Friday Updates - May 29, 2020

Friday, May 29, 2020

Beautiful blooms that came out around Mother's Day this spring. Courtesy Megan Carney

UPDATED COVID-19 CASE INFORMATION FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE (As of 5/28/20, 9AM)

Number of Persons with COVID‐19: 4,386

Recovered: 2,730 (62%)

Deaths attributed to COVID-19: 232 (5%)

Total Current COVID-19 Cases: 1,424

Persons who have been hospitalized for COVID-19: 438 (10%)Current hospitalizations: 110

Total persons tested at selected laboratories, Polymerase Chain Reaction 66,862

Total persons tested at selected laboratories, Antibody Laboratory tests 10,533

Persons with specimens submitted to NH PHL 23,267

Persons with Test Pending at NH PHL: 891

Persons Being Monitored in NH (approximate point in time): 4,050

PLANNING, ZONING, AND ASSESSING OFFICE WILL REOPEN ON JUNE 1st - Online transactions still strongly recommended.

The Planning, Zoning, Assessing and Building Office will resume normal business hours and reopen to the public on Monday, June 1, 2020. However, we strongly encourage residents to continue utilizing our online, mail, and drop box services for non-urgent transactions. To review a file in person, please call Karen at 603-868-8064 to reserve an appointment time. Inspections will continue to be limited. Please call 603-868-8064 for all inspection requests.

Big Bean employee, Madison.  It’s a pandemic; wearing masks in public is the responsible thing to do. It conveys the clear message, "I care about your health, in addition to my own." Courtesy Todd Selig

GOV. SUNUNU SPEAKS WITH MUNICIPAL REPRESENTATIVES FROM NH’S 13 CITIES ABOUT COVID-19 IMPACTS/ORDERS/REVENUES – Some takeaways of interest…

Municipal officials from NH’s 13 cities were able to speak with Governor Sununu this week and learned a number of things:

• The Main Street Fund is accepting applications for businesses through Friday at midnight.
• The Governor’s Office was hoping to make an announcement Friday about lodging and houses of worship. They are looking at steps to take to open lodging and tourism, but they are going slowly.
• The numbers of percent positives of cases is going down; they are pretty consistently under 5% positive, which is, well, positive.
• The Stay at Home Order will likely remain in place at least in the short term. For the next couple weeks, it will likely look the same as it does now. The 10 or more person gathering prohibition will remain in effect for the foreseeable future.
• A lot of states are “breaking up” the Stay at Home Order—e.g., more rural areas are more flexible than urban areas. Governor doesn’t know if that’s a path for NH, but they are looking at it. Also looking at different demographics and whether to be more flexible with those under 60, for example.
• There was discussion about automobile registrations and being flexible to allow registrations, including new registrations, to be done remotely for the long term, not just during the State of Emergency. The Governor indicated that we are likely to be under the SOE for quite some time, which means the orders will remain in effect. If the SOE ends, the emergency orders will, too. Long term, after the SOE expires, this would require legislative action. Governor’s office will also talk to the DMV about this.
• There was a discussion about municipal budgets and the impact of the pandemic. There is no clear guidance yet for municipalities. The Governor did say that the state isn’t actually making any cuts yet because they don’t know what may be coming from the Federal government, but they feel confident something is coming and that there will be funds and flexibility for towns and cities to replace revenue. The governor also said that March and April M&R revenues were not as low as they anticipated, but that they will have a better idea of revenue projections in June.
• Finally, there was a question and some discussion about whether the prohibition on gatherings of 10 or more applies to local government or whether they are exempt. In short, if it is a public meeting, the prohibition apples.  

ASSESSMENT OF INTEREST ON UPCOMING PROPERTY TAXES DUE EXTENDED BY AN ADDITIONAL MONTH BY TOWN COUNCIL

On Monday evening, the Durham Town Council approved the tax warrant authorizing the Town Clerk-Tax Collector to collect partial payment of Durham property taxes assessed on April 1, 2020.

Due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, several property owners expressed a general concern that they or others may not be able to pay their property tax bills by the July 1st deadline (or 30 days after the issuance of the tax bills), which is when 8% interest would begin accruing per RSA 76-13.

Although RSA 76:16 states that the selectmen or assessors can abate accrued interest for good cause shown, Durham’s legal council did not believe that RSA 76:16 could be applied during a pandemic. As a result, Durham, Rochester and Keene wrote to Governor Sununu expressing this concern which lead to his Emergency Order #25 pursuant to Executive Order 2020-04 Temporary Modification of Interest Penalty for Late Payment of Property Taxes, authorizing municipalities and counties to use their abatement authority pursuant to RSA 76:16 and RSA 29:12 regarding accrued interest. 

After much deliberation between Administrator Selig, Tax Collector Lorrie Pitt, and Assessor Jim Rice, it was agreed that an extra 30-day extension would be a good faith effort to Durham taxpayers considering the pandemic before interest would accrue. This recommendation was made to the Town Council and on this past Monday evening, it was unanimously approved – in essence that that 8% interest would begin accruing 60 days after the issuance of the June 2020 property tax bills (versus the statutory 30 days typically observed). 

MINNEAPOLIS TRAGEDY - An important message from Durham Police Chief David Kurz to the Durham Community.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz sent in the National Guard as demonstrators in Minneapolis clashed with police for a third straight day. 

Demonstrators are protesting the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white officer pinned him to the ground with a knee on his neck, according to video that circulated online. The Third Precinct police station, which has been a central site for demonstrations, was taken over and set on fire late yesterday, according to local news reports and video posted on social media. Protests spread Thursday to other cities, including New York, Denver and Chicago.

The US Justice Department said it had made its investigation into Mr. Floyd’s death a top priority, assigning experienced prosecutors and FBI criminal investigators to probe whether police officers willfully violated Mr. Floyd’s civil rights. Calls for criminal charges against the officers involved continued to grow.

One of my favorite Abraham Lincoln quotes, “To sin by silence, when we should protest, makes cowards out of men", is what I was thinking as I contemplated the murder of George Floyd and my responsibilities as Police Chief in Durham, albeit until July 17th.  

The fact that the officers have not been arrested screams of inequity. If any police department possessed video of a person kneeling on the neck of a man that resulted in his death, that person would be arrested based upon the probable cause displayed in the video! What the judicial system outcome would be is irrelevant to the probable cause for arrest. What is clear to me is that there is an obvious lack of “procedural justice” in Minneapolis where the idea of fairness, transparency, opportunity to be heard and impartiality is simply not evident.

As readers of Friday Updates, many will be aware that each August I took the opportunity to reaffirm the Department’s commitment to maintain a guardian philosophy of the delivery of law enforcement services to the Durham community. After all, police authority that provides the inherent ability to arrest, detain, and interrogate people, as well as the uncompromising power to utilize deadly force, is established by the Durham Town Charter.

Durham Police are ingrained with the organizational fortitude to do the right thing, seek improved methods, and do so in partnership with the community. Will we make mistakes as we deliver and interact with community members? As humans who happen to be police officers, most likely there will be errors. But I can also assure you that there will be acknowledgement of the mistake and a strategy to ensure that it will not be repeated.  

While I will be retiring in July, I want to assure the Durham community that Town Administrator Todd Selig’s statement “that the bench at Durham PD is very deep” is an accurate statement. 

Chief Rene Kelley and every officer supporting him all have the same commitment to policing in the manner of which Durham has become accustomed. An organizational moral compass is ingrained in each employee, which is why as a police manager I can assure you that no Durham Police Officer would ever standby silently and not intervene in this outrageous criminal act.  

UNH Police Captain Steve Lee.  It’s a pandemic; wearing masks in public is the responsible thing to do. It conveys the clear message, "I care about your health, in addition to my own." Courtesy Todd Selig

SPRING CLEANUP UPDATE AND BULKY WASTE DAYS AT THE TRANSFER STATION

a reminder that with spring cleanup being postponed indefinitely due to the pandemic, in an effort to assist the community in getting rid of their materials in a safe manner to both residents and DPW employees, we have decided to do the following; On the days listed below, residents with Resident/Tax payer permits may enter the Transfer Station to get rid of BULKY WASTE ITEMS ONLY and will not require coupons. 

Wednesday, June 3rd and Thursday, June 4th between the hours of 7:30AM- 7:30PM

**Residents will have to unload their own material

**We will restrict drop off to 3 vehicles at a time with a dumpster for each vehicle drop off point. Vehicles would wait in line for a vehicle to clear.

We ask that all regular trash and recycling and “normal” dump activities be limited to regular Transfer Station hours, Tuesday and Saturday, 7:30am- 3:00pm.  

Bearnard and his friends put on quite the Memorial Day Parade this past Monday. Courtesy John Pacheco

MESSAGE FROM SUPERINTENDENT MORSE OUTLINES MANY COVID-19 UNCERTANITEIS FOR UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR

In his newsletter to ORCSD families this week, Superintendent Jim Morse discussed a number of items surrounding how K-12 education might progress this fall in Oyster River.  He noted that remote learning was developed out of crisis with no time to develop a comprehensive plan. Given the real possibility that remote learning may occur again, the district wants to learn from this experience. The district is committed to self-improvement and has surveyed parents, ORMS/ORHS students, and faculty/staff regarding their remote learning experience this spring.  The answers will help inform the district’s early conversations related to the opening of school next fall.

Superintendent Morse knows guidance from the CDC and the State of New Hampshire are weeks, if not months off, but indicates we cannot wait for their guidance. We need to begin making plans now. The district will incorporate the CDC and the State of New Hampshire’s guidance into Oyster River’s plan as it becomes available.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL DISTANCING AS STAY AT HOME ORDERS ARE SLOWLY REDUCED

Administrator Selig echoes recent thoughts from Superintendent Morse that now that we are seeing the sun on a more frequent and regular basis, it allows us to step out and feel the sun on our face. A much needed and wonderful feeling! 

As a reminder, although warmer weather has arrived, we need to be sure to follow the guidelines from DHHS and the CDC. They are still encouraging us to social distance and wear masks if in the community – and now the Town of Durham has formally asked residents to wear masks as described elsewhere in more detail in this week’s Friday Updates. We are at the beginning stages of opening businesses, etc. and hopefully the more we follow their recommendations the better the outcome will be for all.

It is natural as human beings to want to be with our friends, family, and loved ones. Thankfully, we have ways to still communicate electronically. We are still able to see a family member’s new baby or say hello to the grandparents through this amazing technology. 

Although it is not the same as the real encounters, it is one of the many things to be fortunate for during this pandemic. 

Superintendent Morse asks the question, “Can you imagine if we did not have the technology we do today?” 

Sam Hewitt, Public Works employee. "It’s a pandemic; wearing masks in public is the responsible thing to do. It conveys the clear message, "I care about your health, in addition to my own." Courtesy Todd Selig Courtesy Todd Selig

SUPERVISORS OF THE CHECKLIST - Party changes...

The Supervisors of the Checklist will hold a session on Tuesday June 2, from 7:00 – 7:30 PM at the Durham Town Hall. The primary purpose of this meeting will be to allow last minute changes of party. This will be the last opportunity to do this before the September 8 State Primary.  We ask that you wear a mask and bring your own pen. If you believe you have changed your party (meaning you voted at the February primary or other recent primary and changed your party either that day or after), check the following website to be sure: https://app.sos.nh.gov/Public/PollingPlaceSearch.aspx. If you changed your party AFTER the town election on March 10 it may not show up, although the changes should have been made. If you made that change up through the day of the town election and that website does not show it, we definitely need to know.  If you would like to make a party change before June 2, you may do it in person at the town clerk’s office between the hours of 8:00 and 4:30 M-F. It is best to call ahead just to make sure someone will be available to help you quickly.  

A new form that can be used for Party Changes has been made available by the Secretary of State. It can be found HERE. You may print this and fill it out entirely (or fill out and then print). This needs to be signed by you AND by a witness (any witness), and then sent to Supervisors of the Checklist, 8 Newmarket Rd, Durham, or dropped off at the town hall either in person to the Town Clerk's Office or in the drop box or by 5:00 PM on June 2, 2020.

Remember, if you come to the primary as Undeclared, you will choose which party you wish to vote that day. You may then return to Undeclared that day or any day after. However, you MAY NOT change party at a primary if you enter the polls as a Republican or a Democrat. There are always some people who forget to return to Undeclared after a primary (perhaps they voted absentee) and then are very unhappy the day of the next primary. There was some confusion about this at the Presidential Primary, but we hope to make sure everyone is aware of this well before September.



Voter Registration: People who are not yet registered to vote may do so at the Supervisor session on June 2 or at the Town Clerk’s office as mentioned above with party changes. You will be asked to show proof of identification, age (18 by the September 8 election), citizenship (passport or naturalization papers), and domicile within Durham. Affidavits may be signed in the absence of proofs. There is no hurry to register to vote. This may be done up until about 10 days before the election. This also may be done absentee. To do this, please call the town clerk’s office (868-5577) and ask for the absentee registration packet. Make sure all forms in the packet are completed and signed before returning it.

UNH OUTDOOR POOL, MENDUM’S POND WILL NOT OPEN IN 2020 – Due to pandemic, no Camp Wildcat either.

Due to current guidelines, including physical distancing expectations and the uncertain nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the university has decided not to open the Outdoor Pool and Mendum’s Pond this summer. In addition, Camp Wildcat, sailing/kayaking/paddleboarding, and swim lessons will not be offered due to the limitations the pandemic response requires. After such a chilly spring, many are looking forward to the warmer weather. Unfortunately we will have to wait until summer 2021 to enjoy these favorite activities.

UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAM UPDATE

Given the unpredictable nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, and current guidelines, including social distancing recommendations, UNH has decided to largely cancel its on-campus youth programs for 2020. Some programs may offer online learning opportunities or activities. 

The health and safety of UNH's youth program participants, staff, and volunteers is always, but especially now, a priority. All UNH youth program staff are disappointed that the University cannot provide the usual in-person interactions with youth. They look forward to a healthier 2021.

For future updates, visit the UNH Youth Programs website.

DCAT Coordinator Craig Stevens. "It’s a pandemic; wearing masks in public is the responsible thing to do. It conveys the clear message, "I care about your health, in addition to my own." Courtesy Todd Selig

ZOOM VIDEO CONFERENCING TIPS FOR DURHAM BOARD MEMBERS AND PARTICIPATING CITIZENS ALIKE!

Below are some recommendations for using Zoom and other video conferencing tools. These guidelines are provided for Town board and committee members and for members of the public when participating in a Town meeting. People may also find these guidelines helpful for any meeting conducted by video conferencing. We put this list together based on suggestions from Planning Board Chair Paul Rasmussen (who does a great deal of video conferencing in his work life), articles from UNH Cooperative Extension, and an article by Lindsay Crafford in GoToMeeting.

Pick a good location. Set up in a room where you can close the door and have quiet and privacy without interruptions. A simple orderly background is best so that other participants focus on you rather than a messy bookshelf, an unmade bed, colorful artwork, or an open door to the bathroom (bad feng shui!). Find a spot with clear even lighting or side lighting. Do not sit in front of a window or light source which would put you in shadow and cause glare.  

We appreciate that you might prefer to be in Hawaii or Paris but recommend not uploading an artificial background unless you have a greenscreen and the background will be static and not divert viewers’ attention.

Eliminate distractions. Please be mindful of potential distractions such as children, pets, and the telephone ringing. You may not notice the background noise but it can be distracting to others.

Dress appropriately. It may be a pleasant relief to participate in a meeting from the comfort of home but please don’t dress like a zhlub. Remember you are still visible to the other board members and the public.

Set up early. Settle in at least ten minutes before the meeting begins to make sure that you have the link to the Zoom meeting, your equipment is set up properly, and you are ready to go when the roll call commences.  

Sign in. The Town now requires registration for Zoom meetings. Please make the adjustment so that your full name is shown on the screen. Otherwise people may not recognize you especially if your video turns off for some reason.

Video. If you have the capacity to participate by video is far preferable to using audio only. Some Town meetings still allow for limited physical attendance so if you do not have video available you might consider coming to the meeting (while observing all necessary safety requirements, of course). For project applications it is especially important that the board members are able to see the presenter. Non-board members will likely be on audio only until they actually are recognized to speak.

Set your camera properly.  Remember that everybody else sees you from the camera view. Place your camera on a steady surface at eye level or higher if possible. You can use books to raise your computer up. This placement will enhance your appearance and provide a more professional presentation. When you are speaking it is helpful to look at the camera rather than the screen if you can.

Mute your microphone. Please be sure to turn off (or mute) your microphone (a red slash line will go through the icon) as soon as you enter the video conference after you have greeted other board members. Leaving one’s microphone on can be highly distracting and sometimes embarrassing. You should be able to hold down the space bar when you wish to speak to avoid having to keep clicking on your microphone icon. Please check your mute periodically to ensure you haven’t left it on after speaking.

Speak at a good volume.  Too frequently others cannot hear because a person speaks too softly or is sitting too far away. On the other hand, please be careful not to shout. Please sit as close to the microphone as is comfortable. The first time that you speak you might ask if people can hear you all right. DCAT cannot adjust the volume of a speaker on Zoom.

Stay focused on the meeting. It may be tempting to check your inbox or multitask during the meeting but please stay focused on the proceedings as best you can. Items of interest can pop up when you are not expecting them plus it can be evident to others if you are engaged with some other activity. Our adult children in Boston or Seattle may insist on having dinner while speaking to us but please don’t eat during meetings. You knew that.  

Use your judgment whether or not to inform the chairperson if you need to step away for a few minutes or you might inform another member via the chat function. Of course, if you are uncomfortable sitting for the duration of the meeting feel free to do whatever you need to do. You may want to turn off the video icon when doing your downward dog.  

Consider the accessories. Play around with different settings on zoom to find one that is useful, such as speaker versus gallery view.  

You may want to look into using a wireless headset or headphones which would allow you to move around some.

Follow norms of the board. Each board or committee may set its own procedures. For example, the norm for starting to speak could involve simply jumping in when there is an opening, raising the hand feature, or using the chat box.

(Thank you as well to Michael Behrendt for aggregating this great information for the benefit of the Durham community!)

NH HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO MEET AT UNH’S WHITTEMORE CENTER ARENA IN DURHAM DUE TO COVID-19

For the first time since the Civil War, the NH House of Representatives will be meeting outside of its respective chambers – in Durham. Instead of meeting at Representatives Hall, the 400-member House will meet at the Whittemore Center at UNH in Durham on June 11th. 

The arena is home to the UNH Wildcats hockey teams and is used for other large events, seating about 6,500 people for hockey games.

SAFETY ANNOUNCEMENT – IF YOU ARE OUT ON THE WATER IN A BOAT, WEAR A LIFE JACKET – The Water is 50’ max and you could easily drown!

A resident from the Church Hill apartments noted this week he has seen many folks out on the Oyster River in canoes with no life jackets.  This is just plain bad practice at any time of the year, but presently the water is around 50’ in the Mill Pond and even less downstream.  Falling into the water at this time of year does not equate to an enjoyable dip in the pool; rather your muscles may quickly seize up and you could drown.  The solution is simply – as easy as wearing a face mask – be sure to wear your life preserver!  

DOGS RUNNING AT LARGE - Generally speaking, dogs must be on a leash when off private property in Durham.

The Covid-19 pandemic is resulting in one outstanding attribute; more people are out hiking and discovering Durham’s outstanding trail system. The negative attribute is that there are increased reports of dogs off leash and owners failing to clean up after their pets! Ultimately this has been consuming Durham Police time as they attempt to educate dog owners of the Town’s regulations. Town ordinances require that a dog be on a leash no longer than 8 feet at all times when off the private property of the owner. If the dog bolts from the owner’s property to harass or frighten people this is a violation of the Town Ordinance. Additionally, the ordinances states:

“Any owner or person having custody of any dog shall not permit the dog on public grounds, including public streets, sidewalks, parks, or any other public grounds within the town, unless the owner or person in control has in his possession a mechanical or other device for the removal of excrement/feces, nor shall such owner or person in control fail to expeditiously remove any such excrement/feces deposited by the dog in any such place.”

We all love our pets and with ownership comes responsibility to ensure clean-up is accomplished immediately. We also need to understand that there are some who may be frightened by a dog they are not familiar with and it is ultimately the owner’s responsibility to ensure that their animal is restrained when beyond their property limits.

Note, dogs are allowed off leash at Wagon Hill Farm by administrative order from dawn until 10 AM daily.