Meeting began at 6:00 pm. Present were Selectmen Cloutier and Stohl. Selectman Campbell was absent.
Checks and manifests were reviewed and signed.
On a motion made by Selectman Stohl and seconded by Selectman Cloutier, the Board approved the minutes of the December 10, 2025 meeting.
Marcia informed the Board members that Phil Bodwell and Denice Roy from DRA would be here on Tuesday to finish up he assessing and to do the Town’s MS-1 in preparation for setting the tax rate.
Intent to Cut forms were signed for Carrie Klebe, Megawood and Savannahwood.
The Board discussed the upcoming budget season. It was decided to hold the annual Budget Hearing on Wednesday, January 14th, at 7:00 pm. Marcia will place an ad in the newspaper and put it on the website.
Marcia said that she had spoken to Phil Bodwell from DRA and that he had suggested that the Town look at increasing their Veteran’s Tax Credit and the Elderly Exemptions in preparation for new assessment values next year. Denice Roy had given Marcia a list of the Town’s in Coos County and what they were using for numbers. The Board discussed the impact to the rest of the Town by doing this. These changes must be made at Town Meeting. The Board had a couple of questions:
1. If we place this on the 2026 Town Warrant does it go into effect in 2026 or 2027?
2. Does this change need to be discussed at the Budget Hearing? It is not an actual appropriation but does have an effect on the overall tax rate.
Marcia will contact Jamie Dow at DRA to get answers to these questions.
Marcia informed the Board that there is $11,694.92 remaining in the Summer Road budget. At the present time, we have contracted with Asplundh to cut some trees along the Town’s roads. It is unsure if they will be finished before December 31st. On a motion made by Selectman Stohl and seconded by Selectman Cloutier, the Board voted to “encumber” $11,694.92 from the 2025 Summer Road budget to be paid to Asplundh. If the Asplundh bill is more than this amount, the remainder of the money will be taken from the $11,396.47 one-time Class V road money that the State of New Hampshire gave us in 2024.
The Board spent the remainder of the meeting working on the 2026 budget.
Meeting adjourned at 8:00 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Marcia Parkhurst, Secretary
Board of Selectmen