Friday Updates - September 20, 2024

Friday, September 20, 2024

Super moon over Mill Pond. Courtesy, Sandra Hebert

Welcome fall! The autumnal equinox—the September equinox or the fall equinox—arrives on Sunday, September 22. Not only do temperatures drop, but plant life slows down, and so do we. We can already see the leaves (and the season) beginning to turn.

A reminder that Trick-or-Treating this year in Durham will be on Halloween evening.

The UNH Dairy Bar is likely to reopen on October 7. The long-time manager at the facility retired earlier this year, and it has been a challenge to find a new manager for that and other food service facilities on campus. 

If you were unable to watch or attend the session last evening on the NH Right-to-Know Law, you can watch it HERE.

COME TO THE "DURHAM ANTIQUES ROAD SHOW" AND SEE WHAT THAT OLD ITEM IS REALLY WORTH!

Do you have questions about an item you found at the Durham Swap Shop? What is the value of a family heirloom or mid-century modern item? Do you have a coin collection or jewelry or an old photograph you’d like to know more about? Ask our expert antiques dealers!

Join the Durham Historic Association for an antiques and vintage appraisal event on Saturday, September 28 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Churchill Rink at Jackson’s Landing Park, 10 Old Piscataqua Road, Durham. Rain or Shine!

The DHA is thrilled to be joined by Phelps Fullerton and Jamie Marston who will be offering appraisals. Phelps and Jamie have been actively involved as antique collectors, dealers and auction house consultants for over 30 years in the Seacoast NH area. The cost is $5 per item with a limit of five items per person (cash or check). Bring photos of large furniture or other large items. Please note, no guns or other weapons.

BUDGET AND CIP DEVELOPMENT PROCESS UNDER WAY FOR FY 2025 –Administrator in process of reviewing department, committee, and external agency budget requests

Durham’s department heads, as well as the Town’s various boards, committees, and commissions (as well as external organizations to which the Town makes payments for services such dispatch, ambulance, social service agencies, etc.) submitted their requested proposed budgets and Capital Improvement Program (CIP) requests for FY 2025 (January 1 – December 31) for consideration by Business Manager Gail Jablonski and Administrator Todd Selig as part of the annual budget development process.

Budget proposals from departments were due to the Business Office for wages by July 31, for the CIP by August 7, and for general budget lines by August 21. 

Beginning in late-August through to the present time, Ms. Jablonski and Mr. Selig have been meeting with each of the Town’s department heads and members of their departments to better understand budget requests, as well as departmental CIP requests.

These sessions were open for Town Council and the public at large to attend, observe, and ask questions if time permitted – in fact, the Town posted the dates/times/place at the Town Hall for the benefit of the public. Ultimately, several members of the Council attended presentations of interest to them to learn more.

One of the Town’s Council’s approved goals for FY 2024-2025 states: "The Council and Administrator, working together, will strive to hold the municipal tax rate at the 2024 level plus inflation (CPI-U for Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH) or less, and continue to make an effort to control spending, enhance revenues, broaden the tax base, and explore innovative ways to stabilize or reduce the municipal tax rate."

Per Town Charter, the Administrator is charged with the development of the annual budget and CIP program. The proposed annual budget must be submitted to the Town Council by the last business day in October. The Town Council by Charter then has until the last business day in December to adopt a budget or the Administrator’s budget becomes the budget of the Town by default.

The requested CIP projects were presented/discussed with the Planning Board on September 11th for the board’s feedback. After additional review during the coming weeks, they projects will ultimately be integrated into the formal budget proposal for FY 2025 by Administrator Selig for the end of October as described above. 

Ms. Jablonski and Mr. Selig discussed departmental projects as outlined below… 

• Aug. 29 – 1-2:00 p.m. IT Budget and CIP
• Aug. 29 – 2-3:00 p.m. GIS Budget and CIP
• Sept. 4 – 3:00 p.m. McGregor Ambulance
• Sept. 5 – 9-12:00 p.m. Public Works CIP (and Budget if time permits)
• Sept. 5 – 1:00 p.m. Fire Department Budget & CIP
• Sept. 6 – 9-11:00 a.m. Police Budget and CIP
• Sept. 9 – 1-3:00 p.m. Parks & Rec and Ice Rink Budget and CIP
• Sept. 11 – 1-3:00 p.m. Misc. Budgets (Business, Admin, Outside Services, Committees, Gen. Gov’t)
• Sept. 12 – 11-12:00 p.m. Tax Collector/Clerk’s Budget
• Sept. 12 – 1-2:00 p.m. Library Budget
• Sept. 18 – 1-2:00 p.m. Planning Budget
• Sept. 18 – 2-3:00 p.m. Assessing Budget
• Sept. 19 – 11-12:00 p.m. Zoning/Code Enforcement Budget
• Sept. 19 – 1-2:00 p.m. Land Stewardship Budget
• Sept. 19 – 2-4:00 p.m. Public Works Budget

At this time in very preliminary terms, with nothing finalized, final revenue calculations still outstanding, and NO cuts having yet been made by the Administrator, Mr. Selig offers the following takeaways:

1. The growth in the Town’s tax base is essentially flat with little new development in the offing. The tax base between 2023 and 2024 grew only 1%, about $10 million less than anticipated a year ago. This will likely impact the projected 2024 municipal portion of the tax rate to be set this coming fall by about 3 cents, increasing it from $5.75 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation to $5.78. 
2. The overall tax base for 2025 is projected to grow at only 1%. This slow/low growth makes it difficult to hold the line on taxes as there is no new value to offset natural growth in wages, insurance costs, supplies, materials, etc., many of which are exceeding the rate of inflation.
3. If everything requested by departments/committees/external agencies for FY 2025 was approved, (which it will not be), expenditures would grow by 11.17%. This would translate to a 94 cent increase in the municipal portion of the tax rate, an increase of 16.29%. Not ideal!
4. The Administrator, Business Office, and departments have a lot of work to do over the course of the next five week to fine tune a budget for Council consideration at the end of October!
5. Lastly, if you call the Administrator’s Office, expect delays in his responding as budget building (and numerous associated meetings designed to better understand requests and implications for reductions) is time intensive – causing other tasks to be sidelined while budget development takes a front and center position as part of the weekly work plan.

DISCUSSION AT THIS WEEK’S LEADERSHIP TEAM MEETING

The Town’s Leadership Team, consisting of staff from our various departments, discussed ongoing projects and issues, including repairs at the Town Clerk's Office and Business Office due to recent flooding, the preliminary 2025 budget data showing at this point an 11.17% increase in requested spending, flat revenues, a modest 1% tax rate growth, and a 94 cent increase in the tax rate (resulting in a project 16.29% increase in the municipal portion of the tax rate), potential ideas for improvements at Mill Plaza, and the ongoing NH Supreme Court legal appeal over the 74 Main Street project and the Gerrish Drive projects.

The group also addressed issues related to office spaces downtown, the use of scooters and micro mobility devices and challenges these were causing for residents, and the progress of the Madbury Road Complete Streets Project. Lastly, the group discussed the increasing prevalence of mosquito-borne illness positive testing in the region, updates on departmental projects, and concerns about potential liability and safety of two recently deeded vacant/land-only properties due to the failure to pay property taxes – one on Route 108/Newmarket Rd. near Simons Lane formerly owned by Donald Harrod and the second a postage size stamp on Packers Falls Road formerly owned by the telephone utility.

This week the crew from NH Chronicle visited the Durham Transfer Station and Linda H. Hollister Swap Shop for an upcoming episode. Swap Shop Coordinator Karen Hollister Dyer stated that, "I think that Sean and Chris from WMUR were very impressed by the entire look of the Transfer Station and Swap Shop. It was fun to show them around and share the extent of the items available. They even took a few things with them!"

No date yet on when the NH Chronicle episode will air. Air date will be posted in a future Friday Updates.

THE SWITCH IS ON - Opt-Up to Greener Power!

A famous frog once said “It's not easy being green”, but that is no longer the case here in Durham. With our electricity provided by Durham Community Power, Durham has several plans that make it easy for residents to select the right combination of green renewable power content and price for their household. For those who were looking for a way to reduce their carbon footprint but can’t make a big change like installing solar panels or buying an electric car, “Opting-up” to a greener mix of power is an affordable way to have a real impact. A typical household opting-up to the Clean 50 plan would only spend about $5 / month more than the Granite Plus default, while saving over 1.2 TONS of CO₂ per year over the utility plan. Check out the numbers on this Energy Committee web page HERE and follow the instructions there on how to opt-up for a greener future.

In addition to helping the planet, right now Durham is in a friendly competition called the Seacoast Opt-up Energy Challenge, with Dover, Portsmouth, Newmarket, and Exeter. We want our community to show others how much we can “move the needle” toward a greener future – and maybe win a contest to boot! Go Durham!

Many residents may be interested in composting, but worried about things like smell, attracting pests, and space requirements.

Smell

A properly managed outdoor compost pile should not smell bad. If you are composting indoors and bringing your compost to the transfer station, a filtered compost bin with a lid should not smell. In the summer, when temperatures are warmer, you can leave your bag of compost in your freezer if needed, until you are ready to dispose of it.

Pests

As for pests, as long as the compost pile has the right balance of materials and is turned regularly, it shouldn't attract any more pests than a regular garden would.

Space Requirements 

Another misconception is that composting requires a large outdoor space. A typical outdoor compost bin takes up about the same amount of space as a large garbage bin. And while it's true that outdoor composting is more common, indoor composting is also an option since our Transfer Station has compost disposal, and Mr. Fox offers a residential curbside pick-up service.

Composting can reduce waste and save money.

Each week, Durham Public Works brings our solid waste to the landfill for disposal. Tipping fees are incurred based on the weight of our solid waste. 

Approximately 22%of the total weight of our landfill waste comes from organic matter food waste alone.

The more organic matter we can remove from our garbage, the less we will pay in tipping fees. In addition, composting significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane, a potent gas released when organic waste decomposes in landfills. By composting, we reduce our carbon footprint and add valuable nutrients back into the soil, helping the ecosystem overall.

If you are interested in giving composting a try, join us for the Compost Challenge! It is open to all Durham residents, whether you own or rent, are single, have a partner and/or family - all are welcome!

The Challenge begins on October 5 - November 16.

Please see the flyer below for all the details.

Sources:

Environmental Protection Agency

reel paper.com

Brought to you by the IWMAC Committee 

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

Check the IWMAC Committee out on Instagram: sustainable.durham.nh

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

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

HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE DAY EVENT – October 12th at Durham Public Works

Durham Public Works would like to remind residents that the annual Household Hazardous Waste Day Event will be held on October 12th. 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!

FESTIVAL IN THE FIELD - A Fall Benefit Concert Fundraiser to Fight Human Trafficking

Make a big impact while having a great time with family and friends! Festival In The Field is being held at Tuckaway Farm in Lee on Saturday, October 5, from noon - 6:00 p.m. as an awareness and fundraising event to support The Freedom Cafe’s nonprofit work to end trafficking. Enjoy live music, local artisans, activity stations, raffle, and cork & cap pull. Food and beverages available for purchase. Proceeds from the event, including sales of food, beverage and 10% of outside vendor sales will benefit The Freedom Cafe volunteer advocacy training and community education programs for the coming year.

Tickets must be purchased to attend the event and 20% of the ticket sales support Tuckaway Farms Farm Fire Recovery. Click HERE to purchase tickets.

Should you receive an email that you believe is suspicious, don’t overreact! Report the email to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

This week residents are reporting suspicious emails that try to coerce them into sending bitcoin funds to “keep secrets” the author of the email claims to have about the resident. Most of the information in these emails, which may raise alarm, is information that is publicly available on the internet. As well, there have been numerous data breaches in the last year alone, which have released email addresses, names, addresses, and telephone numbers. 

Spoofing and phishing are key parts of email compromise scams.

According to the FBI, Spoofing is when someone disguises an email address, sender name, phone number, or website URL—often just by changing one letter, symbol, or number—to convince you that you are interacting with a trusted source.

For example, you might receive an email that looks like it’s from your boss, a company you’ve done business with, or even from someone in your family—but it actually isn’t.

Criminals count on being able to manipulate you into believing that these spoofed communications are real, which can lead you to download malicious software, send money, or disclose personal, financial, or other sensitive information.

Phishing schemes often use spoofing techniques to lure you in and get you to take the bait. These scams are designed to trick you into giving information to criminals that they shouldn’t have access to.

In a phishing scam, you might receive an email that appears to be from a legitimate business and is asking you to update or verify your personal information by replying to the email or visiting a website. The web address might look similar to one you’ve used before. The email may be convincing enough to get you to take the action requested.

But once you click on that link, you’re sent to a spoofed website that might look nearly identical to the real thing—like your bank or credit card site—and asked to enter sensitive information like passwords, credit card numbers, banking PINs, etc. These fake websites are used solely to steal your information.

Phishing has evolved and now has several variations that use similar techniques:

1. Vishing scams happen over the phone, voice email, or VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol) calls.
2. Smishing scams happen through SMS (text) messages.
3. Pharming scams happen when malicious code is installed on your computer to redirect you to fake websites.

Protect yourself:

1. Remember that companies generally don’t contact you to ask for your username or password.
2. Don’t click on anything in an unsolicited email or text message. Look up the company’s phone number on your own (don’t use the one a potential scammer is providing),and call the company to ask if the request is legitimate.
3. Carefully examine the email address, URL, and spelling used in any correspondence. Scammers use slight differences to trick your eye and gain your trust.
4. Be careful what you download. Never open an email attachment from someone you don’t know and be wary of email attachments forwarded to you.
5. Set up two-factor (or multi-factor) authentication on any account that allows it, and never disable it.
6. Be careful with what information you share online or on social media. By openly sharing things like pet names, schools you attended, family members, and your birthday, you can give a scammer all the information they need to guess your password or answer your security questions.

Officer Chloe Scott, of Madison Connecticut, was sworn in as a Durham Police Officer on September 3, 2024. Officer Scott graduated from the University of New Hampshire (UNH) in 2023 with a degree in Homeland Security and Justice Studies. She also earned a Master of Science degree in Justice Studies in 2024 from UNH. Additionally, Officer Scott has two relevant internships with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) and the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence.

Please join us in welcoming Officer Scott to Durham!

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 #38

The next couple of weeks we are going to prepare for Fire Prevention week. Fire Prevention week starts in October. So, it’s time to go back to where we started this year and review Week1, 2, and 3.

Week 1 - Dial 911 for an Emergency.

Week 2 - Know your Address.

Week 3 - Do we have an Escape plan?

OYSTER RIVER SCHOOL NEWS

October 10 Community Dinner

The Oyster River Wellness Committee invites you to a community dinner celebration on Thursday, October 10, 5:00-6:30 p.m. at the Oyster River Middle School (1 Coe Dr, Durham, NH 03824) to enjoy a delicious, locally and sustainably sourced fall harvest chicken breast dinner (with roasted root vegetables - each meal also includes a side salad, soup, beverage, and dessert). Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options will be available, and over 15 agencies and community partners will be on-site to offer and share information about local health and wellness community resources. Kindly RSVP by Tuesday, October 8 by clicking HERE.

October 16 Alumni Community Conversations

Community Conversations is a series of focus groups designed to foster open dialogue and explore a range of educational topics that will help Superintendent Shaps identify important themes. We warmly invite all OR alumni to join us for a virtual Teams meeting on October 16, 8:00-9:00 pm ET. Kindly RSVP no later than October 14, 2024, by contacting ORCSD Director of Communications Genevieve Brown at gebrown@orcsd.org or at 603-590-0052.

October 28 Internet and Digital Safety Presentation

This ORCSD free admission program is presented by the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) at the Morse Recital Hall (Oyster River Middle School). This program is for adults only and not suitable for students. The program includes an introduction to ICAC, how predators use social media, digital safety for cell phone, personal devices and gaming systems, and a demonstration with K-9 Niko who is New Hampshire's first Electronic Storage Detection K-9. No registration required. To learn more, click HERE.

Inclusive Connections: Support Spaces for Families and Community Members

The ORCSD offers two new event series to offer support spaces for the parents and caregivers of LGBTQ+ and multicultural youth and community members. These support spaces are dedicated to offering a welcoming environment to share challenges and resources, celebrate successes, ask questions, and build a network of support. Additional information may be found HERE.

Inclusive Connections: Parents/Caregivers of LGBTQ+ Youth Support Space

• October 21, 2024, 6:00-7:30 pm at the ORHS Library
• December 9, 2024, 6:00-7:30 pm at the ORHS Library

Inclusive Connections: Parents/Caregivers of Multicultural Youth Support Space

• October 22, 2024, 6:00-7:30 pm at the ORHS Library
• December 11, 2024, 6:00-7:30 pm at the ORHS Library

ORCSD Alum Scott Poteet Safely Returned from Space

Bobcat Scott Poteet, an Oyster River High School Class of 1992 alum, launched into space from Cape Canaveral on September 10, as SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission pilot. Polaris Dawn is expected to be the first of a series of three missions into space. Scott and his crew safely returned to Earth on September 15 after five days in orbit. To learn more, click HERE.