Selectmen's Update - March 14, 2023
Happy Town Elections day!
The Selectmen met with the Town’s wetland/soil scientist Greg Howard and Road Agent Ty Bryant to discuss the Metcalf Road culvert replacement project in yesterday’s work session. The Town has neared completion of the permitting phase of the project and the Selectmen reviewed/approved the permit application which will now be reviewed by the NH Dept. of Environmental Services (DES). Upon approval of the permit application by DES, we will move toward a Request for Proposals/bidding process to better understand the timeline and costs associated with culvert replacement.
Mr. Bryant also gave updates as the Highway Department has been shifting operations between the four seasons of weather we sometimes get within a few days of one another; at the same time, the crew has been busy with equipment breakdowns, most recently the grader that is slated for replacement upon town meeting approval March 18th (10 AM – Sandwich Central School). As a reminder, the Town Warrant, Town Report and Town Budget can all be found on our website or at Town Hall.
In the regular meeting, fellow Selectmen recognized Todd Horn for his leadership and service to the Town as he nears the end of his term as Selectman. We appreciate all Mr. Horn has brought to the role and are fortunate to have benefited from his attention to detail, humor and particularly HR expertise! If you see Todd around town, please join us in extending gratitude for his time and effort.
The Board signed timber intent to cut forms, timber tax warrants, AP and payroll manifests and gravel intent to excavate documents. The Board also reviewed and approved meeting minutes.
The Board will be making committee appointments in their regular meeting of March 27th. We are accepting letters/emails of interest for all town committees/boards. Thank you to everyone who has expressed interest so far. Interested parties are encouraged to attend committee meetings and/or familiarize themselves with materials found on the website to better understand the responsibilities and commitment associated with committee membership. We are grateful for all the town volunteers!
The Board reviewed and discussed a variety of community correspondence topics. Among correspondence items, topics included the Effingham gas station site plan review that has been a topic of discussion for months and the Eversource transmission line replacement project that is slated for spring kickoff (more information can be found at Town Hall regarding the details of the project or at the Eversource project website here). Over the next few months, Eversource contractors will be walking the Sandwich power line corridor, reviewing existing conditions, performing construction site reviews, and continuing with environmental surveys. Outreach representatives may leave a doorhanger on homes alongside the right-of-way with project information. All personnel supporting this project carry identification and are happy to show company identification, upon request.
Lastly, the Town has received several inquiries regarding assessor site visits in the past week or so. Please note, the Town assessing staff is completing field work (this includes walking around properties and potentially taking pictures of structures) over the next few weeks for properties throughout town. Our assessor drives a Subaru car with plate #2346648 and is Joe Jenkins. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Town Hall or Police Department.
We hope to see you Saturday for Town Meeting!
Board of Selectmen