The Walpolean

The time is NOW to order your pies, specialty treats, and single serve entrees – all made by the cooks of St. John’s. (IF any leftovers, they will be sold on Saturday at the Fair.)   Cookie walk, antiques, crafts, Christmas items await you! 

Selectboard Present:  Peggy Pschirrer, Chair; Cheryl Mayberry; Steve Dalessio

Staff Present: Sarah Downing, Manager of Administration; Ahmad Esfahani, Recording Secretary

CALL TO ORDER:  Mrs. Pschirrer called this Selectboard meeting to order at 6:30 PM. She introduced herself, Peggy Pschirrer, Selectboard Chair, Cheryl Mayberry, Steve Dalessio, Sarah Downing, Manager of Administration and Ahmad Esfahani, Recording Secretary. 

PAYROLL: Mr. Dalessio moved to approve the Payroll Register totaling $32,856.83 dated 11/3/23 and the 941 Payroll Tax Transfer of $6,819.55. Seconded by Ms. Mayberry. With Mr. Dalessio, Ms. Mayberry, and Mrs. Pschirrer in favor, the motion was approved.

SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES:

SELECTBOARD MEETING– October 26, 2023:  Mr. Dalessio moved to approve the Minutes of the Selectboard Meeting Minutes of October 26, 2023. Seconded by Ms. Mayberry. With Mr. Dalessio, Ms. Mayberry and Mrs. Pschirrer in favor, the motion was approved. 

SELECTBOARD NON-PUBLIC SESSION – October 26, 2023:   Mr. Dalessio moved to approve the Minutes of the Selectboard Non-Public Session of October 26, 2023. Seconded by Ms. Mayberry. With Mr. Dalessio, Ms. Mayberry and Mrs. Pschirrer in favor, the motion was approved. The minutes will remain sealed.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Mr. Dalessio brought to the chair’s attention the following committee reports:

     • Walpole Police Building Committee Meeting– October 16, 2023

     • Planning Board Workshop Meeting – October 24, 2023 

     • North Walpole Village District Commissioners Meeting – October 24, 2023 

     • North Walpole Village District Commissioners Meeting – October 30, 2023 

Mrs. Pschirrer acknowledged these minutes. 

BUILDING PERMITS:

2023-39, Map and Lot# 010-049-000: Mr. Dalessio moved to approve the building permit for Map and Lot# 010-049-000 to construct a 22’ x 20’ Steel Arch Building. Seconded by Ms. Mayberry. With Mr. Dalessio, Ms. Mayberry and Mrs. Pschirrer in favor the motion was approved.

OLD BUSINESS:

Water Shut-Off Agreement: Mrs. Pschirrer reflected on a collaboration with North Walpole on a water shut-off policy. Ms. Mayberry stated that North Walpole had a meeting this week and will follow up on this matter next week. 

NEW BUSINESS:

Request for Fund to Trustees of Trust Funds: Mr. Dalessio motioned to accept the request of the Trustees of Trust Funds for $1,500 from Cemetery Trust #2 to reimburse the green burial section of the New Cemetery. Seconded by Ms. Mayberry. With Mr. Dalessio, Ms. Mayberry and Mrs. Pschirrer in favor the motion was approved.

Gazebo Roofing Quotes: Mrs. Pschirrer stated there were three business quotes to fix the gazebo roof on the Town Common:

1) Long’s Roofing at $4,938.60 using architectural shingles

2) Melanson – $9,900 to replace roof with standard 3-tab shingles

3) Melanson – $10,950 using architectural shingles

4) Brian DeJesus Construction using architectural shingles – $7,520

Mr. Dalessio motioned to accept the bid by Long’s Roofing to do the gazebo’s roof replacement at $4,938.60. Seconded by Ms. Mayberry. With Mr. Dalessio, Ms. Mayberry and Mrs. Pschirrer in favor the motion was approved.

Help Wanted Stick Signs: Mrs. Downing presented an idea that may help with finding a new Highway employee by placing help-wanted yard signs. The Selectboard reached consensus to approve of Mrs. Downing’s request. Mrs. Downing stated that this would come out of the advertising line on the Town’s executive budget.

Letter to NH Public Radio: Mrs. Pschirrer presented a draft letter regarding NH Public Radio not filing State forms for their exemption with the Town. Mr. Dalessio reflected that from 2022-2023 the Town did not bill NH Public Radio (NHPR). He stated that in 2022-2023 the Town only sent a tax bill to NH Public Broadcasting (NHPB). Mr. Dalessio reflected that as of right now, the NHPR does not owe the Town any money, as it was ultimately the responsibility of NHPB. Mrs. Downing stated that normally NHPR would not have received a tax bill because their A-9 and A-12 would have been submitted. However, NPPR did not submit either of these documents. Mrs. Downing stated that she would send the response letter to NHPR via email. 

Graves Road Water Issue: Mrs. Pschirrer stated that there is a house on Graves Road that is directing water onto the road and to a neighboring property. Mrs. Pschirrer reflected on the relevant RSAs which speak to redirecting water from one’s property onto a Town road. Mr. Dalessio stated he would go to the property this weekend and take pictures.

Streetlights: Mr. Dalessio stated that a streetlight shield has been put up by a resident’s house. He will take pictures of the light this weekend to see if there was a positive change. The Town has additional shields which were purchased from Liberty Utilities. 

HOOPER TRUSTEES MEETING:  

Ms. Mayberry moved to enter into Hooper Trustees meeting at 6:56 PM. Mr. Dalessio seconded. With Ms. Mayberry, Mr. Dalessio, and Mrs. Pschirrer in favor, the motion was approved.

The meeting reconvened at 7:06 PM. 

NON-PUBLIC BUSINESS RSA 91-A:3 II (c):  

Ms. Mayberry moved to enter into Non-Public meeting at 7:06 PM. Mr. Dalessio seconded. With Ms. Mayberry, Mr. Dalessio, and Mrs. Pschirrer in favor, the motion was approved.

The meeting reconvened at 7:29 PM. 

Mrs. Pschirrer declared the Non-Public meeting minutes sealed. 

ADJOURNMENT:

Mrs. Pschirrer declared the meeting adjourned at 7:30 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Ahmad Esfahani, Recording Secretary 

See Walpole Rail Trail Improvements

Guided Hike-–Sunday, November 19

Rail Trail Project Completion: The 2023 project to improve drainage on the Cheshire Rail Trail in Walpole is complete!  Drainage ditches have been dug out, culverts have been cleared, and/or the trail surface has been raised at a few of the very wettest areas along Walpole’s rail trail. Users should find a much drier trail year-round, though there will still be some wet spots (especially when it rains.)

Public Rail Trail Hike: We invite you to join us for a guided hike at 12:30 pm on Sunday, November 19, to see and experience the newly renovated sections of the rail trail.  The hike will cover about 4 1/2 miles of the rail trail, between the Route 123 crossing on the north end and Blackjack Crossing Road on the south end.  This will be a one-way hike, with shuttles available back to the starting point.  Please send an email to walpoletrailhelpers@gmail.com to register for the hike or to get further information.  Details about where to park and what to bring will be sent to registered participants.

Visit the Rail Trail: We would encourage any interested walkers, bicyclists, equestrians or other non-motorized users to check out the renovated portions of the Walpole rail trail.  Remember, no motorized vehicles are allowed on the rail trail except for snowmobiles. Maps of the rail trail are available on the Walpole Conservation Commission website (walpoleoutdoors.org/maps/) and in Town Hall.

Thanks:  Thanks to all who’ve made this project possible, including the Recreational Trails Program, the Walpole Conservation Commission, the Walpole Selectboard, trail builder Lew Shelley of Snowhawk LLC and nine volunteer trail workers.  Thanks also to all those in the Walpole area who’ve cheered us on.

You can send any questions or comments to walpoletrailhelpers@gmail.com.

Wendy & Will Grossman

Walpole Rail Trail RTP Project Managers

Walpole Trail Committee

7.3 acres of productive farmland used by Pete’s Stand in Walpole is now forever conserved.

WALPOLE, NH – The Monadnock Conservancy has finalized the purchase of a conservation easement covering 7.3 acres of farmland in Walpole, NH. This land is actively farmed by the owners of Pete’s Stand, a local farmstand that has been in business in Walpole for three generations. 

With the purchase of this conservation easement – a legal agreement that forever restricts the use of this land to farming and undeveloped open space – the Conservancy is working to protect the region’s access to locally grown food. Near the banks of the Connecticut River, all of the 7.3 acres are ideal for growing vegetables and are among the most fertile soil types in the entire country. Although the Route 12 corridor in Walpole contains many acres of productive farmland, commercial development has taken away much of this land. The Monadnock Conservancy is proud that this property can remain farmland for generations to come. 

John and Teresa Janiszyn own and operate Pete’s Stand, which was started by John’s grandfather. They grow a variety of vegetables on the property and others nearby using sustainable farming techniques. This parcel will be the first and currently only farm field that the Janiszyns own outright, a big step for ensuring the viability of their historic and beloved local business. By purchasing this conservation easement, the Conservancy helped John and Teresa buy the land. 

“Local farms provide so much to this region, and I am always pleased when we can keep farmland in the hands of farmers. As a Walpole resident myself, I am especially happy that our organization is helping Pete’s Stand continue to thrive, especially in light of the extreme weather and flooding that impacted so many farms this summer.” – Ryan Owens, Executive Director, The Monadnock Conservancy. 

Generous funding support for this project came from the New Hampshire Farm Future Fund, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s Thomas W. Haas Fund, and many private donors. 

About The Monadnock Conservancy

The Monadnock Conservancy, founded in 1989, is the only land trust dedicated exclusively to the Monadnock region of southwestern New Hampshire. Serving 38 towns and the City of Keene, its mission is to work with communities and landowners to conserve the natural resources, wild and working lands, rural character, and scenic beauty of the region. Based in Keene, the Conservancy is an accredited organization that has protected more than 23,000 acres of forest, farmland, shoreline, wetlands, wildlife habitat, and recreation trails. For more information, please visit http://www.MonadnockConservancy.org or call 603-357-0600.