“FRIDAY UPDATES”

Friday, October 24, 2008

 

Old Landing Park

Courtesy Bruce Bragdon

 

Winter is coming up on us quickly and the Department of Public Works staff has been busy preparing and coordinating the winter program which begins with a winter procedure and project manual and a training session. Fortunately, the Town has its own gravel pit which will allow us to offset some cost from the substantial price of snow removal. 

 

Durham Public Library Newsletter Separates from Town Email List

The Durham Public Library Newsletter lists library news and upcoming events. For the past few years, the newsletter has been forwarded to the library’s own list of subscribers as well as to subscribers to the Town of Durham’s list. Our goal in doing so was to reach as many people in the community as possible, but unfortunately this has meant that many of our subscribers receive the newsletter twice. It has also led to some logistical problems. We have decided to remove the library newsletter from the Town’s listserver as of November 4, 2008, and to restrict library mailings to library patrons who subscribe directly. But the library does not want to lose you! The library newsletter is a good way to stay informed about library events and we want everyone interested to receive it. If you have been receiving the newsletter strictly from the Town’s list, or you are unsure which list you are on, please email us at durhampl@gmail.com and we will add you to the library list.

 

2008 Bond Sale & Rate Setting

This morning, Administrator Todd Selig and Business Manager Gail Jablonski met with Bill Fazioli, a financial advisor from the First Southwest Company, who is assisting Durham with its upcoming 2008 bond sale totaling $3,115,000.00 scheduled for November 12, 2008.  A 90 minute telephone meeting with representatives from Moody's Investor Services also took place at 11:30 a.m. in which Mr. Fazioli, Mr. Selig, and Ms. Jablonski gave an overview of Durham's financial situation to two bond rating analysts who handle public sector ratings for New England and the Northeast.  Bond ratings begin with the highest rating of AAA (there are no public entities with this rating in NH), followed in descending order by AA1 (we are unaware of any in NH), AA2 (Bedford is the only AA2 rating in NH), AA3 (there are only 5 in NH - Durham, Hudson, Londonderry, Salem, Hollis), A1, A2, A3, etc.  Entities with higher ratings are deemed to be safer investments and consequently garner more favorable interest rates per issue.  Durham has benefited financially from a very strong rating at AA3.  Due to nation-wide economic challenges within the various credit markets, Moody's focused a great deal on our General Fund undesignated fund balance.  Despite Durham's success in stabilizing the General Fund undesignated fund balance at between $1.2 million and $1.5 million over the last several years, it has dropped as a percentage of total municipal revenues to around 14%.  Moody's would prefer that we stabilize this number at around 15% at a minimum.   We are taking this advice into consideration as we finalize the FY 2009 proposed budget.  To view the presentation to Moody's and see a list of the projects being bonded, click HERE.

 

FY 2009 BUDGET PREPARATION

We are in the final preparation stages of the FY 2009 budget. The proposed budget is due to the Town Council by the last business day in October; which this year is October 31^st. At the November 3, 2008 Town Council meeting, the Administrator will provide an overview of the proposed budget to members of the Council. The Council has scheduled an initial budget work session for Monday, November 10, 2008. Residents who have an interest in this issue are encouraged to tune in to both the budget overview on November 3^rd and the Council work session discussion on November 10^th. A Public Hearing on the budget has been set for Monday, November 17^th. The proposed FY 2009 Budget is anticipated to hold spending at FY 2008 levels through targeted programmatic reductions, re-allocation of resources, and strategic past decision making which has allowed for cost resolutions in FY 2009. The economy is very problematic and it is important for Durham to be sensitive to this reality. Copies of the proposed budget will be available at the Durham Town Hall and the Durham Public Library. In addition, we will work to post the document on the Town web site in the coming weeks.

 

UNIVERSITY SYSTEM UPDATE

In an effort to sustain effective communications between the Town of Durham and the University System of New Hampshire, Administrator Selig attended the USNH meeting held on Thursday, October 23, 2008 at Holloway Commons. At the meeting, Dr. Edward MacKay, Vice Chancellor of the USNH since 1987, was named Chancellor Elect. Dr. MacKay will succeed current Chancellor Dr. Stephen Reno, who announced this summer that he would be stepping down as of June 30, 2009. Dr. MacKay’s appointment was approved unanimously by the Board of Trustees. We offer Dr. MacKay, who also happens to be a Durham resident, our congratulations upon his appointment. In addition, the Board of Trustees discussed various financial challenges it is facing, as well as programmatic successes and initiatives that are moving forward at Keene State College, Plymouth State University, Granite State College, and the University of New Hampshire. The USNH Board of Trustees holds a full board meeting each quarter and Administrator Selig will attend these meetings over the course of the year; not only to gain a better understanding of the challenges facing the System, but also in the hope of identifying potential cooperative opportunities between the System, its host institutions, and the Town of Durham for the mutual benefit of all parties.

 

CONSERVATION COMMISSION WORKSHOP

On Thursday, October 23, 2008, the Conservation Commission arranged for Steve Couture of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services to provide an overview with respect to a proposal brought forward by the Oyster River Watershed Association and the Strafford Regional Planning Commission (SRPC) to enroll the Oyster River as part of the state Rivers Management and Protection Program. In attendance were representatives from the Oyster River Watershed Association, Strafford Regional Planning Commission, University/Durham water system, members of the Town Council, and members of Conservation Commission. It was an informative workshop lasting approximately three hours. Participants gained a better understanding of potential positives and negatives associated with enrollment in the program. We hope to continue to look at these issues in the coming months. At this time, the SRPC has submitted an application to NHDES in order to obtain grant funds to develop an application for the enrollment of the Oyster River. The NHDES has awarded the grant, and over the course of the next year, the SRPC will work with the Oyster River Watershed Association in developing the enrollment request. Over this period of time, communities through which the Oyster River flows will have an opportunity to provide feedback as part of the process.

 

THE MALCOLM BALDRIDGE NATIONAL QUALITY IMPROVEMENT AWARD

In September, I participated in a half-day session focusing on the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Improvement Award created by the Federal government in 1987 and named for Malcolm Baldridge who served as Secretary of Commerce from 1981 until his death in 1987. This award is given by the President of United States to businesses—manufacturing and service, small and large—educational, health care, and nonprofit organizations that apply and are judged to be outstanding in seven areas: leadership, strategic planning, customer and market focus, measurement analysis and knowledge management, human resource focus, process management, and results. It is intended to stimulate American companies and government to improve quality and productivity while maintaining a competitive edge through increased profits and efficiencies. It establishes guidelines and criteria that can be used by businesses, industry, government, and other organizations in evaluating their own quality and improvement efforts. It also provides specific guidance for American organizations who desire to learn how to manage for high quality by making available detailed information on how winning organizations were able to change their culture and achieve success. This session was very informative, and while there is not a movement at this time for Durham to apply for a Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Improvement Award, we can learn much from programs such as this which focus on quality improvement.

 

KAIZEN UPDATE

On Monday of this week, Business Manager Gail Jablonski and Administrator Todd Selig met with resident Jerry Gottsacker who is assisting the Town in development of Kaizen (Continuous Improvement Initiatives Practices). At the present time, we have established two Kaizen work teams. One team is focusing on potential improvements to the payroll process. The Kaizen payroll team is focusing on standardizing the payroll process, simplifying steps that are followed, and developing a feedback loop for problems and errors. The target implementation date for this initiative is November 5, 2008. The second team is looking at the Town’s permit process. The goal of the Kaizen permit team is to reduce and consolidate permits by 75% by eliminating associated paperwork, centralizing permit access as much as possible, and developing guide maps for permits once the Kaizen process is completed. The target completion date for this team is the end of December 2008. We appreciate Mr. Gottsacker’s time and effort in assisting the Town with this endeavor.

 

FLU VACCINE CLINIC

The annual flu vaccine clinic will be held on Wednesday, October 29, 2008 at noon at the Durham Town offices.

 

DURHAM/UNH DISCUSSIONS REGARDING POLICING SERVICES

On Tuesday, October 28, 2008, Administrator Selig, Police Chief David Kurz, and Business Manager Gail Jablonski, Council Chair Neil Niman, and Councilor Karl Van Asselt met with representatives from the University to continue discussions relative to the cost impact the University has on the Town of Durham relative to policing services. Discussions continue to be productive with additional discussion focusing on ways in which we can move forward with public/private development partnerships involving the University and the Town with potential private individuals in an effort to broaden the Town’s tax base. Councilor Van Asselt, who serves as the Executive Director for the Rochester Housing Authority, talked specifically about the development of affordable/workforce housing targeting graduate students, staff, and faculty at the University.

 

USE OF BIODEISEL IN TOWN VEHICLES

Over the past few years the Town has been experimenting with using biodeisel as an alternative fuel in its fleet to determine if there would be any performance benefits. With the preliminary review completed, we have decided to attempt to run a more intense experiment through the winter by taking 3 of the 6 plow trucks and running them completely on biodiesel to see how the maintenance and performance plan runs through the season.  A comparison will be put together after the season has passed.  One interesting item we have observed is that the cost gap between the two fuels seems to have increased over the past year.  The current price (as of 10/22/08 at the UNH fueling station) for biodiesel is $3.71/gallon vs. diesel at $2.85/gallon.  There had previously been a $ .24 difference. 

 

TOWN RECEIVES GRANT TO PURCHASE RECYCLING BINS

The Department of Public Works is pleased to report that the Town has received a grant from the New Hampshire The Beautiful foundation to assist in the purchasing of blue recycle bins.  With the help of this grant, we are able to keep the cost of bins the same in the upcoming year. 

 

WISWALL FISH PASSAGE PROJECT TOUR

On Tuesday, October 28, 2008 beginning at 10:00 AM, the public is invited to join the New Hampshire Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Town of Durham at the Wiswall Dam and historic site for a Wiswall fish passage project tour. Undersecretary of Agriculture Mark E. Rey will also be in attendance to present the Town with a grant award for this project in the amount of $1,045,000. Resident Dick Lord has prepared a wonderful historical pamphlet about the site which will be distributed to attendees.

 

Right-to-Know Law Educational Session Scheduled for Board Members & Community

A final reminder that on Tuesday, October 28, 2008, beginning at 7:00 PM in the Town Council chambers, Attorney Cordell Johnston from the Local Government Center will be present to provide an overview of the Right-to-Know law.  Members of Town boards, commissions, and committees, as well as Town department heads and the general public are invited and encouraged to attend the session, or to view it on Durham Community Access Television (Channel 22).  Oyster River School Board members are also invited to attend, as well as board members from the communities of Lee and Madbury.

 

TOWN COUNCIL WORK SESSION ON TOWN HALL SITE

On Monday evening, October 27, 2008, the Town Council will hold a work session to discuss the Town Hall site located at 15 Newmarket Road. The meeting will begin at 7:00 PM and will be held in the Council chambers at Town Hall. The meeting is open to the public, and will be broadcast live over Durham Cable Access Channel 22. To view information regarding the work session, click HERE. To view a copy of the 2006 Space Needs Assessment prepared by Sumner Davis Architects relative to the Town Hall property and the Durham Public Library property, click  HERE

 

WATER MAIN FLUSHING

The Town of Durham and the University of New Hampshire began flushing water mains this past Monday and should complete the flushing on or before Friday, October 31, 2008. Flushing will be done at night between the hours of 9:00 PM and 7:00 AM.  This procedure is necessary to eliminate the build up of sediment in the water mains.  Flushing of the mains may cause temporary discoloration of the water however the water remains safe for drinking.  This discoloration will disappear with normal household use.  It is suggested that sensitive laundry not be washed if the water is obviously discolored. Try not to draw water if you observe flushing in your area.  Please call the UNH Water Supply at 862-1390 or the Department of Public Works at 868-5578 with questions and/or concerns.

 

MILL POND ROAD WATERLINE REPLACEMENT PROJECT

The Mill Pond Road waterline replacement project is progressing on schedule.  Public Works has established a good working relationship with contractor American Excavating of Derry, NH.  This is a new contractor for us and we are glad to report that to date, Department of Public Works personnel are very pleased with their work.  From Mill Pond Road, the same crew will move to Woodman Road for a smaller replacement project.  Residents of Woodman Road will be receiving an informational letter describing that project very shortly. 

 

Jackson's Landing IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT

The Town has received its wetlands permit for the Jackson's Landing and is proceeding with the project.  The first component is the construction of the new parking lot on Old Piscataqua Road across from the ice rink, which is anticipated to be completed within two weeks.  The next phase will be the replacement of the boat launch ramp. 

 

DRAINAGE PIPE REPAIRS-BURNHAM AVENUE AND THOMPSON LANE

The Department of Public Works is finalizing the design plans for the repair of a collapsed 24-inch diameter drainage pipe between Burnham Avenue and Thompson Lane with the intention of bidding the project soon and having the work done before the end of the year.  This 24-inch drain pipe is a critical piece of the drainage system since it is the outlet of a large drainage area encompassing Valentine Hill and McGrath roads, and a section of Garden Lane.   Public works is also working on a plan to repair the inlet to the culvert that crosses Thompson lane, which is just upstream of the collapsed pipe, and address issues with a problematic drainage ditch upstream of the Thompson Lane culvert.  This project will likely require a wetlands permit from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services plus a lot of cooperation from affected residents. Public Works is considering performing some of this work using in-house resources and with luck we may be able to schedule this work this fall or next spring.

 

Durham Energy Committee Newsletter, The Alternative

In an effort to inform, update, and generally spread the word about the current state of the environment the Durham Energy Committee has developed a newsletter, The Alternative.   The committee hopes to provide residents with up-to-date information and entertainment with its articles. To view the third edition of The Alternative, click HERE

 

FALL DOWN TO EARTH NEWSLETTER

Keep an eye out for the Fall Down to Earth newsletter which will be mailed in the near future. In addition to the many interesting components in the newsletter, there will be a section regarding the Fall Cleanup beginning on Monday, November 10, 2008. Remember, this is the leaf and brush cleanup.  Only these things will be collected during Fall Cleanup. 

 

FALL CLEANUP

Fall Cleanup will begin on Monday, November 10, 2008.  All items must be out by 7:00 AM that day and fit the criteria to guarantee their pickup.  Please follow the below guidelines to guarantee a successful fall cleanup: 

Leaves should be placed in paper leaf bags (remember, plastic bags are not recyclable).  Paper bags may be purchased at Durham Marketplace or Town and Campus. Loose leaves will not be accepted but may be brought to the Transfer Station & Recycling Center on Durham Point Road with a permit.

 

ü      Brush should be placed in one direction, bundled, and tied with string (no wire please).

ü      Brush and limbs must be no greater than 5 feet in length and 5 inches in diameter.

ü      The amount of brush and limbs is limited to one truckload per household.

ü      Cutting off small limbs from branches will help maximize each load.

ü      Remember, backyard composting your leaves and brush reduces the flow of waste while at the same time producing valuable organic matter for the soil.  It improves your soil and the plants growing in it.

 

Durham Trick-or-Treating

A final reminder that trick-or-treating in Durham will be held on Thursday evening, October 30, 2008, from 5:00 to 7:30 PM.

 

Mills Hall Hosts Sixth Annual Halloween Extravaganza

On Wednesday, October 29, 2008, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM, students from Mills Hall on the UNH Campus will hold its sixth annual Halloween Extravaganza featuring a child-friendly haunted house. This event is free and open to the public. All children should be accompanied by an adult. For further information, please contact Julia Pond at 862-1111.

 

UNH HOLDS OPEN HOUSE FOR NEW OBSERVATORY

The University of New Hampshire’s Climate Change Research Center (CCRC) would like to welcome all interested community members to an open house at their new atmospheric observatory.  The observatory is home to instrumentation monitoring up to 200 parameters of our atmosphere and is the largest of the CCRC’s internationally recognized AIRMAP program’s observatory network.  The observatory has an 80-foot walk up tower offering extensive views of the region and the platform for many atmospheric measurements.  Staff and students will be on hand to discuss their research, answerer questions and provide tours.  The observatory is located at 86 Bennett Road in Durham and requires a 1000-foot walk from the parking area to the observatory nestled in the woods.  The open house will be held on October 30, 2008 from 3:00 to 5:30 PM with a rain day of October 31, 2008. Questions can be emailed to kevan.carpenter@unh.edu.

 

    

 

PUBLIC MEETING SCHEDULE

The following public meetings are scheduled for the coming week in the Town Council chambers at the Durham Town Office and will begin at 7:00 PM unless otherwise indicated below.

 

Town Council – Monday, October 27, 2008 (Work session regarding the Town Hall site)

Right-to-Know Law Informational Meeting – Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Planning Board – Wednesday, October 29, 2008

 

To view an agenda for the meetings listed above, please click HERE.  All meetings recorded on DCAT are available on DVD at the Durham Public Library for checkout and viewing.

 

Churchill Rink AT JACKSON’S LANDING PUBLIC SCHEDULE

The Churchill Rink at Jackson’s Landing opened on October 20^th this week. Public Skating for the 2008/09 season is as follows:

Monday, Wednesday, Friday- 2:00-3:20

Tuesday & Thursday- 9:00- 10:20 & 2:00-4:20

Saturdays- 2:30-4:20

Sundays- 2:00-3:50

 

Churchill Rink Halloween Skate

The first Community Event is Halloween Skate is scheduled for Friday, October 31. The community events take place from 7:30-9:00pm and are free of charge.

 

DURHAM BUSINESS ASSOCIATION SEEKING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The Durham Business Association is looking for an Executive Director.  Responsibilities for this part-time position include planning and implementing DBA projects and activities and working closely with the Board of Directors and members to facilitate strong communication and relationships between its members, the Town, the University, and the Economic Development Committee.  The position averages 30 hours per month.  Interested candidates may send a resume and letter of interest to Johanna Knight at d_b_a@verizon.net by November 5, 2008.

 

TOWN OF NEWMARKET INFORMATIONAL MEETING-DRAWDOWN OF LAMPREY RIVER

The Town of Newmarket will perform a drawdown of the Lamprey River on Monday, November 10, 2008 for the purpose of conducting an inspection of the Macallen Dam.  This work is being done with the approval of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department and the Department of Environmental Services Dam Bureau. All members of the public and interested parties are invited to attend the informational meeting regarding the drawdown to be held at the Newmarket Town Hall at 7:00 PM on Monday, November 3, 2008.

 

Durham Public Library 3rd Annual Durham Community Pancake Breakfast
This Saturday, October 25, 2008, from 8:00-11:00 AM, the Durham Fire Department, UNH Greeks, and Durham Public Library will sponsor the 3^rd annual Durham Community Pancake Breakfast to be held at the Oyster River Middle School (rain or shine). Activities and games are also planned for the event. All proceeds will be used to support the Durham Public Library.

 

Check out the new Durham: It’s Where U Live Grant Program

A new grant program has been established by DIWUL. The program provides grants up to $200 and will provide reimbursement to support a program or event geared at bringing the University and greater Durham community together. For guidelines and information on how to apply visit www.diwul.org

 

PANCAKE BREAKFAST HOSTED BY THE UNH GREEK COMMUNITY AND DURHAM FIRE DEPARTMENT

On Saturday, October 25, 2008 from 8:00 to 11:00 AM, the UNH Greek Community and Durham Fire Department are joining together for the 3rd Annual Pancake Breakfast! Please join us at Oyster River Middle School for games and a delicious pancake breakfast to support the Durham Public Library. The Durham Fire Department will be flipping pancakes while the UNH Greek Community will have activities and games for all ages to enjoy.

 

WEEKLY POLICE ARREST REPORT

Week – 23                                           14 UNH (61%)             9 Other (39%)

*2008/09 Academic Year -313            205 UNH (65%)           118 Other (35%)

Calendar Year-828                              482 UNH (58%)          346 Other (42%)

 

*Commenced September 1, 2008 

 

Historical Data for the same week

Year	2005	2006	2007	2008
Week	19	11	19	23
Academic Year	510	352	295	313
Calendar Year	1069	855	866	828

 

FROM HISTORY IN AN OYSTERSHELL – 1600 – 1976

“1831 – A listing of 50 sea-worthy vessels built in our ways since 1800 include 35 ships of 20 to 399 tons, 8 brigs from 98 to 281 tons, 7 schooners from 50 to 137 tons. Joseph Coe produced 18, Stephen Paul 11, Robert Lapish 6 and Andrew Simpson and William Hanscom 4 apiece, and others.”

Have a nice weekend and a HAPPY HALLOWEEN

 

Todd

 

Todd I. Selig, Administrator
Town of Durham
15 Newmarket Road
Durham, New Hampshire 03824
Tel (603) 868-5571
Fax (603) 868-5572
tselig@ci.durham.nh.us
www.ci.durham.nh.us

 

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