“Great Decisions” will meet at the Walpole Town Library on Monday, October 21, 2024 at 6:00 pm. For more information, contact Library Director Jane Malmberg at jmalmberg@walpoletownlibrary.org.
Planning Board Agenda – 10/8/24
Walpole Planning Board Agenda
Tuesday, October 8, 2024 at 7 pm in the Town Hall
Roll Call: Appointment of alternates if needed.
Call to order:
Minutes: Review minutes of the September 2024 meeting and Joint Meeting minutes.
Old Business:
Finalize Draft Zoning Amendment
Finalize District 6 on map of commercial district in Walpole Village District. Recheck warrant article. Request a public hearing for November.
Workshop: Joint meeting Tuesday, October 22 at 7 pm.
Next meeting: November 12, 2024.
Sock Hop at FMRHS – 10/26/24
The Fall Mountain Regional High School Band Department is holding a Sock Hop Fundraiser on Saturday, October 26, 2024 – 100% of the proceeds will help send FMRHS music students to Disney World this spring where they will attend Disney Imagination Campus Soundtrack Sessions and work with professional Disney musicians. They will get to record their own demo tracks and learn about the process of making soundtracks for movies!
Public Information Meeting Minutes – 9/19/24
Town of Walpole, New Hampshire Public Information Meeting
School Withdrawal Study and Police Station Study
September 19, 2024
Selectboard Present: Cheryl Mayberry, Chair; Steven Dalessio and Carolyn Vose
Staff Present: Sarah Downing, Manager of Administration, and Sue Bauer, Recording Secretary
Total Attendance: 62 People
Cheryl Mayberry, Selectboard Chair, opened the meeting at 5:32 PM. She introduced the
Selectboard and reminded the public that questions should come from Walpole residents only,
but all are welcome to listen.
Police Station Study Committee – Steven Dalessio
Mr. Dalessio introduced the members of Police Building Committee who are Dave Adams, Rod Bouchard, Steve Dalessio – Selectboard member and Committee Chair, Andrew Dey, Trevor MacLachlan, Peggy Pschirrer, Jay Punt, Justin Sanctuary – Police Chief, and Cheri Watson. A new building is being considered because the current building has several deficiencies including that the building is not strong enough (it was breached when a car backed into it), the drug hood is in kitchen where the officers eat lunch, there is no decontamination area if officers are exposed to drugs or bio-hazards, it is too crowded so space must be shared by multiple officers and for multiple purposes (e.g. lockers are in the bathroom), it is not efficient or safe, there is no private interview room, and the auto storage in the sally port is inadequate and exhaust fumes leak into the building. Last year a drug addict destroyed the holding cell. Because of this incident, people taken into custody must be handcuffed to a bar. That is not an appropriate detention method. Although we tend to think of Walpole as a sleepy little town, there are typically 250-350 calls per month. The count has been as high as 500 calls in a month. The Police Department consists of the Chief, an administrator, (5) Full-time officers, (1) part-time officer, and (1) part-time clerk.
The Committee has so far determined that the current station is not adequate now or for the future, visited five facilities in this area, identified space requirements (8,500 square feet), selected a potential site which was approved at the 2024 Town Meeting (which is 2.6 acres and will have a drive to Upper Walpole Road), hired Michael Petrovick Architect for the schematic phase (completed 9/24), and discussed the need for community input.
The next steps include information meetings for the public and with smaller community groups, complete purchase of the land in 2024, develop a cost model in September 2024, determine how funds are to be raised, and create a realistic timeline for completion.
The Committee has prepared a rough magnitude of cost and schedule. The cost is estimated to be $7M – $7.25M for the land and construction. Additionally, the Town needs to raise 50% through grants and donations, needs to determine the size and timing of a bond for the balance, and the target date for completion is in 2026 or 2027 depending on funding. A potential grant writer has been identified and which grants to apply for. Contractors are currently hard to get, which may be an issue during construction.
Tom Aldrich would like the schematic drawings taken to MacMillian so see what they think of the plan. He would also like the meeting to discuss only the School Withdrawal Study.
John Peska pointed out that this is a big project for our small town. It is critical it is done right.
Tom Beaudry asked if the training/common room might be removed to cut costs. Mr. Sanctuary pointed out that officer training is critical, but the space can be shared with the community when not needed by the Police Department. They also hope to share training with surrounding towns. A square space with lower security, like the training room, is relatively low cost – most of the cost will be in the secure areas of the building.
School Withdrawal Study Committee – Carolyn Vose
Ms. Vose was the Selectboard Liaison to the School Withdrawal Study Committee and introduced the study. Warrant Article 11 was created to gauge voter interest after a group of concerned citizens met with the Selectboard. The Selectboard has no position on this issue. Article 11 passed with a majority vote. Following the approval, a Walpole School PreK to 8th Grade Withdrawal Study Committee was created and charged with considering options for Walpole students’ education in this age range. The Committee is made up of volunteers with varied backgrounds and interests. They focused on different areas of potential impact on the students’ education as well as school funding. Over roughly four months of weekly meetings, conversations included the feasibility of working within the current structure as well as creating an alternative structure.
It is critical to understand an SAU (School Administrative Unit) versus a School District. An SAU includes a superintendent and business office. It is responsible for managing the education system to comply with regulations including special education in their school districts. A School District manages the education of the children through a School Board and creates budgets, contracts, hires, manages bussing and building maintenance to provide education services. An SAU may contain one or multiple School Districts. A School District may be made up of one or multiple towns.
The Committee considered related RSA’s, laws in NH are called Revised Statutes Annotated, available related financial data and statistics for Fall Mountain Regional School District (FMRSD) and the State of New Hampshire, the structure of other multi-town districts in New Hampshire, and discussions with knowledgeable individuals in FMRSD and in other local school districts.
This Study Committee recommends the Selectboard issue a warrant article to vote on whether to form an official study committee to pursue withdrawal from FMRSD. This would be one of several steps, each voted on by the citizens, before any change to the current structure.
Tom Aldrich suggested that a better meeting time would be 7:00 PM. Charlestown went through this process, but in the end, the other towns voted against it. Why would it be different for Walpole? Mr. Dalessio said he does not know why it was voted down. Alissa Bascom from Charlestown and the FMRSD School Board said she has no conjecture on why people voted against it. Mr. Aldrich said he votes for his wallet. He thinks others do the same, and he thinks it will be hard to convince people to vote for it.
Steve Varone pointed out that there has been a rule change since the vote on Charlestown withdrawal. At that point, it was a simple majority vote. As of July 2023, it now requires a 60% vote in the withdrawing town plus a 40% vote in the whole School District.
Diana Watson Petrie reminded everyone that so far there has been no change in the school structure. The Committee was looking to see if it makes sense to have a warrant article to see if there is another better way to educate our students.
Another resident pointed out that so much information is missing at this time that it is impossible to decide. Mr. Varone said the Committee compared per student costs in FMRSD and nearby towns. Most were less expensive than FMRSD’s current rate. In general, cooperative education does not save money. He thinks a better education for our students is the goal, not saving money.
Tom Beaudry asked if we could get comparison costs. A committee member said the Committee did not present cost data because everything will change so much before a new structure can take effect.
Mrs. Watson Petrie said it was frustrating for the Committee not to be able to answer all the questions, but they were charged with determining what it might look like if Walpole were alone.
Becky Sethi said that enrollment is related to expenses and that is a real issue. If you are required to have one teacher per ten students, the cost per student is much higher if there are eleven students than if there are nineteen in the classroom.
Mr. Dalessio pointed out that if there is a 2025 Warrant Article and it passes, state statue directs the School Board to form a Withdrawal Committee of Selectboard and School Board members from all five towns to work with the FMRSD Business Administrator to answer all the questions in a written report to the Department of Education in 180 days. It is a big project and hard work.
One citizen said that Walpole is not permitted to make improvements to our schools because parity among the towns is required.
Karen Berry pointed out that we will not know any of the answers to the questions being asked unless we vote to form a study committee.
Stan Hutchings reiterated that the next study committee will answer all the detailed questions and money issues. If we become independent, then we will have complete control over the education of Walpole students.
Tina Tidd asked if there will be a cost to Walpole if there is a study committee. Mr. Dalessio said it is not required, but it is recommended that the Town considering withdrawal hire an attorney.
Tom Aldrich asked if there was any study of drugs, violence, LGBTQIA+, or other issues in the high schools we might consider sending Walpole students to. Ms. Vose said high school questions will be part of the next study committee. This Committee was asked to consider only Pre-K through 8th grade.
There was a reminder that the Town voted to form this Withdrawal Study Committee, and they will vote again if we proceed. Mr. Varone also reminded everyone there is no right or wrong way to educate our students. It is about what works for each town.
Mrs. Sethi said that when Fall Mountain Regional School District (FMRSD) was formed, it promised greater opportunities for all the students. Now it offers fewer opportunities. Maybe it is time for each town to look at what is best for their students.
Another resident said we need to put our students first and we should vote on whether to study withdrawal from FMRSD.
Respectfully submitted,
Sue Bauer, Selectboard Recording Secretary
(Note: These are unapproved Minutes. Corrections will be found in the Minutes of the
September 26, 2024 Selectboard meeting.)
Selectboard Meeting Minutes – 9/19/24
Selectboard Present: Cheryl Mayberry, Chair; Steven Dalessio and Carolyn Vose
Staff Present: Sarah Downing, Manager of Administration, and Sue Bauer, Recording Secretary
Call to Order: Ms. Mayberry called the Selectboard meeting to order at 7:20 PM in the
Walpole Town Hall.
Payroll
Ms. Vose moved to approve the Payroll Register totaling $33,873.41 dated 9/20/2024 and the
941 Payroll Tax Transfer of $6,587.01. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Ms. Vose, Mr.
Dalessio, and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.
Selectboard Meeting Minutes
Selectboard Meeting – September 12, 2024: Ms. Vose moved to approve the Minutes of the
Selectboard meeting of September 12, 2024. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Ms. Vose, Mr.
Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the minutes were approved.
Non-Public Selectboard Meeting – September 12, 2024: Ms. Vose moved to approve the
Minutes of the Non-Public Selectboard meeting of September 12, 2024. The minutes will
remain sealed. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Ms. Vose, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in
favor, the motion was approved, and the minutes are sealed.
Committee Reports
Ms. Vose brought to the chair’s attention the following committee reports:
- Conservation Commission Meeting – September 9, 2024
- Planning Board Meeting – September 10, 2024
Ms. Mayberry acknowledged these minutes.
Old Business
Pending Further Action: Parking Policy, Generators, Old North Main and High Street
Bridges/Culverts, Houghton Brook Bridge, Reservoir Dam, ARPA Funding Grants, EV Charging
Station Analysis
New Trees for the Common: On Sunday the Conservation Committee will plant four new
trees, two red maples and two sugar maples, on the Common. These trees will replace the ones
that had to be removed. The Tree Committee members Peter Palmiotto, Tom Beaudry, Alicia
Flammia, and Nicole Adams will also be creating a plan for tree replacement in the village.
Representation Letter for the Tax Collector’s Audit: This is a follow up item to close out a
project. The audit covers January 1 – May 16, 2024, a transition period before Jodi Daigle was
appointed Tax Collector. Mr. Dalessio moved the letter be accepted and signed. Ms. Vose
seconded. With Mr. Dalessio, Ms. Vose and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the letter was accepted and
signed.
Recreation Revolving Fund Request: Ms. Vose explained that this request is to purchase
soccer shirts for the soccer program at a cost of $1,478. The Rec Committee approved the
purchase on September 11, 2024. Ms. Vose moved the purchase of soccer shirts for the soccer
program to be approved. Mr. Dalessio seconded. With Ms. Vose, Mr. Dalessio and Ms.
Mayberry in favor the purchase was approved.
Ruggiero Processing Facility – Modification to Permit: The comment period has opened.
Abutters have received notice from the owner.
Informational Meeting – School Withdrawal Study and Police Station: Ms. Mayberry
complemented Ms. Vose, saying she did a phenomenal job presenting the study results earlier
this evening.
New Business
Sign Request: The Congregational Church (UCC) wishes to place a sign near Route 12 and
South Street. The request needs to come from the Selectboard. This item was tabled until next
week. A picture and more information are needed.
Draft Zoning Amendments: Mr. Dalessio suggests that all members of the Selectboard read
the proposed changes carefully. The amendments need to go through the Planning Board next.
The proposed amendment will transfer most of the work the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA)
currently handles to the Selectboard. Mr. Delessio asked fellow board members to read the
amendments very carefully.
NHMA Conference: The Conference is being held on October 30-31 st . Mrs. Downing is
planning to attend. Ms. Vose will likely go, and Ms. Mayberry is considering it. Mr. Dalessio will
be out of town on business at that time.
HealthTrust Deductible Funding Limitations: For the Board’s information, HSA’s and HRA’s
can no longer be used to cover all deductible medical expenses.
2025 Planning and Land Use Manuals: What type and how many books would the Board like
to purchase? Ms. Mayberry would like an e-book. Ms. Vose and the Office will order paper
copies.
Hooper Trustees
Ms. Mayberry moved to enter into the Hooper Trustees meeting at 7:57 PM. Mr. Dalessio
seconded. With Ms. Mayberry, Mr. Dalessio, and Ms. Vose in favor, the motion was approved.
The meeting was reconvened at 8:00 PM.
Non-Public Business RSA 91-A:3 II (a) (c)
Mr. Dalessio moved to enter into Non-Public Session pursuant to RSA 91-A:3 II (a) (c) at
8:00 PM. Ms. Vose seconded. With Mr. Dalessio, Ms. Vose and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the
motion was approved.
The meeting was reconvened at 8:49 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 8:49 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Sue Bauer, Recording Secretary
(Note: These are unapproved Minutes. Corrections will be found in the Minutes of the
September 26, 2024 Selectboard meeting.)
Walpole Players Board Meeting – 9/30/24
Walpole Players Board Meeting
Monday, September 30, 2024 at 5:30 pm
On the Stage of the Helen Miller Theater in the Town Hall
Open to the public—Come Play with Us!
Change is Hard, but Inevitable!
As most of you know, I have sold my house in Walpole and moved to Covenant Living of Keene. While I have the ability to continue as administrator of The Walpolean, I feel it’s best for its future, and for me, to pass the reins to a Walpole resident and younger person. My goal was to assure that the community doesn’t lose what I have hoped was a helpful asset started over a decade ago by Chuck Bingaman. Luckily, I was successful in finding a very capable person exactly like I was looking for.
So – If you don’t know Kelli Wilson, let me introduce you. (She has talents beyond being my fun and able partner on Saturdays at the Walpole Town Library.)
A native of Keene, NH, Kelli has lived in Walpole since 2009 with her husband Damian and their two children. She has previously served our community as a two-term member of the Walpole Conservation Commission, and as a volunteer and board member for the Walpole Historical Society. She works part-time at the Walpole Town Library, in addition to her “day job” as an editor at Connell Communications, Inc. (publishers of Taste for Life and Remedies magazines). She has many years of experience working with WordPress software, including maintaining her own blog on the platform since 2011.
In my years of working beside her at the library desk, I have found her to be extremely capable on the computer. She refuses to let a technology issue get the better of her. She’ll probably be able to take pdf files and post them on The Walpolean. Even after 11 years as the administrator, that’s a trick I never mastered.
You can now send your posts to Kelli at thewalpolean@gmail.com and, like me, Kelli will do her best to post them ASAP. For the next month or so (until you get used to the change) you can send them there or to me at ltdecoste@comcast.net. We don’t want information to get lost in the “transfer”!
Please utilize Kelli’s skills and do your part in “Keeping the Community Up-to-date” by sharing your events and news. Kelli will be counting on your help just as I did.
Zoning Board Meeting Minutes – 9/18/24
Roll Call: Board members present: Chair Tom Murray, Clerk Pauline Barnes, Shane O’Keefe. Alternates: Myra Mansouri and Don Sellarole. Absent: Board members Vice-Chair Dave Edkins and Tom Winmill.
Also at the meeting were Walpole residents Justin Carter and Annie Ewaskio.
Call to Order: Mr. Murray called the meeting to order at 7:01 pm. Mr. Murray asked alternates Ms. Mansouri and Mr. Sellarole to fill in for the two absent board members. They agreed.
Minutes: Meeting minutes of August 2023. Mr. Murray made a motion to accept the minutes as presented. Ms. Barnes seconded the motion and the motion carried.
Joint Meeting date: Mr. Murray reminded the board of the upcoming joint meeting with the Planning Board and Executive Director Todd Horner of Southwest Region Planning Commission and Planner Carol Ogilvie next week, Tuesday, September 24, at 7pm. He said the discussion is going to stick solely on the documents sent by Ms. Ogilvie titled Table of Permitted Uses and the Draft of Potential Zoning Amendments for March 2025. There will be no discussion about drafting a zoning amendment for short-term rentals. Mr. Murray said the roles of the Planning Board, Select Board and Zoning Board are all going to change. We are going to have new duties, new roles.
Discussion of “N.H. Supreme Court Throws a Curveball in Short-term Rental Zoning Regulations,” an article in “Town and City,” a magazine published by the NH Municipal Association. The author of the article was Stephen Buckley, legal Services Counsel for the Association. July/August 2024.
Ms. Barnes read aloud a section from this article. Mr. Buckley wrote “Because` of the decision in Hoekstra, municipalities will have to carefully examine what other provisions in their zoning ordinances, intended as restrictions on use, might be interpreted instead to create permitted uses.”
Ms. Barnes said she would bring this up at the joint meeting not for the purpose of writing an amendment but to gauge if there are any “pitfalls” in our current zoning ordinances that could be immediately addressed.
Ms. Mansouri said you cannot change or add anything. Ms. Barnes said we have a permissive zoning ordinance which means if it’s not specifically addressed in the document, it is not allowed. But. the NH Supreme Court focused lately on “Additional Requirements” to determine permitted uses and if it’s worth checking into. Mr. O’Keefe said for once he agreed with her.
Inquiry about DADUs
Justin Carter lives at 64 Carpenter Hill in the rural/ag district. He said Zoning Coordinator Ernie Vose suggested he come to tonight’s meeting. His parents are now elderly and need some assistance. He is trying to determine whether he should add to the current house or consider adding a separate living space such as a Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit. His problem, he said, is that “the minimum lot size for a DADU in the Rural/Ag Zoning District is 80,000 square feet” and his property is much smaller than that. He’s trying to decide whether or not to add to the original home or somehow create a DADU by simply adding a roof connection.
The Board suggested he go back and discuss it again with Mr. Vose to help him finalize a decision. He also has the option of applying for a variance.
Gravel Pit Inspections
RSA 155-E states that all gravel pits shall be inspected yearly. The following board members will inspect the last three gravel pits in Walpole:
Tim Graves Gravel pit
Wentworth Road
Shane O’Keefe and Tom Murray
Cold River Materials
Myra Mansouri and Pauline Barnes
Hodgkins Gravel pit
Old Drewsville Road
Don Sellarole and maybe Tom Winmilll
Participants received Inspections sheets. They are due at the October 2024 meeting.
Short-term rentals
Annie Ewaskio said she came to the meeting because the topic of short-term rentals was on the agenda. Ms. Ewaskio grew up in Walpole. She returned a couple of years ago after living in New York City for several years because of the squeeze on housing. That increased the cost of rentals. She said a large part of that happened because companies such as Airbnb controlled a large number of apartments for rent as short-term rentals. She feared that could happened in Walpole.
While the board said it understood her concern short-term rental matters are now under the purview of the Planning Board and they are intending to look at the topic in 2025. Ms. Barnes suggested she attend a Planning Board meeting on the second Tuesday of the month but Ms. Ewaskio has classes on Tuesday evenings. Ms. Barnes then suggested that she write a letter expressing her experiences in New York and her fears that the same thing could happen in Walpole.
Adjournment
Mr. O’Keefe made a motion to adjourn. Ms. Mansouri seconded the motion and the motion carried. The time was 7:58 pm.
These minutes are unapproved and will reviewed at the October meeting for corrections.
Respectfully submitted,
Marilou Blaine
WPB Secretary
The Walpolean 
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