credit to include individuals who have not yet been discharged from service in the armed forces. Under RSA 72:27-a, IV amendments to tax credits and exemptions which require adoption will only apply “in a municipality which previously adopted the provision only after the municipality complies with the procedure” specified in RSA 72:27-a, II, unless otherwise expressly required by law. Nothing in HB 1667 created an exception to this readoption requirement. The Standard and Optional Veteran’s Tax Credit was readopted in 2023, but erroneously the All Veterans’ Tax Credit readoption was omitted from the ballot. This readoption will ensure that eligible veterans receiving the All Veterans’ Tax Credit of $750.00 annually will continue to receive that credit.

The Celebrate Nottingham Committee was newly formed in 2023 with a mission to carry forward the spirit of the Town’s 300th Anniversary through a series of events and activities that the entire community celebrates with pride in Nottingham. This article will repurpose the existing Non-Capital Reserve Fund comprised of money raised through taxation and donations, to be used toward future celebrations spearheaded by the Celebrate Nottingham Committee. The balance of the Tri-Centennial Fund as of the printing of this voter guide is $42,769.08.