WALPOLE ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT PUBLIC NOTICE
You are hereby notified of the following change in time and place for the regular November 20, 2024 meeting.
The meeting will be held on the second floor of the Town Hall and begin at 6 pm.
Walpole Community Giving Tree Project
The Walpole Community Giving Tree Project is getting underway again for the 2024 holiday season. This project helps families provide holiday gifts for their children ages birth-18 (or older if still in high school). Participating families must be residents of the Walpole township (Walpole, North Walpole, and Drewsville).
PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS: From NOVEMBER 1-22 only, tags will be available at the following locations during their regular business hours: River Valley Church, First Congregational Church (go to back door by ramp), St. John’s Church, St. Peter’s Church, the Walpole Library, Spencer’s Place, The Hungry Diner, Savings Bank of Walpole on Westminster St, and Mascoma Bank.
UNWRAPPED gifts should be returned to any of these same locations no later than November 30th; you do not have to return your gift to the same location where you took a tag.
This is a wonderful project that helps to brighten the holiday season for many of our local families, and we appreciate everyone’s help! If you have any questions, you may contact us at weilcloues8808@gmail.com.
Happy holidays to you and yours! Please stay safe and healthy!
Jeanne Cloues and Marcia Weil, project organizers
NOTE: You may also mail donations directly to us at 192 Upper Walpole Road, Walpole, 03608. Please make checks payable to Jeanne Cloues and put “Giving Tree” in the memo line.
Selectboard Meeting Minutes – 10/10/24
TOWN OF WALPOLE, NEW HAMPSHIRE
MEETING OF THE SELECTBOARD
OCTOBER 10, 2024
Selectboard Present: Cheryl Mayberry, Chair; Steven Dalessio and Carolyn Vose
Staff Present: Sarah Downing, Manager of Administration, and Sue Bauer, Recording Secretary
Guests Present: Peggy Pschirrer, Paul Looney, Ernie Vose, and Wendy Pelletier
Call to Order: Ms. Mayberry called the Selectboard meeting to order at 6:31 PM in the Walpole Town Hall.
HOOPER TRUSTEES
Mr. Dalessio moved to enter into the Hooper Trustees meeting at 6:32 PM. Ms. Vose seconded. With Mr. Dalessio, Ms. Vose and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.
The meeting was reconvened at 6:38 PM.
To accommodate guests wishing to speak to items on the agenda, the Old and New Business were done next.
OLD BUSINESS
Pending Further Action: Parking Policy, Generators, Old North Main and High Street Bridges/Culverts, Houghton Brook Bridge, UCC sign at Rt 12 & South Street
Whipple Hill Road: Wendy Pelletier of Cardinal Surveying requested that 410 feet of Class VI Road become Class V on Whipple Hill Road. Her clients would like to subdivide an acre and a half with 200-foot frontage. Extending the Class V Road would eliminate several issues. Mr. Dalessio explained that to upgrade the road, RSA’s must be followed. This includes adding a warrant article that documents the cost of the road upgrades. The best way to request a warrant article is a petition signed by twenty-five Walpole registered voters. There will be a hearing with the rest of the warrant articles. There will be a betterment assessment on all property owners on the improved section of road. Impacted landowners can prevent the improvements from happening. Also there needs to be a turnaround for the plow truck. Mr. Vose commented that It would be unreasonable to expect that big truck with the wing and plow to back up that hill. The Selectboard Office needs the petition by mid-January. Receiving the petition earlier is much better.
Ms. Pelletier left the meeting.
CPNH Renewable Energy Credit Sale and Purchase Agreement: Paul Looney explained the new contract is not complete. In order to get the $6,000 refund that the Town is owed, Mr. Looney sent a letter saying Walpole is working with CPCNH. The contract is still being worked on, but it will be 1-year, renewable and pay at a rate of $35/credit. The Power Committee is tracking energy generation at the Recycling Center. Currently half the power goes to Recycling and half to Town Hall. Mr. Looney will create a budget for the Recycling Center and Town Hall electricity for 2025. Mr. Dalessio commented that an EV charger may need to be repaired at the Town parking lot. Additionally, the breakeven rate needs to be determined. Currently there are two charging online location applications reporting that one charger is active and the other is offline.
Ms. Pschirrer and Mr. Looney left the meeting.
Reservoir Dam Grant Reimbursement Forms: Ms. Mayberry moved that Mr. Dalessio sign the three reimbursement forms for the Reservoir Dam Grant. Seconded by Ms. Vose. With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion passed, and the three forms were signed.
Great River Hydro Pilot Request: This request revisited a request from last year. Because the assessments are set for the 2024 tax year, there is nothing that can be done for almost a year. Mr. Dalessio stated at this point we do not have tax rates or any other information that is needed. There is nothing that can be done until 2025. Mrs. Downing will send feedback to Great River Hydro.
Reservoir Dam: Mr. Dalessio stated there would be a design review with DES in a couple of weeks. Once that is complete, the Town can start the work. The dam needs to be thicker, and the spillway needs to be wider.
ARP Grant Funding: Mr. Dalessio will be meeting with Mark Houghton to work out the contracts for water-sewer projects. The contracts need to be signed this year to encumber the ARPA Grant funds into next year.
NEW BUSINESS
Zoning Coordinator: Mr. Vose attended to discuss his thoughts about the position. It has been easy so far. His concern is with all the changes being discussed and what they will mean for this position. Currently Mr. Vose has an advisory position. He looks at what inquirers want to do and helps them know how to do it following the rules. Mr. Dalessio felt it was not clear when the changes might happen. Mr. Vose will continue with the job as it is. If it changes, he will talk to the Board again.
Mr. Vose left the meeting.
Encumbrance for Vent Hood: Mrs. Downing reported that the vent hood repair may not be able to happen this year. However, there is a contract with EE Houghton and the funding had been approved in 2024. Mr. Dalessio moved to encumber the vent hood repairs in the Town Hall kitchen. Seconded by Ms. Vose. With Mr. Dalessio, Ms. Vose and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion passed, and the kitchen vent hood repair funding was encumbered.
The Board complimented Mrs. Downing on an excellent letter containing all the necessary information. Ms. Mayberry will send it as an example to all the department managers with a reminder they need to encumber funds for projects that will not be completed this year.
Engagement Letter re: AccuFund Support: A cover letter from Mr. Kreissle and the Brisbane Consulting agreement form were sent to the Board. Clarity is needed regarding the rate range of$150 – $275 per hour. Mr. Kreissle is asked to give Brisbane Consulting the existing insurance issue, ask how they would fix it and the cost. Since more information is needed, the item is tabled until next week.
Ruggerio Processing Facility – Building Permits: Mrs. Downing reported that there is no permit on file for the pole barn or for the office trailer. The trailer did not receive a fine. The Town fined the owner for building the barn without a building permit. The Selectboard agreed that to make the records complete, a building permit for the pole barn was needed. Mr. Dalessio commented that the property owner said they were not adding a trailer or scale and were only doing site work during Covid. However, both structures have since appeared. There was a consensus by the Selectboard to clear up the building permits for the existing scale and trailer. There is a new owner of the business who must pay for the past. The fine for the lack of a building permit for the office trailer is $1,000. Mrs. Downing will write a letter explaining the need for the building permits and the fine. Once it is taken care of, the Town can start working with the new owner of the facility who appears to be cooperative.
Building Permit Forms: Adding language that site prep cannot begin until the building permit is approved to building permit forms was agreed upon by the Selectboard. Generally, people comply voluntarily, but the form needs clarification. Mrs. Downing will change the building permit forms to include language that no site preparation is permitted until the Selectboard has approved the building permit.
Political and Other Signage on Town Property: A verbal and written complaint was received about a negative sign at the junction of North Road, Old Drewsville Road, and Old North Main. The Selectboard agreed by consensus that no signs are permitted on Town property. All signs (political and commercial) will be removed from Town property. Signage will be stored at the Police Station for the owners to retrieve.
CPCNH Meeting Notice: The next meeting will be in a hybrid format on October 25, 2024, and will start at 8:00 AM. The Selectboard is to RSVP via Survey Monkey to attend.
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE
Ms. Vose moved to approve Accounts Payable totaling $1,109,535.73 dated 10/11/2024. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Ms. Vose, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved. This included a $403,089.15 payment to Bazin Brothers for paving and a monthly $581,631.87 monthly payment to the Fall Mountain Regional School District. The Selectboard requested that the Highway Department send estimates with invoices. Purchase orders need to refer to the budget line item. There were quotes for the Highway Department before the paving project started. Mr. Dalessio will request them.
PAYROLL
Ms. Vose moved to approve the Payroll Register totaling $31,093.73 dated 10/11/2024and the 941 Payroll Tax Transfer of $6,285.65. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Ms. Vose, Mr. Dalessio, and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.
SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES
Selectboard Meeting – October 2, 2024: Ms. Vose moved to approve the Minutes of the Selectboard meeting of October 2, 2024. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Ms. Vose, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the minutes were approved.
Non-Public Selectboard Meeting – October 2, 2024: Ms. Vose moved to approve the Minutes of the Non-Public Selectboard meeting of October 2, 2024. The minutes will remain sealed. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Ms. Vose, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the minutes were approved and are sealed.
ABATEMENTS
Map and Lot # 019-039-000: An internal and external inspection of the property occurred. Additional edits were applied to the property card. Ms. Vose moved to approve the abatement for Map and Lot # 019-039-000 for $643.21. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Ms. Vose, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.
SOLAR ENERGY EXEMPTION
Map and Lot # 005-002-003: The exemption form had been pending. New construction updates in the assessing program have now been completed. Now the solar system is recorded on the tax card and can be exempted from property taxes. Ms. Vose moved to approve the solar energy exemption for Map and Lot # 005-002-003. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Ms. Vose, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.
BUILDING PERMITS
2024-33, Map and Lot# 011-036-000: Ms. Vose moved to approve Building Permit #2024-33 for Map and Lot # 011-036-000 to construct a 44’ x 24’ two story home. The prior home was demolished in 2016. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Ms. Vose, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.
2024-34, Map and Lot# 014-011-000: Ms. Vose moved to approve Building Permit #2024-34 for Map and Lot # 014-011-000 to construct a 45’ x 40’ one and half story home. The prior home was destroyed by fire. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Ms. Vose, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.
NON-PUBLIC BUSINESS RSA 91-A:3 II (a)
Ms. Vose moved to enter into Non-Public Session pursuant to RSA 91-A:3 II (a) at 8:06 PM. Mr. Dalessio seconded. With Ms. Vose, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.
The meeting was reconvened at 8:31 PM.
Mr. Dalessio moved that the Non-Public Session Minutes be sealed. Seconded by Ms. Vose. With Mr. Dalessio, Ms. Vose and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.
Adjournment: Ms. Mayberry declared the meeting adjourned at 8:31 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Sue Bauer, Recording Secretary
(Note: These are unapproved Minutes. Corrections will be found in the Minutes of the October 17, 2024 Selectboard meeting.)
Yard Sale – 10/20/24
There will be a yard sale at 19 Stillpoint Lane in Walpole on Sunday, 10/20/24, from 9 am – 2 pm.
Update: Friends of the Library Book Sale Donations
The Friends of the Walpole Library will NO LONGER be accepting book donations for the fall book sale at the Chicken Coop (behind the Hungry Diner).
Thank you to everyone who donated books to the Friends of the Library Book Sale. This year’s sale dates are October 26th and 27th.
Selectboard Meeting Agenda – 10/17/24
TOWN OF WALPOLE
SELECTBOARD MEETING AGENDA
October 17, 2024
Starting at 6:30 PM in the Town Hall
HOOPER TRUSTEES MEETING
HOOPER TRUSTEES MINUTES
- Hooper Trustees Meeting – October 10, 2024
HOOPER TRUSTEES PUBLIC BUSINESS
HOOPER TRUSTEES NON-PUBLIC BUSINESS: RSA 91-A:3 II (a)
SELECTBOARD MEETING
PAYROLL
- Payroll Register totaling $31,006.49 dated 10/18/2024 and the 941 Payroll Tax Transfer of $6,274.37.
SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES
- Selectboard Meeting – October 10, 2024
- Selectboard Non-Public Session – October 10, 2024
COMMITTEE REPORTS
- Walpole Fire District Monthly Meeting – August 7, 2024
- Walpole Fire District Monthly Meeting – September 4, 2024
- Conservation Commission Meeting – October 7, 2024
- Planning Board Meeting – October 8, 2024
TIMBER TAX WARRANT
- Op# 24-461-03 for Map and Lot# 011-039-004
BUILDING PERMITS
- 2024-35, Map and Lot# 010-033-001
OLD BUSINESS
Pending Further Actions: Parking Policy, Generators, Old North Main and High Steets Bridges/Culverts, Houghton Brook Bridge, ARPA Funding Grants
- Congregational Church Sign at Rt. 12 & South St.
- Reservoir Dam Grant Reimbursement Form
- Draft Purchase and Sale Agreement for New Police Station Land
NEW BUSINESS
- Appointment Notices
- Purchase Order for Desktop Computers
- HealthTrust Benefits Renewal Package & Transmittal
- Two Important School District Dates
- ELF Article
- In-Person Staff Meeting of 11/21/2024
NON-PUBLIC BUSINESS: RSA 91-A:3 II (c)
Scouting for Food Drive – 11/2/24
From Deb Pawelczyk:
On Saturday, November 2, 2024, from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon, Cub Scout Pack 299 and Boy Scout Troop 299 will be holding their Scouting for Food Drive. We will be handing out information sheets for the annual ‘Scouting for Food Drive’ at the following locations: Walpole Post Office, Walpole Recycling Center, Tractor Supply and Shaw’s. People can also make monetary or food donations on this date.
Then, on November 9, 2024, from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon, we will be at the same locations collecting non-perishable food items (no glass please) and monetary donations. Pet food is also greatly appreciated. All food and monetary donations go directly to the Fall Mountain Food Shelf. Donations in 2023 included over 800 items of food and $3200 in cash.
Conservation Commission Meeting Minutes – 10/7/24
TOWN OF WALPOLE, NEW HAMPSHIRE
CONSERVATION COMMISSION
OCTOBER 7, 2024
Members Present: Alicia Flammia, Wendy Grossman, France Menk, Peter Palmiotto, Lewis Shelley
Alternates Present: Nicole Adams, Tom Beaudry
Selectboard Present: Steve Dalessio
Members Absent: John Peska
Alternates Absent: Paul Happ
Visitors Present: Katherine Kopji, North Walpole Village Commissioner
Call to Order: Peter called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm in the Town Hall.
Seating of Alternates: no Alternates needed
In Memory of Marcia Galloway: Marcia served on the Conservation Commission for many years and was Chair. Each member who served with Marcia shared their memories. By consensus, the Conservation Committee recommends that Marcia be recognized in the Town Report.
Review and Approval of Minutes
Tabled to the next meeting.
Public Business
Report from co-Chair: A copy of the RSA book has been requested for the meeting room downstairs. Paul Happ has been approved as an Alternate.
Financial Report: no report
Correspondence:
- Ryan Owens is leaving the Monadnock Conservancy to run the New England Forestry Foundation. He will continue to live in Walpole.
- NH Association of Conservation Commissions Annual Meeting: Saturday November 2nd at Pembroke Academy. Keynote: “Something Wild” Stories; A Peek Behind the Microphone with Thoughts on NH’s Natural Heritage. Presenters are Dave Anderson, Senior Director of Education for the Society of the Protection of NH Forests, and Chris Martin, Senior Biologist with NH Audubon. The Commission can reimburse cost.
- Cheshire County Conservation District’s 8th Annual Conservation Commission Potluck is Tuesday, November 19th at Stonewall Farm in Keene. There will be a presentation on turtle conservation in NH and a roundtable discussion. The Commission can reimburse cost.
New Business
Britton Farm – CCCD Cooperator of the Year Award: The Britton Farm will be recognized at the Annual Celebration of the Cheshire County Conservation District on October 10th.
Knapp Cranberry Bog Dam – Wetland Permit: John will continue to work on the Knapp Cranberry Bog Dam. The issue is that there are lots of requirements because it will now be necessary to go into the water. This dam is rated as a low hazard. Because of the problems finding a contractor, this will probably not be done immediately. Steve Dalessio is also following this project.
Fanny Mason Rest Area – Issues and Updates, Parking, Cleaning Shelters:
- Kara’s invoice included a list of the trash she has removed. There was a camper parked for a number of days recently. The police were notified. We need “no overnight parking” signs.
- Additional signs are needed. France will check with other places to ask what they have for signs. The signs need to be consistent, and some of the issues should be eliminated when some dead trees are taken down, the disintegrating steps are removed, etc. Signs might go on the shelter in a kiosk – a consistent sign plan is needed.
- Questions: should we claim them as Walpole’s rest area? do we want to shut down rest areas? we put a fence up on the west – want one on the east too?
- Today Lew sent out the RFQ’s for roofing the shelters.
- Lew will schedule a November workday. That is a popular hunting area.
NHACC Grants for Interns: Applications are due October 11th. The grants are for 15 hours per week for three months in the spring. By consensus, if Peter has the time to submit an application, perhaps to do a wetlands inventory, that is good with the Commission. Peter will check to be sure this grant is not just for towns in need.
Old Business
Property Monitoring: A monitoring request from LCIP was received but the location was not specified. Wendy offered to be the Commission’s contact for property monitoring and will inform LCHP to change the contact information from Alicia to Wendy.
Trail Committee: The meetings and minutes are on the Town website. The invoice for the second brush hogging will be paid Friday. They are starting to look at Academy Ravine to look at options – brainstorming now. Note: Mad Brook is a state name stream, so there are a lot of state rules that apply to any management activities of named streams. There are a lot of fallen trees that could block the culvert again and cause serious flooding. The Mill Pond trails will be inspected Sunday. They are planning an in-person public meeting this fall. There will be an autumn maintenance day for the Rail Trail. They are considering creating a program for lending outdoor gear for winter.
Fanny Mason Harvesting: no update
Reservoir Dam Updates: There will be a design review in a couple weeks with DES – Steve, John, and Mark Houghton will attend. Someone to fix the kink in the culvert has been found. Mill Pond Dam repairs will probably be coming soon because that is identified as a high-risk dam.
Hooper Institute Board: Nicole reported they continue to discuss bike trails in the Hooper Forest. She created a map to help them understand the existing trails. They discussed invasives information from Alex Barrett. They might pay for the next treatment, since they have money from the harvest. Renovations are moving ahead with work planned for this winter.
Walpole Street Trees – Common Tree Replacement/Planting: Donations covered the costs of trees planted on the Common, so the Commission will not need to draw from its funds for them. The committee will get together and develop a plan for going forward. Old stumps presented a problem in the planting location. With the use of a chainsaw, and moving the expanding a hole slightly the trees were planted with good spacing. The plan is to have another planting next year. The fund for the monument maintenance needs to be reviewed to see if there is money that could be used for trees.
Other Business
- Peter will follow up with Alex Barrett regarding quotes for invasives treatments and the Fanny Mason harvest.
- The Commission would like to see someone from North Walpole join the commission. Katherine Kopji is willing to come if her schedule permits. She will talk to the other Village Commissioners and provide a prioritized list of needs for North Walpole next month.
Adjournment: Peter declared the meeting adjourned at 8:24 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Sue Bauer, Recording Secretary
(Note: These are unapproved Minutes. Corrections will be found in the Minutes of the November 4, 2024 Conservation Commission meeting.)
Planning Board Public Notice
WALPOLE PLANNING BOARD
PUBLIC NOTICE
You are hereby notified of the following three Public Hearings to be held on November 12, 2024 at 7 pm in the Town Hall. The following applications will be reviewed for completion by the Board and a Public Hearing will be held.
Public Hearing No. 1. Elm and Pleasant LLC propose a Lot Line Adjustment for property at the corner of Pleasant and Elm Streets, Town Map 20, Lot 32 and Town Map 22, Lot 3 in the Residential B District. After the boundary line adjustment the lot with the apartment will be 1.3 acres and the field will be 18 acres, a change of 7 acres.
Public Hearing No. 2. John McKee Pratt Revocable Trust proposes a subdivision on Reservoir Road. Tax Map 11, Lot No. 1 will now be 26.07 acres with 268.75 feet of road frontage. It is currently a horse farm. The adjacent area to this lot is an Agricultural Easement for the benefit of Lot 1. This lot is 2.20 acres. The second lot, Tax Map 11, Lot No. 1-2, will be 15.44 acres with 200 feet of road frontage.
Public Hearing No. 3. The Planning Board has drafted a zoning amendment to be placed on the town warrant that excludes formula businesses in the commercial district, Section 6, of Downtown Walpole Village, Article VI. Formula businesses include retail sales and restaurants that regulate by contractual or other arrangements certain standardized features that may include uniforms, logos, interior or exterior design, array of services or merchandise, menus, ingredients and food preparation.
All townspeople and interested parties are encouraged to attend. To be heard on this matter, you or a duly authorized agent must either attend the hearing in person or submit your comments in writing, prior to the hearing to the Planning Board, PO Box 729, Walpole, NH 03608.
If final action is delayed or the hearing continued, the application will remain on the agenda for the following Planning Board meeting, or until a decision is reached, without further notice. A plat of the property and the application are available for public inspection at the Town Offices. Meeting minutes and public notices are posted inside the Town Hall and on the bulletin board outside the Post Office.
Marilou Blaine
WPB Secretary
Reminder: Great Decisions Meets 10/21/24
Great News from “Great Decisions”
Stapleton Roy Joins Us Again! – One Week from Today
Stapleton Roy will lead our expedition into Indonesia, exploring its complicated history, unique geography, ethnic diversity and present foreign policy. After serving as our Ambassador in China and Singapore, Stapleton Roy was United States Ambassador to Indonesia from 1996 – 1999. Ambassador Roy was stationed in Jakarta during the tumultuous end of Suharto’s presidency, amid an economic crisis, student demonstrations, riots and outbursts of violence.
“Stape” will be joining us via Zoom, which is an option for anyone (contact Jane Malmberg for the Zoom link) or you are welcome to attend in person on Monday, October 21, at 6:00 p.m. in the Walpole Town Library. This discussion with one of our preeminent experts on Southeast Asia, whose breadth and depth of knowledge is unsurpassed, is a rare opportunity.
The relevant reading from the Foreign Policy Association is “Invisible Indonesia” by Charles Sullivan. For a copy of this article and/or the meeting’s Zoom link, please contact Library Director Jane Malmberg at jmalmberg@walpoletownlibrary.org
Please note: For those joining via Zoom, please wait until 6:20 to join, as we will be viewing the “Master Class” from the Foreign Policy Institute for the first twenty minutes in the library.
The Walpolean 
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