Friday Update February 13, 2009

“FRIDAY
UPDATES”

Friday,
February 13, 2009

Because tomorrow is Valentine’s Day,
it seemed appropriate to feature lovebirds for this week’s “Friday Updates”
photograph. Lovebirds are native to Africa, except the Grey-headed lovebird,
which comes from the island of Madagascar.

Although many organizations will be
closed in observance of President’s Day on Monday, February 16th, the Town
offices will NOT be closed. Therefore, no
change will be made to the refuse and recycling collection. 
Residents are reminded to please have all items out by 7:00 AM as regularly
scheduled. 

PROPOSED
TOWN CHARTER AMENDMENTS

The Town
Election will be held on Tuesday, March 10, 2009 from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM at the
Oyster
River High
School. This year, in addition to voting on elected
offices, voters will be asked to vote two Charter
amendments.

The first
amendment, pertaining to Article 7 “Conduct of Officials”, Section 7.1 (C),
proposes to strike current language that requires an elected official who is
presently holding another elected or appointed position to immediately forfeit
the office he/she held prior to such election. New Hampshire Supreme Court case
Town of Hooksett v. Baines, 148 N.H. 625 (2002) precludes communities from
imposing term limits on elected offices or imposing qualifications for elected
offices.  Since the language in Section 7.1(C) of the Durham Town Charter
is not enforceable and has not been practiced, it should be removed to avoid
confusion in the future.

The second
amendment, pertaining to Article 9 “Town Report”, Section 9.1, proposes to
strike the current word “delivered” and replace it with the word “available”. In
doing so, this will eliminate the current process of mailing annual Town Reports
to individual property owners, resulting in a cost-savings to the Town. Instead,
copies of annual Town Reports would be available at the Town Offices and the
Durham Public Library as well as on the Town web site. The two amendments, as
they will appear on the March 10, 2009 Town Election ballot, are as
follows:

Strikethrough: Indicates language to be removed
from the Charter.

Underline:          
Indicates language to be added to the Charter.

Article 7
“Conduct of Officials”, Section 7.1 (C)

Sec. 7.1.
Conditions for holding office.

A.   Any person while in
town office convicted of a Class A felony in New Hampshire or its equivalent under the law
of any other state or federal law shall forfeit such office.

B.   No full-time or
regular employee of the town shall be eligible to serve as a Councilor.

C.  Any
person elected to a town office or trusteeship while presently holding another
such town office, board membership, commission membership or trusteeship shall
immediately forfeit the office he held prior to such election.

 
C.D.    Except as otherwise provided by this Charter,
no department head nor regular employee of the town shall be appointed to a town
office, board, membership, commission membership or trusteeship. They may,
however, serve as advisors to such boards, committees or commissions.

 
D.E. The Zoning Board of Adjustment shall not have any
members who also serve on the Planning Board, Conservation Commission or
Historic District Commission.

Reason for
proposed change: New Hampshire Supreme Court case Town of Hooksett
V. Baines, 148 N.H. 625 (2002) precludes communities from imposing term limits
on elected offices or imposing qualifications for elected offices.  Since
the language in Section 7.1 (C) of the Durham Town Charter is not enforceable
and has not been practiced; it should be removed to avoid confusion in the
future.

_______________________________

Article 9
“Town Report”, Section 9.1

Sec. 9.1. 
Town Report.
Each year, the Town Administrator shall prepare a Town Report which shall
include:  (1) a statement of the past year's financial activities and a
comparative statement of the previous and present budget; and (2) a review of
all major Council actions, including a summary of ordinances enacted; and (3)
Town vital statistics. There shall be a section which presents any actions which
are in progress or pending before town boards or departments and the Town
Council. The effective date of the Report shall be the end of the fiscal year,
and the Report shall be delivered available to the
voters of the town not later than February 15 of each year.

Reason for
proposed change: To eliminate the process of mailing annual Town
Reports to individual property owners, resulting in a cost-savings to the Town.
Instead, copies of annual Town Reports would be available at the Town Offices
and the Durham Public Library as well as on the Town web site.

Candidate
PROFILEs for Town
Elected Offices

Citizens interested in learning more
about the prospective candidates who have signed up to run for various Town
elected offices in March will be able to view each candidate’s profile. Be
looking in next week’s “Friday Updates” for a link in which to view this
information.  Profiles will also be posted on the Town’s web site the end
of next week.

Durham
Business Association TO SPONSOR Candidates
FORUM

On Tuesday, February 17, 2009,
beginning at 7:00 PM, a DBA Candidates Forum for Town Council and Library
Trustee candidates will be held in the Council chambers of the Town Hall located
at 15 Newmarket
Road. The forums are being planned and hosted by the
Durham Business Association (www.durhambusinessassociation.org),
moderated by Town Moderator, Chris Regan, and will be broadcast live on the
Durham Cable Access Television (DCAT) channel, Channel 22.

The public is invited to submit
questions, via email, for Town Council and Library Trustee candidates who are
running for these elected offices at the March 10, 2009 Town Election. Because
of the difficulties that have been encountered with the switch-over from Verizon
to FairPoint, questions should be submitted to: Johannaknight@comcast.net Please Note:  The Durham Business Association is
a 501 (c) (6) nonprofit and does not promote or endorse any specific political
candidates.

ORCSD
HOSTS CANDIDATES NIGHT

On Tuesday, February 17, 2009,
beginning at 7:00 PM, the Oyster River
Cooperative School District will sponsor a Candidates
Night for the district moderator and school board candidates in the Multipurpose
Room at the High School. A snow date has been set for Wednesday, February
18^th. Refreshments will be served. The public is invited to attend
the forum, which will be taped for future rebroadcast on Durham’s cable channel,
Channel 22. Interested citizens may send questions to wdifruscio@orcsd.org, due
by noon on February 16^th, or call 868-5100, extension
20.

DURHAM NEIGHBORHOODS
ALLIANCE TO
SPONSOR TOWN COUNCIL CANDIDATES FORUM

On Tuesday, March 3, 2009, beginning
at 7:00 PM, the Durham Neighborhoods Alliance (DNA) will sponsor a Town Council
Candidates Forum in the Town Council chambers of the Town Hall located at
15 Newmarket
Road. The forum will be moderated by Mimi Becker, an
associate professor of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy at UNH. Mimi
has extensive experience with facilitation and mediation. The forum will address
a broad range of issues affecting the Durham community. The public is invited to
attend or watch the forum on Channel 22. Interested citizens may send questions
to CitizensExchange@comcast.net, due by February 18.

DECEMBER
ICE STORM – FEMA REIMBURSEMENT

Department of Public Works staff has
been working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) over the last
several weeks finalizing the reports for reimbursement from the December ice
storm.  An additional part of the report will be brush collection scheduled
for the last week of April/ first week of May in which residents will be able to
bring any leftover brush from the storm out to the curbside.  More
information will be coming in regard to this brush cleanup. 

MAIN
STREET WEST PROJECT
INFORMATIONAL MEETING

On Friday, February 20, 2009,
beginning at 7:00 PM, the public is invited to attend an informational meeting
relative to the Main Street
West project to be held in the Council chambers at
the Town Hall, 15 Newmarket
Road. This project is scheduled to include roadway
reconstruction/resurfacing and development of sidewalks/multi-use path and
bicycle lanes along Main
Street (west of the rail tracks) and NH Route 155A
approaching UNH campus and downtown. The project will create safe bike and
walking routes from campus to the West Edge neighborhood. Construction is
scheduled to start in late May 2008. The estimated $850,000 project will be 80%
USDOT-funded through the Enhancements Program. UNH and Durham will split the local
match. For more information, please visit the project website
at:

www.unh.edu/ecd/designmainstwest.html  The meeting will
be taped for future rebroadcast on Durham’s cable channel, Channel
22.

Economic
Stimulus

The Durham Public Works staff has
been initiating pre-application forms for water, wastewater, and stormwater
projects that have been identified by the Town as applicable for the economic
stimulus package, which it is hoping to get placed in the queue as early as
possible. 

Light
Emitting Diode (LED) STROBE
LIGHTS AT INTERSECTIONS

Most of us have probably noticed
that occasionally red lights at intersections have a small Light Emitting Diode
(LED) strobe in the center of them. In Durham’s case, there is one located at the
intersection of Route 4 and Backriver Road. LED strobes are
typically installed at  traffic signal locations where the stop condition
may not be expected, or where other roadside conditions may distract a driver's
attention away from the traffic signals. The Federal Highway Administration
(FHWA) and New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) have received many
complaints related to the possibility of the strobe frequencies triggering an
existing seizure disorder.  FHWA has determined, based on research over a
number of years, that there is no measurable safety benefit to having these
devices at intersections, that they may even increase crashes. The NHDOT is
aware that there are a handful of these devices on state traffic signals and
will be ordering them removed through normal maintenance activity as soon as
possible.

DURHAM PLANNING
BOARD

The Planning Board met on Wednesday,
February 11, 2009, and held public hearings on a Site Plan Review Application
and a Conditional Use Application for Peter Murphy to demolish an existing
structure at 22 Rosemary
Lane and build a new structure housing four (4)
dwelling units.  After closing the hearings, the Board deliberated on the
applications and eventually approved them.  The Board also accepted a minor
two-lot subdivision application for Thomas Moriarty for his land located at
4 Bennett
Road.  The existing dwelling will remain on a
3.73 acre lot and the remaining 48.26 acres will be sold in fee to The Nature
Conservancy.  In addition, the Board held a Conceptual Consultation with
Matthew Crape, of 10 Pettee Brook
Lane LLC, for the redevelopment of 6 Jenkins Court
(formerly the Houghton’s Hardware building) for the redevelopment of the site
with a new three-story mixed use building.  The Board also held a
discussion on the Lamprey River Draft Instream Flow Report and granted two
extensions for previously approved applications.

ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

The Economic Development Committee
met on Friday, February 13, 2009, to:  Receive an update on the
presentation from the UNH class that will be performing a marketing study for
the Town, continue its discussion on the list of possible projects for which the
Town would like to use Federal stimulus money, receive an update by members of
the EDC on their assignments for the Strategic Plan, and hold a discussion with
Administrator Todd Selig on downtown
development.

PUBLIC
HEARINGS – DURHAM TOWN COUNCIL
MEETING

On Monday, February 16, 2009, the
Durham Town Council will hold public hearings on the following two ordinances in
the Council chambers at the Durham Town Hall: Ordinance #2009-01, amending
Chapter 175 “Zoning”, Article XXIV “Septic Systems”, Section 175-139 and 175-40
of the Durham Town Code and Ordinance #2009-02, amending Chapter 4
“Administrative Code”, Article IV, Section 4-18(9)(a) of the Durham Town Code by
reducing the number of Council representatives on the Economic Development
Committee from two to one.

Questions regarding Ordinance
#2009-01 should be addressed to Town Planner Jim Campbell at 868-8064. To view
this ordinance, click HERE.
Questions concerning Ordinance #2009-02 should be addressed to Administrator
Todd Selig at 868-5571. To view this
ordinance, click HERE.
Interested citizens are encouraged to attend the public hearings and express
their views.  Written comments will be accepted until 5:00 PM on Friday,
February 13, 2009 at the Town Administrator’s office. Comments may also be sent
by electronic mail to:  jberry@ci.durham.nh.us.

Oyster
River
Mill Pond Dam – PUBLIC INFORMATIONAL MEETING

On Wednesday, March 4, 2009, at 7:00
PM, the Department of Public Works will hold a public informational meeting in
the Council Chambers of the Durham Town
Hall to present information about the Oyster River
Dam and Mill Pond and discuss available options concerning deficiencies with the
dam.  The inspection of the dam last fall revealed serious structural
problems that need to be addressed. A memorandum that describes the
problems and compares preliminary costs of rehabilitating or decommissioning the
dam was prepared by the engineering firm who inspected the dam. To view this
document, click HERE.
The March 4^th meeting will also be broadcast on Durham’s local cable
channel, Channel 22.

DURHAM ENERGY COMMITTEE
“VISIONING” MEETING

The Durham Energy Committee (DEC) is
developing a chapter on energy in the Durham Master Plan, and a comprehensive
vision and strategy for the future.  As a follow-up to its first public
“visioning” meeting held last November, the committee invites the public to once
again share their ideas and vision at the next public “visioning” meeting to be
held on Wednesday, February 18, 2009, at 7:00 PM in the Town Council
chambers.  The committee will have on-hand the vision crafted from
citizen’s comments in the November meeting and will invite additional feedback.
Bill Schoonmaker will once again facilitate the meeting.  Come join the
members of the DEC for continued conversations on how Durham can ensure its
economic vitality and energy stability and reduce its environmental impact,
focusing on: transportation, architecture/land use, and alternative
energy. To view the DEC’s revised Energy Vision Statement, click HERE.

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, February 16,
2009

Candidates Forum, hosted by DBA –
Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Durham Energy Committee “visioning”
meeting – Wednesday, February 18, 2009       

Parks and Recreation Committee –
Thursday, February 19, 2009

Main Street
West informational meeting – Friday, February 20,
2009  

To view the agendas 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. 

To view the Oyster River School Board
meeting schedule, click HERE. 

To view the Durham Public Library Board of
Trustees meeting schedule, click HERE.

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,
February 16, 2009       

Candidate’s Forum sponsored by the
Durham Business Association – Tuesday, February 17,
2009

Durham Energy Committee – Public
“Visioning” Meeting – Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Parks and Recreation Committee –
Thursday, February 19, 2009

Main Street
West Public Informational Meeting – Friday, February 20,
2009

To view the agendas 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. 

To view the Oyster River School Board
meeting schedule, click HERE. 

To view the Durham Public Library Board of
Trustees meeting schedule, click HERE.

INFORMATION
FOR BIRDWATCHERS

The Parks
and Recreation Committee has the following suggestion for birdwatchers in Town –
please click on the following link and have fun sharing your observations with
other like-minded naturalists:  

http://www.nhbirdrecords.org/bird-conservation/backyard-winter-survey.htm
The committee would also like to suggest some parks located within Town for
great bird viewing beyond your back yard: Adams Point, Cedar Point, Colby Marsh,
Jackson's
Landing, Longmarsh
Road, Mill Pond, Old Reservoir, Oyster River Landing,
Wagon Hill Farm. Please visit the Parks and Recreation Committee’s website (link
below) for locations and additional information.  Happy birding!

PARKS
AND RECREATION COMMITTEE BROCHURE
The Parks and Recreation Committee
has a new brochure available with information regarding activities and
facilities throughout the town.  They are available to pick up at the Town
Hall or Durham Public Library.  You may also e-mail the committee at: parksandrec@ci.durham.nh.us with
any questions or suggestions.  Please also check out the Parks and
Recreation (soon to be updated) website: http://ci.durham.nh.us/community/recreation.html
for additional information.

MARCH
IS “RED CROSS MONTH”

The month of March is “Red Cross
Month”. The Great Bay Chapter of the American Red Cross services Durham, as well as other communities within the Great Bay region. Volunteers from across the
region help by responding to disasters such as house fires or flooding, becoming
instructors in CPR and First Aid and encouraging their friends and families to
become trained, giving blood every 52 days, and assisting in the Red Cross
Service to the Armed Forces program. During the December 2008 extended power
outage, the Great Bay Chapter assisted the Town of Durham by staffing a
shelter for families waiting for power to be restored to their homes. As the
American Red Cross celebrates the month of March as “Red Cross Month”, we join
in extending our sincere appreciation for the dedication provided by generations
of Red Cross volunteers.

FUND-RAISER
FOR ORHS SENIOR CLASS

Parents of Oyster River High
School's 2009 seniors are selling raffle tickets to
raise funds for Project Graduation. Project Graduation is a parent-supervised
event that provides seniors with a fun-filled, safe evening of activities to
celebrate their high school graduation. Items for sale include:

·       
Two month-long raffle calendars for $10 per calendar.
Drawing dates are 2/18 for the February calendar; 3/18 for the March
calendar.

·       
Chances to win a beautiful jewel-tone handmade
twin-size quilt made by a mother of one of the high school seniors - $5 for 1
chance, $10 for 3 chances.

Participants in this fund-raiser
will be at Durham Marketplace on occasional weeknights, and at Market Basket in
Lee on Saturday, March 14th. Raffle tickets can be obtained through committee
co-chairs, Diane Gallant (coyotemesa@yahoo.com) and Sheila Harding (smdh@comcast.net).

Courtship
Tea with Rita Parisi – Durham Public
Library

Back by popular demand, on Saturday,
February 14, 2009, from 2:00-3:30 PM, Rita Parisi will tell tales of how Mr.
Gordon courted Mrs. Gordon in the 1890's. Enjoy tea and goodies while you listen
to Mrs. Gordon's entertaining tales. What an appropriate and pleasant way to
spend a wintery Valentine's Day. Seating will be limited, so please call the
library at 868-6699 to register. This event is intended for ages 13 and
up.

Seacoast
Active Retirement Association General Meeting

The Active Retirement Association
General Meeting will be held on Monday, February 16, 2009, at the Durham Evangelical Church at 1:30 P.M. The Speaker will be
Kenneth Johnson, PhD, Senior Demographer, The Carsey Institute, UNH.  Learn
how New
Hampshire's population is changing and what that means
for public policy, the economy, and the environment. Membership is open to all
50 and over.  The annual membership is $45.00. For more information,
contact Beverly Johnson at (603) 868-1087 or visit the ARA website at: www.learn.unh.edu/ara

TASTES
OF NEW ENGLAND TO HOST BUSINESS AFTER
HOURS

Realizing that few networking
opportunities exist in the Durham area, Tastes of New England, a retailer,
distributor, and promoter of New England-made products in Durham, will be
hosting a Business After Hours event for area professionals at its retail store
in Durham on Wednesday, February 18 from 5:30 – 8:00 PM, Attendees will be able
to network with other area business professionals from Durham and surrounding
towns. In addition, refreshments and snacks made from local specialty foods will
be available. Tastes of New England is located at 7 Jenkins Court in
Durham (next to
Wings Your Way). RSVP is requested and can be made by calling owner Mary Reed at
(603) 762-4155. Plenty of parking will be available. For more information or
directions, visit www.tastesofnewengland.com.

FEBRUARY
EVENTS AT CHurchill Rink SCHEDULE

Valentine Skate – skate with your
sweetie!

  
         Saturday, February 14, 2009,
7:30-9:00 PM. FREE for all ages

Teen Skate
Night

           
Saturday, February 21, 2009, 7:30-9:00 PM, Cost: 
$3.00

Public skating – times offered every
day

Stick and Puck – Monday – Friday and
Sunday

Pick Up Hockey – Monday – Friday and
Sunday

For more information, call the rink
at 868-3907, or visit our website at www.churchillrink.com

Avis
Goodwin Community Health Center
Banf Mountain
Film Festival Event

On Wednesday, February
18, 2009, the Avis Goodwin Community Health Center, which provides integrated and comprehensive
healthcare for residents within the Dover,
Rochester, and Durham area, is sponsoring for the 13th year the “Banff
Mountain Film Festival” to be held at the Whittemore Center on the UNH campus. 
Doors will open
at 5:00 PM to visit the expo, grab a bite, and mingle. The expo will also be
available during intermission. Films start at 7:00 PM. This is a popular event filled with high adventure/extreme
sports/mountain culture films.   For more information, go to
http://www.whittemorecenter.com/.

FROM
HISTORY IN AN OYSTERSHELL – 1600 – 1976

“1893 – N.H. College of Agriculture
and the Mechanic Arts, created under the Land Grant Act of 1862, was moved from
Hanover. Four
buildings had been constructed – Conant, Nesmith and Thompson Halls and the
Shops . Three graduated the first year from a total student body of
64.”

Have a nice weekend, and a Happy Valentine’s
Day!

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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