Selectboard Meeting Minutes – 10/9/25

SELECTBOARD 10/22/2025 Leave a comment

Town of Walpole, New Hampshire

Meeting of the Selectboard

October 9, 2025

Selectboard Present: Steven Dalessio, Chair, and Cheryl Mayberry

Selectboard Absent: Carolyn Vose

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

Guests Present: Mark Houghton, Water & Sewer Director; Kyle Teamy and Tim Williams of Ruggerio Processing Facility LLC; Peter Dexter; Meghan Hansson, Town Clerk,

Call to Order: Mr. Dalessio called the Selectboard meeting to order at 6:30 PM in the Walpole Town Hall.

The following items were moved to the top of the agenda to accommodate guests who wished to speak to them.

Water/Sewer Update

Mark Houghton had updates on several items:

  • Well Contracts: Mr. Houghton requested that the Selectboard counter-sign contracts for the Stopler and Sanctuary wells.  Ms. Mayberry moved to approve and sign the final well contracts for the two wells on Old Drewsville Road so they can use their wells, and they no longer need to be on the Town water system.  Mr. Dalessio seconded.  With Mrs. Mayberry and Mr. Dalessio in agreement, the motion passed, and the contracts were signed.
  • ARPA Grant Funded Pump Generators: Mr. Houghton updated the Board on the project status.  They are working their way through the generator installations at the sewer pump stations. Mr. Houghton reported that the ARPA grant funded project should be completed on time.
  • Generator for Town Hall (former Water/Sewer generator): The old generator from the Watkins Hill well will be installed at Town Hall. The generator could be placed where the propane tank is now located.  A 1,000-gallon propane tank will also be needed.  One tree that is not healthy would need to be removed from the north side of the Town Hall.  Mr. Houghton will quote the job. It was hoped that the cost can be included in the 2026 budget.
  • Strategic Planning Grant Closeout: The Strategic Planning Grant has concluded, with the Water Department returning about $1.47.  The strategic planning project leads into an asset management project. Mark Houghton confirmed that NH DES hired Underwood as the engineering firm and assigned them to work with Walpole on this project.

Mr. Houghton left the meeting.

Ruggerio Processing Facility

Mr. Teamy, co-owner of the facility, and Mr. Williams, the operations manager, said they want to ensure the Selectboard is aware of their plans.  They need to add a building beside the current tipping floor to do the automated separating.  After everything that can be recycled has been removed, the garbage will be bailed and sealed to eliminate odors and facilitate shipping.  Overall, the project will use automated separation to cut costs and minimize the amount of garbage that needs to go into landfills.  Mr. Dalessio reminded Mr. Teamy and Mr. Williams that before starting the new building, Ruggerio Processing Facility will need to go to Planning Board for a Site Plan Review and have a public hearing. Once the Site Plan is approved, they need to obtain a building permit from the Selectboard Office. Mr. Dalessio stated that Ruggerio Processing should be prepared to address traffic and odors concerns related to the facility.

Mr. Dexter, Mr. Teamy and Mr. Williams left the meeting.

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

Ms. Mayberry moved to enter into Non-Public Session pursuant to RSA 91-A:3 II (a)(b) at 7:17 PM.  Mr. Dalessio seconded. With Ms. Mayberry and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.

The meeting was reconvened at 7:52 PM.

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

Mrs. Hansson left the meeting during the Non-Public Session.

Town Clerk Office Closing for a few Days

The Town Clerk’s office will be open Monday, October 27th, but closed October 28th (Tuesday) –October 30th (Thursday) and November 3rd (Monday) – 4th (Tuesday).

Accounts Payable

Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the Accounts Payable Check Register totaling $186,663.11 dated 10/14/2025 including $62,297.40 payment to All States Construction for paving.  Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Ms. Mayberry and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved. 

Payroll

Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the Payroll Register totaling $35,739.16 dated 10/10/2025 and the 941 Payroll Tax Transfer of $7,007.88.  Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Ms. Mayberry and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved. 

Selectboard Meeting Minutes

Selectboard Meeting – October 1, 2025: Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the Minutes of the Selectboard meeting of October 1, 2025. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Ms. Mayberry and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.

Non-Public Selectboard Meeting – October 1, 2025: Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the Minutes of the Non-Public Selectboard meeting of October 1, 2025.  The minutes will remain sealed.  Seconded by Mr. Dalessio.  With Ms. Mayberry and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved, and the minutes are sealed.

Building Permit

2025-34, Map and Lot# 008-008-000: Ms. Mayberry moved to approve Building Permit #2025-34 for Map and Lot # 008-008-000 to construct a 10’ x 12’ shed. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio.  With Ms. Mayberry and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.

2025-35, Map and Lot# 025-016-000: Ms. Mayberry moved to approve Building Permit #2025-35 for Map and Lot # 025-016-000 to construct a 462.5 square foot roof mount solar array. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Ms. Mayberry and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.  Text has been added to the permit stating the Town takes no responsibility regarding the availability of connection to the electrical grid. The Town has been told by several contacts that new solar systems cannot be added to net metering.

Old Business

Arcomm Phone Installation Proposal: Arcomm will charge $2,520 to disconnect the analog service, install phones, configure the new VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) system, named GoTo, and train users in eight Departments.  It is estimated the monthly savings will be $850.  Ms. Mayberry moved to accept the proposal from Arcomm, sign the Arcomm contract, and sign Purchase Order #544093 for $2,520.00 (half to be paid when contract is signed with the remainder due on project completion).  Mr. Dalessio seconded.  With Ms. Mayberry and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion passed, and the contract and purchase order were signed.

Reservoir Dam Online Meeting: Mr. Dalessio updated the Board on the online meeting 10/3/2025 with Walpole, DES, and Fuss and O’Neill.  There is not enough time or money to get the whole project done. Therefore, DES recommends using this contract to get permitting in place.  Permits are good for five years.  Walpole will need to get another grant to implement the changes to the dam.  

High Street Bridge: Ms. Mayberry reported that there will be a meeting with FEMA on Friday, October 17th at the High Street Bridge to discuss repairing the bottom of the culvert rather than replacing the whole bridge.  This proposal would save a lot of money and give the bridge an additional ten to twenty years of life.

New Business

Recycling Trailer and Container Repairs: Recycling would like to repair the trailer and container needed for storage.  Ms. Hakey reported that there would be no charge for the repair, and it would be completed with help from the Highway Department.  They have a metal plate that can be placed over the hole in the floor so it can still be used for storage.  By consensus, the Board agreed to moving forward with the project.

Recycling Replacement 40-Yard Roll-off Container: The dumpster used for metal recycling is in bad condition.  Mrs. Hakey has received two quotes. Mr. Dalessio requested that Ms. Hakey shop around for a dumpster of heavy construction and try to buy it from a manufacturer.  Ms. Vose will work with Ms. Hakey to go through the process of looking at the budget to determine if the money is available this year or if it needs to wait.  They will need the 2025 actual financial data to know what is available at this point in the year and possibly move money to the correct account line to cover the expense.

Reservoir Dam ARPA Grant Reimbursement Requests: There are two requests, $10,935 and $8,000, related to dam and wetlands permits.  The cost for each is reimbursable through the ARPA grant.  Ms. Mayberry moved to approve and sign both ARPA grant reimbursement requests.  Mr. Dalessio seconded.  With Ms. Mayberry and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion passed, and Mr. Dalessio signed the reimbursement requests.

Houghton Brook Bridge Update: Mr. Dalessio explained that the Houghton Brook Dridge is now on the State’s ten-year plan.  Payments for overdue invoices are being sent to Fuss and O’Neill. 

HealthTrust Risk Pool Update: HealthTrust is a non-assessable risk pool.  Mr. Dalessio acknowledged receipt of the information.

Veterans’ Tax Credit RSA Change: Due to a change in the RSA, a warrant article will be required to maintain the current combined credit amount in Walpole.  Currently, the State allows the stacking of the $500 for Veterans Tax Credit with the $1,400 allowed for a 100% disabled veteran.  The new RSA does not permit stacking. To maintain the overall credit, The Town will need a warrant to change to $500 for veterans or $1,900 for those who are totally disabled.  Mrs. Downing will work on this.

North Walpole Commissioners Letter to Forest Street Resident: Residents on Forest Street are parking in the Class VI portion of the road and blocking access.  This is illegal and a safety risk if fire and/or rescue vehicles need to access any of the properties on that section of Fall Mountain.

NHMA Conference: Mrs. Downing is planning to attend the conference in November.

Adjournment: Mr. Dalessio declared the meeting adjourned at 8:14 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Sue Bauer, Recording Secretary

(Note: These are unapproved Minutes. Corrections will be found in the Minutes of the October 15, 2025 Selectboard meeting.)

“North Walpole 1850-1950” at the North Walpole Branch Library – 10/21/25

EVENTS 10/17/2025 Leave a comment

Note: There is additional parking behind the building.

All the news that's fit to print: North Walpole 1850-1950. Tuesday, October 21, 2025 at 5:30 pm at the North Walpole Branch Library. Step back in time and discover the captivating stories that filled the pages of local newspapers. From the serious to the sensational, join local librarian Julie Rios as she explores the headline that shaped North Walpole's history.

Tea Party at the Walpole Historical Society – 10/18/25

EVENTS 10/17/2025 Leave a comment

A SPECIAL EVENT EVERY SATURDAY

On October 18 at 12:30 pm, we’re having a Tea Party!  Come celebrate with refreshments, talk, and an opportunity to browse all the supplies you need to prepare for your own tea party.

Yes!  It’s prize time for those who entered the Walpole Historical Hunt and found the treasures in the Museum.  Come see what you’ve won!

This Tea Party is the last of the Walpole Historical Society’s special presentations for the 2025 season. 

It has been great seeing so many of you there!

Coming in November, but  . . .  you can get your tickets now!

November 2025 Clarion Closing Date – 10/22/25

Uncategorized 10/16/2025 Leave a comment

Yes, time again, and a week away for the closing date for the November CLARION – October 22. So, please send your submissions along by 5 pm Walpole Time, Wednesday 22 October. The files will go to the printer shortly thereafter – so do not miss out. As fall and holiday activities begin there should be more to share with you the rest of the year in this and then December’s issue. Make sure to visit the CLARION website for contact information, and article and advertising submission details.

Your early submissions help as I start developing the layout well before the closing date. If you have some “news” send it along. I also like to have on-hand material of interest that is not time-sensitive to fill space to round out a pleasing issue. So, if you would “like to be in print” and have something to write and share (images as well), send along for possible inclusion space permitting. Please do remember, it is the advertisers in each issue that make this community publication possible, so please support and thank them.

If you have any questions, or interest in placing an advertisement, reaching over 1900 Walpole, North Walpole and Drewsville addresses, I welcome your inquiries, so please do get in touch with me. Advertising information and contact information is on the CLARION website.

Thank you, RAY BOAS, Publisher

Tree Planting on the Common – 10/19/25

CONSERVATION COMMISSION, EVENTS 10/16/2025 Leave a comment
Tree Planting on the Common. Sunday, October 19, 2025, from 1:00 - 3:00 pm. Come to join, come to help, come to share this event - bring your neighbors! Walpole Conservation Commission is coordinating an effort to re-tree the town commons and, with residents' input, will plant trees in North Walpole, Drewsville, and Walpole Village over the next 10 years.

Selectboard Meeting Agenda – 10/15/25

SELECTBOARD 10/15/2025 Leave a comment

TOWN OF WALPOLE

SELECTBOARD MEETING AGENDA 

October 15, 2025

Starting at 6:30 PM in the Town Hall

SELECTBOARD MEETING

PAYROLL

  • Payroll Register totaling $32,435.54 dated 10/17/2025 and the 941 Payroll Tax Transfer of $6,176.96

SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES

  • Selectboard Meeting – October 9, 2025
  • Selectboard Non-Public Session – October 9, 2025

COMMITTEE REPORTS

  • Police Station Building Committee Meeting – September 4, 2025
  • Police Station Building Committee Meeting – October 8, 2025
  • Conservation Commission Meeting – October 6, 2025

BUILDING PERMITS

  • 2025-36, Map and Lot# 020-011-000

OLD BUSINESS

Pending Further Actions: Town Hall Generator, Old North Main and High Streets Bridges/Culverts, School and Union Street Drainage, Reservoir Dam Rehab Project

  • November In-Person Staff Meeting
  • 1st Selectboard Meeting in November

NEW BUSINESS

  • HealthTrust Benefits Renewal Package with Transmittal
  • HealthTrust Medicare Advantage with Prescription Drug Plan Package with Transmittal
  • Reservoir Dam ARPA Grant Reimbursement
  • Drewsville Common Christmas Event

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

HOOPER TRUSTEES MEETING

HOOPER TRUSTEES MINUTES

  • Hooper Trustees Meeting – October 1, 2025

HOOPER TRUSTEES PUBLIC BUSINESS

  • Hooper Institute Open House
  • Hooper Renovation Project Close Out

HOOPER TRUSTEES NON-PUBLIC BUSINESS: RSA 91-A:3 II

**Any recording, audio or visual, and/or other devices must be declared at the beginning of the meeting**

Police Building Committee Meeting Minutes – 10/8/25

Police Building Committee 10/14/2025 Leave a comment

Police Station Building Committee Minutes

October 8, 2025

Peggy Pschirrer called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. in the office of the Selectboard.  Present were Trevor MacLachlan, Andrew Dey and Chief Justin Sanctuary who join the group at 7:00 p.m.   Robin Sanctuary was present as a guest. Absent were David Adams, Jay Punt, Cheri Watson and Steve Dalessio.

Ms. Sanctuary presented plans for a potential fundraiser for the police Building Committee. Rod Bourchard and his wife Cindy have been working with Ms. Sanctuary.  She has received permission from The Savings Bank of Walpole and the widow of Howard Hiill to copy a painting named “Westminster Street” painted by Mr. Hill in 1992, to be raffled by the committee to start a fund for the future police station.  The painting has been copied on canvas and framed.  Raffle Tickets would sell for $10.00 per ticket or 3 tickets for $25.00.  The drawing for the painting would be held in mid-December.

Ms. Sanctuary also has smaller prints on canvas which could sell for $250.00.  She also has a copy of the painting Mr. Hill did of Walpole Town Hall which she can sell for $130.00 if on canvas or $40.00 if on paper.  

The Committee present approved Ms. Sanctuary’s proposal and agreed to help promote this raffle.

The Raffle will be announced in the Clarion and the painting displayed in several locations.

Donations to the Town of Walpole for the new police station are tax deductible. 

The Committee agreed to hold the RFPs for architects to produce construction drawings until the beginning of 2026.  The Committee also discussed the need for an Owner’s representative and a Construction Manager.

It is important that we hold another public meeting to highlight the fact that the new building is a category 4 building, a life safety building which has higher standards.  Unlike a personal house, this building has requirements demands safety features particular to police buildings. Evidence rooms must be secure. Holding rooms are soundproof.  There must be safe air handlers and bullet proof windows and doors.

The Training room will be available for meetings related to crime prevention, or community endangerment such as home security, neighborhood watch groups, crimes against the elderly, fraud detection or reports on local incidents.  

The next meeting of the Police Building Committee will be November 6, 2025, at 6:30 in the Selectboard office.

Reminder: “Great Decisions” Discussion of the Middle East Tonight with Ambassador Rugh

Uncategorized 10/13/2025 Leave a comment

Ambassador Rugh will be joining us tonight via Zoom as we discuss “American Policy in the Middle East.” We begin with a “Master Class” video at 6:00 p.m. in the Walpole Town Library. For those joining via Zoom, please request the Zoom link from our library director, Jane Malmberg: jmalmberg@walpoletownlibrary.org and join at 6:25 p.m., after the Foreign Policy “Master Class.”

Conservation Commission Minutes – 10/6/25

CONSERVATION COMMISSION 10/12/2025 Leave a comment

Town of Walpole, New Hampshire

Conservation Commission

October 6, 2025

(Note: These are unapproved Minutes. Corrections will be found in the Minutes of the November 3, 2025 Conservation Commission meeting.)

Members Present: Nicole Adams, Wendy Grossman, Paul Happ, France Menk, Peter Palmiotto (Cochair & Presiding)

Alternates Present: Tom Beaudry

Members Absent: John Peska (Cochair), Lewis Shelley, Carolyn Vose (Selectboard Rep), Hale Morrell

Visitors Present:  Steve Dalessio, Andrew Dey, Greta Drager

Call to Order: Peter called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm in the Town Hall. 

Seating of Alternates: A quorum was present, so no Alternates were needed.

Review and Approval of Minutes

Paul moved to accept the September 8, 2025 minutes as written. Nicole seconded and all voted in favor. The motion carried.

Public Business

Financial Report:  Conservation $281,421.08

Forestry $53,321.98

Correspondence: Wetland permit and maps; Conservation District Meeting invitation

The following item was moved to the top of the agenda to accommodate a guest who wished to speak to this item.

Reservoir Dam

Steve Dalessio reported that because of the change to the dam rating from low to high priority and rule changes, we now need to prepare for a thousand-year flood, but we are running out of time to do the work before the ARPA money disappears.  DES recommends changing the work scope for the ARPA grant to permitting only.  The remaining funds would be returned to ARPA. Then Walpole gets a new grant for the implementation.  DES assures us here are grants available.  Walpole should have information tomorrow from the meeting last Friday.  Then we will request a meeting with only DES and Walpole to determine where we really stand.  If we keep the dam, the first step would be a new spillway and to line the existing culvert that is rotted out.  That would keep the Town safe.  Walpole is very disappointed with Fuss & O’Neill, but the permits we are getting with the ARPA grants are good for five years.  The good news is that no Town money was lost on the project and now we have more time and options to decide what we should do.

New Business

Hooper Institute Leadership Introductions: Peter introduced Greta Drager, the Executive Director.  She would like the Conservation Commission’s thoughts and perspectives on Hooper Forest as Hooper Institute looks for new ways to utilize the Hooper Forest for classes, walking trails, etc. It was suggested she talk to the Trail Committee and Lew Shelley.  George Gowdy was not available tonight but the classes in the school are varied and going very well.  The Hooper Institute grand reopening will be October 18th at 12-2:00.  Now that the building can be used year-round, they are considering classes for upstairs and in the kitchen, February vacation camp, adult programming, …  Greta is open to suggestions.

There was a discussion about the dam.  Water was pumped to irrigate the golf course this summer, but they can only take water down to a certain level for irrigation.  We need an update on the Cranberry dam permit and cleanup project that was discussed earlier this year.

Easement Monitoring: We need to monitor four Town easements – Wendy has done three and will do them again.   Wendy cannot do 4th one because she lives there.  There are eight properties which Monadnock Conservancy monitors and a new person monitored a couple easements recently.  It was suggested that with a new manager in place at Monadnock Conservancy, it might be a good time to request more feedback when properties are monitored, and a week’s notice prior to monitoring so someone from the Conservation Commission can go along and learn.  We need a plan for monitoring all the properties we are responsible for.  Peter will call a meeting to develop a monitoring plan.

Derry Hill Road – Class VI Road Status: It was observed that work is being done on Derry Hill Road, the Class VI portion.  The work was not sanctioned by Walpole.  The road is being flattened, and saplings are being pushed back to widen the road.  The work continues from the beginning of the Class VI section past the field.

Old Business

Gateway Management – Invasive Control: Zack at Longview recommends doing more treatment in the future.  The Conservation Commission will check in the spring to determine what is needed.

Fanny Mason Forest Management: Peter is planning to meet with Alex Barrett from Longview this fall to discuss the Fanny Mason Forest project.

Tree Planting – October 19, 2025, 1:00 – 3:00 pm: There will be five trees planted on the west side of the Common.  In the spring an additional five trees will be planted.   

Trail Committee

Updates: The Trail Committee will remove fallen trees across trails until winter, and during the workday on November 8th they will be doing the Rail Trail ditches.  During the winter, the Hooper Hill Hoppers maintain the trails.  The NH Bureau of Trails repaired two bridges on the northern end of the Rail Trail at their expense and with their own labor.  We appreciate the help and having safe bridges once again.

The Rail Trail Maintenance agreement was reviewed by the Town Attorney and approved by the Selectboard.  This is not a replacement for the annual request to brush hog the Rail Trail – it is a long-term commitment and an opportunity for the Town.  Now we need to submit a work plan by the end of the year.  We have requested guidance on creating a work plan since this will be our first one.  Wendy is leading the development of the work plan and will seek input from Lew and the Trail Committee.

Other Business and Updates

Hooper Institute Board: No update, but the Hooper Board meets tomorrow night.

Next Meeting – November 3, 2025

Adjournment: Paul moved the meeting be adjourned.  France seconded. Peter declared the meeting adjourned at 8:10 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Sue Bauer, Recording Secretary

Notice from Rancho Viejo

Uncategorized 10/12/2025 1 Comment

Rancho Viejo will be closed Tuesday, October 14 during the lunch hour, for the installation of new kitchen equipment.  The restaurant will reopen by three o’clock that afternoon.  Thank you for your patience and your patronage!