Friday Updates - July 19, 2024

Friday, July 19, 2024

Eagles at Little Bay Courtesy, Jen Sanders

We've been experiencing a heat wave over the course of the last week! The eagles above have found a little shade in order to keep a sharp lookout over Little Bay.

As many you have probably heard, there has been a large tech outage event ongoing worldwide caused by what appears to be an update in 3rd party EDR software, Crowdstrike. The main impact has been on Windows-based platforms; Linux and Mac are unaffected. Durham does not employ this technology directly, so the Town website and online payment systems seem to be working fine. If you experience any issues in the next few days, please let Administrative Assistant, Karen Edwards, know at kedwards@ci.durham.nh.us.

TRAFFIC/CONSTRUCTION ADVISORY – MILL ROAD OVERNIGHT CLOSURE July 24 beginning at 9:00 PM

Please be advised that as part of the University of New Hampshire’s renovation of Hetzel Hall, UNH Contractor, Cantwell Construction will be undertaking overnight construction to replace a Sewer Manhole and Sewer Line on Mill Road. A full road closure is required to complete the construction on Mill Road between Main Street and the Mill Plaza entrance. Access to the Mill Plaza and points south will be through the Quad Way/Academic Way detour route. This closure will begin on Wednesday, July 24 at 9:00 PM and continue through 5:00 AM on July 25. Dependent on progress, an alternate lane traffic configuration may be necessary for a brief period of time on the morning of July 25th, following the morning peak commute. 

Access will be maintained for residents and vehicles making deliveries within the closure limits. A detour down Quad way will be in place to avoid construction with detour signage in place. We ask that the commuting public seek alternative routes during construction if possible and allow additional time to reach their destinations. Please direct all questions to Durham Public Works by calling 603-868-5578 or emailing publicworks@ci.durham.nh.us

TRAFFIC/CONSTRUCTION ADVISORY – EMERSON ROAD PAVING

Please be advised that Durham Public Works’ contractor for its Road Program, Continental Paving, will be performing paving operations on Emerson Road during the week of July 22.

The roadway will be restricted to one lane in the work area with alternating traffic between 7:00am and 5:00pm.  Access to adjacent residences, businesses and institutions within the work areas will be maintained at all times. Disruptions to both pedestrian and vehicle traffic are expected to be minimal however we ask that the commuting public seek alternative routes if possible and allow additional time to reach their destinations. We thank you for your patience. 

This schedule is subject to change without notice due to weather, mechanical issues, and other conditions. For additional information please contact Durham Public Works at (603) 868-5578.

SAVE THE DATE - FARM DAY IS AUGUST 17!

Save the date for the 11th annual Farm Day! Visit farms and gardens across Durham, Lee, and the UNH campus. Join the Durham and Lee Agricultural Commissions in this free and family friendly celebration of our working landscape. Full list of events available soon.

Town Clerk/Tax Collector Rachel Deane presents Top Dog Lily Demarest with her prize at the July 15 Town Council Meeting. Left to right is Matthew Demarest, Kathryn Demarest, Lily, Frank Demarest, Lara Demarest and Rachel Deane. Courtesy, Todd Selig

THE SEPTEMBER PRIMARY IS COMING. DO YOU NEED TO REGISTER TO VOTE?

Residents of Durham who are not yet registered to vote, may do so at the Town Clerk’s office any time that office is open. Residents who are already registered may change address or name, also at the Town Clerk’s office any time that office is open. Voters cannot change their party at this time.

A person’s party is not important EXCEPT at a primary. The next election in Durham will be the NH State Primary, September 10. The final date to change party has passed.  You may check your status at https://app.sos.nh.gov/voterinformation. If you have trouble finding your personal information, please call the town clerk’s office. There were a few instances where the wrong date of birth was listed. 

Residents may also register to vote or change name with the Supervisors of the Checklist on the following date:

Date:              Friday July 26, 2024

Time:             11:00 – 11:30 AM

Place:            Durham Town Hall

Applicants for registration should bring with them proof of identity, age, citizenship, and domicile (in Durham). Driver’s license and passport are helpful. Affidavits may be signed under oath if other proofs are lacking.  

The Town of Durham is updating its 2022 Climate Action Plan for 2025-2030 with the help of UNH Sustainability Fellow, Sophie Goodwin. To read the 2022 Climate Action Plan, please click HERE.

Mitigating and adapting to climate change requires the engagement and commitment of the entire community. Sophie is asking for your input on climate action in Durham. To provide input, please use the virtual suggestion box HERE or email Sophie at sophie.goodwin@unh.edu

PART-TIME MINUTE TAKER NEEDED FOR TOWN COUNCIL MEETINGS 

The Town of Durham, Town Council is seeking a reliable, responsible person to prepare minutes for their monthly meetings. Meetings are on the first and third Mondays of the month and generally run three (3) hours in length. Applicants are required to possess or have access to a computer for final preparation of the minutes from the meeting video recording. Applicants must be able to provide minutes in Microsoft Word document format, possess strong language, written communication, and typing skills, and be capable of preparing the minutes with minimal supervision within five business days of the meeting.

Beginning wage rate is $21.00 per hour. Please submit a resume, along with three (3) professional references and a cover letter to Karen Edwards, Administrative Assistant, 8 Newmarket Road, Durham, NH 03824. Resumes and references may also be emailed to kedwards@ci.durham.nh.us.

The Town of Durham is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

SURVEY FOR RESIDENT WATER SERVICE LINE INVENTORY FOR FEDERAL LEAD AND COPPER RULE COMPLIANCE

Lead can enter drinking water when plumbing materials that contain lead corrode, especially where the water has high acidity or low mineral content that corrodes pipes and fixtures. The most common sources of lead in drinking water are lead pipes, faucets, and fixtures. In homes with lead pipes that connect the home to the water main, also known as lead services lines, these pipes are typically the most significant source of lead in the water. Lead pipes are more likely to be found in older cities and homes built before 1986. Among homes without lead service lines, the most common problem is with brass or chrome-plated brass faucets and plumbing with lead solder.

Our community cares deeply about clean and safe water and is doing its part to continue to ensure compliance while delivering the highest quality drinking water to its customers. In 2021, the EPA updated its regulations on permissible concentrations of lead in drinking water in an effort to decrease public health impacts from lead. Referred to as the Lead and Copper Rule Revision, this policy requires water system operators to collect data on lead service lines, as well as create a plan to remove and replace these lines. Durham Public Works asks that you please assist them and help Durham by completing the Water Service Line Inventory Survey. Please provide this information by August 15. Completion of the survey is only necessary if you are connected to town water. To complete the survey, click HERE.

Lily Demarest with one of the toys from her Top Dog prize. Courtesy, Lara Demarest

TIS THE SEASON FOR FRESH FOOD!

Freshly grown food is in abundance this time of year and the Durham Agricultural Commission encourages everyone to seek out local farms when food shopping. The Seacoast Eat Local Durham Farmers’ Market on Mondays from 2:30pm – 6:00pm, downtown at 66 Main Street is a great place to start!

The Seacoast Harvest Local Food Guide is another great place to find sources of locally produced food in Strafford, Rockingham, and York Counties. Click HERE for this Guide. If you eat, you’re in!

Single-use plastics pollute every part of our world, harming our environment. As part of Plastic Free July, we challenge you to convert to a plastic-free shower and bath.

How to make your shower plastic-free.

*Consider using bar soap instead of shower gel.

*Switch to a shampoo bar and a conditioner bar. They have become mainstream and are effective for all hair types.

*Use a facial bar and exfoliating sponge (compostable).

*Convert to a body scrub bar and moisturizing bar. They are easy to use right in the shower!

*Opt for a razor that uses replaceable blades instead of a disposable razor.

*Purchase a wooden comb instead of a plastic one.

Local businesses like the Replenish Refillery in Dover, Refill Station in Portsmouth, and We Fill Good in Kittery offer these alternatives to traditional shower products. 

NOTE: If you still prefer to stick with your liquid shampoo and conditioner, once you are done with the plastic containers, refill them instead of purchasing new ones! The Replenish Refillery, Refill Station and We Fill Good all provide this option.

Brought to you by the IWMAC Committee 

Questions about recycling or composting? Email us at: DurhamRecycles603@gmail.com

Check us out on Instagram: sustainable.durham.nh

Not sure if an item can be recycled? Check here: www.Recyclesmartma.org

Want to learn more about the Swap Shop? Click HERE.

UPDATE ON PROCESS FOR REMOVAL OF HISTORIC, MILL POND DAM ON OYSTER RIVER - Engineering design, environmental and cultural resource reviews underway

The Town of Durham continues project planning to remove the Mill Pond Dam on the Oyster River (also referred to as the Oyster River Dam at Mill Pond) due to concerns regarding its structural integrity and stability and to improve habitat for anadromous fish. The Town is also advancing a related project that will install upstream fish passage on the Oyster Reservoir Dam (aka the “UNH Dam”). The proposed work will include the restoration of the Oyster River channel upstream of the dam and invasive species management in the drained impoundment area. A planting plan has also been developed to improve post-construction aesthetics while the project area revegetates. The project is funded by more than $4.0 million in state and federal grants.

Among the numerous ecological benefits, this restoration project will improve upstream fish passage, restore the natural functions and values of the Oyster River, increase habitat diversity, and allow tidal flow to extend farther upstream. Extensive coordination with various parties (such as the NH Department of Environmental Services (NHDES), US Army Corps of Engineers, NH Natural Heritage Bureau, NH Fish and Game Department, NH Division of Historical Resources, Durham Conservation Commission, and many others) has been crucial for the permitting process and will be ongoing throughout construction.

A Standard Dredge and Fill Wetlands Permit Application was submitted to the NHDES for the Mill Pond Dam removal in February. NHDES issued comments on the application package in May, including many detailed technical comments. Durham Public Works Department and its consultant team are currently preparing responses to those comments and expects to submit an information package to NHDES in late September. Permitting through the NHDES Shoreland Program will also occur for impacts proposed within the 250-foot Protected Shoreland of the Oyster River, beyond the limits of Mill Pond. These reviews will ensure that this project complies with all applicable state and federal environmental regulations related to wetlands and streams.

The dam removal is subject to review under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, which requires the federal agencies leading the project to identify and evaluate the impacts the project may have on historic and archaeological resources. Section 106 is a four step consultation processes, and as part of that process the Town, US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NH Division of Historical Resources (NHDHR) have been regularly meeting with a large number of “consulting parties,” which include property owners, the Durham Historic District/Heritage Commission, Durham Historic Association, Tribal representatives, conservation organizations, and others with an interest in historic resources. The agencies and consulting parties have worked through the first three steps, identifying the historic and archaeological resources through research and surveys and assessing the adverse effects that would be caused by the dam’s removal. A consulting party meeting was held on March 26, 2024 where the Town, agencies, and consulting parties developed a mitigation package to offset the adverse effect caused by the project. These mitigation measures will be written into a Memorandum of Agreement to be signed by the Town, NHDHR, NOAA, and the Corps.

The Town has also taken steps to advertise the project for construction bids. Given the complex nature of dam removal and river restoration construction, the Town’s process included a pre-qualification step to ensure that only bids from well qualified contractors will be considered. In March the Town issued a public notice soliciting qualifications packages from all interested contractors. The Town received prequalification statements from six contractors based in NH, Maine, and Massachusetts. Upon reviewing those statements, the Town notified five of those contractors that they met the prequalification criteria and will be allowed to bid on the project. Once the Town and VHB have resolved all permitting issues, full bid documents will be made available to those five qualified contractors to submit competitive bids for construction.

The project team is also working on two related efforts – improving fish passage on the Oyster Reservoir Dam (the “UNH Dam”) upstream of the Mill Pond Dam, and planning improvements to the Mill Pond Park to adapt that public space to the restored Oyster River. Two conceptual designs for the Oyster Reservoir Dam have been developed – including a “nature-like bypass” and a “Denil ladder” (like the ladder on the Mill Pond Dam). The Town is meeting with UNH and several resource agencies on July 25 and hopes to select an alternative for final design soon after that coordination. The Mill Pond Park improvements planning is also progressing, with a field meeting scheduled in August. A draft of that plan is expected this fall. 

Contingent on a number of factors, the Town now plans to begin removing the dam and restoring the river in the summer of 2025. The Town also hopes to begin work on the Oyster Reservoir Dam in 2025, pending successful final design, permitting, and bidding processes. More information about this project is available through the Town's website HERE.

MADBURY ROAD COMPLETE STREETS PROJECT UPDATES

Traffic Pattern Modifications Remain In Effect

To facilitate Phase 1 Roadway and Drainage Improvements, Madbury Road continues to remain open for Northbound traffic only between Pettee Brook Lane and Garrison Avenue. Please follow the posted detour. Access to businesses within the project limits will remain OPEN at all times.

Water and Sewer Replacement – Phase 1

Durham Public Works and its contractor, Joseph P. Cardillo and Sons remain hard at work on utility construction. Recent efforts this week focused on sewer collection system construction on Madbury Court. The Town’s pre-design, subsurface exploration program developed a ledge profile for this area which identified significant quantities of ledge which would be encountered on Madbury Court and this section of Madbury Road requiring removal and slowing progress. An cost allowance for this ledge removal was incorporated within the project cost. The roadway will continue to be fully closed during normal business hours to facilitate the construction of new water and sewer facilities for at least the next week.

Roadway and Drainage Improvements – Phase 1

Durham Public Works and its contractor, G.W. Brooks & Son, Inc. continue to progress on the phase 1 roadway and drainage improvements portion of the Madbury Road Complete Streets Project. Drainage construction continued this week along with the excavation of overburden material at #326 and #28 in preparation for stone retaining wall construction next week. Utility pole relocations have been delayed one week due to electric infrastructure storm damage earlier this week requiring Eversource response in the southern quarter of the state. Eversource is currently scheduled to begin utility pole relocations the week of the 29th.

Edgewood Road Culvert Replacement

Durham Public Works and its contractor, Severino Trucking, Inc. are in the final stages of the culvert replacement/rehabilitation portion of the Madbury Road Complete Streets Project. Littlehale Creek is now flowing through the new 6’x6’ concrete box culvert underneath Edgewood Road. Road base installation will occur over the next several days, with binder course paving scheduled for later next week.

Durham Public Works and its contractor, Continental Paving, began construction on the 2024 Sidewalk Program this week. Improvements this summer include the reconstruction of 2,300 feet of bituminous sidewalk on the North and South sides of Bagdad Road from #57 - #66 and a segment on Dover Road from Young Drive to Bayview Road. These sidewalks currently have non-complainant accessible ramps, areas of failed and overturned curbing, significant cracking, delamination, and aggregate loss. Temporary closures of these sidewalks can be expected during normal business hours.

In a cost savings effort to maximize the area of reconstruction, the Durham Public Works’ Highway Team has partnered with Continental Paving on this project and is seen in the photo removing the existing walking surface and preparing the sidewalk gravel base for paving over this past week. Team member Dana Smith is operating a vibratory roller demonstration unit for this project. The Department’s existing vibratory roller, a 1998 Bomag is at the end of its useful life and the Department will be requesting capital funding for its replacement in 2025 budget cycle.

Durham Public Works, Durham Fire and water treatment plant contract operator Woodard and Curran partnered this week for water system refresher training, focusing on various firefighting scenarios involving water system sources and supply, plant operations and water system infrastructure. Firefighters and Captains each participated in a roundtable discussion with key members of the Durham Public Works, UNH and Woodward and Curran plant operations team involved in water system management. Following a plant tour, team members participated in a practical field exercise with a simulated fire on Packers Falls Road and operated hydrants and the Lamprey River raw water pump station. 

Public Works’ Buildings and Grounds Team completed the removal of a knee wall this week in the Town Hall Business Office in preparation for minor floor plan upgrades. The existing layout was cumbersome and did not allow for maximum utilization of the space. 

The Durham Professional Firefighters Local #2253 would like to introduce Smokey the Fire Dog. Smokey will give short tips on Fire Safety, weekly so Parents and guardians can generate conversation with their children about Fire Safety. Keep an eye out in the weekly updates These small questions and tips are a great way for you as a Parent to teach your kids about Fire Safety, the more they know the safer they will be.

WEEK #29

Family time around a firepit or outside around the fire ring is always fun. For some helpful tips for safety, click HERE.

Four students from the Oyster River School District organized and taught a free Robot Operation, Building, and Training (R.O.B.a.T) camp for local 4th-8th grade students at the Durham Public Library during the week of July 15-19, 2024. The four camp organizers won the Design Award @ VEX IQ Robotics World Championship in 2023 and the VEX IQ State Champions in 2022-2024. They have a strong passion to inspire young students about robotics and STEM activities.

During the R.O.B.a.T camp, 22 campers were taught about how to make robots sturdy and resistant to furious operation, as well as team building and collaboration. The campers had a blast at the camp, making new friends, and forming new bonds! Campers managed to accomplish things in a week that would take them months to do in a regular academic after school program. This R.O.B.a.T camp was sponsored by IEEE NH section and received support from the Durham Public Library. The camp organizers would like to run the same camp again next year.