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Selectboard Meeting Minutes – 1/15/26

SELECTBOARD 01/29/2026 Leave a comment

Town of Walpole, New Hampshire

Meeting of the Selectboard

January 15, 2026

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

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

Call to Order: Mr. Dalessio called the Selectboard meeting to order at 6:33 PM in the Walpole Town Hall.

Payroll

Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the Payroll Register totaling $36,377.53 dated 1/16/2026 and the 941 Payroll Tax Transfer of $7,308.97.  Ms. Vose seconded.  With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the payroll was approved. 

Selectboard Meeting Minutes

Selectboard Meeting – January 8, 2026: Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the Minutes of the Selectboard meeting of January 8, 2026.  Ms. Vose seconded.  With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the Selectboard minutes were approved.

Non-Public Selectboard Meeting – January 8, 2026: Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the Minutes of the Non-Public Selectboard meeting of January 8, 2026.  The minutes will remain sealed.  Ms. Vose seconded.  With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the Non-Public minutes were approved.

Committee Reports

Ms. Mayberry brought to the chair’s attention the following committee reports:

  • Safety Committee Meeting – November 13, 2025 
  • Conservation Committee Meeting – January 5, 2026 

Mr. Dalessio acknowledged these minutes.

Abatements

Map and Lot # 019-039-000: This abatement is the settlement of BTLA property tax appeal of 2023 that rolled into the 2024 tax year.  Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the Abatement for Map and Lot # 019-039-000.  Ms. Vose seconded.  With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.

Veterans’ Tax Credit:

Map and Lot #011-039-004: Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the Veterans’ Property Tax Credit for Map and Lot# 011-039-004.  The applicant served more than 90 days of active duty during a time of conflict and was honorably discharged.  Ms. Vose seconded.  With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.

Old Business

First Point Power Electricity Sales Agreement: Ms. Mayberry explained that a revision to the contract signed earlier is needed.   There is a better rate for five months than the earlier contract for four months.  Ms. Mayberry moved to sign the revised contract for a lower rate for five months.  Ms. Vose seconded.  With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion passed, and Mr. Dalessio signed and initialed the contract.

Fanny Mason Timber Cut: Mr. Dalessio explained there is a temporary permit for the Fanny Mason Timber Cut logging driveway that has been obtained from the State. This allows logging trucks to turn onto Route 12.  It is the same landing and driveway used last time cutting was done in that area. 

Hooper Revised Reimbursement request to Trustees of Trust Funds for the Renovations: Ms. Mayberry stated that the previous request was halted when an error was discovered in the Hooper Renovation expenses.  The corrected amount has now been sent to the Trustees of Trust Funds. 

New Business

Reservoir Dam ARPA Grant Reimbursement: Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the ARPA grant reimbursement of $10,227.50.  Ms. Vose seconded.  With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion passed, and Mr. Dalessio signed the form.

2026 Warrant Articles – First Draft:  The Selectboard reviewed the first draft of the Warrant Articles. Additional reviews will be done weekly as missing information is added. 

The Selectboard Office received three petition articles that are formatted in an unusual way. Attorney Hockensmith has been asked to determine whether they can be used as is, or if they need to be reformatted.  Mr. Dalessio noted that there is plenty of time to make sure everything is done legally.

School Withdrawal: Fall Mountain Regional School District will have a budget hearing on Monday, January 26th.  There will be no rebuttal presentation. Everyone can attend and ask questions.  The Selectboard also worked on some of the information being prepared for residents.

SWRPC Winter Meeting: The SWRPC Winter Meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 10, 2026 in Heberton Hall in the Keene Public Library Annex First Floor.  The Social Hour begins at 5:00 PM and the program will start at 5:30 PM.  

Avitar Utility Rates for 2026: Avitar sent a letter stating that work relating to utilities will be billed at the annual rate of $200/hour.  This also includes property valuations and defense of valuations for BTLA.  Mr. Dalessio acknowledged the letter.

Langdon Hazard Mitigation Plan: SWRPC invited other towns and interested parties to participate in the Landon process.  The Selectboard will send Langdon a copy of Walpole’s hazardous mitigation plans, which were updated recently.

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

Ms. Vose moved to enter into Non-Public Session pursuant to RSA 91-A:3 II (a)(b)(c) at 7:13 PM.  Ms. Mayberry seconded.  With Ms. Vose, Ms. Mayberry and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.

The meeting was reconvened at 7:53 PM.

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

Adjournment: Mr. Dalessio declared the meeting adjourned at 7:54 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Sue Bauer, Recording Secretary

(Note: These are unapproved Minutes. Corrections will be found in the Minutes of the January 22, 2026 Selectboard meeting.)

Zoning Board Meeting Minutes – 1/21/26

ZONING BOARD 01/29/2026 Leave a comment

Walpole Zoning Board of Adjustment

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Town Hall

7 pm

These minutes are unapproved and will be reviewed at the February 2026 meeting for corrections.

Roll Call: Board Present: Chair Tom Murray, Vice-Chair Pauline Barnes, Bill Sommers, Alternate Don Sellarole. Absent: Shane O’Keefe and Clerk Dave Edkins.

Call to Order: Mr. Murray called the meeting to order at 7:05 pm. He asked Alternate Sellarole to sit in for one of the missing Board members. Mr. Sellarole agreed. 

Mr. Murray announced to the Board that he had added the words Zoning Board of Adjustment to the two permanent notices for our monthly meetings and that he had written the yearly town report and sent it to Sarah Downing. 

Review of Minutes of December 2025: Ms Barnes made one correction. On page 2 after No. 8 in the paragraph about New Business, Ms. Barnes added the word “about” to be placed before the word ”having.” The sentence now reads “The next step is to talk to the staff in the Town Offices about having the menu changed after definitions have been written and applications copied.”

It’s at that point In the meeting that Mr. O’Keefe came to the meeting and passed out the following paper to each person.

“I move to amend the draft minutes of the Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting of December 17, 2025, by deleting in its entirety the paragraph on page two under the title RSA91-A, and replacing it with the following: 

“Mr. O”Keefe handed out a few copies of the New Hampshire Attorney General’s March 14, 2024 memorandum examining and analyzing New Hampshire Right;-to-Know Law, also known as RSA 91-A. He noted that the memorandum states the “While not required under the Right-to-Know law, it is generally appropriate that the notice include a brief agenda and that other matters Within the public body’s jurisdiction may be considered.” As, Mr O’Keefe suggested that in addition to the two annual posted notices of when and where the ZBA meet, which were noted earlier by Chairman Murray, The Board should continue to post a complete agenda to ensure that the community is made fully aware of what matters the Board intends to discuss so that residents can participate in matter of interest. He mentioned seeing a Select board agenda that noted a matter involving the road on which he lives, which led him to attend the meeting and become involved in the matter. Had the issue not been noted on an agenda he wouldn’t have know about it being discussed and would have had no reason to attend the meeting.”

Discussion followed. Two or three Board members kept repeating that what Mr. O’Keefe was proposing was what was already printed in the December minutes. After about ten minutes of back and forth, Mr. O’Keefe said “Call the question,” which mean call for a vote. Mr. Murray called for a vote on Mr. O’Keefe’s motion. The vote to approve was 3 to 2. Voting for the motion was Mr. O’Keefe, Chair Murray, and Mr. Sellarole. Mr. Sommers and Ms. Barnes voted no.

Web Site

The rest of the meeting was about working on the Web Site. The entire purpose of this exercise is to make the Web Site more user friendly. Ms. Barnes’ vision is to have the two most used ZBA applications that the board usually deals with shown first. These applications are Variances and Special Exceptions. The point of this exercise is to get the best definition for each application so it is apparent to the applicant what the application means. 

Regarding Variances, Ms. Barnes said she liked the one that was currently on the Web Site. It says “A variance is an authorization, which can only be granted under special circumstances, to use your property in a way that is not permitted under the strict rules of the zoning ordinance. In several decisions from 1952 to the present, the New Hampshire Supreme Court has declared that for a variance to be legally granted, you must show that your proposed use meets ALL FIVE of the following conditions.”

Mr. Murray read one definition that used the word “relaxation” regarding the rules in the Zoning Ordinance and a couple of board member said they didn’t like that word. Mr. Barnes read the definition in “The Zoning Board of Adjustment in New Hampshire” Handbook. It says “A variance is a waiver of any provision of the ordinance authorizing the landowner to use his or her land in a manner that would otherwise violate the ordinance and may be granted by the board of adjustment on appeal.” There are five criteria the applicant must fulfill. Mr. Murray said a variance goes with the land. In the end, the Board went with the definition currently on the Web Site.

Special Exception got the same treatment. Several definitions were read and it came down to two that were in competition for best. Mr. Murray has one and Ms. Barnes has one and those two definitions will be discussed at the February meeting. There are several applications for Special Exceptions and they are dependent on the zone in which the property is. For example, there is an application form for a Special Exception for residents in Residential A and a slightly different application for residents in Residential B, Rural/ag, Commercial and Industrial Zones.

In 2022, a few members of the Board wrote articles for The Walpole Clarion. Those members included Ms. Barnes, Ernie Vose, Myra Mansouri and Dave Edkins. The article on non-conforming property says “Any non-conforming lot, dwelling, or business may continue in its present use.

“Non-conforming Use means the use of any building, structure or land which does not conform to the use regulations of the district in which it is located.

“When any existing non-conforming use of land or building has been discontinued for one year the land building shall thereafter be used only in conformity to this Ordinance.

“A non-conforming use may be expanded or enlarged or changed to another non-conforming use after the Zoning Board of Adjustment determines, after a public hearing, that the proposed expansion, enlargement or change will not materially increase the hazard or nuisance value of the non-conformity.”

The article says “Any non-conforming lot, dwelling, or business may continue in its present use.

The articles were written starting in April and continued for about five months.

Web Site lay out

Ms. Barnes envisions the layout of a page on the web site would include the definition at the top of the web page and below that the application. 

Mr. O’Keefe had been working on applications. He marked up several copies regarding what he thought should be eliminated and added a few of his own ideas of what should be included. For example, one idea he added was “A copy of the Board’s Rules of Procedure is available to the Town website.” Ms. Barnes explained that the ZBA has a Bylaws document, not a Rules of Procedure document.

He also wrote a Certification at the end of the Variance document. It says, “By signing below both the owner and applicant hereby affirm that the information presented in this application, and all supporting forms, plans and documents are true, accurate and complete and agree that, if any such information is found by the Town to be false or misleading, any permit or other approval granted on the basis of such information shall be deemed null and void. Permission is hereby granted by the property owner for the Zoning Board of Adjustment and/or its representatives to inspect the property at mutually acceptable time to verify information provided in this application.”

The Board like this addition.

Adjournment

Mr. Sommers made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Mr. O’Keefe seconded the motion and the motion carried. The time was 8:31 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Marilou Blaine

ZBA Secretary

Police Building Committee Meeting Minutes – 1/21/26

Police Building Committee 01/29/2026 Leave a comment

Police Building Committee Minutes

January 21, 2026

Peggy Pschirrer, Interim Chair, called the meeting to order at 6:30 pm in the Hooper Institute.  Present were Steve Dalessio, Trevor Macclachlan, Jay Punt, Cheri Watson, and Andrew Dey.  David Adams was not present because we could not establish a Zoom link.

Mr. Dalessio discussed his conversation with Rena Peck who works for the USDA in New Hampshire.  He clarified the misunderstanding that the recent allocation of a Congressional grant from the office of Senator Jean Shaheen is for the new police building, not the Walpole Fire House.  Our Congressional Grant is $200,058,000.  Ms. Peck indicated she would be back in touch with us in February.  The NH Office of USDA is very short staffed.

Ms. Pschirrer observed that the grant, which was written by Nancy Merill, was written for a larger building than we are now planning to build. We need to correct the size and the cost.  Ms. Pschirrer will contact our Grant Writer to make the appropriate changes.  These changes were made after a public meeting in September when it was clear the public supports our need for a new station but asks that it be smaller and less expensive.

Mr. Dey has mailed RFP’s requesting bids from Architects and Engineers. He has begun to receive inquiries as has Mr. Dalessio.  The deadline for bids is February 27.  The RFP will be published in the Keene Sentinel as well as the monthly Shopper.  Ms. Pschirrer will work with Sarah Downing to publish the RFP Andrew Dey will write for publication.

Ms. Pschirrer discussed the Bond Municipal Bond Schedule: there are two dates for Municipal Bonds- January and July.  We have missed January 2026 but could consider July 2026 which would require a Town Warrant on the agenda of Town Meeting March 14, 2026.  The Committee after discussion agreed it would be better for Walpole to have a special Town Meeting in the Fall and to work toward the October 2026 deadlines for buying a municipal bond in January 2027. Ms. Pschirrer will contact Attorney Renelle L’Huillier who worked with us to secure a Bond for Broadband installation.  That Bond is not considered debt.  The NH legislation allowed towns to buy the bonds debt free to encourage the construction of broadband.  Walpole’s contract with Constellation ensures that every user of their services pays a small monthly fee which goes toward payment of the bond.

Planning Board Meeting Minutes – 12/9/25

PLANNING BOARD 01/20/2026 Leave a comment

Walpole Planning Board Minutes

December 9, 2025

Town Hall

7 pm

Role Call: Board Members: Chair Jeff Miller, Vice-Chair Dennis Marcom, Clerk Jason Perron, Jeff Harrington, Joanna Andros. Absent: Trevor MacLachlan, Select Board Representative Steve Dalessio, alternates Travis Adams and Bill Carmody.

Call to Order: Mr. Miller called the meeting to order at 7 pm.

Review of November 2025 minutes: Mr. Marcom made a motion to approve the minutes as written. Mr. Perron seconded the motion and the motion passed.

Old Business

Public Hearing: Lot Line Adjustment, Jay Landry, 100 Wentworth Road. Town Tax Map 17, Lots 5-2 and 5-4, Residential A. No new lots will be created. Changes to Tax Map 16, Lot 12 .49 acres to be annexed from 5-4; former Lot 5-3 to be annexed to lot 5-4; Lot 5-2 .04 acres to be annexed from Lot 5-4; Lot 5-4 .01 acres to be annexed from Lot 5-2. 

Mr. Landry explained that while the changes are quite small, he and his neighbors have been working on this proposed plan for months. Mr. Worth wanted a driveway that was perpendicular so that was tweaked to .04 acres added to the corner of the lot. Mr. Landry had purchased lot 5-3 but wanted to square off the property in the southeast corner in case he wanted to build a barn on that corner of his property in the future. It is .01 acres. It also will be annexed to Lot 5-4. The road frontage is on Wentworth Road and it more than 200 feet. The property, .49 acres, on Old Keene Road will be annexed to Cynthia Reeves property Tax Map 16, Lot 12 and will remain undeveloped.

Mr. Perron made a motion to approve the Lot Line Adjustments proposed by Mr. Landry. Mr. Harrington seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. 

New Business

Site Plan, Ideal Location LLC, owner Greg Gay, 8 Len Tex Lane, North Walpole, Tax Map 27, Lot 8 Sub 1, 268 feet frontage on Main Street, Industrial/Commercial Zone, Existing Use Race car fabrication and vehicle storage. Add 2100 square foot for office space and parts inventory. 

Mr. Gay submitted a plan for office space and parts inventory for his business, which is at the same location. He had already been to and received permission for the project from the North Walpole Commissioners and North Walpole Zoning Board of Adjustment. He explained his proposal to the Board and said he was before the Planning Board for the original proposal for the office space in 2016.

Mr. Perron made a motion to hold a public hearing in January on the matter. Mr. Harrington seconded the motion and the motion carried.

Attached Dwelling Units

At its November 2025 meeting the Planning and Zoning Boards had a joint meeting to discuss recent changes from the state regarding the town’s zoning ordinances and more specifically Accessory Dwelling Units. The Board compared Walpole’s current Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit ordinance with the most recent changes by the state. An email was sent to the town’s counsel, Jeremy Hockensmith, asking what the board was required to do. Mr. Hockensmith suggested 16 revisions to our current ordinance. An example of one of them is, “The Ordinance section should be re titled from ‘DADU’ to ‘ADU’. The statute makes no distinction between attached and detached units, so the ordinance should not either.”

Master Plan 

Mr. Miller gave everyone present a copy of the completed and approved master plan sections printed and placed in a binder by the Southwest Region Planning Commission. One section needs a public hearing. Mr. Harrington made a motion to hold a public hearing for the  Community Facilities and Services section at the January meeting. The motion was seconded by Mr. Perron and approved by the rest of the board.

Adjournment

Mr. Harrington made a motion to adjourn. Mr. Perron seconded the motion and the motion carried. The time was 8:37 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Marilou Blaine

WPB Recording Secretary

Selectboard Meeting Minutes – 1/8/26

SELECTBOARD 01/16/2026 Leave a comment

Town of Walpole, New Hampshire

Meeting of the Selectboard

January 8, 2026

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

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

Guests Present: Paul Looney, Chair of the Walpole Community Power Committee

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

The following item was added at the top of the agenda to accommodate a guest who wished to address this issue.

Electrical Service Contract – Town of Walpole

Mr. Looney presented the details of a 4-month contract with First Point Power.  The price is $0.11387 per kilowatt hour.  This is the best rate available now.  Mrs. Pschirrer reviewed the contract and feels it is acceptable.  Ms. Mayberry moved to sign the 4-month agreement with First Point Power.  Ms. Vose seconded.  With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was passed, and the contract was signed.

Mr. Looney left the meeting.

Accounts Payable

Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the Accounts Payable Check Register totaling $204,608.82 dated 1/13/2026 including $95,450.00 payment to E.E. Houghton Company using encumbered ARPA funds for sewer pump improvements.  Ms. Vose seconded.  With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the Accounts Payable was approved. 

Payroll

Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the Payroll Register totaling $37,962.14 dated 1/9/2026 and the 941 Payroll Tax Transfer of $7,701.51.  Ms. Vose seconded.  With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the payroll was approved. 

Selectboard Meeting Minutes

Selectboard Meeting – 12/28/2025 Corrected: Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the Corrected Minutes of the Selectboard meeting of 12/28/2025.  There was an error in a name that needed correction. Ms. Vose seconded.  With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the corrected Selectboard minutes were approved.

Selectboard Meeting – December 31, 2025: Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the Minutes of the Selectboard meeting of December 31, 2025.  Ms. Vose seconded.  With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the Selectboard minutes were approved.

Non-Public Selectboard Meeting – December 31, 2025: Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the Minutes of the Non-Public Selectboard meeting of December 31, 2025.  The minutes are no longer sealed.  Ms. Vose seconded.  With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the Non-Public minutes were approved.

Committee Reports

Ms. Mayberry brought to the chair’s attention the following committee reports:

  • Trail Committee Meeting – December 10, 2025

Mr. Dalessio acknowledged these minutes.

Abatements

Map and Lot # 017-006-000: Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the Abatement for Map and Lot #017-006-000 for $4,504.00 to correct a trustee name change for an estate.  Ms. Vose seconded.  With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.

Supplemental Tax Warrant

Map and Lot # 017-006-000: Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the Supplemental Tax Warrant for Map and Lot #017-006-000 of $4,504.00 to mail the invoice to the correct trustee for a probated estate.  Ms. Vose seconded.  With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.

Veterans’ Tax Credit:

Map and Lot #016-013-000: Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the Veterans’ Property Tax Credit for Map and Lot# 016-013-000.  This is a Certain Disabled Veteran Exemption.  The full property value is exempt from taxation under RSA 72:36-a.  Avitar has reviewed and approved the application.  Ms. Vose seconded.  With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.

Map and Lot #014-008-000: Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the Veterans’ Property Tax Credit for Map and Lot# 014-008-000.  The applicant served more than 90 days of active duty during a time of conflict and was honorably discharged.  Ms. Vose seconded.  With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.

Timber Intents

Map and Lot # 010-034-000: Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the Timber Intent for Map and Lot # 010-034-000, off Reservoir Road.  Ms. Vose seconded.  With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved. 

Old Business

Updated Town Hall Air Cooling System Quote: Proposal # 2025367 from Everett E. Houghton Co. is to remove two existing air conditioning condensers and install a Mitsubishi City Mult VRF condenser and the associated equipment to cool the Town Clerk’s office, the Selectboard office, the kitchen, hall and bathrooms.  The existing ductwork will remain in place so the existing furnace can be used for heating if desired.  The cost is $87,500.00. There are optional 10-year service and labor contracts.  The Selectboard recommends including the service and labor contracts.  By consensus this will become a 2026 Warrant Article.

Fanny Mason Timer Cut Contract: Ms. Vose moved to approve and sign the Timber Sale Contract in the Fanny Mason Forest, to the east of Route 12, with Alex Barrett of Longview Forest to act as Agent and Chris Ricci as Purchaser.  The Conservation Commission endorsed the contract.  Ms. Mayberry seconded.  With Ms. Vose, Ms. Mayberry and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved, and the contract was signed by the Selectboard.

Hazardous Waste Collection Commitment Letter: Ms. Vose explained this is the annual agreement with the City of Keene for residents of Walpole to leave hazardous waste at the Keene Recycling Center during collection days.  Ms. Vose moved to have the chair sign the contract.  Ms. Hakey will advertise dates when published.  Ms. Mayberry seconded.  With Ms. Vose, Ms. Mayberry and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion passed and the commitment letter was signed by Mr. Dalessio.

School Withdrawal Meeting Start Times: By consensus it was decided there will be a Walpole School Withdrawal Meeting on Wednesday February 11th, 2026, and another meeting on Wednesday, February 25, 2026. Both meetings will start at 6:30 PM.  The meeting on Saturday, February 28th will start at 1:00 PM.  It was decided to post the schedule in the Walpolean and the February Clarion.  There was a discussion on preparing all the public materials for these meetings.

New Business

NH Recycles Materials Management Contract: Ms. Vose stated that this is the new rate schedule for 2026.  Ms. Vose moved to approve the Materials Management Contract between NH Recycles and the Town of Walpole.  Seconded by Ms. Mayberry.  With Ms. Vose, Ms. Mayberry and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved and Mr. Dalessio signed the contract.

Cheshire County and Commissioners Meeting with the Selectboard: Cheshire County and the Commissioners are seeking a date to meet with the Selectboard. It was suggested they attend January 22nd or 29th.  Once the date is set, it will be added to the meeting announcement in case the public wishes to attend.

SWRPC Selectboard Roundtable Meetings: Ms. Mayberry will contact them to get details.

Ruggerio Processing Facility Public Hearing: The Ruggerio Processing Facility Public Hearing has been set for February 12th at 6:00 PM at Alyson’s Orchard.  Mr. Dalessio acknowledged notice of the meeting and noted it was scheduled for the same time as the weekly Selectboard meeting.

Selectboard Report for the 2025 Town Report: Mr. Dalessio volunteered to write the report.

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

Ms. Vose moved to enter into Non-Public Session pursuant to RSA 91-A:3 II (a)(b) at 7:36 PM.  Ms. Mayberry seconded.  With Ms. Vose, Ms. Mayberry and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.

The meeting was reconvened at 7:56 PM.

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

Hooper Trustees

Ms. Vose moved to enter into the Hooper Trustees meeting at 7:56 PM.  Ms. Mayberry seconded.  With Ms. Vose, Ms. Mayberry and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.

The meeting was reconvened at 8:03 PM.

Adjournment: Mr. Dalessio declared the meeting adjourned at 8:03 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Sue Bauer, Recording Secretary

(Note: These are unapproved Minutes. Corrections will be found in the Minutes of the January 15, 2026 Selectboard meeting.)

Planning Board & Zoning Board Meeting Minutes – 11/11/25

PLANNING BOARD, ZONING BOARD 01/16/2026 Leave a comment

Walpole Planning Board November Minutes

Joint Meeting with the Zoning Board of Adjustment

November 11, 2025

Town Hall

7 pm

Role Call: Planning Board members: Chair Jeff Miller, Vice-Chair Dennis Marcom, Jeff Harrington, Trevor MacLachlan, Select Board Representative Steve Dalessio. Alternates: Travis Adams, Bill Carmody. Absent: Jason Perron, Joanna Andros.

Zoning Board of Adjustment members: Chair Tom Murray, Clerk Pauline Barnes, Alternate Don Sellarole.  

Call to Order:  Mr. Miller called the meeting to order at 6:55 pm. Mr. Miller asked Mr. Carmody to fill in for Mr. Perron. He agreed.

Minutes: Review minutes of the October 2025 meeting. Mr. Adams made one correction to paragraph 5. His first name Travis was printed instead of his last. Mr. Harrington made a motion to approve the amended minutes. Bill Carmody seconded the motion and the motion carried. 

Josh Perry letter

Mr. Miller referenced a letter from Josh Perry regarding the comments about the inspection of if his gravel pit on Old Drewsville Road. Mr. Perry wrote that the bottom of the salt shed is asphalt and it has been there since 1996 and he is “planning on replacing it with a concrete floor, hopefully this year, but if not, the year after. Regarding the bank for the fill sand. Per the MSHA regulations the bank can be half again in height as the largest piece of equipment that is on the site. The loader reaches 20 feet to 22 feet, so the face of the bank be 30 feet.” This fill is being removed as this is where the new salt/sand shed will go.

New Business:

Lot Line Adjustment: Jay M. Landry, 100 Wentworth Road, Town Tax Map 17, Lots 5-5 and 5-4,  Zoning District Residential A. 

No new lots will be created but three lots will be tweaked. The plat shows .49 acres bordering Old Keene Road to be annexed to Cynthia Reeves Tax Map 17, Lot 12. It will remain open land and nothing will be built on this land. On Tax Map 17 Lot 5-4 and .01 acres will be annexed to Lot 5-4 to square off that corner to create enough room for the 20 feet needed between lot line and the building of a potential barn. The driveway to the Timothy Kelly Worth property on Wentworth Rd, Tax Map 17 Lot 5-2 will get .04 acres making it easier for him to access the road. This is what Mr. Landry presented to the board.

Mr. Marcom made a motion to hold a public hearing in December for the Lot Line Adjustment and Mr. Harrington seconded the motion. The motion carried. 

Joint meeting with ZBA: 

Pauline Barnes and Tom Murray  talked about the latest legislative changes to Detached Accessory Dwelling Units and compared it to our current Zoning Ordinances.  

Our ordinance says the accessory dwelling must be 150 feet of the principal dwelling. They both thought 100 feet would be enough because it would create more green space.

Occupancy limited to family members but No. 7 already says renters can be unrelated to family members.

Parking: Our ordinance says ample parking for both the principal and DADU dwellings but legislative dictates adequate off-street parking? However, In Walpole no cars should be parked on the street during a snow storm. Our standards don’t harmonize with state standards.

Raise basic standards from 900 to 950 square feet.

The state allows two bedrooms compared to our three bedrooms.

Limit of one driveway.

Aesthetics: Legislative aesthetics don’t matter to legislature. Walpole suggests that accessory building have some continuity with the main building.

Both state and Walpole prohibit multi-family uses.

Mr. Miller said he eventually would like the town’s attorney, Jeremy Hockensmith to take a look at both documents. Mr. Dalessio suggested that maybe someone from Southwest Community Services should look at it first – either Todd Horner or Carol Ogilvie.

Changes to Planning & Zoning Laws in 2025: A Guide for Municipalities

Mr. Miller brought up a concern in these updates about building on a Class VI road. Currently our ordinance says you have to get Select Board approval and also sign a liability waiver about keeping up the road open and not expecting emergency services.

But the state ordinance says:

“The statute does not prohibit municipalities from establishing separate road frontage requirements for new construction. Therefore, a municipal zoning ordinance can require frontage (of a certain length) on a Class V or better road. However, the municipal ordinance must clearly state this requirement by defining the road a “Class V or better.” If the zoning ordinance does require frontage on a Class V or better, a variance from the ZBA would still be required to build on a Class VI road. Because the statute is not effective until July 1, 2026, municipalities have time to amend their zoning ordinances if desired.”

Currently Walpole does not have such an ordinance.

Old Business

Takeaway from presentation about the PB on the Town Web Site. 

The purpose of going over the web site was to tweak it so it would be more user friendly. One thing the board did was to put together major categories. For example, under one click there is a list of all the things one must do to complete a site plan application – file out the check list, fill out the application, attach a plat, fees, rules for parking, lighting, etc.

The one hiccup is on the left hand side of the site, which is where the “menu” is, and at this time items cannot be changed.

Gravel pit inspection due. Jeff Harrington and Jason Perron did not get a chance to connect with Mr. Tim Graves about an inspection on Wentworth Road. 

Adjournment

Mr. Harrington made a motion to adjourn. Mr. Marcom seconded the motion and the motion carried. The time was 8:17 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Marilou Blaine 

Recording Secretary

Conservation Commission Meeting Minutes – 1/5/26

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Conservation Commission

Town of Walpole, New Hampshire

January 5, 2026

(Note: These are unapproved Minutes. Corrections will be found in the Minutes of the February 2, 2026 Conservation Commission meeting.)

Members Present: Nicole Adams, Tom Beaudry (alt), Paul Happ, Peter Palmiotto (co-chair & recording), John Peska (co-chair & presiding), Lewis Shelley

Members Absent: Hale Morrell (alt), Wendy Grossman, France Menk, Carolyn Vose (Selectboard Rep)

Visitors Present: Holly Gowdy

Call to Order: John called the meeting to order at 7:02 pm in the Town Hall. 

Seating of Alternates: Tom Beaudry was seated to obtain quorum.

Review and Approval of Minutes

Paul moved to accept December 1, 2025. Lew seconded and all voted in favor. The motion carried.   

Public Business

Financial Report:  No financial report was available

Correspondence: (1) Southwest Regional Planning highlights newsletter, (2) Intent to cut 65 acres Maple Grove Road, 3 Acres French Road

New Business

WCC files organization proposal – Paul proposed the commission review and update physical files in 15 minute work sessions at each meeting.  Discussion prioritize files relevant to town land and easements responsibilities with the goal of having files organized by the end of the year.  Proposal was supported. 

Old Business

Fanny Mason Forest Management: Fanny Mason Forest winter harvest contract was reviewed and supported for selectboard signature.  Commission supported Longview’s request to host a CCCD forestry workshop at Fanny Mason in early February.

Easement Monitoring: Wendy emailed an update that she submitted 3 monitoring reports – Ballam Farm, Graves and Mill Pond.  She also accompanied Phil Warren on the Monadnock Conservancy’s monitoring visit to Nelson and March Town Forests.

Reservoir Dam: The permit process for the option to breach the Reservoir Dam is ongoing.  The Federal govt clawed back a large portion of grant the town had therefore more funds need to be secured for any option to address the dam issue.  

Knapp Cranberry Bog Dam:  Paul continues to work on completing and submitting a wetlands permit to address cleaning out cattails.  Paul will secure quotes for managing vegetation at this time.  The dam’s operation manual was discussed for guidance on annual maintenance.  

Mt. Kilborne: Letter of support was sent to MCA on their desire to discuss with utility landowners about establishing a formal relationship and climbing opportunities.  

Trail Committee

Rail Trail Work Plan: Nicole reported the rail trail work plan was submitted to the state.  Commission thanked her and all that provided input.  Areas of concern were discussed, Nicole would follow up with the state when she hears back about the work plan.  To support the rail trail maintenance Ruggiero has offered support up to $5000 in 2026.  

Other Trails: Trails committee meeting will be 2nd Wednesday of month (1/14) 7 pm in town hall.  Governance of subcommittee is one agenda item (i.e. selecting a new sub committee chair).

Other Business and Updates

Hooper Institute Board: Looking for recording secretary.  Board Meeting 1/6/26.

Strategic Planning Sessions scheduled for Sat 1/10 and 1/17.

Discussion with Holly Gowdy who expressed interest in serving the town in the role as recording secretary.  Commission supported her application.  

Next Meeting February 2, 2026

Adjournment: John declared the meeting adjourned at 8:32 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Peter Palmiotto, acting recording secretary

Selectboard Meeting Minutes – 12/31/25

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TOWN OF WALPOLE

MEETING OF THE SELECTBOARD

DECEMBER 31, 2025

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

Staff Present: Sarah Downing, Manager of Administration; Jodi Daigle, Tax Collector & Water/Sewer Clerk and Zoe Dodd, Deputy Tax Collector/Admin. Asst.

CALL TO ORDER: Mr. Dalessio called the Selectboard meeting to order at 10:09 AM in the Selectboard Office of the Town Hall. Mr. Dalessio introduced the Selectboard and Selectboard Office staff present at the meeting.

PAYROLL: Ms. Mayberry moved to approve the Payroll Register totaling $37,445.50 dated 1/02/26 and the 941 Payroll Tax Transfer of $7,481.15. Seconded by Ms. Vose. With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.

SELECTBOARD MINUTES:

ASSET MANAGEMENT PLAN (AMP) GRANT HEARING, December 18, 2025: Ms. Mayberry moved to approve of the Asset Management Plan (AMP) Grant Hearing minutes of December 18, 2025. Seconded by Ms. Vose. With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.

USDA GRANT for the WALPOLE FIRE STATION EXPANSION HEARING, December 18, 2025: Ms. Mayberry moved to approve of the USA Grant for the Walpole Fire Station Expansion minutes of December 18, 2025. Seconded by Ms. Vose. With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.

COMMUNITY FACILTIES GRANT AGREEMENT HEARING, December 18, 2025: Ms. Mayberry moved to approve of the Community Facilities Grant Agreement Hearing minutes of December 18, 2025. Seconded by Ms. Vose. With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.

SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES, December 18, 2025: Ms. Mayberry moved to approve of the Selectboard Meeting minutes of December 18, 2025. Seconded by Ms. Vose. With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved.

SELECTBOARD NON-PUBLIC SESSION MINUTES, December 18, 2025: Ms. Mayberry moved to approve of the Selectboard Non-Public Session minutes of December 18, 2025. Seconded by Ms. Vose. With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved. The minutes were not sealed and will be public. 

SPECIAL SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES, December 28, 2025: Ms. Mayberry moved to approve of the Special Selectboard Meeting minutes of December 28, 2025. Seconded by Ms. Vose. With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved. The purpose of the meeting was to sign the 2026 property tax warrant.

COMMITTEE REPORTS: 

Ms. Mayberry brought to the chair’s attention the following committee reports:

  • Planning Board Meeting Minutes – December 9, 2025

Mr. Dalessio acknowledged these minutes.

TIMBER INTENTS: 

Map and Lots# 007-006 and 008: Ms. Mayberry motioned to approve the timber intent for Map and Lot# 007-006 and 008. Seconded by Ms. Vose. With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio, in favor the motion was approved.

Map and Lots# 009-029 and 030: Ms. Mayberry motioned to approve the timber intent for Map and Lot# 009-029 and 030. Seconded by Ms. Vose. With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio, in favor the motion was approved.

OLD BUSINESS:

Cemetery Trustees Encumbrance Request: Ms. Mayberry gave a recap of her communications with the Dale Woodward, the chair of the Cemetery Trustees. No formal numbers were provided for the cemetery projects. There were no commitments to spending the funds. By consensus, the Selectboard recommended that the Cemetery Trustees increase their 2026 budget to cover the costs of the projects. The Selectboard did not wish to violate the terms of allowances for encumbering funds from one budget year to the next.

Ms. Mayberry is to request quote numbers from Mr. Woodward to increase the 2026 Cemetery budget.

Purchase Order Policy: The Selectboard had concerns related to purchase orders submitted just before the end of the fiscal year. Ms. Mayberry recommended updating the purchase order policy with a specific end time for submitting purchase order in the fiscal year. The Selectboard agreed by consensus that a policy be created.

Capital Reserve Request for the Walpole Schools: Ms. Mayberry gave a recap of the communications involved with the school district and the Trustees of Trust Funds. She has requested that FMRSD provide the documentation that is associated with the capital reserve request to verify the funds have been spent. Ms. Mayberry motioned the approval of a letter to the Trustees of Trust Funds to release Capital Reserve Funds to the Fall Mountain Regional School District (FMRSD). Ms. Vose seconded. With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio, in favor the motion was approved.

Hooper Institute Renovation Close Out: Ms. Mayberry created a spreadsheet to track the expenses. Ms. Mayberry stated that Mrs. Pschirrer had reviewed the spreadsheet and supported the final amount owed to the Town. Ms. Mayberry motioned for the approval of a letter to the Trustees of Trust Funds to request reimbursement to the Town for expenses incurred for the Hooper Institute Renovation Project. Ms. Vose seconded. With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio, in favor the motion was approved. Ms. Vose thanked Ms. Mayberry for completing this project.

NEW BUSINESS:

Town Hall Heat Pump Water Heater Quote: Ms. Vose motioned for the Selectboard Chair to sign a $4,300 quote for a new heat pump water heater. Ms. Mayberry seconded. With Ms. Vose, Ms. Mayberry and Mr. Dalessio, in favor the motion was approved. The expense will be posted to the 2026 municipal department budget. The current heater is on the verge of failing.

Town Hall Generator Quote: Mr. Dalessio explained that the generator, which is being re-purposed from a water pump station, would power the Town Hall office area only. The quote along with installation and area preparation costs including an underground propane tank will be a 2026 warrant article using unassigned fund balance.

2025 Municipal Assessment Data Certificate: Ms. Mayberry motioned the approval of 2025 Municipal Assessment Data Certificate. Ms. Vose seconded. With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio, in favor the motion was approved. This form is related to setting the property tax equalization rate.

Drummond Woodsum Rate Structure: The Selectboard acknowledged the notice of new rates for attorney services.

US Conference of Mayors Survey: The Selectboard acknowledged the survey.

Voting Day Town Hall Use: The Selectboard discussed the request from the Walpole Players to host a Junior Player play practice on March 10th, Voting Day. The Town Clerk and Selectboard Office staff had concerns related to traffic, parking and general disruption during an election event. The Selectboard concurred. The Board requested that Ms. Dodd decline the request. Ms. Vose offered to speak with the play director.

Thank You Cards: The Selectboard received thank you notes from several library staff members for their Shaws holiday gift cards.

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

Ms. Mayberry moved to enter into the Non-Public meeting at 10:54 AM. Ms. Vose seconded. With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Mayberry and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion was approved. 

The meeting was reconvened at 11:13 AM. 

Mr. Dalessio declared the nonpublic minutes would be sealed. 

ADJOURNMENT:

Mr. Dalessio declared the meeting adjourned at 11:13 AM.

Respectfully submitted,

Sarah Downing, Recording Secretary Pro Tempore

(Note: These are unapproved Minutes.  Corrections will be found in the Minutes of the January 8, 2026, Selectboard meeting.)

Public Hearing Minutes – 12/18/25

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Town of Walpole, New Hampshire

Public Hearing

Asset Management Plan (AMP) Grant Hearing

December 18, 2025

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

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

Guests Present: Brian Scadova-Vose (Northeast GIS), Jenna Rzasa (Tata & Howard), Peggy Pschirrer, Mark Houghton, Ernie Vose, Kyle Houghton, Steve Grenier, Eric Smith, Bryan Wetherby, and Michael Flynn.

Call to Order: Mr. Dalessio called the Public Hearing to order at 5:30 PM in the Walpole Town Hall.

Presentation: Mr. Scadova-Vose and Ms. Rzasa gave a presentation summarizing the Walpole Water Department Asset Management Plan (AMP) project.  Asset management is managing infrastructure and cost for level of service.  The Water Department’s infrastructure can be categorized as 1) water supply and storage, and 2) water mains and customers.  During the project the parts of the system were prioritized based on impact of failure and cost of future improvements.  As a result, a plan emerged for what parts of the system will be updated first.  Options for increasing income were reviewed and possible grant funding sources were identified.

The Water Department feels this was a useful project and that the project and report were well done.  The final written report will be available this month.

Adjournment: Mr. Dalessio declared the meeting adjourned at 6:32 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Sue Bauer, Recording Secretary

(Note: These are unapproved Minutes. Corrections will be found in the Minutes of the December 31, 2025 Selectboard meeting.)

Public Hearing Minutes – 12/18/25

Uncategorized 01/04/2026 Leave a comment

Town of Walpole, New Hampshire

Public Hearing

Community Facilities Grant Agreement – Memo of Understanding

December 18, 2025

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

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

Guests Present: Mark Houghton, Fire Chief; Michael Flynn, WFD Clerk; Ernie Vose, WFD Commissioner and Peggy Pschirrer

Call to Order: Mr. Dalessio called the Public Hearing to order at 6:54 PM in the Walpole Town Hall.

Memo of Understanding (MoU): Mark Houghton explained the history of the grant, to help explain the current situation.  Walpole Fire District applied for the grant.  At some point Congress dropped “District”, so the applicant became Walpole Fire, i.e., the Town of Walpole, not the Walpole Fire District (WFD).  The Memo of Understanding (MoU) documents how the Town will receive the funds and pass them to the WFD with all the necessary controls.  The attorneys representing the Town and the Walpole Fire District have reviewed the agreement. The agreement applies from now until the end of the Fire Station Expansion project.

Ms. Mayberry moved to have the Chair sign Memo of Understanding between the Town of Walpole and the Walpole Fire District.  Ms. Vose seconded.  With Ms. Mayberry, Ms. Vose and Mr. Dalessio in favor, the motion passed, and Mr. Dalessio signed the MoU.

Michael Flynn, on behalf of the Walpole Fire District, also signed the MoU. Mr. Houghton will ensure that both lawyers sign the MoU.

The Walpole Fire District expressed their appreciation to the Selectboard for working together to find a way to make this grant funding available to the Walpole Fire District.

Adjournment: Mr. Dalessio declared the meeting adjourned at 6:59 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Sue Bauer, Recording Secretary

(Note: These are unapproved Minutes. Corrections will be found in the Minutes of the December 31, 2025 Selectboard meeting.