Friday Updates - November 8, 2024

Friday, November 8, 2024

Jack-o'-lantern on the way to the mulch pile. Courtesy,Todd Selig

A reminder that the Town Hall and Library will be closed Monday, November 11, in observance of Veterans Day. The holiday honors those who have served in the U.S. Military. It is linked to the end of World War I but wasn't officially called Veterans Day until 1954. The Town would like to thank all veterans among us for their service.

There will be NO changes to the refuse and recycling collection schedule on Monday, November 11, 2024. The Raymond A. LaRoche Sr., Transfer Station and Recycling Center will remain open on Tuesday, November 12 and Saturday, November 16, 2024.

The annual curbside Fall leaf and brush collection begins on Tuesday, November 12 at 7:00 am. During this curbside collection program, Durham Public Works crews collect brush (natural material from trees) first followed by the collection of leaves. It is important to note that this program runs independently from the regular curbside solid waste and recycling collection. For more information, please click HERE.

A THANK YOU TO ALL STAFF, VOLUNTEERS, AND ELECTED LOCAL OFFICIALS WHO HELPED WITH ELECTION DAY ACTIVITIES ON TUESDAY!

The Town of Durham would like to recognize the tremendous contribution of our election volunteers that made sure the election on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, was a safe and secure voting experience for all Durham residents. Many election volunteers worked double-shifts or multiple jobs, and several volunteers and employees stayed later than they anticipated. 

We are grateful for the hard work and dedication of our Durham Police Department, Public Works Department, and Oyster River High School staff that stayed until the early hours of the morning to close down the polling location. A delay in the election process was caused by a petition submitted by 10 registered Durham voters that requested the town postpone the counting of absentee ballots until after the polls closed at 7pm. 

The town is grateful to all the election volunteers that answered the call and brought in reinforcements to make sure we could complete the election process in a timely and safe manner. On behalf of the Town Clerk’s Office, Town Moderator, and Supervisor of the Checklist, please accept our deepest gratitude and thanks! 

The process of counting absentee ballots in Durham began after 8 p.m. Tuesday after being delayed by a citizens’ petition (To download a copy of the petition, click HERE.)

As reported in Seacoast Online, the citizen protest petition was submitted and certified by the Town Clerk Tuesday before 8 a.m. Michael Garrity, spokesperson for the Attorney General's office, said, "Durham will wait to process its absentee ballots until the polls close and they have taken steps to make sure they can process as quickly as possible once the polls do close."

Brenda Towne, a representative of the group that filed the absentee ballot protest petition, presented Durham election Moderator Regan with the citizen group’s submission- a single document showing the names of 1,060 Durham voters who cast absentee ballots the group was disputing.

It had been the intent of the poll challengers to contest each absentee ballot cast individually on the grounds that they believed the absentee ballot process in NH is inconsistent with the constitution. Durham and Londonderry were the two NH communities where the group chose to challenge absentee ballots cast as part of their effort to gain standing to bring their assertions to court.  

Moderator Regan swiftly rejected it. Towne, an East Wakefield resident, indicated the group was using the petition as a way to raise awareness of a lack of voter identification needed to submit an absentee ballot in New Hampshire. “We have an entirely different category of voters who are being treated entirely differently,” she said. “We’re not trying to disenfranchise or take anyone’s vote away.”

Brendan O’Donnell, head of the New Hampshire attorney general office’s Election Law Unit, addressed the situation in a message shared with town officials Tuesday. He stated the moderator can rule if the challenge was 'well-grounded."

Admin. Todd Selig noted the citizens’ petition was a first-of-its-kind appeal for Durham. Poll workers and town staff are typically wrapped up around 11 p.m. on days of primary and general elections. The remainder of the night proceeded without any hiccups, with poll workers verifying absentee ballots before submitting them all into the ballot counting machines in the Oyster River High School gymnasium. 

At night’s end, 8486 ballots were cast in Durham, about 1,000 less than the 2016 election but approximately 1,000 more than in 2020, according to Selig. The college town additionally saw 2,463 same-day registrations filed Tuesday, over 1,300 less than in 2020. 

Because of the delay, the last of Durham’s election workers/volunteers left ORHS to head home just after 2 AM.  

Per the requirements of the Durham Town Charter, Administrator Selig has presented the Council with a proposed 2025 budget, which includes the General Fund, Water Fund, Sewer (Wastewater) Fund, Library Fund, Parking Fund, Depot Road Lot Fund, Churchill Rink Fund, and Downtown TIF Fund budgets, as well as the Administrator’s proposed 2025-2034 Capital Improvement Plan incorporating the FY 2025 Capital Fund budget utilizing a ten-year time horizon.  There will be a public hearing on the 2025 budgets at the November 18, 2024 Town Council meeting.

Due to wage pressures driven by the post-pandemic environment, a high rate of inflation over the last three years, increasing healthcare and energy costs, and low growth in the tax base, this is intended to be a steady state budget to ensure Town operations stand ready to accomplish needed tasks as efficiently and effectively as possible for a community of our size, complexity, and demographics, taking into consideration the reality that Durham is host to UNH, the State of New Hampshire’s flagship public university.  

With few to no new assessed value beyond home improvements and superficial commercial updates taking place at present, we’re projecting an increase in the overall assessed valuation in 2025 of just 1% or $18,788,106. Last year as part of the FY 2024 budget development process, we had projected a valuation of $1,876,630,401 but the actual valuation came in $10,505,433 less at $1,866,124,968, so we begin the FY 2025 budget process with approximately $10.5 million less in overall assessed valuation than anticipated a year ago for tax rate setting purposes. As such, Mr. Selig notes for the record once again that without meaningful future tax base growth generated from new development and construction, significant TBD new efficiencies across operations, or a dramatic increase in non-property tax revenues, it will be increasingly difficult to hold the Durham tax rate in line with the rate of inflation without cutting services.  

Projected non-tax General Fund revenues are up by $2,508,630 for 2025. Revenues include a one-time transfer of $2,173,425 from unassigned fund balance to fully fund the cost of Option 2 improvements at the historic Wagon Hill Farm Bickford-Chesley House ($1,173,425) and $1 million toward Madbury Road Phase 3 improvements scheduled for FY 2025.  

A $135,000 transfer to the General Fund from the Municipal Transportation Fund will cover the cost of $40,000 in sidewalk improvements, $60,000 for 2 x 4-handled EV chargers, $30,000 for a RRFB crosswalk signalization on Mill Road at Hetzel Hall/The Works, and $5,000 to help support the UNH Cat Trax Program in 2025.

Revenues from the Parks & Recreation Department are estimated at $292,000, up by $82,000 over last year. This includes $130,000 from Youth School Year Programs, $28,000 for Adult Programs, $5,000 from Community Programs/Events, $110,000 from Summer Camps, and $5,000 for Miscellaneous P&R.  

Revenue projections continue to include an annual approx. $150,000 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. 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 water and wastewater operating budgets for Durham and UNH, as outlined below:

A primary driver within Durham’s municipal operation are personnel-related costs, which account for 61.6% of total spending as part of the proposed 2025 budget. 

Fiscal Year 2025 Budgetary Proposal

This year’s budget cycle has resulted in a proposed 2025 General Fund budget totaling $22,679,171 -- a spending increase of $3,364,156.  Adjusting for the direct unassigned fund balance transfer of $2,173,425 mentioned above, this equates to an actual 6.16% increase in spending over FY 2024.  Increases are due to required wages and benefits as a result of employee collective bargaining agreements including the recently ratified police contract on 10/21/24 carrying a market-driven 6% COLA wage adjustment, market-driven mid-contract wage adjustments for firefighters to stem staff melt, a 3% COLA for non-union personnel, a 12.5% health insurance increase, energy/fuel cost increases, increases in various supplies, materials, and construction services, and other miscellaneous requests that will be discussed as part of the upcoming budget process.  

The twelve-month year-over-year, September to September change in Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) data follows for informational purposes:  

                                                                               2022   2023   2024

CPI-U Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH          8.2%   2.6%   3.4%

In total, this year’s budgetary proposal is projected to increase the 2025 local municipal portion of the tax rate by 45 cents to $6.20 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation, an increase of 7.71%. The 2023 and 2024 tax rate was held level at $5.75 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation. The tax rate remained at $7.37 (formerly $8.48 but adjusted due to 2018 statistical revaluation update) for 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. The proposed budget would cost the average Durham property taxpayer with a home valued at $500,000 an additional $225.00 in taxes for 2025 on the municipal portion of the tax rate.  

The proposed Water Fund budget carries an anticipated 2.9% increase in user fees (a rate of $10.92 per hundred cubic feet) for FY 2025.  

The proposed Sewer (Wastewater) Fund budget reflects a 3.4% increase in user fees in FY 2025 (a rate of $10.66 per hundred cubic feet).  

Some budget highlights include the following:

1. Bickford-Chesley House at Wagon Hill Farm. Funding is included for FY 2025 utilizing $1,173,425 from unassigned fund balance, which when combined with approximately $706,000 in funding already on hand comprised of existing capital funds (~$400,000), LCHIP Grant ($286,600) and Moose plate Grant ($20,000), will total $1,849,416.77 to support completing Options 1 and 2 at Wagon Hill Farm’s Bickford-Chesley House. This carries the scope laid out by the LCHIP documents plus additional scope needed to occupy the first floor and ell. It includes Exterior window replacement, handicap ramp, two ell bathrooms, complete sprinkler system, life safety electrical, rough wiring and plumbing of the second floor, rehabilitation of the basement and first floor, dehumidification and sump pump for the basement, front porch and exterior trim and siding repairs, exterior painting, new ell door, exterior grading and masonry repairs. Option 2 components include the scope outlined above plus all four of the ell bathrooms, full sprinkler system with life safety lighting and fire alarm, finishing the rehabilitation of the 2nd floor caretaker’s quarters, handicap ramp, insulation, and heating of the ell bathrooms, HVAC for the historic 1st and 2nd floors, historic window replacements, life safety and egress required for 3 -Season use of the unconditioned barn.
2. The Health Agencies and Hospitals budget will increase by $1,875 in 2025 to support the integration of Twenty-One Senses programming into various Town-sponsored activities, ensuring a peaceful refuge is available for individuals who may struggle with sensory challenges. The Town has generally adopted a policy of not accepting new requests for donation and holding existing contributions more or less at the status quo, yet the Human Rights Commission believes this to be an appropriate addition and I concur. Total budget for this functional area is $13,925.
3. The Direct Assistance/Welfare budget has been increased by $10,000 to a total of $50,000 to address increased caseloads supported by the Town’s general assistance policies that are based upon documented need.
4. The Library budget increase is approx. 1% over 2024 and represents a steady-state allocation.
5. The Assessing budget includes a one-time allocation of $37,000 to undertake a statistical update of all properties in 2025. Since the full revaluation two years ago, values in Durham have continued to increase at a high rate. The statistical update will capture those values and ensure fairness across assessments utilized. We estimate values in Durham will increase by another 5% - 6% as a result of the revaluation. It has not been our practice, however, to integrate this new value into tax rate projections.  
6. The Code Enforcement officer is budgeted full time for 6-mos. and part-time officer for 6 mos., taking into account the planned retirement of our current Code Officer in 2025, that individual’s interest in continuing on part-time in Durham, and reduced workload within the department due to a current slowdown in new construction.  
7. General Government Property/Liability Insurance costs are up $19,000.
8. Police Training is up by $8,000 and Police Accreditation costs are up $15,000 as 2025 is a full accreditation year for the department. One replacement hybrid Police Vehicle at $71,000 is included while a second cruiser request was cut.  
9. Fire Department Building Rent is up $33,000 to secure an additional 2,000 sq. ft. of space, Fire IT Hardware costs are up $20,000, Fire Uniform costs are up $15,000, Fire Equipment Maintenance is up $9,000, Fire Dispatch-LMR costs are up $9,400.  
10. Land and Mobile Radio Maintenance Contract costs are up between Police and Fire at $20,000.
11. Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB) Crosswalk Signalization for Mill Road at Hetzel/The Works is included at $30,000.
12. Two 4-handled EV charging stations are included at $60,000, with funding as described above. We are hopeful grant funding will be secured to offset 80% of the cost but will proceed with installation regardless.
13. Continued support of UNH Cat Trax bikeshare program is included at $5,000, with funding as described above.
14. The Information Technology/MIS budget includes an allocation of $45,000 to support updating our municipal web site in 2025 due to technology changes that will no longer support the services we traditionally provide, $20,000 for public-facing Wi-Fi improvements at Town Hall, and $29,500 for general computer equip. replacement per normal multi-year cycle.  
15. $20,500 is included to purchase a modest inventory of LED cobra head street lights to enable DPW to continue to replace units as they fail over time. DPW’s reserve is depleted and it is increasingly difficult to obtain such lights on demand.  
16. The DPW Road Resurfacing budget will be $482,800 for the reclamation of Constable Road, Falls Way, Ryan Way, and Orchard Drive paid for utilizing cash. These roadways are experiencing significant rutting, alligator cracking, and aggregate loss/heaving resulting in uneven surfaces and altered stormwater conveyance patterns. Additionally, funding is included for a mill and overlay on Garrison Avenue from Main St. to Dennison Rd.
17. A new Zamboni at the Churchill Rink Fund is budgeted at $120,000, with funding offset from the Rink Fund.  
18. The Fire Capital Reserve Fund will be charged $12,000 for a new thermal imaging camera, $95,000 to replace the Chief’s Chevrolet Tahoe, $45,000 for facility improvements, $52,000 for personal protective equipment, $48,000 for LMR emergency backup power, $30,000 to replace self-contained breathing apparatus, $80,000 to replace hydraulic rescue tools. In addition, $100,000 is allocated to refurbish the 2012 Marian Tanker (Tanker 4) per normal cycle.  
19. Phase 3 of the Madbury Road Complete Streets project is budgeted at $3,120,900, with $1,000,000 of the total being charged to unassigned fund balance. Phase 3 will include construction improvements between Garrison Ave. and Edgewood Rd. See the CIP description for details.  
20. See the accompanying CIP plan for 2025 Water Fund and Wastewater Fund improvements. 
21. More community members are using the Durham Public Library (DPL) as they navigate their post-pandemic work environments. Attendance is up as well for programs serving both children and adults. Use of technology and print and digital resources are steady. The budget is largely business as usual for 2025.  
22. Parks & Recreation (P&R) has been instrumental in the development of new community events and activities that bring people together downtown, on our trails, and to our various recreational facilities and park spaces. Summer camps and afterschool programs have been expanded to help meet the demand in registrations. Programs downtown support our local businesses by driving potential customers downtown. Contracted services are up $86,700, offset with anticipated revenue to be generated.
23. Approx. $18,000 in funding to continue to partner with the UNH Sustainability Fellowship Office to bring on a Graduate Student for the spring ($4,500)/summer ($9,000)/fall ($4,500) 2025 semesters to continue/drive forward our sustainability efforts in Durham in support of the Energy Committee and Council goals, as well as our commitment to the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate Action and Energy initiative.  
24. $3,500 is once again included to support the planting of 6-10 shade trees as part of our Tree City efforts. Durham is the longest running Tree City municipality in NH.
25. $32,000 once again included within the Conservation Commission budget to support the part-time/contract Land Stewardship Coordinator position.  
26. $40,000 is allocated for the rehabilitation and replacement of existing sidewalks including curb ramps as crucial components of the Town’s multi-modal transportation network. Targeted sidewalk sections include the reconstruction of 245 lineal feet of concrete sidewalks with deteriorating brick banding on Main St. from Smith Park Ln. to 21 Main St. The existing asphalt sidewalks will be replaced, granite curbing reset, and ADA compliant ramps installed.  
27. The budget does NOT include funding to support Option 3 improvements at Wagon Hill Farm’s Bickford-Chesley House -- the complete scope, full occupancy- for a total of $2,030,572, an additional $181,154 over Option 2. This additional scope would cover the complete building, from the LCHIP scope, the historic section occupancy, along with finishing of the barn as a vanilla box, and additional two ell bathrooms, full fire alarm, full sprinkler, rated separations between the storage underneath the barn and the main floor, insulation and HVAC for the barn, added egress, and foyers for the barn.
28. The budget does NOT include the purchase of a second police department hybrid cruiser as scheduled for 2025. The additional vehicle had a cost of $71,000.
29. The budget does NOT include funding for a part-time 16 hrs./wk. Economic Development Director position. This had been eliminated in 2022. We would utilize contracted service funds if bringing on board professional assistance was deemed beneficial in 2025 for specific initiatives.  
30. The budget does NOT include the full $100,000 annual contribution (funded 50/50) between Durham/UNH to replenish our Fire Equipment Capital Reserve Fund intended to cover the cost of expensive equipment items at the DFD in a predictable, sustainable manner over time to avoid peaks and valleys in our funding reserve. As a cost savings measure, only $50,000 was allocated.
31. The budget does NOT include an allocation of either $1,643,000 or $4,350,000 for a new municipal solar array at either the Town’s capped landfill (506,391 kWh) or at the Depot Road (955,770 kWh) parking lot. More analysis needs to be undertaken to better understand the pro’s and con’s of such concept plans, how power generated at these sites would be used, whether the development of such new sites is in Durham’s interest, and many other outstanding questions.  
32. The budget does NOT include (and has not for several years) monies to subsidize the cost of membership for Durham residents to obtain a pass for the UNH Outdoor Pool.  
33. The budget does NOT include the addition of four Fire Department lieutenant positions ($600,000) (one additional person per shift) or a deputy chief for training ($187,700) to foster additional collaboration with surrounding communities to build resilience in the emergency service response system. These five positions and the cost of equipping them represented the most significant increase in the Fire Department’s requested budget for 2025. If the Council was amenable to increasing the budget beyond what has been formally presented (which already exceeds the rate of inflation and Council goals), I would recommend the addition of four firefighter positions in FY 2025, beginning one each on March 1st, June 1st, Sept. 1st, and Dec. 1st.  
34. The budget does NOT include funds ($34,272) for a part-time CALEA Police Accreditation Manager. My hope is that the new police labor contract stems the loss of personnel to other departments, thereby allowing existing staff to continue to address this important task.
35. We plan to modestly reduce hours the Town Clerk/Tax Collector's Office is open to the public in 2025 to enable the dedicated staff there, who are stretched thin, to keep up with a heavy workload. A reduction in hours will enable us to avoid increasing spending within the department, which would otherwise be required to bring on additional staff.

Details associated with the budget can be found within this FY 2025 budget book, the 2025-2034 Capital Improvement Program document, or within a separate informational booklet being prepared by the Business Office that will offer some high-level analysis concerning the proposal for Town Council and community information.  Online links to each of these documents can be found below:

Proposed 2025 Operating Budget HERE.

Proposed 2025 Budget Information Booklet HERE.

Proposed 2025-2034 CIP HERE.

Please note once again that the various departments of the Town brought forward lean budgets this season.

Assistant Public Works Director Sam Hewitt reports that Durham Public Works and its contractor, Milestone Engineering and Construction, remain hard at work on restoring areas of the Town Clerk and Business Offices affected by water damage in early September. 

• Floor joist bay and HVAC insulation, ceiling tiles, fresh paint, and subfloor replacement were all completed this week.
• Vinyl tile and carpet installations are planned for Monday when the facility is closed to minimize disruptions to employees in the affected offices.
• Substantial completion is expected by the end of next week.

The constant pounding, sawing, sanding, and nail gun bursts, along with paint smell and fans running ensure the staff in the building experience the full effect of working around a construction zone. A thank you to staff and public alike for bearing with us as we work to repair the water damage.

UNH AND DURHAM TEAM UP TO PURSUE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION LOW-CARBON TRANSPORTATION MATERIALS GRANT TO SUPPORT CARBON EMISSION REDUCTIONS

Durham and UNH researchers from the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences are actively exploring an opportunity for the Town to serve as the lead applicant for a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Low-Carbon Transportation Materials (LCTM) Program grant, established under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which offers up to $800 million to support local municipalities and other non-DOT entities by funding projects using low-carbon construction materials. 

The town is in the process of shopping around with UNH to find some additional communities to potentially work with us on the grant opportunity. We’ve reached out to Portsmouth, Dover, Berlin, Manchester, Concord, Lebanon, Weare, Marlborough, Mont Vernon, Pembroke, Brookline, Lancaster, and Loudon. Ideally, some of these other communities will have eligible projects and be interested in participating. The hope is to include 5-10 other towns/cities as co-applicants to apply for this grant. 

This funding can cover 100% of incremental costs or offer a 2% incentive for using low-carbon materials in transportation construction projects. Moreover, it covers 100% capacity-building activities, including testing, QA/QC protocols, and reporting. 

The proposed project includes two main components:

1.  Building Capacity for LCTM Implementation: UNH/T2 would establish a systematic LCTM pipeline for all participating towns and cities. This would include LCTM identification, performing material testing, conducting life cycle assessments, and Environmental Product Declarations, establishing QA/QC protocols, and LCTM reporting. This would ensure all participating municipalities gain significant LCTM capacities without any additional burdens.
2. Using LCTM in Eligible Construction Projects: With this pipeline in place, Participating NH towns/cities would implement LCTM in a set of federally funded construction projects, including those under STIP and TIP. 100% incremental cost or 2% incentive would be covered by the grant.

If any of the identified communities are interested in partnering with Durham and UNH on this opportunity, our next immediate step would be to identify eligible federally funded construction projects in these jurisdictions between now and 2031. 

One easy way to identify these projects is through the TIP or STIP plans. For example, you can see the list of projects in the approved ten-year Transportation Improvement plan (TIP) HERE, and pinpoint potential federal funded projects from the list. 

l-r: Administrator Todd Selig, former NH Congressman and former US Ambassador Richard Swett, NH Secretary of State David M. Scanlan, Moderator Chris Regan and Town Clerk/Tax Collector Rachel Deane at the polls on election day. Courtesy, Secretary of State's Office

UPDATE FROM THE DURHAM HOUSING TASK FORCE

The Durham Housing Task Force has several items in the works related to housing in Durham:

1) Workforce Housing Overlay District. This workforce housing ordinance, first prepared by the task force and recently endorsed by the Planning Board after various modifications, is now before the Town Council for a public hearing on November 18. 

2) Downtown Housing Committee. The task force has created this committee to explore ways to expand housing in the downtown and core areas. A number of residents have stated in recent months (at public hearings for the overlay district and in our outreach efforts, below) that the best locations to add housing are in the core areas because that is where we already have infrastructure in place. Development in the core areas can more readily incorporate higher density and multifamily residential uses. In addition, increasing the population in the core areas will help to support downtown businesses. The committee will hold its first meeting soon. The meetings will be open to the public.

3) Housing Champions Program. The task force is looking at potentially applying next fall for designation under this program. The state legislature has set aside $5 million in grants for infrastructure and support for affordable housing projects that will go to communities who meet the criteria to be a housing champion. Durham would need to adopt several zoning amendments promoting affordable housing to qualify. The task force is investigating now whether it would be worth pursuing the designation.

4) Housing Outreach. The chair Sally Tobias and members of the task force have met with numerous Town boards and committees and will be scheduling more meetings in the community to talk about housing. The feedback will help to inform the task force about the kinds of zoning changes that might be appropriate for Durham.  The community is always sensitive to the need for balance. If we are to increase density then we need to carefully consider infrastructure capacity, effect on the Oyster River School District, environmental impacts, our carbon footprint, the ability for septic systems to handle development where Town sewer is not available, the attractiveness of projects, preserving Durham’s special character, maintaining our rural feel and pastoral views.

Here are examples of types of development that some residents said they might be receptive to in the right locations and with the right protections: a) more flexibility for accessory dwelling units (perhaps allowing a second unit on large lots); b) smaller lots and in-fill development within in-town neighborhoods (presently the minimum lot sizes are about ½ acre in the Residence A district and one acre in the Residence B district); c) small-scale development (what is called “missing middle housing”) including duplexes, triplexes, townhouses/rowhouses, and small courtyard apartment buildings; d) somewhat higher density in outlying areas provided the development is clustered and substantial open space is preserved (The minimum gross area per house lot is about 3-1/2 acres of land in the Rural district); e) pocket neighborhoods on one parcel with a dozen bungalow-type dwellings arranged around a central green; and f) accommodations to convert existing large single-family houses to limited multifamily uses.

DURHAM'S NO MORE THAN 3-UNRELATED ORDINANCE - Evaluating potential changes in approach to be part of next Planning Board agenda

On November 13th, the Planning Board may have some initial discussion about a prospective ordinance change in approach prepared by Administrator Selig with input from an ad hoc working group he assembled for advice including Code Officer Audrey Cline, Town Planner Michael Behrendt, Fire Marshall Brendan O’Sullivan, Fire Chief Dave Emanuel, Town Councilor Em Friedrichs, Town Councilor Heather Grant, Planning Board Member Paul Rasmussen, Rep. Al Howland, and resident Jay Gooze. 

This item represents a draft work in progress in response to evolving societal norms around the definition of family, the community’s desire to preserve and support more housing opportunities, the economic and social impacts of college student rental housing impacting traditional residential neighborhoods and local housing stock, and recent statewide legislative efforts aimed at expanding housing opportunities for NH’s workforce. 

Administrator Selig recommends the Planning Board take up the issue with due haste to work through the working draft as part of the public process.

It is anticipated that the NH Legislature will be taking up bills once again concerning housing as part of the upcoming legislative session in January and Administrator Selig believes it prudent for Durham to revisit and update it's approach to college student rental housing as necessary with the reality that if it does not do so in a manner that reflects modern perspectives, the NH legislature may devise a one size fits all approach for NH that is not in keeping with local realities, goals, or objectives of the Durham community.  

CONCERNS ABOUT DOWNTOWN DURHAM - Some perspectives from Admin. Selig for the community to consider

As part of this year’s goal setting process, the Town Council adopted several areas of focus, to include:

• Thoughtfully develop and adopt an ordinance that advances efforts to create increased availability of a full range of housing types by April 2025.
• Encourage downtown business development and growth of the tax base and housing opportunities within the commercial core through the application of smart growth principles focusing on planned economic and community development that attempts to curb urban sprawl in a sustainable manner, to include the future of 66 Main St. and the Town-owned Pettee Brook parking lots.

While efforts have been made by the Housing Task Force and Planning Board to address the first bullet, there remains more to do to ensure the availability of a full range of housing types in town. In particular, one part of the community that I perceive to be showing signs of stagnation, if not actual decline, is our downtown. Additional housing opportunities there potentially made possible by evaluating current height limitations, exploring allowable density, incentivizing infill, revisiting allowed uses, revisiting our RSA 79-E program, utilizing the downtown TIF as needed, addressing parking requirements for new development, promoting ADU’s, embracing purpose-built, professionally managed student housing within the downtown core and along Main Street (where the strength of the student housing dollar will likely be necessary to fund the actual cost of redevelopment) in order to take student housing pressure off of other areas in town where we hope to create more diverse non-student housing opportunities, and/or other TBD strategies might therefore be a considerable benefit for the community as a whole. 

While the Town has invested considerably in roadways, wide walkable downtown sidewalks, ornamental street lighting, manicured pocket parks, pedestrian/bicycle infrastructure and crossings, carefully managed parking strategies to ensure reasonable turnover time, attractive shade trees/benches, architectural guidelines, and more, ultimately the municipality itself can only do so much to develop/sustain the downtown core. In essence, Durham has provided the pallet upon which private investment and entrepreneurship downtown might flourish. Yet to flourish, local zoning needs to be in place that incentivizes property owners to invest in ways in which we hope the downtown will not only sustain itself, but ideally grow and prosper.

It's been my observation over time that the healthiest downtowns across the country rely upon a significant and diverse residential component in the upper floors of structures anchored by commercial/retail/restaurant/coffee shop establishments on the ground level. The residents above at sufficient scale help to support the viability of a project as a whole to include the businesses below, ensuring economies of scale and sufficient choices within the downtown core for it to become a draw for residents who live elsewhere, but who are attracted to the array of services and offerings within the downtown. 

Right now, we have an increasing number of vacant storefronts in Durham and overall traffic counts appear to have declined considerably since the pandemic. The UNH student population has declined and UNH faculty and staff no longer are present on campus five days per week. Many instead work remotely and visit campus only when they hold classes or office hours - significantly impacting the potential customer base for our downtown merchants. There unfortunately appear to be fewer offerings for the non-student consumer than there were just a few years ago. If the trend continues, I worry downtown Durham will become less and less vibrant for the community as a whole. That is not in the interest of residents, downtown businesses, or the University. It also works against the goal of expanding our downtown tax base with the idea of making Durham more affordable for local property owners. 

This past summer, I recommend that the Housing Task Force and Planning Board take time over the coming months to evaluate what might be done to bring additional housing to our commercial core, utilizing smart growth principles, to help downtown Durham increase in vibrancy and offerings to ensure its success today and into the future. I'm pleased to say that they are doing so. Interested residents and downtown businesses owners may therefore want to tune in and take note. A UNH Capstone class will also be working with Dir. of Planning Michael Behrent do survey business owners in the coming weeks. The first phase of our Madbury Road complete street improvements will soon be done and will represent a significant facelift for that portion of downtown.

Please note that this communication is sent with full appreciation for the hard work and dedication of both the Housing Task Force and the Planning Board. Members of both boards have been working to promote a thoughtful, yet challenging conversation around housing at the local level, particularly as the topic intersects with many other priorities that Durham historically has supported such as protecting open space, supporting local history, meeting sustainability and climate action goals, protecting agricultural lands, preserving our gateways, maintaining a quintessential New England college downtown, and more. 

With the zoning changes currently in play before the Town Council relating to the housing overlay district, I believe now is the time to begin to focus attention on the downtown core, how it will intersect and work in harmony with UNH's The Edge at West End, and more. Looking forward to the discussions ahead.

Town Planner, Michael Behrendt, was pleased to join ATO Fraternity for the ribbon cutting of their brand new building at 18 Garrison Avenue on October 18. It has been a long road for ATO since they vacated their old property at 66 Main Street years ago (now the location of the Town’s new parking lot and the Farmers Market). 

The Planning Board lauded the handsome architectural design, efficient site layout, and environmentally friendly permeable pavement used in the parking lot when the project was approved in 2020. Development was delayed due to significant increases in construction costs, but ATO ultimately worked through the challenges and the structure was built.

RPG owns and operates the facility for the ATO Delta Delta Chapter and the alumni and chapter members manage everyday ATO matters. Sarah Layton noted that RPG and the ATO Delta Delta chapter alumni and members have been working in unison for 10 years to turn this project into a reality.

On Saturday, November 16th at 2 p.m. in the Town Hall Council Chambers, the Durham Historic Association presents Dr. Steven C. Eames, retired professor of history, on the impact of war on both soldiers and civilians. His talk, “Rustic Warriors: Citizen Soldiers on the Northern Frontier,” will draw on the research for his most recent book, Rustic Warriors.

Taking issue with historians who have criticized provincial soldiers’ battlefield style, strategy, and conduct, Steven Eames demonstrates that what developed in early New England was, in fact, a unique way of war that selectively blended elements of European military strategy, frontier fighting, and Native American warfare.

This new form of warfare responded to and influenced the particular challenges, terrain, and demography of early New England. Throughout Rustic Warriors, he uses early New England culture as a staging ground from which to better understand the ways in which New Englanders waged war, as well as to provide a fuller picture of the differences between provincial, French, and Native American approaches to war.

No stranger to Durham, Dr. Eames participated as an expert consultant in the recent Town Round Table Discussions about the text for the 1694 Oyster River Massacre historical marker. His talk is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

The Durham Conservation Commission is hosting Dr. Ali Kosiba, forest ecologist and Extension Assistant Professor at the University of Vermont for an insightful presentation on forests and climate change.

Dr. Kosiba will explore how forests play a vital role in mitigating climate change by capturing and storing carbon—from the trees down to the soil. She’ll also discuss how climate change and other stressors impact these forests and the essential benefits they offer. Learn practical strategies we can use to support forests and help sustain their crucial ecological roles.

Event Details:

Date and Time: Wednesday November 20, 6:00 to 7:30 pm

Location: Durham Public Library, upstairs community room

Free and open to the public

Please note the event will not be broadcast live on DCAT but will be available for viewing after the presentation.

IMPORTANT NEWS FROM THE SWAP SHOP - No Halloween items wanted

The Swap Shop is:

●    not accepting Halloween items until October 2025. (We have no way to store them for a year.)

●    accepting Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Hanukkah items. (Please come see what we have.)

●    closing on Saturday, December 14th and no new items will be accepted after noon that day. (The arrival of the first major snowstorm will also close the Swap Shop for the winter.).

●    not accepting furniture or any bulky/large items after Tuesday, December 3rd. (All large items not taken by 12/14 will end up in the landfill or recycled if they are metal.)

The shelves are full at the Swap Shop! Get a jump on your Christmas shopping and shop here first! We have sleds, skates, toys, books, kitchenware, small appliances, hardware, puzzles, games, LPs, and MORE.

Last weekend's Clothing Swap was a success! Thank you to all who helped sort and organize clothes. Courtesy, Diane McCann

Did You Know?  Political Signs

Are you wondering what to do with your political yard signs?

REUSE

We are not aware of any outlet for recycling Coroplast (rigid plastic signs) in New Hampshire. The signs end up in the landfill or incinerator. Because recycling is not an option, please consider storing your political signs to use again in future years, when the same candidate(s) run again.

REPURPOSE

The Seacoast Beekeepers Association repurposes political signs by using them as windbreakers around beehives. These signs provide vital insulation, helping bee hives survive the harsh winter months. If you are interested in dropping off your political signs to help out, please email David Silva, owner of the Bearded Bee Farm at dsilvia@hamptonford.com.  

RECYCLE

Not all political signs are made of corrugated plastic, however. Signs made of stretchy plastic stretched over a metal frame CAN be recycled. The stretchy plastic should be removed and returned to a film or a bag recycling location along with your other stretchy plastic bags. The metal frame can be reused or recycled as scrap metal at the transfer station.

Source: Northeast Resource Recovery Association

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/

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

Bonus Did You Know?  Fall Decorations

Fall decorations like (unpainted) pumpkins, gourds and squash are often completely compostable and can be thrown in a backyard compost or brought to the transfer station compost for disposal. Not only do (unpainted) pumpkins, gourds and squash break down quickly, their larger size adds a tremendous amount of bulk material to a compost pile. In addition, they are an excellent source of nitrogen and add beneficial bacteria to the compost to help break it down fast.

Don’t let your compostable fall decorations end up in the landfill!

By some estimates, three-quarters or more of all compostable fall decorations end up in the garbage each year! This costs our town (and us) money in landfill tipping fees to dispose of the waste and leads to more methane gas emissions. 

Source: Oldworldgardenfarms.com

THE SWITCH IS ON: Visualizing Greenhouse Gases

The greenhouse gases that we produce by burning fossil fuels are warming our earth at an alarming rate. But we keep burning more. Why? 

One reason might be that unlike other forms of pollution, greenhouse gases are invisible to us. If dark clouds instead of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions came from our exhaust pipes and chimneys, people would probably go right to work cutting back. 

This month, the Energy Committee is focusing on a few ways to visualize the greenhouse gases that we send into the atmosphere.

Burning a gallon of gasoline produces 20 pounds of CO₂. The volume of that gas is 171 cubic feet, about the same volume of 40 garbage cans.

A round trip to Portsmouth in a standard size gas powered car uses about a gallon and a half of fuel, so that one trip produces enough CO₂ to fill 58 garbage cans. Stacked on top of each other, those containers would reach the roof of an 11-story building, taller than two Thompson Hall clock towers.

Here are some ways to reduce that carbon dioxide cloud:

1. Drive less. Consider combining tasks to take fewer trips. Try carpooling, biking, walking, or using mass transit when possible.
2. Avoid idling.  Idling an average SUV for just 1 minute produces a volume of CO₂ equal to 4 one-gallon jugs. 
3. Lower your highway speed. You use 14% more fuel traveling at 70 mph than traveling at 60 mph. Shrink your carbon cloud!
4. Check tire pressure. Under inflated tires produce more friction. That requires more gas to move your car. Properly inflated tires can improve gas mileage by 0.6% on average. In a year, if you drive 15,000 miles, having properly inflated tires avoids producing a cloud of CO₂ with the volume of 141 garbage cans.
5. When the time comes to replace your car, consider used or new electric cars. https://pluginamerica.org/learn/guide/

DO YOU WORRY ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE? - Information from the Active Retirement Association

The Active Retirement Association (ARA) invites residents to a FREE presentation on “Climate Change in New Hampshire: Effects on Forests and Wildlife.”

The presenter is Lindsay Watkins, UNH Cooperative Extension Field Specialist, Forest Resources. She will discuss some of the expected ecological, economic, and cultural impacts of climate change on Thursday, November 14, 2024, 10:00 – 11:30 AM, at the Durham Community Church, 17 Main Street, Durham, and also via Zoom.

Pre-registration for this free event is required for non-members at seacoastara@gmail.com.

Please be sure to indicate whether you plan to attend in person or via Zoom. For more information about ARA please visit www.unh.edu/ara or write to arainfo1982@gmail.com. 

Roadway and Drainage Improvements – Phase 2

Durham Public Works and its contractor, G.W. Brooks & Son, Inc. are nearing completion for the season on the Phase 2 Roadway and Drainage Improvements portion of the Madbury Road Complete Streets Project. Construction of the sidewalk facilities was completed this week along with loam installation in areas that will receive vegetation in the Spring. 

Driveway apron paving is scheduled for next week, in addition to brick masonry construction on the multi-use path’s amenity belt. Decorative light pole installations are expected to begin soon.

Durham Public Works greatly appreciates the continued patience of the residents and other stakeholders within the project limits as they work to complete these necessary infrastructure improvements and beautify Madbury Road.

Water and Sewer Improvements – Phase 1

Traffic/Construction Advisory – Madbury Road - Durham Public Works and its contractors, JP Cardillo and Son and National Watermain, will complete the sewer portion of the Phase 1 improvements on Monday, November 11. Sections of the sewer collection system on Madbury Road between Main Street and Woodside Drive will receive a cure-in-place liner to address sewer main deficiencies. Direct impacts will be limited to a handful of businesses however traffic impacts are expected with contractors staged within the travel way. 

ROADWAY PAVING COMPLETED ON SELECT ROADWAYS

Durham Public Works and its Road Program contractor, Continental Paving, recently completed a bituminous asphalt overlay treatment on Worthen Road as part of the 2024 Road Program. DPW's Highway Division completed the project this week with gravel shoulder installations and vegetation removal in select areas.

In addition, Durham Point Road between Longmarsh Road and Colony Cove Road received a bituminous asphalt shim treatment to temporarily address areas of severe rutting, alligator cracking, aggregate loss, and delaminations. 

Durham Public Works, with assistance from the University of New Hampshire Rowing Team, removed the dock facilities at Jackson’s Landing this week. The Old Landing facilities will be removed within the next week.

WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT

On October 25, 2024, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES), Water Division, Wastewater Engineering Bureau, conducted a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Compliance Evaluation Inspection (CEI) at the Durham Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF).

The objectives of the inspections included determining compliance with NPDES permit conditions, verifying the accuracy of permit-required information and the adequacy of permittee sampling and monitoring.

No deficiencies were observed during the NPDES CEI/CEI and no further action related to the report is required. A big congratulations to the Durham Public Works Wastewater Division Team for achieving this Exceptional Goal!

NHDOT DEVELOPS NH "DRIVING TOWARDS ZERO" (DTZ) – Take the NH Safe Driving Pledge!

NHDOT’s mission is to create a safety culture where even one death is too many, through a collaborative effort of both public and private entities, as well as the implementation of education, enforcement, engineering, and emergency management solutions.

See HERE for more information on the Drive Towards Zero (DTZ) program.

The goal is to reduce the number of fatal and severe injury crashes on New Hampshire roadways to ZERO. Though NHDOT’s overall goal is to reach zero fatalities, they have set a plan goal of reducing the number of fatalities and severe injuries by 50 percent by the year 2030!

By taking the pledge HERE and becoming a safe driver, NHDOT will send you a quarterly newsletter updating you on the latest efforts of the DTZ campaign and provide recent data. 

HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE DAY EVENT – *December 7* at Durham Public Works

Due to a scheduling conflict, Durham Public Works has rescheduled the annual Household Hazardous Waste Day Event from October 12 to December 7. This collection event provides an opportunity for residents to properly dispose of certain common household hazardous wastes free of charge while protecting the environment. Please call Durham Public Works at 603-868-5578 for additional details. Pre-registration is required! Registrations for those previously signed up for the October 12 event will be transferred to the new date. 

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/Guardian to teach your kids about Fire Safety. The more they know the safer they will be.

WEEK #45

As the weather gets colder, Smokey wants us all to be warm and safe.  For some helpful tips, click HERE.

On Saturday, November 9, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, there will be a multi-family yard sale at the Madbury Town Hall, 10 Town Hall Road, Madbury. All proceeds go to support the Oyster River Youth Baseball 2025 Trip to Cooperstown, New York to see the Baseball Hall of Fame.

OYSTER RIVER SCHOOL NEWS...

No School November 11

All Oyster River schools and the SAU office will be closed Monday, November 11, in observance of Veterans Day.

Important ParentSquare Information

ORCSD uses ParentSquare for its mass communications. Users can choose among 100+ languages and can personalize their notifications settings. Students, parents and guardians can learn how to choose and update their notifications settings HERE.

ORHS Fall Play: The 39 Steps

November 21 and 22 at 7:00 p.m., and November 23 at 2:00 p.m. Location: Auditorium at Oyster River High School (55 Coe Dr, Durham, NH 03824). Tickets can be purchased at the door (cash only). $5 for students and seniors and $7 for adults.

ORCSD Hiring Bus and Van Drivers

ORCSD operates its own fleet, meaning our drivers work directly for us. We offer great pay at $26.74 per hour, a competitive benefits package with medical, dental, term life and long-term disability, and 403 (b) with annuity. ORCSD drivers get 11 paid holidays, 15 days of paid sick time, and up to a $1,000 annual perfect attendance bonus! Guaranteed work week with a choice of weekly hours from 20, 25 or 30, and summer hours (for those interested). Please contact Director of Transportation Trisha Daley at 603-868-1610 or tdaley@orcsd.org. More information available HERE. Apply HERE today.

Yizhou's 4th Grade Robotics Club

Mast Way School’s fall 2024 robotics program was led by Yizhou Zhao, a former Mast Way student who is now in 8th grade at Oyster River Middle School (ORMS). Yizhou is an accomplished robotics student. Last year, he and his ORMS robotics team won the Create Award in the VEX IQ 2024 VEX IQ State Competition, and a year prior he and his team competed in the 2023 VEX IQ Challenge World Championship. Learn more about the 6-week program HERE.

ORCSD School Board Update

Congratulations to Don Maynard and Dave Nichols who were inducted into the New Hampshire Basketball Coaches Organization (NHBCO) Hall of Fame on November 2. Maynard and Nichols both coached basketball at ORHS for 26 years and 23 years respectively.

Once a rare sight in the northeastern United States, the eastern coyote has become a common presence across New Hampshire’s forests, farms and suburbs. First arriving in the state in the 1940s from the Midwest, these predators have since spread throughout every county and are keen adapters to regular interactions with humans, livestock and larger carnivores. The reasons for this adaptability, however, have remained understudied.

A new study by researchers with the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station (NHAES) at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) provides a detailed assessment of how coyotes respond to environmental pressures, including hunting and competition with larger predators like black bears and pumas.

Published in the journal Ecography, the paper “People or predators? Comparing habitat‐dependent effects of hunting and large carnivores on the abundance of North America's top mesocarnivore” was co-authored by Station scientist Remington Moll, an assistant professor at UNH’s College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, and Roland Kays, a research professor with North Carolina State University’s College of Natural Resources. The study used data from over 4,500 camera traps set across the country by the SNAPSHOT USA project. Surprisingly, the study’s findings suggest that human hunting practices may actually contribute to increasing coyote numbers.

In addition to revealing that human hunting can lead to increases in coyote populations, the study also found that the presence of larger carnivores, such as black bears and pumas, influenced coyote numbers in a habitat-dependent manner. For example, black bears led to smaller coyote populations in forested areas, whereas pumas exerted a similar influence in more open environments.

Coyote abundance was found to be highest in grasslands and agricultural operations—landscapes that provide ample prey and shelter. In more urban areas, coyote populations varied across urbanization scale. On smaller, local scales, urban development tended to reduce coyote numbers due to increased human presence and habitat fragmentation. However, at larger, suburban scales, coyote populations thrived, benefiting from the fragmented habitats and edges that offer access to both natural and human-modified resources.

This research can better inform coyote management practices by showing the factors that most influence their abundance, Kays explained.

“In particular, our work suggests that promoting the recovery of large carnivores, especially in certain habitats, is more likely to reduce coyote numbers than people directly hunting them,” said Kays. “And this effort would help in both conservation efforts and coyote management.”

This work is co-authored by Remington J. Moll, Austin M. Green, Maximilian L. Allen and Roland Kays. To read the full article, click HERE.