Deep River Board of Finance Meeting Summary - January 6, 2026

The Deep River Board of Finance met on January 6, 2026 at 7:00 PM. Members present: Catherine Russell, Carmela Balducci, Jacqueline Palamari, and the Chair (Mike Wellgard absent). A quorum was declared. The meeting covered a range of financial oversight topics including the town's cash position, a request from the Planning & Zoning enforcement office for additional staff hours, the education budget, regional cooperation efforts, and the 2026-2027 budget process.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of November 25, 2025 Regular Meeting Minutes: Motion and second were made; all were in favor; passed.
• Approval of Special Meeting Minutes (December 10, 2025): The minutes had not been posted or provided to board members. Despite this, a motion and second were made, with no opposition. The board approved the minutes even though they were not available for review (discrepancy noted between the agenda and the chair's comment that they were not posted).

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made during the meeting. The chair asked if any citizens were present, but the transcript reflects no citizen participation.

Discussion Items

• Financial Summary & Deposits: The chair presented the December 23 financial summary and deposit report. The chair noted that the data was not fully up-to-date and offered to report on changes since that date.
• Wire Transfer to Liberty Bank: The town transferred $1,000,000 from a Send Bank account to Liberty Bank to earn a 4.0% interest rate, up from 3.5%. This was a cash management move, not a budget increase, and no motion was required.
• P&Z Enforcement Office Additional Hours: The board discussed a request for additional clerical help in the Planning & Zoning office. The main issue was that when the office moved, files were boxed up and remain unprocessed. Discussion focused on hiring an admin assistant for 1-2 months ($25/hour, approximately 20-25 hours/week) to organize files. One board member expressed concern that if this grew to 16 hours per week permanently, the cost would exceed $100,000 per year, and other solutions might be necessary. The board approved the request (motion and second).
• Region 4 School District Staffing & Budget: The board discussed a recent Region 4 (Deep River, Chester, Essex) school district presentation. The superintendent sought to add 2-3 full-time special education teachers at a cost of $560,000, despite declining overall enrollment. A board member expressed surprise and asked for clarification. The discussion also covered how art teachers are shared across towns based on need, and the impact on Deep River taxes.
• Regional Cooperation and Board of Finance Meetings: The board reviewed a joint meeting with Chester's and Essex's Boards of Finance. The three-town group discussed the potential for a new regional school district funding formula based on the grand list (property values). The board noted that the fairer formula would increase Essex's share but benefit Deep River and Chester. The group plans one more meeting in January, and then the issue will move to the finance committee.
• Chester Selectman Strategy Session: The board noted an upcoming strategy discussion with Chester's selectmen and Board of Finance on regional issues. Essex was not invited because Deep River and Chester face different challenges. The group also considered inviting Board of Education members, but recognized this would require a posted meeting to comply with open meeting laws.
• Governance Committee Report: A board member reported receiving two resumes for a vacant position so far; one arrived the previous week and one that week.
• Budget Process 2026-2027: The board reviewed the 2026 meeting schedule and budget workshop dates. Templates were distributed to budget managers for 2024-2025 actuals, 2025-2026 year-to-date, and 2027-2028 requests. The board discussed how to engage the Board of Education, including a meeting with the Chester Selectman and reaching out to Board of Ed members for education on the town's budget challenges.
• School Budget Questions (continued): The board discussed the Region 4 budget in more detail, including a proposal that was presented just that evening. A board member expressed concern that the proposal had not been adequately reviewed by the new superintendent and the full board, and that those voting on it (elected town representatives) did not have enough time to ask detailed questions.
• Police Overtime: A board member asked about line items for police overtime, which appeared over budget while a part-time officer position was still vacant. The board questioned the reliance on overtime and the use of a full-time officer while a part-time position remained unfilled.
• Tax Collection: A board member raised the topic of uncollected taxes, asking when the board would review them and what role the Board of Finance plays. The board noted a line item for an attorney for tax collections.
• Line Item Explanations: The board reviewed various line items including the WPCA debt reimbursement of $100,000 (and timing of billing), town aid road, highway vs. general road designations, and a capital budget item for a payloader that was already purchased.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the November 25, 2025 meeting minutes (unanimous).
• Approved the December 10, 2025 special meeting minutes (unanimous, though the minutes were not posted).
• Approved the additional hours request for the P&Z enforcement office to hire an admin assistant for 1-2 months at $25/hour.
• Directed that the Region 4 school district proposal be discussed more thoroughly at the next meeting of the tri-town group, with more information and preparation.
• Scheduled the next budget workshop for March 10, 2026 (presented by Catherine), and the next Region 4 board meeting on January 13, 2026.
• No formal votes were taken except the two motions to approve minutes and the motion to approve the P&Z additional hours. Other items were informational or administrative.