Friday Updates - March 7, 2025

Friday, March 7, 2025

The old sugar shack, Created via ChatGPT

Daylight Savings begins this weekend! Don't forget to set your clocks AHEAD one hour this Saturday night!

A highlight within the community is the sugar shack at Moharimet Elementary School. Speaking of maple sugaring, NH’s annual Maple Weekend is fast approaching, scheduled for March 15-16, 2025. Learn more HERE.

About our recent list of ideas for residents who indicate they are feeling stressed or overwhelmed by the daily flow of world and national news, Admin. Selig would like to offer the following: 

Some of us feel the same way. We can’t give advice about what people should do or should not do in such tumultuous times, and we were not advising people against doing what they think is the right course of action. But one thing that gives us a measure of comfort is that here in Durham at least, we’re able to have a civil conversation about local issues. In that regard, we plan to keep on keeping on, and we hope your Durham town government will continue to serve as a small bastion of calm and for you. 

Town/School elections (for Durham residents) are being held Tuesday, March 11, from 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room of Oyster River High School.

The Town of Durham is now on Bluesky Social in addition to Facebook and X. You can find the Town of Durham HERE.

NEW HOURS FOR THE DURHAM TOWN CLERK-TAX COLLECTOR OFFICE STARTING MARCH 17, 2025

The Durham Town Clerk-Tax Collector’s Office will adjust office hours starting on Monday, March 17, 2025. 

Office hours will now be from 8:00am to 5:00pm, extending by 30 minutes each day on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. The office will now be CLOSED to the public on Wednesdays. We do not anticipate this change will cause widespread disruption for most of our residents.

Below is a summary of the changes and reasons for why the Town Clerk-Tax Collector decided to make this change in 2025.

QUESTION: Why does the Town Clerk-Tax Collector need to change the office hours? The former town clerk and clerk staff were always able to manage their hours.

ANSWER: 

1. Less in-person traffic in the office. More residents now utilize the Town’s online services or mail-in payments, reducing the need for the office to be open to the public. Most NH Town Clerk’s offices have already reduced their hours in response to this shift in transaction style.
2. Reduce costs to Residents and Town. By keeping hours at a certain level for staff, we can lower the financial impact on the Town, and ultimately taxpayers. This means fewer hourly wages will be paid by the Town and it removes the need to create another full-time, benefited position.
3. Keep our staff happy. To better accommodate the needs of our amazing staff, hours were reduced for the Deputy Town Clerk-Tax Collector and the Assistant Town Clerk-Tax Collector positions in 2024. Both jobs were cut by 5 hours per week for each staff member, with a 10-hour total loss for the Town Clerk-Tax Collector’s Department. 

QUESTION: What does this mean for me? I don’t like paying additional online transaction fees and I prefer to make payments in person.

ANSWER:

1. We hear you. Town Clerk-Tax Collector Rachel Deane will be responsible and available to manage scenarios for residents with emergencies that require in-person transactions on Wednesdays. Remember, the clerk’s office will still be open from 8am-5pm, 4 days a week. Residents with an emergency on a Wednesday may email rdeane@ci.durham.nh.us. Rachel Deane checks her email regularly and she will manage these cases. Rachel Deane does not have a Town cell phone, so email is best.
2. Tax and Utility Payments, Motor Vehicle Renewals, or Vital Records Requests may also be left in the Town Hall’s secure Lockbox – located just outside the Town Hall. Residents who want to avoid mailing payments or paying online transaction fees can access this service, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Items left in the lockbox will be processed on the next business day.

Please contact Town Clerk-Tax Collector, Rachel Deane at rdeane@ci.durham.nh.us if you have any questions.

WATER/SEWER BILLS DUE BY MARCH 12, 2025

The 1st installment for the 2025 Water/Sewer bills are due on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. The current water and sewer rates are W=$10.61 per 100 CF and S= $10.31 per 100 CF. The read dates for the billing cycle were from September 30, 2024, to January 2, 2025. Water & Sewer bills are sent four times a year (quarterly billing) and are due 30 days after the bill date. 

Bills may be paid by cash, check, or credit card. Additional fees apply for credit cards. Payments are accepted in person, online at https://www.ci.durham.nh.us/clerk , by mail, or in the Town Hall drop box. The Durham Town Clerk-Tax Collector’s Office will honor the post mark for all bills received by mail. Please contact Rachel Deane at rdeane@ci.durham.nh.us or 603-868-5577 if you have any questions.  

APRIL 15TH EXEMPTION/CREDIT APPLICATION DEADLINE IS FAST APPROACHING!

April 15 is the last day to submit applications for property tax exemptions and veteran tax credits.  Durham residents may apply for Tax Credits and/or Exemptions if you are a Veteran, a Veteran's spouse, a disabled Veteran, a resident age 65 or older, a resident who is blind, a resident who is disabled, or a resident who has installed a solar system on your home provided you meet the criteria for each. If you qualify, the Application for Property Tax Credit/Exemptions, along with the required supporting documentation must be submitted to the Assessor's Office by April 15 to be considered for the upcoming tax year.

Information pertaining to property tax exemptions and veteran tax credits may be found on the Town’s website under the Assessing Department HERE. Applications are available in the Assessing Office.

If you have any questions, please contact the Assessing Department at (603) 868-8064.  

Seacoast Eat Local, who organizes the Durham Farmers’ Market, is a local non-profit with a mission to connect the community with fresh local produce, baked goods, spirits, crafts and more! The market is held in the heart of Durham at the Downtown pocket-park, located at 66 Main Street. 

For the 2025 summer season, the market will run every Monday from June 2nd to October 6th! 

Seacoast Eat Local is reaching out in the hope of receiving community feedback regarding the market hours. Historically, it has run from 2:30-6pm. If you attend the market or are interested in attending, please consider filling out this brief survey HERE to offer your feedback on market hours! 

Seacoast Eat Local thanks you in advance for your time and support of local producers and makers- they can't wait to service Durham customers in 2025.

NHDES SENDS STRONGLY WORDED LETTER TO TOWN OF EPPING - Permit Violations Impacting Lamprey River Could Result in $10,000 per Day Penalties

The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) has expressed serious concerns about the Town of Epping's ongoing failure to address deficiencies at its Wastewater Treatment Facility. The facility, which discharges into the Lamprey River—Durham's primary drinking water source—has committed over 120 permit violations since April 2022. 

Despite a decade of patience from NHDES and EPA, Epping has not implemented necessary long-term upgrades to ensure compliance with permits, statutes, and rules. The letter warns that continued non-compliance may result in a referral to the New Hampshire Department of Justice for civil penalties, which could reach up to $10,000 per day per violation.

This situation poses a significant threat to the water quality of the Lamprey River, which is crucial for Durham's drinking water supply, the University of New Hampshire, and the river's rich ecosystem.

Engineer Timothy Dunn from the NH Department of Transportation appeared before the Town Council Monday evening to share changes the state has developed to the proposed roundabout project at Route 4 and Madbury Road. In short, the outbound lane of the design leading from downtown Durham out Madbury Road into the roundabout has been reduced in width from two lanes to one consistent with traffic data. This changes helps to calm speeds and limit impacts within the project area.

New England Cottontails are on the move, thanks to NHFG Nongame Program biologists. These rabbits (commonly confused with the Eastern Cottontails you see in your yard) are primarily found in the seacoast region.

To aid in population recovery, NE Cottontails are being bred on offshore islands and are brought back to their new homes in New Hampshire – shrublands and young forest habitats created with the help of your Nongame Program donation and Moose Plate purchase! And this includes the Town of Durham.

With funding from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and NH Fish and Game, Durham is managing several areas on town conservation land to benefit the NE Cottontail and other wildlife. These include 60 acres on the Oyster River Forest, 15 acres on the Thompson Forest, and 20 acres on Wagon Hill North. NH Fish and Game is also managing several tracts on their Lamprey River Wildlife Management Area in Durham for New England Cottontail.

Learn more about this species recovery project and how you can help in this winter's issue of Wildlines HERE or on the town webpage HERE.

PLANNING BOARD UPDATE - Mill Plaza and Dunkin Donuts on next week's agenda

The Planning Board has three items on its agenda for this coming Wednesday, March 12.

• Torrington Properties has revised their design for the rear building at Mill Plaza. You can see their updated plans HERE.
• Tropic Star Development has submitted a formal application to relocate the Dunkin Donuts at the Irving Station to the vacant lot on the other side of the street next to the Holiday Inn Express. You can see the application materials HERE.
• The board is continuing its discussion about the proposed Planned Unit Development ordinance being crafted to accommodate UNH’s The Edge project and other potential large mixed-use projects. We expect the draft to be completed soon. It will then be forwarded to the Town Council for consideration.

VACANCIES ON TOWN BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, AND COMMITTEES - Consider becoming a volunteer member of a local board, commission or committee.

On April 30, 2025, terms on various Town boards, commissions, and committees will expire. The Durham Town Council is seeking interested residents of the Town of Durham who have the ability, desire, and time needed to fill the vacancies listed below.

To obtain an application form, you may stop in or contact the Administrator’s office at kedwards@ci.durham.nh.us. The deadline to submit completed applications is Monday, March 31, 2025. You can see more information on vacancies by clicking on the button below.

CONSIDER SUPPORTING HB 760 TO PROTECT A FAIR ENERGY MARKET

Durham Community Power, a member of the Community Power Coalition of NH (CPCNH), is encouraging residents to support HB 760, a bill crucial to protecting fair competition in the state’s energy market and ensuring consumer choice.

Due to recent actions by the Public Utility Commission (PUC), utilities may now recover their power cost overruns by surcharging all ratepayers, including those who are purchasing their power from competitive energy supply services. Instead, HB 760 ensures that default service costs are paid solely by the customers who receive that service, protecting local control and fair market competition. To find out more about this legislation and what you can do to support it, click HERE.

The Town of Durham received notice from NH DOT of critical deficiency on the Crommet Creek bridge. During a recent inspection completed by NHDOT, a hole was identified in the east steel girder which reduces the weight bearing capacity of the bridge. 

NHDOT recommends that the bridge weight limit restriction be modified and that the Town change the bridge posting from a 15 Ton limit (which is what it is currently posted) to a 10 Ton limit.

Public Works is in the process of consulting bridge engineers to develop both short and long term repair strategies that can be completed.

DURHAM PUBLIC WORKS EMERGENCY GENERATOR PROJECT UPDATE - A Congressionally Directed Spending project totaling $500,000

The Town of Durham operates multiple critical facilities that have the potential to experience operational challenges and loss of service to the public during a power outage. It's imperative that critical community support facilities and water utilities remain operational during power outages and emergency conditions. Because of this these facilities require an emergency backup power source (generator). 

Durham Public Works pursued federal funding and was awarded Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) exceeding $500,000 to cover a portion of the cost for new emergency generators. CDS Funds will be administered through FEMA’s Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant process.

The contract includes up to five (5) generators for the following locations:

1. Lee Well Pump Station
2. Spruce Hole Pump Station
3. Lamprey Pump Station
4. Durham Police Department
5. Durham Department of Public Works. 

The Town has worked with Underwood Engineers to design these improvements and the project has recently been advertised for bid. Bids will be received on March 19 with recommendations to award at a April/May Town Council meeting, subject to available funds.

TREE CITY USA DESIGNATION AWARDED - Durham is the longest running Tree City community in NH since 1978.

Durham was recently notified that that the Town was once again recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation for its 47th consecutive annual Tree City USA award, which is the longest running Tree City Designation in the State of New Hampshire.

In order to qualify for a Tree City USA community, the Town must meet four standards established by the Arbor Day Foundation and the National Association of State Foresters. These standards are established to ensure that every qualifying community has a viable tree management program and that communities are not excluded due to size.

These standards include 1) Identifying and assigning the responsibility for all town owned trees 2) Establishment of an tree care ordinance and ensuring a high level of public tree care 3) Funding a community tree program with an annual budget of at minimum $2 per capita and 4) Planning an annual arbor day observance event and proclamation.

Did You Know?  Plastic Waste

How many plastic or metal tubes of lotion, gel, hand cream, sunscreen, etc. do you have in your home? Would you be surprised if we told you that plastic and metal product tubes are not recyclable and cannot be put in curbside recycling bins, or brought to the transfer station for recycling? NOTE: The one exception is toothpaste tubes, which can be recycled if brought to the transfer station and put in the oral care recycling box outside the green hut. (You can also recycle floss containers, toothbrushes and electric toothbrush heads in the oral care box as well).

What can I do to cut back on waste?

There are a few things you can do to help cut back on the large amount of plastic and metal tube waste we see in our landfill.

1. The Eight Legged Octopus (394 Central Ave, Dover) accepts beauty/skin care product packaging of all kinds, including tubes. The tubes do need to be empty, but not cleaned out. (Please contact the store for a complete list of accepted items).
2. The We Fill Good refill store in Kittery accepts plastic and metal product tubes, as well as other beauty/skin care packaging through the Terra Cycle program. If you collect a small tote bag full of hard-to-recycle items, you can recycle them for $15/bag. (Please contact the store for a full list of accepted hard-to-recycle items).
3. Instead of buying your products in tubes, consider buying them in recyclable/sustainable containers. Stores like The Replenish Refillery in Dover, The Refill Station in Portsmouth, and We Fill Good in Kittery all sell sustainable alternatives. In addition, there are several sustainable brands online that sell these products. Lush.com sells many of these products without packaging, and if you shop in a Lush store, they take back all of their containers for full recycling.

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: https://recyclesmartma.org/

OYSTER RIVER SCHOOL NEWS

All Oyster River schools will be closed on March 14 for a Teacher's Workshop Day.

March 11 ORCSD Faculty Concert

Morse Recital Hall at Oyster River Middle School (1 Coe Dr, Durham, NH 03824) 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Raffles and fundraising proceeds will be donated to Save the Music Foundation.

March 11 - Annual Meeting Session II - Voting Day - Vote in Town of Residence

The ORCSD School Board recommended 2025-2026 operating budget and seven warrants will be on the ballot. All budget documents are available on the Business Office web page HERE under the FY 25-26 tab. Warrants may be viewed HERE. Capital planning information is available HERE. The School Board candidate forum is available online HERE.

• Durham: Oyster River High School, 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
• Lee: Lee Safety Complex, 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
• Madbury: Madbury Town Hall, 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM

March 13 ORMS/HS Chamber Orchestra Concert

Morse Recital Hall at Oyster River Middle School (1 Coe Dr, Durham, NH 03824) 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

March 20 Humanities Night

At Oyster River Middle School from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. An open house and fun-filled evening to celebrate and showcase the school's Humanities programs and activities.

April 15 Community Dinner

Oyster River Middle School's cafeteria from 5:00 - 6:30 p.m. Presented by the Oyster River Sustainability Committee. Additional details will be provided next week.

ORMS Literary Magazine Club

Have you heard of Oyster River Middle School’s (ORMS) Literary Magazine club? Founded by ORMS Language Arts Teacher Laurenne Berner, Literary Magazine is a club for students interested in creating, editing, and publishing a school magazine. Learn more HERE.

ORMS Bobcat Week Feb. 17-21

The week of February 17-21, aptly named “Bobcat Week”, was filled with exciting themes and culminated with numerous engaging activities on the last Friday before February Break. Every day of the week, Oyster River Middle School (ORMS) students were invited to dress up in a new theme, from wearing a funny mustache, beach attire, fancy clothing, or black and white. On the last day, students and staff participated in Bobcat Community Day. Learn more HERE.

School Board Meeting Updates

ORCSD school board meetings recordings are available on the ORCSD YouTube channel HERE, and the agendas and minutes are available HERE. School board meetings are live-streamed on the ORCSD Streaming channel HERE.