“FRIDAY
UPDATES”
January
29, 2010
Courtesy Sara
Badger
Groundhog Day is Tuesday, February
2nd. Those among us who are curious about Punxsutawney Phil’s
prediction can log on to the official site of the Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania
Groundhog Club at http://www.groundhog.org and find out
if we will have an early spring, which would be very welcome right about
now.
TESTING THE
WATER…
This week Doug Bullen from the
Department of Public Works took a drill out to the Mill Pond to test the ice and
determine whether it would be safe for the upcoming Parks and Recreation
Department winter carnival and chili cookoff. It was not. While drilling
the hole, Doug fell through the ice! We consequently relocated the event
to the Old Landing.
Town
Election - March 9, 2010
The 2010 Town Election will be held on
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at the
Filing
Period for ELECTED OFFICES
The following is a list of citizens
that have filed for the
Town Council, 3 positions (3-year
terms):
Peter Stanhope, William Cote, Jay Gooze
Library Board of Trustees, 3 positions
(3-year terms): Sybylle Carlson, David Moore, Julian
Smith, Jenna Roberts
Town Moderator, 1 position (2-year
term):
Chris Regan
Supervisor of the Checklist, 1 position
(6-year term): Judith
Aiken
Trustee of Trust Funds, 1 position
(3-year
term):
Craig Seymour
Drawing
Names of Candidates for Order of Listing on Town Election
Ballot
At the Durham Town Council meeting on
Monday evening, February 1, 2010, Town Moderator Christopher Regan and Town
Clerk-Tax Collector
Update
on Discussion With the
On May 18, 2009, Gregg Caporossi of the
Trust for Public Land (TPL) attended the Town Council meeting and provided
Councilors with a presentation regarding the TPL’s interest in conserving
approximately 230 acres of land located off of
On December 21, 2009, The Council
received an additional update on the potential project from the TPL with
comments from Administrator Selig. The ensuing Council discussion led to a
series of questions concerning the project and its various
complexities:
§
what is the appraised value of the
§
what role would the potential
conservation of College Woods play as part of the project?
§
how would The Grange structure owned
by the Town be utilized as a cash match toward the conservation of the
§
what development project would move
forward within the central core of
§
how would the Town guarantee that
the conservation of the Spruce Forest area would be tied inextricably to the
creation of new taxable value which would not otherwise be created but for this
project, or would it?
§
how will the conservation of the
§
who will be the development partner
that will create the new economic value downtown and what is their timeframe?;
etc.
At the Town Council meeting on Monday,
February 1st, the Council will receive a brief recap of the proposal
from TPL Project Manager Gregg Caporossi. Afterwards, the Council will hold a
discussion and determine whether it is interested in pursuing the proposal
submitted by the TPL, and/or whether it desires to schedule a Public Hearing to
receive input from citizens to determine how to move forward. To view the TPL
proposal for this property, click HERE,
or visit the Town web site at www.ci.durham.nh.us.
DURHAM POLICE
DEPARTMENT COMMUNITY SURVEY
This past fall, the Durham Police
Department worked with Dr. Andrew Smith and his assistant Chad Novak of the
University of New Hampshire Survey Center to complete the 2009 Durham Police
Department Community Survey. This is the fifth time that a survey has been
delivered to the community which allows for a comparison of data and trends that
are helpful in tailoring policing services to the needs of the community.
The results will be
used to enhance policing services and direct the department in providing the
most responsive, cost-efficient, and effective police services possible.
To view the results of the 2009
Durham Police Department Community Survey, please click HERE,
or visit the Police Department link on the Town web site at www.ci.durham.nh.us.
Chief
Kurz to lecture in
Next week, Police Chief Dave Kurz will
be attending the Alabama Police Chief’s winter meeting in
The
Mystery is solved
You may recall that recently the police
department had a mystery to solve! A young man and his mother brought some
very delicious brownies to the police for a Christmas treat and only left a note
saying that it was hoped that his police friends enjoyed them. When these
wonderful delicacies were brought to the police facility, everyone was very busy
and unfortunately neglected to get his name. Using the “Friday Updates” to
solve the mystery, Chief Kurz was contacted by Mom and since then Jack and his
sister Lexi visited the police department and met with Chief Kurz, Officer Frank
Weeks, and Sergeant Jack Dalton. The department wishes to thank Jack’s mom
and Pam Gill for bringing Jack and Lexi to visit their friends at the police
department.
Latest
Kaizen Efforts – An Update
Changes at the Durham Fire Department
(DFD) are being recommended by Administrator Selig after a productive Kaizen
process evaluation facilitated by
Initial Number of FD permits =
34
Final number of FD permits after
review/restructure = 17
Number of permits consolidated (both
within FD & with Code Enforcement) = 6
Consequently,
as these items were governed by the Durham Fire Prevention Code, Chapter 68 of
the Durham Town Ordinance #2003-03, much of said document was found to be
outdated. The result of these discussions also lead to the modification of the
current applicable state adopted codes. Proceeding forward from year to
year, the revisions proposed will allow code references to be automatically
updated (another area of increased efficiency). Only a periodic review to
check for any conflicts will be necessary. Also, any reference to fees and
penalties now defer to the Master Fee Schedule for the actual
amounts.
The Fire Department recommends, and the
Administrator concurs, that the Council adopt Ordinance #2010-02 amending
Chapter 68 “Fire Prevention” of the Durham Town Code, with language that
references any Fire Department-related fees as “as enumerated in the Town Master
Fee Schedule” and that the Master Fee Schedule be amended to reflect these
changes. This item will be included on the Council’s Unanimous Consent
agenda on February 1st with a more detailed presentation being
provided at the public hearing several weeks
thereafter.
Selective
Cutting Planning for Town-Owned Parcels off
Administrator Selig has authorized
Public Works engaging the services of consulting forester Charles Moreno to
prepare a forest management plan (selective cut proposal) for Town-owned parcels
located off
Interest
in the
Since the municipality entered into the
Purchase and Sale Agreement for the Durham Business Park parcel with Chinburg
Builders in June 2007, several factors have had a negative effect on
the marketability of the property:
1.
The real estate market and economy have fallen into
decline.
2.
New wetland delineation eliminated two build-able
areas.
3.
N.H. Department of
Transportation (NHDOT) determination that limits commercial use based
on maximum peak trips at the Arthur Grant/Route 4
intersection.
4.
Increase in availability of quality, relatively
inexpensive commercial space at Pease and in
Despite Chinburg’s good faith efforts
in marketing the property in conformance with the Zoning Ordinance and the
Durham Business Park Design Guidelines, Chinburg had been unable to find an end
user until the company was recently contacted by Neuro-Rehab Associates,
Inc.
The proposal from Neuro-Rehab
Associates, Inc. represents a viable, community-friendly developable use for the
Durham Business Park to include broadening of the tax base, public access
walking trails at this spectacular site overlooking the Oyster River, addressing
the medical needs of the Seacoast region as determined by the State of New
Hampshire Certificate of Need Board, and supporting local downtown businesses
that will benefit from the patronage of the professional staff, patients, and
visitors frequenting the facility.
At this time,
the Administrator is recommending an extension of the Purchase and Sale
Agreement through November 30, 2010 to give Chinburg sufficient time to bring
the Neuro-Rehab Associaties project to fruition if possible.
In addition,
Chinburg and Neuro-Rehab Associates have entered into an “Assignment of
Agreement of Sale” for the
The anticipated
value of the proposed rehabilitation facility will likely be in the $10 - $15
million range.
This item has
been included as part of the Council’s February 1st
agenda.
Firefighter
Collective Bargaining Negotiations – Tentative Agreement
Reached
The Town began the contract negotiation
process in August 2009 with the Durham Professional Firefighters Association
(DPFFA) representing the sixteen firefighters and one fire inspector covered by
the DPFFA contract. The existing contract extended from January 1,
2007-December 31, 2009. I am pleased to report that the Town and the DPFFA
have reached a tentative agreement for a new contract extending from January 1,
2010-December 31, 2012. We hope to schedule a ratification vote by the
Council on February 15th.
Annual
Evaluation for Town Administrator
At the January 11, 2010 Town Council
meeting, the Council began its annual performance evaluation process for the
Town Administrator. After some discussion, it was decided that each Councilor
would be provided with a performance evaluation form to be completed on the
Administrator and that Council Chair Neil Niman would compile the results of
each Councilor’s evaluation and place them on to one document to be discussed at
the February 1, 2010 Town Council meeting.
In addition to Administrator Selig’s
performance evaluation, the Town Council and Administrator are presently in a period of negotiation for a
successor employment agreement. Should the Council be inclined to extend the
employment relationship with Mr. Selig for an additional duration following the
conclusion of the 2009 annual evaluation process, the Administrator recommends
rolling the present Agreement forward by an additional year under the same terms
and conditions with no increase in compensation due to the prevailing economic
conditions.
Discussion
Regarding the Rental of Parking Spaces in the Town of
Recently, an application before the
Planning Board was denied in part because the owner of the property was leasing
some of his parking spaces to students who attend the
Residency
Required for Non-Statutory Boards, Committees, and
Commissions?
During the October 19 and November 2,
2009 Town Council meetings, the Council discussed the issue of whether
individuals who are seeking appointments to non- statutory Town committees
should be required to be residents. The Town does not have a policy that
specifically requires residency, and unless it is a statutory-formed board or
committee, state law is either silent or defers what the make-up of committees
will be to the local legislative body.
Four
non-statutory committees, whose bylaws currently require members to be
residents, were asked to discuss this item at their respective meetings and
provide recommendations on whether to keep their memberships as is, or change to
allow for non-residents. The Council is scheduled to discuss this issue
further on February 1st.
A
Resolution Requesting that the ORCSD School Board Provide Adequate Documentation
Regarding the Expenditure of Surplus Funds From the 2009 Fiscal Year
The
Town Council finds itself in the at times frustrating position of being
responsible for collecting taxes associated with the Town’s full tax rate, but
seemingly having no control over the largest expense
2010
Road Program – An Update
The 2010 approved Capital Fund Budget
includes an appropriation of $129,472 for this year’s road-resurfacing program,
which is part of the Department of Public Works’ 14-year road-resurfacing
plan. This year’s program originally consisted of 11 roads; due to the
state of the economy the Town Administrator scaled back the program to include
only 3 roads.
A request for bids was advertised in
the local newspaper on December 31, 2009, and Public Works solicited 12 sealed
bids from paving contractors in
This year’s program was also estimated
at $80.00 per ton of asphalt. With the $71.40 per ton bid price,
Friday
Updates v. Administrative Notes – A Kaizen Example of Continuous Improvement in
Action in
In 2001, Administrator Selig initiated
a weekly email to Town Councilors on Fridays intended to keep them informed of
pressing issues facing the community on an ongoing basis. This weekly
document was called “Administrative Notes.” The philosophy was that by
being as transparent as possible with key issues facing the community,
Councilors would not only avoid being surprised at the grocery store when
confronted with an issue by constituents, but would also have the ability to
provide more meaningful early feedback prior to actions being taken.
Over time, the weekly “Administrative
Notes” was extended to department heads, deputy chiefs, administrative
assistants within our departments, and ultimately rank and file personnel.
Mr. Selig’s philosophy: The more
people aware of the decision making process, the more opportunity to receive
constructive feedback to make
Then in 2003, Administrator Selig
decided to take a bold step: to share this document with anyone in the
community who desired to keep abreast of Town events. [At the time the
Council was discussing the need for a monthly paper newsletter.] The new
document was titled, “Friday Updates.” It was identical to the
“Administrative Notes” in every respect unless there was an item which was not
yet ripe for such widespread public distribution in which case the issue
appeared in the “Administrative Notes” but not in the “Friday Updates.”
Recently, as part of a Kaizen exercise
at our regular bi-monthly staff meeting, the Administrator was challenged by
department heads as to whether there was in fact a need for the two
documents. How often, they pressed, are there items which could not also
be distributed to the entire community as part of the “Friday Updates”?
The answer: very few! Therefore moving forward, this week marks the
last issue of “Administrative Notes.” Items which do not warrant
widespread public distribution will be sent by email or paper copy to Councilors
under separate cover. And for members of the public or press who
desire to view these, emails or memos sent by the Town Administrator to one
Councilor are copied to all Councilors as well as to a public binder for public
review during normal business hours.
At this time there are 1,656
subscribers to the weekly “Friday Updates” in addition to those who simply view
it on line at www.ci.durham.nh.us.
Durham
Mother Starts Blog to Help Cope with Daughter’s
Diabetes
Residents who have a child with
diabetes may have an interest in a blog which has been started by
As the proud owner of a
Toyota Sienna mini-van, I was surprised to learn this week from a colleague at
the Town Office that a number of
HISTORY
OF THE
The Historic District/Heritage
Committee has a new narrated video: “History of the Oyster River Dam”, with
music by Dan Miner. The video will be aired over
PUBLIC
MEETING SCHEDULE
The following public meetings are
scheduled for the coming week in the Town Council chambers at the Durham Town
Office. To view the agendas for the meetings listed below, please click HERE.
All meetings recorded on DCAT are available on DVD at the Durham Public Library
for checkout and viewing.
Town Council – Monday, February 1,
2010
Historic District Commission –
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Rental Housing Commission –
Wednesday, February 3, 2010 (4:00
PM)
Water Resource Protection
Subcommittee of the
Oyster
River School Board meeting schedule, please click HERE.
Durham
Public Library Board of Trustees meeting schedule, please click HERE.
DCAT
Programming Schedule, please click HERE
§
§
Saturday, February 6th, 11:30 AM – 2:00
PM: Winter Carnival and Chili Cookoff –
MOVED TO
COMMUNITY
EVENTS
§
Friday, January 29, 5:00
– 7:00 PM, Museum of Art,
§
Wednesday, February 3, 12:00 noon,
§
Saturday, February 6, 2:30 PM,
§
Friday, February 12, 7:00 PM, 7:00 PM,
Community Church of Durham: “An Evening
of the Arts for Haitian Relief” For more information, contact (603)
743-1813, brynb07@comcast.net
§
Wednesday, February 17, 12:00 noon,
Weekly
Police Arrest Report
|
Week – 4 |
2
UNH (50%) |
2
Other (50%) |
|
*2009/10 Academic Year –
557 |
340 UNH (61%)
|
213 Other (50%) |
|
Calendar Year – 14 |
6UNH (43%)
|
8
Other (57%) |
*Commenced September 1, 2009
Historical data
for the same week
This data represents the 2009/10
Academic year report which begins anew each August
when UNH students begin arriving in
Year |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
|
Week |
22 |
14 |
12 |
21 |
4 |
|
Academic
Year |
700 |
532 |
463 |
508 |
557 |
|
Calendar
Year |
38 |
29 |
22 |
31 |
14 |
“Noted food scientist Robert Decareau
(1926-2009) helped to invent the processes necessary to develop the microwave
oven. A longtime resident of Amherst (pop. 10,769), Decareau began his career in
1953 as a research and development scientist for Raytheon Corp. in neighboring
Massachusetts, where he developed methods to cook food with microwave
energy.” AmericanProfile Magazine – first
appeared: 8/9/2009
Have a good
weekend.
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
The
Town of