Friday Updates - September 8, 2017

                    NEWS & HAPPENINGS...

Friday, September 8, 2017

After opening its doors originally as Grant’s Café, the downtown Durham iconic establishment now known as Young’s Restaurant celebrated its 100th anniversary last summer. This morning, WOKQ radio boradcast live from the restaurant from 5:30 – 10:30 AM. Courtesy Todd Selig

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The Planning Department has brought on a UNH work study student to assist in the office on a part-time basis for the coming academic year.  The utilization of work study students by the Town in various departments (and teaching interns within the Oyster River Cooperative School District) is just one way we strive to take positive advantage of the University’s presence within the community.  The Economic Development Office also has a new intern who began this past week.

In addition, be sure to check out a rendering that illustrates possible additions/renovations to the Churchill Rink in the Parks & Recreation section below.

TOWN COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULE FOR SEPTEMBER, 2017

Due to the Labor Day holiday, the Town Council meetings in September will be held on Monday, September 11th and Monday, September 18th.

9/11 REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY PLANNED BY DURHAM FIRE - September 11th at 8:30 AM

On Monday 9/11/17 The Durham Fire Department annual ceremony to remember the 16th anniversary of 9/11/01 will start shortly after 8:30 AM. C shift with Captain Brown will be the on duty shift for the day.

All Town citizens, employees, UNH Staff and students are invited to attend. Light Refreshments following the ceremony.

Please contact Steven Jautaikis with any questions or to request an opportunity to add a few remarks at 603-868-5531, sjautaikis@ci.durham.nh.us 

Time line of the ceremonies events:

• 7:00 - 8:00 - AM final cleaning of area , refreshment table set up
• 8:00 AM     - static display and Truck 3 setup
• 8:30 AM     - College Road shut down ,Engine One set up, personal line up
• 8:40 AM +/-  Ceremony to begin
• Opening statements
• Speakers
• Ringing of the Bell
• Raising of the Flag
• Ending remarks open by 9:10 - 9:20 AM

ASSESSOR JIM RICE TO PROVIDE COUNCIL WITH UPDATE ON NEW LEGISLATION CONCERNING THE POSSIBLE EXPANSION OF THE VETERANS’ TAX CREDIT IN DURHAM

In February 2017, the Council voted to not consider adopting RSA 72:28-b All Veteran’s Tax Credit for 2 reasons:

1. Two Senate Bills were pending in the NH Legislature pertaining to the “All Veterans’ Tax Credit" that needed to be resolved.
2. The Town had not appropriated any monies to cover any additional tax credits as estimated by the adoption of 72:28-b for tax year 2017.

Currently, there are 212 veterans in Durham receiving the standard credit of $500, 10 veterans receiving a $2,000 tax credit for service-connected disability and no one receiving a $2,000 tax credit as a surviving spouse. Utilizing data based from the NH Employment Security Department regarding “gap” period (veterans who don’t qualify for the RSA 72:28 Veterans Tax Credit) veteran counts data, and the NH Veteran Demographics regarding home ownership rates among veterans in NH, it is estimated that approximately 113 additional veterans could qualify for the All Veteran’s Tax Credit in Durham. This translates into $56,500 additional veteran credits and would bring the total veteran credits to approximately $180,000, thereby increasing the municipal portion of the tax rate from $8.48 to $8.54.

It is not known how many Durham residents are surviving spouses of veterans or are disabled veterans. Please note that these are estimates only based at the highest count levels. If the new statute were to be adopted in Durham, non-war defined veterans AND their surviving spouses would also be eligible. At this time, only honorably discharged veterans who actually served in qualifying conflicts are eligible for the Veterans’ Tax Credit of $500 off of their annual local property tax bill.

Senate Bill 80: The Senate has passed SB 80, which allows a municipality to phase in over three years the All Veterans’ Tax Credit that was just enacted last year. That credit, if adopted by a municipality, is available to veterans who did not serve during a qualifying war or armed conflict, unlike the standard and optional credits, which are available only to wartime veterans.

There is no requirement that the phase-in be in equal increments. Thus, if the municipality has a $500 optional veterans’ credit, it could phase in the all-veterans’ credit at $100 in the first year, $200 in the second year, and $500 in the third year—or any other schedule that gets to $500 by the third year.

The Council can discuss Monday whether it has an interest in expanding the Veterans’ Credit Program in Durham next year or at some point in the future.

DURHAM/UNH EVALUATE WATER WORKS ROAD SITE FOR JOINT PUBLIC SAFETY COMPLEX – Fire/McGregor/UNH Police
On March 20, 2017, the Town Council approved the expenditure of up to $43,000 to hire Hughes Group Architects of Sterling, VA to conduct a feasibility study of a site on Water Works Road as a potential location for a joint public safety complex that would house the Durham Fire Department, McGregor Memorial EMS, and the UNH Police Department. At this juncture, it appears as though the site is viable.

At the Town Council meeting on Monday evening, Architect J. Lynn Reda from Hughes Group Architects will be present to update Councilors with respect to this matter. Fire Chief Corey Landry will also be in attendance to address questions from Council members.

DIRECTED POLICE PATROLS TO FOCUS ON ROUTE 4 CORRIDOR THROUGH DURHAM
The Town has received a number of complaints from residents about excessive speed along Route 4 between the Scammell Bridge and the Route 108 off ramp. Consequently, the Durham Police Department and the NH State Police have been asked to step up directed patrols along this corridor.

A BUILDING DECISION BY THE OYSTER RIVER COOPERATIVE SCHOOL BOARD - Letter from Thomas Newkirk, Chair, Oyster River Cooperative School Board

The Oyster River Cooperative School Board will be making a decision about the viability of the current middle school facility. I am writing to explain why we are addressing this issue, and how we will proceed.

The current building, in true New England fashion, is a set of additions. The oldest section was built in 1935, with major additions in 1954, 1979, and most recently 1996. The building has evolved to the point that it is a sprawling structure with 1500 feet of corridor and 60,000 square feet of roof—the equivalent of three football fields. Connecting the various additions has led to ramps, lifts, and half-floors that make navigation difficult for anyone with mobility issues

Because of the age and unusual configuration of the middle school, the Board has faced continuing costs to maintain it. For example, we need to make over $800,000 in upgrades to the Heating, Ventilation, and Cooling systems—and in the near term we face $300,000-$1,000,000 for roofing. The Board must regularly confront the dilemma of how much to invest in an old building that was never designed to be a middle school in the first place.

In 2014, the Board commissioned Stephen Blatt Architects to “evaluate the facilities impact on the delivery of the academic program.” In addition to examining previous facility studies, Blatt met with teachers, administrators, and support staff to get their assessment of the viability of the building.

In May 2015, Blatt presented his report to the Board. He identified serious deficiencies in the building. Here are some of them:

• The current site consists of 11.5 acres, considerably less that the 16-17 acres that current guidelines would recommend. Furthermore the large footprint and placement of the building limit the use of the existing site—and creates a chronic traffic build-up at the beginning and end of the day.
• Only 55% of classrooms meet current size guidelines for a middle school.
• This space problem is especially acute for the art classrooms that are only 65% of the recommended size.
• The spaces for Special Education are inadequate: they are mostly makeshift, frequently undersized, some having no daylight.
• The space for music (both band and chorus) is 60% of the recommended guidelines, and the shortage of storage and practice space necessitate that the corridors be used for this purpose.
• The Tech Ed and STEM space is inadequate and makes integration to the curriculum difficult.
• The building lacks informal gathering spaces throughout the facility where students can work collaboratively and where staff can meet with a student for planned or spontaneous counseling.

Blatt’s report concludes: “From programmatic, physical plant, and site configuration perspectives, we feel that the existing building should not be further expanded or modified in a piecemeal fashion.” The full Blatt report, and a follow-up examination of options for construction are available on the ORCSD website by following the link to the ORMS Facilities Committee and clicking on Facility Reports.

In response to this report, the Board has established a Superintendent’s Facility Committee that includes members from the three town councils, the community, the school administration, and the Board. This committee is charged to review the relevant reports, explore a full range of options for dealing with these identified deficiencies, and make a recommendation to the Board by June 2018.

We are taking the first step in what will surely be a long road to final action on the middle school. We invite the community to weigh in on this issue: to pose questions, offer ideas, impressions, and concerns. These can be directed to Superintendent Morse (jmorse@orcsd.org) who will lead the Facilities Committee. This will be an opportunity to explore what we want from a middle school—and how a building can support that vision.

As a Board we will do our best to listen, and to keep the community informed as we move forward.
 

DPW crews installed the new sidewalks on Mill Pond Road this week. Courtesy Kimberly Ward

EVERSOURCE SEACOAST RELIABILITY PROJECT REVIEW SCHEDULE DELAYED BY NH SITE EVALUATION COMMITTEE

The Eversource Seacoast Reliability Project is on hold following the NH Site Evaluation Committee’s (SEC) decision to indefinitely suspend its review.
SEC Presiding Officer Evan Mulholland on Monday suspended adjudicative hearings scheduled for October as well as various procedural deadlines planned for between now and October.

His decision to delay hearings followed an Aug. 1 letter from N.H. Department of Environmental Services (DES) indicating it needed more information from Eversource and more time to review existing documents before completing its project review. The letter gave no time frame for when DES would finish, and did not include deadlines for Eversource to meet. Readan article in Seacoast Online concerning this matter HERE.

TOWN COUNCIL POISED TO VOTE MONDAY ON ACCEPTING AND EXPENDING $255,707 IN UNANTICIPATED GRANT FUNDS FROM THE NHDOT ON NEEDED REPAIRS TO LOCAL ROADWAYS
On Monday, July 24, 2017 Governor Sununu announced the return of $30 million to towns and cities for road improvements as a result of the Senate passing SB-38. The Governor and Senate cited responsible budgeting in 2016-2017 for significant surpluses which enabled the state to return millions of taxpayer dollars to all New Hampshire communities. Durham’s allocation is $255,707.79.

In January 2017, the Public Works Department requested bids for its 2017 road resurfacing program. Public Works solicited nine (9) sealed bids from paving contractors in Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. The department received six (6) bids by the February 7, 2017 deadline. On March 6, 2017, the Town Council awarded the 2017 Road Resurfacing /Sidewalk Program to Continental Paving of Londonderry, NH, the lowest bidder for all road/sidewalk work at $457,625. Continental Paving will hold its $67.50/ton pricing for this additional road resurfacing work in 2017.

The following are the roadways selected by DPW for this additional paving.

Edgewood Road             $ 82,040
Mill Pond Road                    50,875
Cowell Drive                         20,445
Glassford Lane                      6,900
Sauer Terrace                           6,902
Canney Road                      88,546

TOTAL                                $255,708

This additional road resurfacing includes an asphalt shim, 1”overlay and shoulder gravel back-up/widening where applicable. In addition, 21 stormwater catch basin frames/grates and sewer manhole frames/covers will be adjusted to the new paved surface per NHDOT specifications.

At its meeting on August 7, 2017, the Town Council scheduled a public hearing for this item to be held on September 11, 2017.

PILOT PROGRAM TO BEGIN MIGRATING AN INITIAL GROUPING OF TOWN EMPLOYEE EMAIL ACCOUNTS TO THE CLOUD
As part of our efforts to use technology more efficiently, the IT department is going to implement a pilot program in the near future using Microsoft Office 365 in order to move a subset of our employee users from servers within the Town Hall to the cloud. This was part of a Kaizen we undertook several years ago, but the timing was just not right. We believe the timing may now align with our needs. If the initial grouping of employee migration is a success, we will learn from that process and then migrate the rest of our accounts. Such a move would open the door to potentially provide official Durham email addresses to interested members of our boards and committees.

Mural panel at the Durham Post Office. Courtesy Todd Selig

THE HISTORIC 1959 "PAGES FROM THE PAST" MURAL AT THE DURHAM POST OFFICE WAS IN THE NEW YORK TIMES THIS WEEK

Durham was in the New York Times this week concerning the historic “Pages from the Past” mural at our local post office. In 1959, the Women’s Club of Durham donated the 16-panel mural to the Durham Post Office offering snapshots of the Town’s history as imagined by artist Barnard Chapman, a 1930 graduate of the University of New Hampshire. Read the article HERE.  Read the draft interpretative text proposed by the USPS to provide broader context and historical understanding concerning the “Cruel Adversity” panel HERE.  Review a Spring 1999 article from Common Ground (a former community newsletter) concerning the 1694 Oyster River Massacre HERE.

TOWN COUNCIL TO TAKE UP RESOLUTION DESIGNATING THE 2ND MONDAY IN MARCH AS “THE AGE OF EXPLORATION AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY”

During the Public Comments section of the Town Council meeting on February 6, 2017, resident Neil Ferris spoke about a movement underway to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day. He said the New Hampshire State Legislature should join Vermont in this effort, and could use some nudging on this from Durham. He asked that this be placed on the Council’s agenda in the near future.

During the Town Council and Administrator roundtable discussion at the Town Council meeting on April 17, 2017, Councilor Burton noted Mr. Ferris’ earlier request and suggested that Administrator Selig bring the request to the Durham Human Rights Commission (HRC) for discussion and then come back to the Council on whether the commission believed this was a viable idea.

This item was placed on the HRC’s meeting agenda for June 7, 2017 and Mr. Ferris was in attendance. Mr. Ferris said his request was for Durham to replace Columbus Day with an Indigenous Peoples’ Day and also petition the State of New Hampshire to do the same. He felt that if enough communities in New Hampshire were to do this, then the state may be more inclined to follow suit. He noted that efforts should be made to encourage people to become educated about Native Americans and America’s real history and anything that can be done toward this type of effort should be embraced.

The commission continued its consideration of Mr. Ferris’ request at its meeting on July 26, 2017. Based on the discussion held at that meeting, Administrator Selig said he had given additional thought to other possible solutions besides replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day. He offered an alternate name: “The Age of Exploration and Indigenous Peoples’ Day”, that would celebrate both the age of European exploration and the cultures and values of Indigenous Peoples, and to reflect upon the historical offenses against and ongoing struggles of indigenous people. The group discussed this notion further and consensus was to move it forward to the Town Council for its consideration.

The HRC met again on September 6, 2017 and reviewed and discussed a draft resolution introduced by Administrator Selig that would designate the second Monday in October as “The Age of Exploration and Indigenous Peoples’ Day” in Durham. Some amended language was offered by members of the group and this language has been incorporated into a draft resolution for the Council’s review and consideration.

View the draft resolution HERE.

TOWN ENGINEER APRIL TALON RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF $25,000 ENGINEERING CONTRACT FOR FURTHER STUDY AND EVALUATION OF MILL POND RESTORATION PROJECT/MILL POND DAM

The Town Council on Monday evening will take up a recommendation approval of the Preliminary Engineering Services Contract for the Mill Pond Restoration Project with Weston & Sampson Engineers of Portsmouth, NH in the amount of $25,000.

The 2017 Capital Improvements Plans includes $150,000 for work related to the Mill Pond. Town Engineer April Talon presented to the Town Council on June 19, 2017 to provide an update on work completed to date for both the pond and the dam. A working group consisting of the Town Engineer April Talon, DPW Director Michael Lynch, Town Administrator Todd Selig, and Town Councilors Kenny Rotner, Al Howland, Jim Lawson, and Alan Bennett, has been discussing since 2016 the current condition of Mill Pond and the dam and endeavoring to determine a course of action moving forward. The group reviewed a draft proposal provided by Weston & Sampson and determined that it would be most prudent to focus on three main tasks which are to understand the sediment accumulation behind the dam, review the dam’s gate structure, and perform a nitrogen source assessment. While taking into consideration all of the past work and studies that have been completed, this scope of work will help the working group/DPW continue to better understand the potential outcomes of dam repair or dam removal, as well as provide us with low cost improvements that can be made to improve water quality. Additionally, this work will help to fulfill requirements for the Federal NH Small MS4 Permit, which is expected to become effective on July 1, 2018.

PROPOSED ORDINANCE CHANGE WOULD EXTEND HOURS OF ENFORCEMENT FOR DOWNTOWN PARKING FROM 6 PM TO 8 PM, AND ADD PARKING ENFORCEMENT FOR SATURDAYS

On Monday evening, Police Chief David Kurz will address the Council concerning a first reading on a change to the parking ordinance designed to determine the interest in setting the enforcement of parking regulations between the hours of 8:00AM and 8:00PM (rather than ending at 6 PM) Monday through Friday and adding Saturday parking regulations between the hours of 10:00AM and 4:00PM. The Town has received input from that after 4 PM and on Saturdays, students living in proximity to downtown move their cars from afar into prime parking spaces thereby making it more difficult for actual patrons of our downtown businesses to park.

BUDGET AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT PROCESS UNDER WAY FOR FY 2018
Over the course of the summer, 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.) have been preparing their proposed budgets and Capital Improvement Program (CIP) requests for FY 2018 for consideration by the Administrator as he works to prepare a formal FY 2018 budget proposal for the Town Council as part of the annual budget development process.

Business Manager Gail Jablonski has organized budget meetings with each of the Town’s department heads to enable herself and Administrator Selig to meet with departments and better understand budget requests, as well as departmental Capital Improvement Program requests.

Members of the Town Council have been notified of each of these meetings and have been invited to attend if they have an interest in doing so.

One of the Town’s Council’s approved goals for FY 2017-2018 states: “Task the administrator with meeting the following budget goals for 2018: The budget goal is to hold the municipal tax rate at the 2015, 2016, and 2017 level of $8.48 or less. For the medium and long-term, the Town will make an effort to control its spending and explore innovative ways to reduce the municipal tax rate.”

There are numerous requests from departments that will be considered by the Administrator as part of the upcoming process in the weeks to follow to include: additional water treatment plant position; additional position within water department; additional position within DPW buildings and grounds division for brush, mowing, roadway trimming, & building maintenance; additional FT DPW admin. assistant; new FT coordinator position for GIS; additional police officer (a 21st officer); additional part-time hours for parks & recreation personnel; additional hours for part-time services within the building dept.; funds for the paving of Cedar Point Road; funds for the paving of Dame Road; funds for a partial statistical update/revaluation of property assessments in 2018 (per state requirements).  All told, the Business Office reports that these and other proposals would increase the FY 2018 budget by $1.8 million or 13.8%.  Note, the Administrator and department will work to trim proposals, as possible/appropriate, to responsibly meet the Council's budget goal and continue to provide the level of services the community expects.

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 will be presented to and discussed with the Planning Board during its meeting on September 13, 2017. Interested members of the public should view that meeting to learn more about requested capitol projects from departments, boards, committees, and commissions.

NATIONAL DRIVE ELECTRIC WEEK 2017 - Join the Durham Energy Committee at the Durham and Portsmouth Events
The third annual Drive Electric Day electric vehicle expo will be held Saturday, September 16, 2017 in conjunction with Durham Day, September 16th, from 12-2PM. A wide variety of electric and plug-in vehicles will be on display with owners and dealers on hand to answer questions, offer ride alongs, and share their experiences with all electric driving.

Then at 2PM, join us at Red Hook Brewery in Newington for our sister Drive Electric Expo where even more vehicles will be on display. If you are bringing a plug-in or all electric vehicle to either event, please register at our event websites so we can save you a spot: Durham and Portsmouth.

Presented by Plug In America, Sierra Club and the Electric Auto Association, National Drive Electric Week, September 9-17, 2017, is a nationwide celebration to heighten awareness of today's widespread availability of plug-in vehicles and highlight the benefits of all-electric and plug-in hybrid-electric cars, trucks, motorcycles, and more. They are fun to drive, are less expensive and more convenient to fuel than gasoline vehicles, are better for the environment, promote local jobs, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

STUDENT HOUSING ISSUES
If residents have concerns about noise issues coming from rental properties in their neighborhood, please do not hesitate to call the Durham Police Department day or night at (603) 868-2324.

Concerns about over occupancy or trash can be directed to Code Enforcement Officer Audrey Cline by calling (603) 868-8064 or emailing Administrative Assistant Karen Edwards at kedwards@ci.durham.nh.us

ADMINISTRATOR SELIG TO ATTEND ICMA ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN OCTOBER
Each year, Administrator Selig attends the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Annual Conference to take advantage of an abundance of educational, information-sharing, and networking tools to help keep him sharp in working with the Town Council and Town departments to successfully manage the Durham community in today’s complex environment. This year the conference will be held in San Antonio, Texas from October 21-15th.

Featured keynote speakers this year include Rabia Siddique (Topic: Courage Under Fire), Richard Florida (Topic: The New Urban Crisis), Ann Maria Chavez (Topic: True Moral Leadership), and Simon Bailey (Topic: Leading Amidst Uncertainty).

In addition to daily keynote sessions, there are numerous educational an solutions track sessions, roundtable discussions, ICMA University workshops and forums, field demonstrations, and numerous demonstrations of technology applications. Learn more about the ICMA Annual Conference HERE.

INFORMATION FOR OWNERS OF RENTAL UNITS/PROPERTIES
There is a page on the Durham website devoted to State and Local regulations and information for owners of rental units and/or properties. If you are a landlord, please take a moment to review the information HERE.

UNH PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH COMMITTEE SOLICITS FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC ON SEPTEMBER 12TH - Information from John Small, Board & Search Committee Chair and Ted Dey, Vice Chair

As you are aware, the University System of New Hampshire Board of Trustees is undertaking a search for the next president of UNH. The Board has retained the executive search firm Isaacson, Miller to help with our Presidential Search. Consultants with the firm, Gale Merseth, Kate Barry and Greg Esposito, will be working closely with us over the coming months and we wanted the search consultants to hear directly from you as to what you believe will be important to ensuring a successful hire.

On September 12, 2017 at 5:45 pm, UNH, Memorial Union Building – Strafford Room, Gale, Kate and Greg will hold an open forum to hear your perspective on the University and what you consider to be the key challenges and opportunities the new President will face. If you are unable to attend this meeting a campus-wide listening session will take place on September 22, 2017 at 4:30 pm, Memorial Union Building, Strafford Room, Durham, NH. These discussions will help our search consultants gain an understanding of the University’s culture, current environment, and the organizational context in which this President will operate. In particular, they hope to hear your thoughts on the following:

• Upon hiring a new president, what will be the fundamental differences at UNH one year from now, three years from now, and five years from now?
• Are there more subjective or informal measures for determining the success of this new president?
• What institutional activities need to be sustained? Which ones enhanced? Which ones initiated or ended?
• What do you think are the qualifications and experience of an ideal candidate? What is essential and what might be helpful? What are the personal attributes most important for this role?

Once they have had an opportunity to speak with various UNH constituents Gale, Kate and Greg will work with the search committee to develop a position profile that will provide a compelling description of the University, it’s history and mission, as well as a realistic and enticing picture of the challenges, measures of success, and ideal skills, experience, and qualifications of the President. When finalized, this document will be made publicly available and will be shared broadly by the search firm with prospective candidates and helpful sources.

Thank you for your participation in this important effort. As a key stakeholder in this search, your input will be important to the outcome of this search and the success of the new President.

ANNUAL MUNICIPAL LAW LECTURE SERIES
Beginning in September, the New Hampshire Local Government Center will hold its Annual Municipal Law Lecture Series in the following two communities:

Medallion Opera House, Gorham, NH - Saturday, September 23, 2017 (9 AM - 4:30 PM)

NHMA Offices, Concord, NH - Saturday, October 14, 2017 (9 AM - 4:30 PM)

These lectures are intended for municipal officials with an interest in, or responsibility for, any aspect of municipal land use to include members of planning boards, zoning boards, conservation commissions, and councils/board of selectmen, as well as planners, building inspectors, and code officers. Lectures topics and descriptions are as follows:

Procedural Basics for Planning and Zoning Boards
You’ve been asked to run for or sit on your local planning board or zoning board of adjustment. You’ve said yes. Now what? Learn the composition, procedures, powers and responsibilities of each of the boards. Discover practical tips for reviewing complicated applications and making defendable decisions. This presentation will cover the basics of both the planning board and zoning board and will serve as both a starting point for those just joining the board and a refresher for those who have served for years.

Presented by: Laura Spector-Morgan, Esquire, Mitchell Municipal Group, P.A.
Steven Whitley, Esquire, Mitchell Municipal Group, P.A.

Wireless Facilities: Managing the Approval Process
Does state or federal law trump local zoning for cell towers? How can Planning Boards and ZBAs protect municipal interests and comply with state and federal law when permitting wireless facilities? With all the changes in state and federal law over the past 8 years, it is hard to keep up! And mistakes can be expensive. This presentation will present an overview of the evolving law on permitting wireless facilities, plus provide specific recommendations for procedures your land use boards, municipal staff and regional planners can implement to ensure this tricky process is done right.

Presented by: Katherine B. Miller, Esquire, Donahue, Tucker & Ciandella, PLLC
Justin L. Pasay, Esquire, Donahue, Tucker & Ciandella, PLLC

Water Quality, Water Protection, and Water Management
All recurrent buzzwords in today's land planning world. Municipal zoning and planning boards need a basic understanding of how the State of New Hampshire regulates shoreland construction, stormwater management and water-based activities, as well as an understanding of how municipal regulations are permitted to supplement such standards. This presentation will introduce the different State programs and permits, discuss the legal landscape for supplementary municipal codes, and explain the role of the planner or land use board member in evaluating and acting upon an applicant’s technical submissions.

Presented by: Ari B. Pollack, Esquire, Gallagher, Callahan & Gartrell, P.C.
Robert J. Dietel, Esquire, Gallagher, Callahan & Gartrell, P.C..

Registration Fee: $100. Continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.

Pre-registration is required. For information on registration contact Ashley Monier at 603-230-3340 or email nhmaregistrations@nhmunicipal.org.

IF YOU SEE SOMETHING WRONG, ODD, OR NOT QUITE RIGHT, PLEASE CALL THE POLICE

The very essence of community policing is that the community and the police work together to confront crime and the fear of crime. The vast majority of Durham residents understand that the police cannot be everywhere simultaneously to observe criminal or suspicious activity as it occurs and the department finds it difficult to patrol residential areas with the frequency residents, businesses and the police prefer. So Chief Kurz urges residents to contact the police at 868-2324 or 911 if they see, hear or sense something is not quite right. An officer will respond quickly and resolve what may or may not be a criminal activity.

When law enforcement works directly with residents and businesses we collectively are going a long way toward reducing crime, improving quality of life, and enhancing public safety.

DURHAM LAND STEWARDSHIP SUBCOMMITTEE WEEKLY REPORT (By Ellen Snyder, Durham Land Stewardship Coordinator)

Trail Work Day: Saturday, September 9th, Oyster River Forest
Volunteers can still sign up for the trail work day with trails consultant Lew Shelley (Snowhawk LLC) to restore and improve the Oyster River Trail that connects to College Woods. We will build four bridges, paint new trail blazes, brush and clear sections of trail. No experience is necessary and all tools and gloves provided. Come for the morning or stay the whole day. If interested, please sign up through The Stewardship Network: New England for either a 9:00 am - 3:30 pm or 9:00 am - 12:00 pm shift HERE.

Thompson Forest Proposed Habitat Management Project
The Town is partnering with NH Fish and Game on a proposed habitat management project on the Thompson Forest that borders Wednesday Hill Road. The project involves uprooting and shredding the extensive infestation of large invasive plants and cutting the trees to the stonewall, leaving any mature trees that are on either side of the stonewall. The goal of the project is to create a 15-20-acre patch of field/shrub/young forest habitat to benefit the state endangered New England cottontail and other early successional wildlife species. The NH Fish and Game Department will fund the project, which would occur this fall/winter if conditions are suitable. It would involve a new, temporary management access across from Griffiths Drive to allow logging equipment and truck access. For more information you can contact Ellen Snyder, Land Stewardship Coordinator (ellensnyder1@gmail.com) or Rob Sullivan, Conservation Commission Chair (robert.sullivannh@icloud.com) for more information or to share your views.

CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES AT DURHAM PD

There has been exciting progress this week at the Durham Police Department as construction continues in earnest with exterior walls, 2nd floor and interior office space being formed. The roofline is emerging today showing how the end eves make for a balanced exterior view of the facility.

REMINDER- HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE DAY 9/30/17-- BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

The 2017 Household Hazardous Waste Day will be held at the Department of Public Works facility located at 100 Stone Quarry Drive. As in the past, all hazardous waste will be collected by appointment only, between 8-11:30AM. To register, you must call the Department of Public Works at 868-5578 or e-mail publicworks@ci.durham.nh.us. Remember - The MAXIMUM COLLECTED PER HOUSEHOLD IS FIVE GALLONS.

NO EXPLOSIVE MATERIALS, RADIOACTIVE WASTE, ASBESTOS,
SILVEX OR INFECTIOUS/BIOLOGICAL WASTE WILL BE ACCEPTED.

Consider reducing your purchase of products with hazardous ingredients; read labels thoroughly. Use and store products containing hazardous substances carefully to prevent any accidents at home. Never store hazardous products in anything other than their original containers and never remove labels. Never mix HHW with other products. Incompatible products might react, ignite, or explode, and contaminated HHW might become un-recyclable. Remember to follow any instructions for use and disposal provided on product labels.

NOT ACCEPTED AT HAZARDOUS WASTE DAY- LATEX AND OIL BASED PAINTS, MOTOR OIL, AND ANTI-FREEZE. These items can be brought up to the Transfer Station with your permit throughout the year. Latex paints must be dried out first, motor oil, anti-freeze and oil based paints can go up as is. Typically, hazardous waste is categorized as toxic, ignitable, corrosive, reactive or otherwise hazardous. Please check the manufacturer’s label.

EXAMPLE OF COMMON HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE ITEMS

DURHAM STILL EXPERIENCING TELEPHONE SCAMS

Chief Kurz advises that the police department has had several residents contact them about a continuing scam. It is clear that the desire to separate people from their money has no bounds as scammers become very innovative in attempting to do so! In this instance it is an email that found its way to a Durham resident. The email stated:

I am Angela Lee, Staff Sergeant of the U. S Army, I need to know if you can assist me with the safe keeping of my package. Please contact me as soon as possible on my e-mail address, so I can share more light on it.

While this may seem obvious, there are many of residents who will have their “heartstrings” pulled with the military connection. But there are always subtleties in the message if you inspect them closely. In this email, the writer uses the word “share” rather than “shed”.

Once again the Durham Police are sharing this information for awareness purposes and to help prevent fraud and/or identity theft from occurring during these purposely stressful telephone calls! As always the Durham Police urge residents NEVER to provide personal and/or credit card information via social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter or telephone solicitation. When someone is initiating a call, or in this case an email, to you and ultimately requests credit card or other financial information it is a SCAM!

DURHAM FARMERS’ MARKET OPEN MONDAY AFTERNOONS AT JACKSON’S LANDING
The Seacoast Growers Association is operating the Durham Farmers’ Market on Mondays at Jackson’s Landing, 10 Old Piscataqua Road, from 2:15 – 6 PM. The season officially opened June 5th.