by admin | Mar 12, 2026 | Board of Selectmen Minutes
Meeting began at 6:00 pm. Present were Selectmen Cloutier, Stohl and Pike. Members of the public present: Donald Campbell.
Town Clerk Marcia Parkhurst administered the Oath of Office to newly elected Selectman Karl Pike.
Selectman Stohl administered the Oath of Office to Marcia Parkhurst as Town Clerk and Trustee of the Trust Funds.
On a motion made by Selectman Stohl and seconded by Selectman Pike, the Board voted to appoint Selectman Cloutier as Chairman.
On a motion made by Selectman Cloutier and seconded by Selectman Stohl, the Board approved the minutes of the February 25th meeting. (Selectman Pike abstained.)
Checks and manifests were reviewed and signed.
Marcia will speak to Town Treasurer Carrie Klebe about adding Selectman Pike to any bank accounts necessary.
Marcia will take care of getting keys to the buildings for Selectman Pike.
Donald Campbell came to the meeting to discuss a couple of issues he had been working on before leaving office:
1. Dispatch meeting tomorrow night. Selectman Stohl said he would be Columbia’s representative to the Board. Mr. Campbell also explained how the Dispatch Center works to Selectman Pike. Mr. Campbell informed the Board about some upcoming grants for the Dispatch Center.
2. Bathroom at the Town Hall. Mr. Campbell and the Board discussed the well water situation and also that the toilet appeared to be frozen. Mr. Campbell said he would continue to look into it.
Mr. Campbell left the meeting.
The Board approved an Intent to Cut for Ronald Beloin.
Marcia informed the Board that she does have two companies that are interested in doing Columbia’s assessing. She will set up meetings with each company in hopes that we can have someone ready to start around April 1st.
Marcia recently spoke to Kendra Bell from Cohos Advisors regarding the final report for the ARPA funds. Kendra has filed the necessary paperwork but wanted a vote from the Board that the monies had been spent in the manner they were intended and that Kendra was authorized to file the final report. Motion made by Selectman Stohl and seconded by Selectman Cloutier to let the minutes reflect that the money had been spent. Motion passed.
The Board reviewed the list of outstanding taxes for 2023 that are eligible for tax deeding on March 23rd. The Board did not note any properties that they would not take by Tax Deed if it comes to that.
Meeting adjourned at 7:20 pm. Respectfully submitted,
Marcia Parkhurst, Secretary Board of Selectmen
by admin | Feb 26, 2026 | Board of Selectmen Minutes
Meeting began at 6:00 pm. Present were Selectmen Cloutier, Stohl and Campbell. Members of the public present: Karl Pike and Town Assessor, Gary Fournier.
Mr. Fournier came to the meeting to have the Board sign two contracts with his company. One, a Temporary Contract, for January 1, 2026 through February 28, 2026. This contract covers several land use change items and the equalization ratio study. The other contract is for January 1, 2026 through September 1, 2026 and overs the remainder of the work necessary to complete the Town’s revaluation. The Board signed both contract and Marcia will give them to Phil Bodwell (DRA) tomorrow when he stops by the office. Mr. Fournier left the meeting at 6:20.
Mail was reviewed.
Checks and manifests were reviewed and signed.
An Intent to Cut was approved for Lee Kershaw.
On a motion made by Selectman Stohl and seconded by Selectman Cloutier, the Board approved the minutes of the February 11, 2026 meeting.
The Board signed reimbursement forms for payments made to the Town’s Forest Fire Wardens. Marcia will submit these forms to the State.
Land Use Change bills and warrants were signed for the following, Austin Lesperance, Alicia Lesperance, Christopher Peterson, Heidi Schwarzmueller and William Sawyer.
Marcia informed the Board that she had spoken with Denice Roy (DRA) regarding the Shallow River property on Stoddard Road. It appears that the property no longer qualifies for a tax exempt status due to the law saying that the property must be used for “its intention.: The property is currently empty and is listed for sale.
Marcia informed the Board that Road Agent Dominic Westover had told her that he is instituting the “road ban”. Marcia has placed an ad in the newspaper and at the Town Office.
A representative from Democracy Live will be at the office on Thursday to deliver the new “accessible voting machine” and to show Marcia how to set it up. According to State law, this machine must be used for all elections.
The Board reviewed the Warrant for Town Meeting and decided who would be speaking to each article.
Meeting adjourned at 8:30 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Marcia Parkhurst, Secretary
Board of Selectmen
by admin | Feb 11, 2026 | Board of Selectmen Minutes
Meeting began at 6:00 pm. Present were Selectmen Cloutier, Stohl and Campbell.
Mail was reviewed.
Checks and manifests were reviewed and signed.
An Intent to Excavate form was approved for Norman Cloutier.
On a motion made by Selectman Campbell and seconded by Selectman Stohl the Board approved the minutes of the January 28th meeting.
Marcia asked the Board about the tax exempt status of the Shallow River Property now that the group home is closed and the property is on the market. The Board instructed Marcia to contact the NHMA to see what the status should be.
An Abatement was signed for Michael McKenzie. Mr. McKenzie has already paid his taxes so Marcia will process a refund for him to be signed at the next meeting.
Marcia informed the Board that she was still trying to get a new assessor for the Town. Seventeen letters were sent out with two responses. One was a “no” , one was returned as “undeliverable”. Today e-mails were sent to the remaining 15. Again, another reply was no. Marcia said she had e-mailed Jason Call (Northtown Appraisals) and she thinks he might end up being interested. She will continue to contact him.
Meeting adjourned at 7:30 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Marcia Parkhurst, Secretary
Board of Selectmen
by admin | Jan 28, 2026 | Board of Selectmen Minutes
Meeting began at 6:00 pm. Present were Selectmen Cloutier, Stohl and Campbell.
On a motion made by Selectman Stohl and seconded by Selectman Cloutier, the Board approved the minutes of the December 23, 2025 meeting. Selectman Campbell abstained.
On a motion made by Selectman Stohl and seconded by Selectman Cloutier, the Board approved the minutes of the January 14, 2026 meeting.
Mail was reviewed.
Checks and manifests were reviewed and signed.
Abatement Forms were approved for Charles Marinelli (error in acreage) and Great North Woods Center for the Arts (just cause).
The contract with CAI for the tax maps was approved and signed.
Marcia informed the Board that she would be contacting them sometime next week to come in and sign the 2026 Warrant and Budget.
Marcia told the Board that the Town Report was almost done and that she would be ordering less this year due to having so many left over previous years.
Marcia reminded the Board that the filing period for Town Offices runs until Friday, January 30th, at 5:00 pm.
Selectman Stohl informed the Board that because of the Country’s 250th birthday celebration that the Kiwanis Club would be hosting a larger display of fireworks for July 4th. They are asking for a donation of $2,000 from us this year. The Board discussed it and decided that the warrant article could be amended at Town Meeting.
Marcia told the Board that she had mailed out seventeen letters to assessing companies asking them if they would be willing to take Columbia on as a client. So far she has heard from one company that was a no and another that was a maybe. She will follow up on all of these once she gets the Town Report to the printers.
Meeting adjourned at 8:30 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Marcia Parkhurst, Secretary
Board of Selectmen
by admin | Jan 14, 2026 | Board of Selectmen Minutes
Meeting began at 6:00 pm. Present were Selectmen Cloutier, Stohl and Campbell.
Checks and manifests were reviewed and signed.
Gary Fournier (Brett Purvis & Associates) entered the meeting at 6:02 pm. The Board discussed the recent BTLA order regarding the revaluation. Gary has provided a contract for finishing up the revaluation. Marcia has forwarded it to Attorney Chris Boldt for review and he will share it with DRA’s attorney. Mr. Fournier informed the Board that he had put a price in the contract of $15,500 but that he knew that would have to be negotiated due to the Town having to pay DRA for doing the general assessing work for 2026. Mr. Fournier is also drafting a “temporary” contract for a term of one month to do the Town’s Land Use Change bills and the equalization. Marcia will run this by Chris Boldt also before the Board signs it. Mr. Fournier noted that there will be no charge for this. Mr. Fournier left the meeting at 6;35 pm.
At 7:00 Selectman Cloutier called the Annual Budget Hearing to order. (There was one member of the public present.) Selectman Cloutier reviewed each line item on the appropriations and revenue sheets. The Board discussed increasing the Elderly Tax Exemptions. On a motion made by Selectman Stohl and seconded by Selectman Campbell, the Board voted to increase the exemptions as follows: Age 65-70 $15,000; age 70-75 $20,000; age 80 $25,000. Marcia will contact DRA for the exact wording to be used on the Warrant. The Annual Budget Hearing was adjourned at 7;20 pm.
Mail was reviewed.
An Intent to Cut form was approved for Gregory Aarchambault.
A Veteran’s Tax Cred for Kim Wiles was approved.
A Current Use Application was approved for Robert and Laurie Towle.
The Board discussed a name for the road leading into the new Colburn subdivision off from US Route 3. On a motion made by Selectman Stohl and seconded by Selectman Campbell, the Board voted to name the road “Colburn Lane”.
The Board reviewed an e-mail from the Secretary of State’s office about the new handicapped accessible voting machine that will be delivered to us sometime in February. It will be the Town’s responsibility to have the machine programed for the Town election. Approximate cost will be $650.00. The School District will have to take care of their ballot programming.
An e-mail from the Department of Justice was reviewed. The Town needs to sign a Certification Form stating that we have reviewed any existing contracts that the Town has to make sure that they comply with RSA 21-1:116 (prohibited DEI related provisions).
An Agreement was signed for the 45th Parallel for 2026.
Meeting adjourned at 8:25 pm
Respectfully submitted,
Marcia Parkhurst, Secretary
Board of Selectmen
by admin | Dec 22, 2025 | Board of Selectmen Minutes
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
