This story was originally produced by the Valley News. NHPR is republishing it in partnership with the Granite State News Collaborative.
From preventing the Hanover Police Department from entering into agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to remote meeting participation, voters will be asked to decide a wide range of issues this Town Meeting.
Hanover will hold its floor meeting on Tuesday, May 13 at 7 p.m. in the Hanover High School gym.
Among the items voters will decide from the floor is a petitioned article signed by nearly 140 residents, which calls on the Hanover town manager and police chief not to enter into or sign any agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. (Read the warrant for the annual town meeting in Hanover.)
If approved, the resolution would act as an amendment to the Hanover Welcoming Ordinance of 2020, which in essence, prevents local agencies from being deputized as immigration enforcers. Lebanon and Hartford have similar resolutions on the books.
Another petitioned article would make all Selectboard meetings available for live, remote participation, by either video chat or conference call. Currently Selectboard meetings are broadcast on channel 1085 on Comcast, but there is not a remote participation option.
A third petitioned warrant article asks voters “to adopt a policy requiring the use of gender-neutral language in all official town documents”, including the Town Charter, ordinances, policies, and the Town website. If passed, gendered terms such as “Selectmen” would be replaced with “Selectboard” and all future documents would “reflect inclusive and gender-neutral terminology,” says the article.
In addition to the petitioned articles, voter s also will decide the fate of a proposed $32.9 million town operating budget for the fiscal year starting July 1. If approved, the budget is expected to result in a 2.8% increase to the municipal tax rate.
The municipal portion of the tax rate would be $4.77 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. This is a 13 cent increase over last year’s tax rate and does not include the fire district, education or Grafton County taxes.
A house appraised at $700,000 could expect to pay $3,339 in municipal property taxes.
Another article asks voters to raise and appropriate $100,000 for improvements to the wastewater treatment plant. The funds would be reimbursed the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Clean Water State Revolving Fund Program.
The town anticipates needing to update the plant because of rule changes around phosphorus and nitrogen discharge in treated wastewater, Town Manager Robert Houseman said.
“We’re going to have these expenses one way or another,” Houseman said. “By going though this process we’ll have the ability to be reimbursed.”
Ballot voting for local offices and zoning amendments will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on May 13 in the Hanover High School gym.
The only contested race is for a three-year term on the Selectboard. Incumbent Athos Rassias and Dartmouth sophomore Evan Gerson are vying for the position.
The Planning Board is proposing two zoning amendments to encourage housing development. One is meant to permit more so-called infill housing, which allows for the construction of homes on lots where water and sewer services are already available. Another amendment is designed to make it easier for nonprofits to create workforce housing in zones in which they’re already allowed to build.
