Selectboard Meeting Minutes
October 15, 2026, 6:30 PM
Town Hall, Walpole, NH
Present: Ms. Carolyn Vose, Chair; Ms. Cheryl Mayberry, Selectboard Member; Mr. Steve Dalessio, Selectboard Member; Ms. Sarah Downing, Manager of Administration.
Ms. Vose called the meeting to order. Mr. Andrew Dey attended as a guest.
Town Hall Replacement Ramp
Ms. Vose invited Mr. Dey to comment on the Town Hall ramp. After inspecting it with Mr. Brad Nash, Mr. Dey said replacement appeared to be the best long-term solution. He identified key issues including encroachment onto neighboring property, whether steps are needed, likely rot and repair behind the existing concrete, nearby electrical conduits, drainage and sidewalk heaving, possible ADA deficiencies at the entry door, and the added cost of any heated-ramp option. He said concrete with steel railings is the usual approach and recommended hiring an architect, with engineering support as needed, to design the project. He offered to suggest architects, help with pricing, and assist with oversight. Mr. Dalessio noted a steel pan and concrete system used at the museum as another option to explore. The Board also discussed maintaining access during construction, possibly through a temporary rental ramp as used during COVID. Members agreed that architectural design would help define the full scope of the project, including drainage, rot, and ADA concerns, and discussed continuing to patch the ramp in the short term while considering a future warrant article for design work. The Board agreed to ask Mr. Dey for architect recommendations.
Payroll
Mr. Dalessio moved to accept the payroll register in the amount of $36,201.31 for checks dated 10/16/2026 and the 941 payroll tax transfer of $6,686.73. Ms. Vose seconded. The motion carried.
Selectboard Meeting Minutes
Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the Selectboard meeting minutes of October 8, 2026. Ms. Vose seconded. The motion carried, with Mr. Dalessio abstaining.
Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the Selectboard non-public session minutes of October 8, 2026, with the minutes to remain sealed. Ms. Vose seconded. The motion carried, with Mr. Dalessio abstaining.
Building Permits
Mr. Dalessio moved to accept building permit 2026-31 for Map 12, Lot 19, Sublot 1, to construct a prefabricated shed. The motion was seconded by Ms. Mayberry. The motion carried.
Old Business
NH Liquor Commission Off Site Caterer-Site Approval Form
Mr. Dalessio moved to have the Chair sign the liquor license form for the Cheshire County Conservation District (CCCD) for October 22, 2026, from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM. Ms. Vose seconded. The motion carried.
Propane Contract and Town Hall In-Ground Propane Tank
Ms. Vose reported that Liz Wight, the finance manager, had spoken with Irving Energy. The Town leases the propane tanks, which serve the water and sewer pumps, the Town Hall, and heating at Highway and Recycling. No written lease agreement could be located, and the annual quote does not itemize the lease cost. Mrs. Downing noted that the lease charge is presumably built into the per-gallon price. Board members clarified that they were not looking to change vendors and only wanted to understand the full agreement.
The quoted rate was $1.698 per gallon, an increase of $0.281 per gallon over last year, for an estimated 7,500 gallons. That volume reflects the initial filling of the newly installed tanks. Mr. Dalessio compared the rate with a state median cash price of $3.25 per gallon. Ms. Vose called it a great price. Ms. Mayberry agreed and noted that the tanks primarily support generators, so demand should be lower outside outages, which may help explain the rate. Members agreed to confirm that the billed rate matches the quote and noted that the agreement runs on a seasonal October-to-October basis.
Mr. Dalessio moved to have the Chair sign the propane agreement with Irving Energy at $1.698 per gallon. The motion was seconded by Ms. Mayberry. The motion carried.
Heating Oil and Diesel Quote Update
Ms. Mayberry reviewed the Swanzey Oil quotes. Heating oil was offered at $4.799 per gallon for a total of 5,300 gallons, with pricing in effect until May 1, 2027. Diesel was offered at a locked price of $5.249 per gallon for a total of 10,000 gallons.
Members noted that Irving Energy’s fuel prices had been considerably higher, which was why they were pursuing Swanzey Oil for fuel.
Ms. Mayberry moved to sign a fuel heating contract with Swanzey Oil for the winter season, covering both heating oil and diesel, and to have the Chair sign the agreement. Mr. Dalessio seconded. The motion carried.
New Business
November 3, 2026 Election Warrant Notice
Ms. Vose explained that this was a new state form accompanying the posting of the ballot. Members discussed the increasing complexity and paperwork required of local election officials under state regulations. They noted that the Board’s signature is required for compliance even though the election concerns state and federal offices and constitutional amendments.
Mr. Dalessio moved to sign the State of New Hampshire election warrant notice. Ms. Mayberry seconded, citing the need to remain compliant with state regulations. The motion carried.
Collateralization of Public Funds, Treasurer Policy TP-04
Mrs. Downing reported that the policy wording was unchanged and that only the authorized signatories and treasurer had been updated. Members questioned whether the Board must re-sign a policy when its membership changes and suspected the auditors had requested it. They agreed that updating the policy did no harm and would raise awareness of collateralization. They decided the policy would first be forwarded for review for accuracy, with a recommendation to follow before the Board signed it. No motion was made.
HealthTrust Benefits Package Renewal
Ms. Vose reported a 9.2 percent premium increase and asked whether the Board wished to consider other plan options. Ms. Mayberry noted that other providers’ costs were also rising significantly and that the increase was not egregious. Members agreed that changing providers would be a significant undertaking and that a site-of-service plan would likely be unpopular with staff. Mr. Dalessio proposed raising the employee contribution from 15 to 16 percent, and Ms. Mayberry agreed, citing concern about cost-of-living adjustments not keeping pace with increases.
A motion was made by Mr. Dalessio and seconded by Ms. Mayberry to have the Chair sign the HealthTrust health insurance premium rate transmittal for the 2027 calendar year. The motion carried.
Ms. Mayberry moved to increase the employee contribution toward health coverage from 15 percent to 16 percent, effective January 1. Mr. Dalessio seconded. The motion carried.
Members noted that payroll must be informed of the change and that employees must be notified. The rate form also needed to be updated with the new contribution.
Town Website Vendor Statement of Work (SOW)
Ms. Vose reported that the annual cost would rise from $4,406.39 to $5,300 as of May 2027. Mrs. Downing explained that the vendor is moving from a Drupal-based system to its own proprietary content management system (CMS), and that the transition, together with upcoming ADA website requirements, was driving the increase. The vendor will migrate the Town’s content. The increase is about 23 percent, rather than the contractual 5 percent annual uplift that would apply in subsequent years.
The contract auto-renews each May and requires 60 days’ notice to terminate. The Board agreed that, while the increase was significant, now was not the time to change vendors, given the effort to build a new site and gather content from departments. Ms. Mayberry noted that the budget must reflect the split-year rate.
Mr. Dalessio moved to sign the contract with CivicPlus to update the website to the new regulations. Ms. Mayberry seconded the motion to have the Chair sign the contract. The motion carried.
Police Department – September 2026 Activity
Mr. Dalessio explained that the September activity report comes directly from the dispatch center and reflects dispatched calls. The monthly staff report prepared by the department shows a considerably higher call volume because it also counts all phone calls received through the police station, whether or not an officer responded. This accounts for the difference between the two reports.
The report was also sent out and posted publicly. No action was taken.
Non-Public Business: RSA 91-A:3 II (e)
Motion to enter Non-Public Session pursuant to RSA 91-A:3 II (e) at 7:18 PM was made by Mr. Dalessio and seconded by Chair Vose. The motion carried unanimously.
Mr. Dalessio moved that the Non-Public Session Minutes be sealed. Ms. Vose seconded. The motion passed unanimously. The Selectboard meeting reconvened at 7:59 PM.
Hooper Trustees
Mr. Dalessio moved to enter the Hooper Trustees Meeting at 7:59 PM. Ms. Vose seconded. The motion passed unanimously. The Selectboard meeting reconvened at 8:29 PM
Adjournment: Ms. Vose declared the meeting adjourned at 8:30 PM.
Minutes prepared by Sarah Downing, Manager of Administration
(Note: These are unapproved Minutes. Corrections will be found in the Minutes of the October 22, 2026 Selectboard meeting.)
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