Friday Updates - November 1st, 2019

Friday, November 1, 2019

This resident really took Saturday’s downtown Halloween celebration seriously! Courtesy Todd Selig 

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The Parks & Recreation Department organized a terrific Halloween Downtown Bash last Saturday. There were oodles of people downtown along Main Street, Jenkins ‘Court, Madbury Road, through Madbury Commons, and into the Mill Plaza. Lots of families, with children and some adults dressed up. A thank you to EVERYONE who came together to make it a success. As part of the festivities a group of good natured locals organized a Flash Mob and danced as zombies to Michael Jackson’s Thriller! The following organizations, business, and people were represented as part of the Zombee Flash Mob: Amy’s Frames, Hayden Sports , The Growing Place , the Main Street Makery , Even Better Now, Renee Vannata, Monkey Minds Escape Rooms; Sarah Wrightsman, Workforce Housing of the Greater Seacoast; resident (and Town Planner) Michael Behrendt , Town Councilors Sally Tobias and Al Howland. View a video of the line dance to Thriller HERE.

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A reminder that daylight savings time ends (so we “fall” behind) this weekend at 2 AM on Sunday, November 3rd.

PUBLIC HEARING SET ON AN ORDINANCE REGARDING THE PURCHASE, USE, AND SALE OF TOBACCO/VAPING PRODUCTS IN DURHAM

At its meeting on Monday, November 4, 2019, the Town Council will hold a Public Hearing on an ordinance which establishes the age of 21 to be the minimum required age of any individual in the Town of Durham to purchase, use or possess tobacco products, e-cigarettes, vaping products or liquid nicotine and requires Durham merchants to ensure this act by verifying legitimate identification at the time of purchase.

Town Council meetings are open to the public and interested individuals are encouraged to attend and express their views and offer comments with respect to this matter. Questions regarding the ordinance should be addressed to Administrator Todd Selig at 603-868-5571, mailto:tselig@ci.durham.nh.us. Written comments may be mailed to the Administrator’s Office at 8 Newmarket Road, Durham, NH 03824 or sent by electronic mail to mailto:jberry@ci.durham.nh.us.

View the proposed ordinance HERE.

PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED ON PROPOSED CONCEPT TO INITIATE A PAY AS YOU THROW PROGRAM WITHIN THE TOWN OF DURHAM - Please note, this is the START of a broader Council discussion on PAYT, not the endpoint, and the board hopes to hear from you to help guide decision making and next steps, if any/as appropriate.

At its meeting on Monday, November 4, 2019, the Town Council will hold a Public Hearing on a proposed concept to initiate a Pay As You Throw (PAYT) program within the Town of Durham. PAYT is a usage-pricing model for disposing of municipal solid waste. Users are charged a rate based on how much waste they present for collection to the municipality or local authority.

Members of Durham’s Integrated Waste Management Advisory Committee have held three public informational meetings to educate residents on Durham’s solid waste program, how and why the town recycles, and how the town might manage its landfill waste and recyclables, with PAYT and composting as the primary focus.

Town Council meetings are open to the public and interested individuals are encouraged to attend and express their views and offer comments with respect to this matter. Written comments may be mailed to the Administrator’s Office at 8 Newmarket Road, Durham, NH 03824. Electronic mail may be sent to the Durham Town Council at mailto:council@ci.durham.nh.us.

Monday's meeting will begin with an education session on the general topic of PAYT and the hard work members of Durham's Integrated Waste Management Advisory Committee have put into evaluating how to deal with trash, recyclables, compost, etc.

TOWN COUNCIL STATEMENT SUBMITTED TO NH FISH & GAME - Three Proposed Marine Aquaculture License Applications

At the Town Council meeting on Monday, October 21, 2019, the Town Council approved/endorsed a letter that has now been submitted to the New Hampshire Fish & Game for consideration prior to its continued public comment period on November 2, 2019 relative to three Marine Aquaculture License applications to be placed at the mouth of the Oyster River located off of Wagon Hill Farm.

View the letter sent to the NH F&G HERE.

MILL POND DAM FEASIBILITY STUDY - A process to gather information begins.

The Town’s consultant Vanasse Hugh Brustlin (VHB) and their subconsultant Independent Archaeological Consulting, LLC, are planning to begin work on the Mill Pond Dam Feasibility Study next week, Monday November 4th, with an initial (Phase 1A) walkover archeological survey. 

Additional field survey and geotechnical work will take place in November and December and more information will be shared in future Friday Updates. VHB and their subconsultants will carry identification and a Town Letter with them, authorizing them to perform these tasks on behalf of the Town of Durham. 

Any questions should be directed to Town Engineer, April Talon at 603-868-5578 or mailto:atalon@ci.durham.nh.us 

Aerial orthoimagery captured as part of the Tax Parcel Mapping Project funded in 2019-2028 CIP. 

ADMINISTRATOR’S PROPOSED FY 2020 OPERATIONAL AND CAPITAL BUDGETS MOVE FORWARD FOR COUNCIL REVIEW AND DISCUSSION

On Thursday, Administrator Selig’s proposed 2020 Budget, which includes the General Fund, Water Fund, Sewer Fund, Library Fund, Parking Fund, Depot Road Lot Fund, Churchill Rink Fund, and Downtown TIF Fund budgets, as well as the Administrator’s proposed 2020-2029 Capital Improvement Plan incorporating the FY 2020 Capital Fund budget utilizing a ten-year time horizon, were delivered to the Town Hall for members of the Council to pick up. The proposed budget allocates limited resources and supports funding for targeted initiatives consistent with Town Council goals, to the extent the Administrator has been able to responsibly do so while still meeting the budgetary needs of departments in order to safely and reliably meet the basic needs of the Durham community based on historical levels of service delivery. It is generally intended to be a steady state budget to ensure our operations remain ready to accomplish needed tasks as efficiently and effectively as possible for a community of our size and demographics, and taking into consideration the reality that Durham hosts UNH, the State of New Hampshire’s flagship public university. 

The development of the proposed budget was part and parcel of a rigorous, yet inclusive process. The Business Manager and Mr. Selig evaluated (and modified as necessary on multiple occasions) each budgetary line item utilized by the municipality in an effort to assure themselves, and thereby the Council and the community, that requests are justified and reflect meaningful efforts on the part of our boards, committees, commissions, trustees, and departments, as well as our various external partners, to accomplish the broader goals and objectives articulated by the Town Council and the community as a whole.  

General Fund revenues are down by about $66,000 from what was projected for 2019, representing an impact to revenue for 2020. Costs for managing our parking program and credit card fee processing for the downtown parking kiosks are up yet we have increased parking fees in attempt to offset this trend. Revenue projections continue to include an annual $140,000.00 payment from UNH to compensate the community for the University’s financial impact upon the Town in the area of policing services, plus certain actual roadway costs associated with the upkeep and maintenance/resurfacing of Main Street running through the UNH campus between Pettee Brook Lane and the Rt. 155A intersection (approx. $50,000/yr.). UNH also supports 50% of the Fire Department operational and capital budgets, 2/3 of the cost of joint water and wastewater capital projects, and a pro rata (rolling 36 mo. average) share of the shared water and wastewater operating budgets for Durham and UNH (currently at 59.3% UNH and 40.7% Durham for Water; and 58% UNH and 42% Durham for Wastewater). These and other revenue numbers are generally enhanced by a projected $374,000 per year in new monies from our PILOT with Riverwoods Durham ($550,000 payment minus Riverwoods Durham’s bond payment for water/wastewater utility extensions est. at $176,000), which began in 2019. The Riverwoods PILOT payments to Durham will increase annually over the next several years.

Budgetary projections take into account revenue, limited growth in the tax base, setting Overlay at $125,000 to address potential abatement requests, no projected use of fund balance, and recommended expenditures. Proposed expenditures for 2020 are up by $514,200 over 2019, even given the fact that numerous items have been cut that Mr. Selig believed should have ideally been included for funding in 2020. (Note, for comparative purposes, the proposed budget for 2019 included an expenditure increase of $505,830.) Mr. Selig believes cutting more would result in ill-advised impacts to our operations. Due to these various factors, he did not believe it possible to responsibly bring the Council a proposed budget holding the local municipal rate constant for 2020, while also meeting other Council goals and his responsibility under the Charter to ensure the departments (and the Town) are prudently operated. 

This year’s budget cycle has resulted in a proposed 2020 General Fund budget totaling $16,635,510 -- a spending increase of $514,200 or 3.2% compared to FY 2019. Increases are due to required wages and benefits as a result of collective bargaining contracts, a 2% COLA for non-union personnel, insurance increases, debt service costs, and other miscellaneous requests that will be discussed as part of the upcoming process. Non-property tax revenues are expected to decrease in FY 2020 by approx. $66,000 or .09% to $7,159,875.  

In total, this year’s budgetary proposal is projected to increase the 2020 local municipal portion of the tax rate by 4.19% from $ 7.60 to $7.92, an increase of 32 cents. The tax rate had remained at $7.37 (formerly $8.48 but adjusted due to 2018 statistical revaluation update) for 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. The proposed increase would cost the average Durham property taxpayer with a home valued at $350,000 an additional $112.00 in taxes for 2020. 

The proposed Sewer (Wastewater) Fund budget reflects a 2.92% increase in user fees in 2020 (a rate of $8.97 per hundred cubic feet), while the proposed Water Fund budget carries an anticipated 3.8% increase in user fees (a rate of $7.35 per hundred cubic feet) for FY 2020.  

A public hearing on the proposed budget has been set by the Council for November 18th as part of the regular Town Council meeting. 

View the proposed FY 2020 budget on line HERE

View the proposed FY 2020-2029 Capital Improvement Plan HERE.

REVISED MILL PLAZA PLAN RETURNS TO PLANNING BOARD

A revised plan for Mill Plaza will be presented to the Planning Board with a public hearing on November 13. The plan shows a reconfiguration of the buildings, parking and circulation and reduces the number of residential beds to 258 from the previously proposed 330. The applicant states in their cover letter:  “In coordination with the existing supermarket tenant, Hannaford, and the direct easterly abutter, Toomerfs, LLC, Colonial Durham Associates, LP (CDA) is preparing to move forward with its tabled planning application for redevelopment of the Mill Plaza. Please see the attached Conceptual Site Plan (‘Plan’). This Plan shows a surface parking area that would be constructed on the Toomerfs parcel and then long-leased to CDA. The surface parking area would provide a pedestrian connection to the Mill Plaza (not vehicular) and offer approximately 150+/- off-premises residential parking spaces to the Mill Plaza’s apartment residents.” You can see the revised plan and cover letter HERE. Comments can be sent to mailto:kedwards@ci.durham.nh.us.

A preliminary application from Toomerfs LLC for a parking lot will also be presented to the board on November 13 with a public hearing likely to be set for December 11. Toomerfs c/o Pete Murphy is in discussions with Colonial Durham Associates about possible use of the proposed lot for Mill Plaza, but this is a separate application from that of Mill Plaza. The parking lot would be located behind Red Tower with the access taken from Main Street on Church Hill. You can see the documents related to the project HERE. Comments can be sent to mailto:mbehrendt@ci.durham.nh.us

SALUTE TO SERVICE

Manchester VAMC will be supporting UNH Men’s Hockey and Service Credit Union in their Salute to Service - Sunday November 10th at 1pm in the Whittemore Center - with a Veterans Resource Fair. Free tickets are available for Veterans and those currently serving in the Armed Forces. To obtain tickets, please email Jonathan Millett at mailto:jmillett@servicecu.org. 

VA staff will be located at the lobby entrance to the arena and ready to assist Veterans with; Eligibility, Community Care, Transition Care, MyHealtheVet, Women Veterans Programs, and more.

Please bring a copy of your DD Form 214 Discharge Document and join us. 

For those arriving early, at 11:00am, please stop by our VetTalkX session to listen to Veteran’s stories of inspiration and success. Veterans from across the Granite State, our neighbors, will be sharing their story of homecoming and accomplishments following their service. This event will be hosted via Livestream on the Celebrate Durham’s Facebook page.

TOWN COUNCIL GOALS UPDATE AS OF OCTOBER 31, 2019

Each quarter, Mr. Selig prepares an update to keep the Council appraised of progress toward the established Town Council goals for the coming year(s). 

View the quarterly goals update as of October 31 HERE.

ANNUAL LEAF RAKING FUND-RAISER BY THE STUDENT ATHLETIC TRAINING ORGANIZATION AT UNH

AATO, the Student Athletic Training Organization at UNH, will be doing their annual Leaf Raking Fund-raiser on Saturday, November 2nd and Saturday, November 9th. Students from SATO will be raking yards throughout the day in exchange for donations to their organization.

Durham residents interested in having members of this organization rake their yards should contact Melanie Lamar at (603) 401-9873.

The farmhouse, ell, and new barn at Wagon Hill Farm. Courtesy Todd Selig

GIVE THANKS! - DBA kicks off Thanksgiving food drive.

The Durham Business Association will be hosting a Thanksgiving Food Drive from Sunday, November 2 through Friday, November 15. 

Please help us by donating non-perishable food items to help benefit those in need this holiday season.

All donations will go the UNH/Waysmeet Center Cornucopia Food Pantry 

and St. Thomas More Church.  

Drop Off Locations:

First Seacoast Bank, 7A Mill Road

Peoples United Bank, 70 Main Street

Service Credit Union, 155 Main Street (Wildcat Stadium)

Hannaford, Mill Plaza

Wireless Zone, 71 Calef Highway, Lee

Suggestions:

Applesauce, canned beans, canned fish, canned vegetables, canned yams, cooking oils, crackers, dried herbs and spices, fruit (canned or dried), granola bars, instant mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, nuts, pasta, pasta sauces, peanut butter, rice, soups and stews, cereal, pie crusts, canned pie fillings, chicken or turkey broth

For more information please contact the Durham Business Association at dmailto:urhambusinessassociation@gmail.com

BE A STEWARD OF DURHAM’S HISTORY - Seeking to fill vacancies on the HDC/Heritage Commission

Durham's Historic District/Heritage Commission currently has 2 three-year term openings.

Requirements:

• Must be a Durham resident.
• Demonstrate an interest and ability to understand, appreciate, and promote the purpose of the HDC/HC.

Questions concerning the Historic District/Heritage Commission may be directed to Michael Behrendt at 603-868-8064, or mailto:mbehrendt@ci.durham.nh.

Applications for board appointments are available on the home page of the Town’s web site, http://www.ci.durham.nh.us/ under "Helpful Resources" at the top of the page, then "Town Documents", "Forms & Applications", “Application for Appointment”.

Completed applications may be mailed to the Town Administrator’s office, or submitted via email to mailto:jberry@ci.durham.nh.us.

Local postal carrier, John Pacheco, and his fellow postal workers used the town's new posts with red flags that were installed at the first crosswalk on Newmarket Road by the Town Hall as inspiration for their Halloween costumes this year. Courtesy Todd Campbell

DURHAM ENERGY COMMITTEE ORMS NOVEMBER UPDATE ORMS--A Window to Our Future

In envisioning our new ”Net Zero” middle school, the towns of Durham, Lee and Madbury are taking a bold step toward life beyond fossil fuels.  In a society where our lives and our environment have been impacted (and in many cases defined) in every aspect by carbon, this is a monumentous endeavor.   

However, it’s just a taste of how the world as we know it will be evolving as a necessary response to reducing our carbon footprint.

At our last Durham Energy Committee meeting, Henry Herndon, the director of Local Energy Solutions (LES) spoke to the energy committee.  LES is a New Hampshire-based organization that provides collaborative guidance and technical support to Local Energy Committees, municipalities, schools, and other groups seeking to reduce energy use, fossil fuel consumption and energy costs.  In his presentation, Mr. Herndon spoke about the City of Concord’s recent efforts to develop and adopt a goal of 100 percent Renewable Energy use by 2050.  

The first thought that came to mind was “How on earth will Concord be able to totally convert their energy use profile to 100 percent renewables in thirty years?”.  Concord’s solution is to subdivide the conversion into three smaller workable chunks consisting of: electricity, thermal energy and transportation energy.  

The city’s renewable energy resolution reads in part, “It is the goal of the City of Concord that 100 percent of electricity consumed in the City will come from renewable energy sources by 2030, 100percent of thermal energy (heating and cooling) consumed in the City will come from renewable energy sources by 2050, and 100 percent of transportation used in the City will be clean transportation by 2050. This goal will apply to the entire Concord community, not just municipal government operations.”

Renewable electricity sources are already available; these fall under the category of  “low-hanging fruit,” which is why renewable electricity has a 2030 implementation goal, certainly achievable.  Achieving this goal will be the springboard to renewable thermal energy (a bit more complicated) and renewable transportation (requires substantial infrastructure over our transportation routes).  That’s a lot of work for the City of Concord to implement, but in Mr. Herndon’s view, very doable.   

The Town of Durham has been making our own important progress in this regard; in 2015 the Energy Committee added the chapter on energy to the town’s master plan., which establishes an energy-use blueprint “….to 2025 and beyond.”.

Just to put this all in perspective time-wise, 2025 is only five years away--and 2050 is only Thirty years away-- yikes!!!  We need to get going, if we want to be 100 percent renewable! 

 And so we are.  Our new middle school will be a physical, real-world culmination of the vision the town has embraced, and the direction our communities will embrace as worthy stewards of the earth.  This school will be an expression of environmental best practices and will be a darn good educational facility to boot-- one that we all can be proud of.  More importantly, it will be a prototype of the greater environmental stewardship efforts we need to undertake regionally and statewide.  Stay tuned!   

DURHAM POLICE COMMUNITY SURVEY IS HERE - Over 400 people have taken the survey so far and we want everyone to have a chance to respond.

Every three years the Durham Police conducts a community survey. This year for the first time the department is accomplishing the survey “online”! Chief Kurz would sincerely appreciate if you could take a few minutes to complete the online questionnaire (link provided below) about your perceptions of crime and policing in the Town of Durham.

Your input provides an updated understanding of the perceptions and wishes of the community and allows the Durham Police and Town to recognize if these attitudes are changing. The results are used to enhance policing services and to direct the department as they strive to provide the most responsive, cost-efficient and compassionate police services possible to the Durham community. The survey is completely confidential.

If you prefer to complete a paper copy of this survey, they are available at the Durham Town Hall, the Public Library and at the Durham Police Station.

Chief Kurz and his staff truly appreciate your taking time to provide your input. Please complete the survey by November 15, 2019. If you have any questions about the survey, please email Captain David Holmstock at mailto:dholmstock@ci.durham.nh.us or Officer Tom Kilroy at mailto:tkilroy@ci.durham.nh.us or feel free to call either at 603-868-2324.

Click HERE to participate in the survey.

DURHAM FIRE 3RD QUARTER STATISTICS

The Durham Fire Department Fire Prevention Bureau has compiled the Quarter 3 statistics for the period July 1 - September 30, 2019. The information below shows the 2019 Quarterly statistics for Rental Housing Inspections, Violations and Certificates Issued in Durham.

DURHAM IS WORKING TO BE RESILIENT IN THE FACE OF BOTH ENVIRONMENTAL AND POTENTIAL FUTURE ECONOMIC CHALLENGES

Efforts to build community resilience often focus on growing the capacity to bounce back from disruptions, like those caused by climate change. Over the summer, we devoted time and attention via the weekly “Friday Updates” to the numerous initiatives Durham has under way, many of which are in conjunction with UNH, to be resilient in the context of a changing climate. But climate change is not the only crisis communities potentially face. 

Robust community resilience must do more. It must engage and benefit the broadest swath of community members possible, and consider all the challenges the community faces—from rising sea level to a lack of workforce housing, from understanding potential future enrollment headwinds faced by our community’s largest employer (UNH) to taking steps needed to encourage the ongoing public and private investment needed to keep our downtown vibrant, varied, bicycle/pedestrian friendly ... and quintessentially Durham! We want to encourage the active use and sustainable management of open space, active recreational programming, local sustainable agriculture, a welcoming and engaged community, a green future … and at the center of it all in many respects lies the need for Durham to remain on a solid financial footing as we have for nearly 20 years now. 

The Great Recession occurred from approx. December 2007 to June 2009. June 2019 signals the 10 year anniversary, giving us a chance to look back in reflection. For local governments across the USA, the timeline of the downturn proved prolonged for employees and postponed for their governments. Employees first felt the impact at home – literally—as many experienced dramatic losses in home values and in personal investments. Then, over the next two years the plummeting of property values – in some instances as much as 70 percent nationally—translated into the loss of their employer’s primary source of revenue (property taxes) necessitating cuts and adjustments creating a double jeopardy of sorts. Private sector employees were hit even harder, many of whom lost jobs, were reduced in hours, lost benefits, lost equity in their homes, or worse. Remembering the Great Recession’s specific impacts to and responses by local government across the country can help us to better prepare Durham to ride out future downturns, just as we did twelve years ago.

Below are some “lessons learned” suggested in part by Cathy Swanson-Rivenbark, the former City Manager of Coral Gables, Florida, which she recently submitted for the June 2019 edition of City Manager (CM) Magazine published by the International City County Management Association (ICMA).

1. Practice Optimistic Realism. Prepare realistic, not optimistic, revenue and expenditure estimates. Durham attempts to painstakingly do so as part of each budget cycle Our FY 2020 budget development process kicks off in September.
2. Develop and implement a reserves policy and a responsible debt policy. Durham’s reserve policy establishes a "Minimum Target Unassigned Fund Balance” of at least 5% to 8% of the general fund’s annual budget, including Town, School and County appropriations. 2018 Total appropriations were $31,787,709. (5% = $1,589,385; 8% = $2,543,017) Our General Fund, Fund Balance as of 12/31/18 = $3,505,939 or 11%. In terms of debt, by state law communities must not incur net indebtedness exceeding 3% of their valuation. Durham’s debt limit is therefore $35,672,7767. Durham’s current outstanding General Fund debt is $11,090,568 or 31.1% of available debt capacity. So on both counts Durham is in very good shape.
3. Manage and prioritize. During great financial stress, staff reductions and hiring freezes are often instituted to reduce operating expenses. Durham runs on bare bones staffing at all times so residents/taxpayers should feel confident that there is not excess to cut, unless we stop undertaking specific services, which few residents tend to support – Durham residents continuously express interest in increased levels of service and possess very high service level aspirations. 
4. Closely monitor changes in the local, state, and national economies for potential revenue impact. By state law, Durham’s investments, managed by the elected Trustees of the Trust Funds and the Town Treasurer, with support from the Durham Business Office, are only in very clearly defined and collateralized investment vehicles, as dictated by NH law. Durham is NOT investing in Junk Bonds. If the economy crashes, our cash reserves and investments will be secure. 
5. Create a “Stop Doing” List. Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, challenges leaders to create a “Stop Doing list” rather than a “to do” list for themselves and their organizations. Local governments can easily succumb to mission creep or adopt heart-felt practices that detract from core services. This is often a challenge in Durham. Difficult financial times might actually give us permission to revisit and reset the work programs and priorities we undertake. What expenses do we incur that are "nice to haves" rather than "must haves"? The recent discussion concerning granite versus asphalt curbing on Faculty Road is an excellent example. 
6. Have an Employee Assistance Program in place to provide support Town staff. Our Town employees can’t help citizens if they are worried about providing for themselves and their families. Durham has a good EAP program in place.
7. Keep the Council and the community fully appraised of the Town’s economic position, challenges, opportunities. Durham has a strong history in doing just this -- what you are reading now is a case in point.
8. Maintain critical infrastructure. As tempting as it is to postpone maintenance when dollars are depleted, critical infrastructure must be maintained. In fact, a financial downturn is often the best time to make investments because labor costs are less expensive and often Federal grant programs can be leveraged for progressive communities like Durham. In fact, Durham was able to complete a wide array of capital public works projects during the Great Recession utilizing ARRA funding. We did so because we had already planned ahead and could be "Johnny on the spot" when the opportunities arose. We want to be in that position once again.

Here are some additional positives Durham has going for it...

• Employment – many are local – university – less chance of layoffs;
• High percentage of property taxes paid, even during the Great Recessio;. 
• Durham is constantly looking at ways to reduce costs and increase service – Kaizen!
• Our infrastructure is fairly stable and we have been consistently reinvesting;
• Because of its diverse economy, NH is typically impacted less during recessions versus the rest of the country. Assessed value of properties in NH tends to be less inflated than the rest of the country during economic upturns, and it falls less during economic downturns. The Seacoast is impacted less than NH. Durham was impacted less than much of the Seacoast. And the Seacoast is one of the strongest economic regions in the state at the present time -- and I predict into the future as well.

On the down side, we continue to see fairly little economic investment in Durham in terms of new development, which means there are not new tax dollars coming on line to offset public sector (town/school/county) costs. For example, we had estimated that our assessed valuation would increase by about $9 million in 2019. Assessor Jim Rice let me know the actual increase he has just calculated for tax rate setting purposes is only $6 million. The upshot moving forward is that we need more local investment through development to maintain or mitigate current tax rate levels in Durham. 

This item will be a topic of discussion at the September 9th Town Council meeting.

THIRD QUARTER POLICE RESPONSE TO RENTAL PROPERTIES DOWN BY 27% COMPARED TO 2018 AND DOWN 22%  COMPARED TO 2017

The overall third quarter data provided by the Durham Police Department for 2019 demonstrates a 27% decrease from 2018 statistics and a 22% decrease from those experienced in 2017.  Regarding the large student complexes off campus, new management at the Cottages has proven to be very effective with a significant decrease in calls for service of 75%. Orion experienced a 55% decrease while another major complex, the Lodges, experienced a 27% decrease in calls for service. 

Madbury Commons had no calls for service during this period!  These figures highlight the effectiveness of good management oversight on rental properties within Durham.  The police department’s ability to work collaboratively with the management teams ultimately creates an environment of a solid tax base for the community which is not placing a drain on the limited services of the public work force.    

To reiterate what constitutes a call for police response to a rental property for a “disturbance”, the disturbance may equate to a fight in progress, loud music, vandalism or other similar disruptive behavior that warrants police response.  In addition, while it is preferable that the responding officer/s identify specific apartments rather than simply a street address, it is not always possible due to the number of apartments that may be in the complex.  In addition, Durham police have encountered situations where more than one apartment unit is involved in the incident.   Further hindering the officers’ ability to be specific, the complainant (the person calling for service) may simply be unable to positively identify a single apartment as the problem property.

To review the full report, click HERE. 

RIVERWOODS DURHAM RESIDENTS TO VISIT DOWNTOWN DURHAM ON SATURDAY, NOV. 2 

While not yet moved in, an enthusiastic group of around 70 Riverwood’s residents will be coming to visit the downtown this Saturday, November 2.  They will also attend a UNH football game.  

In collaboration with the Town, UNH, the Durham Business Association and Celebrate Durham, the group will meet in the morning at the Durham Evangelical church for cider and donuts and then will be bussed downtown to spend a couple of hours exploring our shops and restaurants.  

After attending the football game the group will enjoy some refreshments and entertainment by The NH Gentlemen, a UNH acapella group, at the Three Chimney’s Inn.  

What a great way to kick off their move to a new community.

PUBLIC WORKS - PART-TIME MECHANIC POSITION WANTED

DPW is in seek of a part time mechanic to assist in performing equipment maintenance on the Town's fleet. Requires knowledge of regular fleet vehicles and heavy equipment repair, diagnosis of malfunctions utilizing test equipment and technical repair manuals. Employee will work 15-30 hours per week, flexible scheduling available. High School Diploma or G.E.D. and one year of formal training in fleet vehicles and heavy equipment repair. Certification to perform NH Safety Vehicle Inspections highly sought after. Hourly wage starting at $20/hour, higher possible depending on experience. Interested parties please send application/letter of interest/resume TO:

Michael Lynch, Director of Public Works

100 Stone Quarry Drive

Durham, NH  03824

Apple tree at Wagon Hill Farm. Courtesy Todd Selig

LAST WEEKEND’S HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION DAY AT TRANSFER STATION WENT SMOOTHLY

 At last weekend’s Household Hazardous Waste Day, we had…

• 68 Participants
• 87 initial Contacts
• 11 Cancellations
• 5 No Shows
• 3 No contacts following the initial

We do not have the invoice yet, but it is likely that collected will be within budget.  

MILL POND DAM FEASIBILTY COSULTANT TO MEET WITH HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION ON DEC. 5

VHB is working with the Town of Durham on the Mill Pond Dam Feasibility Study and plans to attend the December 5, 2019 HDC meeting to introduce the commission to the study project the process that the company is undertaking on behalf of the Town. VHB anticiaptes they will only need to take up about a half hour of the HDC’s time for this initial contact as part of the process.

THE SWAP SHOP IS AT THE RAYMOND LAROCHE, SR. TRANSFER STATION AND RECYCLING CENTER!

Volunteers have noticed a significant increase in the number of residents who visit the Swap Shop on Saturdays and Tuesdays. Please observe the hours to drop off items - 7:30 am-2:00 pm. Larger items should be dropped off in the morning to increase the chances of being taken. The Swap Shop has limited storage space.

Items being dropped off need to be in good working condition and clean (please check for mice nests!). Please speak to a volunteer when you have items you want to drop off.

Special thanks to some of the volunteers from the last couple of months; Eli, Dawn, Eileen, Joanna, Sally, Julie, Jane, Jerry, Daphne, Janet, Ro, Vinny, Bill, Cathy, Will, and Sally.

Swap Shop volunteers are appreciated! Why not become one? We need volunteers!

We have recently experienced difficulty filling both the morning and afternoon volunteering opportunities. There have been times when no volunteer has been available to help residents. This is not a good situation for the residents who want the Swap Shop to remain open to the community. Thank you for considering to at least give it a try!

It’s an easy commitment of 3 hours - as often as you want. Signing-up is easy!

Click HERE to sign-up to learn about volunteering! It’s neighborly, fun, and rewarding! Look for the “Shadow-New volunteers” option.

You can also call or text 603-969-4732 or mailto:foggdrive@yahoo.com   

DURHAM TOWN OFFICES HOLIDAY CLOSING SCHEDULE

Below is the Holiday closing schedule for the Durham Town Offices for the remainder of 2019 and beginning of 2020.

Durham‘s new living shoreline at Wagon Hill Farm during this week’s King Tide. Courtesy Todd Selig

DURHAM STAFF AND TOWN ATTORNEY WORK TO PROVIDE LIST OF CHARTER UPDATE RECOMMENDATIONS TO TOWN COUNCIL

As part of the approved Town Council goals for 2019-2020, the Council included:  

“Staff and Legal Counsel conduct a review of the Town Charter and bring forward recommendations, as needed, for alignment with current state laws and adjustments to address identified deficiencies over time and recommendations relative to borrowing threshold limitations to account for inflation over the last 30-year timeframe.”

Some examples of topics being included in the recommended update are: adding the ability to include alternates on several boards (HDC, Trustees of Trust Funds, and Parks & Recreation ), increasing the $1 million bond threshold triggering the need for a referendum vote to reflect the rate of inflation since the Charter was adopted in the late-1980’s, conflict of interest, institutionalizing the current procedure for determining the order of names on the local election ballot via drawing names from a hat, annual board/committee presentations to the Council, requirement for annual meeting between Administrator and board chairpersons, etc.  

We hope to provide an initial presentation to the Council in the coming weeks.  

FALL LEAF AND BRUSH CURBSIDE COLLECTION BEGINS ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4TH

All items must be out by 7am! During Fall Cleanup, Public Works picks up brush (natural material from trees) first followed by the collection of leaves. Fall Cleanup is separate from your regular curbside collection!

Leaves should be placed in paper leaf bags (remember, plastic bags are not recyclable and will not be picked up). Paper bags may be purchased at Aubuchon Hardware and stores such as Lowe's or Home Depot. Loose leaves will not be accepted but may be brought to the Transfer Station & Recycling Center on Durham Point Road.

• Brush should be placed in one direction, bundled and tied with string (no wire please).
• Brush and limbs must be no greater than 5 feet in length and 5 inches in diameter. 
• No stumps will be accepted.
• The amount of brush and limbs is limited to ONE TRUCKLOAD PER HOUSEHOLD.
• Cutting off small limbs from branches will help maximize each load.

Remember, backyard composting of your leaves and brush reduces the flow of waste, while at the same time, produces valuable organic matter for the soil. It improves your soil and the plants growing in it.

WINTER PARKING BAN

The Durham Winter Parking ban commences Friday November 1st and will be in effect through April 1, 2020. As many know, parking on Main Street, Jenkins Court and any Town owned parking lot is prohibited between 1:00AM and 6:00AM throughout the year. But the Winter Parking ban prohibits parking ON ANY STREET from November 1st to April 1st between 1:00AM and 6:00AM. As the ordinance states,

“Any vehicle so parked during the prohibited hours and dates shall be subject to being towed away at the owner’s risk. The owner or owners shall be required to pay all towing costs and a fine before the vehicle is released.”  

For the first few weeks, the Durham Police will endeavor to issue warnings designed to remind everyone of the Winter ban but were a surprise snowstorm to occur during this period, there should be an awareness that vehicles may be towed to allow for Durham Public Works to more effectively plow the streets and roadways of Durham.  

VOLUNTEER WORK DAY AT OYSTER RIVER FOREST: SATURDAY, NOV. 2ND

We have a change in plans for our work day this Saturday, November 2nd from 9-12:00.

The work day is still on, but we are shifting to a different project on a different property. Given the recent rains and the predicted rain this week, the Oyster River Trail project will be too wet. To get the material to the site we would create a bigger muddy mess…defeating the purpose of the work day!

However, we have another great project and still need your help.

The Town recently acquired the 25-acre Orchard Drive Woods. This property is reached from the cul-de-sac at the end of Orchard Drive (from Mill Road take Foss Farm Rd to Orchard Drive to its end. We will meet there at 9:00 am.

Our goal is to brush out a brand new pedestrian-mountain biking trail that will lead from the trallhead at the cul-de-sac through the Orchard Drive Woods property and connect to trails on UNH's East Foss Farm. Eventually the trail network will lead through NH Fish and Game land and out to Bennett Road.

If you can join us….please sign up HERE. We will have all the tools, including gloves, snacks, and water. Meet at the parking lot at the corner of Mill Road and Packers Falls Road. We will carpool as close to the trail site as possible.

For more information contact Ellen Snyder, Durham Land Stewardship Coordinator, mailto:ellensnyder1@gmail.com

Councilor caped crusader Carden Welsh.

TOWN OF DURHAM FACEBOOK AND TWITTER ACCOUNTS

Did you know that the Town has a Facebook & Twitter account and frequently posts Durham & UNH news, happenings, and articles of interest in our area and the seacoast?

Like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.

BUYING SHOES AND PURCHASING PATRIOTISM: THE POLITICIZATION OF FOOTWEAR, 1760s-1770s

UNH History Professor Kimberly Alexander will take us from the ground up, in her presentation “Buying Shoes and Purchasing Patriotism: The Politicization of Footwear, 1760s-1770s” on Sunday, Nov 3, 2019, 1PM, Council Chambers, Durham Town Hall, 8 Newmarket Road. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Light refreshments will be served. November 3rd is the first day after Daylight Savings Time, so please remember to set your clocks back or you will arrive an hour early!

Durham Parks and Recreation, its Director and Committee, strive to offer a wide range of quality programs, parks, and facilities that encourage all community members to participate in healthy, fun, and enriching activities. Together, they celebrate the essential role public recreation plays in fostering a cohesive and vibrant community.

UNH President James Dean

DURHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY UPCOMING EVENTS

Monday, November 4th at 5:30 pm Local Author Talk with UNH President, James W. Dean. The Insider's Guide to Working with Universities...

Join DPL to welcome author and UNH President, James W. Dean to DPL on Mon., Nov. 4th at 5:30 pm to speak about his recently-published The Insider's Guide to Working with Universities: Practical Insights for Board Members, Business people, Entrepreneurs, Philanthropists, Alumni, Parents, and Administrators. 

Books will not be sold at this event. Please purchase copies from the UNH Bookstore. All are welcome. No registration required. 

Tuesday, November 5th at 7:00 pm Mindful Meditation with Jiong Jiong Hu  - This Month: Facing Pain and Loss

Join DPL to welcome back Jiong Jiong Hu to this month's Mindful Meditation workshop. Each of these sessions invites you to tune inward, explore the power of self-care and healing through gentle inquiry, mindful brathing and reflection. This opportunity provides time and space for you to learn tools to calm and balance your body and mind in the midst of life's challenges

Saturday November 20th,10:30 am - 1:30 pm 

STEAM Saturday: Free Standing Fall tree

Drop-in project for all ages.

WEEKLY ARREST REPORT

*Academic year commences the third week of August through graduation at UNH in May.

HISTORY IN AN OYSTERSHELL - A Brief History of Durham, NH 1600 - 1976 (A little volume that was the Heritage Project of the Durham Historic Association Bicentennial celebration)

Preface - "Since before God made the first little green apples, oysters have probably been growin in the Oyster River; and some of the largest and juiciest to be found anywhere in the world are still growing here today. The following vignettes from rollicking history of Durham town on the Oyster River are therefore presented between the shells of an oyster."

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1940 - The last of the one-room schools at Packers Falls was closed in 1915 and the Point School in 1921. The Schoolhouse Lane School in the village was built in 1890 with 2 rooms, with tower and bell. Enlarged to 4-room in 1917. The tower was removed.

Durham resident Michael Drooker submitted this photograph as part of the 2019 King Tide Photo Contest. A King Tide gives us the opportunity to view the likely future impacts of sea level rise upon the human world resulting from climate change.

Have a very nice weekend.

... And if you find the weekly "Friday Updates" of interest, please pass along to a friend/neighbor and encourage them to subscribe. While the weekly publication is long (sorry!), the reality is that there is a LOT happening in this wonderful community and we work hard to let people know about it so they can become involved. Currently we have around 3,300 active subscribers plus those who view them on line and via social media. It also doubles as an integral part of our emergency broadcast system. In essence, the "Friday Updates" is Administrator Selig's weekly update to the Town Council that is also shared with the community. In Durham we try to be very open with what is going on so people can both understand issues and become involved if they choose to do so.

Todd

Todd I. Selig, Administrator

Town of Durham, NH

a: 8 Newmarket Rd., Durham, NH 03824 USA

t: 603.868.5571 | w: www.ci.durham.nh.us

He/him/his pronouns

Everyone can tackle climate change. How can you reduce your carbon footprint?

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