Meeting report · Select Board
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Select Board — May 11, 2026
The meeting featured significant debate regarding the implementation of safety plans for road closures and serious discussions regarding budget deficits and structural government changes.
Public impact
Issues from this meeting with documented community impact.
01
2026 Property Tax Warrants
Approval of $1,789,096.93 in first-half property tax warrants. Affected: All property owners in Goffstown
tax increase
02
Budget Revenue Shortfalls
Lower-than-expected revenues from building permits and planning, plus potential shortfalls in fuel and salt costs. Affected: All taxpayers and town departments
other high impact
Decisions logged
Every recorded vote, with timestamps and dissents.
Approval of April 27th meeting minutes
Motion by Mark, second by Allison; all in favor.
Passed
03:35
Deny road closure for 'Uncommon Art' but approve the permit.
The Board agreed the event is during the day and does not require road closures for safety.
Passed
63:00
Direct department heads to coordinate an alternative safety plan for evening events (Friday Night of the Light and New Year's Eve) with Main Street instead of full road closures.
Motion by a speaker, seconded by a speaker.
Passed
66:00
Approve Scarecrow contest and decorating flagpoles with holiday decor/ribbons through February.
The Board approved the concept with a date adjustment to November 7th.
Passed
67:14
Approve the concept for the downtown brick beautification fundraiser.
Approval is conditional on a review of the MOU and further details regarding planters.
Passed
70:15
Approve the 2026 first half property tax warrant, PILOT warrant, and Betterment Assessment Warrant.
Approved via blanket motion.
Passed
71:15
Push the RFP closing date for the Roy Park portable fort to June 15th.
Motion by a speaker, seconded by a speaker (noted as Mark in transcript) to allow more time for bids.
Passed
75:45
Approval of 2026 first half property tax warrant ($1,789,096.93), PILOT warrant ($42,000), and Lynchville-Danas Parks Betterment Assessment ($16,124.19).
Individual motions for each warrant were approved.
Passed
82:04
Accept the Select Board goals as written, with the requirement that department heads add deliverable dates.
Motion by a speaker, seconded by a speaker.
Passed
121:00
Topics discussed
Click a topic to expand quotes and full context.
03:04 Approval of Minutes
The board reviewed and approved the minutes from the April 27th meeting.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
04:55 Public Announcements and Proclamations
Announcements regarding Glen Lake parking restrictions and proclamations for National Law Enforcement Memorial Week, National Public Works Week, and Emergency Medical Services Week.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
12:59 Main Street Program Presentation
Representatives from the Goffstown Main Street Program presented a series of upcoming event permits, beautification projects, and safety concerns regarding road closures and pedestrian safety. The Board discussed road closure requests for several upcoming events, including the Pumpkin Regatta, Uncommon Art, and Friday Night of the Light, focusing on safety barriers and traffic management. Discussion also covered a brick fundraiser for downtown beautification and the inclusion of planters, emphasizing the need for a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
73:00 Parks and Recreation: Portable Fort RFP
The Board reviewed a request to initiate a bid process for a portable fort at Roy Park, using revolving and impact fee funds.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
78:00 Tax Warrants and Assessment Recommendations
The Board reviewed and approved various tax warrants (property tax, PILOT, and betterment assessments) and assessor recommendations regarding excavations and abatements.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
93:14 Quarterly Budget Report and Revenue Analysis
A review of Q1 expenditures and revenues, noting concerns regarding lower-than-expected building permit and planning revenues, as well as potential budget shortfalls in fuel and salt.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
118:16 Town Manager Proposal
Initial discussion on the possibility of transitioning to a Town Manager form of government.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
Controversy & dissent
Where the board, the community, or the agenda diverged.
Potentially controversial issues
01
Road Closures for Main Street Events
The Main Street Program requested full road closures for safety during community events, while the Board prioritized traffic flow and minimized disruption, opting for alternative safety plans instead.
Board position: The Board denied full road closures for certain events (like 'Uncommon Art') and directed departments to develop alternative safety plans for evening events to avoid full closures.
medium concern
02
Transition to Town Manager Form of Government
Changing the fundamental structure of municipal government is a high-stakes decision that impacts local governance, accountability, and taxpayer costs.
Board position: The Board initiated a discussion on the possibility of the transition, directing staff to research the process and comparative data.
medium concern
Community vs. board tension
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Action items
Who owes what, by when.
Obtain detailed costs from the Fire Chief regarding fire/rescue requirements for the Pumpkin Regatta.
Assigned: Derek (Staff)
Return to the board with a detailed proposal for the brick fundraiser and planter box project, including engineering plans and dimensions.
Assigned: Main Street Program
Coordinate with Main Street to develop alternative safety plans for evening events to avoid full road closures.
Assigned: Department Heads
Provide details on the Town Manager process, including what a warrant article would look like and comparisons to other communities.
Assigned: Derek (Administrator)
Confirm remaining terms on the solar and hydro PILOT agreements and report back to the Board.
Assigned: Derek (Administrator)
Investigate whether spring repairs for DPW vehicles can be performed in-house.
Assigned: Derek (Administrator)
Provide deliverable dates for their respective items on the Select Board goals list.
Assigned: Department Heads · Due: June meeting
Notable statements
The intention is not to go over this line by line... my intention is also to try to be as thorough as possible and bring everything that we're asking for... at one time. — Unidentified speaker · Explaining the extensive nature of the presentation regarding event permits and requests. 13:00
We're in a default budget, right? So we're having to be cognizant of that. It's more about what are the needs, not necessarily the wants. — Unidentified speaker · Addressing the Main Street Program's requests for town-funded improvements and road closures. 23:00
The planter boxes were born because we're trying to think of how can we get kids more involved. — Unidentified speaker · Explaining the purpose of the proposed brick planter box project. 51:06
I think it's our job to fix their bid. I don't think we should be like, 'hey, it looks like it's a bad bid.' — Unidentified speaker · Discussing a DPW bid where the low bidder had an error in their linear feet pricing. 90:30
I'd like to see that again... we are lagging on revenues that are not us collecting taxes... it's a good call out. — Unidentified speaker · Discussing the quarterly budget report and the importance of highlighting non-tax revenue trends. 96:10
We're going to make sure that our [building permit] fees are in line. If we need to revise those, bring a recommendation back to the select board. — Unidentified speaker · Addressing the decline in building permit and planning/zoning revenue. 97:00
Public comment
What residents said — verbatim, with timestamps.
3
Total speakers
3
Addressed
0
Partial
0
Not addressed
Sherry Reinfurt
12:50
Addressed
Representing Goffstown Main Street, she presented a series of requests for upcoming community events. This included permit requests, concerns regarding pedestrian safety and road closures for night events, and proposals for various town beautification projects like scarecrows, holiday decorations, and a brick fundraiser.
Key concern
Seeking approval for event permits, road closures for safety, and various community beautification/fundraising projects.
Board responseThe board engaged in a lengthy discussion for each item, asking clarifying questions about costs, safety, and maintenance. They ultimately approved most concepts, though they requested alternative safety plans for road closures and more detail on the planter box project.
The board voted on nearly every request. They approved the movie night, scarecrow contest, holiday decorations, banner art, and the brick fundraiser (as a concept), while requesting modifications or more information for road closures and the planter boxes.
Tina Lonnie
12:30
Addressed
Tina, a member of the Main Street Board of Directors, spoke alongside Sherry to provide details on the funding and implementation of safety improvements. She specifically mentioned a $15,000 grant obtained for nighttime lighting, crosswalk enhancement, and signage to improve pedestrian safety.
Key concern
Detailing how grant funding will be used to address community safety concerns near event areas.
Board responseThe board listened to her explanation regarding the grant and how it would serve as a solution for safety issues.
Her explanation was used by the board to inform their discussions regarding safety and road closures.
Rick
75:40
Addressed
Rick requested permission to proceed with the bid process (RFP) to build a portable fort at Roy Park. He noted that the project would be funded through revolving funds and impact fees rather than the default budget.
Key concern
Seeking authorization to begin the bidding process for the portable fort construction.
Board responseThe board discussed the timeline for receiving bids and decided to push the closing date for the RFP out to June 15th to ensure sufficient participation.
The board made a motion and voted to allow the director to proceed with the RFP with an adjusted closing date.
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Report composed by
grok-4.3, gemma-4-26b, grok-4-fast, grok-4.20-0309-reasoning · analyzed 2026-05-30.