The Walpolean

Town of Walpole, New Hampshire

Meeting of the Selectboard

May 7, 2026

Selectboard Present: Carolyn Vose, Chair, Cheryl Mayberry, and Steven Dalessio

Staff Present: Sarah Downing, Manager of Administration, and Sue Bauer, Recording Secretary

Guests Present: Mark Houghton, Walpole Fire Chief; Brad Nash, fireman; Jack Franks of Avanru

Call to Order: Ms. Vose called the Selectboard meeting to order at 6:34 PM in the Walpole Town Hall.

The following two items were moved to the top of the agenda to accommodate guests.

Generator Installation: Mark Houghton explained that EE Houghton is preparing for the Town Hall generator installation.  They need to have at least one tree on the front of the Town Hall removed by June 15th.  If the tree down on west side is removed, there will only be room for a 500-gallon tank, which is about two days of power.  Ms. Mayberry will have Mike Symonds reach out to Mark Houghton regarding tree removal.  Brad Nash will talk to Peter Palmiotto about which trees on the east side of the Town Hall should be removed since the Town is cutting trees.

Mr. Nash left the meeting.

Building Permit 2014-10 Renewal (Abenaki Springs): The application as submitted for the April 22, 2026 meeting was incomplete and was therefore rejected.  Since that time, Mr. Franks has provided the missing information for the electrical and plumbing contractors.  This permit is now on its twelfth year of renewal.  Mr. Franks said he is preparing to start phase three.  There was a consensus that even though the project was approved a long time ago, new buildings must meet the 2026 building and life safety codes. Mr. Houghton reminded Mr. Franks that once the third phase is added, the building will be so long that rear access will be required by the Fire Department.  The Selectboard reminded him that he needs all the approvals before any work starts on the third phase.

Mr. Dalessio moved to renew building permit 2014-10, contingent upon compliance with all applicable local, state, and federal buildings, fire safety, and life safety codes and requirements prior to the commencement of Phase III construction. Documentation demonstrating such compliance shall be submitted to the Selectboard before construction begins.  Ms. Mayberry seconded.  With Mr. Dalessio, Ms. Mayberry and Ms. Vose in favor, the motion passed.  Mr. Franks was also advised to meet with the Planning Board before starting work since there has been such a long pause in construction.  This is a recommendation even though it is not required by law.

Mr. Houghton and Mr. Franks left the meeting.

Accounts Payable

Mr. Dalessio moved to approve the Accounts Payable Check Register totaling $61,096.79 dated 5/12/2026 and an ACH payment of $47,489.11 to HealthTrust. Ms. Mayberry seconded.  With Mr. Dalessio, Ms. Mayberry and Ms. Vose in favor, the Accounts Payable was approved. 

Payroll

Mr. Dalessio moved to approve the Payroll Register totaling $34,565.01 dated 5/8/2026 and the 941 Payroll Tax Transfer of $6,377.13.  Ms. Mayberry seconded.  With Mr. Dalessio, Ms. Mayberry and Ms. Vose in favor, Payroll was approved. 

Selectboard Meeting Minutes

Selectboard Meeting – April 30, 2026: Mr. Dalessio moved to approve the Minutes of the Selectboard meeting of April 30, 2026. Ms. Mayberry seconded.  With Mr. Dalessio, Ms. Mayberry and Ms. Vose in favor, the Selectboard minutes were approved.

Non-Public Selectboard Meeting – April 30, 2026: Mr. Dalessio moved to approve the Minutes of the Non-Public Selectboard meeting of April 30, 2026.  The minutes will remain sealed.  Ms. Mayberry seconded.  With Mr. Dalessio, Ms. Mayberry and Ms. Vose in favor, the Non-Public minutes were approved.

Old Business

North Walpole Library Lease Agreement: Ms. Mayberry moved to approve and sign the lease agreement with North Walpole for the North Walpole Library for one year, at the request of North Walpole.  Mr. Dalessio seconded.  With Ms. Mayberry, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Vose in favor, the motion was approved and signed. 

Library Ramp Railing Extension: There is a plan to extend the railing from the end of the ramp to the sidewalk to make it easier to access the Library.  Ms. Vose spoke to Mrs. Malmberg about the concerns discussed last week.  Mrs. Malmberg will review the design and attend the meeting in two weeks to discuss it with the Selectboard.

Police Details Policy: The Police Details Policy has been upgraded to include earlier comments from the Selectboard.  Mr. Dalessio moved to accept the new policy.  Ms. Mayberry seconded.  With Mr. Dalessio, Ms. Mayberry and Ms. Vose in favor, the policy was accepted.  However, the procedure was not accepted because it does not support the policy.  The procedure must be updated to support the policy and resubmitted to the Selectboard.

Petition for Special Town Meeting: Mr. Hockensmith, the Town Attorney, has provided a draft of the petition for a Special Town Meeting to be held August 17th to determine whether the Town will take a bond of $3,000,000 or less to finance the new Police Station.  By consensus the Selectboard accepts the petition for a Special Town Meeting.  

Commercial Brush Fee at Recycling Center: The Recycling Center has requested that a fee be implemented for commercial landscapers who leave brush at the Recycling Center, and that the fee be based on the size of the truck.  The fee is to offset extra work and equipment repairs associated with handling the large amounts of brush.  By consensus, Ms. Hakey will be asked to write a letter to the landscapers in Walpole explaining the fees and how they will be implemented.  The timing is still to be determined.  The fees will be $10 for a pickup, $20 for a medium truck, and $30 for a large truckload. Ms. Hakey will also be asked to monitor how many loads of brush are coming in now compared to after the fee takes effect.  

In-Person Staff Meeting Topic: The topic for the meeting on 5/21 will be succession planning.  The Selectboard reviewed and approved by consensus the introductory material that will be mailed to all Department Managers ahead of time. 

New Business

2025 Total Equalized Valuations: Walpole has received its Total Equalized Valuation from the NH DRA.  The total value for 2025 is $847,392,539, an increase of $94,823,009 from 2024, or without the utilities and railroads $804,013,468.  Ms. Vose acknowledged receipt of this information.  

Non-Public Business RSA 91-A:3 II (c)

Ms. Mayberry moved to enter into Non-Public Session pursuant to RSA 91-A:3 II (c) at 8:10 PM.  Mr. Dalessio seconded.  With Ms. Mayberry, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Vose in favor, the motion was approved.

The meeting was reconvened at 8:30 PM.

Mr. Dalessio moved that the Non-Public Session Minutes be sealed. Ms. Mayberry seconded.  With Mr. Dalessio, Ms. Mayberry and Ms. Vose in favor, the motion was approved.

Hooper Trustees

Ms. Mayberry  moved to enter into the Hooper Trustees meeting at 8:33 PM.  Mr. Dalessio seconded.  With Ms. Mayberry, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Vose in favor, the motion was approved.

The meeting was reconvened at 8:49 PM.

Adjournment: Ms. Vose declared the meeting adjourned at 8:57 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Sue Bauer, Recording Secretary

(Note: These are unapproved Minutes. Corrections will be found in the Minutes of the May 14, 2026 Selectboard meeting.)