Select Board — March 16, 2026
While votes were largely unanimous, technical delays in park development and sewer contamination issues created points of discussion and concern.
Public impact
SAU16 Electrical Vocational Program
Sewer Siphon Contamination
Decisions logged
Topics discussed
▶ 00:44 Exeter TV Overview
Information regarding local government access channels on Comcast and online streaming availability.
▶ 13:45 Public Works: Front and Lynen Street Roundabout
An update on the upcoming construction of a roundabout to improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety at the intersection of Front, Lynen, and Pine Streets.
▶ 17:14 Exeter Literary Festival
Details regarding the upcoming festival on April 4th, including keynote authors and a special poem honoring America 250.
▶ 19:16 Exeter Public Library Programs
Announcement of upcoming library events including bird conservation workshops, music series, and an author fair.
▶ 23:32 SAU16 Electrical Program Proposal
Discussion regarding the potential addition of an electrical vocational program at the School of Technology starting next school year.
▶ 26:46 Heritage Commission Award Program
The launch of a new award program to recognize efforts in preserving Exeter's historical and cultural resources.
▶ 28:25 March 10, 2026 Election Recap
Review of election results, including approved warrant articles, elected officials, and voter turnout statistics.
▶ 53:15 Public Hearing: Climate Impact Grant
A hearing regarding the acceptance of a $25,000 grant from the Piscataway Region's Estuaries Partnership for a street tree planting and education program.
▶ 1:00:42 Public Hearing: Historical Resources Grant
A hearing regarding the acceptance of a $25,000 grant from the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to document the High Street historic district.
▶ 1:07:32 Pairpoint Park Development
A discussion regarding the progress, funding, and safety of the proposed Pairpoint Park project, including concerns about ADA accessibility, subsurface conditions, and the timeline for filling the hole.
▶ 1:36:48 Public Land Access Proposal
A discussion regarding a proposal to open a specific public land area for community use and fundraising activities.
▶ 1:42:06 Tax Abatements
The board reviewed and voted on two tax abatement requests for specific property units.
▶ 1:42:45 Hazardous Household Waste Collection Grant
Review of a grant from the NH Department of Environmental Services to offset the costs of the annual regional hazardous waste collection event.
▶ 1:44:10 Pairpoint Park Donations
Acceptance of February 2026 donations for the park and a donation from Pairpoint Group LLC for National Night Out.
▶ 1:47:40 Town Manager's Report
Updates on the annual election, new police/fire substation construction, sewer siphon cleaning/contamination issues, and staff transitions.
▶ 1:53:00 Select Board Committee Reports
Updates from various committees including Housing Advisory, Sustainability, and E911.
▶ 2:03:55 Waste Management Update
A brief report regarding a backlog at the transfer station that is currently being managed in an outbuilding near the Simpson property.
▶ 2:04:00 Legislative Update
An update on state house proceedings and potential impacts of pending bills on municipal law and leasing.
▶ 2:05:52 Election Results and Gratitude
A board member expressed gratitude to the voters following recent elections and noted they were unable to attend a previous meeting due to election laws regarding candidates on the ballot.
▶ 2:09:50 State House Legislative Update
A report on recent activity at the state house, noting that the House session was cut short due to the Speaker's illness, causing several municipal-related bills to miss hearings.
▶ 2:10:57 Review of Pending State Legislation
Discussion of various bills including daycare zoning, default budget changes, fiscal accountability committees, tax bill transparency (pie charts/QR codes), and election/party declaration requirements.
▶ 2:15:22 Upcoming Meeting Calendar
Review of the Select Board meeting schedule through June 2026.
Controversy & dissent
Potentially controversial issues
Pairpoint Park Development
Split votes
Community vs. board tension
Action items
Notable statements
The importance of the electrical program is twofold: offering students high-skill/high-wage opportunities and meeting the community's dire need for licensed electricians. — Chris Andriski · Discussing the SAU16 electrical program proposal. ▶ 24:09
We have raised 71% of the anticipated cost of the RFP for the construction documents. — Amanda Kelly · Providing an update on the progress of the Pairpoint Park project. ▶ 1:10:07
I'm not going to get into the time frame... I just want to make sure that we move some progress on this. — Selectman · Responding to the debate regarding the timeline for opening the park. ▶ 1:13:00
The town has used a new accessible voting system and new ballot counting machines, which required some user adjustment. — Kate Miller · Reviewing the March 10th election process. ▶ 1:10:33
Residual contaminated material from the former manufactured natural gas plant... had migrated into the northern siphon. — Speaker A (Town Manager) · Explaining why sewer siphon cleaning work was temporarily halted due to an odor. ▶ 1:48:07
We do not have a municipal budget committee. We have a budget recommendation committee and there's a very important distinction there and that does not apply to us. — Unidentified speaker · Clarifying the distinction between Exeter's budget committee and a proposed state bill regarding 'municipal budget committees.' ▶ 2:10:39
Public lands shall be open to the public. — Speaker A (unnamed proponent) · Discussing the proposal to open public land for community/fundraising use. ▶ 1:46:58
Instead of demanding that they be transparent, we're getting legislation in the House to affect all of the communities in the House in the state. — Unidentified speaker · Commenting on a bill requiring municipalities to use charts and QR codes on tax bills to increase transparency. ▶ 2:17:02
Member positions
Positions marked ~ are inferred from context and may not reflect the member's explicitly stated position.
Public comment
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grok-4.3, grok-4.20-0309-reasoning, gemma-4-26b, grok-4-fast · analyzed 2026-05-31.