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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Hooksett Conservation Commission Meeting – May 11, 2026

Town Council & Boards — Monday, May 11, 2026

BodyHooksett, New Hampshire

SessionTown Council & Boards

DateMonday, May 11, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:37:14

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:04

Okay, so for the record, this is the May 11, 2026 meeting of the Hoax of Conservation Commission.

0:10

Uh we did some introductions.

0:12

Do you want to go ahead?

0:13

Bob Barker, member.

0:17

So I think uh what we'll do is we'll do the uh approval of the minutes, and then we have a guest and we'll try to take care of that straight away.

0:27

So you don't have to hang around.

0:30

So can I get a motion to approve the minutes of the April 13 meeting?

0:35

I'll make that motion in a second.

0:38

Is there any discussion or corrections?

0:44

I think they look great, Bonnie.

0:47

Oh, this is double-sided stuff.

0:49

Okay.

0:51

So why don't we go ahead and take a vote then?

0:53

All those in favor of approving the minutes as submitted, say aye.

0:57

Aye.

0:58

All those opposed say nay.

1:00

And are there any uh abstentions?

1:03

Thank you very much.

1:05

Uh Chief Sergeant.

1:13

Good evening, Chief Sergeant Hooks Police Department.

1:16

Uh thanks for meeting with me tonight.

1:19

Um, I had the opportunity to speak to Joe Carroll on the phone last week.

1:23

Um, I've been working with the resident to try to um come into an understanding with an issue um they're having in their area they live, and um kind of led us down a rabbit hole to where we are now with you.

1:37

Um do you want to go over what our conversation was, or you want me to kind of well I can recap, I guess.

1:46

It's in the packet under Chester Turnpike ordinances.

1:49

You have an email uh in your package, it says Outlook at the top left corner.

1:58

So I think the way this went is we had a complaint that came in for some activity going on at Clay Pond.

2:10

And this uh was mostly after hours activity and some ATV use and things like that.

2:18

And uh this uh resident uh isn't a butter at Clay Pond, and she had contacted Andre.

2:27

And I guess she's contacted you a few times about the activity going on out there, and I think your folks have been out there a few times and have noted that this is going on.

2:40

I think correct.

2:42

And so where we stand now is that we've had these issues.

2:46

We've gone out there, we've tried to deal with the people most recently.

2:49

Um, I don't know if you've been out in the area recently, but at the end of Chester Turnpike, where it turns to North Carolina Road, there's kind of like a little parking lot area now that belongs to Manchester Waterworks.

2:58

Um it wasn't posted.

2:59

Obviously, they have all kinds of rules that people need to follow in order to utilize their property or to sit there.

3:05

They're gonna be posting that property soon with their dawn to dusk hours, um, which led us to the situation we're kind of here now.

3:12

Is that across the road is your kiosk with your dawn to dusk hours?

3:16

I asked um the person we were working with, you know, what specifically gives me the authority to enforce the conservation committee's dawn to dusk hours, because nowhere in any town ordinance have I seen that I'm able to enforce that rule, and that's basically what gives me authority is the town ordinance, or if it was a state law.

3:35

So with the Manchester Waterworks property, they have it as a state RSA law, what their hours are, so that's why we're able to enforce it.

3:42

But unfortunately, with the town conservation, um just a quick search of what I could find, and I could definitely be off on this.

3:49

I you know, leave that to you.

3:51

You guys know more about this stuff than I do, is that any type of rule or regulation that you put in place as a conservation committee needs to kind of be backed by the local body in government, which would be the town council.

4:03

Um so if you look in the town ordinances that we have, we've got the parks that belong to the town, they've got a dawn to dusk curfew, which we've utilized because it's in our ordinances, but specifically to conservation land, what gives us that authority to move people along at those times of the day.

4:21

Now I understand that there's private property because it's belonging to the town, and we could ask them to move the problem with that is that it's open to the public, and what hours do we not want it open to the public, and how is that specified?

4:33

And I know that the ordinance touches on it very little, so I'm thinking that it might be a good idea for clarification, and while doing that, if we're going to undertake the changing of a town ordinance, because nobody ever wants to add more ordinances.

5:11

Now, this is just sitting there kind of in that property.

5:15

This isn't going on into the property, having a campfire, or any of that stuff.

5:18

All of that stuff that's posted, that makes sense.

5:20

We can enforce those rules because there's New Hampshire RSAs that allow us to do that.

5:24

But specifically, a curfew is kind of where I don't see where we have the authority to do that.

5:31

And now this isn't a problem.

5:32

Up to this point, we've gone there, we've asked these people all right, you need to move along, this place is closed.

5:36

But if someone were to ever challenge that, I need to explain to them where we get that authority.

5:43

So that's really all this was is just to bring this to your attention and to see um you know how I can help in solving that problem.

5:52

So to summarize, there's an a sign that says hours, dawn to dusk.

5:57

It says that at Clay Pond, it says that at Heads Pond, it says that at Riverwalk.

6:03

I don't know about uh pinnacle.

6:06

But it's but the sign is just an advisement according to uh the police department, it's not a like uh enforceable ordinance.

6:17

So when we say hours dawn to dusk, we're just saying please don't come here between those other hours, but they can't like arrest anybody or take any legal action.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Parks and Recreation█████████████████████████████████████████████54%

Public Safety█████████████15%

Engineering And Infrastructure███████████13%

Zoning And Land Use████5%

Budget Equity Analysis███4%

Procedural███3%

Animal Welfare██2%

Community Engagement██2%

Environmental Protection█1%

Summary of Proceedings

Hooksett Conservation Commission Meeting – May 11, 2026

The Hooksett Conservation Commission met on May 11, 2026, at 9:45 AM to discuss enforcement of property hours, trail maintenance, a bench donation, and updates on ongoing projects. The meeting included a guest presentation from the police chief, public input from the fire chief, and a citizen email read into the record.

Consent Calendar

Approval of Minutes: The commission unanimously approved the minutes of the April 13, 2026 meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

Citizen Email (Deborah Snow Major): A letter from Deborah Snow Major, 6 Grandview Drive, was read into the record. She described multiple incidents on the Merrimack River Trail involving off‑leash dogs, bikes (which are prohibited), and a dog carrying a deer carcass. She stated that she will “bite my tongue” in the future and urged the commission to address these issues. The commission discussed that enforcement is limited and advised calling the police when violations occur.
Fire Chief Dave Natal (Public Input): Chief Natal submitted a letter regarding trail design at the Quimby Mountain property. He expressed full support for adding recreational trails but emphasized that emergency access must be a primary consideration. He noted that the property is already open to the public and that improved vehicle access would enhance public safety. He offered to tour the site and assist with planning.

Discussion Items

Enforcement of Dawn‑to‑Dusk Hours (Police Chief Sergeant): Chief Sergeant explained that the current signs at Clay Pond, Heads Pond, and Riverwalk stating “dawn to dusk” are not enforceable as a town ordinance. He stated that the town council must adopt an ordinance to give police authority to enforce a curfew on conservation land. The commission discussed options, including amending an existing park ordinance (2021‑1, page 113) or creating a new conservation ordinance. Specific hours of 9 PM to 7 AM were suggested as clearer than “dawn to dusk.” The chief also noted that bicycle prohibition on the Riverwalk is not enforceable without a state law or ordinance.
Riverwalk Trail Maintenance – Mowing and Invasive Species: The commission reviewed a report from Paul Eaton (Keep It Native) and a 2020 ecological study. Fields at Riverwalk have not been mowed in 3‑4 years, allowing woody growth and invasive species to spread. The ecologist recommended a rotating mowing schedule to preserve the fields as wildlife habitat (monarch waystation, birds). The commission agreed to obtain quotes for mowing and invasive species treatment.
Riverwalk Bridge Maintenance: Member John reported that at least five longitudinal side pieces and some decking boards are rotted, despite the bridge being only 10 years old. He has contacted Public Works for an assessment and noted that Stantec, the original designer, said the deterioration is unusual but not unheard of. The commission will await a fuller assessment before proceeding with repairs.
Heads Pond Access for All Project: The contract is signed, and construction is scheduled to begin in mid‑June. The commission approved the project at a prior town council meeting and will need to post closure notices during construction.
Bench Donation Request: A citizen (Ms. Smith) offered to donate a bench for the Heads Pond trail. The commission debated bench costs ($500–$1,500) and materials (all‑wood vs. concrete‑side benches). They voted to accept the donation and will follow up with the donor on specific amount and bench style.
Heads Pond Kiosk Repairs: The kiosk needs new UV‑resistant plexiglass, but work will be deferred until after the Access for All construction (mid‑June) to avoid damage.
Quimby Mountain Update: A survey of the summit rock was completed by McClure, identifying boundaries with paint. The commission has a PDF of the survey. They requested $75,000 for a parking area at a capital improvement meeting. The stewardship plan will be presented to the town council in June.
Bear Paw Priorities & University Heights Land: The commission agreed to set up a meeting with Bear Paw to revisit conservation priorities. They also noted a town‑owned 80‑acre parcel (lot 1434) near Heads Pond that may have conservation potential, but it requires further investigation with the town planner.
New Business – Town‑Owned Pond Behind Walgreens: A member suggested developing a town‑owned pond near Route 3 (behind Walgreens) that was donated years ago. The commission will contact Town Planner Grant about its status.
Trail Usage Statistics: The Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission installed a trail counter at Heads Pond. During a two‑week period in April, daily average usage was 248 people, with a peak of 368 on April 4.

Key Outcomes

Motion to Draft Ordinance: The commission voted unanimously to work with the town council and legal department to create an ordinance enabling enforcement of hours of operation on conservation properties (motion carried, all ayes).
Approved Stantec Invoice: Approved invoice #25112 for $4,251.36 (unanimous).
Approved Bear Paw Regional Greenways Invoice: Approved invoice #10276 for $350 (stewardship support); one member abstained due to board affiliation.
Motion to Obtain Mowing Quotes: Approved motion to seek quotes for mowing Riverwalk fields (ongoing plan).
Motion to Obtain Invasive Species Quotes: Approved motion to seek quotes for invasive species management at Riverwalk.
Motion to Accept Bench Donation: Approved motion to accept a donation toward a bench, with details to be determined.
Next Steps: The commission will follow up on quotes, ordinance drafting, and the agenda for a potential dog ban discussion at the next meeting.

Meeting Transcript

Okay, so for the record, this is the May 11, 2026 meeting of the Hoax of Conservation Commission. Uh we did some introductions. Do you want to go ahead? Bob Barker, member. So I think uh what we'll do is we'll do the uh approval of the minutes, and then we have a guest and we'll try to take care of that straight away. So you don't have to hang around. So can I get a motion to approve the minutes of the April 13 meeting? I'll make that motion in a second. Is there any discussion or corrections? I think they look great, Bonnie. Oh, this is double-sided stuff. Okay. So why don't we go ahead and take a vote then? All those in favor of approving the minutes as submitted, say aye. Aye. All those opposed say nay. And are there any uh abstentions? Thank you very much. Uh Chief Sergeant. Good evening, Chief Sergeant Hooks Police Department. Uh thanks for meeting with me tonight. Um, I had the opportunity to speak to Joe Carroll on the phone last week. Um, I've been working with the resident to try to um come into an understanding with an issue um they're having in their area they live, and um kind of led us down a rabbit hole to where we are now with you. Um do you want to go over what our conversation was, or you want me to kind of well I can recap, I guess. It's in the packet under Chester Turnpike ordinances. You have an email uh in your package, it says Outlook at the top left corner. So I think the way this went is we had a complaint that came in for some activity going on at Clay Pond. And this uh was mostly after hours activity and some ATV use and things like that. And uh this uh resident uh isn't a butter at Clay Pond, and she had contacted Andre. And I guess she's contacted you a few times about the activity going on out there, and I think your folks have been out there a few times and have noted that this is going on. I think correct. And so where we stand now is that we've had these issues. We've gone out there, we've tried to deal with the people most recently. Um, I don't know if you've been out in the area recently, but at the end of Chester Turnpike, where it turns to North Carolina Road, there's kind of like a little parking lot area now that belongs to Manchester Waterworks. Um it wasn't posted. Obviously, they have all kinds of rules that people need to follow in order to utilize their property or to sit there. They're gonna be posting that property soon with their dawn to dusk hours, um, which led us to the situation we're kind of here now. Is that across the road is your kiosk with your dawn to dusk hours? I asked um the person we were working with, you know, what specifically gives me the authority to enforce the conservation committee's dawn to dusk hours, because nowhere in any town ordinance have I seen that I'm able to enforce that rule, and that's basically what gives me authority is the town ordinance, or if it was a state law. So with the Manchester Waterworks property, they have it as a state RSA law, what their hours are, so that's why we're able to enforce it. But unfortunately, with the town conservation, um just a quick search of what I could find, and I could definitely be off on this. I you know, leave that to you. You guys know more about this stuff than I do, is that any type of rule or regulation that you put in place as a conservation committee needs to kind of be backed by the local body in government, which would be the town council. Um so if you look in the town ordinances that we have, we've got the parks that belong to the town, they've got a dawn to dusk curfew, which we've utilized because it's in our ordinances, but specifically to conservation land, what gives us that authority to move people along at those times of the day. Now I understand that there's private property because it's belonging to the town, and we could ask them to move the problem with that is that it's open to the public, and what hours do we not want it open to the public, and how is that specified? And I know that the ordinance touches on it very little, so I'm thinking that it might be a good idea for clarification, and while doing that, if we're going to undertake the changing of a town ordinance, because nobody ever wants to add more ordinances. Now, this is just sitting there kind of in that property. This isn't going on into the property, having a campfire, or any of that stuff. All of that stuff that's posted, that makes sense. We can enforce those rules because there's New Hampshire RSAs that allow us to do that.

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