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Select Board — May 18, 2026

The meeting was largely administrative and procedural, with only minor friction regarding specific spending priorities.

Date Monday, May 18, 2026 Duration 1.5h Speakers 19 Public comments 5 Decisions 8 Routine
▶ Video

Public ⁠impact

Issues from this meeting with documented community impact.
01

Security System and Facility Upgrades

$12,056 expenditure sourced from the sale of town property. Affected: All taxpayers
other high impact

Decisions ⁠logged

Every recorded vote, with timestamps and dissents.
Motion to adjourn the public meeting.
Motion made by a speaker at 7:15 PM.
Passed (Unanimous)
Accept minutes from the previous meeting as amended.
Corrected a spelling error regarding Andrew Pernard.
Approved
Approve the driveway permit for the Gresinski property.
Subject to standard requirements; follow-up needed for building permit and liability waiver.
Approved
Accept $300 donation to the scholarship fund per RSA 31:19.
Approved
Table discussion on structural analysis for fire station and highway garage.
No bids were received for the initial RFP.
Approved
Accept Twin State's bid for Town Hall and Fire Department paving projects.
Decision made upon review of the contract by the town attorney; quotes were within warrant article limits.
Approved
Accept $9,275 from the sale of town property per RSA 31:92-B.
Approved
Approve security system upgrades for town facilities.
Total cost $12,056; funding to be sourced from the sale of town property to avoid using capital reserves.
Approved

Topics ⁠discussed

Click a topic to expand quotes and full context.
▶ 01:15 Approval of Minutes

The board reviewed and approved the previous meeting minutes after correcting a spelling error regarding 'Andrew Pernard'.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 01:50 Private Road/Class X Road Driveway Permit

Discussion regarding a driveway permit for Frank and Joel Gresinski involving a Class X road upgrade. The board discussed road standards, fire truck access, and liability waivers.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 08:24 Parks and Recreation Updates

Discussion regarding landscaping efforts at French's Park (noted as Brown Shattuck in error) using silt socks and a planned plant drive, completion of field work at Brown Shattuck, recent vandalism (obscenities) at a park with suggestion of a game camera for security, updates on French's Park cleanup, upcoming community conversations, maintenance of the meeting house grounds, and progress on reinstating or finding a new Parks Director with tasks being organized in advance.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 08:36 Park Vandalism and Security

Discussion regarding recent vandalism (obscenities) at a park and the suggestion of installing a game camera for security.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 09:09 Parks Director Recruitment

An update on the progress of reinstating or finding a new Parks Director, noting that efforts are being made to organize tasks for when they take over.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 16:00 Scholarship Fund Donation

The board discussed an expected donation to the scholarship fund per RSA 31:19.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 27:31 Structural Analysis of Municipal Buildings

The board discussed quotes for structural analysis of the fire station and highway garage; the discussion was tabled due to a lack of bids.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 132:00 Event Coordination for Town Hall and BACC

Administrative staff presented the need for a dedicated event coordinator to manage requests and mitigate disruptions to town business and meeting recordings.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 242:00 Paving Projects and Bidding

The board reviewed bids for paving at the Town Hall and the fire department, comparing quotes from Twin State and United Construction.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 298:00 Security System Upgrades

Discussion on upgrading security cameras and fire panels at the transfer station and highway department.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker

Controversy & ⁠dissent

Where the board, the community, or the agenda diverged.

Potentially controversial issues

01

Event Coordinator Staffing

Staff reported that managing event requests is consuming significant labor hours and disrupting essential town business/meetings. The community (via staff) is requesting a dedicated role, while the board is deferring the financial commitment to a future budget cycle.
Board position: The board acknowledged the administrative burden but chose to seek interim volunteer solutions rather than immediate hiring, deferring the decision to the next budget cycle.
medium concern
02

Security Upgrades and Vandalism Response

Following park vandalism, there was a debate regarding the cost-effectiveness of installing security cameras, with one member explicitly questioning the value of spending thousands on such equipment.
Board position: The board moved forward with security system upgrades for town facilities, but internal debate existed regarding the necessity of high-cost surveillance in certain areas.
Internal dissent
One unidentified member expressed direct opposition to spending high amounts on security cameras, stating, 'I don't want to spend thousands of dollars on security down there.'
low concern

Community vs. board tension

Action ⁠items

Who owes what, by when.
Provide a copy of the hold harmless agreement/liability waiver to the office.
Assigned: Justin / Road Agent
Issue an announcement for the plant drive (seeking juniper, blueberry, etc.) to be held at the library tent.
Assigned: a speaker · Due: Tonight
Determine if excess dirt/fill material should be offered to BNS or the general public.
Assigned: a speaker
Post an advertisement/notice for an event coordinator volunteer or position.
Assigned: Town Office
Create a functional email address '[email protected]'.
Assigned: Town Office
Review the Twin State paving contract.
Assigned: Town Attorney
Obtain a mowing estimate for the meeting house from Fosters.
Assigned: Marlene
Prepare an announcement and RSVP details for the June 23rd community conversation.
Assigned: a speaker

Notable ⁠statements

I don't want to spend thousands of dollars on security down there. There's nothing like worth that much to cover. — Unidentified speaker · Responding to a suggestion to install a game camera following vandalism. ▶ 08:42
Trying to lay everything out so we got stuff ready for him to walk into and take over. — Unidentified speaker · Regarding the preparation for a new Parks Director. ▶ 09:14
I'm suggesting the select board revisit the need for an event coordinator so the roles of the current employees can focus on the day-to-day needs of [the town]. — Unidentified speaker · Highlighting the administrative burden of managing event bookings. ▶ 148:00
This could be something that, around Budget time, we can discuss as far as adding another person to the budget for next year. — Unidentified speaker · Responding to the request for a professional event coordinator. ▶ 350:00
Our purchasing policy says anything over five thousand dollars [requires] the most competitive bid. — Unidentified speaker · Questioning the lack of competitive bids for the security system upgrades. ▶ 458:00

Member ⁠positions

8 issues · 0 explicit · 8 inferred
Unknown
Approval of Minutes YES ~
Approved amended minutes
Private Road/Class X Road Driveway Permit YES ~
Approved driveway permit
Scholarship Fund Donation YES ~
Accepted donation
Structural Analysis of Municipal Buildings YES ~
Tabled discussion
Paving Projects and Bidding YES ~
Accepted Twin State bid
Accept $9,275 from the sale of town property YES ~
Accepted funds
Security System Upgrades YES ~
Approved upgrades
Adjournment YES ~
Approved adjournment
Beth Downs
Selectman
Unknown
Approval of Minutes YES ~
Approved amended minutes
Private Road/Class X Road Driveway Permit YES ~
Approved driveway permit
Scholarship Fund Donation YES ~
Accepted donation
Structural Analysis of Municipal Buildings YES ~
Tabled discussion
Paving Projects and Bidding YES ~
Accepted Twin State bid
Accept $9,275 from the sale of town property YES ~
Accepted funds
Security System Upgrades YES ~
Approved upgrades
Adjournment YES ~
Approved adjournment
Devin Pendleton
Selectman
Unknown
Approval of Minutes YES ~
Approved amended minutes
Private Road/Class X Road Driveway Permit YES ~
Approved driveway permit
Scholarship Fund Donation YES ~
Accepted donation
Structural Analysis of Municipal Buildings YES ~
Tabled discussion
Paving Projects and Bidding YES ~
Accepted Twin State bid
Accept $9,275 from the sale of town property YES ~
Accepted funds
Security System Upgrades YES ~
Approved upgrades
Adjournment YES ~
Approved adjournment

Positions marked ~ are inferred from context and may not reflect the member's explicitly stated position.

Public ⁠comment

What residents said — verbatim, with timestamps.
5
Total speakers
4
Addressed
1
Partial
0
Not addressed
Unidentified speaker
▶ 01:50
Addressed
The speaker is proposing a road improvement project for the Gresinski property that involves upgrading a Class X road and adding a 600-foot section on private property. They explained the technical plan for water drainage and road elevation to ensure fire truck access. Key concern
Approval of a driveway/road permit and clarification on required documentation like liability waivers.
Board response
The board engaged in a detailed discussion regarding road standards, insurance, and the private road policy. They ultimately moved to approve the driveway permit.
The board discussed the technical aspects, addressed the need for a hold harmless agreement, and officially voted to approve the driveway permit.
Unidentified speaker
▶ 22:12
Partial
The speaker reported that managing event requests for the town's second floor is consuming 3-4 hours of staff time per week. They noted that event noise is disruptive to town committee meetings and clerk operations, and requested a dedicated event coordinator. Key concern
The need for a dedicated event coordinator to manage facility bookings and mitigate disruptions to town business.
Board response
The board suggested looking for a volunteer in the interim and discussed the possibility of adding a paid position during next year's budget cycle.
The board acknowledged the problem and provided interim solutions (volunteers/email updates), but did not immediately hire a coordinator, instead deferring the paid position to budget discussions.
Unidentified speaker
▶ 40:30
Addressed
The speaker provided an update on highway department activities, including road sweeping, grading, and pothole repair. They also mentioned that a new sweeping company has started and the RFP for West Road paving is out. Key concern
Routine departmental updates on maintenance and paving status.
Board response
The board acknowledged the update and entered into a discussion regarding paving bids.
The update was received and served as the basis for the subsequent discussion on paving projects.
Brian (Chief)
▶ 54:05
Addressed
The speaker recognized the fire department staff during EMS Week and provided statistics on recent calls. He also noted the rising cost of diesel fuel impacting the budget. Key concern
Recognition of staff and notification of increased fuel costs.
Board response
The board acknowledged the recognition of the staff and the upcoming Public Works Employee Week.
The board acknowledged the information provided regarding EMS week and the departmental status.
Devin (Parks and Rec)
▶ 84:30
Addressed
The speaker provided updates on the community conversation event, recent park cleanups at French's Park, and upcoming plant drives. They also mentioned ongoing maintenance at Brown Shattuck. Key concern
Updates on community engagement, park maintenance, and volunteer momentum.
Board response
The board discussed the security concerns at the parks and the possibility of using town funds/donations for park improvements.
The board engaged with the updates and discussed how to support the ongoing park initiatives.
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Report composed by grok-4.3, gemma-4-26b, grok-4.20-0309-reasoning · analyzed 2026-06-01.