This year, several towns, in addition to electing local officials, are debating whether to allow sports-betting at retail locations and whether to expand or build new libraries. Also on the agenda: repairing crumbling infrastructure, upgrading water treatment plants, and buying new emergency equipment. In addition to local matters, some towns will also consider supporting -- or opposing -- national or even global efforts, such as carbon pricing.
Air date: March 2, 2020
GUESTS:
- Peter Basiliere - Town and school district moderator for Milford.
- Tim Camerato - Reporter for the Valley News. See some of Tim's reporting below, in "Related Reading."
- Patrick Cronin - Editor of The Exeter News-Letterand The Hampton Union. See coverage by these newspapers below, in "Related Reading."
- Cordell Johnston - Town and school district moderator for Henniker; he also serves as Government Affairs Counsel for theNew Hampshire. Municipal Association.
Related Reading:
Below are some of the top issues in the Upper Valley region:
Several communities are considering "welcoming ordinances."
The town of Norwich is voting on whether to eliminate the town hall's reliance on fossil fuels and install a geothermal system.
Read more of Tim Camerato's reporting here.
Below are issues voters will consider in the Hampton and Exeter area, as covered by The Exeter News-Letter and The Hampton Union, also found on seacoastonline.
Hampton, Seabrook and Newmarket all have questions asking for voters to allow retail sports betting locations in their town.
Exeter
A question on a $10.85 million expansion to Recreation Park that includes the construction of a community center
A citizen’s petition to oppose the Granite Bridge pipeline.
Also on the ballot are two other citizen’s petitions- New Hampshire Resolution to take action on Climate Pollution and New Hampshire Resolution for Fair Redistricting.
Epping
$8.5 millionwater treatment plant
A question to lease the Keefe Superfund site in Eppingto New England Solar Garden Corp for a solar farm
Newfields
Citizen’s petition to restore curbside recycling
North Hampton
New $4.5 million library on the Homestead property (two competing articles were combined into one by the voters at the deliberative session after the library trustees and select board refused to compromise)
Citizen’s petition to rescind the town’s ethics code.
Hampton
Four articles on the ballot to repair, repave roads in Hampton (two of them just for engineering and preliminary plans)
Also on the ballot is $200,000 to design flood controls for the protection of the west side streets off of Ashworth Avenue, Brown Avenue, the Island Path and Glade Path areas north to Winnacunnet Road.
Hampton warrant Article 33 proposes to appropriate $50,000 to work with the Rockingham Planning Commission (RPC) to develop a process through which Hampton property owners who are subject to frequent flooding can apply for FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation grant funding to elevate their structures to make them more flood-resilient, or to sell them (at fair market value) to the town, which would dismantle the structures and maintain the parcels as open space for additional flood storage.
Winnacunnet High School ballot (Hampton, Hampton Falls, North Hampton and Seabrook)
Citizen’s petition asking voters if they are in favor of banning sanctuary cities.
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