July 6th meeting of the town council.

If you would all please rise and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Let me just introduce who's up here on the dais with us.

Tonight to my far left is Mr.

Key Stramaya.

Right next to me here is Mr.

Paul Pellateer.

Good evening, Salem.

To my immediate right is uh the board secretary, Lisa Whitrow.

Good evening.

To her right is Kathy Stacy.

Good evening.

And to her right is Barney Wright.

Hello.

My name is Bob Bryant, and it's a pleasure for me to serve.

As your chairman for this board, everybody you don't see here is on vacation, and that's why we typically only run a meeting in July for once and once in August, because we get a hard time having people show up.

So having said that, I just want to say that we're uh broadcasting tonight from the old town hall.

And uh I'd like to thank Howie, Beverly, Dan, Brian, and I guess there's a current vacancy we're gonna hope to fill.

And any other members of the historic committee or council or just the volunteers who have showed up tonight.

Um this is a wonderful opportunity for us to uh sit and revisit with our past, and it's uh certainly been restored to uh probably a better condition than it was in the 17 or 1800.

So we're we're in really good shape here tonight, and we just wanted to make sure we thank everybody that had something to do with it.

I would look to uh Kathy really quickly to do the consent agenda and then we'll have oh you want to do minutes.

We have minutes.

Okay, go ahead.

Yeah.

I'm in meeting minutes from June 15, 2026.

Motion has been made in second.

All those in favor.

Six to zero.

That's unanimous.

Ms.

Stacy.

Thank you, Mr.

GF.

I move to approve the July 6th, 2026 consent agenda and further to acknowledge receipt of the following donations.

Human Services Department, eight $25 gift cards to market basket from the Salem Women's Club, a $200 value.

Community Service Department, multiple financial donations totaling $11.

Community Services Department, rubber plate round mats for Hedgehog Park from the field.

Oops, I'm sorry, from the Friends of Salem Recreation, a 229 dollar value.

Community Services Department, Flowers and Plantings for Hedgehog Park from the Salem Garden Club, a $2,500 value.

And the police department, $500 from Rockland Trust for National Night Out.

Motion made in second.

All those in favor.

That's also six to zero.

Mr.

Devine, if you would at this time introduce our uh guest for a little presentation here before we start.

Uh so this is Brian Flanagan from the Historic District of the Hampton Committee who's going to be speaking over this night.

Thank you for uh for being here.

This is our second annual.

We're we're very honored and happy to host the second annual meeting in July of the Council Council meeting tonight.

Uh my name is Brian Flanagan.

I'm the uh happy president of the Salem Historical Society, been here for 10 years.

And uh Mr.

Chairman, you uh thank you for praising this building.

It was a six-year renovation that went through a lot of hardships, but we got it right, and the town was a big part of that help.

Uh the heavy lifting and getting this thing done.

So we're so happy to have this for the next 1500 years.

I'd like to give a shout out to the uh people who the leadership in this in this organization, Beverly and Howie, Susan and Susan, Linda and Lorna, Dan and Muffy, and Phil and Phil.

They've all been this group has been a part of the uh the gathering of materials and contractors and seeing this thing this thing through fiscally and safely to get this beautiful building done.

So thank you so much.

Please visit us at the uh Friends of Salem, New Hampshire Historical Society Facebook for more information and volunteers.

We're always looking for that.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

My appointments.

And I meant every word I said this place is uh shop.

Really well done.

So we'll move on.

To uh we don't have anything from the public, so we're gonna move on to uh employee of the month recognition, Mr.

Devine, please.

So it's my pleasure to announce Heather McGallen as the July employee of the month.

I've got her to come on up real quick.

So everybody can see her to see her work.

Heather's been a steady independent dependable presence in our collections at town clerk's office during the past year.

Uh she always serves as a part-time role, but she consistently goes above and beyond stepping up whenever we really need her.

Uh she's instrumental in training new employees, uh, sharing her knowledge and experience.

We'll always be one to help her co-workers.

Heather advises actual customer service, treating every resident with kindness, professionalism, and respect.

I want to thank Heather for her dedication to public service and recognize her as employee of the month.

Very nice.

All right.

And you've got our picture.

Very good humor.

We're going to do it up here, I guess.

If there's enough light for you to take a shot, we'll get Heather up here.

You're fine seven today, Ella.

We're not going to separate you guys.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Congratulations.

Congratulations, Heather.

Thanks for the work.

Fantastic.

All right, next up.

Mr.

Devine is the interview session for the Conservation Commission in historic district.

So as the council may recall, we added a charter amendment to add in alternate to the conservation commission.

We did a call for candidates to build its vacancies in Bill Girardo as seeking the appointment for the alternate position term ending in April of 2028.

Bill is here this evening to answer any questions in that comes for you.

And that's Bill.

That's Bill.

Miss Wright.

Mr.

Girato was on the communications committee when it first started, and he didn't withdraw.

So it would be my pleasure to nominate him to move to appoint Bill Girato to the Conservation Committee as an alternate member with such term ending in April 2028.

Second.

Motion been made and seconded.

Anything you have to say, Bill?

No, thank you for the opportunity.

Well, we're glad to have townspeople step up and fill those spots, and uh we know you'll do a fine job.

So with that being said, all those in favor.

Six to zero.

Got yourself a uh spot on the conservation commission.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And thank you.

None of this stuff could be done without volunteers.

It's just um it's wonderful to see.

So historic district commission, Mr.

Devine.

So if you recall the historic district recently updated the rules procedures to add one additional rail or number earlier this year, the council did interview four candidates for two positions.

Uh, we did reach back out to Jubilee Oblander, who was interested, and she still is interested.

Um so we're looking to see if she can be appointed to the historic district.

Miss Stacey.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I move to appoint Jubilee Oberlander to the regular member position on the historic district commission with such term ending in April of 2029.

Second motion been made and seconded by Mr.

Stramalia.

All those in favor?

I believe that's six to zero.

We're moving right along.

So now that commission is full.

Great.

Um number eight, Mr.

Devine.

This is gonna be a first read waiver and resolution number 2026-13, which is to authorize the lease agreement for a fire engine pumper, including a package of staff report.

Finance director Nicole McGee.

As the council may be aware, the voters approved the warrant article seven at the 2026 town meeting, authorizing the town to enter in a long-term lease agreement prior to this new fire engine.

On the advice of the town council, bringing this resolution before the council this evening to formally authorize the execution of the lease agreement.

Taking this action in a public meeting shares the proper legal authority is established and asking the town manager to sign all necessary documents.

Questions, Miss Stacy.

No question, no questions.

You have a motion?

I have a motion.

Then by all means.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I move Salem Town Council adopts resolution number 2026-13 relating to the authorization of the lease agreement for a new fire engine slash pumper and related equipment is authorized by Warren Article 7 with all American investments and to authorize the town manager to execute the lease agreement and all the documentation related to the lease agreement and further waves the requirement for a second reading.

Whereas the town council is responsible for the fiscal stewardship of the town, and whereas the town council recognizes the value of structured financial review and public transparency, and whereas the Salem Fire Department operates aging apparatus that has reached the end of its service serviceable life and requires replacement to ensure the continued safety of the town residents and firefighting personnel.

And whereas the voters of the town of Salem approve warrant article seven, authorizing the lease of a new fire engine pumper and related equipment.

And whereas the lease agreement with all American Investment Group LLC provides for a five-year term with the principal amount of $1,109,538 and annual payments of $243,607 and 34 cents.

Now therefore, be it resolved by the Salem Town Council that the Salem Town Council hereby authorizes the lease agreement for a new fire engine pumper and related equipment is authorized by Warrant Article 7 with All American Investment Group LLC and authorizes the town manager to execute the lease agreement and all other related documentation pertaining to a lease agreement.

Motion made and seconded by Mr.

Stromalia.

Any further comments on the pumper?

Other than that we need it.

We're good.

All those in favor.

Number nine.

I think uh Mr.

Devine, we're going to um we're gonna suspend the program for the community development tax credit program.

I don't think he's gonna need to speak, but we're gonna need a motion, Mr.

Chair, a motion to suspend resolution 2026-14 community development department, consider amendment to a commercial tax credit program criteria.

Second motion been made and seconded.

All those in favor, six to zero.

We'll bring that back up again, Mr.

Devine, in our September meeting.

But for now, that is suspended.

We have no applications for it, so there is no damage to anybody in the public.

Uh number B, assistant town manager, public hearing.

Oh, my favorite part.

Told you I can make that thing bounce.

By all means, Ms.

Mayu.

Good evening, Mr.

Chair members of the council.

Um, as you recall, um, municipal services director Wade Amarall made a presentation to you last month about the activities of the transfer station sub our transfer station study committee.

Um, one of the accomplishments that we've um been working towards over the past year is proposing changes to chapter 409 of the municipal code um relating to solid waste.

The changes really are um largely housekeeping in nature, um, and some um changes just to align with current practice.

The most substantive change that is in the um that is in the red line version that we presented to you is the elimination of the small business owners haulers um provision, which is um uh for a commercial user to come and dispose of waste at the transfer station.

Um, the finance department is reviewed and has indicated that over the past several years there have not been any small business haulers using the transfer station, and there really is a concern from those particular users because our um permit of the transfer station really restricts to only waste generated in Salem, and with those particular type of users, it is difficult for us to police and enforce and make sure that the waste being disposed of was actually generated in the town of Salem since there are no users and there have not been users operating under that provision.

Um, the transfer station subcommittee recommended eliminating it.

So um draft language has been posted, and we do have a resolution here.

Um, this is your first read this evening um public hearing and happy to answer any questions, and we'll be back um next month um for you to um consider this.

Okay, questions by you guys up here?

Anyone?

Miss Stacy.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I move the Salem Town Council hereby recognizes July 6, 2026 as the first reading for consideration of resolution number 2026-15 to consider amendments to Salem Municipal Code Chapter 409 Solid Waste.

We further recommend a second reading to be scheduled for August 3rd, 2026.

Second motion been made and seconded by Miss Withrow.

All those in favor.

Six to zero, and now under new business number ten conservation commission accept a two thousand dollar donation.

Mr.

Devine is Mr.

Hawkins here or he's not, but you have a in your um packet of staff report computing development programming or cream group maker.

This is a two thousand dollar donation from Edward Hawkins to the town's conservation fund in accordance with RSA 36A for the town council has fully accept this donation in public meeting.

Mr.

Brubiger.

Hi, uh Mr.

Ed Hawkins donates generously each year to the conservation fund.

This is one of us uh these donations.

Fantastic.

Go ahead, Miss Stacy.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I move in accordance with RSA 36-A colon 4 that the town council authorizes with gratitude the Conservation Commission to accept a donation the amount of $2,000 from Edward Hawkins with such donation being deposited into the conservation fund.

Second.

Motion but made by Ms.

Stacy.

Seconded by Ms.

Whitrow.

All those in favor.

Six to zero.

Under B, committee development planning division, historic district commission, rules of procedure.

Yeah.

Mr.

Lafontaine.

Hi, Council.

So I'm planning director Jacob Lafontaine.

And it's pretty appropriate, I guess, to give this report in this building.

The historic district was established by town meeting in 1965.

It was essentially a one-page sheet, you know, maybe a couple paragraphs, and that outlined the commission's rules of procedure.

So over the last several decades, that's been the guiding document that has steered the historic district, and they've done a really good job, but we wanted to formalize the process, have it be more reliable for the applicant, be more reliable for the commission.

There's been some instances where the commission hasn't met at all, where well that's not true.

The commission meets at least on an annual basis.

So there's been many years where the commission would have one meeting, and then they wouldn't have any other business to discuss.

So their workload really ebbs and flows.

The last couple years we've seen some pretty uh larger projects, relatively larger projects.

We saw 292 main 292 Main Street, I believe, the convent associated with the old Methodist Church.

That was torn down and replaced essentially in the same footprint and uh essentially models the house that was built in the 1800s that previously existed.

And that was all done through the historic district commission.

Uh you know, we were fortunate in that instance where we had a, I think from my perspective, pretty good rapport with the property owner and their contractor.

Uh but there were times in the process where it really would have benefited to have a guiding document.

Um it's kind of similar to a conservation easement.

Sometimes, you know, Miss Stacy will know sometimes an easement is shown on a recorded plan, but there's no actual document that supports that easement shown on a plan.

So you're kind of somewhat in the dark, right?

You're you're saying, well, what are the basic principles of a conservation easement?

And that's kind of what the historic district till now had done.

They said, well, what's the basic principles of a historic district commission?

What you know uh type of architecture do we want to see?

Um, what kind of development do we want to see in this area?

And the bylaws help uh address that.

They provide review criteria, they establish an application procedure, which we haven't really had.

It's really been somebody comes in uh with a building permit, and then I review and say, Oh, you're in the historic district, and oftentimes it's a surprise to them, and then we initiate the historic district uh review process.

So all of that is to say that this was to help, you know, particularly the applicants and the commission, so that everybody's on a level playing ground, that their their decisions are based off of criteria that are established and are predictable.

Um, aside from the criteria, we also updated the bylaws.

It used to be a six-member uh uh body, which never really a great idea to have an even number anyway.

Um so we've increased it to seven, that'll help with quorum uh as well because now we won't, you know, we we can have uh five or four people rather for a quorum, same as we would have for six, and then um we also did add two alternate positions also to help with quorum the quorum.

So those are the major changes.

Um the commission is also now working on design guidelines as a supplemental document to the rules of procedure.

The rules for procedure have uh really established the bylaws, you know, how the commission is supposed to function, and then also does have some review criteria, but a lot of historic discrimination commissions will have a standalone bylaw or sorry uh design uh review document, and that's what the commission's working on right now.

Uh most of this I'd have to acknowledge certainly uh commission members, uh Mr.

and Mrs.

Glynn who are present, and um Mike Banks, who's been the chair the last couple of years.

Uh he really did a lot of the heavy lifting on this.

He saw the need for it.

He's devoted a lot of his time to this document and ensuring that it gets doc uh to get adopted rather.

So that's the update, and happy to take any questions.

Question, Miss Stacy.

So thank you, uh Mr.

LaFonte.

I'm thrilled to see all this documentation because as you know, I've been asking for this for some time now.

But there's a couple of things I'm going through the rules of procedure that I want you to look at on page four.

Um under voting.

I was very surprised to see a provision where if there's a tide vote, it gets pushed to another meeting because usually if you have a tight vote, it fails.

So I was just kind of wondering what what the idea was behind that.

That's my first question.

I think that's from our uh land use for documents.

I think we were given guidance by the town attorney.

I'd have to look at it.

But I think attorney Courtney had told us that you're right in historically it was always a tie vote means a fail.

We particularly run into that in uh the ZBA, right?

If you have a four member board, you tell the uh applicant, hey, do you want to proceed?

Because if you end up in a deadlock vote, then it's a fail.

But the guidance I think we've recently received was that uh out of deference to the applicant, you should continue it and allow them an opportunity for a full board.

And I think I just took that um from the ZBA and the planning board.

Okay, um thank you.

I appreciate that.

Um page seven section 10.3 item C1.

Can I give just a definition of what presented in a conventional manner?

What exactly does that mean?

I agree it's pretty nebulous, and and the hope would be that that design guideline document would be the supplement because that goes into a lot more nuance.

I get what you're saying.

It it kind of points back to what we were talking about before.

What's maybe conventional to some, you know, it's subjective, and I and I understand that.

And um the hope would be that the design guideline document will kind of further define you know what the the criteria they'd like to see.

Okay, the last thing I wanted to comment on is on page nine section 14.4.

Yeah, it tells the people to look back to Article 12.3, and I don't think that's the right reference.

Okay.

Okay, I think it should be 5.8, but you can go through that and take a look yourself.

Okay, okay.

I'll take over that.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Oh, no problem by all means.

Anybody else?

So not seeing anything.

Uh from what I understand, there's no we don't have to confirm or do anything from a board standpoint.

No, this was information only.

Yes.

Okay, then we'll move on.

Thank you.

Uh C municipal services department, water restriction update.

So I'm putting it back in the staff report from Director Wayne Emerald who's here to speak to this tonight.

Okay.

Thank you, Mr.

Town Hand.

Wayne Emerald, the Ms.

Fill Service Director.

I'm here with Fred who also is familiar with the utilities director uh for the town.

As you're aware of on May 4th, this year, the council voted to implement the mandatory water restriction.

Rent recently from the memo you'll see on the next page, Joe.

If you could go over the next sheet to the next page, you can see we actually see a reduction in our water usage.

The blue days are the days you're allowed to water, the red days are the days you're not allowed to water.

It took a little time for us to settle in, but we're seeing a decline over time as as people are starting to appear to it.

Um path will continue as we approve to reduce usage.

If we keep with this with this um, even if we hold this steady, uh, we'd be okay through summer and fall, but we have to keep the mandatory restriction in to the uh fall.

As you know, in outline in the memo, we have increased our intake from regional water, which allowed us to keep our maintain our levels in K in Kitchikanby Lake as of July 2nd.

We were holding 217.82, which is a great uh point to be at this time of year for us, uh, thanks to to the regional.

Just note that we proactively the board uh the uh decided to go to a voluntary a mandatory water restriction and skip over the uh voluntary, which was a great decision, I think, because that puts us in a really good position right now where we're not so nervous about what happens in the next couple months as long as we get to get rain and people follow the rules.

If we start to lax and they stop following the rules, then we're and we're won't be in very good shape.

But as long as they follow the rules, we're in very good shape because we're very proactive, and I think it was a great decision on on town council side to do that.

Um, and I think that's really important.

Uh this week we started sending out second notices, which associated with a fine for the users that we believe are abusing it.

There's a total of roughly 300 people that were on our list of potential abusers.

We go through that list and then we send out notices to a handful of those people on that list there.

So those will start this week, so we might have some of those people contact us and maybe change their behavior.

But in reality, 300 potential abusers out of the whole town of uh all the customers we have is pretty good.

People are listening, we see on on the on the mandatory water restriction.

So that's where we are with that.

I think it's good news because people are listening, and Fred is managing the intake from regional right on right on pile where we need to keep our Kit Campbell Lake at a reasonable level of water.

Okay.

Questions for Wayne off for Fred?

Fred's here.

No, it's inside.

Stick them in the spotlight.

All right, thank you, Wayne.

Appreciate it.

For all of you of you out there who are part of that 300 that aren't paying attention.

You know, your one really only needs 10 minutes of water every other day.

That's all it needs.

It doesn't need 45 minutes, and it certainly doesn't need you to spray half of it out into the street.

Yes.

So if it's flowing down the street, adjust your sprinkler, fix your head on your sprinkler, whatever you need to do.

We're all on this together, and we all need drinking water.

This is not something that you get to get a pass on.

So moving forward, D, municipal service department discussion on traffic safety.

Oh, back up again.

Glad to see you, Wayne.

What intersection?

Are you gonna start with North Main Street and Bluff?

North Main Street Bluff.

So North Main Street and Bluff.

I was asked by the town manager uh at the end of the last meeting where we had to look at the intersection to see if uh the improvements we've done over the years have worked, and um the intersection is safer or acting safe than uh acting, or is it a safe intersection or not?

So I looked at the intersection, uh evaluated it, and uh the flashes work and the signs are working, everything is on and working, the advanced warning signs are there, so the intersection is signed appropriately and operating correctly, there's nothing missing.

What I did find was uh was interesting was the side street volume was higher than I thought it was.

So the main street of uh north main street should be your majority of traffic, where the side streets have 20, 25, 15 percent of your traffic.

In this case, I predict around 40% of the volume was on the side street, which is pretty high for a split of a for four-way intersection.

Um, and maybe that's why we're seeing the crashes you see there because of the high volume coming out of the side streets.

However, saying that I also looked at uh the curvature of the roadway, because there's uh talk about that was causing some of the accidents you couldn't see the cars come around the corner.

You have around 200 or 50 feet of good sight lines on a poor day.

If you have headlights coming, you could probably see five, six hundred feet away.

So sight lines isn't that bad there, it's actually reasonably um uh acceptable at that intersection.

I did look, I didn't do a full trip traffic site at this intersection like I did the previous the next intersection, but this intersection, I looked at the MUTCD warrants, manual and uniform traffic control devices for an always stop um uh warrants if it meets the warrants.

If it does meet any of the warrants, it doesn't mean you have to put up a stop sign, just means you can't put up a stop sign if you want to put up a stop sign.

In this case, it only would meet most likely without doing a full traffic study, only the volume, the average daily traffic would warrant the the um would warrant always stop.

The crashes are below the threshold.

Usually I really favorite crashes for a real warrant because that shows how safe an intersection is.

Just because you have high volume and intersection does not make it unsafe.

But the only warrant that this intersection met was the volume warrants, which is goes back to my high number of side street volume entering the intersection.

So you have that.

Uh the crash data was below five or more over the past three years.

So one of the warrants M UTC, M U T C D has is five or more correctable crashes, correctable, as in you're not drinking, you're not on the phone, you're not distracted, or whatever the reason is, correctable by putting up a stop sign.

They were all below five over the last three years.

So to recap this intersection, as though it has crashes and it probably has crashes because it has high volume, uh still a relatively safe intersection that's gonna see crashes occasionally because you're at it busy intersection.

So I recommend in my in my uh correspondence to the town manager that no action be taken at this time.

We just keep look watching the intersection.

Be happy to take questions.

Questions all set with that?

Uh Paul.

The only thing I would add, Wayne, if uh if the board could do it or whatever to have uh ask the police chief for more uh more boots on the ground over there patrolling that area uh sitting at the intersection.

Maybe if the maybe if people see more more of a blue light over there, they'll slow down.

So that's a request.

I guess the request I would like to make to uh to inform police chief if you go into send some more enforcements in that intersection.

I I could pass an eye.

I just not sure exactly because I I've probably been out there for three hours on a mile, 20 minutes out of time, but if I would have time, uh speeding is officially speeding out there, there is some speeding on the main street.

I would say it's above 30, probably got a 32, 34 mile an hour, 85 percentile speed out there.

Um some people go faster, some go slower.

I think because people are somewhat unsure of the intersection, I know some people approach the intersection on their brake, because maybe they've seen nearest it near crashes out there, so as they're approaching, they're they got their foot on their brake, I can see they're prepared for break lights, even though there's nobody on the side street, they're just being proactive.

So the intersection, I think people are extra cautious because maybe they didn't see the access there, or they usually confront somebody coming out of the side street because of the high volume.

Ms.

Stacey.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

So I'm gonna piggyback on what Paul said because of course that intersection's right at my my property, and uh I can tell you it's crazy there, but I know I do know that they did last week have a patrolman there at about 2 30 in the afternoon when it's not busy.

I mean, so obviously I'd rather see somebody there because by the time 4 30 comes, you have cars backed up on Bluff Street, 10 and 12 cars backed up from the stop side.

It is a very busy intersection.

So, yeah, to have more enforcement around there to take a look, I think is important.

I think it'll it'll slow, I would hope it would slow people down or make them pay attention.

I just I think most of it's destructive driving.

Yeah, people unfamiliar with the area.

Everybody that uses it to go to the transfer station should be aware by now, but anyway, that doesn't necessarily hold true.

No, thank you, Wayne.

And I think we're moving on to number two, which is the Hampstead Road, Shannon Road, Town Farm Road.

Thank you.

For me again.

Yeah, so this this intersection was brought to my attention back in October 2025.

So I've been studying the intersection, and we authorized some counts to happen this past spring, some volume counts, and it was surprising to find out the intersection sees 12,000 uh cars a day, which is shocked me by like 4,000, honestly, when I saw that.

So you will have crashes intersection like that.

In this evaluation, I did do a full always stop study on this just to figure out if it if it if it could meet just uh always uh an always stop warrant.

And we did data collecting, we did peak hour attorney movement counts, and we also did a crash analysis that was conducted by the Salem Police Department.

And with that data and the observations out there, uh the manual and traffic control devices devices, warrants, they give you five warrants uh to uh meet any of the five warrants for an installation of a always stop.

This intersection meant three out of the five warrants, which is surprisingly high.

It meant to crash data, the crash experience warrants, uh the sight line issue because of the curvature in the road, and just a high volume, 12,000 cars and uh entry the side volume of the cars entry on the side streets high.

So it meant three out of the five warrants for an always stop.

This one concerned me because the crashes were so high, and that's why in the letter you'll see I I recommend an always stop this intersection.

Saying that, I do understand that a high volume road with 12,000 cars, always stop, it's gonna be a major inconvenience for the cars on the major street.

Every single car on Shannon Road and Hamstead Road will have to stop.

That's not happening today, obviously.

And those 12,000 cars, all 12,000 cars will have to stop the intersection during the day.

That's a huge negative for an always stop.

However, we have to decide inconvenience, noise, um the delay to drivers over public safety.

We have to balance that and what's more important.

The crashes, we saw eight in 2025, which is surprising.

That's correctable accidents.

That's not I'm distracted on the phone.

I drove off the road because I had too much to drink.

These are correctible crashes that could have been correct with an always stop.

Eight is pretty high for a full for four intersection.

That's why I I used to recommend an always stop.

I live out near that intersection and go through that intersection multiple times a week, sometimes multiple times a day, and I'm thrilled to know that there's how many stop signs.

I also often go through the left street, main street, and I don't like that one either.

So I hope I was happy to see that your recommendations had keep paying attention or some something like that, and I hope we keep watching that intersection because I think it does want more than what's there.

Anything else?

Chair, if I could also add the police chief, I'm not gonna speak in favor, but he did send me an email favoring it also, so just keep that in mind too.

Also, so just keep that in mind too.

He's strongly recommended.

We've got that in all our notes from the police chief.

So he's recommending the same process.

All right.

Okay.

Wayne, I think you're done.

Whoops.

Sorry.

I'm sorry.

Hold on.

How far back is that going to make 14?

I forget the number you said.

How far back is it going to stack towards Route 97?

Well, I'll do an analysis that's been around 148 cost during painting.

Which is a lot of cars.

We're not transfer stations open on Saturday.

Uh still leaves from 14 hours to a midday weekdays school time.

So I didn't try to get the worst case.

Saturday is the transfer station during school time for the time.

So I would have to during AM and PMP school to pick up drop off.

And that's where I'll see the shooting caches.

Once they hit the light at Hempstead, they come down as a platoon of 15 cars.

So I'm talking about the worst case where you got those 15 cars coming, every one of them stopping at that at that stop sign.

So you're going to run close to 18 cars during peak time.

I would imagine that's going to cause some complaints on its own.

It will but I'm guessing there's really no option, right?

I mean, is putting a lightly ever option?

The delay would be more.

Wouldn't it be?

Yeah, it would be longer tracks.

Is there anything to trying this?

I remember when I can't remember there was an apartment complex went up and there was a stop sign at a very random spot.

Yes, and it stayed with the I don't know, a year, but then it got pulled down.

Is there anything to maybe do not get people in the habit of slowing down there and then pulling it if this is too much of a traffic happening?

Or would have been what I'm thinking is maybe the um the big flashing sign that says your speed is and you know tell them that it's a 30 mile an hour zone, it's not a 40 or a 40.

I people come out of the transfer station and must be in a rush to get the Duncan donuts or something.

But they seem to be going in at a fairly good clip when they get up over the top of the hill and start heading out towards 97.

So I'm just wondering if you put the police signs out there that are attached to the big cages, and it said your speed is currently, you know, and have it flashed when it's you know when it's not where it's supposed to be.

Maybe you slow them down a little bit.

And they hit something on the side street.

It was people were failing to yield.

But I'm definitely I could pass it on to the piece of time about uh enforcement science.

Yeah.

I thought family gonna be back here discussing the staff traffic.

So you mentioned about the stop sign as a trip traffic.

That's the last thing we have we want to do for the reason that wants to stop signs there and sit there for like say a year or eight months to 12 months.

And then you want the side street, and they don't know the stop sign if you haven't been in the neighborhood, you don't know the stop sign's been yanked.

You see someone come down the street, like well, they have a start now because the top put them in stop setup, they'll go pulling out in front, and you'll probably see an increase of crashes there.

So once you commit to a stop sign, it's like it's the next step to a traffic light.

Not saying we want to put a traffic light there, but that's the next step to a traffic light.

So you get to you keep going moving up with the levels, you never put a pullback unless volumes change for some reason to transfer station move to another location in town, for example.

Uh you wouldn't have that volume, probably, but as long as we're all that usage is there, you're gonna see that volume.

Okay, I assume there's no other option, so here we have, and we'll see if there's anything that comes up in six months from now.

Thank you.

Okay, thanks, Wayne.

Appreciate it.

Okay, that ends the formal portion.

Mr.

Devine, town managers reporting questions from the council.

Thanks, Chair.

Um, the first update is on the community choice irrigation program.

Just to give you a quick update on that, the public utilities commission recently announced Liberty's new rates for supply side of things.

Again, as a reminder, right now, people who have opted into the program are paying default rate of 11.18 cents per kilowatt.

As of August 1st, the Liberty default rate's gonna be a 15.8 cents.

So you're saving roughly 41% uh out of the community choice education program.

People who recently moved to town, and there's about 1700 of them, um, whether it be businesses or people moving in are gonna be receiving uh notices asking if they want to opt in.

If you've already opted into the program, you will not be receiving the flyer from Freedom Energy.

It's only for people who are newly residents within the town.

So any existing participants will not receive it.

Uh, since Wayne gave a great update on the regional water on the water side, I'm gonna give you an update on the regional water.

Um staff has begun discussions with Manchester Waterworks to discuss our CIA, which is the Southern Interconnect Agreement.

Uh we're in year eight of is a 10-year agreement before our rates start going up, so we wanted to start having this discussion early.

A couple of the big points we're looking for is in year 10 our rates would be going up.

We were paying the commercial rate as opposed to the residential rate.

And we're also looking at the ability to purchase more water from Manchester to help save our reserves within Canaby and Arlington on the off side seasons.

So we have started those discussions.

I'll keep the council updated as we move forward through that.

Um we had our first finance committee meeting on July 1st.

Um, just and we're starting obviously the FY27 budget process.

As we move through the coming months, we're gonna be looking for policy direction.

I'm really looking to see if the council committee direction tonight on what you're looking for for a budget increase.

Part of the rules for the finance committee is you're supposed to provide them guidance on what you feel would be an acceptable budget number for an increase.

Um I can tell you right now the 12 month average for the Northeast CPI is at 5%.

Um we do have a lot of inflationary costs coming forward as well.

Um that is going to be hitting us.

So I'm just looking to see if the council has any guidance that I can provide.

One, the finance committee, and two for me when I'm developing the budget with the departments.

Anyone?

I'd like to see two.

That's me.

I mean, I'd like to less.

I'd like to be less too, but I mean it was it was a tough year this year at the ballast.

It was yeah, I don't know what's gonna be coming up for warm articles and things like that, but as close to flat as humanly possible.

It would be nice.

Taking into consideration new debt and all that kind of stuff.

Where are we gonna say?

This this will be the highest year of our debt service payment as well.

So that is that is that's a big yeah.

It is um, but we'll we'll definitely try to keep it as low as we can, is what I would say.

Um we ended up this past year being being with warrant articles about three and a half percent of what our increase was this year.

Um so we'll definitely strive to keep it there or better if we can.

So just some capital project updates, just so the public is aware.

Erma Road has started mobilization.

So if you're driving in that neck of the woods, you're gonna see construction science going up.

Um in the next coming weeks, you are going to start seeing uh probably delays with lane shifts and things like that.

So the construction will be getting going.

And then an update on Bridge Street Bridge.

Um, it is moving forward.

ED SWEB has continued to tell us that substantial completion will happen uh before winter.

Um I invite the council if anybody wants to go and look at the project and see what it looks like.

I'm happy to arrange that for you.

I didn't put a couple pictures for you just so you can kind of see.

My only comment to that, Joe, is they said October.

And I know October is before winter, but so is anything before the first no they're saying the completion will be as at the end of this year.

So we're hope hopeful for be October, but they visit some delays, so that that's our issue we're running into right now.

And a lot of the issues had to do with running water, um, coming in and they they still to this day are running pumps non stop trying to pump the water out of the working area for themselves.

You can see and my only other comment for me time for it.

So, right now we have what we call a water smart customer portal.

If you've ever seen some of the emails from the finance director, there's a little thing that says check your meter, you can kind of see it.

Um, right now we have only about 10% of our users actually using that service.

It's a substantial cost to that service, and we're only 10% are using it.

We really don't see the value.

Um, so we're probably going to be discontinuing this service just because people are not using it, they're not utilizing it, and why are we gonna be paying upwards of $20,000 for a service that customers just aren't using?

So I just wanted to provide that as an update so the public is aware.

If they do put them that link, it's gonna be probably going away.

And happy to answer any questions that the council might have.

Questions on the board?

Ms.

Stacy.

Thank you, Mr.

Chia.

So I've been getting I got a couple of phone calls this week with events regards to the Mount Pleasant Cemetery and the condition of the older section.

Um, people who have family members have been very there's you know since the 1700s, and they're not happy with the condition of low grass, the the dirt road, the dustiness, and they'd like something to be done.

So thank you.

It's great the services director's here tonight, so I'm sure he'll take that right back to a cemetery and take care of it.

Thank you, Mr.

Allen.

Thank you.

Anything else?

Mr.

Powell, it's in.

Thank you, Mr.

Tim.

Uh, since the historical society members are here.

Has anybody been in that area looking for anything of old?

Anything that I know that bridge is old, and uh maybe some artifacts have been dropped in the or anything.

Well, we have always right.

Oh, let's take a moment.

I hope you were wearing a hot hat at the time.

So uh asking to salvage this.

There's another three sections.

Oh yeah, the meeting of bridge is my hands.

That's yours.

Well you got it.

It's a municipal services, it's our water gauge.

So it's not historic.

But we can say it, so this is what it's been there for a while.

I asked him to salvage it, take it off and we're gonna put it upstairs and another one anyway.

But uh, as far as uh the uh we haven't received any other bottles or artifacts yet, yeah.

No, we hope there's no bottles, no cans, you know, potato chip jugs or whatever.

Yes, what is for uh linking?

Yes, the update on the promise school sign?

Um I heard from uh James that he was gonna work on that so try to get that results.

It needs a lot of love, right?

Yeah, okay.

But it's not gonna be exactly forgotten though, right?

No, it's not along the left.

Okay, thank you.

Anything else?

Looking down both ends here, Mr.

Stramalia.

Oh, actually, I had two buttons.

I'm gonna both use them both, but use them both.

This is for waiting.

Um asking me about transfer station where you should be able to put stuff for people who buy and pick up and I can stop.

Is that everyone coming back?

No.

Um the answer to that is no.

The problem was is not everything people left was useful.

Okay, and there was stuff that was attracting and putting in so without man, you know, managing it at full time and watching what people put in.

I know some people's junk is some else's junk, yeah.

But a lot of one person's junk is another person's junk.

Um that's what we were experienced there.

Well, I just want the people that hear it from you.

Well, in in the in the in the process of being there at the transfer station on a Saturday, I I listened to a conversation where a guy took a brand new bike basically.

It looked beautiful with the little tassels on the end, girl's bike, took it out of his car, and the guy said, You can't leave that here.

And so he put the kickstand down and he started a conversation with him.

We used to do this all the time.

And when he turned around, the bike was gone.

So keep talking, folks.

Um I've seen people leave stuff there, but you you really gotta be careful.

Um I don't know what the fallout from the study committee will be, but most towns have a separate building for that kind of stuff, and I don't know if we want to bother with all that and having to clean that out later, but we'll see.

Anything else, Barney?

No, nothing.

Anyone else?

I thought you said yeah, too.

No, I'll hold up for the next week.

You're gonna hold up until August?

Yeah.

Wow.

I could do a survey.

What a sport.

Upcoming meetings.

August 3rd is the only meeting in uh August, and then we have September 14th and September 28th, which will be getting really close to uh budget season.

So please turn in again.

We'd like to thank everybody here that puts their time, their volunteer hours or whatever into this.

This is a tremendous building.

And take your kids, your grandkids, everybody you can find and make sure they walk this building at least once.

So uh thank you very much for having us here.

And with that, I will take a motion.

Motion again.

Second, motion been made to adjourn in second of all those in favor.

Six to zero, that's unanimous.

Thank you very much, Taylor, for tuning in, and we'll see you on August 3rd.

Thank you.