Claremont City Council Meeting Summary - December 10, 2025

The Claremont City Council met on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, to address a range of items including recognition of outgoing members, appointments, reports from the city manager, and several resolutions. The meeting began with roll call (all present), agenda changes (moving Resolution 2026-26 to January), and approval of minutes from November 12 and December 1. The council also honored two outgoing councilors, heard staff service milestones, and received updates on tax rates, visitor center engineering, sidewalk projects, clock tower preservation, and grants.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of minutes from November 12, 2025 (unanimous).
• Approval of minutes from December 1, 2025 (unanimous).
• Appointment of Lawrence Johnson to the Francis J. Tolls Home (seat4, expires July 31, 2026), unanimous.
• Appointment of Heather Irish to the Parks and Rec Commission (alternate seat3, at-large, expires May 31, 2027), unanimous.
• Appointment of Molly Trumblay to the Parks and Rec Commission (alternate seat1, Ward1, expires May 31, 2026), unanimous.
• Appointment of Carla Schaefer to the Arts, History and Cultural Resources Preservation Commission (alternate seat2, expires May 31, 2026), unanimous.

Public Comments & Testimony

No members of the public spoke during Citizens Forum.

Discussion Items

• City Manager Report:
  • Tax bills mailed December 9, due January 22, 2026; final tax rate $30.54 per $1,000, municipal portion down 2.16% to $10.64.
  • Visitor Center engineering study: one bid received—$37,000 for assessment and construction documents, $52,000 if construction management included. Not budgeted; council supported using fund balance and asked for a resolution in January.
  • Sullivan Street sidewalk project: one bid $42,850; two alternatives for Franklin Street ($3,700 gravel, $2,500 grass). Council directed staff to proceed only with Sullivan Street sidewalk using TIF funds, deferring Franklin Street.
  • Clock tower winterization: $27,910 total for interior repairs, window restoration, and storm panel reinstallation. Council supported using capital reserve for city facilities.
  • Water/sewer rate study: four professional bids received; a posted meeting will be held before year-end to review bids, with an invitation to council members.
  • NBRC grant: $230,000 awarded for Sugar River Revitalization Project, plus $800,000 from congressional spending, total $1.23 million.
  • Celebrate Clarmont Day proposed for May 30, 2026; Abenaki Indian tribe requested a pow-wow on the green with overnight camping. Council requested this be placed on the January agenda for formal discussion with a tribe representative.
• Councilor Questions:
  • Councilor Kalaski raised concerns about community center trips (cost recovery), displacement of members for school sports, and fee schedules for programmed sports. City manager agreed to review.
  • Councilor Kalaski requested an update on warming shelter locations; city manager confirmed the warming center is at the community center during all open hours.
  • Councilor Kalaski asked about storm windows for city hall; city manager noted interior storms are being considered but costly.
  • Councilor Kalaski asked whether the city provides fire hydrants to developers; city manager will investigate.
• Right-of-Way off Grissom Lane: The owner of 1535 Grissom Lane (IFS Rental LLC) requested a right-of-way over city land. The applicant was not present; council decided to defer to the January meeting, requiring the owner to appear.

Key Outcomes

• Resolution 2026-25: Unanimously accepted a $5,000 donation from Mrs. Baravel Merrill to the Claremont Police Department for community assistance (two-thirds vote required, passed).
• Adoption of Ballot Counting Devices: Unanimously authorized the use of Voting Works devices for all elections.
• Sullivan Street sidewalk: Approved to proceed with the $42,850 project using TIF funds; no work on Franklin Street at this time.
• Clock tower repairs: Approved $27,910 from capital reserve for winterization.
• Visitor center engineering study: Council authorized signing the contract for the $37,000 assessment phase, with funding from fund balance to be formalized in January.
• Right-of-way request: Deferred to January meeting pending applicant presence.
• Community center task force: City manager will work on establishing a task force to address councilor’s concerns.
• The council moved into non-public session under RSA 91-A:3 II (a) for personnel matters.

Special Recognitions

• Outgoing Councilors Hayden and Zucker were presented with plaques for their two years of service.
• City manager read names of employees achieving service milestones (5 to 45 years).